More Than One Night (7 page)

The bright rays of the sun peeked over the horizon, filling the darkness with radiating light, waking the world to another beautiful day. "Thank you for helping me ace this makeup test. Not only was it my first time to stay out all night, I can't imagine a better evening, and the morning is shaping up quite nicely."

A buzzing noise broke into the perfection of their moment. Daniel needed only one guess to know who'd be calling him this early. He reached into his pocket to hit the ignore button.

"Do you need to get that? It's gone off several times over the last few hours."

"Nothing that can't wait until morning officially arrives. Now be quiet and share your coffee, since mine is watering the grass right now." Life was about to get very complicated…again. He wanted to enjoy these last few moments with Melodie. This time the annoying tug begged him to not screw this up.

"You take yours with cream and sugar?" Melodie handed him the cup. Her eyes focused on his mouth as he took a sip.

His face scrunched as he handed the beverage back to her. "Geez, woman. I like sweet, but your coffee could send a man into a diabetic coma."

He sure as hell didn't need coffee with Melodie sitting right next to him. He pulled her into his arms, searing her lips with a kiss. The cup slipped from her hand, joining his on the ground below. His ego soared. She didn't need coffee either. His tongue swept across her mouth, and she opened to invite him in. Damn. Melt-in-your-mouth sweetness washed over his taste buds, turning his craving for her into an all-encompassing addiction. If he didn't get his fix soon…

Nerve endings fired and his heart pounded violently in his chest. His sexy wallflower—a convertible Mustang—sunrise—kisses for caffeine. Didn't get any better than this.

Breaking the kiss, she sat up. The sharp inhale of her breath said the kiss had affected her too. "Now neither of us has any coffee."

Not exactly the comment he expected after a mind-blowing kiss. He ran his hands over his face and through his short-cropped hair. "With you in my bed, I'd give up coffee, caffeine, sugar—the list goes on."

"We should get back. You have to take care of your persistent caller, and I need some sleep."

Unsure why the quick need for distance, Daniel slid off the car and turned to face her. He opened his mouth to ply her with a smart-ass comment but, remembering his promise Mr. Hyde would stay locked in the trunk, he stifled the urge. "If that's what you want. Can I see you again later today? You promised to come to the JFK Memorial with me."

Her face, bathed in the soft morning light, turned conflicted and indecisive. If this woman turned him down after he'd been on his best behavior…

"Yes, I did. Pick me up around three?"

He shook his head. "Six. You'll want to see the memorial in the evening when they turn the lights on. Mesmerizing is the only word I can think of to describe the sight."

"Alright, six it is then." She hesitated before sliding off the car and turning to face him. "Thank you again for the wonderful time."

His phone buzzed again. He knew who it was. No point in looking. He'd call her as soon as he dropped Melodie off and try to talk his way out of the hornet's nest Alana would surround him with as soon as she discovered the truth. And she would discover it because he'd tell her. After spending time with Melodie, time with Alana wasn't going to cut it anymore. Not that it ever did.

"You really should respond to whoever's trying to reach you. What if it's your daughter?"

"It's not."

"Family?"

"No." This woman was relentless, and if she didn't stop, their adventure would end in a fight.
Please, woman, let it go.

"Then it must be the ex. Otherwise, why would you be so evasive."

"Are you always this nosey?" He touched the tip of her nose with his finger. "You do have a very cute nose though." Misdirection—worth a shot.

She shrugged. "I'm curious by nature."

As if he hadn't picked up on that from almost hour one. "How about if I promise to fill you in over dinner tonight after we finish up at the memorial?" What the hell was wrong with him? Offering the truth about Alana? Closet masochist? No, something much more disturbing. Melodie made him want to be a better man, as cliché as that sounded. He'd break things off with Alana, come clean with Melodie, then pray she still wanted to continue their relationship or whatever in the hell this was called.
Sexually frustrating comes to mind.

"Am I going to want to hear this?"

