“Thanks.”
“You keep bringing me fresh ideas like this, and I see you breaking into the big chain stores—and not just on the rack, but a special section with your name on it.”
It was everything she wanted to hear. All of her life, Mel had wanted nothing more than to have her own clothing line. It was as if Kennedy was wrapping up all of her dreams and handing them to her on a silver platter. It was overwhelming—yet she didn’t feel the joy she thought she would over such a declaration.
“Thank you,” she muttered.
“Mr. Brach.” A staff member with a headset hurried over to them. “There is an issue with one of the models.”
“Who?”
“Jasmine.”
“Oh God. What is it now?”
The staff member cleared his throat. “She swears that we gave her tap water, not bottled.”
“That’s ridiculous. I had two cases brought in from Canada specifically for this show.” Kennedy rolled his eyes. “She only drinks water melted from some glacier out in Western Canada.”
“A true diva,” the staff member agreed.
“But worth the hassle.” Kennedy shook his finger. “One turnabout on that runway in a garbage bag, and women will be rushing to the grocery store to fill their wardrobes.” He placed his hand on Mel’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, honey. Duty calls.”
“Of course.”
As soon as he turned his back, Mel’s smile faded. Jett didn’t come. She knew that it was a long shot after everything that had happened, but still, she was hopeful. The entire incident wasn’t her fault. If she could just be allowed to explain what had happened. . .
But no. He wouldn’t give her that chance, and she supposed she deserved it. She should have known that her boss would be so underhanded. It was what had made him such a sought-after fashion mogul. He was ruthless and a perfectionist. That didn’t make what he did right.
“Showtime ladies.” Kennedy clapped his hands in the air as he made his way through the lines of models backstage. “Everybody ready.”
For the next hour, Mel busied herself touching up the various designs, trying to forget that she blew her one big chance at love. Jett was never very far from her thoughts, however, and when intermission finally came, she couldn’t help but peek out through the curtain at her reserved seat once more.
“That long face is going to give you permanent wrinkles.” The familiar voice jarred Mel from her thoughts. She turned and saw her friend Liv grinning from ear to ear.
“You made it.” At least someone still liked and supported her. Mel hugged her friend and blinked back the tears.
“Thanks so much for the backstage pass,” Liv said. “It has been so much fun to watch.”
“Is Nayo here?”
“Nah, he isn’t into fashion.” She waved her hand in the air between them. “A new family arrived this morning, and he’s helping them get settled.”
“That’s so nice of you two to help immigrant families like that.”
Liv shrugged. “We try. There’s just so many of them. A lot of times we don’t have the resources to help.” She waved her hand in the air in dismissal. “But this isn’t about me. This is about you and your big day.”
“Yeah, my big day.” Mel glanced through the crack in the curtain once more.
“What’s wrong?”
“He’s not here, Liv.” Mel sighed and returned her gaze to her friend. “I invited Jett, and he didn’t show up.”
“Aw, honey.” Liv put her arm around Mel’s shoulder. “Try not to let it get you down.”
“I hurt him, and part of me thinks that he’ll never forgive me.”
“If he doesn’t forgive you, then perhaps he isn’t the right one.” She squeezed Mel’s shoulder and smiled when Mel flashed her a confused look.
“Everyone makes mistakes, honey,” she explains. “You don’t want a guy who has unrealistic expectations.”
“Yeah, I suppose.”
Liv rubbed her arm. “Come on, cheer up. Don’t let some asshole ruin your big day.”
Mel smiled. “Thanks.”
“I mean it. If he isn’t willing to meet you halfway, then he isn’t worth it. There are plenty of fish in the sea.” When Mel wrinkled her nose, Liv laughed. “Honest.”
“Yeah, but you took the best fish and left me with the guppies.”
Liv laughed harder, and Mel couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m sure there’s at least one more good man in this world.” She considered Mel for a moment before continuing. “Give him time, Mel. He’s hurt and needs a few days to process everything.”
“But it wasn’t my fault.”
“I know.” She let out a long breath. “I know. If it was meant to be, then it will all work out. Promise.”
“Places everyone!” Kennedy called from somewhere in the back. “Beach babes are on in five.”
“Good luck.” Liv hugged Mel one more time and then hurried to her seat. Mel took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Showtime.
The next forty-five minutes passed in a blur of tulle and satin. Mel pinned cloth here, fixed tears there, and the adrenaline rush gave her little time to think about the empty seat in the front row.
“And now for the brainchild of the entire runway project, Melody Lerner!”
Mel wiped her hands on her skirt, plastered a smile on her face, and eased out from behind the curtain. The bright lights immediately blinded her, and she stood there for a long moment, trying to adjust her vision. As the crowd around her came into focus, her gaze fell to the empty seat in the front row.
It was no longer empty.
Jett sat there, arms crossed, with a scowl on his face. He didn’t appear happy, but at least he was there. Mel’s smile was genuine as she started down the runway. Now it was time to set the final leg of her plan in motion.
