AllFreeNovel
Share Us
In the next instant she moved off him and the bed, leaving nothing but cool air washing over his heated flesh. Scooping up her clothes from the floor, she headed for his bathroom, saying over her shoulder
, “I’ll get dressed and you can take me to get my car. I’m sure you have plenty to do today and I don’t want to get in your way.”
No, he really didn’t have any plans, just work that he could easily put off until Monday. As she closed the door behind her and he sat alone in his bedroom with a raging hard-on with no relief in sight, he had the oddest feeling that he’d just experienced his first brush-off.
He rolled his shoulders and stacked his hands behind his head, confused and baffled by all that had just transpired in the past half hour.
There had been no talk of a relationship, and no mention of the tempting letter she’d written that stated she’d never get enough of him. It was as though last night and the fantastic sex they’d shared had never happened at all.
She was getting under his skin and throwing him off balance, and he had no idea what to expect from her anymore. She’d become an enigma, unpredictable and spontaneous, a woman full of sensual secrets that drew him. Seduced him. Thrilled him.
And now that he had intimate knowledge of how amazing it felt to be buried deep inside her, he had no idea how he was going to resist her allure.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“How in the world did you manage to convince my brother to let you accompany him on the Russell case?” Joelle asked Melodie, her amused voice drifting over the partition separating the boutique’s dressing room from the viewing area.
“It was all a matter of showing him I was the right woman for the job,” Melodie replied as she hung the four dresses she’d selected on the hook next to the mirror in her small cubicle. The charity auction was three days away, and she still needed an outfit for the black-tie affair. “And I do have to say, it’s been fun doing so.”
“I just bet!” Jo chuckled, the sound laced with mirth. “I have to give you credit, Mel. He’s a hard man to convince when he’s got his mind set on something, but he’d have to be half-dead if he didn’t see all the changes in you over the past week and a half.”
Cole had seen plenty, Melodie thought as she stepped into a slinky, glittery sheath. More than his sister or anyone else realized. He’d seen her naked, flushed with passion for him and writhing with desire beneath his hard, strong body. He’d seen her at her most uninhibited, and her most vulnerable. She’d shared nuances of her personality with Cole no other man had ever glimpsed before.
While he was familiar with the reliable, efficient secretary he’d hired, he was gradually discovering facets of the new woman she’d become. And she was fairly confident that he liked the fascinating combination, though a part of her couldn’t help but wonder, when the case was over and there was no need to be quite so flashy to get his attention, would he still be so intrigued by her? Or was he only drawn to the bold, daring creature she’d recently become?
Day by day she was distinguishing what she liked best about the changes she’d made to her appearance and what she didn’t care for. She loved certain aspects of being a sensual woman with naughty inclinations, but ultimately wanted to be true to her inner self and be comfortable in her own skin. And that meant tossing out her wilder, brazen antics and finding a balance somewhere in between.
Melodie straightened the dress over her figure, not caring for the way the metallic material scratched her skin when she moved. She preferred soft, silky material against her flesh, a recent luxury she’d come to enjoy with the lingerie she’d bought and the clothes she’d chosen to wear. The more sensuous fabrics reminded her of the way Cole’s lips felt skimming along her belly and thighs. The smooth, sleek friction of satin and silk aroused her senses and kept her body and mind in touch with her newfound sensuality.
Even now, heat flowed through her veins and her nipples were taut and tingling, aching for Cole’s touch to soothe the restless hunger that had grown over the past few days.
“The black sheath doesn’t work for me,” she called out to Jo, who was waiting for her to model the dresses for her. “I’m going to try on the next outfit.”
“Okay,” Jo said around a yawn. “Take your time. This chair is real comfy and I haven’t had my afternoon nap yet.”
Melodie laughed, shaking her head. “I swear, that baby has given you the best excuses to eat and sleep.”
“I’m storing up on the sleep. From what everyone is telling me, I won’t be getting much rest after the baby arrives.”
Letting Jo relax for a few more minutes, Melodie stripped out of the first gown and put on the second, a lace slip dress that puckered in all the wrong places but did amazing things for her cleavage. She trailed her fingertips over the swell of her breasts and closed her eyes, imagining that Cole was in the cubicle with her, wishing it were his hands stroking her sensitive skin instead of her own.
It had been five days since they’d had sex, and neither she nor Cole had brought up the erotic, unforgettable night they’d spent together, though the sexual tension between them at the office was at an all-time high…just as she’d intended, she mused with a secretive smile curving her lips.
Remembering an excerpt from The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad about how men wanted what they couldn’t easily have, Melodie had put the advice to good use the morning after their night together. Since she’d shown him how good it could be between them physically and emotionally, she’d decided she was then going to let those actions speak for themselves. Without pressure or smothering demands, she was giving Cole time and space to adjust to the change in their relationship, and though at times he still seemed confused by the change in her behavior, her strategy of being friendly and playful seemed to be working.
It had been difficult to resist opportunities to kiss Cole, but she’d managed to refrain and the anticipation between them had only increased. She’d allowed no touching beyond casual caresses and accidental brushes, but had indulged in a whole lot of teasing and long, lingering, seductive looks that seemed to keep him in a high state of awareness where she was concerned.
She’d been extremely careful not to give him any reason to throw up barriers or withdraw from her. As a result of the playful friendship she’d established with him at the office, they’d formed a tentative, fragile bond. She felt optimistic that they might be able to work past Cole’s reservations toward her and, in time, give an intimate relationship between them a chance.
Changing into the third garment, a bandeau-style dress, she stepped from the room to get Jo’s opinion. “What do you think?” she asked, twirling for her friend’s inspection.
“Hmm. I can’t say I love it,” Jo said candidly, rubbing a spot on her belly where the baby seemed to be kicking a lot lately. “I think you could find something much more flattering.”
Jo’s honesty was the reason Melodie had brought her along to find an appropriate dress. She’d never had a mother or sister to give her advice, and she valued Jo’s judgment.
“I can’t say that it screams ‘buy me’ either,” Melodie agreed, and flicked her finger at the bulky silk corsage sewn onto the waist of the gown. “I think it’s this gaudy flower that makes me think of a prom dress.”
“I think you’re right,” Jo said, grinning.
