Sultry Groove (Reckless Beat #4) (18 page)

Not once did he touch her scar, or even come close to the vicinity. It was as if a greater force directed him in a different direction, giving him the knowledge to grip her right hip and never her left. It was perfect. Maybe too perfect, and she didn’t care. He gave her back a piece of herself by finding the old hidden Melody and coaxing her to the forefront. When they were naked, in the dark, she didn’t need to pretend anymore. He allowed her to be the woman she was born to be. He gave her the confidence to soar, right off the edge of passion into the wave of climax as he held her tight in his arms. His guttural moan followed, overwhelming her with the pride that accompanied pleasuring this gorgeous man.

With their bodies entwined, the powerful fingers of sleep began to nag at her. There were no evil thoughts to haunt her, no pain to announce itself over the throb still taking over her sex. Everything was right in the world…until he spoke against her neck.

“You’re a fantasy.”

That’s when the illusion crumpled, and the fragile Melody returned. He was exactly right. Their time together wasn’t real. It was a lie. A fallacy. A mistruth that may look like a picture-perfect vision on the outside, only underneath all the lies it was far from dreamy.

***

The feisty little
minx had fallen asleep in Sean’s arms, allowing him long moments to watch her without the threat of being caught. That’s when he knew he was done for. He’d jumped from an obsession with one woman, to a yearning for another that was ten times more potent. He wasn’t sure if it was healthy. In fact, he knew the sudden switch had to be a bad omen, and still he couldn’t stop himself from falling for her. He was dying to spend every waking moment around her smile and flexible body, and dreading more than ever the need to fly to New York.

Nightfall ticked by, with the faint glow of the streetlight beaming through the edge of her curtains. It wasn’t until the room began to lighten that he realized he must have drifted off at one point.

Red was now visible before him, her hair in a tangled mess on her pillow. He kissed her forehead, whispered a silent farewell, and slid from the bed. Still, he couldn’t drag his gaze away. The sheet clung to her breasts, her waist… He stopped breathing. She was naked with her left leg tangled around the sheet.

“Oh, shit.” The words whispered from his mouth.

Nausea warred with the anger churning in his stomach, and no matter how harsh the image before him, he couldn’t stop looking. Red was scarred, her beautiful body marred by a massive expanse of sunken, mutilated skin.

He’d prepared himself for the trivial evidence of a long-forgotten injury. What greeted him was dark and cruel and didn’t compute with the image he held of this dynamic, enigmatic woman. Her body had been brutalized. The perfection he’d known was marred with a scar far bigger and vicious than he could’ve imagined this tiny woman enduring. The sunken, crimson flesh stretched from a few inches above her knee, widening the higher it climbed until the damage consumed almost all of the outside of her left thigh and hip. The rest of her was flawless, the same smooth skin he’d become used to admiring.

She shifted in her sleep, uttering a mumbled sound that made him flee into the hall in fear of being caught. He couldn’t face her. Not now. Since Ryan found her secrets online, Sean had gone through unending conversations in his head. She’d convinced him, with her lithe movements and what turned out to be lies of omission, that the motorcycle accident had only left her with emotional scars. Nevertheless, he’d prepared himself for some type of physical evidence of what she’d gone through. Something to explain her inability to be touched or seen naked. He’d told himself no damage, no matter how prevalent, could affect him. Nothing would.

Fuck was he wrong.

He wanted to throw up. Not from the sight, but from the pain she must have, and still could be, enduring. How could he hide that? How could he look her in the eye and pretend he wasn’t gutted for her?
Christ.
He leaned against the wall and scrubbed a hand over the bump on his nose. Even worse, how could he walk from her house without a word?

“Sean?” Her sleep riddled voice echoed down the hall.

He didn’t reply. Didn’t breathe. He pressed himself further against the wall for what seemed like an eternity until she mewled and the familiar sound of her sleepy inhalations reached his ears.

Fuck.

He’d screwed up. Big time. And now he had to figure out how he could look her in the eye again without showing the heartache he felt toward the battle she was trying to wage on her own.

Saturday night arrived
in a rush of excitement and belly-fluttering nerves. Melody had never been this eager to see a guy. Ever. Sean had left early Wednesday morning, leaving her to wake up alone and suffering from a loss akin to a long-term farewell instead of a mere four days.

Those eighty-four hours made her realize there was no hope to quit her charade. She couldn’t walk away, or backtrack from the place they’d reached. She’d become addicted to the invigorating sensation he filled her with, no matter how harsh the outcome when they went their separate ways.

She wanted him. He wanted her. As long as she could keep her secrets and maintain her pride, they could continue to enjoy each other. She was going to suppress all the negativity and simply savor.

At least, that was the plan she’d committed to while driving along highway 60, her speed slightly over the limit as she rushed to see him again. The final minutes before their reunion were proving to be the hardest. She even cranked her radio volume to the point of ear-bleeding pain to stop the delirious thoughts taking over her concentration.

