Vance's mouth drops open in shock. Holy shit, Melina is asking him out. What does he do? His mind is whirling. He has to keep reminding himself that this is Melina Higgins from a domestic call. Melina Higgins the supermodel. Not his Melina. Then it dawns on him that he’s just a police officer, and she’s a freaking supermodel!
Vance flounders for a second before speaking. “Melina...I...why me?” Vance stutters, dumbfounded.
Melina apparently finds him funny because she is fighting not to smile.
“Because Officer Summers, you're an extremely good looking man, and this is my way of thanking you for everything you've done for me.”
Vance rakes a hand through his hair. “You don't need to do this. You saying ‘thank you’ is enough.”
Melina pouts. “You don't want to go out with me?”
“What? Shit, that's not what I meant...listen, Melina. You’re a beautiful woman, you know that, but you should be going to an event like that with someone in your circle. I'd be totally out of my league there,” Vance says, shifting uncomfortably under her amused gaze.
Melina chuckles. “Don’t be silly, you'll fit in just fine.”
Vance shakes his head.
“Alright, fine. If you don't want to go to the event, how about just dinner?” Melina proposes, her eyes sparkling with humor. She finds this whole conversation funny.
Vance frowns, trying his best to let her down gently. It took him months to come to terms with the fact that Melina wasn’t real. If he does this and it doesn’t work out, he’ll be crushed. And this time, he won’t recover.
“Officer Summers...”
“Vance.”
“Vance, I'm not asking you to marry me; it's just dinner and some drinks,” Melina says, rolling her eyes at him.
Vance frowns harder. This is really fucking weird. He's never been asked out by a woman before, especially by a supermodel. Plus, it’s Melina. What the hell is the protocol? Vance has no idea.
“Okay,” he hears himself saying before he can stop himself.
Shit, he’s so screwed.
Melina's eyes light up and she flashes him her brightest smile. Vance's heart melts even more at how absolutely pleased she looks with herself.
“Great! Are you free Saturday night?” Melina asks, her excited green eyes locking onto his.
“It's my day off, so yes,” Vance mumbles. He has never felt so uncomfortable.
“Awesome! I'll pick you up at 7:00. Give me your address and phone number,” Melina chirps and pulls her iPhone out of her purse.
She’s not seriously suggesting that she’s going to pick Vance up. Is she trying to completely strip him of his manhood?
“I can pick you up,” he says a little too forcefully.
“No, I asked you out. I will pick you up,” she insists then lifts to her tippy toes to kiss him sweetly on the cheek.
Vance is stunned silent. He can’t argue with her and he doesn’t want to upset her, so he just rambles off his address and phone number. Melina types it in quickly then puts her phone away. She then shocks him again by reaching up and this time placing a soft kiss on his lips.
“See you Saturday night, Officer Summers.” Melina giggles then offers him a coy smile as she opens the door and walks out.
Vance's lips tingle from her chaste kiss. He's never had that happen before, not from a kiss. At least not in real life, he reminds himself. Vance just stands there in complete shock and awe. This incredibly beautiful, sexy woman just asked him out on a date. He knows that he’s a good looking guy with a nice body, but he’s just a hard working cop and she is a friggin’ supermodel for Christ's sake! Oh, and let’s not forget the small detail…that it’s Melina!
What the fuck just happened?
“Hey, bud, time to go...you okay?” comes Mike's voice, jolting Vance out of his thoughts.
“Melina Higgins just asked me out on a date.” Vance frowns.
“What? Please tell me you said yes!” Mike exclaims, his eyes wide in horror.
“Well, yeah, but...” Vance starts but Mike cuts him off.
“No! No buts! You've got a date with Melina Higgins! You lucky son of a bitch!” Mike smiles and claps Vance on the shoulder.
Vance is still in a daze as they walk out to their cruiser and start their shift. Vance drives around idly, his mind somewhere else. He just doesn't understand the whole situation. Oh, he gets that she wants to come by and say thanks, but to take him out to dinner? There are plenty of rich and famous guys that would love to go out with her. What is she doing going out with an average Joe? That's what he doesn't get. But he reminds himself that she was once engaged to Damien, who is just a soldier. And it’s not that Vance isn’t worthy because he’s a great catch. Hell, he’s ten times the man Damien will ever be. He knows that, but he also doesn’t want her to be ridiculed.
