“I know, I know. He’s leaving on Sunday. Don’t worry, I’m not getting involved. It was just a tension release.”
“Right.” Danelle’s doubtful voice rang clear and true. “So, what do you have planned for the rest of the day besides helping me with last-minute wedding stuff?”
Melanie smiled, ready to put aside thoughts of Matt for the rest of the day. “Absolutely nothing. What does Patrick have planned?”
“Well, the boys decided a conventional bachelor party tonight would be dull.” Danelle’s voice had more than a hint of amusement. “So today they’re going out to play one of those paintball things. You know, because it wasn’t enough to almost get their asses shot off yesterday.”
Melanie couldn’t help but laugh at that one. “They’re in the military. It’s in their blood.”
“Well, Patrick’s not but he feels left out I guess.”
After they hung up and Melanie wandered into the shower, she wished for one moment Matt wasn’t in the military. Maybe they’d have a bit more time together, a little more chance for a real relationship. But no. Matt was in a dangerous job that would demand most of his time and energy. She tried not to think about what it would be like if he was here now, in this shower with her, making love until they both couldn’t stand. God, she tried not to think.
Chapter Seven
Melanie started when the last patron of the library shut the front door and it clanged shut with a bang. The nightly cleaning crew was in the library doing their work but since she was the last employee out of the building, the place echoed with emptiness. Her wristwatch read nine o’clock. Matt would be here any second, and maybe she was as nervous about that as she was anything else.
She went to the backroom to grab her coat and purse and as she wandered out front to wait for Matt, she wondered if she’d lost her mind. After all, if they’d wanted to keep their relationship casual they shouldn’t be planning a rendezvous tonight. Today had been a hectic day. She’d met up with Danelle for more last-minute wedding stuff and Thanksgiving plans tomorrow. She’d learned from Lena and Kathleen that the mall wasn’t open until Friday for after Thanksgiving sales. No engraved present for Danelle and Patrick. Patrick had spent the afternoon with Matt, Rick and Jake doing man things like the rough-and-tumble paintball session out in the woods. Matt had called Melanie once in the afternoon and he’d told her he’d meet her at the library at closing.
I don’t like the idea of you alone in that parking lot so late at night.
She couldn’t deny his protectiveness fired up her libido—and that mushy girly part of her that longed for a man’s affection. That part worried her. She’d get too used to having this…this…whatever it was between them.
She’d talked with Lena earlier in the day and Lena had admitted Rick had taken her home and they’d ended up in bed together. Melanie had admitted her liaison with Matt. Melanie hadn’t pressed her friend for more information but she admitted to being surprised. Lena told her in no uncertain terms she wasn’t happy she’d succumbed to a night with Rick. He couldn’t last…or rather, she wouldn’t allow it to last. Kathleen had confessed to Melanie that she’d had some sort of intimacy with Jake but they’d parted after an argument and she didn’t think it would happen again. Amazing. Melanie couldn’t believe it the six of them had fallen into a sexual dance. Half of her wanted to ask Matt to forget his hotel room and stay at her place. The other half considered that folly. Wasn’t she asking for disappointment if she did that? He’d think it was too much and too fast. She didn’t have time to think deeper about Matt’s intentions or her own. She saw him walking up to the front doors of the library and left the building to meet him on the steps.
“Hi,” he said, and reached for her.
He cupped the back of her neck and kissed her full on the lips. Warm, soft and thrilling, his kiss awakened hot needs immediately. She clung to him and he pulled her closer, arm tight around her waist. His tongue sought hers for one heated stroke before he drew back.
“Wow.” She gasped for breath. “What was that for?”
His eyes smoldered with intention. “Missed you.”
Oh. God, why did he have to say that? A wild tingle in her loins made her hold him closer. She couldn’t say it back. If she did she’d invest something she wasn’t ready to pay, but God did he make her want to.
He walked her to her car and then followed her back to the apartment. She’d picked up her car at the mall earlier in the day when Danelle had dropped her off.
