What? Really? Did she really think this would work?
Gage’s smile grew as he closed the distance between them. Placing his hands on her face, he held her steady and gazed at her for a long moment. Energy sizzled between them, and Melanie wanted this more than anything she’d ever wanted before.
His gray eyes drew her in, and she wondered why he wasn’t kissing her already. Finally, he lowered his head, and as his eyes slid closed his mouth pressed against hers and his arms moved to encircle her waist.
Forgetting about the inoculation idea, her eyes fluttered shut and she focused all of her attention on the way it felt to be held in his strong arms with his mouth devouring hers. It felt so good and it felt so right, but when her heart seemed to swell with longing, she knew she had to take a step back. Problem was, she couldn’t seem to make that happen. Her arms had wound around his neck of their own accord and they wouldn’t unwind.
She tasted so good. Gage couldn’t get enough of her, but after several moments he reluctantly let her go. She seemed slightly dazed, which was how he felt.
“I think we need to do that once more,” he whispered, hopeful she’d agree. “Just to make sure we did it right.”
Her head barely moved, but it was moving side to side in a negative answer. “No. I…I said just one.”
His mouth curled into a grin. “Okay. After we work out at the batting cage tomorrow we can try it again.”
Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. Not wanting to give her a chance to refuse, Gage turned around and strode back outside.
Melanie watched him go, still in shock about what had just transpired. That kiss had been more amazing than their first one, and he had just promised more where that came from. The next day, in fact.
Picking up Avery’s cup of milk, Melanie paused before going outside, needing a moment to gather herself.
She could cancel their—was it a date?—at the batting cage. That would put an end to Gage’s fantasy that she was willing to kiss him whenever he asked. But she didn’t want to cancel. Practicing hitting the ball was always a good thing. That was the only reason she needed to follow through, right? And when he tried to kiss her, she would tell him no.
Easy peasy. Problem solved.
Taking another moment to steady her breathing, once her emotions were under control she carried Avery’s cup of milk outside, and as she approached the table, all eyes swiveled to her. All but Gage’s. He was busy finishing his burger.
Had he told them what had happened? Is that why they were looking at her? Were her lips bruised and swollen from the power of Gage’s kiss? Resisting the urge to touch her mouth, she set Avery’s cup down and looked at the group.
That was when Gage looked at her, and when he smiled—a smile that said they had a secret—an overwhelming sense of longing enveloped her.
She was in trouble.
Chapter 23
“What happened in the kitchen?” Ashleigh asked as they drove home from the barbecue.
Melanie glanced in the rear view mirror at Avery, whose eyelids were drooping, then looked at Ashleigh. She couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. “He kissed me.”
Ashleigh’s eyebrows shot up. “What? I thought you were just friends.” Then she laughed. “Like that was ever going to work.”
“We are…” Her words trailed off.
Shaking her head, Ashleigh said, “Don’t say you’re just friends. Friends don’t make out in the kitchen.”
“We didn’t make out. It was just one kiss.” But one amazing kiss. A kiss that would be repeated the next day. Something Melanie hadn’t been able to get out of her mind.
“Still,” Ashleigh said. “This thing with Gage doesn’t sound like it falls within the zone of friendship.”
Melanie laughed. “The zone of friendship?”
“I just made that up. Do you like it?”
“Yeah. Sure.” The smile was still on her face.
“Who initiated the kiss?”
Melanie replayed the way Gage had stated that he wanted to kiss her, the way he’d taken control, and especially the way it had felt to have his strong arms wrapped around her as he’d kissed her senseless. “He did,” she finally said in answer to Ashleigh’s question.
“Oooh. Very nice.”
Yes, it had been. But what about her resolve to keep him at arm’s length? To not go beyond friendship? What about that?
An image of him hugging Clarissa filled her mind and she knew she would need to discuss it with him the next day.
Saturday’s practice went well, but Gage found it hard to concentrate when all he could think about was being alone with Melanie. Yes, they would be in a public place, but they would essentially be alone. And he’d promised to kiss her. That was one promise he meant to keep.
“Good practice, guys,” he said as they wrapped it up. “Back here on Monday night. We’re gonna win Thursday’s game. I know it.”
A cheer erupted from the team, and he smiled as they began walking off. His gaze went to Melanie, who was talking to Avery and Ashleigh. Moments later Ashleigh took Avery’s hand and began walking towards the parking lot while Melanie strode in his direction.
He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Her blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and her blue eyes were steady on him.
“Ready for some batting practice?” he said when she stopped in front of him. And more, he wanted to add, but decided not to push it. Maybe she was coming over to tell him she’d changed her mind. No reason to give her an excuse to bail.
“Yeah,” she said. “I’m ready.”
Elated that she was following through, he smiled. “Okay. Let me bag up the equipment and we’ll be on our way.”
“I’ll help you.”
Five minutes later they were on their way to the batting cage and Gage had to suppress the urge to place his hand over Melanie’s as they drove.
Melanie was hyper-aware of how close Gage was. Very little space separated them inside his Camaro, and she had to lace her fingers together to keep her hands in her lap rather than reaching over and touching him.
