He lifted himself to look down at her, his fingers still stroking her. “Say my name again.”
She smiled a slow, sultry smile. “Jake. Jake, please, come to me.”
The second time they orgasmed even more quickly than the first time—a feat neither of them thought possible.
Chapter Fifteen
Melanie stretched against the cool sheets, rolled onto her side, and blinked against the morning sun. She could hear birds chattering on the balcony, as if they were figuring out the day’s plan. The chirping almost lulled her back to sleep once again, but the nagging voice in her head chastised her. It was morning and time to be responsible again. Last night had been...well, she couldn’t pick just one word to describe it, but it made her practically giggle thinking about it again. Today was a day for clarification: This was a one-time event, and she was heading back to Chicago this evening. Surely Jake wouldn’t put up any arguments, but it could easily become an uncomfortable subject. She kept her back to him while she rehearsed several possible ways to approach the topic. She closed her eyes. Every segue seemed so lame to her.
She wondered if they had time to play around a bit more before her lunch meeting. No, better to shut that thought down before it went too far. If they started something today, she’d never make it to lunch on time. She probably wouldn’t get out of bed all day. Too bad. She wouldn’t mind doing a bit more exploring. If only she had one more night in town.
Her eyes flew open. Why not? She could change her plane ticket to the first flight out tomorrow morning and still make it to the office by noon. Plus, if she were in a hurry to get on the road in the morning, there wouldn’t be any long drawn-out anything. They could end it all quickly, with no one’s feelings getting hurt. She smiled and rolled over to share her idea with Jake.
Except Jake wasn’t in bed with her. A note on the pillow, written in a clear, confident hand, said, Here’s to experiencing new places.
She chuckled at the reference, then rolled her eyes as she got out of bed. So much for worrying about how best to end it. She could take a lesson from him. He clearly knew how to extricate himself from potentially difficult situations without upsetting the other party, a skill likely gleaned from lots of practice.
After glancing at the bedside clock, Melanie rushed to take a shower. It was almost noon—how had she slept so late? She’d have to hurry now if she wanted to get ready and checked out before meeting her father and Evelyn for lunch. She didn’t have time to consider the implications of Jake’s note. Or the lump of disappointment hiding in the back of her throat.
Melanie walked into the hotel restaurant a few minutes after 1:00, wearing khaki shorts and a cotton top. Still feeling slightly flustered from her race to get ready, pack her bags, and check out, she stood in the entryway, looking for her father. The wedding gift that she’d forgotten to leave at the party was clutched in her hands.
The restaurant was small, with only about ten tables that she could see, but they were all covered in white tablecloths and the room was tastefully decorated in a neutral palate of earthy gray tones, creating an upscale ambiance despite the loud conversations coming from the patrons. Two waitresses dressed in white button-down shirts and black pants were moving throughout the room, refilling water glasses and speaking to their customers. The shorter of the two, a strawberry blond with pronounced dimples and expressive blue eyes, laughed a bit too loudly while talking to one of her customers. It was a laugh that was instantly recognizable as over-the-top flirting. Melanie shook her head. Some things never changed.
A chuckle in response made her heart skip a beat. The waitress moved on to another table, leaving Melanie with a direct view of Jake. What was he doing here? Her brain was screaming at her to hide, to leave before he saw her. Last night was done, it was over, she didn’t need to see him again, not yet, not when a simple smile from him or a touch could create more cravings, more desires that had to be satisfied. But her body didn’t listen, and she was still standing there watching him when he noticed her and stood to wave her over. Her feet moved of their own volition, carrying her to his table while she swallowed repeatedly, trying to overcome the dryness in her mouth.
“Morning.” He leaned in to kiss her, but at the last moment turned his head so his lips barely brushed her cheek. Even that contact was almost more than she could handle.
She sat down before her knees gave out, setting the gift in the middle of the table. Melanie tried to think of something safe to talk about, something that wouldn’t immediately bring up images of him touching her body and causing her to lose control in the most delightful ways, but her brain couldn’t seem to get past the memory of his burning kisses or the feel of him inside her.
“Sorry we’re late,” her father said, startling Melanie from her thoughts as he pulled a chair out for Evelyn. “Told you the preacher was getting long-winded.”
Melanie looked up, grateful for the distraction. “No worries.” Her voice still somewhat shaky. “I just arrived myself.”
Her father smiled and winked at her as he sat down.
“Oh, I am starving this morning,” Evelyn said, then turned to Stan and giggled. “Gonna have to get my strength back up.”
Stan patted Evelyn’s hand. “For you my dear, anything you want.”
Evelyn called over the flirtatious waitress, whose name tag said Trish, and asked about the day’s specials. Jake’s knee brushed against Melanie’s under the table then jerked away quickly. The brief touch sent heat surging up her leg, and her body demanded more. She tried to focus on what the waitress was saying, knowing that if she looked directly at Jake, she might just maul him on the spot. Melanie stifled a giggle as she thought about just what would happen if she started ravaging Jake at the table in front of everyone. Her father was fairly open-minded, but even he had his limits.
