by Tina Martin
“I’m glad you had a good time. I was a little worried when you left here last night.”
“I know. I’m sorry about that. I had a breakdown, apparently.”
“If I were in your shoes, I probably would have, too. I wish you would’ve told me what Scott did to you. You know I would’ve had your back.”
“I know, Em,” Melanie said, loading the washer. “I was too embarrassed to say anything.”
“So why did the doctor say you couldn’t have babies?”
“Because I have an abnormally shaped uterus and only one functioning fallopian tube. She said it was a congenital abnormality.”
“And there’s nothing the doctors can do about that?”
“No. That’s just the way my body is, unfortunately.” Melanie poured a cap full of laundry detergent in the washer.
“But what about corrective surgery or something, Mel.”
Melanie shook her head. “No. She said I had a unicornuate uterus…something I’ve never heard of before, so I did some research. It confirmed everything the doctor told me…that there is no corrective surgery to fix my condition and the chances of me getting pregnant are slim to none.”
“Slim to none is better than no chance at all, right?”
“I thought so too, until I also found out that, if by chance I did get pregnant, there’s a great possibility that the pregnancy would end in a miscarriage.”
Emily sighed, not knowing what else to say. “Are you going to tell Dimitrius?”
“Not if I can help it. We’re not serious, Emily.”
“Well, seeing how the man wants you for his wife, maybe you should, Melanie.”
Melanie shook her head. “For now, I’m going to let everything remain as it is between Dimitrius and I. Besides, I don’t know if we’re getting married yet. This is just an experiment, remember.”
“Maybe for you it is, but Dimitrius Champion doesn’t do experiments.”
Melanie grinned. Emily had a point. However, she couldn’t tell Dimitrius this now. She liked him. He was growing on her. She felt like they’d had a breakthrough today and even as she washed clothes and tidied up around the house, she could still feel the sensation of his kiss on her lips. “Emily, it’s fine. I can handle Dimitrius. Now tell me what’s been going on in your world? What have you and Dante been up to this afternoon?”
“Not much. We did a little shopping and tonight, we’re supposed to be going to a movie.”
“That’s nice. Well, listen, since I’ve been gone most of the day, I’m over here washing clothes and cleaning, so I’m going to go, but I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay. Later.”
Chapter 16
Dimitrius had to do something to help curb his appetite for Melanie. She was heavy on his mind since they parted ways this afternoon. Leave it up to him and he’d spend the whole day with her, not just a portion of it. He wanted to go back to her place right now, but she’d already told him she had things to do and a few errands to run. Still, he had to fight with himself to resist the urge, and what better way to do that than in his home gym. He jogged for thirty minutes on the treadmill then lifted weights – all of that after a mile and a half hike with her this morning…
When he finished his workout, he walked to the kitchen, took a bottle of water from the fridge and poured himself a glass of wine. He sat at the island, watching Gino work. Gino was the cook he’d hire a few times per week. He’d been working for him close to a year now.
“So how’s work, Dimitrius?” Gino asked, as he tossed green and peppers with onions in a hot skillet. In another skillet, he was pan-searing chicken breasts.
“Business is good. The corporation is on target to have another outstanding year.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear of your success, my friend. Your success means my success.”
Dimitrius raised his glass of wine to him then took a sip. He reached for a copy of Business World magazine, flipped to the article on The Champion Corporation and felt a sense of pride and accomplishment that he was a part of such a successful business. And with the success came loneliness. What was the use of having the world when you didn’t have anyone to share it with?
“Gino, how’s the family doing?” Dimitrius asked. Gino was married with two little girls.
“They’re doing well. My daughters actually wanted to come with me to your house.” He laughed.
“You could’ve brought them over if you wanted.”
Gino laughed. “You make a funny, Sir.”
“No, seriously. You could have.”
“I don’t know, Sir. I don’t want to bother you with noisy kids…it would mess up your concentration.”
“No it wouldn’t. I like children. I’ve always wanted at least three.”
Gino laughed again. “Are you sure about that, Sir? Once they’re here, you can’t ship them back. Sometimes you might want to, but, eh…”
Dimitrius grinned.
“And besides,” Gino continued, “You have to find a woman first. I don’t recall seeing a woman here.”
Dimitrius stood up and said, “Trust me…I’m working on it.” He turned the bottle of water up to his mouth and finished it. “I’ve been seeing someone. Her name is Melanie.”
“Ah…does she live here in Asheville?”
“Yes. She lives here.”
“Has she ever been by, you know, for a little rendezvous?”
Dimitrius smirked. “No. Not yet.”
“Then why not invite her over?”
“I plan on it, one day.”
“One day? What about tonight? I’m making my famous southwest chicken.”
“Nah, not tonight. I was with her most of the day, and I’m sure she’s tired. Plus, she’s busy this evening.”
“How long have you been seeing her?”
“A week.”
With furrowed eyebrows, Gino said, “A week?”
“Yes. A week.”
“Are things going good so far?”
“It’s going great, Gino. After all, she is the woman I intend to marry.”
