Her Forever Fling

by Kimmie Ferrell

  What intrigued Elijah even more about this woman was she seemed so unaware of her sex appeal and the effects her presence had on the men who were vying for her attention. It made him wonder whether she was nervous or if she’d mastered the art of seduction, and pretending she was the girl next door was part of her ruse. Men gently touched her arms or wrists to get her to give them a couple minutes of her time. Though she walked with her head held high, back ramrod straight, and with fluid, unhurried steps, a cloud of uncertainty swam in the depths of her brown eyes. She pressed a calming hand to her stomach and nibbled on the corner of her lip, confirming his earlier assessment of her nervousness. The move, so innocent, pure, and natural almost stopped him dead in his tracks. Almost. Because nothing would prevent Elijah from getting to know Young Gabby. And despite what he’d allowed himself to believe earlier, there was no way he could walk away from this woman with just her name.

  “Hi,” Elijah said, stopping in front of her. “I’m Elijah,” he yelled over the pulsating music. The shy smile on her full lips sucker-punched Elijah in the gut. This was the woman he saw in those few seconds yesterday before he opened his big mouth and pissed her off—cute, nervous, and unsure of what to say and do.

  She glanced at him through lowered eyelids. “I’m Melissa.”

  Despite hearing her loud and clear, Elijah squinted and pointed a finger to his ear. “What?”

  Bracing her hands on his shoulders to steady herself, Melissa rose to stand on her tiptoes, her soft-looking lips mere inches from the shell of his ear. However, despite being enveloped in the warmth radiating from her body and having the sweet, succulent aroma of her perfume waft to his nose, for Elijah, she still wasn’t close enough.

  He shook his head and shrugged. “What did you say?”

  She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a gyrating body bumping into her. Elijah quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, to steady her, bringing her soft, pliant body flush against his. She tensed in his arms. Her whiskey-colored eyes flickered to his and widened into saucers.

  Elijah heard the hitch in her breathing and could feel the rapid beating of her heart in her chest. The rhythm matched his own. A current of awareness shot up his spine. His stomach muscles clenched at the potency of his arousal for this woman. The tiny warning voice in the back of his head continued to scream at him to let her go, but the longer Elijah held onto her, the more difficult doing so became since she hadn’t pushed away from him like he assumed she would. Instead, Melissa melted into his embrace.

  “Melissa,” she said after several seconds passed, her voice husky and breathless. “M-My name is Melissa Gaines.”

  “Melissa Gaines,” Elijah repeated, unable to pull himself to look away from the hypnotic allure of her gaze. Fanned by long, curly lashes that kissed the tops of her cheekbones whenever they fluttered closed, her eyes seemed to darken beneath the dancing strobe lights until they appeared as black as night. “Thanks for the tip you left with the waiter. I’d hoped I would get the chance to see you again. Especially after how we met.”

  As if his words broke the spell woven around them, Melissa shook her head. Her eyes snapped from his lips to meet his gaze. She pushed gently on his chest, stepping backward. “Yeah, you were rude.”

  Reluctantly, Elijah released his hold on Melissa, thankful for the opportunity he’d gotten to hold her, although briefly. His hands skimmed her waist as he dropped them to his side. She shivered under his touch. “I was,” he agreed. “And I apologize, although being rude or upsetting you hadn’t been my intention.”

  Melissa quirked a perfectly arched brow. “Really? So what were you aiming to do besides humiliate and belittle me?”

  Humiliate and belittle? Damn … Elijah hadn’t meant to do either of those things, and although there was a teasing glint in her voice, knowing he had didn’t sit well with him. He needed to do more than offer her a simple apology. But what?

  He leaned in so she could hear him above the music. “Give me five minutes to explain somewhere where we don’t have to keep yelling.”

  Folding her arms over her chest, Melissa seemed to mull over his suggestion. Finally, she dropped them to her sides and released a deep breath. “Fine.” She pushed past Elijah and headed for the exit.

