“We’re supposed to be having a suffocating dinner tonight. Did you want to cancel that, or are you going to bear through it with me?”
Melissa hesitated to give herself a minute to compose herself. “What restaurant did my mother make the reservation at?”
Melissa heard papers being shuffled and realized Christian was at the office. It was startling to realize how quick she formed a mental picture of him sitting at his desk going over contracts and making deals with different corporate moguls.
“We have an eight p.m. reservation at La Tatoriata. It’s four-thirty now. Am I picking you up or heating up a Hungry Man?”
“I will still have dinner with you. Pick me up at six.” She said goodbye and began to franticly gather up everything and fly home.
Tearing through the door, Melissa was already taking off her clothes as she flew up the back servant stairs, preparing to jump directly into the shower. Melissa stopped dead, standing in her pants, bra, with one sneaker in her hand and the other untied on her foot. Joshua was in the process of leaving a note on her desk. He looked over and a carnal look came into his eyes.
“Well. That is a stupendous look for you. Going to your weekly nudist colony meeting?” he quipped.
Melissa laughed. “No, I was getting in the shower. I’m having dinner with Christian.” Melissa rolled her eyes at the look that settled onto Joshua’s face. “If you’d relax a minute, you’ll realize I’m planning on telling him that my feelings have changed. He showed his true colors when I told him of all my plans. It was heartbreaking to hear him launch into making plans for our future without taking my life plans into consideration. I have a feeling he is going to propose to me tonight. It’s going to damage us.”
Joshua was looking at the floor as he could hear the pain in her voice. He walked over and pulled her into a hug.
Melissa leaned on him and felt for a moment her world wasn’t tilting toward falling apart, it was all right.
“I’m sure it won’t be as bad as you think. Would there be any other reason you plan on telling him no? Besides the obvious of the life-sucking plans of matrimony and tiny humans and the rest of the housewife life? Maybe something to do with me?” Joshua looked so hopeful that Melissa had no idea what to say. She threw her shirt at him and walked into her bathroom, deliberately not giving him an answer.
“I like a girl who plays hard to get!” was the last thing Melissa heard before she dunked her head under the pulsing shower spray.
~ ~ ~
Melissa was descending the stairs as a knock sounded at the door. Her hair was arrow straight, falling loose to her waist, over the classic little black dress. Her dress had a burst of silver threads starting from her right shoulder, making it look as if she was shining like moonlight. Her purple eyes held both excitement and dread.
As Melissa moved to open the door, Anna stepped up with a look of cool smugness. Melissa could feel the attitude radiating from her very pores. She cocked a hip and lifted a brow. Anna didn’t say anything, she smirked a little at what she thought was her own brilliant idea and opened the door. Christian stood, dressed in a well-cut dinner suit, looking dashing. Without saying anything, Melissa walked from the house. She stopped short and gasped.
Idling at the bottom of the circle driveway was a long, gleaming white limo. She turned to Christian, her expression demanding an explanation. He had the courtesy to flush but didn’t say anything. He gave a shrug that was the male equivalent of ‘roll with it, babe’ and took her hand. Melissa resisted the urge to pull away, remembering that not only was her mother standing in the open doorway watching, but that avoiding the night to come would only delay the inevitable conversation. So Melissa took a deep breath, gripped Christian’s hand, and allowed him to pull her to the limo.
Once the driver was headed to the restaurant, Melissa sat back and looked at Christian. There was a string melody playing low over the car speakers and there was bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket. She took it all in, wondering if this was going to be the start of his courtship of her.
“This is a little overkill, don’t you think?”
Christian smiled a little and rubbed his thumb over Melissa’s fingers. The contact was meant to be sweet. Melissa found it slightly annoying. She was trying to get into the spirit of the night, but all she could think about was the hug that Joshua had wrapped her in and how much she wanted to be back in his arms. She realized Christian was talking to her and brought her mind back to the present.
“You know as well as I do how convenient a limo is. We don’t have to worry about traffic or being conscious about how much we drink. We can just be stress-free.” Christian added a charming smile to go with opinion.
Melissa settled back as Christian leaned over to open the champagne. They sipped and made small talk until the limo glided to the curb outside the romantically lit restaurant.
Expecting to sit in the middle of the restaurant, amid all the other diners where it was safe because of the crowd, Melissa was surprised to see the maître’d walk in the opposite direction. The tuxedoed man pulled out a chair at a table standing alone in a separate glass-topped room. The stars were edging in, drenching the room in the sensation of fantasy. There were long, white taper candles lit on the table, shedding alluring light on the flower centerpiece. The table was draped in white and pink tablecloths, and the high-back chairs were a soft pink and white swirl that looked deep and inviting. Melissa slid gracefully onto the chair and smiled as a pixie-looking waitress hustled up to the table.
“Good evening, my name is Annabeth, I’ll be hosting you tonight.” Melissa watched her hand Christian the wine list and listened to the specials. If nothing else, she was going to get a good meal.
