Forever Starts Tomorrow (13 page)

‘I’m terrified.’ Suddenly the mask was off, and Scott’s eyes were pleading and honest. ‘ Damn it, I have no idea what I'm even doing. Yeah, you're probably right that I could convince her to give me the green light; I won’t lie about that. But the truth is, I can’t… I can’t do it by myself.’ He paced restlessly around her room. ‘I know nothing about kids, especially a kid like José, who's seen enough shit to last a lifetime. Today, in the meeting, I couldn’t focus on anything beyond imagining what I'm going to do when he arrives—and even worse, what will happen afterwards. I feel like I signed up for skydiving without reading the manual on how to actually open my parachute.’

He sat down again, his long legs stretching out.

‘I’m trying to run those different scenarios through my head, you know?’ He watched her, and for the first time that evening, she noticed how tired he really looked. He looked as though he was fighting a migraine, too, she thought, as she observed the circles under his eyes and his tight mouth. Scott had been worrying about the whole thing more than he'd wanted to admit, until that very moment. She had to consider how he must have felt about the whole bomb. His father was dead, and he had an unexpected brother who lived in squalid conditions, young and vulnerable. Scott might have played it cool, but deep down he was already planning how to help that family. She felt a wave of warmth wash over her, taking away some of her tiredness.

‘It will be fine, you’ll see.’ She reached out and patted his hand. ‘José was ecstatic to find out he had siblings—you saw him. You’ll show him around your work, take him to the park, have a meal together… Trust me, he will love it.’

‘I’ve made some inquiries about his uncle and his cousin.’ Scott’s fingers closed around her palm, his index finger absentmindedly stroking her soft skin. ‘The guy works day and night, and Ramona dropped out of high school and is now working as a cleaning lady. Lousy pay and long hours. José and his grandma look after Ana. At least, so far this has been the arrangement.’

‘It must be hard for them.’ She sighed, trying hard to ignore the electric current that seemed to travel from his fingers into her skin. ‘And not fair for José.’

‘Not fair at all,’ Scott said. ‘I don’t want to be pushy, but if his uncle is interested, he can have a job at Triadon. He is skilled enough, and that's the least I can do for him, really. We're hiring new security guys, anyway, so he can consider it just a shortcut.’

He was embarrassed to admit he actually got the man a job—Melanie could tell by the way he shifted in his seat. He used to say how much he hated nepotism and how the hiring process for Triadon was fair and open to anyone willing to apply.

‘That’s great.’ She smiled encouragingly, not sure what he expected to hear.

‘Ramona shouldn’t be working anyway,’ he grumbled, his fingers finally letting go of her palm as he raked them through his hair. ‘With her baby and taking care of the grandma, she’s got a full plate. With her dad working for me, she’d be able to stay home for a while, or go back to school, whatever she chooses.’

He had thought it all through, she thought elatedly, fighting the urge to lean over and kiss him. Baby steps, she reminded herself firmly.

‘I know I'm asking you for a lot.’ The moment was over. ‘It would make it so much easier to have you there, with us. Marnie will come visit, of course, so you won’t be stuck with us all the time, if that's what worries you most.’

‘We’ll have separate bedrooms.’ She saw him nod without hesitation, and felt a tinge of regret, which was really silly. Was she disappointed that he didn’t mind the arrangement? Was she expecting him to beg her to stay in his bed? Don't go there, she told herself firmly, the images that came to mind definitely detrimental to her peace of mind.

‘I’m doing it because I think you’re doing the right thing,’ she added, hoping she wasn’t making a mistake by agreeing so readily to his offer. ‘I’ll stick around if it’s really helpful, but that’s all.’

‘Of course.’ Again, he agreed without even batting an eyelash. Did he even miss having her around? She felt annoyed at him and herself alike.

‘I’ve cleared my schedule for the next few days.’ He was still talking, unaware of her musing. ‘The meeting today went really well, and our team can start working on outlining the actual collaboration process. I’ve gone over every damn detail of this proposal and can let Joe and Mark handle it for a bit, just checking in from time to time.’

Well, that will be a first, she felt tempted to say. Scott didn’t normally leave anything out of his personal control zone, and had pretty much overseen every move of his company from the time he started it at the age of twenty-two, fresh out of college.

