“I think that it’s important that you make the effort. They’re obviously extending an olive branch by inviting you to her family home in Cape Cod. This is obviously very important to your father. I think that you should go and try to have an open mind. I’ve seen what happens to families, when you allow bitterness to creep in. I don’t want to see you go through the same thing that I did.” Steve recently informed his family that he was bisexual and that he was getting involved with a man that was twice his age. That was a catalyst to a knockdown blowout fight that ended with him being thrown out of the family will.
“I think you know how much you mean to me, Steve. You’re the only one that I’ve told about Matthew. He’s the man that I’ve always wanted to be with. I know what you are going to say and I can’t continue to make men jump through hoops. I get past the first date and I find something to nitpick about. I might be overly critical, but that’s just because I found my dream man and I let him get away. He literally slipped through my fingers at the airport, when I could have told him how I felt.” Melinda I had already made up her mind and even though going home was not a pleasant thought, she did take solace in the fact that she would have a 20 acre property to get away from her troubles.
They had sent her pictures and it was a picturesque cottage that pretty much could’ve been a year round home for the right family. The dock led down to a private beach and a medley of boys’ toys, including jet skis and kayaks to be used at the person’s discretion. Melinda wanted to scream that this was unfair, but she knew by now that life was never fair. If it was, she would have Matthew in her hand and showing him the kind of love and devotion that he deserved. His blue eyes were a constant reminder and the picture that she had taken 15 years ago was still emblazoned in her mind. She had it on her phone and even during dates that weren’t going well; she would pull it out and wonder where he was at that moment.
“I have to admit that I’m a little jealous of where you’re going, Melinda.” Steve had always been the kind of guy that would enjoy outdoor sports including wakeboarding and surfing. Just because he liked to have the company of both men and women, didn’t mean that he was into show tunes or wanted to spend his time watching chick flicks. “This place is amazing and even if you were feeling blue, I’m sure that walking into an environment like this will cheer you right up. Just remember to take lots of pictures and I plan to live vicariously through you. While you are doing your thing, I’ll be spending time with Wilson’s parents.” The idea sickened him and it wasn’t like he didn’t want to meet them, but he was nervous and it was causing some unusual stomach issues.
Melinda looked at her blond curls in the mirror, how her 5’8 frame and 130 lb body seemed to mold to the new dress that she just bought. It was amazing and there were times that she could find the perfect clothes, but it was a rarity.
She checked her make up to make sure that she didn’t look like some kind of sleazy handout. The money came from her stepmother’s side of the family and being an instant billionaire was not an easy thing to swallow. She had to wonder if her father was really in love, or had delusions of what having money was all about. She didn’t think that he was that kinda guy, but everybody apparently has a price.
They walked down the stairs together, opening the door to the loud incessant honking of a taxi waiting to take her to the airport. They said their goodbyes at the curb, as she heaved that one suitcase into the back of the taxi, before closing it and climbing into the back seat. She was wearing that frilly white summer dress. It would be perfect for a two week excursion to what could possibly be paradise.
“I don’t really want to go and I have no interest in making nice with my new stepmother. From the pictures, she looks pretentious, knows her worth and doesn’t mind lording it over others. It’s probably the reason why she wanted to have this reunion for her family. It was her way of making them see her and her son Owen, as the true heirs of the Brady family empire. She had inherited the entire fortune from her husband that was now lying in a graveyard in Texas. Amazingly, I had read up on her portfolio and she did not just lie back on her laurels. She learned how to take the company in a new direction and the fact that she was a humanitarian had only made her that much more interesting.”
The journey that was over 5000 miles took her across the ocean back to her homeland of the United States. She had been living in her adopted home of England, as a nanny, hoping that getting away from her troubles would make her see things from a different perspective. She left home when she was only 16 and went on a journey of self discovery across the globe. There were many lovers, but only one stuck out in her memory, as being something more than just a 5 minute wonder. This guy went for hours and even when he did cum; it was not more than a few minutes, before he was back in the saddle. Matthew and Melinda never did come out of that bed and breakfast the entire weekend. They ordered room service for sustenance, but mostly they were into each other’s bodies and what they could do in a 48 hour span.
She rode in silence with the next taxi, holding her breath and wondering if she was making a colossal mistake in getting involved in domestic issues. She had walked away from her family, seeing them splinter and knowing that her being there was only making things worse. They tried to convince her to stay, but she was adamant that she needed space and if they tried to keep her against her will they would only find that she was very resilient and crafty when she put her mind to it.
It was a rarity to let a child go out on their own at 16, but she had shown herself to be mature and was able to make her own decisions on the fly. Melinda had only settled down in England, when she came across a young family in need of a nanny. The Hollings were very good to her and they had traveled the globe together to one vacation spot after another. She felt like she was worldly, but underneath she was still that little girl that had walked away from her family. She didn’t even come home for the funeral of her mother, because she thought that it would be too painful. It was the only regret that was in her life and she wondered if her father had ever gotten over that obvious betrayal.
