Interview with Love (11 page)

Vaughn came to Sienna's room about fifteen minutes after her phone call with Vivian. When she saw him, a blush immediately splashed across her face. “I'm not exactly ready yet,” she apologized, glancing down at her plush terry bathrobe. His gaze followed hers. Tension crackled in the air like a well-established log fire. Vaughn stepped back slightly. “I can see that. I uh, can come back shortly if you'd prefer?”

“No, just give me a few minutes,” Sienna walked quickly back into the bathroom and shut the door.

Vaughn practically stood rooted to his spot. The visuals roaming through his mind's eye were killing him.

Several minutes later, Sienna re-emerged dressed and ready to go. He escorted her out.

Vaughn rented a jeep with a GPS system. When Sienna saw it she couldn't help but name it. “I think we'll call it Liesl.”

Vaughn snickered. “Liesl? Been watching the Sound of Music lately?”

“Not recently,” she clarified.

“Recently being in the last month?”

She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, where are we going for breakfast?”

“The Coffee Pot. I have it on good authority that they have the most extensive list of omelets you're ever going to find.”

“How many do they have?”

“One hundred and one.”

“Wow, that's quite a list.”

“The team says it's quite a restaurant.”

“It's going to be a challenge trying to pick one.”

A snicker escaped his lips. “You forget I'm well acquainted with your indecisiveness.”

Sienna turned sideways in the seat. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“It takes you forever to order,” he said, dryly. “I don't know what I want, you go first, I'll order last,” he mimicked.

“I can't help it if everything looks good.”

“Just remember our flight leaves for North Carolina tomorrow afternoon.”

“Shut up.” She hit him in the arm.

When they arrived at the restaurant there was only a few minutes wait. Vaughn passed Sienna a menu. “Here, start reading,” he teased. “Maybe by the time we're seated you'll have picked something.”

“Oh come on, like you already know what you want.”

“I'm a simple man, Doc. I always know what I want.”

She scrutinized him closely. “Not always.”

Before Vaughn could comment, the waitress escorted them to their table. He waited until Sienna was situated before he sat down across from her. He laughed when she resumed studying the menu with quiet fervor.

“So, I was thinking we could go out with the team tonight. It would give you a chance to meet them.”

“Mmm hmm.” Sienna nodded distractedly.

Vaughn reached for her hand. That got her attention. She looked over at him.

“You know it's not that serious.”

“Easy for you to say,” she grumbled. “You already know what you're ordering. I'm only on the sixty-second omelet.”

The waitress came back to their table and asked if they were ready to order. Surprisingly, Sienna confirmed that they were. She closed her menu and handed it to the woman. “I'm going to go with number forty-one.”

“The zucchini, mushroom, spinach, tomato and cheese.” The woman told Sienna what sides it came with.

“Do you mind if I get the banana pancakes instead?”

The woman wrote it down. “No problem. Will that be all, ma'am?”

“Oh, and a large glass of milk. That's it.”

Vaughn was staring at her in surprise. “That was fast.”

“Don't get excited,” she joked. “It may never happen again.”

He ordered the number twenty-seven omelet which was sausage, bacon, tomato, mushroom and cheese. He also ordered green peppers, potatoes and homemade biscuits. When the waitress had taken his order and their menus she left. Satisfied, Vaughn turned to Sienna. It was her turn to stare in astonishment.

“What?”

“You're going to eat all that?”

“Like there was any doubt?” he laughed. “I'm more worried about you, though.”

“Oh I'll have room.”

After eating, they drove around Sedona while their food settled.

“I'm going to pop,” Sienna moaned rubbing her stomach.

“Nonsense, you didn't eat that much.”

“By whose standards?” She rubbed her stomach again. “So where are we headed?”

“We're going to Cave Creek. There's a place called Extreme Arizona that does ATV tours. It's just over one hundred miles from here.”

“Good. It'll give my body a chance to digest all this food.”

Vaughn chuckled. “Have you ever been ATV'ing before?”

“Yes.”

He turned to face her.

She rolled her eyes. “I know it's shocking, but I've actually done a few things you may not believe.”

“Is that so?” he said, intrigued.