Trish took their orders, ending with Jake. “And for you?”
Jake glanced up at Trish and winked. “The usual, darlin’.”
Trish winked back. “Not a problem.” She gathered the menus, flashed another smile at Jake, then headed off to the kitchen.
Melanie wanted to trip her and send her flying across the room.
“So what’s this, sweetie?” Evelyn’s question brought Melanie out of her visions of Trish landing face first in a well-placed bowl of potato salad.
Melanie moved the wrapped box closer to Evelyn. “Your wedding gift. I forgot to grab it out of the car yesterday.”
Evelyn grabbed Melanie’s hands in her own and leaned close. “Honey, just being here was gift enough.”
Melanie blushed. “Thank you.”
“And I will accept this gift on one condition,” Evelyn continued. “That you come back to visit more than once a year.”
“Here, here,” Stan said, raising his glass of water to Melanie. He clinked glasses with Jake, who wouldn’t look at Melanie.
“I promise to do my best,” Melanie said.
Evelyn eyed her for a moment, then patted her hands. “That’s all I ask. Now hand me that box.” Her eyes lit up when she saw the crystal punchbowl, and she held it protectively while showing it to Stan.
Melanie’s father rolled his eyes playfully. “Well, now you’re gonna have to come back for many, many visits, Mel, because this one is gonna want to throw a party every night!”
Trish returned with their salads, and Evelyn was quick to show the waitress the crystal bowl. To the girl’s credit, she oohed and ahhed appropriately, which made Evelyn glow with pride. Trish set the last salad plate in front of Jake, then rested her hand on his shoulder. “Anything else?”
“We’re good, thanks,” Jake said.
Trish patted his shoulder, glanced around the table, then moved on to a neighboring table, where a tall man was calling “Miss, Miss” in an increasingly irritated tone.
Melanie stabbed at her lettuce with a fury that she told herself she had no right to be feeling. She was the one who wanted a fling, and Jake had given her exactly what she asked for.
He’d even given her an easy out, practically handing it to her on a silver platter. But no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that everything was exactly as it should be, she couldn’t get past the hurt she felt seeing him flaunt his conquests in front of her.
After they finished their lunch, Trish brought them coffee and cleared the remaining plates. Evelyn placed the punchbowl in the middle of the table, still obviously giddy over her gift.
Stan turned to Jake. “Missed you at the meeting this morning.”
Jake smiled like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Yeah, sorry about that. I just couldn’t tear myself away from a previous engagement.”
Meeting? Melanie cast a sidelong glance at Jake, who seemed intently focused on his coffee. Sundays were the one day her father relaxed, making exceptions for only two events: church and his AA meetings.
The blood drained from Melanie’s face. Was Jake in AA? But he’d been drinking last night when he came to see her. A queasiness rose in her stomach no matter how strongly she concentrated on pushing it back down. If he’d been drinking, it was her fault. She could have spurned his advances from the beginning, but she didn’t. She could have clarified the Raymond situation before it got out of hand or, better yet, let Jake think that she had been the initiator. Instead, she’d played right into his anger, letting her passion and desire for him trump all rationality. He’d gone out to right the wrong that Raymond had committed—something that Melanie had already done in her mind—and when he returned to her, she never even asked him what happened.
“Everything okay, Melanie?”
When she heard her name, everything seemed to crash down around her. Her breathing became shallow. She was desperately trying not to look at him. She knew if she did, if she looked into his eyes or saw him flash his smile, she was done for. She would give up everything—her job in Chicago, her life, her freedom—just to spend more time with him. Jake was the kind of man worth risking it all, and she had no doubts that it would be a tremendous risk. They might last a few months, maybe even a year, but men like Jake weren’t satisfied with just one woman. Raymond certainly wasn’t. And then where would she be? Stuck back in Bender with no career, no life, just another one of Jake’s conquests. Not that Jake was even interested in her anymore. Was that why he’d left so early, why he was flaunting his closeness to Trish in front of her—because he held Melanie responsible for him falling off the wagon?
Just like Raymond had.
A coldness settled in over her heart. She would not risk that kind of humiliation, not again, no matter how loudly every fiber of her being was screaming at her to do just that.
She took a steadying breath. “Listen, I can’t—we can’t—do this, not here, not now.”
She pushed back from the table. Both Jake and her father stood up as she did, and she could feel the concern as they reached out toward her, but she shook them off. “Fine, I’m fine. I just—I can’t.”
She heard a loud crash from the table next to them, followed by the irritated voice that had been calling Trish earlier. “What do you think you’re doing?” It was a shriek that silenced everyone in the restaurant, and Melanie held her breath, afraid they would hear how close she was to hyperventilating. “Get your manager—I want you fired!”
She heard Trish’s sob, then saw her streak past the table.
“Sir, let’s speak outside.” Jake’s voice was calm, controlled, and Melanie’s heart shattered. He was more concerned about helping Trish.