What was wrong with her? Why was she letting herself get caught up in this attraction she had? Didn’t she know it would only lead to heartache? Hadn’t she learned her lesson with Kyle?
Stealing a glance at Gage, she tried to convince herself that she wouldn’t fall as hard for him as she’d fallen for Kyle.
“Here we are,” he said as he pulled into the parking lot.
She let him help her from the car, and before long she was hitting balls inside the cage. Turning her mind away from Gage, she concentrated on batting.
Every five minutes or so they switched places, and as their time in the cage wound down, Gage was smashing ball after ball. There was nothing for Melanie to do but watch him, and as her gaze slid over his muscular biceps and athletic form, her attraction to him only deepened. Yes, he was beyond hot, but it was more than that. He was kind and sweet and smart and…
She had to stop this. The cracks in the wall around her heart were growing wider and deeper, and soon the cracks would turn into chasms and the walls would come tumbling down.
But what if she wanted them to come down? Was she ready for that? It had been a year since Kyle had dumped her for Jessica, and it had been eight months since she’d broken up with Zach. Eight months since she’d given up on love. Maybe she was ready to give it a try.
Her gaze slid back to Gage. The more time she spent with him, the more she liked him. Liked him a lot.
But would he break her heart too? Would he choose someone else over her?
An image of Clarissa sprang into her mind, sending a wave of fear crashing over her. Fear of rejection, fear of being passed over for someone else. It had happened to her before in the most painful way imaginable. She couldn’t let it happen again.
“Gage. We need to talk.” The words left her mouth before she’d thought it through.
His head turned in her
direction, and with a brief nod, he stepped out of the cage and faced her. “What’s up?”
Was she really ready to go there? To ask him personal questions? If there was any hope for a potential relationship, then yes, she had to ask.
Glancing around, she considered what to say. “I don’t want to talk here.”
“Sure. Let’s go to lunch. My treat.”
“All right.” She looked down at her baseball pants. “Nowhere too fancy.”
He laughed and motioned to the sweats he was wearing. “Definitely not. Unless we change first.”
There were two reasons she didn’t want to do that. First, once she went home and saw Avery, it would be difficult to leave again. Second, if Gage admitted he had feelings for Clarissa that would put an end to everything. No reason to change clothes for that.
“No,” she said. “Let’s just grab something quick. I need to get back to Avery.”
“Okay.”
Twenty minutes later they sat in a booth at a mom and pop place in town. Gage had suggested Eats & Treats, but Melanie had told him she wanted to try someplace new.
They placed their order, and after the waitress brought them ice water, Melanie gathered her thoughts, ready to dive in.
“Do you really think we’ll win on Thursday?” she asked to get the conversation going.
“Sure. Why not? We’ve been working hard, and hey, we won our last game.”
“That’s true.”
He was quiet for a moment as he looked at her. “Is softball what’s really on your mind?”
Here we go. “No.”
He smiled. “I didn’t think so.”
“I, uh, I don’t want to get too personal, but do you have…feelings…for Clarissa?”
Surprise flitted across Gage’s face, but almost immediately he shook his head. “No. We’re just friends.”
When Jessica had come to Melanie’s old town, Kyle had neglected to tell Melanie that he had once been engaged to her. She didn’t want any surprises, so she wanted to be thorough in her questioning now. “Have you ever had feelings for her?”
“No.” Gage tilted his head as his eyes narrowed. “Why are you asking me this?”
“So nothing romantic has gone on between the two of you now or in the past?”
“Melanie, what’s this about?”
Worried that he was trying to avoid admitting the truth, she said, “Just answer the question.”
“No. I don’t now and have never had romantic feelings toward Clarissa. She’s in a long-term relationship with someone. In fact, they’ve been talking about getting married.”
Relief flooded her. Yet… “Thank you for answering, but I have one other question.”
Gage kept his eyes steady on Melanie. Why was she asking about Clarissa?
“Okay,” he said. “What do you wanna know?”
A soft sigh slipped from her mouth. “Do you have any past…relationships…that might…well…” Pain flashed in her eyes. “Are there any women from your past that you were…in love with?”
What had happened to her that made these questions paramount in her mind? Then again, if she was asking, did that mean she was ready to move beyond friendship? If so, he was more than willing to answer her questions.
“I’m not sure why you’re asking,” he began. “But the answer is no.” His lips lifted into a half-smile. “To be honest, I’ve only dated a couple of women. No one seriously.” Softly chuckling, he added, “I’ve never been considered much of a Romeo.”
Melanie nodded, a look of satisfaction settling on her face. “Okay.”
The waitress set their food down in front of them, then left.
Did that assuage whatever was on her mind? He didn’t like admitting his failure with women, but if that somehow reassured her, that had to be good.
Elated to know that past girlfriends would be one obstacle that would not arise, Melanie began to relax.
“I have a personal question for you,” he said.
That took her by surprise, but she couldn’t exactly refuse. Not after he’d been so forthcoming. “Okay.”
“Avery’s father,” he said. “Is he still in the picture?”
