17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter seventeen
F ox walked into the apartment building lobby and headed for the elevator with Melody.
Dean rushed in behind them. “Hey, wait up.”
Fox held the elevator so Dean could join them.
Melody smiled at Dean. “Did you go out to eat, too?”
“Sort of.” Dean eyed Fox. “Something came up. I need to talk to you privately for a few minutes.”
Fox caught the intense vibe. “Sure. Okay. Can it wait until tomorrow?”
Dean shook his head. “I think we need to discuss it now.”
The elevator doors opened and they all walked down the hall to their apartments.
Fox opened the door for Melody and turned off the alarm. “Sorry, sweetheart. Sometimes business stuff can’t wait. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Dean was standing just inside his place with the door open, indicating he didn’t want Melody to hear whatever he had to say.
“I’ll just get ready for bed.”
He hoped that meant he’d find her naked in bed.
She smiled at Dean. “Goodnight.”
“Night, Melody.” Dean waved him over the second Melody turned for their room.
Fox closed his apartment door and walked across the hall into Dean’s place. The second Dean closed the door behind him, he asked, “What’s wrong? Why did you follow me tonight?”
“I caught the whole scene with Josh and Melody this morning. I let it go when he left, thinking he’d just been there to check on her. You handled it. Done. But then I watched to make sure he left the building and it dawned on me. How did he get in the building?”
“Someone let him in.” Fox didn’t like that. He made it clear to every tenant not to let others in without asking the person they were there to see if it was okay.
“Guess who?”
Since Dean had followed them tonight, he had a very good guess. “Amy.”
“He met her outside the building when she returned from a run. They spoke for about five minutes outside, then she let him in.
“She knows Josh?” Fox wondered how they’d met.
“I don’t think so. It’s clear in the video that she tried to brush him off at first. She puts her hand up, like she’s telling him she can’t let him in. Then he says something that gets her attention. They speak back and forth for another couple minutes and she lets him in.”
“Okay. What prompted you to follow me and Melody tonight?”
“I got a weird vibe about that scene with Josh at your place. The same one I got when I saw Amy on surveillance when she showed up to deliver you cupcakes.” Dean gave him a look. “I didn’t get any cupcakes. Guess I’m not as special as you.”
“Shut the fuck up.” Fox did not want to be goaded, not after the dinner disaster with Amy.
“Can’t. Because I have to tell you that Amy was waiting downstairs for you and Melody to leave the building. She hid behind the potted plant at the back corner until you two came off the elevator and walked out. You were so engrossed with Melody, you didn’t see her.”
“Shit. She followed us. You’re sure?” The stupid question got him an eye roll from Dean. “Right. Why else hide?”
“I think she might be stalking you.”
“She’s definitely interested, but…stalking.” He shook his head, not wanting to believe it.
“She knows you have a girlfriend and is actively trying to mess that up, so she can have you.”
“I’m not interested. Not even if Melody wasn’t in the picture.”
“I get it. You only see her. But Amy is, at best, a nuisance. At worst, she’s dangerous.”
He didn’t want to hear this. But… “She mentioned something at the restaurant about me keeping my secrets. And it was all a part of a conversation where she said she wants a guy who can take care of her and basically give her financial security.”
Dean’s eyes went wide. “How the hell did that even come up?”
“Melody asked her what kind of guy she was looking for. She listed all her qualities and Melody said they had the same taste in men. Except for the part about a guy providing financial security, because Melody said she could make her own money and take care of herself in that way.”
Dean grinned. “God, I like her for you.”
“Me, too. Except Amy basically hinted that she knows my secret.”
“How?”
“She lives in Boston. There are rumors…”
Dean shook his head. “This isn’t good. If she’s targeted you—”
“That’s ridiculous. If anything, she’s overzealous about how much she likes me.”
Dean raised a brow. “She busted in on your date without a shred of remorse and lacking any kind of logic that you’d welcome her there with your girlfriend present.”
“It crossed a line,” Fox admitted annoyed.
“You’re in love with Melody. I don’t want to see that get messed up because of Amy. You need to nip this in the bud now.”
