Melissa wondered if she was dead. None of her senses seemed to work, but every nerve ending was heightened. She could feel Joshua on top of her, a total dead weight, panting his way to his own death. As her heart rate leveled, Melissa began to regain some senses. She could hear Joshua’s labored breathing start to regulate. She could see him, his eyes were open, but they looked unfocused.
“Are we dead?” Joshua was surprised the answer to that question wasn’t yes. Gathering whatever energy he had left, Joshua rolled off Melissa and pulled her with him. Splayed over his chest, Melissa relaxed to the sound of Joshua’s heartbeat. She was nearly asleep when she felt his hand stroke her cheek. She opened her eyes but could barely make out Joshua’s face.
“Your room is really dark,” Melissa whispered. She felt Joshua grin and then his arm stretched backward. A very low light spread around the room. The room was about as manly as a room could be. The walls were navy blue, which made a stunning contrast against the bright white trim. The furniture was dark, high polished wood that seemed to gleam. And she saw with some amusement that the room was mostly bed.
“Are you bragging, or do you like a lot of room at night?” Melissa said with a teasing smile. Joshua returned her grin with a cocky one of his own and leaned down to kiss her. Wanting to understand what had really brought her over, but secretly dreading he already knew, Joshua looked at Melissa, and raised a brow. Wanting to talk. Melissa felt the change and sighed a little.
“What I told you in my bedroom actually happened. My mother meddled into my life again and made up this ridiculous plan with Christian. He bought me a ring and rented a room in this amazingly fancy restaurant, and after we ate he pulled me into a dance. It was nice ’til he got down on one knee and recited words that sounded like they popped right out of my mother’s mouth. I turned him down and he left me at the restaurant without a backward glance. It was humiliating and heart-wrenching at the same time.” Melissa covered her face with her hands and took deep breaths to keep from crying. Joshua sat them both up and wrapped an arm around Melissa, stunned at her control.
“I’m sorry she put you through that. He should have had more sense than to go along with her.”
Melissa gave a sniff and a laugh. “He had no idea I was so against everything. My mother must have told him a bunch of bologna to get him to go along with it all. His face was shocked more than anything that I said no. As if I had no other option.” Melissa shook her head at the audacity. Lying back, he tugged Melissa down until she was splayed over his chest again.
“So you came here after the big showdown with your mother?” He felt Melissa smile.
“She was so surprised my finger was bare. It was a ploy to get me to stay and not leave her behind.” Melissa felt Joshua chuckle but it turned to a sigh.
“Am I allowed to tell you that now that this has happened between us, I really don’t want you to go?”
She rolled so that she was facing him and saw the wistfulness on his face.
“You are allowed to say it but it won’t change the fact that next week I’m leaving. My stuff has already been shipped over. I start touring the factory, getting the lay of the business and then a week after that, Liz starts her new doctor job. I’m so excited I can barely contain myself.”
They spent the night talking and making love. Melissa had never felt so connected to one person. Joshua understood a lot of the places Melissa was coming from. Being the oldest child, having parents who wanted them to settle down before they were ready, and most of all wanting to experience life before promising themselves to one person for forever.
“It’s such a long time. Forever. And it seems we spend more time growing old with our significant other than being young with them. I want to be young on my own. Do I wish I had someone around to experience things with? Of course, but no one’s come along to make me want to be stuck with them in another country.”
“Look out, Mel.” Joshua laughed. “Your romantic streak is showing.”
Melissa stiffened. “Christian calls me that. It just fucking kills me how she ruined that for me. I didn’t even know I loved him ’til I realized she loved him for me more. I bet she had the whole wedding planned out as she was helping him pick the ring.”
Joshua stroked her back, trying to soothe the feathers he’d ruffled.
“I’ll come up with a whole new nickname for you. How about Issa?”
“That’s a pretty cool twist on my name. I’ve gotten Mel and Lissa. Issa sounds almost Italian, which makes it perfect since I’ll be based in Milan. Maybe it’ll catch on.”
Joshua smiled and leaned in to kiss her. He had felt the same chill as well but had masked the sudden unease better than Melissa. The kiss went deeper and suddenly both forgot anything in the world but each other.
~ ~ ~
Two days later, Melissa was packing up her last box. It hadn’t hit Melissa yet that everything was really changing. Her room was empty of everything but furniture. The staff at the Milan flat already had the house open and ready for her. Melissa had the first of several meetings already scheduled for a week after her arrival. She was planning on her takeover to be as smooth as possible.
There still seemed to be so much that needed to be done. Sliding over her giant notebook, Melissa looked over the list of things that needed to be accomplished before her flight. She needed to contact the airline about shipping her car. The Milan property came with two cars, but she wanted to take the car her father had brought her as well.
She mentally checked off other things and then noticed at the bottom of the paper were the words what about me written in Grace’s handwriting and circled a bunch of times. Melissa thought over the last three months in her mind. From the day she found out about the company to the present moment of her sitting on the floor of her room. Her memory did not include the conversation she imagined she already had with Grace of Grace coming to Italy with her.
