Protecting Melody (17 page)

Tex couldn’t stop his actions, he stepped up to Mel and put his hand on the small of her back. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, loud enough for Robert to hear him. “Baby and I will be right over there.” Tex pointed at a bench not too far away. “Take your time visiting with your old friend.” Then he put one hand on her cheek and turned her head to face him. He swooped down and kissed her. Not quick, and not softly. Pulling back he brushed his knuckles over her cheek and grabbed Baby’s leash and headed for the bench.
 

When he got there he sat down, crossed his arms, and watched as Mel spoke with Robert. Baby jumped up on the bench next to him and sat as if she was human. Tex put his hand on her back and stroked while they waited for Mel.
 

Within five minutes she finished her conversation with Robert and walked toward them, smiling. She sat down next to Tex and put her hand on his thigh. She leaned over and patted Baby on the head and sat back.
 

“You wanna explain that?” Melody asked Tex.
 

“Do you
need
me to explain it?”
 

She smiled. “I don’t think so. Tex, you have nothing to be worried about where Robert’s concerned.”
 

“It’s not that I’m concerned, Mel. I don’t think you’re suddenly going to dump me and declare your everlasting love for that schmuck. I just don’t like knowing that you and he . . .”
 

Melody stretched up and kissed Tex quiet. “It was forever ago. And it wasn’t even good.”
 

“Doesn’t matter. We could be eighty years old and I still wouldn’t like it.”
 

Melody giggled. “Come on. Can we go home now? I didn’t get to explore earlier.” Just as the words were out of her mouth Tex was up and walking quickly toward his truck, Mel’s hand held tightly in his own.
 

“We’ll stop and pick up dinner on the way back to your place.” Looking down at Baby as they walked Tex apologized. “Sorry, Baby, you’re going to be on your own again tonight. Gotta spend some quality time with my girl.”
 

Melody stretched and winced. She was sore in places she’d never been sore before. Well, at least without spending hours in the gym. Tex had been amazing last night. He’d let her play to her heart’s content, then spent just as much time returning the favor.
 

She turned over only to find an empty bed next to her. The sheets were cold, but Melody could see the imprint of Tex’s head in the pillow next to her. Looking at the clock, Melody saw it was seven in the morning. She was usually up before now, but Tex had tired her out last night. She stumbled into the bathroom, grabbing her T-shirt and boxers off the floor where Tex had thrown them last night.
 

After her morning routine, she padded out into her living room and stopped dead. Tex was there. He was currently doing pushups and Baby was keeping him company. She was trying to lick his face every time he pushed himself up. Melody had no idea how long Tex had been at it, but since he hadn’t noticed her yet, she leaned against the doorjamb to watch.
 

Even though Baby looked like she was being annoying, Tex tolerated her interference in his workout regime with extreme patience. It was amazing to see him doing one legged pushups. Oh, he was using his prosthetic to balance himself, but Melody could see that all of his weight was on his good foot.
 

Tex turned over after a few more pushups and started doing sit-ups. Baby obviously thought this was a fun new game, because she stood over him and tried to climb into his lap every time he laid back on the ground. Finally he gave up and mock growled and grabbed Baby around her body and fell backward with the dog in his arms. Baby wiggled out of his grasp, but came right back at him.
 

Melody watched as man and dog roughhoused on the floor. Both looked like they were having the time of their lives. Melody realized she hadn’t been this happy in a long time. She’d spent the last six months being scared and worried and she always woke up tense, wondering what the day would bring.
 

Tex had brought her some peace. She knew she wasn’t out of the woods yet, but whatever happened, Tex would be there to help her figure it out. She didn’t want to think about what would happen if her stalker didn’t make a move. Or once he was hopefully caught. She lived here in Pennsylvania and Tex lived in Virginia. He was staying with her right now, but that wouldn’t be forever.
 

Melody shook her head, refusing to think about the future. She’d just thought about how happy she was, she didn’t want to ruin it.
 

Baby must have seen her movement because she struggled out of Tex’s hold and leaped over to Melody.
 