“Vance, you need to get your head in the game, my friend. You’re zoned out over there and you can end up dead because of it,” Mike says, interrupting Vance's babbling thoughts.
Vance shakes his head to clear it. “You’re right, sorry,” Vance mutters and drags a hand down his face.
Mike smirks at him. “You’re going to drive yourself crazy trying to figure shit out, Vance. Just let it happen and enjoy it.”
Vance snorts. If Mike only knew the shit he’s actually trying to figure out. This supermodel nonsense is only the tip of the iceberg. This is Melina, dammit! “Easier said than done, man.”
Vance glances over at his friend to see his light brown eyes sparkling with amusement, one side of his mouth tilted up in a devilish smirk. “You gonna try and fuck her?” Mike asks.
Vance bristles. “What? No!”
Mike's eyes widen. “Why the hell not?”
“You're a pig, you know that?” Vance grumbles and shakes his head.
“I’d tap that.” Mike shrugs.
“Stay the fuck away from her,” Vance sneers.
Mike just chuckles.
Saturday night rolls around a little too slowly for Melina. She is really excited about her date with Officer Vance Summers. She smirks to herself. She loves calling him Officer Summers. It just seems so naughty, like she should be calling him that as he handcuffs her hands to the bedpost. Her heart races at the thought. She's never been handcuffed before, in or out of the bedroom, but Vance is just the man to fulfill that fantasy. Melina can't think of any other man who has ever made her so hot before. Not even her ex, Damien. Just the thought of Vance's gorgeous face and that sexy cop uniform sets her body on fire.
Vance is tall and built, from what she could tell anyway. His uniform with the bulletproof vest covered a lot, but his shoulders were broad and his waist was trim. And his biceps were like the size of her thighs. The short sleeves of his uniform shirt allowed some tattoos to peek out from under them. Melina loves tattoos on guys and can’t wait to discover what they are…with her tongue. She bites her lower lip at her wayward thoughts.
Melina also got a good look at Vance's long muscular legs in those sexy uniform pants that hugged him just right. She shivers. God, he is just sexy from head to toe. He is seriously dirtying up her mind, which has her wanting to do a whole shit load of nasty things to and with him.
Melina hires a driver for tonight because she plans on drinking and she’s sure that Vance will have a few as well. He needs to relax; he was so uptight when she asked him out. The driver stops in front of a three-story beachfront townhouse that is just absolutely gorgeous. Melina gets out and heads up the steps to the porch. She smiles, feeling like such a guy at the moment. The role reversal is really quite funny, and she has no doubt that it’s killing Vance's male ego. Melina smooths out her short puffy skirt, brushes her hair over her bare shoulders, then rings the doorbell.
Less than a minute later, the door opens revealing four gorgeous men with huge smiles on their faces. Melina only recognizes two. Officer DiAngelo is Vance's partner and was there the day they arrested Damien. She doesn't know the other guy's name, but Vance
was sitting at his desk when she showed up at the station. He has an eerie resemblance to Damien and it gives her the chills fleetingly.
“Ms. Higgins, come on in.” Officer DiAngelo smiles.
“Please, call me Melina.” Melina returns his smile as she steps in the door.
“Okay. Well, I’m Mike, this is Tripp, Ryder, and Dayne,” Mike introduces the other three guys, who are all extremely gorgeous.
“Hi guys,” Melina says, shaking all of their hands. When she gets to Tripp, she stares briefly.
“You look awfully familiar. I know I saw you at the station the other day, but have we met before?” she asks cautiously.
“No, ma’am, we haven’t met. But I do believe you were set to marry my brother,” Tripp answers.
Melina’s eyes widen lightly and she takes a few steps back. “Sorry,” she says, her eyes staring at the floor.
“What are you sorry for?” Tripp asks in confusion. “I should apologize to you for what that dirt bag did to you,” he tells her honestly.
