Melting Into You

by Laura Trentham

  “What?” Dread weighed the single word like a thrown rock sinking in a pond.

  “If you wanted to leave some stuff here, you can. I’m not asking you to move in, so don’t run off all freaked out, but if we’re going to be hooking up, it only makes sense, right? The basics—toothbrush, undies, jeans, T-shirt. Not your Xbox or workout equipment or anything.”

  “Seems logical.” His voice sounded warmer even though he looked slightly like a cornered rabbit.

  “If you feel like coming by tonight, I’ll leave the back door unlocked. But, I’m not waiting up.”

  “Fair enough.”

  She half-expected him to bolt—never to be seen again. Instead, he reached out and played with a piece of her hair that had fallen forward. As if her hair were alight with nerve endings, the pleasure of his simple touch suffused her. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth to stop the ridiculous grin wanting to break free.

  He took her hand and pressed his lips to the back. She walked hand in hand with him like she was taking a Sunday walk with her beau. Except at the door, he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her. Not a ‘Sunday stroll’ kiss, but an ‘I want in your pants’ kiss. Her back bowed over his arm, and her hands pulled at the front of his shirt.

  She had to catch her balance and her breath when he let her go.

  Chapter 17

  The self-control he maintained while he backed away from Lilliana should go down in the annals of history. She swayed on her feet, her lips puffy and begging for more, her cheek reddened from his stubble, her hair sexy and mussed around her shoulders. Screw all her relatives, he wanted to toss her over his shoulder and throw her in his truck like King Kong.

  Instead, he forced his feet backward, until he finally turned the corner of the house. The longer he was around her, the bigger the temptation she became. She had swept through his world like a tornado, upending his tidy, spare, gray life.

  “Dude! Hold up a sec.”

  Alec pivoted, and Logan jogged toward him, chucking his head toward Alec’s truck. They fell into step.

  “I saw Hunter in town yesterday. What the hell happened to his face?” Logan asked.

  “His brother happened.” Normally, Alec imparted only the minimal amount of information needed yet he found himself continuing. “I don’t know what the hell to do. Things are spiraling out of control, and I’m not sure if I can stop it.”

  “If we don’t, Hunter’s prospects will be bleak. Let me see what Whitey’s heard.” Logan pulled his phone from his back pocket.

  His simple words hit Alec with the impact of a cement truck. If we don’t.

  Logan stepped away, his voice low, the conversation quick. When he came back, his hands were shoved into his pockets, worry pulling his mouth into a rare frown. “Why don’t we check on him? You mind driving?”

  “Nope. That’s where I was headed anyway.”

  Logan pulled his phone out on the way and made another call. “Babe, Alec and I are running a quick football-related errand. You mind hanging with Lilliana? … If you need to head home, I left the keys in the console.… Love you too.”

  Logan disconnected, tapped the phone against his lips, and stared straight ahead, his good-natured smile absent.

  Alec had often felt envious of how Logan approached life—easygoing and simple. But when he and Jessica hooked up a year earlier, Alec suspected more lay under the good-old-boy charm. Yet, Logan buried any angst as deeply as Alec buried his plaguing loneliness.

  “What’d Whitey know?” Alec asked.

  “Will has gotten in deep with a gang out of Birmingham. Tensions in Mill Town are running high, but Whitey isn’t sure why. He’s going to put some feelers out.”

  “I can’t believe you trust him.”

  Logan eased against the passenger door, angling himself toward Alec. “Why do you say that?”

  “Didn’t he knife Dalt?”

  Logan made a throaty scoffing sound. “That was three years ago. I’m not saying he wasn’t an idiot, but he’s grown up. Turned into a good man, by my reckoning. People make mistakes. Most deserve a second chance.”

  Alec’s heartbeat vibrated his throat, and his mouth felt cottony. “What if they screw you over again?”

  “Then you damn straight don’t give them a third chance.” Logan’s half-smile lightened the moment.

