by Carson, Mia
Delcie squealed so loud Danny had to pull his phone from his ear, and David laughed with her. “That’s great, Danny! When will you be coming into town? Is she your girlfriend? And you know I won’t make you sleep in separate rooms. You’re way past that.”
Danny pictured Mel sharing a bed with him and glared down at the quickly growing bulge in his jeans, remembering how attractive she was in her yoga pants—and out of them—and those breasts he wanted to hold in his hands as he kissed her, leaving her breathless as he chased away all her worries about the coming days.
“Yeah, no… uh, not sure yet, actually,” he finally managed to spit out.
“Either way, we can’t wait to see you and meet her,” Delcie said. “Just give me a few hours’ heads up so I can get your room ready. You have no idea how happy you just made us.”
Danny hung his head, wishing he hadn’t waited so long to get back to his parents. “See you soon.” They kept talking, but a beep told him there was a call on the other line. “Sorry, have to go. There’s a call from the office.”
“Go, take your call,” Delcie said, a little disappointed. “We’ll be seeing you soon.”
“Love you both,” he said. “I hope you know that.”
“We do,” David replied, a smile in his voice. “Now go on, keep working.” The call disconnected, and Danny switched over to the other line.
“Todd?”
“Not Todd,” Janet purred on the other end of the line. Danny’s gut clenched, except it wasn’t with arousal. Janet was the last person Danny wanted to talk to, let alone think about. “I’ve been missing you.”
He put the pizzas in the oven to bake and switched his phone to his other ear. “It happens, love,” he said, trying not to sound too annoyed. She was still his assistant, after all. “I won’t be back for some time, though. Mind leaving a note for Todd?”
“When are you planning on being back?” He heard the pout most likely on her face.
“Not sure yet. After Christmas, I imagine.”
“What?” she snapped, and he smiled.
Time away from the office was just what he needed to see clearer. Todd was not the suave businessman he’d assumed. He was more of a shark circling his victims before he struck. Danny was all for being firm in business, but if the man had done just a little more digging, they might have found a better way to get this inn without having Mel hate them for it. And Janet? She was still after a ring on her finger, a ring he would never buy her. This would be the perfect opportunity to let her know that fact, and after the holiday, he could return to an office free of any such distraction.
He thought of all he’d accomplished over the years and where he’d be without Todd or Janet by his side. Nothing would change. He’d built his company from the ground up, not them, and he could keep it going just fine without them, too. Janet wasn’t the one he worried about causing waves, though. If Todd couldn’t find a way to stall the investors, then he wasn’t the man Danny assumed he was after all these years.
“I decided to visit my parents,” he informed her. “I’m leaving Westbend as soon as I can and flying to Iowa, possibly staying for New Year’s Eve, too. Not sure yet.”
“But… but we always spend the holidays together,” she whined angrily.
“We did. I thought it was time for a change of scenery. You understand, they’re family.”
“Then take me with you,” she demanded. “I’m basically your girlfriend, and your parents always like me when I call them. Come on, I’ve been dying to take a trip with you.”
Danny heard one of the dogs growl and glanced out to see Bobby and Lucy playing on the floor. Mel laughed as she watched, petting Xena, who took up the seat beside her on the couch. The dog turned to stare intently at him, and Danny sensed it was more than just her staring at him.
“I can’t,” he stated. “And you are not my girlfriend, Janet. Great lay, don’t get me wrong, and a hell of an assistant, but I’m not interested in anything more.”
She gasped, and he barely pulled his phone away from his ear before the yelling started. “You…you rotten bastard! You used me! This whole time we were sleeping together, and you thought that was all I ever wanted?”
“You used me, too, so I don’t think you get to play the feeling used card,” he muttered.
“I… I did not… of course I wouldn’t do that.”
“Cut the bullshit. We both know you slept with me hoping I would eventually give in and make you my wife,” he argued hotly and moved further into the kitchen, struggling to keep his voice lowered. “You’re only after the life you thought you’d get with me.”
