by Skye Turner
Spoiled ass cat. “I know. I know. You’re hungry. I’m coming.”
As I walk over to the baker’s rack to remove her food, she bumps my leg again and I can hear her purring. Rubbing her ears, I fill her bowl, and as she eats, get her fresh water. She’s my baby. I don’t have kids, but she’s my fur baby and I don’t think she understands she’s not a human.
The timer goes off and I wash my hands and take the pan out of the oven. Checking the time, I see it’s been eighteen minutes since I hung up with Dade. Not that I’m counting.
Of course you’re counting, you silly woman. A rock star who is gorgeous and who knows your body inside and out is on the way to your house. A rock star that you are completely head over heels for, at that. A rock star that can have any woman in the world, yet is on the way to your house.
Breathe. Just breathe.
Peanut bumps my legs again, so I reach down and pick her up. She purrs loudly and licks my chin. I laugh and tell her a secret. “Ok, Peanut. Dade is coming over. So, you have to be good. Do not climb into his lap. He may not like cats.” She looks at me and purrs louder. “I know. Who wouldn’t love you, girl?!”
As I’m conversing with my fur baby, the doorbell rings. My heart starts racing. Walking over to her bed, I put Peanut down into it. I laugh. She’ll never stay in there. It’s a decoration. She goes wherever she wants in here and sleeps wrapped around my head on my pillow at night. Spoiled cat.
Wiping my palms down my pants, I take a deep breath and reach for the door. I sneak a peek through the peep hole. Holy shit! Did he get even sexier?! Stop it Mel! Act your age. He’s just a man.
Yeah, a sexy as shit man who I did really naughty things with and to. A lot.
I feel my face flush. Shit!
The bell rings again.
Well, here we go. I open the door.
He smiles at me and looks me over, from my bare toes to my messy hair. I fist pump in my head that I didn’t pretty myself up for him, too. He can either like low key Mel or not.
His eyes meet mine and he smiles again. My heart hits my cervix.
“Hey.”
I swallow as I look at him without the benefit of the closed door between us. He’s so tall. He’s wearing flip flops with khaki cargo shorts and a Thundercats t-shirt. I’m so shocked, I laugh.
His brows raise in a silent question.
“Sorry, you’re wearing a Thundercats t-shirt. I just didn’t expect you to be so… casual.”
He looks at me pointedly. “Your evening wear is stunning, too.”
I blush and he chuckles. “Can I come in?”
I didn’t even realize I was blocking the door. Opening the door wider, I step back. “Oh, shit. I’m sorry. Yes, come in.”
He steps in and takes the door from me; I jump at the unexpected contact. Looking into my eyes, from right in front of me, he leans down and whispers, “Let’s not make this weird, ok?!”
I step back. “What?”
He backs me into the wall and boxes me in. “I said, let’s not be weird. We know each other in the most intimate way possible. We had conversations that flowed before. We have shit that’s happened since, but I don’t want to go back to the beginning. Can we not make this weird and can you stop looking at me like I’m the big bad wolf and you think I’m going to blow your house down? Please?”
Um, what? I don’t think I understand. Are we picking up as if he never left the island or are we just acting like we’re friends. I don’t know what he means. But I know that his lips are the perfect shape and I can’t stop staring at them. I want them on mine. Right now.
He smirks slightly. “Melonie. You with me?”
Shaking my head to clear it, I blush again. I nod. “Yes, I’m here. But I’m afraid I don’t understand. What are you proposing, Dade?”
He looks confused. “What do you mean?”
I’m still against the wall and he’s inches from my body. “I mean, what do you mean? Are we continuing from where we left off or are we just two people who need to know more details about the other?”
He stops and I can see the wheels in his head turning. He leans down and whispers in my ear, “I know you. You know me. There are just things we don’t know about each other. I want a combination… of both. Follow?” He kisses me.
