24. Melanie
CHAPTER 24
Melanie
Being at work on Monday wasn’t the least bit disconcerting. I’d picked Luke up, since he still couldn’t drive. We’d made small talk and gone our separate ways once we arrived. It was like nothing had happened over the weekend.
And really, nothing had.
Everything was fine.
Okay, so I’d opened up to Luke and told him my traumatic tale. It wasn’t like it was a big secret. If it had happened locally—not several states away—the entire town would have known the story. I didn’t keep it from people, necessarily. I just didn’t like talking about it.
And fine, I’d cried. On his chest. I almost never cried, so I couldn’t pretend that was nothing. But it didn’t have to be something big or important. Sleep deprivation could heighten anyone’s emotions. I wasn’t immune to that.
I’d been upset, I’d freaked out over the unlocked door, and a few tears had been shed. It was all a big, fat nothing.
Or it was to him. That was clear. He’d barely looked at me all day .
Instead of getting worked up about it, I sat at the front desk, trying to focus on my job. Because I didn’t know what there was to get worked up about. What did I want from him? It wasn’t like he was ignoring or avoiding me. It was a normal day.
The problem was, I didn’t feel normal. Not after the other night.
I’d gone to bed with the memory of his arms around me. His embrace had felt so good, I wasn’t even embarrassed that I’d cried. I kind of wanted to do it again to see if he’d hug me the same way.
Which was ridiculous.
Wasn’t it?
And he’d given me the look—a look I remembered all too well. One that sent shivers down my spine and made my lips tingle with anticipation.
He’d been thinking about kissing me.
To my relief—or disappointment, I was very confused—he hadn’t. Not then, when we’d been sitting on the couch together. Not later, when we’d watched a movie. And not at the end of the night, when I’d dropped him off at his place.
No more heat in his eyes. No more longing glances.
I finished sorting a stack of invoices and tapped them to line up their edges. It was just as well. I didn’t want Luke to kiss me. We’d been down that road and it hadn’t ended well. If he wanted to move on like we hadn’t shared a moment over the weekend, it was for the best.
But if that were true, why was I so furious?
He walked into the lobby, and with barely a glance at me, grabbed the invoices. Without a single word, he turned and left, disappearing through the door that led to his office.
My mouth dropped open. How dare he waltz over to my desk like I was just a random employee. Like I was nothing to him.
I closed my mouth and forced myself to take a deep breath through my nose. I was getting carried away. He wasn’t acting any different from how he always acted at work. He probably had a million things on his mind.
It was fine. I tucked my hair behind my ear. Completely fine.
But an angry blaze still burned hot in my chest.
I needed to get out for a few minutes, otherwise I was going to burst like a firecracker. I decided to take a quick walk to Nature’s Basket Grocery. I knew myself—sometimes I wasn’t angry, I just needed a snack. The weather was oppressively hot, but I didn’t care. A little sweat down my back would be better than having a meltdown the next time Luke walked by my desk. I forwarded the phone to voicemail, grabbed my purse, and left.
A wave of heat hit me as soon as I walked out the door. Hoping I’d remembered to put on deodorant that morning, I headed up the sidewalk to the grocery store.
I was in a mood where nothing sounded good, so I wandered aimlessly up and down the aisles for a few minutes. Eventually, I picked up a bag of dried apple chips and a cup of cubed cheese from the deli.
There was only one cashier available, so I got in the short line. A moment or two later, it was my turn. I checked out, tucked my snack and receipt into my purse, and left.
I’d hardly been in the store for ten minutes, but it seemed hotter outside on the walk back to the garage. I pushed open the front door, eagerly anticipating the air-conditioning that awaited me inside.
Luke stood behind the front desk, an angry expression on his face. “Where were you?”
“I went to the store,” I said, confused. “Why are you snapping at me? I was gone for like fifteen minutes and I forwarded the phone. Since when do I have to check in with you every time I move? Should I ask permission to go to the bathroom too? ”
“No, I just… I didn’t know where you were.”
“I got a snack.” I walked around the desk, but he was in my way. I couldn’t sit down. “If you wanted to know where I was, you could have just called me.”
“I did. You didn’t answer.”
“Oh. Sorry, I didn’t hear my phone.”
He raked his hands through his hair. “Damn it, Mel, you scared the crap out of me.”
“Why? Because I walked to the store to get a snack? I know it’s hot out there, but I drink plenty of water. It’s not like I’m a heat stroke risk.”
He let out an exasperated breath. “Never mind.”
Not quite sure what had just happened, I watched him leave. The sound of power tools in the garage carried through the door until it swung shut behind him.
Wait.
He was upset because he didn’t know where I’d gone, and that was all he was going to say about it? The big fat jerk was worried about me, and he wasn’t even going to admit it?
Oh hell no.
I marched to his office and burst through the door. “Why don’t you just say what you’re thinking?”
He was standing next to his desk and whirled around to face me. “What?”
“You told me to stop shutting you out, so I did. And now you’re doing the same thing to me. So just say it. Tell me why you were mad when you didn’t know where I was.”
“I wasn’t mad. I was concerned.”
“You looked mad.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Damn it, Luke. Stop. What are we doing? Why don’t you just tell me what’s in your head?”
His expression changed, anger and frustration replaced with heat. His eyes narrowed and he stalked toward me .
Leaning close, he lowered his voice. “Do you really want to know what’s in my head?”
He moved closer, so I stepped back. “Yes.”
Another step put my back against the wall. He didn’t give me an inch, caging me in with his arms, his palms pressed against the wall behind me.