  A bustling lobby greeted them once the doors of Ambrosia closed, muffling the sound of Kendrick Lamar. He had one shot at fixing this. One opportunity to show Melissa he wasn’t the man she thought him to be. Elijah quietly followed behind her, admiring the seductive sway of her hips to the beat of her heels clicking against the polished marble floors. Seeing her toned legs at the pool earlier and under the strobe lights had been a treat, but up close, they were like priceless works of art. Elijah wanted to touch first with his hands, then feel them wrapped around his waist.

  And that ass… Elijah bit his lower lip to keep from groaning. Damn, she had a nice butt. Round enough for Elijah to imagine palming her twin globes like basketballs. Firm but with enough of a jiggle to imply its softness and to send shivers down his spine at the thought of slapping it while stroking her from behind. He needed to get his mind out of the gutter. Get his body under control and the visualizations of a naked Melissa out of his head.

  She stopped near an alcove of potted plants and turned to face him, stabbing a hand on her hip. “Four minutes.”

  “First, let me apologize again for upsetting, offending, and embarrassing you, Melissa. I will admit many things contributed to my sour mood in addition to being jet-lagged, but my intentions weren’t to take my frustrations out on you. I wanted to lighten the mood after noticing how nervous you were, but apparently, I need to stick to my day job, and put those dreams of being the next Chris Rock or Bernie Mac to rest.”

  Melissa’s quiet laugh floated through the air and to his ears. It washed over Elijah like the mist of a waterfall, covering him in a blanket of warmth. Now that he’d experienced her laughter, even one as small as the giggle she’d given him, Elijah longed to hear it again. The thought rocked him to his core. It meant he wanted to see her again, spend more time with her, engage in conversations where he could joke around here and there.

  “Maybe you should. I think the world of cardiothoracic surgery would miss you if you left,” Melissa replied. She pressed her lips together, though the corners twitched, probably to keep from laughing at the stunned expression on his face.

  “You know who I am?”

  “Yep, and before you ask, I’m a cardiac nurse. I knew who you were after I bumped into you.”

  “Guess I didn’t make a good first impression, huh?” Elijah asked with an apologetic smile.

  Melissa chuckled. “Nope, not at all.”

  “So, I take it you’re here for INAPC?”

  “I am.” She nodded. She feigned interest in plucking imaginary lint from her dress. “Oh, I accept your apology and want to apologize for how I reacted.” An apologetic expression settled on her face. “I should’ve given you the chance to explain yourself. I didn’t. I was wrong. It’s just your response reminded me of someone I…” She paused, with a faraway look in her eyes, obviously lost in her thoughts.

  Though Elijah wanted her to continue with her explanation, the quivering of her bottom lip, as well as the tears now standing in her brown eyes, told of a painful memory he didn’t think Melissa needed to relive. He cupped her chin, bringing her gaze to his. “You don’t have to explain any further. I accept your apology. Now, I was wondering since we’ve gotten the apologizing out of the way if maybe we could get to know one another.”

  “And how do you suggest we do that, Dr. Grayson?”

  Elijah shrugged, unable to stop himself from smiling. This could be interesting. “How about I ask you a question about yourself, and if you’d like, you can answer it. Then, if you’re feeling really bold, you can ask me a question, and I’ll answer it for you.”

  “You don’t know when to quit, do you?” Though Melissa rolled her eyes, her tone appeared light, amused, and playful.
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  “Quit what?” Elijah asked, feigning innocent.

  “Cracking jokes. Need I remind you what happened the last time you tried to be funny?”

  “Nope, not at all. I have yet to recover from the last tongue-lashing you gave me. See,” he lifted the hem of his shirt to display a tiny scar on his abdomen, “you cut me so deep, I have the scars to prove it.”

  Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open, causing Elijah to grin. After a couple seconds, Melissa looked away but peeked back at him as she said, “Dr. Grayson! So since your comedy career tanked, you decided to dabble in being a stripper?” She tsked at him. “If you don’t want to be arrested for indecent exposure, I suggest you get it together. Besides, you will not blame me for something you probably did as a child.”

  Elijah lowered his shirt. “You’re right. The last thing I need is to be escorted out of the hotel by security.” He leaned closer. “Especially when I want to keep talking to you.”

