“Like what?”
“For starters, we believed in hard work, sacrifices, and dedication. We never complained about the long hours we put into our jobs or when we would find ourselves doing grunt work since it seemed the powers-that-be wanted to break us instead of cultivating our talent and skills.” Elijah sighed deeply. “But then I found myself being picked over and working those insane amounts of hours alone because Alexandra had something I didn’t have—a vagina. She thought that using her good looks and having sex with our superiors would afford her the opportunities none of the other fellows received, including me. She was right.” The sound of Melissa’s soft gasp made Elijah pause.
“Wait. She cheated on you?”
He didn’t miss the inflection of her last word. As if him being cheated on was impossible or unheard of. Elijah shrugged. “Yep. And by doing so, she’d gotten a more hands-on experience than I did. At first, I was pissed at her for doing so. I felt humiliated and angry. I asked myself why would someone who I held in such high regard do something so low? It changed my opinion of her and forced me to question everything I knew about her. After a couple of weeks, the anger subsided. I refused to continue to dwell on her decision. In some ways, I guess I understood why she took that route since I knew how much her career meant to her, but our morals and levels of desperation were different. I learned a valuable lesson that day. Never underestimate what a person would do for something—or someone—they love.”
“I guess.” Melissa shook her head before glancing over to Elijah. “But her actions negate her drive, her determination, and her talents as a doctor.”
“Why do you believe that?”
“Because, when you talk about your ex-girlfriend to friends or family, do they mention how great of a doctor she is, how she’s overcome so much adversity being a Black, woman cardiothoracic surgeon, or do they frown their faces up with remembrance of her cheating on you?”
“Definitely the latter. To this day, my friends barely mention her. If I see her at a conference and tell my parents, my dad shakes his head, and my mom … Let’s just say I’ve never heard her utter such colorful language as I have where my ex is concerned.”
“See. Now, your ex will forever be seen as the woman who cheated on you in the eyes of everyone who matters to you.” They continued down the beach.
“And what about you?” Elijah asked, looking over at Melissa. He hadn’t meant to ask the question, but once the words left his mouth, he couldn’t snatch them back. Then there was a tiny part of him that actually wanted to know Melissa’s answers, though he couldn’t understand why.
“What about me?”
“You said in the eyes of people who matter to me, she would always be the woman who cheated. You matter to me, so is that how you see her?”
She trailed the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip and pulled it between her teeth. Her beautiful brown eyes focused on the path ahead of them. “You can’t ask me things like that,” Melissa finally said after what felt like several minutes passed between them.
“Why’s that?” Turning to face Melissa, Elijah took a step forward, bringing their bodies dangerously close. He used his index finger to charter a slow path along her cheek, to the underside of her jaw. “Are you afraid of what I’ll think?”
Melissa nodded. “And how you’ll use this information or even what it insinuates.”
Gently, Elijah cupped her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “Earlier in the week, I asked you to trust me and you said you would. But trust goes both ways.” He ran his thumb over her lips to silence the words she tried to speak. “If you would rather not answer it, then I respect your wishes, but I feel I need to make myself clear. I really like you, Melissa, and I meant what I said earlier about us continuing to get to know one another. I’m well aware of the miles between us and our demanding careers. However, my parents taught me you’ll never know the outcome of something until you try it. Either you’ll fail or succeed. Neither of us knows what’ll happen when we leave here, but I think we’d miss something special if we didn’t give it a shot.” Instead of allowing Melissa to respond, Elijah brushed a soft kiss against her cheek, took her hand in his, and continued walking toward the shore.
Neither spoke, both content in their own thoughts. It felt nice. Holding Melissa’s hand, listening to the soundtrack of the night all around them being in this space, their own personal bubble away from the world, felt … right. He didn’t feel the need to fill the lull in their conversation with mindless chatter, though he wanted to know any and everything there was to know about the captivating woman at his side.
“So, what happened with your ex-boyfriend and his new wife? Do you all still work together? I can imagine doing so is hard,” Elijah said after a few minutes passed.
“No. After their announcement, I quit.” She glanced over at him. “Do I have to add you to the long list of people who also believe I made a horrible mistake?”
“Not at all. I think you did what was best for you in those circumstances. No one truly knows the depth of a person’s embarrassment, so they’ll judge and add their input without knowing how you actually feel.”
Her smile caused a seismic shift inside of him. Elijah couldn’t pinpoint where the activity started or why the small gesture sent errant thoughts of ways he could keep it permanently etched on her beautiful face, but a voice in the back of his head reminded him that he couldn’t afford this line of thinking. Getting to know Melissa beyond their week on Chaud was one thing, but planning a future—a forever—with a woman who didn’t even live in the same state as him and worked in the same field as he was an huge undertaking. However, it was one Elijah was more than willing to endure because as much as he wanted to protect his heart from the possibilities of their relationship not surviving his workload, outside interferences, the distance, and every other factor that could, and would, work against them, he knew not trying to salvage something with Melissa was worse.
“Finally, someone who understands me.”