His lips are whisper soft against mine and I gasp as they start to tingle. He takes advantage and his tongue starts a slow dance with mine. My hands run up his chest and grab the messy ponytail he’s wearing to anchor myself. I’m on my tiptoes. His hands run up and down my sides, brushing the sides of my breasts. They swell in anticipation. He groans as I fist his hair and press my body firmly against his. His hands cup my ass and lift me. His thigh is between my legs and it feels heavenly.
We stay that way seemingly forever. Both of us just basking in the feel and taste of the other. All of the other bullshit melts away as sensation takes over. I want him. I want him now.
Letting go of his hair, my hands reach for the bottom of his shirt. I rake my nails down his washboard abs and stop at the band of his shorts. His breath hisses out as he breaks the kiss.
He steps back and sets me on my feet. He rests his head against the wall for a brief second before stepping back and letting me go. I hit the wall as I start to lose my balance.
He smiles at me. I’m so crazed with desire, I want to attack him.
He chuckles as I growl. Wait, what?!
I just growled in frustration.
Leaning over he kisses me hard and takes my hand. “I smell food. Let’s eat before it gets cold.”
He wants to eat right now. Food?!
I growl again and stomp my feet in frustration. He laughs heartily as he brushes past me and saunters into my kitchen.
Chapter Nine
Dade
Food. Food is a good idea. Throwing her to the floor and devouring her delicate body is not a good idea. Not right now.
Fuck you, head. My libido says fuck you.
Shit. The passion between us is still insane. I don’t know how the hell I’m going to go home tonight without sinking into her again.
We have to talk though. Talking is important.
My body wants to throat punch me. It says talking can happen in bed. I’m telling my body to shut up.
I walk past a sexily rumpled Melanie and hope she follows me into the kitchen.
I hear growling and grumbling under her breath. It makes me smile.
Her home is nice. I look through it as I walk the short distance to the kitchen. It’s elegant, but not over the top and still looks lived in. I hear a small sound as I reach the kitchen and look down. An extremely fluffy black cat is following me and it appears like she’s talking to me. I love animals, so I squat down. As I get near the floor, it reaches up and taps my legs with its little paws. “Well, hello there. You are a pretty little thing. Friendly, too. What’s your name?”
I hear a chuckle and look up. Melonie is standing in the doorway watching me pet and talk to this little cat. “Her name is Peanut and she’s spoiled rotten. She thinks everyone likes her and is asking you for permission to get in your lap.”
My eyes widen. “She’s asking permission?!”
She laughs at my expression. Nodding, she says, “Yeah, sit down and pat your thigh where she’s tapping you.”
A cat is asking for permission to get in my lap. Pussy wants to climb in my lap?!
I laugh out loud, but do what Melonie suggested and tap my leg. The cat climbs in, curls into a little ball, and closes her eyes while she purrs.
Well, I’ll be damned. I’ve wanted a pet for years, but since we’re gone so much, I don’t want to get one and then leave it alone while we travel. This little girl is pretty and sweet.
I chuckle. “I think she likes me.”
I hear Melonie mumble under her breath. “Smart cat.”
Chuckling, I scoop the kitten up and stand. I set her on the floor and she just stares at me. “I’ll play with you later. I’m hungry right now and
I need to talk to your mommy.”
I see Melonie’s surprised expression as I talk to the cat.
After washing my hands, I help her plate up the food. It looks good. She points to the table. I carry both plates over while she grabs some wine out of the freezer. She gestures to it and asks, “Would you like a glass?”
I’m not a wine man. I like beer and hard liquor. I shake my head. “I’m not much of a wine drinker. Sorry.”
She shakes her head and opens the fridge. I hear drawers opening and closing and then she says, “Yes.” Turning around, she holds out a Shiner Bock. “I have this? Is this better?”
I nod.
She opens it and brings it and her glass of wine to the table. As she sits down, she says, “I forgot those were in there. My ex-fiancé used to drink them.”
My jaw goes slack. The fuck?! Her ex-fiancé?!
She sees my expression. I didn’t even bother to try to hide it. “Ex-fiancé?”