  Melissa ducked her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Oh really? Well, you’re in luck because—”

  “Melissa!”

  Like a child who’d been caught sneaking candy right before dinner, Elijah leapt back away from Melissa, his hands held in front of him in surrender. He turned around in the direction of the woman’s voice and groaned, lowering his arms. Melissa’s friend rushed through the lobby toward them like a madwoman in insanely high heels. A phone was tucked between her shoulder blade and ear. Beneath one arm, she held a small, silver clutch Elijah was sure belonged to Melissa, while a black and gold, chain link purse hung from the other, and in her hands were two bottles of Ace of Spades. Elijah fought back the laughter bubbling in the base of his throat. Hell, he didn’t blame her for snagging a bottle or two of the expensive champagne. He probably would have done the same.

  “Girl, we gotta go. Now,” the woman said, as she made it over to where they stood. Melissa opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, her friend shoved one of the bottles in Melissa’s hand, gripped her wrist, and pulled her away. “Dr. Heart-Stoppa-Panty-Droppa can flirt his way between your legs later. I got us a room upgrade thanks to my expensive boxer brief wearing, soon-to-be island fling, and I’ll be damned if I move your stuff alone.”

  “Sorry,” Melissa said over her shoulder with a shrug, stumbling to keep up with her friend. “Hopefully, we’ll see each other again.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” Elijah yelled back, helplessly watching as Melissa’s retreating form disappeared from his view. There was no mistaking the undeniable chemistry sizzling between them. If they hadn’t been interrupted, they could’ve continued exploring the attraction over a drink, a walk on the beach, or even standing right there in an alcove of the lobby. He’d seen the interest in Melissa’s eyes tonight, but something held her back from making her desires known, and for the life of him, Elijah wanted to know exactly what it was.

  “Good morning, Ms. Gaines,” a woman wearing a light blue, floral print dress said as she stopped next to Melissa’s table at Soleil the next morning. “My name is Mia, and I’ll be your server.” She removed several carafes of juice, a bottle of champagne on ice, and a basket of pastries from a silver rolling cart and placed them on the table.

  Glancing at the woman with confusion knitting her brows together, Melissa asked, “How do you know my name?”

  “The entire staff has been made aware of who you and Ms. Daniels are.”

  “Right, because we’re GOTC, correct?”

  The woman gave Melissa a hesitant look before nodding.

  Melissa had no idea what the phrase meant but speculated its usage was reserved for VIP guests. She made a mental note to ask Jayla more about the mysterious Jae. The man had a lot of pull at the resort. First, he’d gotten them a VIP table at Ambrosia, then their Standard Double room was upgraded to the sprawling, six-thousand-plus-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom Royale Suite. Whatever his ties were to the family who owned the hotel, Melissa was grateful yet wary.

  “Do you need any time to peruse the menu?”

  “No, I’d like to order the Lobster Eggs Benedict with a croissant instead of the English muffin, and substitute roasted tomatoes for the asparagus tips.”

  “Would you like anything else?”

  “Not right now. But can I keep this?” Melissa held up the menu.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Once the server disappeared, Melissa allowed her mind to travel back to her encounters with Dr. Elijah Grayson. When she saw him by the pool, Melissa couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. She hadn’t been the only one unable to stop looking at him. Elijah commanded the attention of women everywhere, no matter the setting. If Melissa didn’t accepted Jayla’s ridiculous challenge, she would’ve gone back to her room, pushing all thoughts of speaking to him out of her mind.

  But she did accept.

  Everything Melissa did, from the note she sent, to instructing the waiter to tell Elijah where to find her, a move Jayla said was the equivalent of screaming her interest in him from the peak of the Matterhorn—the highest mountain range in Chaud—were steps she’d taken to live a little, definite risks since she’d never asked a guy out, especially not a guy of Dr. Elijah Grayson’s caliber.

  He had unmatchable swag. The man was a walking, talking, breathing wet dream. Hell, if you looked wet dream up in the dictionary, below the definition—where the examples were located—should be a headshot of him in his white coat, no shirt, and a sexy smirk. He embodied sex appeal, style, and a level of confidence that both rubbed her the wrong and right ways, especially when he mentioned their incident in the lobby.

