Melt Read online

  I sit on my stool, directing my attention elsewhere as Jenna and Bryan get deep into conversation. My night is suddenly dimmer, the alcohol feeling sluggish in my veins rather than giving me an upping kind of buzz.

  And then he blocks my view of the other side of the bar. “I just wanted to come over and apologize for what happened last month.”

  Nine

  Jake

  Slim, toned arms gripping a glass of nearly clear liquid. Hair black as a midnight sky sweeping halfway down her back. Eyes lined with coal, shining in the dim light of the bar.

  Samantha is practically edible, and here I am, making some lame-ass apology.

  “Oh, Jake, it’s not a big deal, really.” She flips an errant strand of silky dark hair over her shoulder.

  I move in closer when the couple next to us pushes me, my body coming dangerously close to hers. “I feel like an ass, so let me apologize. It wasn’t cool of me to make you think that I was completely comfortable and calm with kids, even if Lennon is an awesome little girl. To be honest, I know nothing about kids, I’m basically the Simon Cowell of child rearing. And it wasn’t cool not to call you after, even if it did go poorly. Which we both know it did.”

  I hoped my honesty was okay for her, because I couldn't be someone I wasn't. I couldn't stand here the entire night while Bryan macked on her girlfriend, pretending that we hadn't had a shitty date.

  A smile peeks out from the corner of Samantha's mouth, and she takes the last sip of her white wine. "Jake ... thank you for the apology. It's nice to get some closure on it, but seriously, don't worry about it. We had one date, we never agreed to get married. I'm not looking for a father for Lennon. I'm not even looking for a boyfriend if it doesn't work out in my life right now. Seriously, you're off the hook."

  Her amicable nature makes me release the breath I'm holding, and move the hands that were positioned in front of my nuts, just in case she decided to kick them. Believe me, I'd had it happen before when I was unnecessarily honest with a girl. Why was it that honesty got you a smack in the junk, while lying to some women kept them coming back for more?

  "All right, good. So ... friends?" I shrug, holding out my hand.

  "Such a lame peace treaty, but sure, why not?" Her mocha eyes sparkle.

  "And since our friends seem to be minutes away from humping each other in the bathroom, how about I buy you a drink? I have a feeling you don't get the opportunity to come out by yourself much."

  She scoots up on her stool, snorting as Jenna and Bryan get closer and closer to each other. "I rarely get time to shower by myself, so yeah, this is a total fluke. I'll take another glass of chardonnay, since you're offering."

  And dammit, now I was picturing her in the shower. Long, slim body, water sluicing over that beauty mark on her face. I wonder if she had any other hidden beauty marks to find ...

  Fuck. Get a hold of yourself, man.

  I order her drink and try to keep a safe space between us, since my dick apparently loved the word friends and perked up even more when it was used in association with Samantha.

  “So, did you have any ranger emergencies this week?” I smirk.

  During our trip to the zoo, Samantha had filled me in a little more on what she does. And I’d teased her, like a typical guy trying to flirt, about how there definitely couldn’t be anything more tame than being a park ranger in a national park.

  “Actually, ya jerk, I did. We had a missing hiker in California, and I had to be in contact with the rangers there for forty-eight hours until we found her. Safely, thank God.”

  I nodded. “That’s great, Samantha. I’m sure you’re a force of nature in your job.”

  She giggled, sipping on her wine. “Was that a national park joke, Jake? So lame! Almost as lame as a fully grown man driving an ice cream truck around.”

  I put my hands over my heart like she’d shot me. “You wound me! My humor is almost as cold as my freezers though, it’s true.”

  I ordered another beer, downing the third I’d been holding in my hand. McFlannery’s felt different tonight, more on than it ever had been before. Or maybe it was just because I was sitting next to her.

  “They aren’t fucking in the bathroom yet, by the way. Should we separate them?” Samantha leans into me conspiratorially, and I almost swallow my tongue when she says the word fuck.

  The word off her cherry lips makes my balls draw up tight, blood surging below my waist.

