Moments In Time: The Complete Novella Collection (26 page)

Melisa shoulders were heavy as she nodded,
turned, and walked away. He had probably come to deliver the key in
person.

Two days later, Melisa gripped the phone
with one hand as she rubbed her left temple with the other. “Heat,”
she started and bit her lip. This was harder than she’d expected. A
tear slipped out of her eye and then, from one moment to the next,
she was sobbing, hardly able to get the words out. The person she
was yesterday or last week would never have let someone see or hear
her cry. But a lot had changed in a few days. “Heat, I’m sorry for
yesterday. Please call me back. I need you. I need you in my life.
I think... I think I love you.” She swallowed hard and wiped her
eyes with the heel of her palm. “I love you,” she said with more
determination in her voice. She had never been more sure of
anything in her life. She had loved and married Scott, but Heat was
her soul mate. “Please come back. Let’s talk.”

After she hung up, she made sure to carry
her cell with her everywhere she went around the house, waiting for
his call. As the clock ticked on and night fell, the knot in her
stomach tightened. He’d not called back and probably never would.
She had been unkind to him and she couldn’t turn back the
clock.

She went to bed at midnight, and though her
eyes were closed, she couldn’t sleep. As usual, in the morning she
showered and dressed, picked up her purse and broken heart, and
headed for the door. She’d forever be grateful for the gift Heat
had given her, a piece of her old life. She’d have loved to thank
him in person, to tell him she’d find a way to pay him back.

She hoisted her purse onto her shoulder,
turned the key in the lock, and opened the door. Then she toppled
back in fright, her heart thumping. “Carlene. Oh, my God, Carlene.”
She hugged her friend, careful not to squeeze her stomach too much.
Then she stood back. “Why are you back early?”

“I thought you might need a friend.” Carlene
smiled and rubbed her stomach. Melisa had never believed the crap
about women glowing while pregnant. She always thought people said
it to make pregnant women feel good about themselves. But Carlene
was an exception. The highlights from her wedding were still vivid
in her hair, her baby blues sparkled, and her skin sported a
healthy tan. “You didn’t have to cancel your honeymoon for me.”

Carlene shook her head. “It’s no big deal,
Nick was called on an emergency business trip to Austria and wanted
me to accompany him, but I chose to come home instead. I know I
still have a long way to go, but I can’t wait to get started on the
nursery. I also want to be here for you.” She paused. “So, can I
come in?”

Melisa stepped aside, laughing. “Sorry, for
a moment there I forgot it’s your house.”

Hand still on her stomach, Carlene’s eyes
lit up even more as she observed the interior, as if walking into
the house for the first time. “I still can’t believe I live here. I
never want to forget what a blessing this is. I still want to share
it with you. Our offer still stands if you want to stay for a while
longer.”

“That’s not going to happen. Do you know how
hard it is to be around people in love when your own love life
sucks?” She squeezed Carlene’s shoulder. “I’m joking. I’m very
happy for you. Nick is a wonderful man.”

“He is, right?”

“Stop digging for compliments.” Melisa’s
gaze dropped to Carlene’s hands. “Where’s your luggage?”

“In the car. I’ll get the bags later.”

“No, I’ll get it for you. You drove
yourself?”

Carlene frowned. “Why not?”

“I thought Nick was the kind of man who’d
hire a driver for his pregnant wife. He treats you like an egg
already.”

Carlene laughed and sat down. “He insisted I
call Simon to drive me, but I’m pregnant, not sick, and perfectly
capable of doing everything you or anyone else can do. And the car
was already parked at the airport.”

“I agree. But I hope you’ll let me make you
a cup of coffee. I also made muffins yesterday. Want some?”

Carlene lifted her legs onto the sofa and
leaned back against the cushions. “You know what I really want? Why
I couldn’t wait to get back here? I want to hear all about you and
Mr. Heat. Any good news?”

Melisa sighed and sat. “I wish there was.
Carlene, I might have made the biggest mistake of my life. Maybe
I’ll never get a chance to make things right.”