Melina lifts her eyes to meet his sincere baby blues. “Nonsense,” she smiles.
Needing to lighten the mood, leave it to Dayne to chime in. “Vance is still trying to commit to an outfit, he'll be down in a minute,” Dayne chokes out then bursts out laughing. Apparently, they all find this funny because they all start cracking up.
Melina can't help but giggle, but she presses her lips together to try and hide it.
“Do you all live here?” Melina asks, trying to change the subject again.
They all nod. “We've been friends since preschool and have lived together since we graduated high school,” Mike explains.
Melina's eyebrows shoot up in shock. Wow, they've been friends for a long time. “So you guys are really close then?”
“Very,” Ryder admits seriously.
“And you're all single?” Melina gapes in awe.
“Women don't last too long in this group, Melina. You date one of us, you kinda get stuck with all of us.” Dayne chuckles.
“You need to be a special kind of girl to want to deal with five men living in a house together,” Tripp adds.
“Has anyone survived?” Melina asks with a smile.
They all shake their heads. “Nope,” Mike says, “None have been strong enough to stick around.”
Melina frowns momentarily then gets a wicked gleam in her eye. “Awe, that’s kinda sad. Try living with five models in a one bathroom flat all vying for the same cover shots.” She winks playfully.
Dayne smiles mischievously. “Oh don't cry for us, Melina. We still get plenty of women who want us for our bodies.” He smirks.
Melina laughs. This one is trouble, she can tell that much. Dayne has that devilish way about him. She can see it in his sexy hazel eyes. And she couldn't help but think that he would be perfect for her best friend, heiress and fashion designer, Harper Hastings. Harper is a feisty little blonde bombshell and can be a challenge for any guy. But Melina can see Dayne and her together for sure. Maybe if this date with Vance goes well, she can set them up.
Vance comes barreling down the steps, his face panicked, but damn does he look fine. He is just as built as she remembers. He’s wearing dark jeans that hug his legs just right, a white fitted t-shirt that shows off his chiseled chest and washboard abs, and over his t-shirt, he’s wearing a dark navy blazer, which makes his bright blue eyes pop.
He hits the landing and rushes over to her, grabs her hand, and pulls her out the front door. Melina looks back at the guys and waves. They all wave back as they laugh. Melina tugs on Vance's hand when they make it to the sidewalk.
“Slow down, Speedy Gonzalez,” Melina teases.
Vance spins around and looks down at her with a worried gaze. “Don’t believe a word they say...” he starts.
Melina holds her hand up. “Stop. They were very nice and didn't say anything too incriminating.” She smiles.
Vance frowns. “Nice? My friends aren't nice. They're troublemakers. They must be up to something.”
Melina rolls her eyes. “Don’t be silly. Look at those faces; do they really look like troublemakers to you?” Melina asks and motions back at the door where the guys are still standing and watching. They all give their best innocent face, making Melina smile in adoration. She likes these guys already.
Vance's mouth twitches with the hint of a smile. “Yes, they do. Let’s go before their self-control fades.”
Melina smiles and nods. “Alright, let’s go.”
They get into the back of Melina's black Range Rover. They sit in silence as they drive to the restaurant. She can feel the tension rolling off Vance and is getting the feeling that he doesn't like being driven around. Once at the restaurant, they are seated at a table outside on the terrace per Melina's request since it is such a nice night. Vance shifts uncomfortably in his seat and looks around.
“Wouldn't you rather sit inside?” Vance asks quietly.
“No, why?” Melina asks with a raised eyebrow.
Vance looks at her for a moment before shaking his head. “No reason,” he mumbles.
If he thinks that she doesn’t want to be seen with him, he's got another thing coming
A young male waiter comes over, introduces himself, and takes their drink orders. Melina orders a glass of wine while Vance orders a beer. Melina likes that he doesn't feel the need to impress her by drinking wine, too. The waiter doesn't agree, though, and gives Vance a disapproving glance before walking away. Sadly, Vance caught it, too. Melina sees his jaw clench and his body stiffen.