‘José will love the visit to Triadon.’ It was an important step for Scott. Triadon had been a big part of who he was, and the fact he wanted to sacrifice work time for personal time with José was significant. José would never know it, but it was Scott’s way of reaching out and welcoming his brother to his world.

‘Hope so.’ He smiled, the first genuine smile since he'd set his foot in her apartment. ‘We’ll be re-testing a new version of Margo IV, and I can tell you, it can do some amazing things. It knocked the socks off the visiting team from Japan last week. But it was a gruesome amount of work.’

She recalled how the last few weeks had kept him in his office for most of the time, his eyes carrying an absentminded look that she thought she understood. Melanie felt a twinge of remorse, thinking that her suspicion about him and Vanessa was probably not as justified as she originally thought. She pushed it aside, determined not to give in.

‘Congrats.’ She stifled a yawn. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she wanted to curl up in a ball, right there on the sofa. Falling asleep listening to his voice wouldn’t be a bad thing at all, given all the restless nights she'd suffered in the past week. The fitful sleep made her tired during the day, and she was starting to consider some kind of herbal remedy to help her get a good night's sleep. But Scott’s presence had a calming effect on her frayed nerves at most times, and this one was not an exception. Melanie felt safe and complete, the whole day full of events finally catching up with her and knocking her out.

She didn’t realize she had actually fallen asleep until she woke up with a start, confused. How had she gotten to her bed? There was a blanket covering her, and the blinds were down, the room dim and peaceful. She blinked, trying to figure out what had happened. She was talking to Scott, who came over and… suddenly, she was wide-awake, sitting up and sweeping the room with one careful gaze. Where was he? Melanie looked down, worried of what she might be wearing under the blanket, or even more, what might be missing. Scott had seen her naked hundreds of times, of course. However, the thought he might undress her while she was out for the count was very disturbing. She worried for nothing. She was still wearing her outfit from before, the comfortable T-shirt and shorts still in place.

She peeked at the digital clock on her night table, grateful for its glowing red display. It was one in the morning, so she’d been asleep for at least four hours. She felt much better, she thought, as she stretched leisurely under the covers. She lay for a moment, thinking about what happened the day before. The silence of the night mellowed her senses, and she let her thoughts weave in and out, enjoying the serenity.

Melanie was thirsty, however. She tossed the blanket aside and got up. The room was lightened by silver moonshine peeking through the halfway-closed blinds. Everything seemed gilded in the cool light that softened the edges and poked its curious fingers into the dark corners.

Her mint tea was still on the kitchen counter. She lifted the mug to her lips, grateful for its soothing coolness. When she finally looked around, her eyes widened in surprise. Scott was still there, his head propped against the back of the couch, fast asleep. His laptop sat at the coffee table, its dark screen reflecting some of the moonlight. Melanie tiptoed over, unable to resist the temptation. She missed seeing him asleep. His face was serene and at peace. There were only a few instances when she’d seen him like that when he was awake; his usual energy made it impossible for him to fully relax. He was calm, the dark crescents of his eyelashes resting against his high cheekbones and accentuating the beauty of his features. His mouth, usually mobile, was relaxed in a half smile as if he were dreaming about something beautiful. Before she knew what she was doing, she leaned over, her lips brushing against his in a fleeting caress. She hadn’t planned on doing it. It was more of an instinct, really, her whole body craving to touch him. He tasted just as good as she remembered, she thought, as her lips lingered at the corner of his mouth, reluctant to leave. Encouraged by his even breathing, she kissed him again, her tongue tip tracing the contours of his lips. She let it dip between them. His warm breath caressed her skin. His breathing changed ever so slightly, and Melanie panicked, lifting her head and watching him, her breath caught in her throat. He didn’t wake up, just shifted in his seat, his chest soon rising and falling again in a steady rhythm.

She wanted more. Just one more kiss, and she’d let him be.

Her lips found his again, the touch electric. She let them travel to the firm line of his jaw and back again, the stubble on his cheek deliciously rough under her mouth. She leaned closer, inhaling the scent of his skin, fresh and exotic, just like the man himself. She’d recognize it in a crowd of a million people, she thought, as a slow fire started to burn deep inside her, impossible to put out. Flames of desire licked along her nerve endings, making rational thinking barely possible. She kissed him again, her impatience making her clumsy.