“I'm not a pro, but I've gone out a few times.”

“With?”

“My dad, and on other occasions a few friends.”

He laughed but refused to elaborate when she asked him what he found amusing.

 

It took them two hours to get to reach their destination. After they were registered, Vaughn and Sienna were outfitted in pants, gloves, a riding jersey, boots, socks and safety gear. “I feel like a stuffed sausage,” Sienna giggled sliding her helmet down over her head.

“Trust me you're too hot to look like a sausage.”

“I feel kind of hot,” she said, sitting on her all-terrain vehicle.

Vaughn's eyes raked over the yellow and black riding outfit she wore. From her helmet down to her boots his gaze missed nothing. “Doc, that definitely was not the hot I was referring to.”

Sienna couldn't contain the silly grin splattered across her face.

The guides had other riders to bring over from the shop so their vehicles were loaded up on the trailer. Vaughn and Sienna followed behind in their jeep.

Arriving at the trailhead, the employees backed the various ATV's and dirt bikes out of the trailer while the riders stood off to the side. Sienna took that time to take in the scenery. There were power lines that ran overhead as far as her eye could see. The mountains and hills in the distance kissed the cloud-filled sky. The sandy trails stretched out ahead of them. Succulents, cacti and other plant life took her breath away with their natural beauty.

Sienna went back to the car and grabbed Vaughn's digital camera and a guide book for all the indigenous plant life. She snapped a few photos and tried to put a name to some of the shrubs and bushes she saw.
Desert Broom
,
Shrubby Coldenia
and
Feather Dalea
were in abundance. Vaughn came up behind her. “We're ready.”

She turned. “Sedona is so beautiful, Vaughn. I am so glad you brought me here.”

He looked into her face. It was hard considering she still had a helmet on. “Sienna, there is nobody I'd rather share such an amazing place with besides you.”

A fellow rider offered to snap their picture. Vaughn wrapped his arm around her waist and they took the picture, sans helmets.

Some of the riders were on guided tours while others explored the trails on their own. Vaughn and Sienna decided to go at their own pace. The driver would come back to get them in a few hours. They all synched their watches and hit the road.

She was hot when they were standing around waiting to leave, but the moment they got their ATV's Sienna cooled off. It took her a while to get acclimated to shifting the gears of her quad, but she eventually mastered the task. Vaughn stayed close by. Sometimes he took the lead, other times Sienna was out front. They stayed to the right of the trails so that riders on the faster dirt bikes, quads, or in multi-passenger off-road vehicles could get by.

There were respectful of the land and never strayed from the marked trail. A few times they pulled over to drink some water or take a break. The last time they did Sienna took her helmet off.

“Are you tired?” Vaughn inquired.

“A little,” she admitted. “I'm not ready to call it quits, though. It's too spectacular out here.”

“As much as I'd love to stay out here I think we'd better start heading back. Those are storm clouds on the horizon and the last thing I want to do is have us out here when it hits.”

Sienna followed his gaze. “My gosh, I didn't even notice,” she placed her helmet back in place and started her ATV up. “Ready when you are,” she said, loudly.

“Let's pick up the pace, okay?”

She nodded and let him lead. They heard the first clap of thunder. A storm was definitely headed their way. A few minutes later, the clouds opened up and it began to pour. The rain was making it extremely difficult to see. She slowed down to keep from being pelted so severely by the wind and water. As they were coming down a steep hill Sienna wiped her goggles. When her vision cleared she realized she was about to drive into a jagged stretch of the trail. She swerved to the right to avoid driving on uneven terrain. The second she realized she'd overcompensated it was too late. Her right wheel hit a crater and her ATV pitched severely. It rolled over taking her with it.

 

Vaughn made it down the hill and was heading down a flat stretch of trail. When he turned around to check on Sienna the yellow ATV was no longer behind him. He pulled over to the side and waited for a few moments. When there was no sign of Sienna his face creased with worry.
This isn't good.
Vaughn wheeled around and accelerated back up the steep incline. Eventually, he spotted the ATV. It was lying upside down with Sienna's legs protruding out from under it. His heart stopped. “Sienna,” Vaughn yelled, loudly. It was futile. His voice couldn't be heard over his helmet, or the raging storm.

