Feel the Heat: A Contemporary Romance Anthology (12 page)

And Melissa would either forgive me…or she would hate my guts for all eternity when she found out what I’d done.

W
ould it ever stop hurting
? I knew from experience, it might, at points. A year from now, when I was immersed in something new that captured my imagination in a classroom, or on a run with Ash when we talked about the world and how small and insignificant we were inside of it, I'd realize I hadn't thought about Robbie in at least an hour. Then, maybe it would stretch to two or three. And the pain would go from a searing agony to a dull ache that lingered.

But in this moment, I couldn't fathom that. And I could only blame myself.

I blinked hard, my eyes burning from the near-constant tears, as I settled against the couch cushions with a groan.

I shot a glance toward Ashlynn's bedroom door and considered calling her into the living room again. She'd gone to tell Robbie off, but when she'd come back, it was like all the anger had been sucked out of her and she was acting strange. She wouldn’t meet my gaze as she offered to cancel her day plans with Gil to stay home and take care of me, but I declined. The last thing she needed was to be hanging around with me right now. Gil was good for her, and I wasn't about to ruin another second of her vacation.

It was that thought that kept me from making tracks to her room and grilling her about what she'd said to Robbie. Clearly, it hadn't been much, because she'd been gone all of ten minutes.

A low knock sounded on the door and I called in to her, "Gil's back."

I'd already freaked the poor guy out, so I wasn't about to answer the door still in tears. I rolled to my feet and made my way into my bedroom so as to spare him the drama, passing Ash as she crossed the room to the door.

"It's going to be okay, Melis. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but I swear it will," she whispered, reaching out to squeeze my hand before answering the door.

My throat felt tight as I shut myself in my bedroom and took a running dive onto the bed. The move sent a waft of Robbie's scent from his t-shirt straight up my nose and I groaned.

The clothes had to go. I needed to find the hottest fire in town and burn them to ashes.

I covered my face with a pillow to block out the low murmur of voices as Ash and her new man chatted. Probably making plans to enjoy the paradise of Monaco as they explored it all, hand in hand. I was so thrilled that she had that. She deserved it so much. But thinking of what that could've been like for me and Robbie only sank the knife deeper, and twisted.

A low knock sounded on my door. "Melis? You, uh, have some company."

Footsteps trailed off as I tore the pillow away from my face just in time to see Ashlynn creeping out of the hotel room and Robbie's massive form filling the doorway.

My pulse tripped and my skin went cold and clammy.

"W-what are you doing here?" I asked, wetting my suddenly bone-dry lips. I felt small and vulnerable so I scooted backward until I was sitting against the headboard as he crossed the room to sit in the armchair beside the bed.

"I needed to talk to you," he said. Now that the shock of him showing up had started to wear off, I noticed that he looked different somehow. His eyes were bright with determination. His jaw was set. Every muscle tensed and at the ready.

He looked like the Robbie I'd seen the night before in the ring. Robbie "Sledgehammer" Stevens, about to fight. My senses immediately went into overdrive.

Was
he
mad at
me
for something? What the hell was going on here?

"I have some things to say, and you're not going to like them. You're going to try to stop me, and ask questions, but I need you to let me get it all out first, all right?"

The words came rapid-fire, with an urgency that had me reeling.

"Yes. Okay," I said, unable to deny him that when he clearly needed to get whatever it was off his chest.

"Four years ago, I went to a party at the lake. There were girls there. Lots of them," he said, his expression grim.

Nausea rolled through me and I held up a hand. "Look, I appreciate after all this time, you want to clear your conscience, but don't. Don't put me through having to listen to the blow by blow details, Robbie. I can't--"

"Stop. Let me finish, damn it," he snapped, scrubbing a hand over his tortured face. "There were girls there,” he repeated. “And I didn't touch a single one of them. One of them tried to get me to go for a skinny dip with her, and I said no. In fact, I wasn't even tempted. And do you know why?" he asked, his tone low and harsh.

"Why?" I managed through numb lips, still trying to process his words.

"Because I was crazy, madly, totally in love with you. And still am." He leaned in and grabbed my hand, lacing his fingers with mine. "I never cheated on you, Melissa. I told you I did because I knew you were considering staying in town and giving up on your dream school so we could stay together. I told you I did because I didn't want you to be stuck with me in that town and regret it later."