Suddenly he was kissing her back. Her dazed brain took a second too long to register the fact that his mouth was shaped around hers in a most definite response. Two strong arms pulled her down into his lap, trapping her in his embrace. Her mouth opened instinctively, inviting him to explore deeper. He obliged, his tongue sweeping along hers, teasing and coaxing her into a reaction that couldn’t be denied. She felt his hands move from her arms to her chest, searching and finding her breasts, straining against the thin fabric of her T-shirt. Scott's thumb scraped lazily against her swelling nipple, and a current surged through her body. She kissed him desperately, afraid of letting go and having to confront what she had just instigated. As long as her eyes were closed and she felt his mouth on hers, she felt safe and free.

His hand searched and found the hem of her shirt, pushing it up with one swift movement. His warm fingers traced her ribcage, gentle yet strong. Skin on skin, his hands caressed her pliant flesh, moving upwards agonizingly slowly. Just as she thought she’d burn to ashes, he reached the gentle swell of her breasts, and was cupping the mounds. He traced ever-smaller circles around them, his kiss more urgent. Her nipples hardened even more, the tips painfully sensitive to his touch. As he rolled one between his index finger and his thumb, her hips surged closer, desperate to close the gap between their bodies.

With shaking fingers, Melanie undid the buttons of his shirt, wanting to feel the silky hair that dusted his broad chest and disappeared under the expensive pants. She knew his body like a sailor that had travelled the seven seas and mapped out the uncharted territories. Every inch of his skin had been etched into her memory.

He lifted her up, surprisingly gentle. She felt the familiar shape of the throw pillow under her shoulder blades, and then her thinking stopped altogether as Scott’s mouth closed around her hardened nipple. She arched under him, the rhythmical sucking sending flaming messages lower into her love-starved body. His powerful thigh separated her legs as he came even closer, the contact almost too much to bear. His tongue teased the turgid tip, licking it as if it were an ice cream cone, each flick reverberating inside her like exquisite torture. He peeled off her shorts, the touch of his finger probing her moist core tearing a moan from her parched throat. Over and over, he caressed the warm flesh, each stroke just a second longer. Her hips acquired a life of their own, lifting and lowering in a steady rhythm, as if she were an ocean tide responding to the pull of the moon. His lips left her nipples and dragged their way back to her mouth, his demanding kiss leaving room for nothing but total surrender. He greedily swallowed her gasps, his hips grinding into hers, the imprint of his erection unmistakable. Melanie felt his hand go between their bodies, the quiet sound of his belt getting unbuckled breaking the silence. She reached down, impatient to find his manhood. He was ready, his rock-hard penis jutting upwards and barely fitting into her grasp. She rubbed it teasingly and felt his body shudder. His fingers pressed against her own sex, rubbing her fully erected clit in sync with the gliding motion of her hand. She was on the verge of a mind-blowing climax, her body flushed and tense. Scott's ragged breath told her he was also reaching the point of no return. Unable to wait any longer, she guided his thick shaft into her wet opening, the sensation of him pushing and stretching the swollen tissues as he pressed forward sending her over the edge.

Her muscles contracted around him, the first waves of ecstasy carrying her away to some place between heaven and earth, where time didn’t really exist. The pulsing sensation was so intense, she felt tears gathering in her eyes and spilling over, down her heated cheeks. Melanie felt like a tree caught in the middle of a powerful storm, ravaged by its power and unable to do anything at all. Through the rapturous bliss, she heard Scott moan, his hot lips against her throat, his hips driving him even deeper into her flesh. Over and over again, he surged against her, until finally he groaned, his body convulsing as he spilled his seed inside her. His large body shuddered repeatedly, the intensity of his orgasm matching her own ecstasy.

However she couldn’t soar forever. Scott gently rolled to the side, his arms scooping her closer, his thudding heartbeat under her ear.

The quiet, only broken by their breathing, fell over her like an oppressive blanket. With the fog of passion dissipated enough to see clearly, she felt the first trickle of embarrassment wash over her, the moment that it would turn into a torrent of regret only a heartbeat away. What had she done? She'd practically seduced Scott, waking him up to have sex with her. And all that after her lofty statements about space and taking it slowly.