She laughed, kneeled on the ground and greeted her. Baby really was a good dog. Even though she’d been locked out of the bedroom last night, she didn’t hold any grudges toward her or Tex.
 

“Good morning, beautiful,” Tex said above her. He’d gotten up and walked over to where she and Baby were.
 

“Help me up.” Melody held out her hand to Tex. He immediately grabbed it and lifted her off the ground as if she weighed nothing. He didn’t just help her up, but pulled her right into his arms.
 

“Good morning, beautiful,” he repeated.
 

“Good morning, Tex.” Melody blushed at the intense look Tex was giving her.
 

“I have no idea how you can blush after what we did last night, but I love that you do.”
 

“Did you sleep okay?”
 

“Mel, I’ve never slept better in my entire life, and certainly not since my surgery. Holding you in my arms, listening to you breathe, knowing you were exhausted from the orgasms I’d given you . . . fucking perfect.” Tex leaned down and kissed Mel long and hard. He pulled back and watched as Mel chewed on the corner of her bottom lip. “What is it? What aren’t you saying? Come on, Mel, don’t hold back.”
 

“You weren’t there this morning when I got up.”
 

“You have nothing to worry about, swear to God. Mel, I was a SEAL. I’m used to getting by on a lot less hours sleep than you. I work out every morning. Even though I’m retired, I haven’t broken the habit. As it was, I laid in bed for twenty minutes just listening to you breathe and feeling you against me. I probably would’ve stayed there if I didn’t hear Baby outside the door.”
 

“It’s just . . .” Mel paused, knowing what she was going to say would sound needy, and not really wanting to seem that way to Tex, especially since they hadn’t been together very long.
 

“Come here.” Tex took Mel’s hand and led her to the couch. As was his usual, he sat down and pulled her into his lap. “Now, go on, tell me what’s going on in that brain of yours. I know this is new, but you weren’t afraid to tell me what you were thinking when we were talking to each over the computer, don’t be afraid now that we’re face-to-face.”
 

“Will you wake me up when you leave in the morning?” At the frown on Tex’s face, Melody hurried to complete her thought. “It’s just that . . . I want to start my morning with you. And I can’t do that if you’re not there. Oh, I get that you have things to do, you aren’t tied to my bed, but if I can’t wake up with you, I’d like to know when you get up.” Mel took a deep breath and continued, not looking Tex in the eyes. “It’s happened before. One of the guys I dated in college left in the middle of the night and never came back. I guess he wanted to break up with me and didn’t know how to tell me. I’m a little sensitive about it now.”
 

“What a fucker. Mel, I’m not going anywhere. You heard me when I said you were mine didn’t you? That if you wanted me, I was yours? I wasn’t kidding. Besides, you need your sleep. I don’t want to wake you up.”
 

“I’m not talking about you shaking me and making me get up and do twenty pushups before you go and save the world, run a marathon or whatever.” Melody smiled at Tex. “But just kiss me or something. I can sleep anywhere, I won’t have any problem falling back asleep. It’ll make me feel better knowing you haven’t packed up to get out of here and that I could say good morning when you got up.”
 

“All right,” Tex agreed immediately, understanding her angst about waking up to an empty bed. “But believe me when I say I’m not fucking going anywhere. We need to have a conversation about what comes next, but until things have been resolved here, I’m not sure we’re ready to have it. But rest assured, I’m not going anywhere.”
 

Melody smiled at Tex. “Okay.”
 

“Okay. Now, I don’t think I’ve said a proper good morning yet. Kiss me, Mel. Like you mean it.”
 

“I always mean it,” Melody said the words with a smile as she leaned into Tex. She licked a path up the side of his neck. “Mmmmmm, salty.”
 

“Mel . . .” Tex warned, feeling himself growing hard under her.
 

“Can’t help it. You’re just so sexy and masculine, and you’re here with
me
. It’s all so unbelievable.”
 

Tex didn’t answer, just took her head in one of his hands and brought her face to his. He kissed her long and hard. If he had to kiss her to make her believe it, he would . . . gladly.
 

