More Than One Night (21 page)

The moment the blonde head disappeared, he pulled Melodie's chair closer to him. "Do I get a bedtime story tonight?" He couldn't help himself. He nibbled on her ear, soliciting a small moan of pleasure from her very kissable lips. "The knight would like to claim his treasure for slaying the dragons."

His eyes closed as her lips, still cool from the frozen treats they'd been eating, smothered his, the pressure releasing his strong need for her—a need he barely kept in check from hour to hour. The tip of his tongue swept across her mouth, his coffee and her chocolate flavors mingling into something far better than vanilla could ever hope to be. The vibration from her hum of pleasure reverberated through his body, ratcheting his desire another level higher.

"Daddy, I'm ready!" The shout from the back of the apartment doused the flames of his desire with ice cold water.

"Be right there, princess." He brushed his thumb across her well-kissed lips. "Clothing is not required for my bedtime story, in case you were wondering." He couldn't stop touching her. There was something about her body that called to him like a siren song. "As a matter of fact, I've outlawed bedtime clothes in my kingdom."

"Oh? I thought only the king could make the laws in the kingdom." She guided his hand under her shirt. Her breast fit perfectly in the palm of his hand.
She's perfect.
Circling the tip with his thumb, excitement pulsed through his body as the nipple hardened under his touch. He longed to spend hours touching, tasting, and teasing just to hear her gasp with pleasure.

"The king rewarded me for bravery in battle and slaying not one, but two dragons."

His body tightened impossibly farther when her hand slid between his legs to gently stroke his arousal.

"Far be it from me to disappoint the king or his brave knight."

This woman represented a vixen, a tormentor, and salvation all wrapped into one. Before this night ended, he would not only have his bedtime story but would try to find the courage to tell her how much he cared for her. He wanted whatever this was—to never end.

"Daddy!"

"I won't be long. Make those bedtime stories for Annie short ones, okay?"

Her smile and the dark intensity of her eyes almost made him forget his daughter. "The shortest ones I can find."

One quick kiss and he left her to usher in the quickest bath in Annie's eight-year history.

Melodie indulged herself in gawking after Daniel's backside as he retreated from their all-too-brief make-out session to tend to Annie. Part of her was emotionally exhausted from the bizarre family dinner, the other part hummed with excitement at the thought of sharing Daniel's bed again.

Singing quietly to herself, she put away the leftovers. A small part of her brain vied for attention, wondering how the scenes were unfolding with her parents and Evelyn. Had it been cowardly of her to leave Evelyn to deal with mother alone? Would her father's patience with her mother finally wear thin? Melodie's old friend, guilt, stepped proudly into the spotlight of her emotions, relegating the happier feelings to the shadows.

A knock on the door stalled the downward spiral of her mood. She checked the peephole to see who'd be visiting at this late hour. The perfectly coiffed blonde hair could belong to only one person—Evelyn.

Melodie closed her eyes for a moment, summoning strength before opening the door. "Ev? What's wrong?"

Her sister stepped to the side, revealing the eager young face of her nephew. "Someone wanted a bedtime story and claimed severe disappointment his evening with the princess had ended." Her tired smile mirrored the exhausted sound of her voice. "And I wanted to talk to you."

"Come on in. You want some frozen yogurt? We brought extra home."

"No, thank you. Mother insisted on sending some food home with us, and Jason begged for McDonald's ice cream on the way over here. Crazy kid picked a vanilla cone. Personally, I would've gone for the hot fudge sundae."

Could this be the same sister she'd grown up with? The one who always followed the rules and never colored outside the lines. She looked at Jason. "You and the princess are destined to be best friends. She only likes vanilla too."

His toothy grin warmed her heart. She couldn't love him any more if he were her own. "Well, duh, vanilla is the best. Where's Annie?"

"She's getting her bath. Why don't you go back to my room and pick out one story for you and one for her, and then I'll read them both."

"Yay!" Jason tore off into the back room, and Melodie waited for her sister to yell at him for not asking permission, running in the house…something.

Nothing.

"Ev, are you alright? How's Mom?" For the second time that night, lines around her sister's eyes and the tension in her jaw displayed prominently on her otherwise perfect visage.