Elijah shrugged. “I mean, I was in the same predicament as you. My girlfriend cheated on me with several higher-ups to further her career. Everyone knew we were together, and her promiscuous ways caused me to become isolated from my peers. I kept wondering if any of the dudes who pretended to be my friends slept with her or if they knew what she’d been doing and didn’t tell me. I began to view the doctors—hell, even the nurses—differently, and soon I started to feel like I was a prisoner locked up in solitary.”
Squeezing his hand in hers, Melissa laid her head on his arm. “I’m sorry about what you went through, Elijah. I know it wasn’t easy to deal with, but at least you got through it, if the doctor you are today is any indication.”
“Thanks, Melissa.” He smiled, bringing their joint hands up to brush a kiss on the back of hers. “It really means a lot hearing that from you, and I know you may not believe it now, but you’re better off without your ex and that job.”
“Damn right,” Melissa agreed. “Besides, I applied for a position at another hospital. I even had two in-person interviews while here.”
“Really?” This was the first time Melissa mentioned having interviews during the week, and he couldn’t help but wonder when they’d happened or where the hospital was she applied. Still, he didn’t ask the question. If he’d learned anything about Melissa this past week, it was that she did things at her own time and pace.
“Mmm-hmm. I hope I get it.”
“Something’s telling me it’s yours already. We’re speaking it into existence. Putting the thought into the atmosphere.”
“Yes, put it into the atmosphere, say a couple of prayers, cross everything from Ts to eyes, fingers, arms, legs, and toes.”
“All that.” Elijah laughed.
Melissa stopped walking and turned to face the water, wrapping her arms around herself. Under the glow of the moon, Melissa was beautiful. Then again, she’d damn near caused his heart to stop beating in his chest when she and Jayla
stepped off the elevator and into the lobby. The royal blue dress clung to her sensual curves like a speeding car to a winding road.
Simply put, Nurse Melissa Gaines was stunning. More than one head turned in Jayla and Melissa’s direction during their trek from the bank of elevators toward the entrance of Ambrosia. Elijah refused to give any of the men staring the impression that Melissa was available and went to meet her halfway. It seemed Jaedon shared the sentiment, because he appeared out of nowhere, wrapped a possessive arm around Jayla’s body, and held her close.
Elijah had been unable to ask Jaedon what the nature of his relationship with Jayla was but knew, from speaking to him briefly, that neither Jayla nor Melissa knew who he was, and he planned to tell Jayla of his royal lineage later that evening. “But enough about underserving exes, their selfish ways, and the heartache they caused. It’s our last night on this beautiful island, and I really would rather focus all of my attention on you.”
Melissa tilted her head to the side, amusement sparkling in her eyes. “Ooh, you are so smooth.”
“Am I?”
“You definitely are. You’re pulling out all the charm to get me back to your room.” She lifted on her tiptoes, pressing her full lips to the shell of his ear to whisper, “But we both know that’s where I’d planned to end my night anyway.”
Elijah’s head snapped in Melissa’s direction, but before he could formulate a coherent thought, Melissa took off running. The sound of her laughter pierced the night. He had no idea what brought along the sudden change in her demeanor, the boldness of her words. Then again, they had been drinking for most of the day and did a couple of shots before leaving Jae and Jayla at Ambrosia. Whatever it was, Elijah liked it, enjoyed seeing this sensual, sassy, sexy side of Melissa.
“Don’t tell me you’re scared,” Melissa yelled back at him.
Laughing, Elijah shook his head. “Not at all,” he called to her, taking off in a slow jog. “Just giving you a head start.”
“What makes you think I need one?” She turned to face him, jogging backward.
Instead of answering, Elijah’s long legs picked up in speed. His feet kicking up handfuls of sand with each step as his body carried him closer and closer to Melissa. As if she suddenly realized the distance she’d placed between her and Elijah was cut in half, Melissa let out a squeal, turned, and ran as fast as she could, pumping her legs to carry her farther away from him.
Elijah chuckled to himself. It wouldn’t take long or much energy for him to catch up to Melissa. When time permitted, he ran six miles a day and more on his days off. But for now, he’d hang back and allow Melissa to believe she’d outrun him, then Elijah planned to swoop in when she least expected it. That time came as Melissa neared a wall of large rocks in different shapes and sizes, lining the property’s edge. Though her pace slowed almost to a crawl as she more than likely tried to determine her next move, Elijah ran faster.
“Gotcha,” Elijah declared, startling Melissa, who released a surprised yelp. He wrapped his arms around her waist, crushing her back to his chest and her plump backside against his growing manhood. “Now,” he spun her around to face him, “the question is, what am I going to do with you?”
“I’m sure you have a couple of ideas you’d enjoy testing out, Dr. Grayson.”
Tightening his hold around her waist, Elijah quirked a brow. “Do you remember what I told you would happen if you called me Dr. Grayson again?”
She swallowed visibly, her eyes failing to reach his. “But you never told me what kind of trouble I would get into.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, muffled by the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks behind them.
“I also said you weren’t quite ready for the type of trouble you would get into, didn’t I?”
She nodded slowly.
