She shrugged, pushing her drink away, the cherry in tattered pieces. “Maybe. Maybe you’re right. I’m beating myself up over my mistake rather than let myself think about Patrick. I don’t know.”
She wasn’t thinking clearly—again—and the last time she’d been like this, something terrible had happened. But this is Ryan. You know Ryan.
“Melody…” Ryan’s voice was suddenly very close, his breath moving the hair on the nape of her neck. She turned toward him and found him right there, his gaze locked with hers. Before she could speak, their lips were pressed together and she was kissing Ryan.
With a gasp, she broke away. “Oh, I’m sorry.” She turned away, feeling a heated blush on her cheeks. When she turned back to Ryan, he was looking at her with an intensity that startled her, but that was quickly replaced by a look of genuine concern.
“Melody…you’re confused right now. I think…maybe we’d better call it a night. Before you lose control”
“Ryan, really. I am sorry. I don’t know…this isn’t like me.” Maybe it is; maybe you throw yourself at any handsome man when you’ve been drinking since Patrick dumped you.
“Let me call you a cab, okay? You should go home. Don’t worry about it; I’ll see you tomorrow at work.”
The cab ride home was miserable. All she could focus on was the fact she’d kissed her boss. Her head was spinning and by the time she let herself into her apartment, she was in tears.
Melody set the alarm, crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her head. What the hell have I done?
But sleep was elusive and the longer she lay in bed, tossing and turning, the more muddled the evening became. Had she kissed Ryan or had he kissed her? The more she thought about it, the more it seemed he’d initiated the kiss. She remembered him touching her hand, his fingers skating over the tender skin on the inside of her arm, brushing against her breast. That had happened, she was sure of it…but then…
She rolled over, punching her pillow in frustration. No more alcohol for you…ever.
Sleep finally overcame her, along with the disconcerting memory of Ryan’s lips on hers. And that memory was swiftly replaced by one of Logan MacKenzie, his irresistible lips on her mouth, sliding over her body…Logan, who had taken advantage of her. But who had also taken her on a whirlwind ride of passion.
* * *
As much as she wanted to, Melody knew she couldn’t avoid Ryan all day. It was just after lunch when she finally worked up the courage to go to his office.
He was sitting at his desk, dictating, when she knocked on his open door. He waved her to the chair in front of his desk as he finished his dictation. Setting aside his notes, he rose, closing the door before taking the seat next to Melody.
“How are you today? I haven’t seen much of you. Nose to the grindstone again?” He smiled at her as if nothing happened and Melody wondered if their kiss had really taken place last night. But she knew she wasn’t that drunk; she hadn’t imagined that.
“Ryan, about last night…”
Before she could continue, he raised his hand. “Melody, it’s in the past. What happened…or what you think happened…let’s just leave it alone, okay? You’re under a bit of stress, and I’m willing to overlook a momentary indiscretion on your part.”
Melody stared at Ryan. “Oh…okay. Um, thanks.” Her mind was spinning. I don’t think it was my indiscretion though.
“I’m glad you’re here though. We have a really big case that came in today and I’d like you to take it. I’ll be here for you, as always, but I want you to take the lead. It has the potential to be a high profile event, probably lots of publicity.”
Melody’s attention was focused on Ryan now, on the details of the case. She sat forward, anxious to get more information.
“Who is it? What’s the suit?”
Ryan laughed. “Slow down. I don’t have a file yet; Lori is gathering preliminary information. You can stop by her desk on the way out, see if she’s finished. Otherwise, you’ll meet the plaintiff this afternoon. He’s coming in around two. I thought I’d set up the meeting through Melissa; she should have let you know. I was surprised when I hadn’t gotten a reply to the meeting invitation.”
Melody shook her head. “No, nothing on my calendar.” Not like Melissa to drop the ball.
“Well, in any event, we’re meeting in the twelfth floor conference room. I’d like you there about fifteen minutes early, if you can, so we can go over what we know. The case is still pretty straight-forward at this point; our client is suing his manager. But from what I understand, the client is also part of a group, who use the same manager. It probably has its complications, but I’m sure you’ll be able to handle it with no problem.”