  Alec pulled onto Hunter’s street. Ms. Galloway’s car was parked half over the curb. Alec led the way to the front door and knocked. It creaked open, the security chain stretched taut. Hunter’s mother poked her face through the crack, the white collar of her floral church dress highlighting her smooth ebony skin. The smell of fried chicken wafted out.

  “Afternoon, ma’am. Hunter home?”

  Before Ms. Galloway could answer, a man called out, “Is that the coach? Let him in, Kelly.”

  Her jaw tensed, but the door closed and the metal chain jangled. The door swung wide open. Bone-man sauntered up and threw an arm around her shoulders. His black Metallica concert T-shirt and grungy jeans would not be church-approved.

  “Wow, two coaches. Hunter’s not home. He in trouble or something?” Bone-man pointed back and forth at them. “Beer?”

  Before Alec could say no and get to the point, Logan pushed him aside and said, “A glass of tea would be great. You want a beer, Alec?”

  “No thanks. I’m good.”

  Bone-man shuffled off, presumably toward the kitchen, while Ms. Galloway stepped aside and gestured them in, reluctance in every move. The air around Alec was dense with fry grease and humidity.

  Logan seemed unfazed and smiled. “Any idea where Hunter got off to? Or when he might be home?”

  “He’s off with Will. ’Spect they’ll be back when they get hungry.” She sat in a faux leather recliner, the swift rock of the chair forward and back ratcheting the tension tighter.

  Under the light of a lamp, she looked younger than Alec had assumed from their previous interactions, and Alec could see her regal bone structure in both Hunter and Will. Yet a weariness ringed her eyes. Whether it was worry about her sons, about dealing with Bone-man, or about life in general, Alec couldn’t guess.

  He took the couch perpendicular to her chair and nudged his chin toward the kitchen. “I thought you might’ve kicked him out.”

  “What’s it to you?” Her chin rose, but a familiar loneliness lurked behind her defiance.

  Bone-man elbowed the swinging kitchen door open, holding two tall glasses. Logan joined Alec on the edge of the couch. Bone-man handed them each a glass, rubbing his hands over the back of his pants. Condensation dripped down the sides of the glasses. The liquid inside was light brown and unsweetened. A sip was all Alec could manage.

  Bone-man sat on the arm of the recliner, his hand on Ms. Galloway’s knee. “Has Hunter done something wrong? Do I need to have a man-to-man talk with him?”

  Alec gritted his teeth. Watching Bone-man play surrogate father made his stomach turn.

  Logan piped up. “Naw, nothing like that. Wanted to make sure he was ready for practice tomorrow. Big game on Friday night. If we win, we go to the playoffs. College recruiters will be in the stands, and Hunter needs to stay healthy.” Logan put down his glass and braced his hands on his thighs. Everything but his jovial tone projected a threat.

  “What are you getting at?” Bone-man pushed up, rolling his shoulders back.

  Alec stood and took a step closer, using his height to intimidate. “Let me be a bit clearer. If Hunter comes to practice with another black eye or any other mark, I’ll call the police.”

  He faced off with Bone-man for a long moment, the whir of an unbalanced ceiling fan the only noise. Logan grabbed Alec’s arm and tugged him toward the door.

  “Thanks for the tea, Ms. Galloway,” Logan said.

  Alec didn’t take his eyes off Bone-man until he’d sidestepped onto the front porch. The front door slammed shut and the lock jangled. Alec threw his truck into drive and squealed his wheels on the way out of Mill Town.<
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  Logan’s chuckle was somewhere between humor and exasperation. “Smooth, dude.”

  “You think this is funny? Bone-man is in as deep as Will. The man is trouble.”

  Logan’s laughter faded. “Neither you nor Dalt will ever will be appointed to the diplomatic services, that’s for damn sure. Don’t worry, you got your point across. Why don’t you drive through town? Let’s see if we can spot them.”

  Couples still in church clothes strolled up and down Main Street. Most of the stores opened on Sunday afternoon. The practice field was deserted, but Will’s jacked-up car was parked in a gravel overflow lot close to the stadium.

  “You don’t think Will’s talked Hunter into painting graffiti or breaking into the pavilion, do you?” Alec muttered. He slowed and rolled his window down. Movement from the corner of his eye had him pulling off onto the shoulder and killing the engine. Half the main field was in view.