“So, sweetheart, I need to know how you feel about this. Whether you want to take this a step further, because I want you and have made it known from the beginning.” Elijah gently cupped Melissa’s chin, forcing her to look at him. He brushed his thumbs across the seams of her parted lips and her checks, really focusing on the woman standing before him. She was beautiful, with the glow of the moon illuminating her chocolate brown skin and the cool breeze whipping tendrils of her hair around her face.
Smiling, Melissa wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body flat against his and her lips at the corner of his mouth. “I want you, Eli—”
“Good,” Elijah growled, cutting her words off in a searing kiss that had one of Melissa’s hands fisting his shirt and the other at the back of his neck, keeping their lips fused together. Elijah pulled her lower lip between his teeth, nipping it gently, then soothing it with the tip of his tongue. The moan Melissa released granted Elijah the access he craved to the recesses of her mouth. A low groan reverberated through his entire body the moment their tongues touched. Simply delicious, way better than Elijah could have ever imagined. Sweet like chocolate, but savory with a hint of spice and a unique flavor all her own, a taste Elijah thought should be bottled up and mass-produced, then placed on shelves of high-end stores.
Elijah closed his eyes, trying to block out all the sensations attacking his body at once. Heat speared through him, igniting the blood flowing in his veins like lava, and scorching him from the inside out. He wanted to consume every inch of her, mind, body, and soul. And the throbbing erection straining against the zipper of his pants threatened to burst free. All because of this woman. It was as if his body was no longer his own. As though Melissa cast a spell on him, leaving Elijah at the mercy of the Southern beauty.
Gripping her backside, Elijah lifted Melissa in the air, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist and locking behind his back. She rolled and rocked her hips to an unheard song, her moans growing louder as Elijah’s erection pressed painfully against the zipper of his slacks.
“Get a room!”
Elijah and Melissa jerked back at the sound coming from a group farther up the beach. His hold on Melissa tightened, their breathing coming in short spurts. Shaking his head, Elijah placed Melissa on her feet, laughing at the interruption before stealing a quick kiss. “That’s exactly what I plan to do.”
Chapter Eight
Elijah tapped his keycard to the access control panel on the elevator, pressed the number to his floor—since they’d decided to go to his suite—and leaned back against the cold glass. His gaze slid to Melissa, finding her hypnotic brown eyes trained on a spot on the floor of the lift, and her full lips—lips he’d finally gotten the chance to sample and was now addicted to their taste—pressed into a grim line.
He hated the silence stretching between them. It only intensified the echoes of the what-if questions being shouted in his head. What if they were making a mistake? What if, come tomorrow, he was unable to let Melissa go? That last one resonated the loudest.
Melissa spent the majority of their journey back from the beach like this, eerily quiet, only uttering a whispered thanks when he’d helped her back into her heels as they made it onto the path that would take them back to the hotel. Now Elijah couldn’t help but wonder if she was having second thoughts about spending the night with him. Would she prefer to end the night now, say their good-byes, and pretend the week they’d shared never happened? He inwardly groaned, feeling unnerved and unsettled by the barrage of questions assaulting his psyche.
What started as an attempt to apologize to Melissa for how he’d reacted in the lobby snowballed into something he couldn’t explain to himself or anyone who dared to ask him. Still, if given the chance to travel back in time to change anything he’d done—or said—over the week he’d spent with Melissa, Elijah would immediately decline. Everything from Melissa bumping into him, his ill-timed joke, her blowing up at him, his apology, and their spending time together happened for a reason, and although Elijah wasn’t overly religious, he knew better than to question God’s plan.
“Are you okay?”
Melissa’s head snapped up, her eyes
wide like she was actually surprised to see Elijah standing next to her, as though he hadn’t been there the entire time. Schooling her features, she pushed a smile on her face and nodded, though it failed to illuminate her brown eyes. Knowing he was the reason the light and twinkle no longer sparkled in her orbs winded Elijah. His mind raced with things to say, but the dinging of the elevator, indicating their arrival to his floor, pierced the air.
Elijah ushered them off the elevator and down the long hallway leading to his suite. The air was thick with tension, unlike the sexual tension they shared during the last few days. Elijah tapped the keycard to the reader, and once the light flashed green, he turned the handle and stepped aside, allowing Melissa to precede him into the spacious suite before shutting the door behind them.
“And I thought our room was magnificent,” Melissa said, walking farther into the room. She stopped at the console table, placing her purse next to the red phone.
Closing the distance between them, Elijah placed his hands on her shoulders, startling her. “I know you’re nervous, but you have no reason to be.” He turned Melissa to face him. “You’re still in control. Whatever happens will happen at your pace.”
“I know. For that, I appreciate your willingness and understanding.”
“But?”
Melissa shook her head as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s not really a but, more of a confession.” After a few seconds passed, she continued, “I don’t usually do things like this, you know, engaging in one-night stands or sleeping with someone on the first date. Not that this is our first date or anything.” She sighed, flashing him a shy smile that warmed his insides to dangerous levels. “This is new to me, and I don’t want to mess things up with my awkwardness.”
Her Forever Fling Page 11