  “Let the kids be kids.” I wink, gulping down the new beer the bartender hands me.

  “I haven’t been here since college. Seems like ages ago …” She swivels her head, trying to look at memories I can’t see with my own eyes.

  “I had some fun nights in this bar as a college kid. And a few drunken nights spent on the steps of the monuments that are a tad blurry.” I laugh, remembering my own glory days.

  “It’s funny, I don’t remember you from the fitness center. Did we ever talk?” Her wine glass is almost empty now.

  It might be the beer, or the fact that she isn’t looking at me with that “you spilled my daughter’s milk” expression anymore … but my tongue loosens.

  “Well, I remember you. Always coming in wearing those spandex Madison shorts on, all legs and long hair. I think I said hi to you once as you came out of the locker room, and you gave me some fuck off smile.”

  Her mouth gapes. “You were checking me out, huh? Now I know you for the real stalker you are. Are you sure you didn’t GPS my mom’s address?”

  “Cross my heart, hope to die. I’m just a gentle stalker.”

  She gives me a light-hearted side eye. “Yeah, okay, I’ll buy it, but just this once. Don’t worry about the fuck off smile, I was probably just pumping some Rick Ross in my headphones and it was getting me jacked up.”

  “He is the biggest boss, so I don’t blame you.”

  We both smile, one of those moments where you were having a fun, bantering conversation but then neither person knew how to continue it.

  “Should we all get out of here?” Samantha’s blond friend, Jenna, I think, turns towards us for the first time in forty minutes.

  I look at Samantha, her eyes unsure but confident at the same time. I’m not cocky enough to think she’ll go anywhere with me, and I for once don’t want to push my charm.

  “We’re actually going to stay here for another drink. But you two go ahead.” I nod at Bryan, who winks over Jenna’s head.

  Why do I feel like I’m going to hear animal noises from the apartment next door tonight?

  “You sure, Sam? I don’t have to leave.”

  She places a hand on her friend’s arm, and holds up two fingers on the other. “Wing woman’s honor, I must not cock block. Go, I’ll be fine. I’ll Uber home and call you in the morning.”

  The two horny blonds leave, Bryan’s hand practically down the back of her jeans before they’re even out of the bar.

  “Gosh, I miss that.” Samantha sighs as she watches them go.

  “What? Drunken hookups?” I snort, knowing Bryan’s MO.

  She hit my arm. “No! I guess, just the possibility of something new. The mysterious excitement. The newness of experiencing someone the first time.”

  The words out of her mouth made it sound fucking poetic, and suddenly I missed those things too. Even though I was sure I’d never felt them.

  “Well, if you’re looking for it, there is a rather decent piece of man meat right in front of you.” I cheesily pointed to myself.

  Her eyes squinted, like she was considering me, and her mouth puckered up.

  “Hmm, okay. Yeah. Let’s do this.”

  I swear, I almost choked. “Wha … what?”

  “It’s my single night out, and I feel like doing something a little crazy. I know you’re only a gentle stalker, which is okay on my list, and you are pretty nice to look at. So, are you going to take me home?”

  I don’t know what God I had to get down on my knees for and thank, but I promised myself I’d do it to
morrow. I’d cut off my right hand in some Pagan sacrifice if that’s what it took to be rewarded with this one night, this one moment, right here.

  Grabbing her hand, I started running from the bar with her in tow. Samantha’s tinkling laugh filled my ears.

  “Quick, let’s get you upstairs before I turn back into a pumpkin, or however that Disney movie goes.”

  “First he drives an ice cream truck, and now he’s quoting Disney movies. You sure you’re not just a big kid yourself?”

  Flinging open the door to my building, I turn for a split-second and face her. “Oh, you’ll see just how big I am.”

  Giggles fall on my ears as I impatiently jam the buttons for the elevator.

  Ten

  Samantha

  Our connection was a mix between him leading me to his apartment, frantic kissing, hysterical laughing, and clumsy movements fueled by alcohol.