“Thank you all for coming tonight,” she said as the applause began to fade. “I appreciate all of you coming out to support me and my new line.”
Jett snorted and turned away in his seat, clearly not happy with the way things were going. Give it time.
“My new clothing line isn’t the only surprise we have in store for you,” she said. “There is another, bigger surprise in store.”
As Jett turned back to face her, she noticed that some of the hostility had gone from his face.
“All of the proceeds from tonight’s show will be donated to the ‘Right Way’ foster home, to help kids find the love they deserve.”
“All of the proceeds?” someone asked.
Mel nodded. “The foster home is a special place, and run by people with big hearts. Considering that they were part of the inspiration for this new line, I think that giving back to them is the right thing to do.”
As the crowd stood and began to applaud, Mel’s gaze turned once again to Jett. Many of the hard lines in his face had softened, but the frown remained. Her breath caught as he stood, turned, and walked toward the exit.
Well, at least I tried. Mel blinked back the tears and smiled at her new fans, who seemed to love her gesture. As the rest of the models and staff came out to take their bows, Kennedy put his arm around her waist and leaned in close to her ear.
“We’ll discuss this later.”
“No need, I quit,” Mel shot back through tight lips. She took her bow and walked off the stage before Kennedy could form a decent retort.
At least she could rest easy she did everything she could to set things right. Like Liv said, if Jett didn’t want to forgive her, then that was on him. She wasn’t going to lose any more sleep over the situation.
She made her way to the back rooms to get her purse, navigating all of the dresses, shoes, and hair pieces that had been tossed carelessly onto the floor between changes. When she arrived at the small room for the staff in the back, she found someone standing there with her purse in his hands, waiting.
“Mel,” Jett said as he started to close the distance between them. “That was quite the show.”
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Chapter 12
“Jett.” She took the purse and placed it on her shoulder.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced down at her feet. “Yeah, me.” He stopped a few inches away and studied her face. Silence surrounded them, and after a few seconds, Mel started to feel uncomfortable.
“Look, I know what this looks like.”
“It looks like you used me to gain publicity for your new clothing line.”
“I know.” She wrung her hands. “It’s not, though. I swear. When I told Kennedy that we were dating, I had no idea he was going to use that information. When I found out, I tried to stop him, but once the man has an idea in his head, he’s like a steamroller. There’s no stopping him.”
“I know.”
“You do?”
He twisted his lips into a half smile. “Your friend paid me a little visit.”
“Liv?” She furrowed her brow. “She never mentioned it.”
“She gave me quite the verbal beating.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “That is until she learned that I had no idea what had happened.”
“Ah, well. I know that what happened was unforgivable. I should have done more to stop it. Refused to work on the line, quit. Something.” She sighed. “But I wanted to let you know that I did make things right. While I have no control over the income generated by the clothing line, I did make sure that the proceeds from this show would go to a worthy cause.”
“I heard. I’m sure that Jessica and Kylie will appreciate it.”
Mel smiled. “It was the least I could do.” She nibbled her lower lip in the silence that followed.
“Well, I guess that this is goodbye.” She turned to go.
“That was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me,” he said.
She stopped and turned to face him. “Really?”
He nodded. “When people talk to me or do something nice, they always expect something in return. Affection, money, notoriety. . .”
“You have to believe that I wasn’t after the money or the fame. That was all Kennedy’s doing.”
“I know.”
“You do?” She sighed with relief. “Good. I hated thinking that you considered me self-centered and greedy.”
“I didn’t. Well, maybe a little at first.” He rubbed the back of his neck again. “But even before Liv visited me, I realized that things didn’t make sense. Everything that happened didn’t fit with the person I knew, and I sensed that something was going on that I wasn’t aware of.”
“Yes, exactly.” She inched closer. “I don’t care about any of that, just like I don’t care about the playboy persona you portray to the press. I care about the real you.” She took his hand. “The real us.”
He threaded his fingers with hers. “This is a new thing for me. This . . . Generosity without expectations. I’m—I’m not quite sure how to react to it.”
“You could say thank you?”
He chuckled and tightened his grip on her hand. “Thank you.”
She nibbled her lower lip and averted her gaze. “Then you could ask me out for dinner.”
“I don’t think I could wait for dinner.”
“Excuse me?”
He tugged her against him and wrapped his arm around her waist. “I can’t wait for dinner. I need to have you right now.”
Jett had never wanted anything so much in his life.
As he pushed his tongue past the barrier of her lips, he slid his hands down and grabbed her ass. Tugging her close, he rubbed his swollen erection against her body, showing her how much her actions meant to him. How much she meant to him.
He wasn't going to show up at the fashion show, but he knew that he needed to give her a chance to explain. If he walked away with nothing more said between them, then one question would always haunt him. Had she singled him out from the beginning?
That and her best friend Liv would have skinned him alive if he didn't show. She had confronted Jett and told him that he needed to give Mel a chance to explain, and if after that he still wanted to leave, then fine. But only an asshole would leave without at least hearing her out.
