“I don’t know.” She shook her head back and forth. “He’s staying in Carson Cove—somewhere.”
“Name?” My fists balled out of instinct.
“I—I shouldn’t. His family threatened to take Charley away from me if I asked for help after they found out I was pregnant. He threatened to do the same again today…” She seemed to be fighting off tears again. “I don’t want to antagonize him…”
“Antagonize?” I shook my head back and forth. “He’s not going to be antagonized—he’s going to get a one-way trip to the edge of town and a lot of fucking motivation not to come back.”
“He needs help.” Melanie lifted the handkerchief and wiped it along the bottom of her eyes. “I saw him take some pills. He wouldn’t even let me look at the bottle. I got my bruise because I asked…”
“If he’s an addict, then he’s not going to get help until he wants it.” I shrugged. “He can figure that out somewhere other than Carson Cove.”
“If he bothers me again, I’ll tell you—I promise.” She looked up at me.
“Okay.” I pulled her into my arms. “You better not break that promise.”
There was a rage growing inside of me, but I understood why Melanie couldn’t tell me—that didn’t mean I was going to sit idly by while a threat loomed on the horizon. I could figure out who she was with in high school. I had plenty of resources at my disposal. The guy that put the bruise on her arm wasn’t going to stay in Carson Cove. I was going to help her whether she asked for it or not. Drugs brought out the worst in people, but it was no excuse for what he did. If he was clo
se enough to do that, then he could have really hurt her—and her daughter. She was smart enough to know that, but emotions were complicated—the past was complicated—and she obviously loved him at one time. Even if he was an asshole, he was still her kid’s father.
Even after everything Mary did, I never once forgot that she was the mother of my children—which is why I held my tongue, even when I had plenty to say…
Chapter Eleven
Melanie
I thought my trip to Jon’s house would give me a chance to tie off one of the loose ends that were fraying—instead I found a man who refused to let go of me. His arms were so inviting, and it felt good to be in them. I cried on his shoulder—I told him about Charley—and it didn’t scare him off. I never thought I would be able to trust another guy after the horrible things Jackson did to me when I was a teenager, but Jon gave me a reason to feel hope again. I didn’t want him to go after Jackson or run him out of Carson Cove, even though that would have solved my immediate problem—I felt like that would just create more. If Jackson made good on his threat and actually called his mother, then it was going to get worse before it ever got better.
I’ve never had anyone I could lean on except my mom. I need this closeness more than I even realized…
Underneath the exterior of the hottest guy I had ever laid eyes on was a kind heart that beat with an intensity I didn’t have. I knew how to stand on my own two feet—I knew how to fire back when I was cornered—I knew how to survive. Jon had a different kind of strength, but he needed something too. He had a big house, a great job, and more money than I could imagine, but he was lonely—and broken. Did right and wrong even matter if two people burned with desires that there was no reason to fight? The fact that he was my boss—or would be my boss—seemed irrelevant after my emotional breakdown. He was the one who pushed the pieces back together when I thought Jackson had shattered me for the second time.
“Would you like some more water?” Jon motioned to my glass. “Or something stronger?”
“No.” I leaned back from his embrace. “There’s only one thing I want right now.”
You…
I tried to kiss Jon—but his lips crushed mine before I had a chance. I ignored all of the reasons that it shouldn’t happen. I simply didn’t care. I had been searching for something since I moved to Carson Cove, and it wasn’t the man who replaced the boy who broke my heart. The past needed to stay where it was, not come flooding into the present, and it sure as hell wasn’t going to turn my future into an abyss. I gave into my desires—and the arms of the man who made my knees weak when he looked at me—the man who made my skin sizzle with a touch. The kiss was filled with so much passion that it made the one we shared the previous night feel like a peck on my cheek. His tongue intertwined with mine—and he ravaged my mouth as he pushed me back against the couch.
“No matter what happens between us…” Jon looked up, and his eyes met mine. “We never apologize—we never call it a mistake—we never say we’re sorry.”
“Never…” I sealed the promise with one word, and our lips seared together again.
Jon’s hands felt so good on my body. The last ones that touched me belonged to the asshole I never wanted to see again—or even think about. Jon was doing a damn good job of turning every memory upside down with a sizzling fire that roared to life. His lips moved to my neck—his hands pulled at my shirt—I just existed in that moment with him—unable to do more than squirm. I had no idea how to make love. Before it was always so clumsy and rough. I was ordered to lay down—ordered to open my mouth—ordered to spread my legs so that Jackson could claim my cherry like it was some sort of prize. Jon was gentle, even when the passion erupted between us. It was like a sweetness that I wanted to savor instead of clandestine cruelty I just had to endure until it was over.
“You’re so beautiful. Your eyes trapped me in their gaze the first time that I saw them, and I haven’t been able to look away since…” He pressed his lips to my ear. “I want you so fucking bad.”
“I want you more…” I wrapped my arms around him and purred into his ear.
Jon pulled my shirt over my head and brushed my hair out of my eyes before he started removing my bra. His lips kissed my sternum while he squeezed my breasts—then his tongue turned my nipples into hard nubs. He kissed his way down my abdomen—and his hands moved to the front of my jeans. He twisted the button with his fingers—slowly slid the denim down the curve of my hips—and started kissing his way up my legs. My body was practically shaking with desire—and my panties were so wet that I thought they were going to literally melt off my hips. They didn’t have a chance—he wrapped his fingers around them and started peeling them off. I lifted up so that it would be easier and exhaled sharply when they were tossed to the floor.
What is he doing? Oh god!
Jon kissed my inner thighs, and then he moved between them. I felt the heat of his breath on my skin—on my pussy—and then his tongue began to penetrate my wetness. Jackson certainly never did that—and it felt amazing. Jon circled the entrance of my pussy with his tongue, moved it along the edge of my pussy lips, and then his fingers pushed the hood away from my clit. His tongue flicked against it and started making quick circles—and it felt like my head was spinning faster than his tongue when the pleasure shot through my body. I ran my hands through his hair, gasped, and a majestic feeling began to overpower my senses.
“That feels good—so good…” I moaned, and my body quivered.
Jon mastered my clit in a matter of seconds. He figured out what speed made me quiver—what intensity made me moan—and he didn’t let up. He held that rhythm and sent euphoria through my veins. It didn’t take long for a pressure to build up inside me. Jackson never brought me to orgasm—he didn’t care enough—or maybe he just didn’t know how. Jon certainly did. He hadn’t even removed his shirt, and I was already spiraling towards bliss. The pressure got tighter with every pleasurable rotation around my clit. I was getting closer by the second. My nails dug into his scalp, and my back arched.