Squirming a bit at the question, Melanie hesitated. Did she want to expose her poor judgement? Melanie looked at Gage in the hopes he’d retract the question, but he gazed at her steadily.
Okay. He really wanted to know.
“No,” she said. “He’s not in the picture.”
Gage nodded, but didn’t speak. He wanted more.
Fine. “I was stupid,” she said. “I didn’t know it when I got involved with him, but he was…” Clenching her jaw and looking at her lap, she gathered herself before lifting her gaze to meet his. “It turned out he was married.” Frowning, she said, “I didn’t find out until the day I told him I was pregnant.” She shook her head. “I thought he’d be ecstatic, you know? He claimed to love me, but it turns out he was lying all along.”
“I’m sorry, Melanie.” His eyes were filled with warmth and compassion.
She nodded. “He made it clear that he didn’t want to have anything else to do with me or my baby.” She pursed her lips. “We’re better off without him.”
Gage was quiet for a moment. “You amaze me.”
Confused, she tilted her head as her eyebrows bunched. “Why? Because I was gullible enough to believe his lies?”
“No.” He smiled, and his gray eyes seemed to look right into her soul. “Because despite what happened to you, you went on and made the best of it. From what I’ve seen, you’re a wonderful mother.” He chuckled. “And despite the fact that Avery hurled all over the back seat of my car, she seems like an adorable little girl.”
Melanie burst out laughing, and the walls around her heart struggled to stay in place.
Gage’s eyebrows pulled together. “Those questions you asked me, I get the feeling something happened to you, and not by Avery’s…father.”
He was spot on, but she wasn’t ready to confess the truth.
She picked at her food. “I don’t…” She looked at him. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“All right. That’s fine. Let’s talk about something else then.”
“Like what?”
His eyes sparkled. “I haven’t given you that kiss I promised.”
Melanie’s heart skipped a beat, and then it began to hammer against her ribs. The walls around her heart were slowly collapsing, and knowing that Gage was free of any romantic entanglements only sped up the process.
“I’m not going to let you kiss me here,” she said, though in reality, if he tried to kiss her right now, she wouldn’t stop him.
“I have a solution for that.”
“You do?”
He nodded as his lips curved into a secret smile. “Yep. I’m gonna take you out tonight.” He gazed at her steadily. “I’ll kiss you then.”
Tonight? That meant more time away from Avery. Yet…she couldn’t pass this up. This felt too good, too right.
A sense of playfulness rushed over her. “Okay. But just one kiss, so you’d better make it good.”
Laughter burst from his mouth. “All right.”
Tingling with anticipation, Melanie was eager for their date to begin. “Where are you going to take me?”
“Do you like to dance?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I’ll pick you up at six. We’ll eat dinner first, and then we’ll go dancing.” A look of concern filled his face. “Wait. What about a sitter?”
Pleased that he’d thought about Avery, she smiled. “I’m sure I can work something out.” She knew Ashleigh would insist on babysitting if it meant Melanie would go out with Gage.
“Perfect.”
Chapter 24
“I’m so glad you told him yes,” Ashleigh said as Melanie put on a pair of sapphire earrings to match the mid-thigh sapphire blue dress she was wearing.
Melanie smiled at her sister, then looked at Avery, who was sitting on the bed
watching her.
“What do you think, baby girl? Do you like Mommy’s dress?”
“It’s pretty,” Avery said, her face serious. “Can I come too?”
Kneeling in front of her, Melanie stroked Avery’s smooth cheek. “Not this time, sweetheart. You’re going to stay with Aunt Ashy. But we’ll play all day tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.”
“And maybe Aunt Ashy will paint your nails tonight.”
“Of course I will,” Ashleigh said. “We’re gonna paint our nails and do our hair while we watch a movie.” Ashleigh tickled Avery. “A regular girls’ night, right?”
Avery giggled. “Yes.”
“Thank you so much, Ash. You’re the best sister in the world.”
She smiled. “I know.”
The doorbell rang.
Ashleigh’s eyebrows arched. “There he is.”
Something had changed inside Melanie after she’d talked to Gage that afternoon. The walls around her heart were falling, and though fear still lingered, confidence was beginning to overtake it. But over all of that was excitement. She hadn’t felt this way about dating in ages. And when she remembered Gage’s promise that he would kiss her tonight, anticipation surged through her.
Smoothing her dress, she drew in a deep breath, and after exhaling, she walked to the door. Tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulders, she reached for the door knob, then twisted it and pulled the door open.
There he stood, his perfect smile framed by kissable lips. Wearing dark gray slacks with a black button up shirt, he looked better than ever.
“Hello,” he said, his gaze sliding over her. He smiled with approval. “You look stunning, Melanie.”
Flattered, she smiled. “You clean up pretty nice too.”
“Thanks.” He glanced behind her, then met her gaze. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes.” She gave Avery one last hug, then she stepped out the front door with Gage.
Thrilled to be on this date with Melanie, Gage helped her into his car, then he went around the front and got into the driver’s seat.
Chance Encounter: Gage and Melanie (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Three) (Companion to the Over You series) Page 12