Let Me Hold You by Melanie Schuster Page B

make sure she was giving him her full attention.
    “Are you still with me, honey?”
    “Yes, of course I am. And yes,” she said slowly, “I think this is something special, Roland. I haven’t even looked at another man since Sam died. It was such a horrible mess and I was so crushed by the whole thing that finding love again was the last thing on my mind. After the trial, I just shut down. I mean I shut that part of myself down and I was never going to open it again.”
    “The trial? They caught the guy?”
    “Yes, they did. And I had to go to court and testify and it was just awful. I wanted him put away forever, of course, and so did Sam’s family. But I always had the feeling that the Dumonds blamed me for his death. They were really cold to me afterwards. They barely spoke to me at the funeral and there were some really shitty things said about me after they found out that there was an insurance policy. They were going to come after me in civil court for wrongful death or something but when I gave his mother a pile of money she suddenly changed her mind.”
    Roland was appalled. “You’ve really been through it, haven’t you, baby? I can understand why you withdrew from relationships. You lived through some truly tragic ordeals. You lost your husband, you lost your baby and you had to deal with the trial and with his family. I know your family was there for you, but that was a tough row to hoe.”
    “A what? When did you become a Mississippi farm hand?” she teased.
    “That’s one of my granddad’s favorite expressions. He came up to Chicago to work, but he was a Mississippi man through and through, and never forgot where he came from. But don’t change the focus here, Alana. You’ve been through hell, and I can see why you’ve been holding back. But, honey, nothing like that can happen with us. You can’t let that tragedy, or tragedies, dictate the rest of your life.”
    “You’re right,” she said quietly.
    “I’m what?”
    Alana was idly stroking Domino’s big butterfly-shaped ears, running her fingers through the long silky hair. If she had looked at him, she would have seen the relief and happiness on his face, but she was concentrating on the little dog.
    “You’re right, Roland. I was living a half-life of regrets and bad dreams and fear and loss. I’m not going to do that anymore. I want to have a whole life, I want it all. You’re the first man I’ve allowed to get near me since I lost Sam and I don’t want to lose whatever it is that we’ve got going on.”
    She stopped talking because Roland covered her mouth with his. His tongue teased her lips apart until he gained full access to all the sweetness that was waiting for him. Alana didn’t try to resist, she joined in with enthusiasm, returning every stroke of his tongue with hers.
    Heat started coursing through her body, piercing every sensitive spot. Roland moved his hand to begin an intimate exploration of her breasts, but his arm wouldn’t move, primarily because Domino had his sleeve in her mouth. She stood up in Alana’s lap and looked at the two of them sternly.
    “You’re not going to be a problem, are you?” Roland retrieved his sleeve from the little dog and gave Alana an affectionate wink. “Have you been letting her sleep with you?”
    Alana looked sheepish and admitted that she had.
    “Well, that explains it. We’re going to break her of that habit tonight.”
    “Good luck with that. Speaking of habits that need to be broken, did it bother you seeing the portrait of Sam over my bed?” She watched him carefully, waiting for his answer.
    “Yes, it did,” he admitted.
    “It’s not there anymore.”
    Roland’s face brightened into a broad smile. “I’d like to see that. Let’s get Miss Lady situated and take a tour.”
    He stood up and whipped off his sweater, revealing a ribbed undershirt that fit nice and snug. Her eyes opened wide and her mouth formed a juicy O of awe-struck admiration. She was