  When we finally made it inside his door, he waved his hand around. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

  I surveyed the place, bachelor the only word coming to my mind, but at least it was clean. A medium-sized two bedroom with an open concept; his bedroom out of sight, the living room space in the middle, and a kitchen on the other end. Moderate furnishings, decent light, some personal affects … it was nice.

  But I wasn’t here to talk, or examine the decor. Boldness and a dry spell compelled me forward, into his arms. My mouth found his, our lips meeting and greeting. I navigated his mouth, his tongue, testing the pressure of his nibbles and reveling in the tiny bites he was laying along the seams of my mouth.

  “Did you want a glass of wine or something?” Jake breathed between kisses, his body pressing mine into the wall by the front door.

  “You already locked down the sale, I don’t need an after-drinks drink.” I pushed the hem of his T-shirt up, feeling the smooth, hot skin beneath.

  The excitement at my fingertips traveled south, sending a jolt between my legs. Jake’s fingers moved up and into my hair, massaging my scalp as his tongue danced with my own. Sensation covered me everywhere, making my flesh hypersensitive.

  “Then let me take you to the bedroom part of this tour. Please keep all hands inside the vehicle—“

  I snorted before shutting him up with my mouth again. He moved us, swaying and circling me towards his queen-sized bed. I was too tipsy to notice if it was made or not, but it smelled all right and I was horny, so my judgment zipped its lips.

  It had been a long, dry spell … almost like the Sahara Desert of sex droughts. Even though I’d had a boyfriend, it had been eight long months without action, and too many nights of using my own fingers while pretending to take a bath.

  Once in his darkened bedroom, I sit down on the bed, my hands on Jake’s hips as he stares down at me like he’s about to make a meal of my body. A shudder of anticipation runs along my spine, and I quickly toe out of my heels, sending them across the room with a kick. That must spur him, because all of a sudden he’s gently pushing me back and climbing over me.

  “Ah, do you know the fantasies I had about freshman you?” He pushes a lock of hair behind my ear, and it felt more intimate than the dirty fuck I had in mind.

  “Please, show me.” It was a half-joke, half-plea.

  In one fell swoop, he pulled his shirt off using one hand to grab the material from behind his head.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. That is some Magic Mike shit.” I couldn’t help but laugh as he bit my neck.

  “Stay tuned for the show, baby.” Jake stood, and I swallowed my humor.

  Abs running across a long, tapered torso danced in my gaze. Strong shoulders, the kind you could hang onto in case of flood or famine, or very rough sex, gave way to arms that had definitely been worked on at the gym. His hair was mussed where my hands had been playing in it, and I could make out the smattering of hair that dipped below the sightline of his belt.

  “Unbutton your pants.” His voice wasn’t joking anymore, and my arousal shot through the roof.

  I flicked the button on my jeans, the hiss of my zipper resonating in the air. Slowly he bent down, picking up my legs that were hanging off the side of the bed. His fingers met my bare feet, tickling and sending licks of fire up my thighs. Jake pulled, the look on his face lethal, and I shimmied my jeans as he pried them off. Past my hips they went, revealing the blush pink cotton thong I had on. And all the way down, until Jake was throwing them to the floor beside him.

  “God damn, Samantha …” He bit his lip, still standing in front of me, not touching a part of my body but making me wet anyway.

  “Are you going to show me those fantasies, or not?” My voice was a croak, and I realized that the panting in my ears was my own.

  I wasn’t usually this impulsive, but the past six months of my life had laughed in my face and showed me that apparently, I could be a daredevil. I’d dared to leave Seattle, breaking off a relationship with the only man I’d ever loved in search of something more, something that would grab me by the hair and make me feel alive. I’d dared to take a new position, one that I’d never dreamed of attaining. I’d dared to show my daughter how a boss female was supposed to act. I’d dared to become a single mom, and figure out all the details of my life on my own.

  And now I was daring to hook up with the hot semi-acquaintance that I’d gotten off on the wrong foot with. It wasn’t perfect, but it sure was sexy and freeing. The Samantha who once was would have never done something this irresponsible; normally, I would have gone home early to my mother’s and snuggled up with Lennon. But something about this night, something about this year and being home, something about this man … it all felt right in a cosmic sort of way.