Ryan stood, Melody following his lead. He took a step and she turned toward the door, placing her hand on the knob. She turned to say something, but before she could speak, Ryan placed his hand against the door, almost pinning her between him and the solid wood.
“Melody, I want you to know this is very important, not just because it’s a high-profile case for the firm, but how important it will be for you, for your career. Winning this is going to greatly help you in making partner; it could almost be a lock if you win.”
Ryan moved closer still; Melody could smell his cologne, feel the warmth of his breath on her neck. His voice was a dangerous rumble.
“I want you to succeed at this, do you understand? You making partner is going to be very good for you, for the firm. I take great pride in knowing I’m helping you succeed. And I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to help you. Are you willing to do whatever you need to do to succeed?”
She looked at Ryan, nodding. There was nothing she could think to say. Of course, she wanted to be a partner in the firm; who didn’t?
Ryan reached out, his hand on her arm, his fingers caressing her softly. An involuntary shiver ran through her body and she swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. The intensity she thought she’d seen the night before – thought she’d imagined – was back in Ryan’s eyes, desire prowling across his face.
“Good. So we’re on the same page then?”
Melody nodded again and Ryan reached for the doorknob, pulling the door open. The sudden movement of the door and the pressure of Ryan’s hand on her arm forced Melody to take an awkward step forward into Ryan, who didn’t step back. Melody’s hands came up automatically against Ryan’s chest and for a moment, they were pressed together.
Her breath caught in her throat. She’d never thought of Ryan in any terms but professional, but now, pressed against him like this, a flush swept through her body. Ryan looked down at her, his gaze intense, locked with hers.
“Remember, same page.” Ryan’s voice was a whisper, a conspiratorial look flashing in his eyes. He stepped back quickly and Melody stumbled forward as the door swung open behind her. Ryan was still holding her arm and he steadied her, his fingers gripping her elbow.
“Melody…you okay?” Ryan’s voice was full of concern as she lurched forward, clinging to Ryan.
Melody was pressed up against him, hands splayed across his chest, but this time standing in the open doorway of his office. Ryan’s paralegal, Lori, was looking at them with wide eyes, mouth open.
“Oh, sure…I’m fine…clumsy of me. See you at two.” Melody tried to jerk away from Ryan, her face flaming, but his hand still held elbow, guiding her through the open door. He finally released her and she bolted for the elevator, feeling as if every eye in the office following her as she fled. She tried to control her racing heart as she waited for the elevator, cursing herself under her breath.
Back in her office, she checked her schedule. There was an appointment on her calendar, entered by Lori. But not by Melissa. What is up with her lately?
Melody didn’t have time to think about that now; she was flustered and confused over her meeting with Ryan. What the hell had happened? Was he making moves on her or was she just making this up? Was she really that desperate for a man’s a
ttention that she was throwing herself at Ryan? Like I threw myself at Logan?
Melody glanced at her watch. It was almost time for her to get upstairs to the conference room. As confused as she was about Ryan, she was excited to have a new case, something high profile. Taking a quick trip to the ladies room, she combed her hair and checked her face in the mirror, pronouncing herself presentable for her meeting with the new client.
Back in her office, Melody shrugged into her suit jacket and grabbed her legal pad and pen, tucking a couple of business cards into her pocket before heading out to the elevator. Melissa was at her desk, head down hidden behind a stack of files, and Melody briefly debated asking her to join the meeting. On impulse she detoured past the elevator toward Melissa’s cubicle.
“Hey, come with me. Ryan’s assigned me a new case, something big, and I want you to be there. You can take notes and we can talk after. There are a few things we need to discuss anyway. Did you get the invitation from him?”
Melissa shook her head, a slight frown briefly creasing her forehead. But she grabbed her legal pad, following Melody and they rode the elevator to the twelfth floor.
“What’s the case? Do you know who the client is?”