Shrugging, she takes a bite. She swallows and takes a sip of wine before answering. “Yes, Jake. My ex-fiancé. I was engaged.”
My brain is racing. I ask calmly, “When?”
She looks at me. “Before I went to St. John.” I see her catch her breath.
Before she went to St. John. What does that mean?! Ok, we’re talking. This is what we need to talk about. How the fuck long was she engaged?!
Don’t be a dick, Dade. Just talk to her. This is what you wanted. We’re coving the bases.
“Before St. John? What does that mean?”
She sighs and sets her fork down. She takes a large gulp of her wine. “St. John was supposed to be my honeymoon, Dade.”
I drop my fork. What the fuck?
She smiles sadly. “Yes, we mutually agreed to call off the wedding and I took the trip alone.”
My mouth is hanging open. She was about to get married? To who? Did she really only hook up with me to get over someone else? Was I just the guy who was convenient at the right time?
I control the thoughts as best I can. “Ok.”
She looks at me with a considering expression on her face. “Do you want the story or would you rather not know?”
She’s holding her breath. Do I want to know? Yes. Yes, I want to know.
I nod. “Yeah, you can tell me.”
She nods, too and finishes her glass of wine. Getting up, she grabs the bottle. Bringing the entire thing back to the table, she sits back down and pours another glass. Leaning back cradling the glass between both hands, she looks into my eyes. She starts. “Jake and I went to college together. We met at Freshman Orientation. He was this adorable guy who caught my attention. We were both Pre-Med. We started seeing each other. We fell in love quickly.” She swirls her wine. “Things were great. We helped each other study, spent time together, moved in together… We’d bounce ideas off of each other for our respective theses. I was Obstetrics and Gynecology and he was Urology. We both graduated at the top of our classes. He proposed. I accepted. We started working and just stayed in the same groove. We spent less and less time together, as a couple, but when we did, it was enjoyable. Our lives were going in different directions. I never pushed for a wedding date and neither did he. We both concentrated on our careers. He moved into the spare room since we both worked long hours and our sleep schedules were different.” She points at the hall. “My parents kept asking about a wedding. One day over brunch, I kind of just threw a date out there. He never said no.”
She swallows and looks at the ceiling. “Before I realized it, the wedding was almost here. I didn’t care about the dress, the flowers, the cake, the catering… I didn’t care about any of it.” She looks at me and grimaces. “It’s not supposed to be like that. Your wedding is supposed to be a major life event and I honestly didn’t care. It’s supposed to be the happiest time of your life.”
Her glass is empty again. I offer to top it off and she shakes her head ‘no’. She smiles at me and shrugs. “I called Jake at work one day and told him we needed to talk. This was in early December. That night, we got home around the same time and talked. I mean really talked for the first time in a long time. We both agreed that we weren’t the same people as when we’d gotten together. We’re amazing friends. He’s an amazing man, but he no longer made my heart race. When I looked at my future, he wasn’t in it.
He admitted he loved me, but wasn’t in love with me either. We canceled the wedding and he decided to move out. It was mutual and there were no waves. Neither of us was especially sad. It was more of a relief that I wasn’t settling.”
She looks me dead in the eyes and smiles wryly. “I don’t know what I want. I don’t know what my path is supposed to be from here, but I know that I’m not settling. Not for something like marriage and the rest of my life, you know?!”
I nod.
Wow. She was engaged. To another doctor. He seems much more suited to her than a rocker. But then again, I’m here. I didn’t see that coming, but I’m glad she told me.
She’s looking at me with expectation on her face.
Shrugging, I say, “I didn’t expect that. Thanks for filling me in. Do you still see him?”
She nods. “I do. We work at the same hospital.” She laughs. “He’s dating a cardiac nurse. They seem happy. I’m happy for him.”
She really does seem happy for her ex. I didn’t know women could be like that. Not that I have much to compare it to.
Smiling at her, I ask, “What do you want to know about me?”