“Melly. Melly. Melly. Melly.” Her sister’s ringtone was barely audible over the heavy bass of her car speakers.

“Damn it.” She pulled to the side of the road, cursing yet another delay, and rummaged one-handed through the depths of her handbag to find the source of the vibrations.

She was late. Five minutes. Maybe ten. Either way, it was too long. She’d wanted to arrive at Sean’s penthouse early, dressed in her sexiest outfit. Unfortunately, with her body issues, she had to go through her entire wardrobe, trying everything on twice before she settled on black leather, three-quarter length pants and a white strapless lace top that was noticeably see-through except for the small expanse of material covering her breasts. It was an outfit for the dancer ego—attention seeking, sexy as hell, and something she hadn’t dreamed of wearing again.

“Hello.” She raised her voice, yelling over the radio as she jammed the phone in the hands-free holder.

“What the hell is that noise?”

She lunged to turn down the music and then increased the volume on her cell. “Radio. Sorry. What’s up? I’m in a hurry.”

“A hurry for what?”

Last month, before she met Sean and his empowering smile, she would’ve lied and told Blair she had a wedding dance class or something equally lame so no one in her family was privy to the impending humiliation of another guy rejecting her. But her excitement at seeing Sean took over.

She hadn’t expected him to keep in contact while he was out of town. Instead, he’d surprised her, calling every night, every morning, and sometimes in between, to talk about everything and nothing.

She became hooked on the sound of his voice, and every time her cell rang, her pulse spiked. He made her smile, during their conversations and also at random points throughout the day when she was alone and left with her thoughts.

“I’m late for a date.” The car filled with silence. Melody wasn’t sure if she had a cell problem or her sister’s shock stopped the conversation. “Blair?” She maximized the phone volume and checked her screen. Nope, the call wasn’t disconnected.

“Yeah, I’m here. Just surprised, that’s all.”

It was Melody’s turn to stumble for the right words to fill the void. Her accident hadn’t only affected her career and personality. It affected her family, too. She’d shunned them for a long time, deliberately keeping her distance because whenever she spoke to them, they pried. Her mother cried a lot, unable to understand why Melody couldn’t talk about quitting dancing professionally. And Blair… Well, Melody assume her sister felt rejected. At one time, they shared everything. Now they rarely spoke.

“So, who’s the lucky guy?”

“Really, it’s nothing. I shouldn’t have called it a date. It’s just dinner at his house with one of his friends.”

“Come on, Mel, this is the first time you’ve sounded happy in a long time. At least tell me who’s responsible.”

The reminder was a stab through her chest. “His name’s Sean. I’m choreographing a project for his band, that’s all. I got a little carried away.”

“No, you didn’t. Don’t sound so defeated. I hate that you do that now. You never used to be anything less than one hundred percent confident.”

Melody turned into Sean’s street and let her insecurities disappear at the sight of his building. “Sorry. I can’t help it.” She leaned over the steering wheel and focused on the top of his apartment building, to the windows of the penthouse. She couldn’t see through the reflective glass, but the thought of him up there, maybe watching her, sent a skitter of anticipation down her spine.

“Tell me about him?”

“I can’t. Not right now, anyway.” Melody pulled into the parking lot and drove her car into the closest available space to the front doors. “I’m already here. I’ve really gotta go.”

“Then call me after.” Her sister’s voice raised in panic, or excitement, Melody wasn’t sure. “I want to hear all about it.”

“I’ll see how I go. I don’t know when I’ll get home.”

“Please,” Blair pleaded. “I don’t care how late it is. I miss you. I just want to hear your voice.”

Emotion clogged Melody’s throat as she slid from the car. “OK. I’ll call you later. Or I’ll send you a message if it’s too late.”

“It won’t be too late. Just call me.”

“All right.” Her heart fluttered with the long-forgotten sensation of happiness. She was finding herself again, with the help of Sean. Having her sister call and smooth the path of reconnection with her family seemed like perfect timing. A sign maybe. “Bye, Blair.”

“Have fun.”

Melody disconnected the call and shoved her cell into her handbag. The lobby was deserted, and the glass doors locked. With a huff of over-excited frustration, she shot her gaze over the intercom buttons and found Sean’s
Penthouse
label right at the top. As she was about to press it, the front doors released a loud click. He
had
been watching her. Either that, or another resident had perfect timing.

Move
.
Move. Move.

She shoved past the doors, and hustled through the empty lobby. A nervous sixty second elevator ride later, then she strode into the hall of Sean’s apartment building and stopped dead in her tracks.

Sean was at the entry to his apartment, holding the door open for Mason and Sidney. He hadn’t even noticed her as he leaned forward and engulfed his friend’s fiancée in an affectionate hug. There was a kiss, a brief brush of his lips against Sidney’s cheek, which may have been innocent—his closed eyes spoke otherwise. The connection was filled with potent familiarity and enough emotion to have Melody slinking back as heat entered her cheeks. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself. Look away? Continue forward? Act as though she wasn’t the slightest bit jealous of his mouth on another woman?