His vehicle skidded to a halt. He cut the engine and was off the machine in one seamless motion. “Sienna,” he shouted again. “Hang on, Sienna do you hear me? Hang on.”

It had happened in an instant. One minute she was riding along the flooding trail, the next she was on the ground with an ATV on top of her. Adrenaline rushed through her veins. The vehicle didn't feel as heavy as she would have expected.
Focus. Rule number seventeen: Don't panic, there's a way out of everything,
she told herself. The first order of business was to get out from under the vehicle. With as much strength as she could muster Sienna sat up and pushed with all her weight. She flipped the quad over. It cleared her and came to rest right side up and on all four wheels.
Thank God it isn't as heavy as it looked,
she told herself.

Vaughn rushed over to her side and dropped to his knees. Cautiously, he removed her helmet and gloves. His hands roamed over her body. As he fired off a barrage of questions Sienna had to wonder if he had any medical training. “Sienna, can you tell me where it hurts? Are you dizzy or nauseous? How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Not sure at the moment, no, no and one,” she answered dutifully.

She saw relief in his eyes, but worry too. His hands were shaking slightly as they traversed her limbs to look for injuries. She tried her best to waylay his fears. “Vaughn,” she said, loudly over the deafening storm. Her hands sought his out and stilled them. “I'm all right.”

An expression crossed his face that she couldn't decipher. She simply stared at him. Vaughn was motionless for a moment longer before guiding her head to his.

Vaughn crushed his lips to hers. He kissed her with a single-minded purpose. It was meant to dispel any chance that Sienna was thinking he was just happy she was safe. He was, but he wanted his intent to be crystal clear. Right now Vaughn was trying his damndest to kiss the taste out of her mouth.

He eased her onto his lap. When Sienna wrapped her arms around his neck, relief coursed through him like an intravenous drug. His arms locked around her waist to hold her in place. Her legs clamped around his middle. A second later her tongue dueled boldly with his. It was like an aphrodisiac to him. The more Vaughn tasted her, the more he wanted.

The rain beating down on them was irrelevant. The clumpy sand they were sitting in inconsequential. The only thing that mattered to Vaughn was that he didn't break contact with some part of Sienna's body. He rolled her over and under him. A second later, Sienna yelped. He released her immediately and reared back. He searched her face. “What's wrong?”

“I don't know I—ow,” she cried out, bolting upright. “It burns.”

“What burns? Where?” Vaughn was back in medical mode.

“On my back.”

He got behind her. He ran his hand lightly over her wet jersey. He yanked it back half way down. It was dark, but his eyes scanned over the ground. He studied the area and then declared, “I know what it is.”

“Great, what is it because it's driving me crazy.”

“It's cactus needles. We rolled you into cacti.”

“Well get them out.”

“We need some light. Come on,” he helped her to her feet, and then over to her ATV. He started the engine and turned the headlights on. They kneeled down in front of the bright beam. Vaughn got behind her again. Despite the rain he worked carefully to pull out the needles stuck in her shirt. After a few moments he asked, “Can you raise your shirt up?”

Sienna eased the jersey higher.

“Okay, that's far enough.”

Sienna bit her lip while Vaughn worked on her.

“Done,” he finally announced. She slid her top down. Vaughn got to his feet, and then helped her up. “We've got to get going, Doc.” He walked over to retrieve her helmet. Shaking it a few times, he secured it to her head. He swung his leg over her ATV and revved the engine.

“Is it okay?”

“It should be fine. Hop on and hold on to me as tight as you can.”

Sienna's arms went around his waist as he directed. Turning around, he gunned the engine and took off toward the steep hill driving back the way he'd come. Sienna closed her eyes and molded herself to his back. They drove up the incline without incident. He pulled in next to his ATV. “Are you going to be able to drive back to the jeep?”

Sienna nodded into his back. Vaughn got off and she slid up to the front.

“The trail's wide enough here where we can ride side-by-side. We'll be back in no time,” he said, squeezing her arm reassuringly.

