Moments in Time: The Complete Novella Collection Page 18

  Now, she couldn’t respond to what Josie had said. Frankly, she didn’t know how to feel about Heat.

  Chapter Eleven

  Five minutes before their lunch break was over, Josie leaned forward, her face serious. “I’m selling Mel’s Delights, Melisa. That’s why I couldn’t hire you long term.”

  Melisa’s shivered as if someone had tipped a glass of ice water down her back. “Why? To who? Why?” The words exited her mouth faster than she could think them.

  Josie sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t mention this to you earlier. I knew you’d be upset. The business hadn’t been doing well, so I put it up for sale.”

  “Have you found a buyer yet?”

  “I found a buyer a while back, and he called three weeks ago with an offer. I’m so sorry. I know how much this place meant to you. I tried to keep it afloat as long as I could, but I can’t anymore.”

  “And the offer is final?” Melisa’s stomach churned and cramped, acid eating away at her organs.

  “Pretty much. I’ll be right back.” Josie rose to go and serve a customer while Melisa sat there with her eyes closed and her hands clasped in her lap, feeling as if the ceiling had crashed down on her. Even if she no longer owned Mel’s Delights, it had been comforting to know someone she knew was taking care of it. Now it was being sold to a stranger, and she was powerless to stop it.

  Like a zombie, she picked up her purse from the table and headed for the door, almost trampling a group of kids with their mouths stuck in chocolate muffins.

  As she passed the display window, she saw Josie gesturing for her to return, but Melisa shook her head and walked out.

  Back at Carlene’s place, she filled a bucket with water and scrubbed the bathroom until the marble and dozens of mirrors gleamed. Then she lowered herself onto the lip of the bathtub, covered her face with her hands, and wept, shoulders shaking and nose running. When she was done, she wiped her tears, blew her nose, and picked up the phone.

  Her heart squeezed at the thought of asking Carlene or anyone else for help, but this was an emergency. Losing Mel’s Delights was a matter of life and death. And Carlene had said if Melisa needed anything at all, she shouldn’t hesitate to ask.

  The call went straight to voicemail, but as Melisa placed the phone back in its cradle, it rang.

  “Melisa, sorry I missed your call. Is everything all right?”

  Melisa swallowed the rock lodged in her throat and breathed in deeply in an attempt to compose herself. “Yes, perfect. How are you and the baby?”

  “Couldn’t be better. It’s been almost two months and the baby refuses to show, but the doctors here say she’s doing great. I can’t wait to feel that first kick.” Carlene paused. “You don’t sound all right. What’s going on?”

  “I need a favor,” Melisa said quickly. “I’d never ask you this unless…”

  “You can ask me for anything. I told you that. Seriously. So, go ahead.”

  Melisa shut her sore eyes and let the words pour out. “I need money.”

  “How much?” Carlene asked.

  “I’m not sure yet. I’ll find out tomorrow. I just wanted to know if you’d be prepared to lend me some.”

  “Of course. What’s it for?”

  “Mel’s Delights is being sold, and I want to buy it back.”

  “Your business? Have you finally gone over there?” Melisa could hear warmth in Carlene’s voice. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “I work there… for my friend Josie, who bought it from me.” And I used the money from the sale to pay gambling debts. The memory of what she had done with her life hit Melisa full force and she felt sick to her stomach. But maybe now was the time to make things right.

  “Melisa, from what you told me, that place was your lifelong dream. You can’t be working there as a regular employee. Hold on a second.”

  Carlene said something to Nick on the other end. What if Nick said no to lending the money? Melisa hated being a burden to anyone. The proud part of her wanted to tell Carlene to forget about it and she’d find a way to earn the money herself. But did she plan on doing that, really? No matter what she did, she would never get enough money in time.

  “Melisa?” Carlene returned to the phone. “Find out the cost as soon as possible. Nick and I will give you the money.”

  A tear trickled down Melisa’s cheek as she gripped the phone with her sweaty hand. When had she become such a crybaby? “Thank you.”