“I don’t want to make you feel bad, but I
agree... You made a mistake. He took you into his home, cared for
you, and bought you back your business. I think this guy loves you
and was trying to make up for the past in actions rather than
words. That’s what counts, right?”

Melisa remembered the careful way he’d
changed her bandages, the way he’d blown on the chicken soup before
giving it to her. The way he’d kissed her the day she left his
house. The hurt in his eyes when she kicked him out of Carlene’s
house. “I wish there was something I could do.”

“There’s always something you can do. Do you
know where he is?”

“Boston.”

A mischievous grin split Carlene’s face.
“Why don’t you go and find him? I’ll ask Nick if you can use the
jet. Go and tell him you’ve loved him all these years.”

Melisa perked up. “You think so?”

“I think you should act now before it’s too
late.”

“Okay, okay.” Melisa glanced at her watch
and hopped from the couch. “Shit, I was leaving for work when you
arrived. Josie must be wondering where I am.” In that moment, her
phone vibrated inside her purse and she dug inside for it. Speak of
the devil.

“Melisa, where are you? This place is mobbed
with customers. Can you get here within the next hour?”

“I’ll be there sooner. I’m on my way,”
Melisa said and hung up. She kissed Carlene on the forehead.
“Arrange the jet.” She couldn’t believe the words leaving her
mouth. She would be flying in a private jet.
A private jet
.
“I’ll go and get my man back.”

“About time, too. Now go to work. Take my
car. “Carlene threw Melisa the car keys.

“Thanks.” Melisa caught the keys and bounced
out of the house, drifting on clouds. She was finally close to
being whole again. Heat was the one part of her that had been
missing all those years, and she had to give him another chance. If
she could have him back, she would have everything. The man she’d
never stopped loving for most of her life. And her beloved Mel’s
Delights. When bad things happened, they happened in spades, and it
turned out to be the same for good things as well.

She climbed behind the wheel of Carlene’s
Porsche, feeling like a million dollars, and started the ignition.
She drove as fast as she could while still staying under the speed
limit. Until all the papers were drawn up to make her the owner of
Mel’s Delights again, she was Josie’s employee, and she would be
respectful.

As she parked the car on the other side of
Mel’s Delights, she frowned. Mel’s Delights was empty. No one was
going in or out, and through the windows she saw no commotion
whatsoever.

She slid out of the car, locked it, and
crossed the road to the other side. The closed sign hung on the
door. Why? She pushed the door, but it was closed. “Strange,” she
said to herself. Mornings were the busiest time of the day. She
opened her purse to get her cell so she could call Josie, but then
she saw the key. The key that had changed everything. Pursing her
lips, she pulled it out and unlocked the door.

She shook her head. Even though no one sat
at the small round tables, soft classical music played in the
background, and as she breathed in, she caught a whiff of baked
cheese and something meaty. Josie must be having an early lunch in
the back booth, so Melisa headed there. The closer she got, the
more she smelled something else... something spicy with a touch of
sweet. Perfume? No, cologne. Before anymore thoughts formed in her
mind, she turned the corner, and then she startled and her mouth
dropped. “Oh, my God, Heat?”

Heat, wearing jeans and a white shirt with
the top button open, lifted himself from a chair and came to her.
“Surprise,” he said in a low voice.

Melisa swallowed, lost for words. On the
ride to Mel’s Delights, she had rehearsed all the things she would
say to him when she found him in Boston. Now he was here, and words
failed her. “I... What are you doing here?”

“In the messages you left, you asked for me
to come back.”

Melisa smiled, her heart pounding like hell.
“I did, didn’t I?”

Heat moved closer and took her purse from
her. He hung it on a chair, and that’s when Melisa saw everything
else. The royal table was covered with a crisp, white tablecloth
and on top of it were sparkling silver serving dishes, a bottle of
what looked like grape juice, water glasses, and a bouquet of
red—not yellow—roses.

Melisa inhaled deeply and moved toward the
table. She sat in the chair on which Heat hung her purse; her legs
weren’t going to be able to keep her upright any longer. “Heat, you
did all this for me?”

Heat sat and reached for Melisa’s trembling
hands. “Mel, I hope you know by now that I’d do anything for you.
Thank you for calling me back.”

