Saving Mel

My loneliness had almost eaten me alive before those kids came to stay with me, and I could see the loneliness etched into her face.

I found myself wanting to do anything I could to make her feel better.

She grabbed for my beer bottle and our fingers touched again. That spark ignited, sending a chill ricocheting up my arm. It puckered the skin on my exposed forearm while her cheeks began to tint again but this time she reared up and walked away.

I couldn’t let the moment slip away again.

Especially since I didn’t know how long she would stay.

I heard the bottles clattering down onto the kitchen counter before her footsteps approached me from behind. She came around and stepped over me, trying to get back to her side of the couch. My hands were upon her hips before I could think my actions through, her body tumbling onto mine as her hands pressed into the swell of my chest.

She pressed against my muscles even as her eyes darted towards my lips.

We sat there in silence and I could feel her trembling in my lap. Her hands were still pressing against me, so I lightened my touch, letting her know that if she didn’t want this, it didn’t have to happen.

But even as her hands pressed into my chest, her lips slowly made their way toward mine.

The kiss was hesitant and guarded. Like she was feeling out what I would do. My hands gripped her hips and slowly scooted her closer, and her heat started radiating down onto my cock. Her plump lips massaged themselves against mine as the palms of her hands pressed into my chest, and soon she fisted her hands in my shirt to pull me closer. My arms slipped around her lower back, drawing her nearer to my raging cock. She was still shivering, still panting with an anxiety I couldn’t quite place.

But she moaned into my lips before she planted her knees into the couch, opening herself to me as her tongue found mine.

I could feel my cock throbbing against my jeans. I could feel my fingertips drifting underneath the hem of her sweatshirt. The softness of her skin was exactly how I’d imagined it would be and it sent electricity surging through my veins. I wanted her more than I could stand.

Her hands tugged at my flannel. I could feel her quivering fingertips trying to undo the buttons on my shirt. Her hips were grinding down into me, coaxing my cock more awake than it had ever been. I could feel it already leaking from its tip and, as my hands rushed up her back, I felt her pause.

I held every single carnal part of me back as she pulled taut.

“Melanie?” I asked. “Are you all right?”

But all she did was tremble before she slowly removed her hands from my shirt.

“Uncle Evan?”

Liam’s small voice pierced the room and Melanie went flying. She jumped off my lap and stood on her feet, her head whipping around on a swivel to see if he was in the room. She took off for the hallway as I groaned, running my hands through my hair as I tried to will my erection to go away. I could hear Melanie comforting Liam and trying to coax him into going back to sleep, but all I could think about was her reaction.

How tense she’d become the moment my hands raced up her back.

“I’m gonna get him some water,” I heard Melanie say.

I heard the water running for just a little bit before it shut off. I turned around and watched her as her eyes rose to mine. I could see them darkened with lust but, as the haze slowly cleared up, there was something else there that was slowly becoming familiar with her.

There was fear and I didn’t know what I’d done to scare her so badly.

“I’m gonna give this to Liam and then I’m gonna head to bed,” she said.

“Here, I can get it,” I said.

I got up and approached her and she took a small step back. It sank my heart knowing she was frightened of me for some reason. I reached my long arm out for the cup and she handed it over to me, our fingers brushing up against one another as the cup transferred ownership.

Her neck flushed at the contact just as tears rose to her eyes.

“Goodnight, Evan,” she said breathlessly.

Then, I watched her walk past me and stride down the hallway before I could even wish her a goodnight in return.

CHAPTER 12

MELANIE

I woke up the next day to the world still coated in darkness. I lay there and tried to get back to sleep, but it wasn’t doing me any good. My mind was whirling with thoughts of the night before. My lips still felt swollen from Evan’s kiss, and my head pounded with the pressure of unreleased sexual tension.