As Melissa was thinking off of this, Grace walked into the room caring a large peacock-blue vase bursting with bright pink roses. There had to be at least five dozen flowers spilling for the container. Melissa felt her jaw hit the floor when she looked over. The room filled with their lovely scent, making it seem happier even in the emptiness.
“What are those?” Melissa popped up to dig through the blooms for a card. She found one and couldn’t stop the little clutch around her heart when she read the sweet message from Joshua. Giving in to the need, Melissa buried her face in the blooms.
“Well, are they from Christian?”
Melissa was ashamed at the stiffening of her shoulders at the sound of her mother’s voice. Slowly, Melissa turned around to face her. Anna was standing in the door way, arms crossed defiantly over her chest, chin high, and with an expression of cold smugness etched into her features.
“No, actually, they’re from Joshua. I went over there the other night after the debacle with Christian and we spent an amazing night together. The card indicates he enjoyed me immensely. And before you get on Joshua’s bandwagon, I won’t be marrying him either.”
Anna’s expression had tightened into one of fury, her eyes going dark. Without a word, Anna spun around and stalked from the room, refusing to resort to violence again.
“Was that last comment really necessary, Melissa? All the woman wants is your happiness. You shouldn’t hold it against her that in her eyes happiness is equated with a man. It was your father who brought her all the joy in the world. I think you need to cu-” Grace cut off when Melissa sharply raised a hand.
“If the next words out of your mouth are going to be “cut her some slack” I will personally kick your butt. It is not my fault that I do not share her views. Why should I get punished for having a different opinion than her? I didn’t do anything but watch the world and how it acted. I chose to follow those that took their own path. Not those who attached
themselves to others and followed along. Now I have another matter I want to talk to you.”
Melissa gestured to her bed and Grace sat down, suddenly nervous.
Grace watched Melissa walk to the window and look out over the back lawn. The stretch of silence had Grace’s nerves fraying. The note she had written had gone unanswered and it was becoming clear to Grace that Melissa didn’t want to include her in the next phase of her life. Grace was heartbroken that she was going to miss Melissa bloom into the beautiful woman that was hiding under the surface.
“As I was looking over my list I saw a new item added at the bottom. It was written down as a question and it surprised me honestly because I did not at all think it even needed to be asked.”
Grace felt tears prick her eyes as she heard Melissa’s next words in her mind. Of course I won’t need you in Italy. I have everything I need there already. Have a nice life, my friend. She couldn’t look up as she heard Melissa turn from the view and look at her. If she watched the words being formed, Grace knew she would break down and sob.
“Of course I need you in Italy. You are one of the things I need to go with me most. Who else is going to run my life? You’re the one who has taken care of me all these years. I even talked to Liz about it and she became a little mad at me I would even ask her permission to bring you along. Grace, I could not under any circumstances handle this whole move without you. I hope to heaven you’re packed.” Melissa was waiting for her friend to jump up and down but was astonished to see Grace cover her face and cry. Melissa rushed over to kneel at her friend’s side.
“Grace! What’s wrong? You don’t want to go? I mean, you can stay if you want to but you’d have to deal with my mom forever and I wouldn’t even wish that on my worst enemy!”
Grace laughed and raised drenched eyes to meet Melissa’s confused ones.
“You haven’t said anything to me about going with you. I assumed you had Liz and all the other staff at the new place and didn’t want me anymore.” Grace gave another chuckle at Melissa rude retort.
“Why on earth would I leave you behind? You’re the one person who is going to see me at my desk going over expense reports and new clothing concepts and order me to go to bed. I want to check out all the hot Italian guys with you. Come on!”
Grace nodded and gave a huge sigh after thinking about her behavior.
“Of course I was going with you. I have no idea why I thought otherwise. And just for the record, yes I am packed.”
Melissa smiled and felt one more piece of her future slip neatly into place.
“So I was trying not to be nosey, but are there any new things happening in life?” Grace looked so innocent that Melissa didn’t even want to tell her the details of the past two days but Melissa desperately needed someone to talk to.
“I would get comfortable if I were you. I have lots of details and they are not all about the same area.”
Grace looked puzzled but decided to just sit and wait because Melissa looked she was concentrating on where to start her story.
Melissa took Grace through the previous forty-eight hours. From the moment she and Christian told each other they loved each other, to the hours spent in the library which included the winding path through the story of Melissa’s ancestors and how that came into play. She told of seeing Joshua and meeting his family. Melissa told Grace what she wouldn’t tell anyone else, how much she loved Joshua’s family and how she had wondered why Christian had never bothered to introduce her to the family, even after things began to get serious between them.
When Melissa got to the part about the dinner and the proposal and the terrible things that were said between Christian and Melissa, Grace lunged to her feet.
“You’re kidding right, Melissa? I have worked in this house since I was sixteen and no way am I believing that Miss Anna planned a big, sabotaged dinner for you.”
Melissa wanted to laugh at the thought that someone believed her mother was innocent in the whole mess.
Grace dropped back down to the floor at the foot of the bed, waiting for Melissa to continue.