“Marry? Did I hear you correctly, Sir?”
“You did. It’s time for me to settle down, Gino…time to put a wife and some children in this house.”
“That would be good for you. Children are good for the soul. My girls…they drive me crazy, but I couldn’t imagine my life without them.” Gino took some bread from the oven.
“How long have you been married?” Dimitrius inquired.
“Fifteen years.”
“Man…that’s a long time.”
Gino nodded. “I met her at a party…one of my friends was hosting it.”
“Did you spot her right away?”
“Oh, almost immediately. She had on this cute little summery dress, and her hair was bouncing all over the place…finger lickin’ good, my friend.”
Dimitrius grinned.
“Before I knew her name, I knew she was the woman who would be my wife.”
Dimitrius nodded. “That’s the same way I felt when I first laid eyes on Melanie, and looking back now, I realize how much I wanted her. I wanted her so bad, Gino, I was willing to avoid her for an entire year.”
“Wait…so you did the opposite. Instead of jumping at the chance to be with her, you avoided her.”
“Yeah. Now let me tell you why…you know how men can read women…how you know if a woman is down for whatever.”
“Right.”
“Well, Melanie wasn’t that type of woman and I knew it by the way she carried herself. I knew she was better than that…had morals and respect for herself. So I avoided her because I knew I wasn’t ready to be with a woman like her. I wasn’t good enough to approach her. I wasn’t where I needed to be in my own life.”
“I get that.”
“Then, when a position became available at The Champion Corporation, Dante suggested we interview her and she got the job. Since I knew I couldn’t avoid her any longer, I decided to be upfront with her. So I told
her I wanted to marry her.”
A look of disbelief swept across Gino’s face. “You’re a brave man, Dimitrius.”
“You have to be bold when you know you want something. And she, my friend, is the woman for me. I’m convinced.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Positive.”
“Then call her up and tell her to get over here. The food will be ready in about thirty minutes, and I’ll be out of here.”
“You know what, Gino,” Dimitrius said. “I think I just might do that.”
Chapter 17
Melanie was sitting on the sofa with a basket of clean clothes on the floor in front of her. Holding the remote, she turned the channel to BET, then began folding clothes. A few folded pieces in, her cell phone rang.
When she looked at the display, a smile came to her face. She answered the call and said, “No, I’m not going on another hike, so you may as well get it off of your mind, Dimitrius Champion.”
Dimitrius chuckled. “Why not? You did good out there on that trail.”
“Yeah, and now my feet hurt.”
I would love to massage your pretty feet, he thought. “You can shake that off, Melanie.”
“No I can’t. I had to rub my poor little toes back to life,” she said, then laughed.
“Hey, what are you up to this evening?”
“I’m folding clothes right now. You?”
“I just showered.”
Melanie lost herself in steamy thoughts, imagining Dimitrius naked in the shower, water splashing against and meandering down his pecks to his lengthy, muscular torso, his powerful thighs and…
“So what do you think?” Dimitrius asked.
“About what?” she asked, too lost in her daydreams of him to realize he had asked her something.
“About coming over to my place for dinner.”
“Oh…ah…tonight?”
“Yes. Tonight.”
“Okay,” she responded. She wanted to be with him, just as much as she knew he wanted to be with her.
Satisfied, Dimitrius said, “Excellent. You have my address, don’t you?”
“No.”
“Oh…thought I gave it to you. I’ll text it to you right now.”
“Okay, but first, what is the dress code for this event?” she said, withholding sarcasm.
“Dress code?”
“Yeah. I know how you like to be all GQ’d up.”
“Sweetie, we’re going to be at my home. Dress as comfortable as you would like.”
“Alright, but when I get there, you better not be wearing a three-piece suit.”
He grinned. “I may not be wearing anything at all.”
The visual had all kinds of sensations swirling around in her stomach. She’d seen a naked man before, but she imagined Dimitrius’ body would put all the others to shame. The man was built. Ripped. Cut. And that, she could tell with his clothes on. With them off, he must’ve been an eyeful of eye candy.
“I’m kidding, Melanie,” he said when she grew quiet.
“I know that.”
“Then why were you so quiet?”
“I just…um…never mind.”
“Well, I’ve already texted my address to you. Are you coming right over?”
“Yes, once I change clothes.”
“Or you could wear what you have on now.”
“Nah…I have on an old pair of shorts and a T-shirt.”
“Sounds perfect,” Dimitrius said, thinking about the full view of her legs he would get if she wore shorts over to his place.
“I don’t think so,” she grinned. “I can’t leave out of the house like this.”
“Okay, sweetie.”
“Would you like for me to bring anything?”
“Nope. Just bring yourself, baby. The rest is taken care of.”
“Okay. See you in a few.”
Chapter 18
The moment she arrived at his place, her mouth fell open in awe. She thought Dante and Emily’s house was huge…Dimitrius’ house looked more like a castle than a home. It had to have been over seven-thousand square feet, in the prime, upscale Biltmore Park neighborhood. Variations of stone and brick made up the outside walls. His Maserati was parked in the horseshoe driveway which made her wonder if the three-car garage was occupied with vehicles.