Once in her apartment, she opened a bottle of red wine. He took one small glass and they sat side by side on the couch a few inches apart. Outside the wind had picked up, and the quiet gave her a sense of peace.
He put his wineglass on the coffee table. “I’m sorry I didn’t drive you over to get your car this morning.”
“No biggie. Danelle helped me out.”
He turned toward her, his expression serious. “I told you I’d help you go and pick it up, and that was an epic fail.”
She smiled and sipped her wine again. “We both forgot about the car. Honestly it was all right. You’re Mister Reliable, aren’t you?”
“That a bad thing?” His voice was soft and deep.
“Never. I like it.”
“When I make a promise I keep it. The only thing I can blame my lapse on is the wild sex.”
She laughed at the same time as her face heated. “You’re saying great sex messes with your mind?”
He leaned in closer and put his arm on the back of the couch. “Great sex with you messes with my mind.”
She almost moved closer to kiss him, then held back. “You’re flattering me now.”
He turned a no-nonsense look on her. “No. Telling the truth.”
The heat in her expanded and she looked at the cold fireplace. “Thank you. Last night with you was wonderful.” She swallowed hard. “I’ll never forget it.” She switched gears quickly. “How are Rick and Jake?”
“Occupied.”
“How so?”
“Kathleen has Jake tied up in knots but he won’t admit it, and Rick says he’s confused as hell about Lena. I don’t know if he’s with her tonight but I think he is.”
“Hmm. I’d be surprised if he was. She said it was…whatever happened with them last night was a mistake.” She took a deep breath. “What a mess.”
He grinned but she saw sadness in his expression. “I could make things easier if I left right now.”
She winced. “Maybe it would be easier. But it isn’t what I want, Matt. What do you want?”
“Tonight with you. Every night with you while I’m here.”
It wasn’t forever, and she knew that. She forgot her wine as she shifted toward him. “Stay.”
He could stay the rest of the weekend but she didn’t want to assume he would.
He looked deep into her eyes. “More wild sex?”
“I hope so. We might even slip in some conversation somewhere.”
With a grin, he brought her into his arms and they didn’t talk. His kisses melted her into the couch and she thought she’d lose her mind one long, deep kiss at a time.
When his shirt was off and her bra tossed aside, he nuzzled her breasts with lingering attention. He teased her, the torture more than acute as she writhed in his arms. She groaned as he pinched one nipple lightly while licking the other.
“Matt.” Her voice sounded choked and breathless.
“Mmmm.” He ignored her plea and cupped one breast in his big hand. He squeezed very gently then feasted with a deep, slow pull on the nipple. “You taste so good.”
She gasped again as he kissed his way across her collarbone.
He looked up, a dazed expression on his face. “Shower with me.”
“What?”
“Ever made love in a shower?”
“No.”
“Let’s try it.”
Willing to try anything with him, and burning with desire, she followed him into the bathroom. “Sounds like a
lovely plan.”
Inside the bathroom they stripped. Melanie watched Matt with intense interest. He possessed a primal male sexuality she couldn’t deny. Every movement contained strength and purpose and she savored looking at his muscular form. His eyes contained heat as he looked at her, as if she was the most beautiful woman he’d seen. It turned her on. He stepped into the shower and put a condom on the soap dish. He turned on the water and began soaping his body.
“You like to watch?” he asked.
As soap and water streamed over his body, his muscles were defined.
“Oh yeah,” she said in pure appreciation.
Watching his big hands tour his own body blew her mind. His cock was at attention, hard and ready.