She watched in silence as they pulled apart, exchanging whispered words she couldn’t hear before the couple entered the apartment. That’s when her gaze met Sean’s and the sapphire eyes she’d dreamed of stared back at her, traveling from her plain black leather sandals all the way to the see-through material of her top.

“Dayum, Red. You really know how to impress a guy.”

Walk, woman
. One foot in front of the other. She smiled, pushing her insecurities behind the brick wall she’d built and ate up the distance between them. There was no room to hesitate tonight. She came here on a mission, determined to show him a piece of the woman she used to be.

“Nice to see you too, Sean.”

She kept her pace steady, planning on walking straight past him, keeping it cool, showing her vagina who was boss. Every nerve was on high alert with her approach, the richly intoxicating scent of his aftershave dried her mouth to the point of pain. As she reached him, she patted his chest playfully in greeting and continued forward.

Regret swamped her. She should’ve welcomed him with a kiss, something hot and heavy to wipe away the scent of the other woman. Instead, she continued walking, head held high until his grip enveloped her arm, and he forcefully yanked her into his body.

She had a second to gasp as his hands cupped her face, his fierce eyes ensnaring her, hiding a severity she hadn’t seen before. Then the desire to breathe was lost when his mouth slammed against hers. She slumped into him, at his mercy, becoming lost in the harsh stroke of his tongue and the rough way his hands held her captive.

He kissed her until she couldn’t think. He lavished her with affection until she lost sense of time. There was only Sean. His mouth. His hands. The stiffness of his erection nudging against her abdomen.

“He must be hungry,” a male voice vibrated off the walls. “He’s eating her face off.”

Melody pushed against Sean’s chest, breaking the connection. For a second, she forgot they had company. She also forgot she was dressed like a cheap hooker in her see-through lace top.

“Leave them alone,” Sidney hissed.

Melody froze and waited for the shadows marring her periphery to move out of view. “Why didn’t you tell me they were coming?” She kept her tone light.

“While I was in New York, Ryan opened his mouth about you coming over.” Sean released a heavy sigh and slumped against the wall, taking her with him. “So they decided to crash.”

“Right.” She nodded, breaking eye contact. “That information would’ve been handy while I was choosing my outfit. As you can see, I dressed from the slutty wardrobe meant only for your eyes, not the one where I thought I’d be mingling with the masses.”

“Yeah, every inch of me noticed what you’re wearing, Red.” His voice was smooth as silk, yet his gaze lingered on her left thigh, making her nervous, as if he could see right through her clothes to the devastation beneath. “I did tell you Ryan was going to be here, though. You remembered that, right?”

“Yes,” she murmured. “You also told me he spent most of his time alone in his room. Screw me if I’m wrong, but I expected we’d be alone most of tonight.”

“Unfortunately, you are wrong,” he growled. “Because I’d
screw you
in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. But we can leave. Let’s go to your place and get nekkid. I’ll strap you to the bed and do all the things I’ve been dreaming about since Tuesday night.”

Her skin prickled with anticipation, from her nipples to the tips of her toes. “Can we?” Ditching his guests would be rude, and her libido didn’t care one little bit.

“I was joking.” Sean chuckled, the playfulness not quite reaching his blue irises as he placed a chaste kiss against her lips. “Maybe later, after they leave.”

“Sean.” She nibbled her bottom lip and pleaded with her eyes. “I’m wearing a
see-through
top.”

“Yep.” He scowled. “And imagine how fucking hard it’s going to be to have two of my best friends drooling over you.”

“Don’t forget Mason’s wife.”

“Fiancée.” His change in tone made her straighten. “Don’t worry about Sidney, she’s not going to judge.”

Melody wasn’t convinced. Men had no clue how women ticked. They smiled with brilliance and hid their scorn for later, waiting for the perfect moment to inflict their jealousy-fueled blows. She knew because she’d been on the receiving end of envy for the majority of her life.

“You must know her well.”

“Well enough.” He diverted his gaze toward the people chatting out of view at the end of the hall. “Come on. Let’s get this over and done with.”

Melody groaned. What the hell had she been thinking? That was probably the problem—she
hadn’t
been thinking. Not with anything above her waist anyway. Her needy lady bits were entirely responsible for her slide back into the confident past. Now, here she was, in the darker shade of the present, where she’d prefer to be dressed in a muumuu if it meant gaining less attention from strangers.

“You’ll be fine.” Sean grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers in a familiar gesture that lessened her nerves. He led her forward, from the sanctuary of the hall, into the open area of his living room.

Her skin prickled, anticipating their stares, which never eventuated. Ryan lazed on the sofa, entranced in the music channel, with Sidney and Mason in the kitchen, making themselves at home.

“Don’t be nervous,” Sean murmured close to her ear. “You look gorgeous.”