Amy had to know her behavior tonight wouldn’t go over well with Melody or him. So why do it? Amy’s behavior puzzled him.
Which led him back to Josh and her having a long—considering they didn’t know each other—conversation.
“Amy purposely tried to make it seem like I’m dating a lot of women back in Boston.”
Dean gave him a WTF look. “You date. But it’s not like you have a new woman every week or something.”
“You think they’re working together to break me and Melody up so they can have the one they want.” It sounded stupid and juvenile to his own ears.
“Maybe.” Dean planted his hands on his hips and stared at him. “But it’s plain to see you’re completely gone over Melody and she’s all about you. They can’t think this could possibly work in their favor. It’s too…obvious.”
“So what are we missing then?”
“Josh is a dick. Amy, a stalker. Melody is possibly in danger.”
Fuck . “I do not want to hear that.”
“Security risks are my thing. I’m telling you, I don’t like what’s happening here.”
“What are we supposed to do about it?”
Dean had never looked more serious. “Protect Melody at all costs.”
Fox swore again. “How am I supposed to explain this to Melody?”
“If this is just an infatuation for Amy, maybe it will wane once she sees you and Melody together more. If it’s something else…then we have to tell Melody, so she’s not taken off guard. Or used against you.”
“Fuck! This is the last thing I wanted.”
“I know. But maybe if you just come clean with Melody about just how much your life has changed, then maybe she’ll be willing to come to Boston now versus later.”
“Is she any safer in Boston?”
Dean hung his head, knowing that she wasn’t.
“Is this what it’s going to be like? Am I going to be constantly worried about her?”
“Yes. But it will be worth it if you two are happy together.” Dean took a step closer. “She’s smart and tough and independent. She knows her own mind. She’s made it clear, you’re the one she wants to be with. Have you talked to her about moving to Boston?”
“Yes. She’s interested. She understands that I need to be there. But this thing with us is new.”
“I get that. But it’s also years in the making. I know you want to be here for your mom, but maybe you take both of them back to Boston.”
“I’m not living with Tanya, I don’t care how big my place is. It won’t be big enough.”
Dean shook his head. “You could put her in an assisted living place close by. She’d have round the clock care and maybe make some friends.”
It would make things easier. But… “Tanya wants to stay at her place as long as possible. It’s the only home she’s known.”
“Except she also keeps telling you she wants to travel.”
Fox shivered. “Yeah, I’m not up for that kind of togetherness.”
Dean frowned. “You can’t stay here and run the business the way you normally do.”
“I know.” Things were starting to get away from him. Since he wasn’t in the office and everything had to go through email, his assistant, or by phone, it seemed to not be handled as expeditiously as when he was actually in the office.
He had an idea. “Melody is off work for a couple of days because of her injuries. Perfect time to take a short trip to Boston.”
“Do you think she’ll go?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think she’ll suspect you’re trying to get away from Amy and possibly Josh for a few days?”
“No. And I don’t want to tell her about those suspicions yet. When we get back, we’ll see how things stand.”
“You know she’s going to have questions when she sees your place in Boston and the company.”
“I know. And maybe that will be the perfect way to tell her everything.”
“What do you want me to do about Amy?”
Fox wasn’t sure there was anything he could do, except stay away from her. If she was looking for a payday, firing her would only play right into her hands because she performed her job well. She only had two months left on her contract. After that, he’d send her home. “Keep a close watch on her. I don’t want any more surprises or dates ruined.”
“Should I have stepped in tonight?” Dean looked torn because his job was to protect Fox and the company.
“No. That was awkward as hell enough without you coming to my rescue. And I should have stopped it before it went so far.”
“You’re a nice guy, Fox. Don’t let her take advantage of that again. Tonight, in her eyes, you wanted her there because you let her stay. You bought her a meal, shared conversation with her. It was almost a date. Except you had to go and have your girlfriend there.” Dean was teasing, but not. “She wants you enough that she’s making herself a nuisance and trying to annoy Melody enough to get her to dump you. I don’t like that.”
“You and me both.” Fox ran his hand over his head. “I have to go. Melody is probably wondering what’s taking me so long.”