He jogged over to his ATV and jumped on. He started the engine. Sienna drove up to his side and waited. He gave her the thumbs up sign and they started down the path. It wasn't long before they reached the beginning of the trailhead. By the time they came to a stop it was done raining. Vaughn was glad to see that everyone had made it back without serious incident. The guides loaded the vehicles back on the truck. Sienna waited while Vaughn spoke to the driver. After he was done he came back and escorted Sienna to the car.

The top was up, but all the windows had been down so the seats were wet from the storm. Neither one paid much attention since they were already wet and uncomfortable. They drove in companionable silence for a while. Eventually, Vaughn reached over and clasped Sienna's hand in his. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine, Vaughn. Nothing a good meal, hot shower and dry clothes won't cure,” she said, tiredly.

His eyes roamed over her. “You sure you don't want to go to the hospital and get checked out?”

Sienna was shaking her head before he'd finished his sentence. “No. I will be all right. I just want to go home.”

Vaughn nodded. “If you feel any pain—”

“I promise I'll let you know.”

“Fair enough, but we're going to stop on the way home to get something for your back.”

When they arrived at the tour shop the woman working there gave them towels to dry off with before getting re-dressed. They were still a bit dirty, but elated to be in dry clothes again. On the drive back to Sedona, Vaughn stopped to get something hot to drink and some first aid supplies. He bought tea for Sienna and coffee for himself. She thanked him profusely while sipping her steaming beverage.

It was almost ten minutes before Sienna broke the silence. “So is one of us going to talk about the gray elephant in the car?”

Vaughn glanced over. “I suppose we need to, don't we?”

“That's a big yes.”

“Okay Doc, you want to start or will I?”

“You can.”

Vaughn's grip on the steering wheel tightened and then relaxed. “First off, I want to apologize for putting you in harm's way this afternoon.”

“Vaughn, you couldn't have anticipated a freak storm blowing in.”

“I know. Up until that point we were having a great time. Weren't we?”

“Of course we were,” Sienna said, stifling a yawn.”

“You're exhausted.”

“No, I'm not.”

“Why don't you try to close your eyes and take a nap? We'll have our heart-to-heart when you get up.”

Sienna looked over at him. “Vaughn, I'm fine.”

Vaughn's gaze raked over her. She looked like a bedraggled kitten with her hair plastered to her face and dirt streaked over her skin. He smiled a lopsided grin. “That you are, but humor me and close your eyes.”

Sienna sat back and sighed loudly. Her eyes drifted shut. “See? Nothing.”

Vaughn remained silent. When her breathing evened out and her head rolled to the side he couldn't contain the low chuckle that escaped his lips.

Sienna slept the entire ride back to Sedona. Vaughn was able to find a parking space close to her cottage. Before he got out of the Jeep, he retrieved her key from her jacket pocket. He walked around the car and opened her door. He unbuckled her seatbelt and gently retracted it back from across her body. Vaughn put her purse in his hand before scooping her up into his arms. After he cleared the door he used his back to shut it. Sienna stirred, but didn't wake up.

At the door he had to stand her up while he opened it. Her eyes fluttered open. “Oh, we're home,” she said, yawning.

“Sorry I woke you up,” he replied, softly. He opened the door and helped her inside.

“I've got to take a shower. I feel like things are crawling on me.”

“Good idea. I should probably go. I'm definitely in need of a shower myself.”

“No,” Sienna said, quickly.

He arched an eyebrow. “No you don't want me to take a shower?”

“No, I don't want you to leave.”

Vaughn's eyes darkened. Slowly, he walked up to her. Putting his hands on either side of her face, he lowered his head and kissed her with a thoroughness that made Sienna lean toward him. When he ended the kiss, his thumb glided over her moistened lips. “I'll be back, Doc.”

“Promise?”

He kissed her again. “I promise.”

 

After Vaughn left, Sienna went straight to the bathroom to strip out of her soiled clothes. Before she climbed into the shower she found a bag to put them in. When the steaming water hit her body she sighed languorously. Many things had transpired over a short period of time. A sudden storm had thrown a myriad of events into motion that she was still reeling from. Her accident, Vaughn's protectiveness, that incredible, stomach-knotting-toe-curling kiss he'd given her.
Correction, kisses,
she mused. She ran a wet hand over her face. She wasn't dreaming. He had
finally
kissed her, and that kiss left no ambiguity as to what their status was.
Did it?
Her conviction wavered slightly.
No, he wanted more.
They both did.