He held his hand out to her and she stepped into the shower with him and closed the door. Steam built slowly but their passion roared to life. Astonished at the crazy desire she still felt for him, she dove into loving him. His hands swept over her body, lingering here and there with a teasing that threatened to drive her insane. His chest hair tickled her taut nipples and the sweet sting of it made her gasp in arousal. Between them his cock was a long, hard bar. Water trickled over them steadily and she felt as if they’d entered a waterfall hidden in a secret and sacred space. He turned her away from him and gently placed her hands against the tiled wall. With slow deliberation he worked her body. Her nipples felt tight and so hard she thought she’d come if he touched them one more time. He teased the folds between her legs then her clit, never staying too long in one place. It was maddening, and she pushed her hips back against him. She heard him rip the condom package and within moments he eased his thickness into her. Soft moans left her throat. A rhythm caught them, drew them relentlessly upward. His thrusts became harder and faster as her sounds of pleasure grew louder.
He urged her higher. “Come on, babe. Take me.”
His words blew the top off and she came with a harsh cry as rivers of ecstasy shook her from the inside out. Every part of her seemed to throb with joy. One last push into her sensitive flesh and he shouted his own pleasure.
* * * * *
“It must be strange for you not to have your parents with you for Thanksgiving,” Melanie said as Matt drove his SUV toward Danelle and Patrick’s house for the holiday.
He flicked a glance her way, and in that moment felt a keen sense of satisfaction in having her near.
“Yeah. When Rick talked to Dad the night of the shooting, Dad was freaked. He almost came out here. Mom was more matter-of-fact. I’m sure she was worried about us but she came off like the marine she is. Cool and collected.”
“I don’t blame your dad for wanting to come out here. When I called Mom she was the same way. If it hadn’t been for the wedding I would have gone out to Connecticut to see her.”
She’d told him more about her life last night after their shower, and they’d talked for hours. He’d been pleasantly surprised to find out how much they had in common.
“Does she like living there with her sister?” he asked.
Melanie made a small snorting noise. “Not really. Economically speaking it’s feasible though. Mom has so many health problems. Most of them aren’t life-threatening but the two of them being widowed… They take care of each other.”
“Holidays are weird for our family because Mom’s in Arizona and Dad’s in Colorado,” he said.
“Aren’t you going to see your Mom at all?”
“She’s got a new boyfriend and they’re taking a cruise. He’s from Alaska.”
“They’re going to visit Rick?”
“Yep. He’s on Kodiak Island most of the time but they’re planning to meet up.”
She sighed. “Your family is really wonderful, you know that?”
Sadness colored her voice and it made him want to hold her and tell her everything would be all right. “Thanks. Every family has its problems though.”
“I know. Holidays just make me think of Dad.”
“God, I’m sorry. Losing someone like that is hard to take.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t mess up the party today with my depression or anything.”
Her self-deprecating statement worried him. “Are you depressed?”
She laughed. “No. I was joking.”
He kept his attention on the road even though he wanted to stare at her and keep on staring. The longer he was with her, the more he longed for time with her. Time that was rapidly running out. Sunday he’d climb into his car and travel back to Twenty-Nine Palms in California to continue his new assignment. He ached to stay in Constitution, to discover every nuance of this woman. She was far more than her gorgeous body, soft hair and pretty scent. She was certainly more than her blue eyes and heart-shaped face. Under her conservative long coat, pink sweater, jeans and boots beat a heart of gold. Fuck it. She’s a hell of a lot more important than a piece of ass. If anyone, even his brothers, insinuated differently, he’d carve them a new one.
“Shit.” A car in front of him fishtailed on some ice and he eased up on the gas.
Fortunately their vehicle and the one in front retained control. Snow threatened again. Last night a light carpet of snow had fallen and the temperatures had dropped into the twenties. This morning the temperature hovered around thirty.
“This Thanksgiving could be awkward,” she said suddenly.
“What do you mean?”
“Undercurrents. Three friends hooking up with three brothers. It’s bizarre.”
He laughed. “Sounds like a made-for-TV movie. That’s something we never talked about. You and Lena grew up together, right?”
“Lena’s older than us but I knew her from school. Kathleen was two grades behind me but I knew her from school also.”
He nodded. “Yeah. I remember Jake talking about Kathleen a lot.”