The room seemed to spin, and I was sucked back in time. Recalling the agony of that night as clear as if it had happened not an hour before. How I’d doubled over in pain as Robbie told me, his voice dull…like he’d been reading from a script of a play he couldn’t give two shits about, that he didn’t want to be with me anymore.

“You’re lying. Why are you lying?” I demanded, clutching the pillow over my aching stomach with my free hand.

“I’m not.” His face was a mask of pain, but his eyes still blazed. “Not anymore. I have no reason to lie. Think about it, Melissa. Think it all through again from after what I just told you. You wanted to know how I did that. How, all of a sudden, I just stopped loving you, when we’d been everything to each other. How I’d walked away without even a second glance.”

I tried to fight the urge to do exactly that. To keep the narrative I had in place, because damn it, the new one was just too fucking sad to bear. But no matter how hard I tried, the puzzle pieces began to slide seamlessly into place.

“You planned it ahead of time, didn’t you?” I whispered dully.

We spent almost every waking hour together except when I was with Ash and he was training. That day, he’d wanted to do something with the boys and didn’t want me to come. So strange. So out of character.

“I did,” he said, tearing his gaze from mine, his strong throat working as he swallowed hard. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I need you to believe that. And if you never forgive me, I understand. But I couldn’t go another second without you knowing that I never stopped loving you. And every day we were apart, I was broken inside too.”

How strange, the black cloud that had been my constant companion for all these years began to drift away, only to be replaced by another. This one less tumultuous and stormy…blue and bittersweet.

All that time. We’d wasted all that time. All those tears…

“We could’ve talked it through. We could’ve worked it out,” I murmured, shaking my head.

“I know that now. Hell, I’ve known that for the past couple years, but how do you undo something like that? I couldn’t turn back the hands of time, and you were doing so well at school. It seemed like you were happy. What gave me the right to shake that all up again?”

I yanked his hand to my heart and held it there. “This. This gave you the right. Just like it gave me the right to decide what I wanted to do with my future. It was yours, Robbie. And you broke it.”

“I know that. But I would do anything in the world to make it up to you.”

He pulled away and dropped to the floor on both knees. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. My heart thundered as he cracked open the box to reveal a delicate circle made of hammered silver and wood.

“I love you, Melissa. I don’t know if you can ever forgive me, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes, for however long it takes, to find out. I bought this ring today for you. It’s made from bamboo. Because once it's planted it won't stop growing and it takes over everything in its path. Nothing can stop it.” His words were so solemn and sincere, I could hear the truth ringing in them and it made my whole body tremble. “We’re like that. Unstoppable. Two halves of a whole, and I don’t want to live without you for another day. I have enough money for a down payment on a house. I could quit boxing and get a straight job and take care of a place for the both of us so you can focus one hundred percent on school. You won’t have to be broke through your residency, because we can do it together, like a team.”

The waterworks were starting again and I tugged my hand away from his to wipe my face. I still wasn’t okay. It might take days…weeks…hell, maybe I’d
never
forget how I felt when Robbie broke my heart. But as he knelt before me, love in his eyes, something tripped inside me and I forgave him. The anger and resentment faded away to nothing, leaving behind only love.

Maybe I was being a fool again. Maybe it would all crash and burn. But I would rather crash and burn taking a chance on Robbie than waste another single day apart.

“No,” I said, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and standing.

His jaw clenched and he nodded slowly, rising to his feet. “I understand. I knew it was a long-shot, and--”

“I mean no, I don’t want you to quit boxing.”

He cocked his head to the side and studied me, hope replacing sadness in his eyes. “We’ve been apart for so long. I’d still need to travel and train near constantly. Between that and your residency, we’d--”

“Make it work,” I finished for him. “We’d make it work, Robbie.” I plucked the ring from the box he still held and slid it on my finger before circling my arms around his waist. “It will be an adventure. An amazing, awesome adventure. We can set up a home base near my school, and you can train in town. I’ll fly out to see your fights when you have them, and sew you up when you need stiches.” I traced the spot beneath the cut on his cheek gently. “We’ll sneak in late night meals and lazy Sundays and quickies between classes. In a few years, school will be behind me and we’ll find a routine. Something less hectic and more stable.” I bounced up onto my tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips, a tingle of warmth warming the place inside me that had been cold for so long.

He let out a groan and yanked me closer, groaning again as our bodies collided.