Janet breathed heavily through the line, and Danny hoped she was nowhere near his office.
“Just leave a note for Todd saying I’ll be gone longer. Better yet, I’ll call him and tell him myself, and, if you please, pack up your things. I’ll give you a glowing recommendation.”
“You can’t fire me!”
“I think I just did.”
“There’s another woman, isn’t there?” she snapped. “You leave town and suddenly you want nothing to do with me. Who is it?”
Danny chewed the inside of his cheek but didn’t answer. He was not going to drag Mel any further into this than she already was by simply owning the property he was after.
“It’s that damn widow!” she screeched, and Danny moved all the way to the back windows.
“Keep your voice down,” he growled. “And that damn woman has nothing to do with this.”
Janet laughed harshly. “I bet she does, and if she’s involved—”
“Don’t you dare threaten her,” Danny ordered. “That woman has lost a husband and a child. She does not deserve the anger of a bitter twenty-four-year-old because she was spurned by a man she doesn’t even love.”
“I do love you, Danny. You have to know that. Please,” she pleaded.
“No, you don’t,” he muttered. “You never did. Goodbye, Janet. Have a happy holiday.”
He hung up on her screaming and laid his cell on the counter. Running his hands through his hair, he tried to figure out what the hell just happened. He didn’t have feelings for Janet, that wasn’t the issue, but the man he was this morning was no longer the man he was tonight. Every action he made led him back down the path to who he was before he created his empire of millions—nearly billions, now—and he was risking it all for one woman. One woman who twisted him up inside and tore at the very fabric of who he thought he was.
“Everything alright in there?” Mel called out, and Danny shook his head to clear the muddled thoughts and poked his head out the door.
“Yeah, all good. Had a call to make,” he told her.
She eyed him curiously but settled back against the couch. “I’m pouring more whiskey, so I hope the food’s almost ready.”
“Pour away,” he said as he ducked back into the kitchen.
Mel would be the first woman he ever brought home to meet his parents. How was he even going to convince her to go? He couldn’t exactly kidnap her and drag her to Iowa for the holidays. And what about her dogs?
What if she learns the truth? another, darker voice reminded him. He knew, eventually, he’d have to come clean and hoped that by then, they were on better terms. Hell, standing in the kitchen of an inn that clearly still meant so much to her, he wasn’t sure if he still wanted to buy it. And there were the investors. If he messed this up, they could potentially pull out of the deal and he wouldn’t have the liquid capital needed to start the new line of hotels.
Danny was walking a very, very thin line, and it only grew thinner with every moment spent alone with Mel.
Chapter 6
The pizzas were mostly gone, and the bottle of whiskey empty. Mel broke out into laughter again beside him, and Danny grinned, realizing he was on the edge of being drunk with her. They’d spent the past few hours talking about her life and childhood, and about his time on the farm. It was refreshing, and he hadn’t laughed so much in a long time�
��really laughed. From the light in her eyes and the way she kept rubbing her cheeks as if they were sore, she hadn’t either.
And what a laugh that woman had in her. The sound was rich and smooth like honey on his ears. He wanted to hear more of it, to be surrounded by it in a way he’d never had before with any woman, certainly not Janet. He glanced at his cell as it buzzed again, but he ignored it.
“Need to get that?” Mel asked, glancing at it, too.
“Nah, just the office probably.” He turned it off. “There, now we’re alone.” Xena nudged his hand with her head, and he grinned, leaning down as she licked his face. “Sorry, now the five of us are alone,” he corrected, and she barked and wagged her tail in reply. “These dogs are amazing, have I told you that yet?”
“Once or twice,” she said. He stared at the lushness of her hair draped over her arm as she held up her head. “What are you staring at?”