He also knew Kathleen’s history, and he wondered how that affected her relationship now with Jake. Kathleen had grown up in a bad situation and had joined a gang when she was only sixteen. Her relationship with Jake had fallen apart when Jake realized her association with the gang but Matt often thought something else had happened between them that had driven Jake out of town early before he joined the military.
“Did Jake ever explain what happened when they were teens?” she asked. “Was it because she was in that gang? Kathleen won’t talk to me and Lena about it. Never has.”
“Nope. Jake won’t say a word on it. That’s why a hook-up between them seems a little weird.” He snorted. “You’re right. Today could be strange.”
“Even between us.” Her voice dropped lower, a hush of sound. “One thing I want to get straight before we get there.”
Everything male inside him instantly became alarmed because women had this way of throwing trip-ups a guy didn’t expect and couldn’t anticipate. “Okay.”
He glanced over quickly, and she looked disconcerted.
“Do we want to show…affection?” she asked.
He wasn’t ready for the question. He opened his big mouth and the first thing came out. “No. I mean, we should keep it low-key. My brothers are discreet too. They aren’t going to maul your friends, even if they’ve slept together.”
She groaned. “Oh man. This is so awkward.”
Before he could form a response—and shit, he didn’t know what the response should be anyway—they’d arrived at Patrick and Danelle’s two-story home several miles outside of town. Their driveway wound into a huge stand of pine trees. They’d bought the older home with the intention of fixing it up and they’d accomplished an extensive remake of the inside. An image popped into Matt’s head of a house like this belonging to him. With the isolated location, the quiet, the fresh air and nature, he’d feel in seventh heaven. Then he imagined Melanie beside him and it jolted him to the root. He practically drove off the side of the driveway as they came to a halt in the circular drive. He shook his head to clear it and banished the crazy idea.
His brothers’ cars were in the driveway.
“
Lena drove herself here, it looks like,” Melanie said.
Maybe Lena and Rick hadn’t totally meshed after all.
The door opened and Danelle appeared in the threshold. She smiled and waved. The next several moments dissolved into a chaos of greeting his brothers and Kathleen and Lena. Everyone had brought food, and Melanie handed Danelle a bag of food and so did Matt.
Lena, Kathleen and Melanie camped in the master bedroom behind closed doors for a while, looking at Danelle’s wedding dress and doing other girly things related to the wedding.
“I half expect them to put up a no boys allowed sign,” Patrick said.
Rick broke into a huge smile. “Wouldn’t surprise me a damned bit.”
“Girls will be girls. It’s a wedding.” Patrick’s face beamed with cockiness and enjoyment at first then faded into seriousness. “None of it meant a damned thing when we heard all of you were in danger the other day. It scared the shit out of us.”
“Thanks, buddy,” Rick said as he sipped his beer.
Jake cleared his throat and reached for a paper plate. “Nothing like a good shoot ‘em up to build an appetite.”
“Yeah, well, I’m a software engineer and not a soldier. I’m not used to getting my ass shot off so it still scared the hell out of me,” Patrick said.
Matt shook his head. “Don’t even think about it. All that matters is your wedding.”
“Huh.” Rick grunted his opinion. “Weddings. I’m not ever getting married.”
Rick grabbed a carrot stick and plunged it into some ranch dressing on his food-laden paper plate. He crunched the veggie and walked around the long dining room table hunting for more food.
Jake slapped him on the back. “God, man, you’re a pig.”
That’s when Matt realized Lena stood just outside the dining area, and the expression on her face said she hadn’t liked what Rick said one damn bit.
“Oh crap,” Melanie said under her breath as she heard what Rick said and registered the look on Lena’s face.
Lena swallowed her obvious disappointment and flashed a smile at the men as she stepped into the dining area. “All right, boys, don’t eat everything.” She threw a look Rick’s way that could have stripped the hide off a rhino. “I think Jake might be right though. You could be a pig, Rick.”
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