  ***

  Melisa arrived at Mel’s Delights just as Josie was about to close up.

  “Why did you run off like that? We weren’t done talking.”

  Melisa leaned against the counter. “I’m sorry. It was too painful to hear that someone else would own this place.”

  Josie sighed and stopped wiping crumbs off the counter. Her eyes filled with tears as she gazed at Melisa. “Someone already owns this place. The papers were signed today, not long after you left. I wanted to tell you. I even tried calling, but you didn’t pick up.” She shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Melisa.”

  Melisa nodded and turned on her heel to walk out of the only place that still felt like home.

  So much for being brave enough to start over. Maybe some people didn’t deserve second chances. Maybe the wrongs she’d done in her life were too severe to forgive. One of those wrongs came to mind, and she brushed it aside as she had done since the age of sixteen. Thinking about things she couldn’t change would drive her mad.

  The question remained: What was next for her? What did she have left?

  ***

  The phone rang just as Melisa let herself into the house. She hesitated before picking up. If she had a choice, she wouldn’t, but it could be Carlene. She hated having to repeat the bad news, to hear her own voice utter the words that had just destroyed her, but Carlene deserved to know.

  “It’s me.” Carlene sounded breathless.

  “Why do you sound as if you just climbed Mount Everest? Or should I say Mount Nick?” Melisa smiled in spite of herself.

  Carlene laughed and the sound both warmed and pierced Melisa’s heart. Would she ever be able to laugh like that again? Once upon a yesterday she was that kind of girl. She used to smile at the drop of a hat, but it got harder to smile after Heat walked over her heart, and even more so after Scott died. She was surprised she could even crack a joke after losing Mel’s Delights forever. Fate had certainly worked hard trying to wipe the smile off her face.

  “Very funny.” Carlene giggled. “I just got in from a prenatal Pilates class. So, tell me, how did it go? Name the price of your happiness.”

  “I was too late.” Melisa sank onto the couch as the words pummeled her like fists wearing brass knuckles.

  “What do you mean you were too late?”

  “The other buyer got the place. Papers were signed this afternoon.”

  Carlene was quiet for a long time, and Melisa could hear someone whispering in the background. Probably Nick, asking what had happened. “I’m so, so sorry. Is there anything else I can do?”

  “I really don’t know… not at this point.”

  “You do know it doesn’t have to be the end, right? You can open up a new place.”

  “It won’t be the same. Mel’s Delights was my dream since I was a kid. I came up with the name when I was ten.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. If there’s anything I can do, let me know, okay?”

  “Thanks. Thanks for offering to help. It means a lot.” It seemed her old life was gone forever, and she could not even take back the pieces that had fallen by the wayside. She had to take a different path altogether.

  After she ended the call, Melisa lay there with her eyes closed, meditating, trying not to think of anything. Meditation had helped her through some tough times. Much as she wanted to break her promise never to drink again, she wouldn’t. A knock at the door startled her and her lashes flew open.

  When she opened the door, her mouth dropped open and warmth flooded her cheeks. Heat was standin
g before her. The dream she’d had of them making love in the tub was still fresh in her mind.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, frowning.

  For a moment she watched him—the curves of his full lips, the five o’clock shadow that made him ruggedly handsome, the hair that peeked out near the hollow of his neck where the button of his shirt was undone. Before she could come to her senses, a forceful thought broke the walls she had erected in her heart—the walls that wouldn’t allow Heat to enter again. Suddenly they were crumbling, and she was feeling hotter. Yes, it was a warm day, but the kind of warmth she felt had nothing to do with that. It was between her legs.

  “Heat,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “Hmm… come in.”

  He entered, and she closed the door and leaned against it as he walked further into the house, his muscular butt moving inside his pants with every step. Suddenly she felt wet and desperate for him. Mel’s Delights was a fog in her mind, and the pain she’d felt earlier faded the longer she watched the man she had dreamed about every night when she was a teenager. The man she had never forgotten, however hard she tried. She had loved Scott, but she had never managed to get Heat completely out of her mind.