She smiles back softly and shrugs. “Whatever you want to share, I guess. What’s it like to be a rock star? How did that come about?”
Of course she asks that one.
I get up and grab both of our plates. Dumping them into the trash I see near the stove, I turn and set the plates in the sink before rinsing them.
She’s just watching me with a confused expression on her face.
Turning and leaning my hip against the counter, I watch her watch me. “What?”
She blushes. “Nothing. You just don’t really act like a rock star.”
Quirking my brow I tease her, “Really? You know a lot of rock stars?”
She chuckles. “Absolutely not. Just you. I’m more of a country girl.”
I expected that.
I chuckle and gesture to the fridge. “May I?”
She nods. “Help yourself.”
Grabbing another beer, I open it, and point to the living room. “Can we go in there?”
She laughs. It’s musical. “What? My kitchen isn’t cozy enough?!”
“It’s plenty cozy. I just want to put my feet up if that’s ok with you.”
She giggles and stands up. Swiping the wine bottle, she leads the way into the living room and I follow with my beer and watch her delectable ass as she walks.
She sits on one end of the red leather couch and tucks her feet underneath her. I sit in the middle and rest my feet on the coffee table. She plays with her hair nervously. Some of it has curled slightly as it dried.
Angling my body a bit, I rest my arm across the back and face her. She turns, too. There’s about a foot of space between us. “So, you like country music?”
Her hands are tracing the pattern of a throw pillow she’s pulled into her lap. “I do. I’m a country girl. I don’t really listen to anything else. Though, I’ve listened to a few of your songs since I found out who you were.”
I stare at her. The sun is starting to set, so the rays are filtering through her open curtains and playing across her face. She’s breathtaking. She nervously fidgets as I watch the light show.
“What? Why are you staring at me like that?”
Reaching out, I trace one of the shadows across her cheek with my finger. She shivers in response. “You’re beautiful.”
She snorts. “I’m certain you’ve been with women more beautiful than me.”
I nod. “Probably.” She frowns. “But none of them have infatuated me as much as you.”
The doubt on her face ca
uses my stomach to clench. She shakes her head. “Pretty words, Dade. I’m sure they work ninety-nine percent of the time.”
I frown. “Work for what?”
“For getting you whatever you want.”
I trace her lips. “I don’t usually have a problem with that. It’s true.”
She smiles and her eyes crinkle as she asks, “Why are you here, Dade? I mean right now. What do you want from me?”
I stop and think. What do I want from her? Do I know? I want to see her smile. I want her to scream out from the pleasure I can give her. I want her to continue to sleep with me. What do I want other than that… I don’t rightly know.
Lying is not in my nature, so I answer honestly. “I don’t know, Melonie. I guess I want to see if what happened between us on the island can carry over into the here and now.”
She nods. “Ok, so you want to fuck me?”
I start at her candid language, but I nod. “I do. And you want to fuck me. But I also want to get to know you. I want us to take what we learned about each other on St. John and pick up here. Right now.”
She’s staring at me intently. She purses her lips. “You never answered my question.”
“What question?”
“In the kitchen. What’s it like to be you? How did you become a part of the biggest rock band in the country?”
Oh, she did ask me that, didn’t she?
Taking her hand, I start to massage it. I roll her fingers and work her palm. She moans in appreciation. Those moans wake up my crotch. But, I ignore it and start to talk as I massage her hands. Her tools.
“I went to Southeastern. I studied Political Science.” Her mouth pops open. I chuckle. “Don’t look so surprised. I’m actually a smart man. I graduated with a 3.96 GPA.” She whistles through her teeth. I nod. “My parents were deadbeats, so I spent a lot of time alone or watching out for Clove once she came along… making sure she was fed and clothed and had the things she needed. I always played guitar and piano. I would play to have something for me. It was my escape from my insane life.
I got good. No, I got great. I would go to the library and find books to help me learn more. My brain is a sponge. I read things one time and I remember them forever.