He let out a pained laugh against my lips. “I’m almost one hundred percent sure I have a broken rib.”

I tried to pull away, but he held me fast against him.

“But I don’t care. I love you, Melis. And I’m never ever letting you go again.”

T
he End

“
S
ee anything you like
?”

Carly licked her lips.
Oh, yeah. I see something I like.

There were plenty of things on the menu to quench her thirst, but what she really wanted was a sip of the man across from her. Intelligence, confidence, a strong work ethic and a great body all rolled into one sexy package. He was a tall drink of mouth-watering delight she’d had her eye on for a while now.

Dark stubble lined his jaw, giving his normally fresh-faced look a rugged, wild appearance. A white T-shirt pulled tight across the broad shoulders and pectoral muscles Carly’s fingers itched to trace. Biceps stretched the cotton sleeves and she imagined her hands curled around their thickness holding on as he gave her the ride of her life. One look at him had her pulse spiking and her pussy watering, along with her mouth.

Her gaze dropped to the washboard abs clearly defined under the snug material. Carly would give her next breath to remove the clinging fabric. Tingles of desire tickled her tongue. The idea of licking that smooth expanse set her temperature rising higher than the steamy Singapore climate. Her clit throbbed and she squirmed in her seat, squeezing her thighs together to ease the ache.

Dampness coated her panties and her nipples beaded hard as stones beneath her lace bra. Lace that scraped and teased the taut peaks, making them throb. Her breasts swelled, grew heavy with the arousal pumping through her bloodstream. White-knuckled, Carly gripped the menu to stop herself from reaching between her legs and pressing on her engorged clit.

She had to stop thinking about jumping Saxon Grant. The man would never go for her if she came off as a trashy nympho. No, his women were always cultured—kindergarten teacher types, she’d seen the few he’d dated since she met him. They probably only knew one way to have sex—missionary, no mess and definitely no noise. Carly was going to love teaching the man all about down and dirty. But first she had to play it cool, be subtle.

“Carly?”

She loved the sound of her name on his tongue. Or it could just be his voice. He had a bedroom voice, a little rough, a little naughty. She shuddered and brought her gaze up to meet his. Her tongue flicked out, slid across her bottom lip and she watched his eyes light with desire, his nostrils flare. Good, the man was not unaffected. With a sexy grin she placed her order.

“I’ll take a Singapore Fling, thanks,” she purred.

Saxon choked, fumbled with his menu, and cleared his throat. “I think you mean a Singapore Sling.”

“I know what I mean.” Carly waited a beat. “And I mean what I say.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed. He stared at her for a minute, studied her face, her eyes. When he finally turned to the waiter, he ordered two Singapore Slings. Placing his menu on the table between them, he reached into the tub of peanuts to grab a handful and leaned back in his chair to slowly shell them. One by one, he popped them in his mouth.

Carly sat mesmerized by the shift of muscles, the slide of long, lean fingers and large hands. Those babies could cover an awful lot of her flesh in one sweep. Or better yet, fill parts of her that ached to be filled. Vivid images of Saxon with his fingers buried between her legs exploded in her mind. She bit her lip and stifled the moan working its way up her throat. Warmth swirled in her lower belly.

One end of his mouth kicked up in a sexy grin that had her toes curling and her bones melting. In slow motion his tongue peeked out, slid between his lips from one corner to the other and left a glistening trail hers itched to follow. The pink muscle disappeared from view and Carly’s stomach knotted as the urge to lean over and suck it back out took hold. Those lush, kissable lips stretched into a full smile over straight white teeth that contrasted nicely against the red flesh surrounding them.

“So…you want a fling.”

Her gaze met his. The naked desire blazing in his blue eyes sent a shiver down her spine and blistering need burning in her pussy. He wanted her. There was no doubt in her mind, but would he do anything about it? With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Carly jumped in with both feet.

“Sure.” She shrugged. “But it would depend on who I was flinging with.”

“Really? So it’s not just any port in a storm?” he asked.

“No. I’m very picky about who I play with.” She let her gaze roam his body, taking her time, down over his chest and stomach to the noticeable bulge in his jeans. “It’s not something I do on a whim.”

“Do you normally proposition men in bars?”

“No.”
In for a penny, in for a pound.
“You’re the first.”

Now that she’d moved her hungry gaze from his crotch she saw the smile playing over his lips.

“Good. I’d hate to think this was a bad habit you have.” He watched her closely before adding, “I’d have to punish you if it was.”

