into the bedroom. He set his clothes on the dresser and sat down at the desk chair by the window, then unzipped his bag, which sat on the floor by the desk, and pulled out his cell phone cord. He plugged it in.
He sat back in the chair. He still seethed at the thought of Travis kissing Melanie. And the thought of Melanie melting into Travis’ arms, enjoying his attention, sent a sharp pang of jealousy through the pit of his stomach.
She was
his
woman and he didn’t want her craving any other man.
He raked his hand through his hair. Fuck, he needed to get some sleep, but he couldn’t bring himself to slide in beside her warm, delightfully feminine body right now.
Maybe he’d jot down some ideas he had for a new song. He turned on his phone, then activated a flashlight app, and pulled open the desk drawer for a pad and pen. A stack of papers, tied with a ribbon, caught his eye and he picked it up. He shone the light on the top one and … fuck, it was a drawing of a man. Naked.
He frowned and untied the ribbon, then glanced through them.
Shit, it wasn’t any naked man. It was
him.
It was his Savage Kiss tattoo. It was his face.
He continued glancing through the stack. All of them were of him. Not all naked. But most were. And there were dozens of them.
He glanced at her sleeping face and smiled. She may have been tempted by Travis’ kiss, but clearly it was Storm she was thinking of.
Diego was right.
Melanie had missed Storm.
And she deserved to have his full attention. Not be left on her own, wondering if he was really going to be there for her. Wondering if the relationship was going to work.
Before Jessica, he’d never really had a relationship. In fact, he’d avoided them. His dad had really done a number on him, making him believe he didn’t deserve to be loved, but he was coming to realize that he couldn’t let his father’s attitudes continue to control him. He stared at Melanie. Her sweet face was barely visible in the low light, but he could make out her lovely features, so angelic in sleep. She was worth the chance.
Her eyelids opened and she gazed at him. Then she smiled and a crimp formed in the pit of his stomach.
“Hi.” Her sweet voice was sleep-roughened … and so sexy. “You coming to bed?”
He smiled back and shut off the light app. “You bet I am.”
He walked around the bed and slid in behind her, and wrapped his arms around her. She rolled toward him and kissed his chest, her sweet lips fluttering lightly over his flesh.
“I’ve missed you so much,” she murmured between kisses.
He tucked his hands around her face and tipped it up toward him. “I know you did, sweetheart.”
He covered her lips with his own and kissed her, showing her how much he cherished her. Her arms wrapped around him and she melted against him. His heart swelled and he wanted to lay her back and join with her in a sweet union of bodies. But right now, he wanted this more. This loving tenderness.
When their lips parted, he stroked her cheek. “I missed you, too.”
The warmth in her eyes as she gazed at him warmed his heart. There was a depth of feeling that reached deep into his soul and tugged.
“Storm, I love you.”
***
As soon as she said the words, Melanie felt him stiffen. Her heart pounded and she drew back.
“I’m sorry, I …” Her heart ached. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
She was a fool. Even though she knew that this was only a temporary thing—they were merely keeping each other company while they both went on this journey of discovering themselves—she still found herself believing that they might last. That he might come to love her as she loved him.
But at his reaction, that hope was shattered.
He frowned. “Melanie, I—”
“Please, just let’s forget I ever said it.” She had wanted to hear those words from him forever. Had dreamed of it night after night. But wishing didn’t make it true.
He drew her close. “I can’t forget it. I love that you
He sat back in the chair. He still seethed at the thought of Travis kissing Melanie. And the thought of Melanie melting into Travis’ arms, enjoying his attention, sent a sharp pang of jealousy through the pit of his stomach.
She was
his
woman and he didn’t want her craving any other man.
He raked his hand through his hair. Fuck, he needed to get some sleep, but he couldn’t bring himself to slide in beside her warm, delightfully feminine body right now.
Maybe he’d jot down some ideas he had for a new song. He turned on his phone, then activated a flashlight app, and pulled open the desk drawer for a pad and pen. A stack of papers, tied with a ribbon, caught his eye and he picked it up. He shone the light on the top one and … fuck, it was a drawing of a man. Naked.
He frowned and untied the ribbon, then glanced through them.
Shit, it wasn’t any naked man. It was
him.
It was his Savage Kiss tattoo. It was his face.
He continued glancing through the stack. All of them were of him. Not all naked. But most were. And there were dozens of them.
He glanced at her sleeping face and smiled. She may have been tempted by Travis’ kiss, but clearly it was Storm she was thinking of.
Diego was right.
Melanie had missed Storm.
And she deserved to have his full attention. Not be left on her own, wondering if he was really going to be there for her. Wondering if the relationship was going to work.
Before Jessica, he’d never really had a relationship. In fact, he’d avoided them. His dad had really done a number on him, making him believe he didn’t deserve to be loved, but he was coming to realize that he couldn’t let his father’s attitudes continue to control him. He stared at Melanie. Her sweet face was barely visible in the low light, but he could make out her lovely features, so angelic in sleep. She was worth the chance.
Her eyelids opened and she gazed at him. Then she smiled and a crimp formed in the pit of his stomach.
“Hi.” Her sweet voice was sleep-roughened … and so sexy. “You coming to bed?”
He smiled back and shut off the light app. “You bet I am.”
He walked around the bed and slid in behind her, and wrapped his arms around her. She rolled toward him and kissed his chest, her sweet lips fluttering lightly over his flesh.
“I’ve missed you so much,” she murmured between kisses.
He tucked his hands around her face and tipped it up toward him. “I know you did, sweetheart.”
He covered her lips with his own and kissed her, showing her how much he cherished her. Her arms wrapped around him and she melted against him. His heart swelled and he wanted to lay her back and join with her in a sweet union of bodies. But right now, he wanted this more. This loving tenderness.
When their lips parted, he stroked her cheek. “I missed you, too.”
The warmth in her eyes as she gazed at him warmed his heart. There was a depth of feeling that reached deep into his soul and tugged.
“Storm, I love you.”
***
As soon as she said the words, Melanie felt him stiffen. Her heart pounded and she drew back.
“I’m sorry, I …” Her heart ached. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
She was a fool. Even though she knew that this was only a temporary thing—they were merely keeping each other company while they both went on this journey of discovering themselves—she still found herself believing that they might last. That he might come to love her as she loved him.
But at his reaction, that hope was shattered.
He frowned. “Melanie, I—”
“Please, just let’s forget I ever said it.” She had wanted to hear those words from him forever. Had dreamed of it night after night. But wishing didn’t make it true.
He drew her close. “I can’t forget it. I love that you
Similar Books