Melody laughed. “No…you sound like me in Ryan’s office earlier.” She frowned, momentarily distracted and confused by images of the meeting in Ryan’s office. But she forced herself to concentrate on the upcoming meeting.
“Just that it’s high-profile, client suing manager. Didn’t even get a name yet.”
The conference room was at the end of the hall. The door was closed as they approached. Melody hesitated, hearing male voices coming from inside. She glanced at her watch. It wasn’t even quarter of two yet; she couldn’t be late. Knocking softly, she swung the door open. And stopped dead in her tracks, Melissa bumping into her back.
Sitting at the far end of the conference room table, next to Ryan Marshall, was none other than Logan MacKenzie.
Ryan turned toward her, a welcoming smile on his face but reproach in his eyes. Melody recognized immediately she’d made a faux pas by being late, but this wasn’t the time to worry about it. She pasted a matching smile on her face and entered the room.
“Here she is, the attorney who will be the lead on your case. Logan, this is Melody Lawson. Melody, Logan MacKenzie.”
Logan rose, and she felt his eyes on her as she walked into the room, praying he wouldn’t say anything…at all. As much as she wanted to look away—to run away—Melody knew she could not. But there was a tiny part of her that fluttered alive, her breath catching as she looked at him.
He was wearing a dark suit and tie, and a crisp white shirt. Even conservatively dressed, he exuded the charm and charisma of a rock star. And, she had to admit, the latent sexuality was there, just beneath the surface. That same sexuality she’d succumbed to weeks before. Nothing could diminish that, not even a suit and tie.
He extended a hand and she took it, the touch of his skin on hers making her heart race.
“It’s nice to meet you, Melody.” His voice was low and he held her hand a moment longer than necessary, and Melody did nothing to pull away, as everything in the room fading away and she looked into those dark eyes. She finally found her voice.
“Yes. Nice to meet you as well, Mr. MacKenzie.” She hastily pulled her hand away, taking a step backward, hitting the edge of the table with her leg. She heard a noise behind her and recovered enough of her composure to introduce Melissa.
“This…this is Melissa Montgomery. My paralegal. You’ll be seeing a great deal of her as well.”
Logan turned to Melissa, smiling and shaking her hand briefly. Melody could see Melissa was star-struck, looking like the clichéd deer-in-the-headlights, gazing open-mouthed up at Logan. Melody coughed softly in an effort to get her attention. Ryan stepped forward into the breach.
“Shall we get started?” He looked at Melody, an eyebrow cocked. She gave him an equally puzzled look and a brief shrug of her shoulder.
Melissa had apparently realized she was indeed working, hurriedly taking a seat next to Melody across the table from Logan. Ryan took his accustomed place at the head of the table, the case file open in front of him.
“Okay. A brief history. Logan is lead single in a band called Revival. His complaint is against his manager, Jack Ashton. Do you want to explain in your own words the basis of the suit? Why you want to pursue action against Mr. Ashton?”
Logan nodded. “Ashton’s been Revival’s manager back when we were playing in little pubs in Glasgow, trying to get noticed. He’s the one who got us our first major contract. He was nothing then too; we pulled each other along, in a way.”
Logan shifted uneasily in his chair. “But when we hit it big, things changed. My band mates and I, we were happy to finally be paid for playing, paid in money, not pints. But Ashton wanted more. He convinced me to try a solo album; it did well, but my heart’s with the band, not being on my own. But then he started pushing me away from them, toward something I didn’t want, diving a wedge between us.” Logan hesitated.
“And then the money started disappearing.”
Melody had been taking notes, her head down. She looked up at Logan, noticing the change in the tone of his voice. He was impassioned when he talked about his band, but his voice suddenly grew cold at the mention of missing money.
“And is that the reason you want to bring this suit against him? For the money?”
Logan shrugged his shoulders, shifting again. “Yes, he stole money from me, from the band…and he should be held accountable for that. But it’s more than just that.”
“You want your band mates back.” Melody’s voice was low and Logan looked directly at her as he spoke.