He didn't know what to expect from the fashion show, but it certainly wasn't the kindness and generosity he had witnessed. Donating the money was one thing, but when he ran into Liv in the back, she had told him that Mel planned on donating clothing as well. Many of the fashions she had shown were whimsical and casual enough to be modified for children. She was going to personally see to it that every child in that orphanage had new clothes to wear.
It was hard for Jett not to be emotional. He remembered all too well not having anything to wear growing up. He remembered what it felt like to be made fun of because his shoes had holes in them. What she was doing was so kind hearted and warm, and so like the Mel he had come to know.
The Mel he wanted to consume. Breaking the kiss, he dragged her behind one of the changing curtains, a pink monstrosity that reminded him of cotton candy. Turning her so that she face the wall, he placed her palms on the smooth surface and adjusted himself until he stood behind her.
"Jett.”
"No talking." He reached over and pressed his lips quickly against hers. "And face forward." He turned her head until she faced the wall.
"What are you doing?"
"What I should have done a long time ago." He jerked down her skirt until it gathered around her ankles. "Step out of it."
She moved to obey. He took a moment to admire the pink lace thong she had on. Slipping his finger under the string, he lifted it away from her skin and slid it down toward her center.
"This is nice," he whispered as he pulled it back farther. "Too bad I'm going to have to ruin it." He let go of the string and watched it snap back into place. Mel whimpered and wiggled her ass, enticing him.
Not wanting to waste any more time, he hooked his fingers under the straps and ripped them away.
"Does this mean that you forgive me?"
Vixen. She knew better than to talk. "No." he twisted his lips into a half-smile as he positioned himself at her pussy. "This does." He bent his knees slightly and pushed forward, filling her warm heat with his length. Pleasure washed over him, and he grabbed her hips for support. Her sweet, feminine whimper when he pushed his hips flush with her ass almost made him come right there.
Curling his fingers into her flesh, he moved with a rapid rhythm that caused heat to trail down his spine. He looked down and watched as his cock moved in and out of her body. Possessiveness filled him and more than anything he wanted to claim her for his own. Not just for tonight, but forever.
“Melody.” It was the first time he had said her full name, but it felt right. She had a beautiful name, and just hearing it made him warm all over.
She started moving against him, and the responding slap of flesh made him hungry for more. He gave her two quick, hard thrusts, then bent down and lifted one of her legs in the air and bent it until the tips of her toes were against the wall.
“What are you . . .?”
“No talking.” He slapped her ass with his other hand to emphasize his command. She groaned and faced the wall as he placed one hand back on her hip and slid the other down her thigh and toward her pussy.
“Yes. Oh god.”
He dug his fingers into her thigh and used it as leverage. In this position, her slit was open wider, and he could better control his aim. He knew exactly when he had hit a sensitive spot deep inside her core. Melody’s whimpers turned to cries, and soon she was panting with her rising need.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as he bent over and nipped her shoulder. “So fucking beautiful.” He slid the hand on her hip up under her shirt and squeezed her breast. Mel leaned back into him and groaned in reply. Easing his hand under the silky fabric, he pinched her nipple and pushed up with his hips until she was on the tip of her feet.
“Oh yes. God, Jett.”
“I’m going to make you come so hard, you’re going to see stars,” he whispered in
to her ear. “Then you and everyone else in this building will know who you belong to.”
“Jett.” She gasped as he slid his hand up her thigh and over her mound. Within seconds he had found her clit, and rubbed it in a back and forth motion that he knew drove her wild.
“Please.” She started to move against him, but Jett was going to have none of that. Removing his hand from her clit, he slid it up her leg and pushed her foot higher on the wall.
“Stay still and feel me.” He nipped her ear as he pushed hard against her ass. “Feel us.”
She straightened her leg more and arched her back, allowing him better access. Jett moved his hand back to her clit and continued rubbing it.
The pressure was building. He could feel the tension ripple through both the air and his body. Grinding his teeth, he pushed against the tidal wave of pleasure. He had gone too long without her sweet body. There was no way in hell he was going to allow this to end so soon.
Bending over her neck, he nipped her skin as he fucked her. God, she felt so good. So fucking perfect. With each thrust, he was becoming more and more lost in her. Her friend had said that Mel was miserable without him, but he was the one who had been miserable. He needed this woman more than he needed air. Now that he had her, he was never going to let her go.
“Oh God, I’m going to come.” She tilted her head to the side, and Jett responded by nipping harder. She was going to have a mark in the morning, but he didn’t care. Let everyone see his teeth on her skin. Let them all know who she belonged to.
“Oh God, Jett. Yes. Yes!” She curled her fingers into the wall and cried out in pleasure as her pussy spasmed around his cock. Jett immediately leaned back and slowed his thrusts, trying to bring his own raging libido under control.
“That’s it,” he whispered. “Let it come.” He continued to pleasure her, making sure that every last drop of her orgasm belonged to him.
Pursued by the Player (Black Towers Book 3) Page 9