She turned to tell her father she was leaving, but she heard the unmistakable sound of a fist connecting with a face. Was this what he did to Raymond last night? Was this how he handles problems? Set to leave, Melanie gave Jake a final glance, but all she saw was his back. The angry customer, who was several inches taller than Jake, pulled back his fist and punched Jake in the stomach, hefting him into the air. Without thinking, Melanie reached out and snatched the crystal bowl off their table seconds before Jake landed on it. But her hands were shaking, and the bowl slipped from her fingers, crashing to the floor and shattering into tiny pieces.
“No!” she sobbed, looking down at the shards of glass all around her.
Chapter Sixteen
Jake heard Melanie’s shriek, followed by her sobbing, and completely forgot about Bruce Garrison standing over him, waiting to finish what he’d started. The punch hadn’t been much, certainly nothing Jake couldn’t handle, but it had upset Melanie. Now he felt the overwhelming need to tell her he was okay while also wanting to jump up and shout from the rooftops that she cared about him. At least she didn’t want him to get hurt.
But when he turned to look at her, she was staring at her own hands, tears rolling down her face. He saw the shattered glass all around her feet and his elation was replaced with fear. Fear laced with a blackness that made him want to throttle Bruce. Luckily for the other man, the hotel staff were on high alert. Two of the kitchen staff, two quite burly men who Jake had brought with him from the last hotel he opened, were already escorting Bruce from the restaurant. Bruce was yelling and fighting his escort, but one look from Jake and Bruce was practically pulling them to the exit.
Jake rolled off the table and swept Melanie up into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest. She continued sobbing, her entire body shuddering each time she inhaled for yet another sob. He waved off her father as he carried her to the front office area and placed her carefully into an office chair. Grabbing the first aid kit from the wall and slamming the office door, he told himself it was to protect her privacy, that it had nothing to do with the fact that his hands were shaking or that his panic was rising. She was still sobbing and didn’t seem to be calming down. He squatted in front of her, carefully examining her legs.
“I don’t see any cuts.”
The tears fell faster.
“Are you hurt?” He held her hands and looked up into her face, but she turned away from him. “Mel, darlin’, please. Tell me what’s wrong.” When she still wouldn’t look at him, he pulled her up to sit in the chair, holding her on his lap. He rocked her lightly, terrified by the fact that he couldn’t get her to stop crying.
After several moments, Jake considered calling 911. He was out of his depths, but he didn’t want to let go of her for even the few seconds it would take to fish his phone out of his pocket.
Melanie took several deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down. “I’m fine.” Her voice cracked, and she sat up, turning away from Jake to wipe the tears from her face.
“Melanie.” He cleared his throat, further unnerved by how shaken his own voice sounded.
She pushed herself off his lap to stand up but still didn’t look at him. “It just startled me, I guess.”
“Are you sure?” He reached for her elbow, but she pulled away.
“Yes, everything’s fine. Sorry about...all that.” She half-turned and waved her hand, forcing a smile.
She wasn’t fooling him and they both knew it. Jake waited, his breathing shallow. Whatever was happening, he had a bad feeling that he was not going to like it.
“Listen, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. Please, explain to my father.” She didn’t give him a chance to respond before throwing open the door and racing out through the lobby, to the large glass doors that led to the parking lot.
Jake watched her go, unable to breathe. The sucker punch she’d leveled at him hurt more than anything Bruce Garrison had ever thrown. Finally Jake gasped, as if his breathing returned all at once. He ran his hands through his hair and bent over his knees. He’d gotten exactly what he’d been looking for: a one-night stand who was gone the next day. No strings. No drama.
And she’d left him doubled over and gasping for breath.
His fury catapulted him into action, and he stepped through the glass entry doors just as her rental car pulled out onto the highway, heading south. Toward the airport, no doubt. Jake scowled. His anger settled around his shoulders. He tried to shrug it off, but he knew it would be a co
ld day in hell before he forgave Melanie Olson.
Or forgot her.
Chapter Seventeen
Melanie drove back to Chicago instead of flying. It would give her the time to work through the pain, get it all out of her system, before facing her colleagues at the publishing house. She avoided the interstate and the never-ending calls from her father, preferring to follow the two-lane highways so she could pull over whenever her emotions got the better of her. Which they often did. At some point in central Iowa she was able to admit to herself that she had feelings for Jake—she didn’t understand how it had happened so quickly, but that was not the point. Admitting the problem was the first step. That night, after stopping at a small hotel in eastern Iowa, she emailed her father and told him not to worry about her, then climbed into bed and tried to let go of the memories of her night with Jake.
Thirty minutes later she knew sleep was not in the cards. She turned on the television, muting the sound, and watched the pictures flash across the screen, hoping she could trick her mind into thinking about anything but Jake and how she had run away from him. It was a cowardly thing to do, and when did she become a coward? She had never been afraid to speak her mind, which was one of the reasons she had landed her executive editor position, yet when it came to Jake...oh sure, she could tell him exactly what she thought about every topic in the world except one: her feelings for him.
She scoffed and swung her legs off the bed. “Don’t be stupid, Mel.”
Vibrant Heart: Book 1 in the Great Plains Romance Series Page 6