He shrugged at her hooded eyes and the way she licked her lips every time she stared at him. Her cheeks were flushed, but it could’ve been from the whiskey, or it could be something more. As the night wore on, his desire for this woman grew. With each breath, with each shift of her body on the couch, so close to his, and the way their hands sent shocks up his arms every time they accidentally touched… At first he wasn’t sure if she’d sensed it, but the last time was so intense she gasped then coughed and cleared her throat.
Staring at her now, sitting barely a foot from him, Danny would’ve given anything to know what ran through her mind. She’d spoken about Robert a few times, and with each story, he noticed her relax more as if she was finally letting go of him, piece by piece. He was a good man, and funny, too, a man Danny probably would’ve gotten along with if they’d ever met. At least now, he knew why Mel had such a hard time moving on from him and why she refused to sell the inn, no matter how much pain it brought her. This inn was the last living memory she had of Robert and their life together. How could he think he could take that away from her and live with himself?
Mel poked his shoulder, and he let his head roll back to the couch. “What are you thinking about?”
“Lots of things,” he said, and she giggled when his words slurred. “Damn, I think we’ve had enough.” He looked at the empty whiskey bottle and grinned wider. “I used to drink whiskey with my dad on the farm. Good stuff. Homemade.”
“You made your own whiskey?” she asked, her eyes widening slightly in her intoxicated state.
“Yes, ma’am, we did. Best shit in town, too.”
“And then you switched to fancy wine.” She poked him harder. “How do you manage that? The city changed you that much?”
His hand slid across the blanket towards hers, and he waited to see what she would do when he entwined their fingers together. She licked her lips, and a jolt of warmth shot through his stomach and moved lower, filling every limb.
“I hung out with a different crowd. Things changed, I guess.”
“You don’t sound too happy about those changes,” she mused, holding his hand tighter.
Did he sound that unhappy? His job was great, the money was great, being the CEO of a company was great, but being here in this small town, in a quaint inn with a woman he never would’ve met otherwise… Suddenly, none of that other stuff mattered. He’d always ignored his longings for home, casting them aside as he strove to achieve his dreams and be a powerful man in a world that took advantage of his family and those like them. He meant to bring his parents to the city, but he knew better deep down. They would never leave their farm, and he couldn’t blame them.
Reaching with his free hand, he tucked Mel’s hair behind her ears, and when she leaned her cheek against his palm, the hunger for this woman enveloped him. A pang started near his heart and spread throughout his whole chest. His body shifted even closer, leaning over her legs, until their mouths were a breath apart. He stared into her blue eyes, warring between desire and hesitation.
“Those changes led me to you,” he whispered gently and closed the distance.
His lips brushed against hers, and he sighed. They were as warm as he imagined they’d be, soft and supple. He lingered, waiting for her to pull away, but her hands reached up around the back of his head and she kissed him back. Their lips moved in a sensual dance as Danny’s body covered hers on the couch. She lay back with a sigh. He shoved the blanket out of the way, and she laughed when it became entangled between their bodies. Once it was freed and on the floor, Danny lifted himself on his elbows and checked her face for any sign of hesitation, but she stretched up and kissed him hotly, her tongue dancing across his lower lip until he groaned and captured her mouth fiercely with his.
As the kiss deepened, tasting of whiskey, reaching deep within his body and mind, Danny wrapped one arm under her body, holding her closer as he devoured her mouth. She moved her legs, wrapping them up around his waist. His nerves on fire with want, he gripped her hip hard and ground his hips against hers. A moan caught in her throat, and reality slammed him in the face.
Three years. She hadn’t let a man close to her for three years, that was what Donna and Marty had told him. And she was intoxicated. So was he. Cursing himself for his damn conscience, he slowed the kiss, nibbling her lip before he finally pulled away.
“What’s wrong?” She tilted her head to study his face.
He kissed her forehead, then her nose and cheeks, and finally, her lips before he sighed and sat back, pulling her with him. “You’ve had a long day, and we’re both a little drunk.”
Her face fell, and he worried he’d pissed her off, but she sighed and a crooked smile graced her face, one that only made him want to kiss her again until they both said screw it and went for it. But he resisted and they made it to their feet.