When Melissa began to talk of her horrible night ending in Joshua’s arms, Grace laughed. Melissa was flabbergasted at Grace’s snort which turned into a deeper belly laugh.
“I’m sorry, Melissa. It just tickles me pink that one man turning hard on you pushes you into the arms of another man. Your usual response to Christian’s absurd behavior would be to go for a reckless drive or hit a club. You went straight to Joshua. I find that extremely interesting.”
Melissa felt as if her head had exploded. The truth in Grace’s words was alarming. Melissa realized it hadn’t even occurred to her to go anywhere else but Joshua’s. As she had rushed from her house, Melissa had had one destination in mind. She had originally thought it was an unconscious decision, but at Grace’s logic, it was becoming clear that she had actually fully intended to run right to Joshua to be comforted. And he had delivered. She had felt more peaceful with him that at any other time since her father and sister’s funeral.
“Would you like me to help put the pieces of your brain back together?”
Melissa looked at Grace darkly.
“Well shit. Why did you put that thought into my head? I was perfectly okay thinking it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. But to realize I had meant to go over there the whole time? God, when does my flight leave? That is too complicated a situation to stay tangled in.”
Grace chuckled to herself and silently praised Joshua for being strong enough to handle Melissa at her worst. Now Grace was waiting to see if he could handle her at her best.
~ ~ ~
Feeling Jillian’s fingers twine with his shut up every word of warning William’s conscience was whispering to him. The chain on his restraint snapped with a crack so loud he wondered if Jillian heard it. He walked backward, putting them deeper into the dark and sent a prayer of serious thanks to whoever was listening that she flowed willingly into his arms like every dream he’d ever had about her.
William laid his lips on hers, gentle, and prayed she didn’t change her mind. The stairs leading to his rooms rose up endlessly it seemed to him, but getting her into his space was vital. William swept Jillian off her feet, making sure to never take his lips off hers.
When her feet touched the floor, Jillian had one moment of guilt and reality before she watched William walk around the room and light dozens of candles. He had no idea the action charmed her and made all her doubts vanish. William walked slowly back to stand in front of Jillian, not wanting to scare her away. Jillian felt a fresh wave of desire rush through her veins. When she felt William run his hands down her arms, Jillian lifted to her toes and captured William’s mouth in a kiss filled with fire and anticipation.
Keeping a mind to his strength, William slowly undressed Jillian, removing her clothing to torture himself. He pressed his lips to every inch of skin he exposed. Each tremble he felt run through her body ignited new fires of desire in William’s blood. He knelt in front of Jillian and rolled down her stockings and removed all the other layers of her underthings. He pressed a kiss to her navel and the small gasp Jillian let out almost had William snap his control. He stood suddenly and began to quickly remove his own clothing. All William wanted was to feel his own skin pressed against Jillian’s. Jillian stopped his movements.
“I get to return the favor, sir.” The demand, breathy and rushed, had William groaning. All he wanted to do was rip away the barriers between them and feel her surround him.
In the glow of the candlelight, Jillian’s skin glowed brighter than the sun. She began a slow journey of William’s body. She took off his shirt and ran kisses across his chest, slowly going down to where his pants rode low on his hips. She unbuttoned his pants and they slid to the floor. William had to choke back a chuckle as Jillian’s eyes widened at the sight of
his pride.
“That was a lovely compliment, Jilly. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to take over.” He wrapped his hands around her arms and hauled her to her feet. His mouth fused to hers and as if by their own will, Jillian’s legs wrapped around William’s waist. He walked to the bed and laid her against his pillows. Everything about her opened for him and William took it slow to savor.
He reached down and slid a finger inside her, nearly losing his mind when he felt she was already wet and ready for him, William groaned in excitement. Jillian nearly giggled at his response, it ending in a moan as William began to stroke her with his clever fingers. Jillian came in a glorious burst that nearly blinded William. Shifting to kneel between her knees, William locked eyes with Jillian and buried himself inside her with one deep thrust.
Jillian closed her eyes and arched, taking William as deep as she could. William held himself still, waiting for Jillian to move or make a sound. Jillian opened her eyes and in them William saw a power only females knew. She reached up and framed his face. Her touch set William into motion. He started slow at first, then he set a pace that was ruthless. She matched him stroke for stroke, feeling herself come apart at the seams.
William dragged Jillian up so she was straddling him. It was a switch that gave Jillian control. Moving with pure instinct, Jillian began to rock, arching her back, and set her own brutal pace. William moved with her as he placed kisses and small bites along her neck and shoulders. Jillian felt everything building inside her. When she couldn’t take it anymore, Jillian let herself come, feeling everything all at once. She cried and dimly heard William groan out his own release with her.
~ ~ ~
William held very still, wondering if he was going to wake up soon. He figured if he held really still, Jillian wouldn’t start to regret what had just happened to quickly. When she began to run her hands slowly up and down his back, William rolled so she was cradled against his chest instead of squished beneath him. Jillian nestled her head in the crook of his arm and let out a very contented sigh. William narrowed his eyes and shifted to look into Jillian’s face in the little light left from the melted candles around the room.
Heartbeat Echoes Page 16