The soap she was holding hit the shower floor. Snapped out of her reverie, Sienna bent down to retrieve it. A pain shot up her rib cage. She cringed and leaned against the tiled wall. Sienna cautiously breathed in and out a few times assessing the severity of her possible injury. Determined to wash her hair, she cautiously tested her range of motion before commencing. A few minutes later, Sienna was finished and drying off. She towel dried her hair for a while before applying hair-styling mousse and blow drying it straight. She twisted it into a bun before brushing her teeth and finishing the rest of her nightly routine.

Sienna chose a comfortable pair of purple and white cotton pajama bottoms and a white sleeveless camisole with a built-in shelf bra. By the time she was looking for her slippers Vaughn knocked on the door. She went to let him in.

Seeing him on the other side of the door did weird things to her system. He was carrying a bag in one hand. “What's that?” she asked after closing the door.

“I didn't know if you were hungry or not so I brought us some sandwiches.”

Sienna took the bag and looked in. “Vaughn, this is a lot more than sandwiches,” she laughed. She sat cross-legged on her bed and motioned for him to join her.

“In a minute,” he proclaimed. He walked over to the fireplace and made a fire. After he was satisfied that it was well established, Vaughn returned to the bed. “Now let's take a look at your back.”

“It's fine,” Sienna told him.

“I'm looking at it anyway,” he said sitting down behind her.

She lifted her top to give him better access. Vaughn looked over her back.

“See? Nothing but a few scratches,” she replied.

“I'll feel better if we put some antibiotic on it anyway,” he told her as he got up and went into the bathroom.

When he returned he was carrying Neosporin and a large Band-Aid. Vaughn made quick work of administering to the abrasions on her back. Satisfied, he kicked his shoes off and joined her on the bed.

Sienna laid the food he brought between them. Vaughn had made a roast beef and Swiss cheese sandwich and a turkey club. There were also two bags of Sun Chips, grapes, bottles of green tea and bottled water. There was also two Rice Crispy Treats.

“You made Rice Crispy Treats?” she hid a smile.

“Actually, I can't take credit for those. Two of my team members had a bake off.”

“Lucky me,” Sienna said, eagerly.

They delved into the makeshift picnic with gusto. They talked about work and recreational activities while they ate. While they were cleaning up the remnants of dinner, Vaughn handed her a plastic wrapped rice crispy treat. After she'd removed the plastic, Sienna reverently sank her teeth into it. Vaughn followed each bite with rapt interest.

“Is it better than the cheesecake at the picnic?”

She smiled in recollection. Her eyes closed while she chewed. “Close, but not quite.”

“You know, there's something I've wanted to do since that day,” he confessed.

“What?”

Reaching over, Vaughn's hands went up to either side of her head. Sienna's eyes fluttered open. He undid the knot and arranged her hair around her shoulders.

Sienna bit her lower lip nervously.

“Hey,” he lifted her face up to meet his eyes. “You are a gorgeous woman, Dr. Sienna Lambert—inside and out. I'm sorry to tell you, but that bun doesn't detract from how pretty you are.”

“So I've heard.”

“I'm certain it hasn't kept any man from wanting to approach you, and it sure isn't going to keep me at bay.” His hand stroked her hair. “Personally, I think you can lose that awful thing.”

Sienna laughed when his lips curled in distaste. “When I'm with you, or all the time?”

“All,” he clarified.

An uncomfortable look crossed her face. “I don't think I can do that.”

He regarded her. “Why? What's so important about it?”

“I…it just makes me feel…I don't know. I can't even explain it. I just know that I'm not ready to change it. Please try to understand.”

“Sweetheart, I'm not going to pressure you. If you want to wear that thing by all means…I just don't get why it's so important.”

“I'll explain it to you one day.”

“Whatever you want,” Vaughn kissed her lips. “We have all the time in the world, but for tonight it stays down—deal?”