“Damn,” he muttered when his legs wobbled and she fell into his chest. “Correction, maybe we are really drunk.”
Mel held onto him as she cackled, and his arms held her up as they maneuvered carefully around the couch and table, all three dogs following close behind, and eventually reached the stairs. They stared up them, leaning their heads back, and the laughter stopped.
“Well, shit,” Mel muttered. “Stairs. Why didn’t I install a damn elevator?”
“Never fear, ma’am,” Danny said and turned his back to her, bending lower. “Hop on.”
“What? You’ll drop me, or we’ll both fall down the stairs,” she said through her laughter.
“I won’t do either, promise. I’ll never let you fall,” he said as he glanced over his shoulder at her. They both stilled. He meant every word and knew from the smile on her face she believed him. He took her hand and placed it on his shoulder as he turned back around. “Come on, up you go.”
She sighed, but with his help, managed to climb up on his back. She felt smaller up there, and he told her to hold on tight as he broached the first step and then the second. He gripped the railing, more for show than actual worry about falling, loving how Mel’s hands tightened on his shoulders. She cackled with delight each time he wobbled and acted as if they were going down. The dogs followed them up, nudging his legs as if to help. They reached the first landing, and he paused long enough to bounce her up higher on his back as she kissed his cheek. His heart pounded in his chest as he eyed the next set of stairs but didn’t move towards them.
“Your room is a wee bit destroyed,” he reminded her before setting her down on her feet.
“Right.” She shoved her hands deep into her sweater pockets, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Sorry you… uh, you saw all that. Me losing my mind.”
He tilted her chin up so she faced him. “There’s no need to be embarrassed by it, but I don’t think you should try to get in there while it’s messed up. Why don’t you take my bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch? Or stay in one of the other empty rooms?”
She unfolded the blanket and plopped down on the couch as he finished speaking. She stared at him for a solid minute. “Too late, already settled in and I’m not about to
move again.” She dug her butt into the couch more and fell back on the cushions.
“Mel, you’re not sleeping on the damn couch,” he stated. “You really think that’s going to stop me from moving you?”
She trembled visibly as he stalked closer, licking her lips and giving him that half-crooked grin that twisted his insides. “You will because it’s my inn. Go to sleep.” She snuggled under the blanket and lay back, closing her eyes. He stood over her, watching until she squinted one eye open and glared at him. “Really, it’s fine. I don’t mind the couch. I’ve slept on worse.”
“So have I,” he said. “Barn floor.”
“Hmm.” She opened her other eye. “Alright, can’t think of anything worse.”
“Good, then let me have the couch.”
She snuggled down deeper into the cushions and stuck out her tongue. Danny frowned at the action until he burst out laughing. She closed her eyes again, and he went into the bathroom to wash up for bed. He drank a little water before he passed out. By the time he came back out, Mel was asleep on the couch, snoring quietly, her hair a wild mess around her face.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “And too damn stubborn for your own good.”
He scooped her up into his arms, careful not to jostle her body too much, and carried her to the bed. Holding her close with one hand, he managed to drag the covers down enough to tuck her into them. He pulled the blanket away and tossed it back on the couch and tried to remove the cardigan, but she grumbled in her sleep and he left it alone. It was a man’s sweater, and he was sure it once belonged to Robert. Keeping it wrapped tightly around her, he pulled the covers up over her body and left her to sleep.
Bobby and Lucy hopped onto the bed, one on either side of her, and fell asleep. Xena took her place by the door, and Danny picked up the blanket, shook it out, then lay down, trying to fall asleep, but it eluded him. Part of him thought of curling up in bed beside Mel, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to wake up with her smacking him if her feelings changed. That kiss, though… That would stay with him for a long time. The way her lips glided over his and demanded everything from him as he knew he would do the same to her. The scent of her hair… Strawberries and something not so sweet—something more masculine, probably from the sweater she wore all the time, or the soaps she had left over from Robert.