After ordering, Christian leaned in and smiled. The candle light made his face look even more handsome. Melissa was sad her feelings for him had changed so fast. They might have made a great power couple, but she wasn’t willing to give up her dreams of a future to be that couple. Christian took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. Melissa felt as if he was making sure she didn’t run from the restaurant. Wanting to keep herself detached, Melissa removed her hand from under his to lift her wine glass. She dropped her hands into her lap to keep them out of reach.
“How’s your mom doing?”
Melissa smiled a little, thinking of the way her mother was throwing herself into various committees, trying to keep busy since the funeral.
“She’s doing as well as anyone can expect. It’s funny to see her spending every waking moment on a fundraiser or other charitable organization. It’s like she refuses to let her brain have a minute to relax. My mother makes me tired just by looking at her.”
They fell into a strained rhythm as the courses were served. Christian would tell some funny story and reach for her hand or try and caress her face, and Melissa would laugh and stay just out of reach. Melissa was making sure that the whole night stayed as casual as possible. Christian was getting frustrated and decided it was time to put a little more pressure on.
As their main courses were cleared away, Christian stood and pulled Melissa into a dance. There was soft, slow music playing low in the background. It was a mix of strings that was sweet and romantic and made Melissa wish desperately for rock and roll. Not knowing how to detangle herself, Melissa played along and swayed with the movement of Christian’s body.
“I know there are issues we have been ignoring the last few days. I think it’s time we resolved them.”
Melissa was glad for the opening. With her head nestled into Christian’s shoulder, she prepared to launch into her carefully conscripted speech on how she had fallen out of love with him, a happening that both saddened and confused her and that she was leaving, when Christian went swiftly down to one knee. Melissa’s words rolled right back down her throat. She took a step back and looked into Christi
an’s smiling face.
“Melissa, you have been the light in my otherwise very dark life. It took me far too long to realize just how much I really do love you. I want to make all of your dreams come true. Will you please make me the happiest man and marry me?” Christian opened a small velvet box, which held a diamond ring so big Melissa could have sunk the Titanic on her own.
Fighting panic, Melissa tried to come up with dignified words that wouldn’t cut Christian’s heart out. Not knowing what else to do, Melissa went down to her knees with Christian and framed his face in her hands. Tears began to stream down her face at the thought of what she had to do to make her point.
“Can’t you see this isn’t what I want? Did anything I said to you the other day make a difference? I can’t be the type of woman you want. I do not want to live the life our mothers have. To be attached to one man and have everything I want shelved. I know it’s selfish but it’s how I want my life to be. My father gave me a huge opportunity to finally get away from this place and start fresh. I’m going to take it. I know, I can actually feel how I am hurting you right now, but I can’t stay here and be your wife. You don’t know what my dreams are.” Melissa stopped talking and wiped at the tears on her face, wishing the ground would crack open and swallow her.
Christian had gone still at her words. In one smooth motion, he broke free from Melissa’s hands and stood. The ring box snapping closed made Melissa jump. She slowly got to her feet.
“Well, I can see I was extremely mistaken with how things stood between us. If being in love with you and wanting to keep you here is so bad then I guess we have nothing more to say to each other. Take the limo home. I’ll call a cab.”
As Melissa began to apologize, Christian held up a hand and strode from the room, leaving Melissa feeling small and horrible. She walked from the restaurant, the waitstaff looking at the floor because they knew she had said no. Melissa slid into the back of the limo and wish it would drive her anywhere but home.
Chapter 10
Melissa slipped into her house, hoping to attract no attention to herself. It was edging in on midnight and she prayed the house was asleep.
“Did you have a good evening?”
Melissa’s stomach dropped so fast she almost vomited on the stairs. She turned to her mother. She was dressed in a stunning purple satin robe that made her look regal and terrifying. She had a smug smile on her face. It was the expression that made Melissa see red. She stomped down the stairs and came rushing up to her mother so fast Anna took a step in retreat.
“Did you go and pick out that ridiculous ring together? It was the most humiliating night of my life. Yes, see my finger is bare!” Seeing her mother glance down for the third time, Melissa held up her empty hand and waved it in her mother’s face. A face that turned bright red in response to all her brilliant planning go up in smoke.
“YOU TURNED HIM DOWN?” Anna whirled away to keep from grabbing Melissa and shaking her.
“Yes, I turned him down. Can you see now? Will you leave me alone? I am just about finished packing and will be in Europe by next week. Making Christian purpose was never going to keep me here. I’m going. Thank you for ruining my friendship with Christian, by the way. That man will never want to set eyes on me again and it is completely your fault. Now I am going to my room and I might even go out for the rest of the night because I don’t feel like being in this house.” Melissa turned on her heel and strode the rest of the way to her room like a woman on a mission. A mission to get away from her own feelings.
Thirty minutes later, Melissa found herself on Joshua’s doorstep without having a clue as to how she got there. Before she could make the dash back to her car, the front door opened and Joshua yanked Melissa inside.
“Got you in here quick so you couldn’t change your mind and leave. What are you doing here?”
Melissa didn’t even know how to make her brain form the words she wanted to say. Instead she launched herself at Joshua and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. She didn’t cry or make a sound, she just clung, needing the contact like a life line in a storm.