He cupped her face with his hands and pulled her into a tender kiss. "I keep telling you I want to explore whatever this is. In order to continue our…" He smoothed his hand down the gentle curve of her neck before stopping over her frantically beating heart, "exploration, I need you to understand who I am."

She pulled him into another kiss, this one more intense.

Forgetting about Alana, he immersed himself in their connection. Hot, sweet, and sexy as hell. He wanted and needed more of this woman, wanted to taste her and needed to alleviate some of the sexual tension and frustration that had been his constant companion since their first dance. Hell, maybe even before. Sweeping his tongue across her lips, he tasted the slightest hint of cream and sugar. When her lips parted slightly, he deepened the kiss, letting his tongue scrape across her teeth. He moaned, well, a combination of a moan and a growl. God, this was good. Damn good. Honestly, if he didn't have this woman soon…

He pulled away, "If you don't plan on inviting me back to your room, then we need to stop."

"I…I'm sorry."

Damn, infuriating woman. He lowered his head to claim her in another fiery kiss. When her hands slid up his arms and around his neck to pull their bodies closer, Mr. Hyde broke the lock on the trunk and joined the party. He slid one hand into the tangled waves of her hair and the other to the curve of her bottom, holding her hard against him. She'd realize instantly how far gone he already was—how much he'd been holding back. He tore his mouth away, desire to take her to bed consuming every nerve ending in his body. "Don't be sorry, baby, just don't say good-bye yet."

Her face showed conflict and indecision. He stretched in order to keep his hands busy and from touching her as she made her decision.

I should win an award for being such a damn gentleman.
The phone in his pocket buzzed again, breaking the spell.

"We have to say good-bye as whoever is trying to reach you is growing impatient."

As if on cue, the unrelenting vibration repeated against his thigh, a reminder of Alana's irritation and impatience. "Okay, but this discussion is far from over. Let's get you home before Mr. Hyde breaks completely out of the cage I've been keeping him in and has his wicked way with you."

Daniel took a deep breath before slipping into the dark blue Cadillac. He made a mental note to have a word with his buddy about keeping his whereabouts private from the ladies, especially one as possessive as Alana. He didn't have proof a buddy had squealed, but it was the only way she could've known. No time like the present to face the music. "Hey, Alana, what's with blowing my phone up?"

The words had barely left his mouth when ruby red lips covered his and a small palm slid over his recently disappointed groin, quickly bringing it to life.

Grabbing her hand, and breaking the kiss, he held the long, manicured fingers where they couldn't cause damage. "You didn't answer my question."

The fiery redhead flashed him an angry glare. "You didn't tell me you were coming. I've been sitting at home, alone and missing you, while you were out doing god-knows-what with god-knows-who."

It wasn't quite that bad, but she knew him well enough to know if he was in town and not with her… "I'm sure your, what do they call them, sugar daddy, would be more than happy to spend time with you." Mr. Hyde returned with a vengeance—about time.

Tiny pin prickles of pain radiated from his cheek throughout his entire face. He could've stopped the slap but hoped she'd feel better afterward. It would help, making what came next easier.

"You know he pays little to no attention to me, and we haven't shared a bed in years. Not a secret I've kept from you."

A part of him felt bad for her. She wasn't married, but she enjoyed the finer things in life and a sugar daddy fit the bill. Unfortunately, she'd chosen a man who was many years older than her. She'd confessed he lost interest in sex years ago. Daniel couldn't help but wonder if the man physically couldn't perform or had simply lost interest. "It's a shitty problem, and it sucks for you, I know." The other part knew Alana wanted only one thing from him, and it had nothing to do with love.

Her hand slid between his legs as she moved closer. "A problem you've always been willing to help me with."

His manhood tightened uncomfortably under her experienced touch. She crooned, "C'mon, baby, we've had a lot of fun together. No strings—just like you want it."

She hit the nail right on the proverbial head. That was how he'd wanted it, but something was changing. He was changing. He didn't want to hurt Alana, but he couldn't do this anymore. He
had
wanted no strings attached before. Strings tied people down and restricted their freedoms. But, they also could hold people together. There was an hour and a half before he was supposed to meet Melodie. He needed to tell Alana good-bye and move on. It'd been a fun ride, but it was time to grow up and find the relationship his lonely heart deserved.