  Will and Hunter threw a football back and forth, their laughter drifting through the crisp air. They played like children.

  Alec shook his head. “Two days ago Will punched Hunter, and now it’s like nothing happened.”

  Logan hummed. “You got a brother or sister or anyone you’re super-close with?”

  The only person who popped into his mind was Lilliana, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to say her name aloud. For the second time in so many days, he admitted, “I’m an only child.”

  “Darcy and I could fight like two polecats in a sack, but I can’t tell you the number of times I ended up in the principal’s office for fighting with some dipwad for teasing her. If she came to me tomorrow and asked me to dispose of a body, I’d do it. No questions asked.”

  “Are you saying getting Hunter away from Will is impossible?” Alec swung around to face Logan.

  “Nothing is impossible.” Logan shrugged. “But, it might be best to approach the problem from a different direction. Get Will cleaned up, so he won’t be a bad influence on Hunter.”

  A sense of hopelessness had Alec sinking down in the truck seat. He hadn’t exactly planted any seeds of trust when it came to Will, and unlike Logan, Alec wasn’t sure the kid deserved a second chance.

  An old blue and white truck pulled beside them. Jessica Wilde folded both arms over the open driver’s side window. “Fancy finding you two staring at the football field. Everybody has cleared out of Lilliana’s. She and Miss Esmerelda are cleaning up. You ready to head home, babe?”

  Logan hopped out of Alec’s truck, but before closing the door, he leaned in. “Think about what I said about Will. You can’t babysit Hunter or adopt him. He has to make his own choices. All you can do is make sure you’re around to help him decide. Or to pick up the pieces.”

  Alec chucked his chin in acknowledgment. Logan and Jessica drove off, but Alec sat in the truck until Hunter and Will disappeared toward the parking lot, shoving each other playfully.

  The way I need you is a loneliness I cannot bear. Hadn’t Lilliana been insinuating the same thing as Logan? What would it take to shift the trajectory of Hunter’s life when so many other factors besides football were at play?

  A weariness that sleep wouldn’t cure came over him. He headed toward his house even though part of him craved Lilliana’s company. They had gotten close, fast. He needed to be away from her to think. To sleep. To plan.

  His house was a fifties brick ranch that he’d remodeled. Walls had come down, hard wood floors laid, bathrooms modernized. The furniture was comfortable, the colors woodsy and soothing, yet Alec had never been completely at ease in the house. It had never felt like his home.

  The silence was unnerving. In a few short days, he’d become accustomed to the creaks and groans of Hancock House. He took a long hot shower. Dinner consisted of a simple sandwich in front of ESPN.

  A couple of hours of flipping channels followed. He went to sleep with the farmers, his king-size bed cold and empty. Moonlight trekked across the navy comforter, marking the slow march of time. At some point, he dozed off, his dreams populated with Lilliana’s smiles and laughter.

  He jerked awake, unsure what woke him. He lay still, listening. Lightning flashed, the crack of thunder following soon after. Storm clouds had swallowed the moon and stars, leaving the room in near darkness. He checked his alarm clock. One o’clock. He had a full day of contracting work followed by practice and probably more site work, yet sleep eluded him.

  Ridiculous or not, he knew he would only sleep if she were next to him. Muttering a curse, he threw on jeans and a short-sleeve T-shirt and stalked to his truck, bordering on angry. Wanting Lilliana was one thing. Needing her was something completely different.

  By the time he pulled into her drive, huge raindrops pelted the cab, steadily increasing into a deluge. He made a run for her back door, hoping to God she hadn’t given up on him.

  Holding his breath, he turned the knob, meeting no resistance. The door swung open with a long squeak. He toed his shoes off and shook his head like a wet dog. A chill from his rain-soaked shirt clarified the moment, and halfway up the staircase, he froze. What the fuck was he doing creeping into her bed at one in the morning?

  Before he could retrace his steps, lightning illuminated at figure at the top of the stairs. Lilliana rubbed her eyes and said, “Alec?” as if he might be one of her ghosts.