  Heat whistled, turning to face her. “What a place.”

  “Nice, isn’t it?” Melisa said, almost in a whisper. The effect he had on her now was so much stronger than any drop of alcohol. Her hands itched to rip his clothes off, to touch his body, to allow him to take her right there. Allow him to erase the memories of the day. But then her heart deflated like a balloon. What if he didn’t want her anymore? After all, the last time he’d tried to get close, she’d left him hanging.

  “Something is not right with you,” he said, walking toward her, eyes squinted. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  She moved toward him, close enough to feel his breath on her face. “No,” she whispered. “I’m not all right. Can you make me feel better?”

  To her surprise, Heat’s face lit up and he moved even closer, until his chest brushed her breasts, making her nipples harden under her blouse. “What do you have in mind?”

  She fixed her gaze on him. “You know exactly what I have in mind.” She reached for his hands, stroked the rough skin caused by the hard labor of saving lives. “I need a good fuck.”

  Heat threw back his head and chuckled. “Wow, I can’t believe you said that.” He let go of her hands and placed a finger under her chin, tipped it upwards. “Are you sure about this?”

  “I am at this moment. If you keep talking, that might change.”

  “In that case…” He lifted her chin even higher and lowered his lips to her mouth. He planted a kiss on her lips and then he wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her to him, so close that his erection throbbed against her leg.

  Oh, how she wanted him. Digging her fingers into his silky hair, she deepened the kiss, brushing her tongue against his and sucking on his upper lip as he sucked her bottom one.

  Then he glided both his hands down her butt to the hem of her skirt. With his mouth ravishing hers, he lifted her off the floor and she wrapped her legs around him.

  “Gosh, I’ve wanted this for so long,” he said against her lips as he moved her to the entrance hall couch. He lowered her down onto it so her back was against his arm and hovered over her. He removed her blouse and bra, his rough palms grazing her soft skin, turning up the fire in her body. She had always loved strong, masculine hands. And she was too horny to care that he would see the burn scar she tried so hard to hide and really only paid attention to it when massaging it with lotion every night.

  He lowered his head and licked each hard nipple. “For too long,” he whispered.

  “Don’t talk, just fuck,” Melisa panted, unbuttoning his shirt. She heard a button pop but didn’t care. She didn’t want to talk; talking brought up too many painful memories. Right now she wanted to forget. Heat had come at the right time.

  Accepting the invitation, Heat pushed away her hands, unbuttoned the rest of his shirt, and threw it off, then, breathing heavily, unbuckled his belt and yanked down the zipper of his pants.

  Melisa couldn’t wait to have him inside her; she slipped her hands into his jeans and wrapped her hands around his shaft, shifting so her entrance was at the same level. With the other hand, she moved the crotch of her panties aside and was about to help push him inside of her when alarm bells went off and she let go of him. Memories from the past flooded her mind. No matter how horny she was, she refused to make the same mistake twice. She only wished the answer to the question she was about to ask him would be a yes. “Do you have a…”

  “I do.” Heat lifted himself onto his knees and produced a condom from his pocket, which he unwrapped.

  Melisa didn’t want to think about why he had a condom in his pocket. Did he carry them around like a set of keys or had he planned on using it with someone else? She didn’t really give a damn, not right now. Maybe she’d ask later.

  “Want to help?” Heat asked, his blazing gaze not leaving her face.

  Melisa bit her lip and nodded. She reached out and glided her hand down his hard shaft, and he placed his hands on top of hers, guiding them.

  “So, you want a good fuck, huh?”

  Melisa nodded again and placed her arms around his neck, pulling his mouth back to hers. His lips were hot and velvety.

  Heat dragged his pants lower and positioned himself between her legs. He hiked up her skirt again and with a finger, moved her panties away from her crotch, as she had done before. Then he moved a hand to his cock and glided it into her, slowly at first, and then more urgently.