“Thank you for returning.” A tear plopped
onto Melisa’s cheek as she squeezed his calloused hands. “Heat,
I’ve been lying to myself all this time, telling myself I don’t
give a damn about you. I married Scott. Even though I loved him and
we were happy together, he was not able to erase my memories of
you, as I’d hoped.” She lowered her gaze. “He wasn’t you.”

Heat shifted his chair forward and lifted
Melisa’s chin so they were looking each other straight in the eye.
“I am so sorry for how I treated you years ago. I guess I got a
taste of my own medicine. Look, when Lorene came over, I panicked.
I wasn’t thinking straight. We’d been together for a long time, so
even if we had broken up, I still felt guilty.”

Melisa nodded as her eyes filled with tears.
“I understand. So, you decided to get back together.”

Heat’s lips curled into a smile as he shook
his head. “We talked for a long time that night and then she left.
What you don’t know is I told her I was in love with someone
else.”

Melisa cocked her head to one side and her
stomach swirled. “Me?”

“You. When you saw me talking to her again
the next day, it wasn’t because we were together again. We had a
lot to discuss.” He paused and raked a hand through his hair. “She
told me she was pregnant, and I was telling her I would be there
for the child, but she and I were over.”

Melisa removed her hands from his and her
stomach tightened painfully. “You have a child?”

“No, I found out later it was a lie.” He
closed his eyes, his thick eyelashes brushing the top of his
cheeks. “I was really relieved, because I could move on with you.”
He opened his eyes again. “I wanted to tell you all that, but after
you saw Lorene and I together, you disappeared... for a whole
year.”

Melisa looked down at the table. “I’m
sorry,” she said. “I had to get away.”

Heat came to her side of the table and she
peered up at him with tear-filled eyes. “I’m so sorry. I’ll never
forgive myself for doing that.”

Heat pulled her out of the chair and so
close against his body that she heard his heart beating. “Melisa,
let’s leave that in the past. It took years, but we’re here now.
We’ve arrived where we belong.” He buried his face into her red
hair and kissed the top of her head. “I could never love any woman
as much as I love you.” He tipped her head back and kissed the
tears away from her cheeks. “Don’t cry. We can both be happy now.
We can start over. I love you, you hear me?”

Melisa nodded. The love in his eyes helped
her brush aside the guilt from the past. “I love you too.” She
pressed her lips to his and kissed him passionately, brushing
against his velvet lips and then melting into the warmth of his
mouth.

Heat curled a hand around her neck and
shared with her the kiss they both desired.

Melisa wrapped her arms around his neck and
drank him in. “I love you so much,” she said against his moist
lips. “Gosh, I’ve waited so long to say that.”

Heat swept her off her feet, and she wrapped
her legs around him as he moved her to a nearby empty table. He
lowered her down on it and with his eyes fixed on hers, dark with
the desire he was about to pour into her, he removed her clothes
and unclasped her bra. He lowered his lips to her breasts and
kissed every surface, sprinkling little
I love you
s all over
her.

Melisa melted beneath his touch and reached
forward to unbuckle his belt frantically while he sucked at her
nipples.

“Hmmm... you taste so good,” he said and
moved lower down her body, sprinkling it with kisses. Unable to
reach his belt any longer, Melisa wove her fingers into his hair
instead. Then she arched her back as Heat slid her panties down her
thighs, and lowered his face between her legs. “Oh, my God,” she
gasped as he tasted her there and massaged her with his lips and
tongue in rhythmic motions.

“You taste good here too.” He moved his
tongue in circles, building the tension in Melisa’s lower
belly.

When she was on the verge of an orgasm, he
straightened up and finished unbuckling his belt, releasing his
erection. Then he pulled a condom from his pocket and slid it on.
He moved her legs and butt close to the edge of the table and slid
into her.

“Oh...” Melisa curled her legs around him
again and held onto his shoulders, kneading the hard slabs of
muscle between her fingers. “You feel so incredible.”

“And I love making love to you. Back then
and now.”

Heat increased his speed while gripping the
edge of the table for support. The harder he pounded into her, the
farther the table moved toward the wall.