When Melody came back to herself, she was on her back on the couch with Tex on top of her. One hand was under her shirt at her braless breast, and the other was holding her knee up, so his erection was notched between her legs in just the right spot.
 

“Good morning, Mel,” Tex whispered huskily, while rubbing the back of her knee with his thumb on his left hand and her nipple with the fingers on his right.
 

“Did you get your workout done?” Melody asked breathlessly, arching her back slightly, pushing her breast further into his hand.
 

“No, but I can think of another way to burn some calories.”
 

Thirty minutes later Melody lay on top of Tex on the couch. Clothes had been thrown every which way and they were both mostly naked. Tex had stripped her of her clothes and had made her do all the work since he claimed he’d already worked out. Melody had never been with a lover who was as vocal as Tex was. He’d complimented her throughout their lovemaking, commenting on her body, the way it moved, the way it felt, the way it made
him
feel. Nothing seemed to embarrass him or turn him off. At one point, Melody had reached behind her to try to cup Tex’s balls and her fingers had slipped and she’d accidently prodded him in the backside. Instead of tensing up, Tex had moaned and gripped her hips harder and exclaimed, “Oh yeah,
Mel, that feels amazing.” Of course
she
had blushed and immediately moved her fingers to her intended target, but Tex had just smiled under her and winked.
 

As much as Melody wanted to go back to bed, she knew they had things to do today. Tex had to check his programs and see what information he could glean from them about the men she’d dated in the past and she had a job today. There was an assembly she had to translate for and she had to read the materials the company had sent for her to review beforehand. She’d taken too many days off driving cross-country and needed to get back in the swing of things.
 

Feeling Tex’s hard body underneath her move slightly, Melody turned her head. He was laughing. “What’s funny?”
 

Tex didn’t answer out loud, but instead used his chin to gesture off to the left. Melody turned her head to see Baby sitting nearby. Her head was cocked and her tail was swishing back and forth along the floor. Melody dropped her forehead on Tex’s chest and groaned. “Oh my God, we’ve corrupted my dog.”
 

“So much for doggy voyeurism being out.” Tex only laughed harder when Mel groaned against his chest again. “Come on, Mel, shower, by yourself, or we’ll never get anything done. Breakfast first and we’ll take a look at the results of my searches. Then we’ll head out. We need to hit a grocery store and see if we can be seen around town some more.”
 

Melody raised her head and propped herself up on Tex’s chest. She looked at him for a moment before saying softly, “Thank you.”
 

“Don’t thank me,” Tex scolded immediately. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be than here with you. I don’t care if you had three stalkers, an escaped murderer was at your door, and Baby was rabid and attacking. This is what I’ve waited my whole life for.” When Mel’s eyes teared up, Tex sat up, holding tight to her so she didn’t fall. He kissed her eyes, one at a time. “Don’t cry, Mel. This is the start of our beautiful life together.”
 

Tex urged Mel to stand up, and when she did, he turned sideways on the couch and buried his head in her stomach, holding her to him. He felt her hands in his hair and on his head. He inhaled deeply, then tilted his head back to look up at her. “You smell amazing.” Tex’s hands gripped her backside and kneaded. “You smell like us.”
 

“Tex.”
 

Tex took one hand and cupped her sex, then brought that hand up and smeared her wetness on her belly. Without taking his eyes from hers he said seriously, “A beautiful life, Mel. I’m going to do whatever it takes to give that to you . . . to us. Now, as much as I want to spend all day naked with you, we’ve got things to do.”
 

Tex caressed her belly one more time, then turned her and smacked her lightly on the ass. “Go shower, woman.”
 

Melody giggled and took a step toward the hallway and her bedroom. She looked behind her at Tex still sitting on her couch. Baby had walked up to him and he had one hand on her head and the other was on his knee. His eyes were glued to her though. Melody put a bit of a sway in her step as she continued toward the shower. She heard him groan behind her and she smiled. Somehow Tex had made coming home fun . . . when it should’ve been nothing but terrifying.