  “I know it’s late … or early … but I couldn’t sleep.”

  “Are you afraid of storms? Do you need someone to hold you?” Even husky with sleep, her tone was teasing.

  His doubts turned to ash, and he took the remaining steps two at time, pulling her into his arms.

  “You’re all wet.” Her voice pitched high, and she shivered.

  He reached behind his head and pulled his T-shirt off, dropping it at the top of the steps. “Better?”

  “Much.” She smoothed her hands over his shoulders and back.

  Lightning flashed and thunder cracked not a second later, the heart of the storm over them. He wove his hands in her hair and took her mouth in a blatantly sensual kiss. Over and over he swept his tongue beside hers, until she strained against him, her nipples teasing him through her tank top.

  He grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Next, he pushed her boy shorts to her ankles. Her body melded into his. He ran his hands down her back to her ass, giving a cheek a playful slap. She gasped into his mouth, but he quieted her with his tongue, his hand massaging her.

  He scooped her up, his destination her bed. Setting her on her feet, he spun her around and kissed her neck, one hand teasing her breasts, the other caressing between her legs. The satisfaction of finding her ready nearly had him forgetting protection—again.

  “I need you.” He understood deep inside that the simple confession was complicated.

  She arched her back and pressed her backside into his erection. “I need you too.”

  His heart wanted to slow things down, find out exactly what she had meant, but his body denied any delay. He grabbed a condom from her bedside table and pushed her facedown over the side of the mattress with a hand at her neck. Apologies for his lack of finesse would come later.

  Canting her hips, he entered her, slow but forceful. As his pace increased, she writhed and moaned under him. Perhaps he wouldn’t need to apologize after all. He snaked a hand between her legs. Her hips bucked, and his name falling from her lips blended into white noise as he came, his knees weakening and his body covering hers.

  She felt so tiny and delicate under him, yet he couldn’t move except to breathe in her scent and kiss her temple. Her pulse throbbed against his lips as erratically as his heart battered his ribs.

  Jesus, he had driven across town in the middle of the night to fuck her.

  No, not just fuck her. With hands on either side of her, he pushed up, still inside of her. Her back was a creamy white against the blue of her covers, her hair a tangled dark mass. He ran both hands up her back, his fingertips skimming the side swells of her breasts, one hand slipping into he
r hair to massage her scalp. Her back arched, and he pushed his hips into her, his erection still prominent. He wanted to take her again with nothing between them.

  The thought sobered him and he pulled out to dispose of the condom. She pushed up and tossed her hair over one shoulder. “That was unexpected.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She flipped to her back, stretching her arms over her head, her breasts bobbing high. Shadows dappled her body and face, making her even sexier and more seductive. “I said unexpected, not unwelcome. I’ve never been taken like that. I kind of liked you being so in control. Is that weird?”

  He whipped her covers back, picked up her and laid her down, stretching out beside her and pulling the covers over them both. “Not weird. I liked it too. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  “Anytime you want to bend me over like that, you do it, Mr. Football. That was hot.” Her voice lowered and grew more tentative. “I had given up on you tonight.”

  A question lurked behind the statement, but he had no clue what to say. He’d done such a good job in the last few years graying the intensity of his feelings, the roiling of his stomach and the words ricocheting around his head felt foreign.

  The only safe place for him had been the familiarity and routine of the football field, and even that had turned into a minefield with Hunter’s problems. Lilliana’s bed wasn’t safe, yet the weariness and restlessness that plagued him all evening had disappeared sometime between entering her house and entering her.

  “I’m where I want to be right now. Can that be enough?” he asked, knowing it wasn’t a fair response.

  She hummed and snuggled into his arms, notching her head under his chin. Remnants of the storm blew outside. The house protested with groans and creaks. With the discordant music in his ears and a soft woman in his arms, he fell into a dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 18

  When Lilliana woke, Alec was standing over her in his jeans and still-damp T-shirt. His tattoo trailed out of his shirtsleeve. Predawn light diffused into the room. He smelled of wild sex and rain.