"Can we sit down?"

"Sure. Let me ask Daniel to look after the kids for a few minutes."

"He's a keeper. Don't let this one get away."

Melodie fought the urge to look outside to see if a full moon hung in the sky. Maybe body snatchers provided an explanation, or some type of weird paranormal occurrence. One of the strangest nights she could remember. Arriving at the bathroom, her heart melted. Daniel was brushing out Annie's hair. He was such a good dad. Another quick stab of pain flashed through her heart. He knew they could never have children, not in the traditional manner anyway, and he'd stood by and supported her. Her heart fluttered, warming her from the inside out.
Maybe this is what love feels like.

"Mel, everything okay?" Daniel's intense gaze held her motionless for a moment. He had such beautiful eyes.

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "I think so. Jason and Evelyn are here."

"My knight?" Annie started bouncing. Did she and Jason have a hidden stash of sugar somewhere?

She grinned at Daniel. Those two were fast friends. "Yes, he's waiting for you in my room. Pick out some stories, and I'll be in after I talk to Jason's mommy, okay?"

Annie saddened a bit. "I miss my mommy."

Daniel pulled her into a hug. "We'll call tomorrow, and you can talk to her."

"Yay!" Annie tore across the hallway and out of sight.

"I wish I had their energy." She smiled at Daniel. "Would you mind hanging out with them for a few? Ev wants to talk to me."

The problems of the world, the problems with her family, and any other concerns that dared trouble her all faded away when Daniel's strong arms surrounded her. His earthy, masculine scent calmed frayed nerves, and the power of his chest provided shelter from the harsh realities of life. She could stay locked away in his embrace forever.

"I'll stay with the kids. Take as long as you need. If they start complaining about my story reading, though, I'll have to call in the expert."

She slid her hands up his back and around to circle his neck as she slowly kissed his cheek. The stubble on his jaw heightened the sensations and provided an exciting contrast to the softness of his mouth. Wanting to deepen the connection, she covered his lips with hers, eliciting a murmur of pleasure from him that resonated throughout their bodies. She loved the way his arms tightened and possessively held her body against his. They might not know exactly what "this" was, but she knew she didn't want it to end anytime soon.

"Thank you for everything tonight. You seem to have won over my big sis."

"Go talk to her. Be honest, even if it's hard. The truth hurts sometimes, but it's always better than lying to those we love."

Slowly, she extricated herself from his embrace. Time to face the music. She nodded toward her bedroom, where the kids were giggling as they engaged in a pillow fight. "Never let 'em see you sweat."

"Ouch!" He'd swatted her on the behind.

"Ditto." He winked as the normally present cocky grin plastered on his face.

Evelyn sat on the edge of the couch, a wineglass in her hand. "I opened a bottle. Hope you don't mind."

"Not as long as you share." She joined her on the couch, one cushion away, and poured herself a generous helping. No sense in prolonging the agony any longer. Might as well dive right in. "Am I still in hot water with Mother?"

Dull, blue eyes turned in her direction. "Do you really care?"

Daniel's words of advice rushed through her conscious thought.
Be honest, even if it's hard.
She chewed on her lower lip for a moment. "Not as much as I used to. Still, maybe more than I should."

"You always did have to do things your way. I think deep down there's a part of her that admires you."

The wine provided the only explanation for her sister's comment. "I think you're confusing me with you, big sis. You're the golden child."

"You really don't get her, do you?" She shook her head in disbelief.

Melodie took a long sip to buy some time to find the right words. "From my vantage point, she's never really gotten me. I've been one big disappointment after another to her."

"Mother is a bit of a control freak, if you haven't noticed."

This time the laughter wouldn't be suppressed. "Oh, I've noticed."

"She can't control you. No matter what she says or does, you still follow your own path." Evelyn graced her with a small grin. "You drive her crazy."

Finally!
A small crack in Mother's suit of armor revealed
.
"We finally have something in common then. She keeps me on the edge of crazy. I've been jealous of you and your relationship with her my entire life. You both are so perfect. Hard to keep up."