  Melisa dug her fingers into the base of his neck and groaned against his lips.

  Heat nipped her bottom lip and drove himself even deeper into her, into a place that had been off limits to anyone for years.

  Melisa moaned with pleasure when Heat moved above her, the hairs below his navel brushing her stomach, sending tingles all over her body.

  With one hand fondling her breast, he slid in and out, massaging her interior.

  Waves of pleasure ebbed and flowed through Melisa, and with each push she pressed hard against him, welcoming his erection deep inside her.

  “Shit, you’re so damn sexy.” Heat dug his fingers into Melisa’s thick hair and thrust into her again.

  She was drowning in ecstasy, almost couldn’t breathe.

  Still inside her, he pulled her to a sitting position, leaned back against the other arm of the couch, and positioned her on his lap. With his arms wrapped tightly around her, he pushed into her again, his butt lifting off the couch. Then he did it again and again, burying his face in her neck. He lifted her and lowered her onto his smooth, hard shaft over and over until sparks of pleasure raced through Melisa and met in an explosion deep inside her. She threw back her head and arched her back as the orgasm rocked her.

  Turned on by the pleasure he had given her, he slid in and out of her faster and faster now, cupping her butt tightly with his hand. Then he let out a guttural groan and his whole body contracted and stiffened as he held on tight to her. He grinded into her one more time and then, with a sigh, laid his head on her shoulder.

  Melisa kissed Heat’s fire tattoo on one side of his bulging chest and laid her head there, listening to his heart beating as he smoothed her hair. She used to want this so desperately, dreamed of falling asleep in his arms. She’d found him hot from the start, but as much as she’d wanted him to make love to her, she’d also wanted to be the girl that fell asleep next to him. Now the moment had come, but it was many years too late. Melisa felt a familiar tug in the pit of her stomach and lifted her head. She gazed into his eyes. “That was a mistake.” She sat up, her head still whirling from the rollercoaster ride, and put on her blouse without the bra, and her panties. “You need to get out of here.”

  “But—”

  “Please, go. I wanted to have sex with you, you wanted the same. We both got what we wanted and now it’s over.” A lump rose up inside M
elisa’s throat as she stood and smoothed down her skirt.

  Heat’s brows furrowed as he pulled up his underwear and jeans, then reached for his shirt. “What the fuck is going on? Is this about Scott?” He zipped up his fly. “Hell, Mel, he’s gone. It’s painful, but you have to move on.”

  Melisa’s stomach clenched when he called her Mel. After the one-night stand, she never allowed anyone to call her Mel again. Mel had been the love-struck, naïve girl who’d allowed a horny guy to use her and then throw her out of his life like garbage. Melisa was different. She had been dealt a hard blow in life. Many blows, in fact, but she was still standing. She placed her hands on her hips and squared her shoulders. “You’re right, maybe I do need to move on. But not with you.”

  Heat buttoned his shirt—at least, the buttons which were still intact—and then threw his arms in the air. “I can’t believe you’re still hung up on the past.” His jaw tightened. “That was years ago. What’s the big deal?”

  “What’s the big deal?” she said through clenched teeth. The bubble in her throat popped, releasing hot, liquid fury, which was fueled by the bad news she’d received today. Without thinking, she picked up from the coffee table the cookbook she’d been reading last night and threw it at him, hitting him in the chest where his fire tattoo was. “You fucked me and threw me out when your ex knocked on your door. Can you even comprehend the humiliation of being stuffed through a window like a whore? It changed things and left scars. So don’t you dare tell me it wasn’t a big deal.”

  Melisa was so overwhelmed with anger she didn’t notice Heat approaching her. He now stood mere inches from her, eyes gentle. “Mel,” he said softly. “As a teenager I did a lot of crazy things. Things I’ll never forgive myself for. I broke many people’s hearts, but the one I wish I could mend the most is yours. I chased after lots of girls, not knowing the best thing for me was right under my nose. You.” He moved even closer.