  The reminder doused her overheated body until only an icy chill ran through her veins. The thick flames of humiliation had engulfed her during the brief moment of silence after she asked Elijah if he meant to embarrass her. She overreacted…yet again, almost making a fool of herself. But for reasons unknown to Melissa, she couldn’t form coherent thoughts around Dr. Elijah Grayson. She couldn’t stop her body from flaring to life in his presence or control the insatiable throbbing between her thighs whenever his face—with his gorgeous smile—popped in her head. Sparks of awareness still danced across her skin from the heat radiating from his chiseled frame, although Elijah no longer touched her.

  Releasing a low groan, Melissa covered her face with her hands. She’d spent the night tossing and turning before giving up on getting a good night’s sleep, thanks to Dr. Elijah Grayson. Jayla’s suggestion of indulging in an island fling with the sexy surgeon crossed Melissa’s mind more than a few times since they had the conversation. And seeing him at Ambrosia only ramped up the lustful musings to get an up-close and personal, hands-on, intimate tour of his body. She’d gone way too long without sex. Hadn’t even missed the act … until now. Until him. But Melissa knew better than to allow herself to get caught up in a fantasy with Elijah starring as the leading man. This was real life. Not a romance novel.

  The smart, sensible thing to do was put the dizzying thoughts surrounding Dr. Elijah Grayson and hooking up with him out of her head. Melissa could still take risks, improve her life, and break out of the box that held her hostage for so long without sleeping with a man who unraveled her sanity with a smile. Doing so would be too much of a risk, one Melissa refused to take.

  Today, Melissa planned to explore Chaud alone since Jayla was busy with her new acquaintance. She’d done extensive research and compiled a list of places she wanted to visit. Sitting in her room was not an option. Her mind drifted back to thoughts of Elijah. If she didn’t love her best friend, Melissa would’ve kicked Jayla’s ass on sight after she pulled her away from Elijah. Granted, Jayla’s reason was legit, but Melissa didn’t even get the chance to set plans in stone to see Elijah again. As soon as Jayla got to the suite, she discarded her belongings and left less than five minutes later to meet Jae. Trifling heffa. Melissa shouldn’t have been too upset at her friend though, since she could have very well gone back to Ambr
osia to see if Elijah stayed around. But something, namely fear, stopped her.

  Inhaling deeply, Melissa filled her lungs with the aroma she’d tried desperately to scrub from her skin. Elijah’s mouthwatering, masculine smell still permeated her nostrils and the air. Were her thoughts so powerful she’d somehow conjured him—or rather his distinctive cologne—up? Melissa shook her head, laughing. “You’re losing it, Melissa.”

  “For talking to yourself?” a man asked with an amused tone from above her.

  Melissa snapped her head up. A soft gasp tumbled from her lips at the sight before her. Elijah’s eyes were trained on her with laser-focused intensity and crinkled in their corners as his lips stretched into a broad smile, giving his twin dimples the appearance of winking at her. Melissa fought the urge to squirm under his stare. She was confident he could see straight through her, to the depths of her soul, and knew every single thought she’d ever had about him. It made her feel naked. Exposed. Unnerved, yet it excited her. It drew Melissa in like a moth to a flame, a bee to a flower, gentrification to an Urban neighborhood. Today, he’d dressed in a bubblegum pink, V-neck shirt, tan board shorts, and a pair of tan and white boat shoes. Comfortable, stylish, and sexy as sin. It should be illegal in all fifty states to be this fine.

  Sliding into the chair across from her without waiting for an invitation, he continued, “I don’t think you are. Truth be told, the best conversation you can ever have is with the most intelligent person in any room. Oftentimes, it’s me. I’m the smartest, most intelligently handsome guy in any given room.”

  To keep from laughing, Melissa pressed her lips together and playfully rolled her eyes. She failed miserably as laughter bubbled from her throat. “What happened to giving up your comedic dreams to focus on your career? I thought we established last night it would be for the best.”