“You’re in my head, Mel. Every part of you. And you’re driving me fucking insane.”
“I—”
His lips crashed against mine in a hard kiss, but only for a second. He pulled away, leaving me gasping.
“Shut your mouth,” he growled. “I wasn’t supposed to care about you. Not like this.”
“I’m sorry?”
He stopped me with another kiss, as brief and aggressive as the first. “I really wanted to keep hating you, but I just can’t. Even though you drive me nuts. I can’t get enough of you.”
His nose brushed mine, his lips so close, and my breath hitched. A flush hit my cheeks and heat throbbed between my legs.
“I can’t hate you either.”
“This is a terrible idea,” he said, his voice still growly and low.
“Absolutely awful.”
“We were a mess together.”
I nodded, tilting my chin up, my desperation for him growing. “A total mess.”
He hesitated, his face so close, his eyes roving over me. For a second, I thought he was going to pull away, and I was going to lose my shit.
“Fuck it,” he growled.
His kiss swept over me like a wave, deep and demanding. Still dimly aware of his injuries, I draped my hands over his shoulders as I opened for him, hungry for the feel of his tongue sliding against mine.
For a terrible idea, it sure felt amazing.
Gradually, he took the kiss from deep to shallow and pulled away.
“You’re not going out with Hank again,” he said.
That kiss had completely scrambled my brain. I blinked a few times. “What? I wasn’t anyway.”
“Then you’re not going out with anyone else.”
His sudden possessiveness left me breathless. The instinct to snap at him—tell him he couldn’t tell me what to do—was there. But I ignored it. I loved Luke’s demanding side.
Still, I couldn’t resist a demand of my own. “Fine, then neither are you.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Good.”
Surging in, he kissed me again. It was somehow both exhilarating and calming all at once. A flash of heat and a cool breeze. I relaxed into him, enjoying the feel of his mouth on mine, and ran my fingers through his hair. His hands slid around my waist, and he pulled me tight against his body.
We fit so well. How could I have forgotten?
Suddenly, the tension between us intensified, the mood shifting, and the low growl in his throat lit my body on fire. Without quite meaning to, I whimpered into his mouth and rubbed against him as pulses of pressure in my core begged to be sated.
He shifted his leg, pressing it between mine, and I just about lost my mind. I straddled his thigh as he gripped my backside and rocked me against him in a steady rhythm. I felt his lips curl in a smile as I clutched onto him for dear life, my breath coming in quick gasps.
There was no way… He couldn’t… With his…?
Oh, yes he could.
The pressure built so fast, my mind went blank, and my entire body thrummed with intensity. His fingers dug into my ass as he ground his thigh between my legs. A few more strokes and I burst, spiraling as heat exploded through me.
His hand clamped over my mouth, and he watched me come with triumph in his eyes.
My face flushed as he let go, his hand slipping from my mouth to gently grip my neck. He shifted his leg, and miracle of miracles, mine didn’t buckle beneath me.
“What just happened?” I whispered.
He didn’t answer. Just smiled and brought my mouth to his for a soft kiss.
When he pulled back, my eyes fluttered open. My body felt languid, and the fact that he’d just given me a spontaneous orgasm in his office—with his thigh—seemed somehow inevitable. Or maybe that was all the happy chemicals in my brain.
“How do you feel?” he asked, his voice low but surprisingly even.
“Okay, I guess. If you’re into that sort of thing.” My lips turned up in a smile. “What about you? Are you…?” I glanced down at the bulge in his pants.
“Fine,” he said. “That was just for you.”
For a second, his casual generosity made me want to run. It was too much—too intense. A voice in the back of my mind kept trying to get my attention, telling me to slow down and think about what I was doing. This was Luke. Luke Haven. We’d tried this before and failed. Spectacularly.
But that had been so long ago. Almost another life.
Could we try again?
Instead of bolting out the door, I leaned in and kissed him. “So, where are you taking me?”
“What do you mean?”
“On our first date.”
“Who said I’m taking you on a date?”
“You did. ”
The corners of his mouth lifted in a subtle grin. “When did I say that?”
I planted my hands on his chest. “You said I’m not going out with anyone else. Someone needs to take me out. If it can’t be anyone else, that leaves you.”
His fierce gaze locked with mine. “Only me.”
My heart fluttered. I’d expected him to fire back with something snarky, not scorch me with a look. I nodded.
“An orgasm wasn’t enough?” He grinned again. “You need a date too?”
“I admit, that was both unexpected and spectacular.”
“Good.” He took my chin in his hand and tilted my face up. “All right, a date. How about now?”
“Now? It’s the middle of the day.”
“I’m pretty sure the boss won’t mind.”
“Okay.” I hesitated. “Should I change?”
He grinned again and pressed his lips to mine. “No. You’re perfect just the way you are.”
I knew he meant what I was wearing, but the comment almost brought me to tears. I side stepped and he let go of my chin. “You figure out where we’re going, but I’ll drive. Since you can’t.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I moved closer to the door. I needed a minute so my head would stop spinning. “I’ll be ready in a few.”
He nodded and his smile sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. Still slightly breathless, I left his office, stopped in the restroom, then went back to the lobby.
I plopped onto the chair and, for a moment, stared into space. The phone lit up, but it was still on break mode, so I ignored it.
My entire body tingled with the memory of Luke. His hands. His kiss. His strong grip. The way he’d taken control of my body and given me pleasure without a single thought for his own.
But as the heady rush of climax continued to subside, doubt crept in. Or maybe it was fear.
Was it all a big mistake? Would we crash and burn a second time?
And if we did, would either of us survive the fallout?