  Kind of like when your horoscope revealed the exact thing you were looking for. They always knew, those astrology gods.

  His grin was cocky as he moved over me, his hands landing on either side of my head as I scooted back on the mattress. I wrapped my legs around his waist, shamelessly grinding my pelvis against his as he settled between my thighs.

  “You have no idea how good this feels.” I felt my eyes rolling back in my head.

  “I can make it feel better.”

  A hand snakes down my bare shoulder, onto my stomach where my shirt has risen up, and kneads my hip. Tiny sizzles of electricity shoot straight to my clit, the blood pumping and making me squirm. And then his blunt finger tips are pushing past the thin boundary of my underwear, and moving down, trapping his hand between us.

  “Yes, yes … God, yes.” I’m loud, I know it, but I can’t help it.

  I haven’t had a man’s hands on me in far too long, and Jake knows how to use his as he strokes my wetness, swirling it around my core and then plunging a finger inside. So close, he had me right there so quickly, the ball of nerves bunching close and winding so tight …

  “Oh my God!”

  White bursts at the edge of my vision, Jake’s fingers pressing down on the button that was making my entire body shake with ecstasy.

  “Wow, I think that’s a new record for me.” His deep voice growled in my ear, and I could feel just how big he was as his hard-on pressed through his jeans and onto my thigh.

  I had to catch my breath, the orgasm taking a toll on my entire system. “It’s been a while.”

  Jake worked on the buttons on my top, his green eyes staring at my face as he worked. “I can’t even imagine why. At the risk of being seriously corny, I would devour you every single night.”

  His words didn’t make me laugh, but made me blush. And made me want more. While he worked on my shirt, I reached down for his belt, struggling to free it as he laid on top of me.

  “Can you just get naked already?” I couldn’t work his pants off.

  “I thought you’d never ask.” Jake stood up again, and I took the opportunity to rid myself of my bra and thong.

  While I wasn’t a spring chicken, I had made a human with my body, I thought I looked pretty good. Aside from my C-section scar, I’d never been particularly shy whe
n it came to my body. And apparently, Jake liked what he saw.

  “Jesus …” His eyes burned in the dim light of the apartment, nothing but the hall light near the door illuminating us.

  Keeping those green orbs glued to my body, he pushed his pants and boxers down as one, his cock springing free and proudly bobbing as it jutted from his body. I tracked its movements as he walked to his bedside table, pulling a condom from it and rolling it on. He was big, thick and hard as a steel pipe.

  I couldn’t wait to have him inside me.

  My core throbbed as he tracked me, the primal scent in the air like some kind of jungle. I almost giggled, but the need for him to get on this bed and fuck the living shit out of me was too strong. I could feel myself squirming, my nipples knotting.

  “God damn,” Jake’s growl hisses in my ear as he enters me.

  His cock plunges deep, his hips meeting mine and driving me into the bed. My walls mold around him, my legs spreading wide and then wrapping around his hips. I can’t control the moan that bursts from my mouth, the feeling so exquisite that I can’t help but close my eyes and relish it for a few seconds.

  “You feel …” I can’t even finish the sentence.

  His eyes meet mine, our faces pressed close as he starts to move, slowly at first and then deeper, harder. I grip those shoulders that are the perfect anchor, moving my hips up to meet him on every down stroke.

  “I want to see your body move.”

  In one flash second, Jake is rolling us over, perfectly positioning me on top, his dick spearing me from the inside. It’s like a perfect porn move, one I never thought was possible, and I can’t help but grin at his cocky smirk as he grips my waist, moving me ever so slightly.

  “You’re really pulling out the big moves, huh?” I couldn’t help but grind on him, my clit pressing against him in the most delicious way.

  “I just really wanted to do this.” His big hands move to my breasts, rolling and pinching my nipples in a move that has jolts spiraling to my core.