She parked, got out of the car and began walking to the door when he’d come out.
“Wow! You live here alone?”
“For now…when I get you to marry me, I won’t be here alone.”
“You’re funny,” she told him, stepping into his embrace, sinking her head into his chest, taking in his essence.
“I’m glad you came, Melanie.”
“Me too,” she said, removing her arms from around him. “And look at you with a T-shirt and a pair of jogging pants on. Wow! You look like a different man.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“It’s amazing, Dimitrius. Looks like I’m getting you to loosen up a little after all, huh?”
“If you say so,” was his response, but he knew she was right. Since he’d started spending time with her, he had loosened up a bit. “Let’s go inside so we can eat. I have the food warming up in the oven.”
When Melanie stepped inside, all she could do was marvel at how immaculate the place was. His home was the most exquisite home she’d ever been in. Shiny marble floors were all throughout the place. A grand entrance that included an oversized, crystal chandelier and a winding staircase really made the home fancy. She could see the living room as she followed Dimitrius to the kitchen. It too was grand, with antique-styled furniture that must have cost a fortune and a fireplace that was definitely the centerpiece of the room.
The plants. The wall art. The lighting. The built-in water fountains. The home was a dream – an oasis.
When they stepped into the kitchen, he pulled out a bar stool for her. Instead of eating at the table or in the dining room, he felt that the island countertop would be more casual and comfortable for her. Besides, she hadn’t dated in a long time, and he didn’t want to do anything to scare her off or make her feel uncomfortable in is home.
“Let me help you with that, Dimitrius,” she said, watching him take a tray from the oven.
“I got it, Melanie. You’re my guest. I didn’t invite you over here to work.”
“Okay. Okay,” she said, palms up. “This is your castle.”
Dimitrius took plates from the cupboard and prepared plates for the both of them, then came walking back to the island, placing their meals on the granite countertop.
“Chicken, peppers, peas and mashed potatoes…looks good,” Melanie said. “And healthy.”
“I like healthy, but I didn’t cook this if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said, finally sitting next to her. “I have a chef come by at least three days a week.”
“Oh. That’s nice.”
With a bottle of wine and two glasses, he was back, sitting on his bar stool after placing the glasses and the wine in front of them. “Let me know if you need any sauces or anything.”
“Okay, but I don’t think I will. This is delicious,” she mumbled while holding her hand in front of her mouth.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yep. Glad I stopped folding clothes to come here.”
“I’m glad you did, too.”
“So how many bedrooms does this place have?”
Dimitrius wiped his mouth, then said, “Five.”
“Wow. That’s a lot.”
He took a sip of wine. “Not really. Three bedrooms are for the kids, the master is mine, of course, and the remaining bedroom is a guest bedroom.”
“Oh,” Melanie said, and she took a sip of wine, too. “You’re serious about having children, huh?”
“Certainly. I told you I wasn’t changing my mind like your ex did. I know what I want.”
“I see,” Melanie said, reaching for the wine bottle where she poured another glass. She realized what he was doing, realized th
at it was wrong and that if things worked out with Dimitrius, she would have to tell him she couldn’t give him the family he wanted.
For a few moments, they were quietly eating until a chime interrupted the silence.
“You invited more women for dinner?” Melanie quipped.
“That’s the grandfather clock in the living room, sweetie.”
“Oh.”
“It’s an heirloom…my mother used to love that clock.”
Melanie drank the rest of her wine, dabbed her mouth with a napkin and said, “So tell me something about yourself that I don’t already know.”
“Hmm…let’s see…um…my father taught me how to play the piano, and I used to give piano lessons to help pay my way through college.”
“You’re lying.”
A small smile touched his lips. “You love calling me a liar, don’t you?”
“It just seems a little farfetched. I don’t see you as a piano player.”
“Well, it’s true. I’ll play for you one day.”
Melanie smiled and watched him take a swig of wine.
“Your turn,” he said, setting his glass on the counter. “Tell me something I don’t know?”
“Um…hmm…okay. Well, I was a big nerd in high school.”
He smirked. “I can see that.”
She smiled and slapped his arm. “What do you mean, you can see that?”
After laughing, he said, “You’re a smart woman.”
“And how do you know that?”
“I could tell by your interview. I found you to be on point and very knowledgeable in your field.”
“Was that before or after you snapped at me.”
He chuckled softy and said, “I didn’t snap.”
“I know. Just teasing. You did give me a hard time, though.”
“I did. I’ll admit that,” he said, looking at her. He was tempted to remove her ponytail holder so he could see her curls frame her face, and he wondered if she would object if he were to do so. “Did you go to college?” he inquired.
“No, I didn’t. My parents couldn’t afford it and I got passed up for a scholarship, so…”
Dimitrius nodded. His parents couldn’t afford to send him and his brothers to college either, but they’d all gotten scholarships to help pay for their schooling. “Are you done eating?” he asked.