Her sister's eyes darkened. "No one has it all together, Mel. I'm sure your boyfriend has filled you in on my imperfections."

She moved closer, not liking the sadness in her sister's voice. "He hasn't said a word. I asked for his help to slay my proverbial dragons. Though I'm curious, I have no idea what he said to you earlier tonight." She jabbed her sister a little with her elbow. "Mostly, I'm glad he came out unscathed."

Evelyn leaned back into the cushions, slim fingers holding the stem of her wineglass tightly. "He may be the only one tonight. I'm sorry, Mel. Sorry I wasn't a better big sister to you. Sorry I'm not as perfect as you've always believed."

A tug of compassion moved Melodie to close the remaining distance between them and pull her into an awkward hug.
I haven't been the best little sister either. Time to correct that mistake.
"Perfect or not, you're still my big sister, and all I've ever really wanted is to be awesome like you." She paused. "Okay, truth is, I'd love, just once, for Mom to have the same gleam of pride in her eyes when she looks at me. Then maybe I could put my jealousy to rest."

"Have you ever said that to her?"

"I…" Had she ever really said those words aloud to her mother? She'd thought it a thousand, maybe even a million times, but did they ever make it past her lips? "Maybe not."

"Then you should. Be honest with her, and remember why you drive her crazy. Her bark is worse than her bite."

Melodie raised one eyebrow. "I'd rather not test that theory, or maybe this is your secret plan to becoming an only child."

Evelyn chuckled. "You've figured out my evil plan."

Mel sipped some more of her wine, contemplating both Daniel's and Evelyn's advice. "You're right, though. I do need to stand up for myself and be honest with her. With Daniel around, I feel brave and want to share with her how I really feel—not during a screaming match—but in an adult conversation."

Evelyn sank farther into the couch, her eyes narrowing. "You really met him on a plane?"

The rich sound of her laughter filled the room. "I did, and to say we got off on the wrong foot is an understatement. I literally fell into him as I tried to let him into his seat."

"You must've found your footing because somewhere between Chicago and Dallas, you two fell in love or something."

"I don't know if this is love, but I like having him around. He's equally responsible for lifting me higher than I've ever gone and driving me completely insane, sometimes at the same time."

Evelyn's expression sobered. "Be careful, Mel. He has a little girl, and she is smitten with you. Don't get too attached if you're not sure this is something you want to go long-term." She turned her head toward the giggling coming from the back room. "May be too late already for not getting attached."

"Neither he nor I can say what this is, but we want to explore it." Melodie sat her glass on the table. She wanted to wrap this up while everything was going well, She needed to enjoy this small slice of happiness
.

Her sister's gaze locked on her face. "He's in love, Mel. I've watched him with you and, most importantly, with Annie. No way does he bring her here to meet you and come to a family dinner without being head over heels in love."

Melodie stood. "I'm glad we got a chance to talk. I'm going to read the kids their bedtime story. Why don't you let Jason have a sleepover? I'll bring him home tomorrow."

Her sister sat back, crossed her legs, and sipped her wine. "If you promise you'll talk to mother soon, very soon."

Thoughts of having a heart-to-heart with mommy dearest set her pulse racing, but somewhere in the midst of the pounding, she knew the timing would never be better. Tom's unwavering support of her throughout her formative years, Daniel's powerful presence by her side, and Evelyn's softening toward her inspired confidence. "Yes, soon."

"Let me kiss my son good night, and I'll leave him in your capable hands." She pointed at Melodie. "No sugar for breakfast."

"No problem. We'll keep it simple and have donuts." Bantering with Evelyn was kind of fun.

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "No idea why I bother. You always do what you want anyway."

As her sister's statuesque figure moved down the hallway, Melodie hoped her newfound courage wouldn't turn out to be false bravado once face to face with her mother.

"And they lived happily ever after."

Daniel didn't even try to hide his smile as he considered the idea of a happily ever after with this woman. The warmth in his chest expanded, spreading heat throughout every limb. The vision of Melodie in grey gym shorts and a pink princess T-shirt surrounded on either side by sleeping angels inspired feelings never experienced before. Feelings he needed to handle before he slipped and did something totally crazy.
Like tell her I love her.