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NINE
Melanie
I
locked myself in the bathroom and stepped into the shower, overwhelmed by the prior events. I let the cold water wash away my tears. I didn’t want Shane to see me miserable like this. I felt like I was wearing out my welcome in his house. But the truth was, I didn’t know what to do with myself, with my life in general. I felt like I was about to break; at the same time, I was trying so fucking hard not to. I closed my eyes, letting the tears drip down my face, mingling with the water stream. Shane’s words echoed in my head.
He only dated you because of an arrangement between your father and Robert Ledford.
I finally broke. I let myself cry, not holding back my tears while I washed my body inch by inch, trying to erase any memory of Theo touching me. I was so hurt that Theo, despite knowing that my father had never loved me, never cared about me, and only kept using me for his games, agreed to plot behind my back with him, my father, my worst enemy. How could I be so stupid? So blind? How did I not see it was all a part of their game? I should’ve known better.
I WASN’T SURE how long I spent there in the shower. A few minutes? Half an hour? More? I took a few deep breaths and stepped out, resting against the granite countertop and looking at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was wet, drops of water dripping down my bare arms until sinking into a white towel I wrapped around my naked breast. I stared at myself, feeling numb, torn, hurt, uncertain, depressed, and furious all at once. I felt like people around me never noticed what I was going through. Everyone had always assumed I led a rich and glamorous life. Many envied me for money, fame, and position. But no one had ever noticed how damaged I was. No one had seen those dark demons I fought with every single day—the kind of demons invisible to the eye, living inside you. Inside your head, broken into pieces, haunting you when you talk, laugh, eat and even sleep. But just because you couldn’t see those big, sharp teeth or the scary claws didn’t mean they weren’t real. But that was the bare truth. That was the world I lived in. People refused to see your suffering until it went too far. They just didn’t care. Until Shane… he showed up in my life at my lowest, offering me something I’d never had—a sense of security, care, and attention. I didn’t understand why. Maybe I was too hungry for any of that to refuse him, despite the warning signs I chose to ignore. The fact that a man I knew for a few days gave me something my family, friends, or boyfriend failed to offer was breaking me even more.
“Melanie?” I heard soft knocks followed by Shane’s husky voice rumbling through the door. “Are you okay? I’m worried. It’s been an hour since you’ve locked yourself in there.”
An hour?
“Yeah.” I cleared my throat, wiping the tears away before adding, “I’m okay. I’m sorry. I’ll get dressed and be gone in no time.”
“Are you kidding me?” I wasn’t sure if he sounded more sarcastic or troubled, but before I could reply, he unlocked the door and stepped inside, giving me an affected look.
I turned to face him, jaw dropped. “How did you—”
“It doesn’t matter.” He took a few steps closer to me and cupped my cheeks with his hands, looking down into my eyes. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Shane, I can’t wear out my welc—” I protested, but he cut me off.
“You’re not. Stop overthinking, Melanie.”
“Easier said than done,” I sighed, my tone somewhat sarcastic, somewhat drained. “It’s not you occupying a stranger’s house.”
“A stranger?” he asked. “That’s what I am to you?”
“Shane, I…” I didn’t know what to say. Frankly speaking, despite knowing this man for just a mere few days, I’d felt a deeper bond with him than with any other person I’d ever met before.
His eyes darted between mine expectantly. “Tell me, Melanie. Am I just a stranger to you?”
“What am I to you, Shane?”
“Definitely not a stranger,” he replied without hesitation. “Not after last night,” he whispered, running his thumb over my lower lip where he set his hypnotizing eyes.
He traced his fingertips down my wet, bare arm, leaving goose bumps on my skin. My lips parted involuntarily as I fixed my gaze on his tempting lips. In an instant, I was burning—burning with lust. I could never explain the effect Shane had on me, but whenever he was close, I wasn’t capable of thinking straight. Unable to fight the temptation. One spark was enough to ignite the flame of pure lust, electrifying desire setting my body on fire in just a fraction of a second. There was a strong physical attraction we both failed to resist.
“Take me, Shane,” I whispered, brushing my lips against his as I slid my hand at the back of his neck, pulling him closer.
“Melanie…” he muttered, trying to combat the dark cravings.
“Don’t, Shane. Don’t fight it,” I both demanded and pleaded. Our breaths were ragged, mingling against our lips. “Make me forget.”
And so he did.
He moved his hand to the back of my head, entwining his fingers in my wet hair, and crashed his lips onto mine, hard and demanding. He put his other hand on my waist before gliding it down to my thigh, kneading it. I slid my hands underneath his shirt, grazing my nails against his bare, toned body, and his muscles tensed. He started kissing my neck, moving his hand up to my tight nipples underneath the towel, my body quivering under his touch. I swiftly took his shirt off above his head and threw it away before kissing him again, our tongues tangling in need. He grabbed the hem of the towel and, with one swift move, ripped it off me, revealing my naked body to him.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, Melanie,” he hissed, trailing heated kisses down my body, and I let out a soft moan.
I searched for his belt and unbuckled it, impatient. He looked at me, his lips swollen and eyes black with sheer lust, ready to devour me. He grabbed me by my ass and lifted me to position me on the cold countertop behind me before kneeling down between my legs. He started licking and sucking my core, and penetrating me with his tongue, driving me crazy with desire. I lost myself to the mad arousal he was causing to my body, grabbed his hair, and arched my back, resting my head against the mirror. I heard a deep growl escaping his throat before he stood up and looked at me. His eyes were dark, hungry, filled with savage lust. He unzipped his fly, freeing his hard manhood.
He wiped his mouth with his hand, never leaving his inflamed gaze off me as he hissed in a low tone, “Are you ready to be fucked?”
