He moaned in response and the sound was so inviting that a fire kindled in Melody’s lower half. She should’ve added the sounds he made during sex to her list of things she appreciated about him. With a sigh, she focused her carnal appetites on the food in front of her. Day six couldn’t come soon enough.
“Ready for dessert?” she asked after they’d cleared the table and done the dishes.
She was in a mellow mood from the delicious food and thoroughly entertained by Kyle’s Club T’s stories about some of the crazy things customers had done. Everything from deliberate wardrobe malfunctions to brawling to couples engaging in sex challenges. As if by mutual agreement, they avoided bringing up anything that would result in an argument. Such as Hunter or their future plans.
“Hmm. Dessert,” Kyle murmured, cupping her face in his long fingers and tilting her head to the perfect angle.
As he slanted his lips over hers, sensation shimmered and then spread through her entire body until she felt bathed in joy. He’d always had that effect on her, even before she’d understood that in her subconscious mind he’d crossed from being an old family friend to a man she very much desired.
His tongue slid over hers, relearning her mouth. It was a soft, questing kiss. One meant to draw her out instead of claim her. It made it easy to relax and breathe him in. To absorb the warmth of his hands and let the memories unfold in her mind of all the kisses they’d shared. He asked her for nothing more than to revel in this moment with him.
She almost moaned in dismay when his lips lifted from hers. But he wasn’t done with her. His uneven breath tickled her skin as he seized her earlobe between his teeth, awakening a shudder.
“That was nice.” Melody breathed in his clean, masculine scent and held on like he was a life preserver and she was a woman in the middle of the ocean.
“So very nice. You taste way better than any dessert,” Kyle said, claiming her mouth once again. This time his hands moved over her with deliberate intent, but just as she was ready to surrender to jumping ahead to day six, he lifted his lips from her. “Do you want coffee as well?”
“Coffee?” she moaned as his hands fell away. “Just what I need, to be jacked up on caffeine all night so I can stay awake and think about that kiss.”
Kyle’s smile grew wicked.
“I have decaf,” he said
“Lovely.” She exhaled her disappointment. “Brew away.”
Her phone began to ring insistently from her purse as she cut slices of tiramisu and chocolate cake. By mutual agreement, they’d put away their phones for the duration of their evening. Unfortunately, Melody had neglected to turn hers off. She didn’t realize she’d stopped working and was staring toward the source of the sound until Kyle spoke.
“Do you want to get that?”
“No.” She finished putting their dessert on plates and carried them to the living room where Kyle had flipped on the fireplace. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
And for about five minutes she forgot all about the call as the chocolate cake melted on her tongue. But when her phone began to ring a second time, she twitched in dismay at another interruption.
“Sorry, I should’ve turned it off the first time,” Melody said, getting to her feet. The screen said it was Hunter calling. She winced and shut the phone down. “There, we shouldn’t have any more interruptions.”
“Who was it?” Kyle asked with studied indifference.
“No one important.” She picked up her plate again. “You know that corner right there would be perfect for a Christmas tree. We should get you one.”
Kyle’s expression grew serious. “I was planning to be back in LA for Christmas.”
“But...” What should she say to that? “I thought you’d want to spend Christmas with me.”
“I do,” he said, his gaze trailing away from her toward her purse. “In our house. In LA.”
“Your house,” she corrected automatically, startled by the sudden revelation. Not once had she considered his LA house her home. She’d never let herself settle in. It was almost as if she’d half expected their relationship would one day end. “And all my family will be here.”
By that she meant Trent, Savannah, Dylan, Nate and Mia. Even though the last two weren’t technically related to her, she’d come to think of them as more than just friends.
“I guess that answers my question as to where you’re planning to stay once you have the baby.”
“That’s not fair.” She hadn’t made any sort of decision. In truth, she was still running scared. “I don’t want to fight about this tonight.”
“Who was on the phone, Melody?” he asked again, this time with a tone of calm authority.
With a burst of irritation, she decided to tell him. The evening was falling apart anyway. “Hunter.” She debated whether or not she should explain the reason and Kyle’s flat expression told her it might damage their efforts to reconnect if she let him think the worst. “Ivy Bliss wants to record one of my songs, but needed some new verses so I was working on them earlier today.”
“And the reason Hunter called you?”