Great!
“You look so different out of uniform,” Melina says with a small smile.
Vance's eyes flick to hers. Melina is worried that she’s going to see anger, but sadly, what she sees is embarrassment. Melina frowns. The waiter made him feel that way, like he shouldn't be here with her, which is totally ridiculous. She can be with any man she deems worthy dammit.
“Why am I here Melina?” Vance asks, his gaze guarded.
Melina's brow furrows. “Because I wanted to thank you for helping me. And because I am attracted to you.”
Vance leans back in his chair and smiles mischievously. “Yeah, well, who could blame you?” He chuckles briefly and then gets serious again. “No really, Melina. I kinda feel like an ass sitting here with you. Being driven around, being picked up like a chick…” he mutters.
“I just figured that we would both be drinking, so I didn't want us driving,” Melina admits.
Before Vance can reply, the waiter comes back with their drinks. Vance takes a long swig of his beer, much to the distaste of the waiter.
“Have you decided on what you would like for dinner?” the waiter asks blandly.
“Not yet,” Melina says with a tight smile.
“Okay, I'll give you a few more minutes,” he replies, giving Vance a dirty look as he walks away.
“You caught that right? The way he looked at me?” Vance grunts, taking another long sip from his pilsner.
“Please, Vance. I don't care what anyone thinks and neither should you. It’s nobody's business but ours. I just want to have a nice dinner with you,” Melina pleads. She reaches across the table and covers his hand with hers.
Vance looks down at their hands on the table and Melina can see him struggle to relax. He takes a deep breath and brings his eyes up to meet hers. He gives her a sight nod. “You’re right.” He lets out the breath he was holding and his body naturally unwinds.
Melina smiles and affectionately rubs the top of his hand. “Thank you.”
Vance gives her a small smile and throws back the rest of his beer.
The rest of the dinner goes smoothly after that. Vance ignores the waiter, and once he has a few beers, he really starts to loosen up. The first time he laughs, Melina's breath catches. Lord he is so handsome. He has an amazing smile and his laugh is infectious. They surprisingly have a lot in common, and conversation is easy and light.
The bill arrives just as they finish the
ir desserts. The waiter walks up with a smug smile and offers the bill to Vance. He narrows his eyes at the guy and snatches the bill out of his hand, mumbling something about a tip after the waiter walks away. Melina stifles a laugh in her napkin.
“I got it, Vance,” Melina says softly then reaches across for the bill, knowing that he would never let her pay.
Vance glares at her. “You are not paying,” he snaps and looks at the bill.
Melina has to give him credit; he doesn't flinch, choke, or even make a face. She knows the bill has to be about $350 before tip. Vance calmly leans back in his chair and lifts his hip to get his wallet out of his back pocket. He pulls out four $100 bills and puts them on the little tray that the bill came on.
Vance looks at her, lifting an eyebrow in challenge. He is daring her to say something. Melina bites her bottom lip and that seems to please him because he smiles and crosses his arms over his chest. The waiter comes back, his eyes locking on the money and most likely calculating his tip.
“Thank you, I hope you have a wonderful evening,” the waiter says.
“I want change,” Vance says, his expression bland.
The waiter's eyes widen and he opens and closes his mouth a few times before he says, “Yes, Sir.” The waiter glances at Melina almost pleadingly before walking away. Melina shrugs.
The waiter comes back a few minutes later with Vance's change. He stands, pulls out a ten-dollar bill from the change, and slaps it into the waiter's palm. “This is because you’re a douchebag. Here’s another tip…learn to show a little respect to people, it goes a long way,” Vance says, looking down at the young waiter, who only comes up to Vance's chin.
The waiter swallows hard and nods before making a quick exit.
Melina laughs and gathers her purse before taking Vance's hand to leave the restaurant.
“I think you scared him,” Melina says as they walk out the door and onto the sidewalk.
“Good, that'll teach him not to be such a tool,” Vance growls.
Melina laughs. “A tool?” She giggles and pulls Vance to a stop.
Destiny Revealed (There's Always Tomorrow Book 2) Page 2