“She’s cool. She’ll wait for you.”
“I can’t mess this up. It’s the most important thing in my life.”
Dean smacked him on the shoulder. “You won’t. Go. Let me worry about Amy tonight.”
“Is she in her apartment?”
Dean could monitor the hallway on her floor. “Yes. And if she leaves it, I’ll know.” He seemed to have a thought pop into his head. “Maybe we need to reprogram the elevator and put in a security code for the fourth floor, so only we can get up here.”
“Why didn’t we think of that before we moved in?” At the building they lived in back in Boston, they had that security feature. “Contact the manufacturer. See how we can make that happen.”
“On it.”
Fox tried to put the conversation out of his mind as he left Dean’s place and walked into his dark apartment, a soft glow coming from the bedroom. He set the alarm and headed straight for the woman who turned him inside out in the best way.
He didn’t want to bring this kind of turmoil into Melody’s life. But she needed to know what it would be like living in his world.
He just thought he’d have more time for them to grow closer, so that when the bad stuff came up, it wouldn’t matter. Because what really mattered most was that they were together, working through the issues as partners.
Not that Melody wasn’t in it with him. She was. With his mom. With possibly changing her whole life to be with him. He couldn’t get luckier than that.
And when he stood in the threshold to his room, there she was, propped up in the center of the bed, one leg stretched out, the other bent at the knee. Naked. One hand on her breast, teasing her pink, taut nipple. The other between her legs, two fingers stroking her pretty, pink flesh.
He was instantly, painfully hard. “Fuck. You’re beautiful.” He stroked his hard shaft over his jeans, trying to get the damn thing to settle down.
“That mouth,” she said.
“Where do you want it?”
She spread her legs wider. “Where do you think?”
He practically dove onto the bed and buried his face in heaven, wet and delicious on his tongue. He feasted until she orgasmed. Twice. And while she lay replete, trying to catch her breath, he shucked off all his clothes, rolled a condom on, then rolled her over, pulled her up by the hips so she was on all fours, then thrust into her hard and fast. She came again and he rode it out with a locked jaw and clenched teeth. Just as her quaking center subsided, he moved in long, smooth strokes, building the sensations back up. He pulled out, she pushed back, taking him back in like she couldn’t stand for him to be so far away.
Her moans drove him wild. The feel of her around him was the best caress he’d ever felt. And when she pleaded harder, he let loose the reins and slammed into her again and again until his balls pulled up and he came in spurts that wracked his whole body.
He fell forward with Melody as she collapsed into the mattress. He caught himself on his hands, not wanting to crush her. He kissed her shoulder and followed it all the way up her neck to just behind her ear, where he planted one last kiss and whispered, “So fucking fantastic.”
She giggled, though it was muffled by the pillow where her face was practically buried in it.
Reluctantly he sat back, disengaging from her body. She moaned out her displeasure that he’d left her. He felt the same way. He’d love to stay buried in that sweet paradise every second of the day. He put his hand on her hip and rolled her over, concerned that she wasn’t getting enough air, and because he really wanted to kiss her.
He leaned over her, pressed his lips to hers, and savored the feel and taste of her.
She hooked her hand at the back of his neck, held him to her, and kissed him back with such tenderness, his heart went soft and warm and he fell even more in love with her than he already was.
And maybe he should tell her that.
But first he should tell her the rest.
Or maybe the I love you first and the rest after?
She brushed her lips to his one more time, then mumbled sleepily, “Grab the covers and snuggle with me.”
Best idea she’d had since the last one, when he found her naked and wanting him.
“Back in a sec.” He went to the bathroom, did the condom cleanup, and slid into bed beside her. She was already mostly asleep and only sighed and pressed back into him when he covered them and pulled her close as they spooned.
Content and happier than he’d ever been, he held her and let the rest go for now, so he could enjoy this perfect moment.
She was his. They were starting to plan a life together. A life where he had someone he loved and trusted. Someone who’d never hurt or leave him. Someone who cared enough to change her life to be with him.
It didn’t seem quite real. Not after the way he’d grown up.
And he’d do anything to keep her.