“Aye, I do. I miss them and the music we make together. This tour has been torture, just four guys on stage going through the motions and trying hard not to bash each other’s heads in. Truth be told, the times we were paid in pints was one of our happiest. It was just us, playing our music and making people happy. There’s no living to be earned by that, but there’s something else we had. We had each other. Ashton took that away as well as our money.” He spread his hands on the table in a gesture of despair, still looking at Melody.
Melody smiled and Logan returned her smile, albeit one tinged with sadness. Something in Melody let go then, a tiny part of her anger at Logan dissolved. She was struck by his honestly, the earnest way he spoke. By his integrity. And by the simple request to have his life back to where it made him happiest.
Maybe I did misjudge him, jump to conclusions. She shook her head. But it was still a one-night stand. And you’re just his lawyer now. Nothing more.
Ryan coughed and both Logan and Melody turned to him.
“I think it might be helpful if you met with Melody now, and she can do the rest of the initial intake for the case, get some hard facts. I’ll leave you two alone.”
Ryan slid the case file across to Melody, and he and Melissa left the room, Melissa casting a longing glance back at Logan. As the door closed behind them, Melody sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. Logan leaned forward, resting his hands on the table.
“It’s good to see you again, Melody.” He smiled, then grew serious. But she noticed the smile never really left his eyes. “But I get the feeling you’re not so happy to see me.”
“Why should I be? You took advantage of me when I was at my lowest…when I was drunk…on that hateful Macallan of yours!” Melody was surprised by the rising pitch of her voice and took a breath, glancing at the closed conference room door, trying to rein in her emotions. She lowered her voice.
“We had a one-night stand, nothing more. And now I’m your attorney. We should put this behind us; for one thing, it’s not going to do any good for your case if anyone knows what happened.”
“Melody, I didn’t take advantage of anything that wasn’t offered. You were there, a bit hazy around the edges, but you were absolutely there with me.”
/> Logan walked around the table, sitting in the chair next to Melody. Before she could roll her chair away, he grabbed the armrests, turning her to face him. They were close enough that his knees brushed against her legs.
“Listen to me, Melody. What may have been a one-night stand to you was much more than that for me. I meant what I said in my note; I had every intention of calling you, of seeing you again when I came back to New York. But this shite with Ashton exploded during the middle of the band’s tour. It’s taken all of my time and energy to hold the band together long enough to perform each night. It’s been driving me crazy that I haven’t called you.”
Logan reached for her hand and she resisted pulling it back from him. The touch of his fingers on her skin sent a small, and not wholly unwelcomed, tingle through her body.
“Melody, you’re all I’ve thought about since that night. I’ve wanted to call, believe me, I did. But I wanted to see you, to touch you again. I thought whatever it was between us was all too new to trust to just talking over the phone. Maybe I was wrong, but I didn’t know what else to do.”
Melody was watching Logan closely; saw what she hoped—wished, maybe—was sincerity in his face, in his voice. She wanted to believe him, if only because it made her feel less like a fool he took advantage of and more like maybe this could be the beginning of something between them. After the case...
“Logan, this, whatever it was…is…it’s all confusing right now.” She slowly pulled her hand away from his, not missing the hurt look that briefly clouded his gaze.
She took a deep breath. “Let’s concentrate on the case for now, okay? That’s the real reason you’re here, not me.” She picked up her pen, pulling her legal pad closer.
“It’s both.” Logan tilted his head, a slight frown creasing his forehead. “I mean, I did ask for you to represent me. You’re the only one I’d trust with this, and not just because I bedded you once. You have an excellent reputation. Marshall wanted to represent me himself but I insisted it be you.”
Melody tapped her pen on the table, frowning. Ryan had said nothing about Logan’s request. Nothing was making sense today. The only solid thing she had to grasp at the moment was the case, even as nebulous as that was at the moment. She closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath, gathering her thoughts.
Heartstrings (Rock With You #1) Rock Star Romance Page 3