Joshua wrapped his arms around Melissa and rocked her back and forth, wondering if she was about to break. He could feel her whole body vibrating, from anger or hurt or some other unknown emotion, Joshua didn’t know. What he did understand was something had changed. Slowly, Melissa pulled back and took a breath.
“I’m sorry. I just felt the urge to hug someone and everywhere I turned there were people that were not willing to hug me back. I didn’t think you would have turned me away, so I came here.” Melissa added a shrug that belied the utter defeat she was feeling. Joshua was tired of seeing her so sad and went with an instinct that he didn’t even know was driving him.
Joshua pulled Melissa close and crushed his mouth to hers, devouring her lips. Melissa had one split second to decide. She returned the kiss and poured every emotion she had into it. Joshua had his own split second to be surprised by the intensity as to which his kiss was returned before he hook an arm under Melissa’s knees and carried her off to his bed.
“I did not come here for this, but I am not going to stop you because I want it. I realized at dinner tonight that all I really wanted was to be in your arms.”
Joshua felt everything inside him turn to affection-drenched goo. He would never admit to anyone that he could get as mushy as a teenage girl on prom night.
“I am the one initiating it so I know you didn’t come here for this. And in my arms is exactly where you belong.” For the first time, both of them felt a settled feeling. As if all the things lurking in the past quieted down to let them be together and have some peace.
Melissa had the impressions of dark and light. It was hard to get a picture of her surroundings when her whole body felt as if it was a firework about to explode. Everywhere Joshua touched came alive, every nerve stood on end, waiting to be touched again. Melissa felt as if her skin was going to melt off her bones.
Joshua stopped at the edge of his bed and set Melissa on her feet. He made love to her body with his lips. Wanting to start slow, he kissed her eyelids, her ears, her neck, and then ranged back to her lips. He took off her shirt and almost whimpered at the fact that she was braless.
“I’m also not wearing underwear.” Melissa smiled at the sound that came from Joshua’s lips. He had indeed whimpered. The urge to turn savage was beating in Joshua’s blood. The need to take whatever Melissa would give was pounding in his head. Joshua prayed his control held.
Joshua started from Melissa’s lips. He trailed hot, open-mouth kisses down her neck and lightly bit her shoulder. Melissa whimpered this time. He ran his tongue over her nipple and as it tightened in response, he cupped his hands under her elbows when her knees buckled. He took the bud into his mouth and sucked, loving the little moans coming from her throat. He moved to the other nipple and as he felt Melissa’s bones turn to water, he continued down.
He kissed his way over her belly, pausing to circle her bellybutton with his tongue. Not being able to keep her upright, Joshua let Melissa slide slowly to the mattress. He untied her sneakers and slipped them off her feet, running his hands up her pant leg to caress her calf. Her skin was smooth as silk. Wanting more, he unbuttoned her jeans and slid them off, leaving her naked and quivering on his bed. It was a vision from one of his own dreams.
Her eyes were dark with passion and heavy-lidded from anticipation. Her hair was spread out and invited his fingers to tangle in it. Not wanting to waste a minute, he began to take his own clothes off.
Melissa sat up, and with a feline smile, reversed their positions.
“Why do you get to have all the fun? My turn to torment you.” Gloriously naked, Melissa began her own journey of Joshua’s body. It was a lean, long line of ropy muscles. She slowly unbuttoned Joshua’s shirt and trailed a line of kisses from
his mouth to his navel. She felt every muscle in his torso jump at the contact. Falling to her knees, she ran her hands up Joshua’s body and ran her nails back down. He groaned and fell back on the bed as if his legs no longer worked.
Melissa undid Joshua’s pants and slid them down his legs, a whole new type of feline smile playing over her mouth. A mouth that got incredibly busy. Joshua felt his eyes cross and then roll back into his head before he wrapped both hands around her arms and pulled her to her feet.
As he dropped her on the bed, the quick poke at his stamina level died away from her tongue when she looked into his eyes. The lazy lover was gone. In its place was a hungry wolf that was about to snap its chain. Wanting to show it was okay, Melissa grabbed a handful of Joshua’s hair and rolled on top of him, kissing him with a dark passion yet to be unleashed.
Joshua understood and, not caring about the consequences, felt the chain break. He rolled Melissa to her belly, grabbed her thighs, and spread them wide. He wrapped a hand around her throat and thrust into her hot, wet heat. He paused, trying to catch his breath, but Melissa arched her back and took him as deep as she could stand. Joshua’s vision grayed and his body took over. He pumped his hips hard and fast, demanding that Melissa keep pace. The room filled with the harsh sounds of flesh slapping flesh.
In a lightning-fast move, Joshua turned Melissa over, wrapping her legs around his hips so she surrounded him as he increased his pace. They reached for each other. Joshua crushed his mouth to hers as her scream of release ripped from her throat. As he felt her tighten around her, he gave a shout of his own and emptied himself into her.
~ ~ ~
Heartbeat Echoes Page 15