“Please…god…don’t make this place spectacular. I don’t want to fall in love and never want to leave. I don’t wanna get caught up in material worth, when I’ve lived a life that many would have given their first born to have. I know what it’s like to have that wealth carrying you on its back. I just hope that…that… Oh my god.
The place was even better than she had imagined. It appeared that the photos really didn’t do it justice and the lapping of the waves against the shore was like the siren of the sea drawing her closer to its magical song.
“I would help you with your bag, but I doubt that you really need it with your kind of independence.” Melinda’s back went straight and she heard the voice, but it still didn’t register that her father had come out to greet her in person. “I’m glad that you could make it and Beverly is really looking forward to meeting you. I know that this was sudden, but I couldn’t help the way that I felt. You should know how that feels. Sometimes you have to follow your own heart and be damned everybody else.” This was an obvious attempt by Kenneth to get underneath his daughter’s skin. It seemed to be working and he could actually sense a little bit of guilt from her body language.
“Kenneth told me all about you and I would like you to meet my son Owen.” Beverley stood with her son and they were holding hands, when she slammed the trunk and came face to face with Matthew. “It can’t be and how is he here? I stand here and look at him and I can see the recognition in his eyes and the way that the gears in his head are obviously reliving that weekend 1 minute at a time. I don’t know what to do and the fact that my legs are feeling like jelly is a sure sign that we’ve had something in the past. I don’t see Owen, but maybe he slipped away during the introductions. This had to be a friend of his that had decided to stay the weekend and enjoy the ambience.
“I know that I haven’t seen you for a few years, Melinda, but you look like you’ve seen a ghost. Your fac
e just turned white and you almost look like you’re going to faint. I do hope that you not coming down with something. Your step brother Owen is really looking forward to showing you around the place.” Kenneth motioned for Owen to come forward and he saw the reluctance in his eyes.
Matthew saw Melinda, but the name that she he remembered her by was Linda. This girl was a freak of nature and she could give lessons to some of the finest adult stars in the business. She could stretch her body over her head and the very idea that she was here in person was unfathomable.
They were walking up to the house and the wind was blowing gently, but the only thing that they could do was constantly look at each other with disbelief.
Chapter 2
“I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, Melinda, but I don’t find it funny in the very least.” Matthew had seen Melinda and still he couldn’t believe that she was actually here. There was no way that they could possibly have a relationship from a two day stand that really was something to remember. “I thought that I was going to have a heart attack. Maybe that was your intention and this is your way of telling me that you have a grudge against me. This is not the place or the time to get into past indiscretions.”
“Do you know how crazy you sound? I’m the one that should be furious. I came here to meet my stepbrother Matthew and I come across the one that got away. Owen, you’re going to have to leave. I can’t have you under foot and I don’t care if you are friends with my stepbrother.” Melinda was trying to make sense of this, while keeping her voice down low enough, so that others couldn’t hear what was going on. “We can’t be in the same house together. It will only lead to embarrassment.” She could remember the way that his hands felt on her body. The way that he continued to move like a machine throughout that entire weekend was only making her yearn.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. My name is Matthew Owen Brady.” He was starting to realize that destiny and the stars had aligned in just the way that made it possible for them to find each other after all this time.” This can’t be happening.”
“I knew you, as Owen and now you’re telling me that your real name is Matthew. I’m trying to understand this, but it’s hard when you are slapped across the face with your first love.” “Matthew or Owen, whatever his name is has got me wrapped around his little finger. He has no idea what kind of control he has over my body and how at this precise moment I’m begging him with my eyes for another chance to see if that spark is still alive.” Melinda was walking with him. She heard something that made her look up at the precise moment that a huge plant fell from where it was perched on the balcony.
Protectively, she put out her hand and stopped the momentum of Matthew from going any further. It crashed to the ground and startled them both. Matthew looked down at her hand and knew that she had just saved him from certain injury. The planter must’ve weighed a ton and probably would have killed him, if it landed on his head.
“My baby…my baby.” Beverly ran over to her son, throwing her arms around him and holding him tight after such a close encounter. “Are you OK, Matthew? I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.” Their bond was cemented by a mother and son connection that went beyond just a loving relationship. They were cemented together by an untold secret that neither one of them were willing to speak in public.
“I’m OK, mother and it was just an accident.” Melinda was looking at the planter and then back up at the balcony and could see no way that it would have fell on its own. Even a gust of wind wouldn’t be able to lift that kind of weight. It was possible that it had slipped, but her mind was now a whirlwind of suspicion. She was going to have to check it out and see for herself, but she was quite sure that somebody had just tried to kill or at the very least scare Matthew out of his mind. “I think that if it wasn’t for my new step sister that I would’ve been seriously hurt. We owe her a debt of gratitude that I don’t think that either one of us will be able to pay back.” Melinda that had her hand still on his chest and it had nothing to do with showing any kind of protective gesture. She was feeling his muscularity and knew that he had put on some weight.