Her eyes widened and her tummy lurched. “Punish?”

“Oh yeah. I’d turn you over my knee and spank that sexy ass of yours.”

Air rushed from her lungs and fluid seeped from her rapidly swelling pussy.

“I see you wouldn’t be adverse to such a thing. Good to know.”

The waiter placed their drinks on the table, saving Carly from commenting further. Her throat dry, she grabbed her glass, sucked on the straw and filled her mouth with the sweet alcohol-laced cocktail. She wasn’t sure what rattled her more—that Saxon wasn’t the buttoned-down man she thought he was or the arousal coursing through her at the thought of being spanked. As far as she was concerned anything that brought pleasure was fair game but she’d never gone down that road before.

“Slow down. We haven’t eaten yet, and on an empty stomach a Sling will get you drunk real quick,” Saxon said.

The straw slipped from her lips and she sucked in a deep breath. He was right, getting drunk wasn’t a good idea. Not if she wanted to get him into bed. She held the cold glass against her cheek but the icy chill did nothing to cool her off. In the six months she’d worked at Saxon’s company they’d never flirted. Not that anyone got past Brenda, his bitch of a personal assistant. That barracuda had just about foamed at the mouth when she found out Carly and the boss were flying to Singapore and would be alone together for over a week.

A smile of delight stretched her lips as she remembered the look on Brenda’s face. Carly had felt smug ever since.

“What has you grinning with evil intent?”

She looked at him and decided the truth couldn’t hurt. She’d always been a straight shooter in her professional and personal life, no point stopping now. “I was remembering the look on the personal assistant from hell’s face when you told her I was coming with you on this trip. She was less than pleased with the idea.”

“Probably because she knows I’ve watched you from the moment you walked through my office door. Unlike some, she knows lust when she sees it.”

Her mouth dropped open and she gaped like a stranded fish. Her jaw flapped along with her brain. He’d been watching her?

“Yes, Carly, I’ve watched you and thought of nothing but having you under me from the minute you arrived. So if you’re still up for that fling I’m more than happy to play with you.”

S
axon smiled
as he took in Carly’s shocked expression. She thought she’d stunned him earlier with her fling comment. Not a chance. It was the pain from his instantly stiff cock pressing into his fly that had him choking on his own breath. He’d spent the last five days trying to think of a way to get her in his bed. Now that he knew she was more than interested in being there, he wouldn’t hold back. And once he got her there she’d be staying longer than the weekend. His gut told him getting his fill of her would take more than a fling.

Everything about her oozed sex, from the way she spoke to the way she walked. Oh, she might think she fooled everyone with those conservative business suits of hers, and most people were fooled, but he hadn’t been duped. She was made for sex. Hot, sweaty sex. His body had gone on high alert the second Carly Simmons sauntered into his orbit. He couldn’t think of her without his cock springing to life and hiding it at work hadn’t been easy.

How the fuck he’d kept his hands off her for the last six months was anyone’s guess. She had deceived him, in a way, because up until she lay down her very inventive come-on he’d been clueless of her desire for him. Good thing or he might have taken her on his desk at work. It had been tough enough not ordering her to bend over the paper-strewn surface or to push her to her knees every time she stepped in his office. Now it would be impossible.

He sipped his drink, the cocktail not what he normally ordered. He preferred straight scotch but after Carly’s little slip of the tongue he’d ordered them each a Sling. The silence between them had dragged on too long. If he wanted to keep the night and the rest of the weekend on track, she had to continue in the direction she’d started. He checked his watch.

“I figure we’ve got about forty-eight hours, give or take, before we have to be at the airport for our flight home. How ‘bout we go back to our suite and order room service for dinner. Make the most of the time we have.”

Waiting for Carly’s answer killed him. The zipper on his pants dug into the swollen flesh of his cock. The pain took the edge off his arousal or he’d have come in his pants with the images of what they were going to do running through his head. How would she react when he showed her what he was like in the bedroom? Right now she was turned on, her nipples poked against her top, and she’d been squirming in her seat since they sat down.

Her eyes were dilated and if she licked those plump red lips one more time he’d yank her across the table and lick them himself. She was aroused but would she take him up on his offer? He couldn’t wait any longer. He’d take the choice out of her hands. Putting his glass back on the table, he came to his feet.

“Come on. I’m through waiting.”