6:15. He was late. Melodie had chosen a seat at the oak bar adjacent to the lobby with a direct view of the front door. She'd checked with the front desk for messages. None. He didn't strike her as the type to not call. Though limited encounters, he'd been prompt to each meeting they'd set and respected the boundaries she'd given. The main problem? Even if she wanted to call him to make sure he hadn't been in an accident, they'd never exchanged cell phone numbers. He knew where she was staying, but otherwise, no way for them to communicate. She took another sip of her drink and thought back to their good-bye kiss this morning.

Never before had she been kissed so thoroughly—so intensely. Every fiber of her being begged her to invite him back to the room and fully experience everything this connection between them promised. She'd wanted to, but something held her back. Maybe the nagging at the back of her mind about the constant buzzing of his phone over the last several hours of their date?
Maybe he'd decided she was toying with him, getting him all worked up, then not following through. Either way, he was a no-show. Disappointment settled low in her belly. Evelyn was right—she had no clue how to pick a man.

After draining the glass, she walked the short distance to the concierge desk to arrange a taxi. Adventure Melodie would go on. Though the past couple days had been a whirlwind, she liked the woman she was becoming or, perhaps, allowing herself to be the woman she'd always been. The plan was to see the JFK Memorial and see it she would—with or without him.

Her eyes widened at the sight before her. A magnificent memorial designed in tribute to Kennedy's brief, yet historical, life. The simple design consisted of four walls forming a monument to represent the freedom of Kennedy's spirit. The suspended structure lifted two feet above the ground on eight support beams that vanished the moment darkness fell and the lights around the memorial turned on, giving the structure the appearance of floating on light. Daniel had been right—mesmerizing.

She collapsed onto one of the benches outside the memorial and fought back an errant tear. This experience would mean so much more if someone were here to share in the moment.
Someone like Daniel.
A pity party loomed nearby, waiting to join and occupy her for as long as she'd allow the negative thoughts. Why couldn't she meet a nice guy and settle down?
Because I deserve more than nice, I deserve the storybook romance where Romeo sweeps me off my feet and kisses me until I forget how to spell my name.

Dismissing Mr. Pity Party, she stared at the memorial, contemplating her life and wondering if it would end up as empty as the structure in front of her. As much as she cared for him, marrying Tom would've been a mistake. He deserved more too. They'd been comfortable with each other, the best of friends. Friends were all they would ever be though. His gentle touches didn't inflame her to heights of passion. Rather, they made her feel safe and cherished. At the time, she thought it would be all she ever wanted—all she deserved.

Tom was gone. Daniel, a no-show. Time to move on. No pity party today. Room service and a chick flick or disappearing inside the pages of a book sounded like a long overdue plan. She hailed a cab, ready to pick up the pieces and move forward yet again.

One chick-flick down and most of her steak devoured, Melodie sighed happily—nothing like a piece of perfectly cooked red meat to help ease heartache and disappointment. Throw in a baked potato and a piece of cheesecake for dessert and you'd guaranteed yourself at least an hour or so away from the harsh realities of life. They were still there. You just didn't care as much. The hotel phone ringing caused her to cough and spit out a piece of potato. Would Daniel be calling to apologize? Explain? With her heart pounding in her chest, she picked up the receiver.

"Hello."

"Melodie, it's your mother."

Her pounding heart immediately transformed into a pounding headache. "Oh, hi, Mom."

"Evelyn tells me you refuse to come home and meet this wonderful man she's found for you." Just like Mom. No pleasantries. Just right to the point. Less than one minute before Evelyn's name was brought up. How predictable their conversations had become. How Daddy had put up with her all these years was anyone's guess. He must be a candidate for sainthood or something.

"I'm doing great, Mom. Enjoying the vacation. Thanks for asking."

"Watch your tone, young lady, and answer my question."