“It’s bad enough that I have to be in the same house, as him, but for him to actually turn his body into something that could grace the pages of any muscle magazine is almost too much to bear. His biceps are bigger and his body is making me yearn for another taste of what I had that weekend. Years have gone by and I have never forgotten what it was like to be in his arms. That feeling of intimacy combined with a fever of lust was more than enough to make me crawl to his bed over and over again. I don’t know that I can trust myself around him.” Melinda finally relinquished her hold, feigning innocence, as if she didn’t really want to take credit for his well being.
“I would’ve done that for anybody. I’m just glad that I was here and that I was able to stop that from happening.” Melinda got a hug from Beverly and she could feel her breasts pressing into her own nipples. “There’s no reason to show me this kind of gratitude. I’m sure that anyone would have done the same thing.” That hug lasted a little longer than necessary, but it appeared that Beverly wanted to show Melinda some kind of reward for what she had done.
“With everybody that’s staying here, I’m afraid that rooms are scarce. If it’s OK with the two of you, I would suggest that you stay in the same room together.” Beverly didn’t want Sheila, one of her distant nieces to get her clutched into Matthew. They had been flirting with seduction disaster for a few months. She trusted that nothing would happen with Melinda acting, as his own personal bodyguard and chauffeur. To Beverly, Melinda was trustworthy and everything that Kenneth had told her about Melinda had painted her in a good light. “You’re not related and I would like you to have this opportunity to get to know each other better, as siblings.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary, mother. I think that we are going to need our own space. I’m sure that there’s more than enough room to go around for everybody.” Matthew saw the look in his mother’s eyes and knew that she was up to something. He had seen that fiery redhead Sheila gazing at him with naughty thoughts in her head and then it dawned on him the reason why that his mother wanted to pair him with his stepsister. She obviously thought that nothing would happen between him and Sheila, but that was not his main concern. Being in the same room with Melinda would turn the heat up and it had nothing do with the temperature from the heater.
“I’m not going to hear another word about it, Matthew. This is the only way that it’s going to work and I’m not taking no for an answer. Do this for me and maybe there is something that I’ll give you in return. A certain car that caught your eye might be in your future.” Beverly had decided to use money, as a way to get what she wanted. She tried that with Kenneth, but found that he was not even interested in her money. They had literally fallen in love and it was unexpected, but not unwelcome.
Matthew had learned a long time ago that his mother could be quite forthcoming. He had tried to get out of it and now he was allowing it to happen. There was a part of him that could have fought a little bit harder, but there was also another part that wanted to be that close to Melinda. Just standing in her presence had brought back a flood of memories that gave him a hard on. He tried to hide it by shifting his weight, but he saw of Sheila leering and licking her lips. She probably thought that it was having her around that was causing him to feel this way, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Matthew took Melinda up to the room, closing the door and watching, as she went over to the white drapes and pulled them closed. “I don’t know what we’re going to do, Melinda. Thankfully, there are two beds, but there’s nothing separating us from jumping each other in the middle of the night. I’m going to try to contain myself, but it’s going to be very hard and I’m not using that, as a euphemism.” Matthew couldn’t stand still and he wanted desperately to circle his arms around her waist and press his obvious arousal up against her backside.
“We’re just going to have to try to keep it in our pants.” “I didn’t want to keep it in my pants and if I were a man, I would be whipping it out and attacking my prey. He looked, so damn good and that smell wafting in the air was making me to feel things. It’s familiar and strong and I doubt that anybody could keep us away from each other for too long.” “We are adults and it’s not like we are teenagers that have our hormones going out of control. We have free will and all we have to do is keep ourselves from going completely crazy for each other.” She saw him smile and then he turned and walked out that door. The only thing that she wanted more than anything was for him to come in and sweep her off her feet.
Melinda made sure to keep away from him, but it was an effort in futility. They were eventually going to have to sleep in the same room and that would’ve been tantamount to lighting a match on to gasoline that had been spread across the bed sheets. “I can’t possibly stay here and not do something about this obvious attraction between the two of us. I don’t like the idea that he has me where he wants me. I’m literally a captive audience and there isn’t a moment that goes by that I don’t think about him without his clothes on. I seem to recall that he likes to sleep in the buff and that’s just going to make things even that much more difficult.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I may come by in the middle of the night and snatch him away from you. It’s even possible that he’ll come to me and I’ll be sure to keep my door open for that eventuality.” This home wrecker was not being very subtle and Melinda wanted to slap the taste out of her mouth, but thought that that might be a little too telling. “I think that he’s going to be mine and that his fortune and that body are never going to leave my sight again. If it doesn’t bother you, maybe you can talk me up to him. I don’t think I need the extra incentive. He’s obviously attracted to me and I don’t think that it was lost on anyone the way that he suddenly got excited with me standing there.” Sheila had designs to be part of the Brady clan. She was not really related and the fact that they had played with fire already had only consumed her to the point that she wanted to take it to the next level.
ROMANCE: HIGHLANDER ROMANCE: Seduced by highlander (Historical Mail Order Bride Time Travel Romance) (Military Fantasy Romance Short Stories) Page 63