feel that way about me.”
“But you don’t love
me.
”
“Sweetheart …”
The sadness in his eyes tore at her heart. She fought back the threatening tears. He was here with her. At least for now. She should be celebrating that.
“It’s just … I’m sorry, Melanie, I wasn’t prepared for that.”
“Don’t worry about it. I was just being stupid.”
“It’s not that I don’t … feel very strongly for you. But the only time I ever thought I was in love, it was with Jessica and it turned out to be completely wrong. If I believed that was absolutely real and it wasn’t, how do I know this is real?”
She nodded. She had seen the love in his eyes when he’d talked to her about Jessica after he’d found her again. Melanie had believed he was truly in love with Jessica, too.
“Melanie, don’t give up on me. I’ll figure this out.” He hugged her close. “I just don’t want to hurt you in the process.”
She reached up and stroked his whisker-roughened chin, loving the sheer masculinity of it.
“I want to be with you, Storm. I’ll wait until you figure it out. Because no matter how you feel about me, I love you.”
He kissed her, his lips brushing hers poignantly. Her heart ached at the sweetness of it.
“Baby, if I were to tell you right now that I loved you, you’d doubt it. You couldn’t help it with everything that’s happened.” He tucked his finger under her chin and tipped up her face. “When I finally say those three words, there won’t be a doubt in either of our minds that it’s absolutely true.”
***
“Hey, sleepyhead.” Melanie dragged the tip of her fingernail over the leopard moth tattoo on Storm’s chest.
Her fingernails were adorned with black-speckled aqua polish, one from the set he’d given her as a gift back when she was his secretary at Ranier Industries.
His eyelids opened and his gaze locked on hers. “Good morning.”
The sound of his sleep-roughened voice, and the warmth in those sky blue eyes of his, warmed her heart. She wanted to climb right into bed, and snuggle in close. But she couldn’t.
“The bus leaves in an hour. There’s barely time for a shower and breakfast.”
He grabbed her shoulders and tumbled her onto the bed, then rolled over her and kissed her soundly. “We’ll have to make time for that shower.” He grinned. “Because I’m a very dirty boy.”
She laughed as he swept her into the bathroom with him, then stripped off her oversized T-shirt and panties and dragged her under the warm water with him. They got to the restaurant just in time to order something to take with them, then settled into the bus together.
“You two seem happy.” Travis stood in the aisle beside their seats.
Storm gazed at Travis, keeping his smile firmly in place. “We are.”
He nodded. “Good. Because I know Diego talked to you last night and … just remember. He’d had a lot to drink.”
Melanie glanced from one to the other of them. “What’s going on?”
Storm ignored her comment and said to Travis, “But everything he said is true. Right?”
Travis shrugged. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
“So you and I are going to have a little talk later.”
“I guess we will.” Then Travis headed to his usual place at the back of the bus.
Melanie stared at Storm with wide eyes. “What did Diego tell you?”
“That he kissed you. And that Travis kissed you, too.” He stared at her flatly. “And that you were tempted to do more, but you didn’t.”
“Storm …”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I didn’t cheat on you.”
“I believe you.”
She was confused. He was taking this too well. Last night,
after
Diego had told him, Storm had still climbed into bed with her and held her tenderly.
“You’re not angry?” she asked doubtfully.
“I was at first, but I understand how it could have happened. And even though you let them kiss you, I believe you didn’t do more.” He smiled. “And I found the sketches in the desk drawer,
“But you don’t love
me.
”
“Sweetheart …”
The sadness in his eyes tore at her heart. She fought back the threatening tears. He was here with her. At least for now. She should be celebrating that.
“It’s just … I’m sorry, Melanie, I wasn’t prepared for that.”
“Don’t worry about it. I was just being stupid.”
“It’s not that I don’t … feel very strongly for you. But the only time I ever thought I was in love, it was with Jessica and it turned out to be completely wrong. If I believed that was absolutely real and it wasn’t, how do I know this is real?”
She nodded. She had seen the love in his eyes when he’d talked to her about Jessica after he’d found her again. Melanie had believed he was truly in love with Jessica, too.
“Melanie, don’t give up on me. I’ll figure this out.” He hugged her close. “I just don’t want to hurt you in the process.”
She reached up and stroked his whisker-roughened chin, loving the sheer masculinity of it.
“I want to be with you, Storm. I’ll wait until you figure it out. Because no matter how you feel about me, I love you.”
He kissed her, his lips brushing hers poignantly. Her heart ached at the sweetness of it.
“Baby, if I were to tell you right now that I loved you, you’d doubt it. You couldn’t help it with everything that’s happened.” He tucked his finger under her chin and tipped up her face. “When I finally say those three words, there won’t be a doubt in either of our minds that it’s absolutely true.”
***
“Hey, sleepyhead.” Melanie dragged the tip of her fingernail over the leopard moth tattoo on Storm’s chest.
Her fingernails were adorned with black-speckled aqua polish, one from the set he’d given her as a gift back when she was his secretary at Ranier Industries.
His eyelids opened and his gaze locked on hers. “Good morning.”
The sound of his sleep-roughened voice, and the warmth in those sky blue eyes of his, warmed her heart. She wanted to climb right into bed, and snuggle in close. But she couldn’t.
“The bus leaves in an hour. There’s barely time for a shower and breakfast.”
He grabbed her shoulders and tumbled her onto the bed, then rolled over her and kissed her soundly. “We’ll have to make time for that shower.” He grinned. “Because I’m a very dirty boy.”
She laughed as he swept her into the bathroom with him, then stripped off her oversized T-shirt and panties and dragged her under the warm water with him. They got to the restaurant just in time to order something to take with them, then settled into the bus together.
“You two seem happy.” Travis stood in the aisle beside their seats.
Storm gazed at Travis, keeping his smile firmly in place. “We are.”
He nodded. “Good. Because I know Diego talked to you last night and … just remember. He’d had a lot to drink.”
Melanie glanced from one to the other of them. “What’s going on?”
Storm ignored her comment and said to Travis, “But everything he said is true. Right?”
Travis shrugged. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
“So you and I are going to have a little talk later.”
“I guess we will.” Then Travis headed to his usual place at the back of the bus.
Melanie stared at Storm with wide eyes. “What did Diego tell you?”
“That he kissed you. And that Travis kissed you, too.” He stared at her flatly. “And that you were tempted to do more, but you didn’t.”
“Storm …”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I didn’t cheat on you.”
“I believe you.”
She was confused. He was taking this too well. Last night,
after
Diego had told him, Storm had still climbed into bed with her and held her tenderly.
“You’re not angry?” she asked doubtfully.
“I was at first, but I understand how it could have happened. And even though you let them kiss you, I believe you didn’t do more.” He smiled. “And I found the sketches in the desk drawer,
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