Gator's Challenge (9 page)

E
ntering the elevator
, Wes could sense her turmoil. Hell, he dealt with a whirlwind of it himself.

It took everything in him to not rip into Andrew.

Why do you let him live? He is just meat.

Because dead meat couldn’t help him to escape. He needed to find a way to use his proximity to Andrew to execute an escape.

First, though, he had to calm Melanie, even though he felt nothing but stormy himself. He understood, however, she couldn’t go back to her boys in this frazzled state.

He stopped the elevator one floor below and dragged her down the hall.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” was his reply as he tugged her through the door at the end of the hall and up the stairs. They spilled out onto the roof.

Melanie took a few steps then suddenly dropped to her knees and screamed. And screamed a little more. Her vocalization came with some choice swear words.

There was nothing gentle about her rage and fear. In that moment, she was a fierce mother, an angry wife. A scared woman.

Comfort her.

He didn’t have that right. And he didn’t think she would accept it. Not now. Not from him.

When the last echo of emotion faded, her shoulders slumped and her head bowed. Only then did he approach, wary in case she lashed out. She didn’t move. He leaned over and grabbed her hand. He drew her to her feet and led her to the far side of the rooftop, away from electronic eyes.

Wait, those eyes were gone. He noted the ragged ends of the wires hanging out. More evidence of vandalism to the cameras. It seemed not everyone enjoyed being under Bittech’s watchful gaze.

Wes dropped onto the bench and dragged Melanie onto his lap.

At first she struggled. “Let me go. Don’t touch me.”

Fuck that. He was done doing what he thought was the right thing for her. Done fighting the fact that he still cared too damned much about Melanie.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, hugged her like he’d wanted to hug her for years. But he didn’t completely lose his balls because he growled, “Calm the fuck down, angel,” instead of kissing her.

Should have kissed her. More fun.
His gator sulked.

“I won’t calm the fuck down,” she snarled, glaring at him with eyes that gleamed wildly. “Andrew’s out of his fucking mind.”

“Yeah.” He couldn’t disagree with that assessment.

“My choice is sleep with him or be raped by whomever he chooses.”

Like fuck. “Not happening.” He’d let his gator go on a rampage first.

“And how are you going to stop it?”

He shrugged. “I’m a Mercer. I’ll find a way.”

She laughed, a hysterical giggle that turned to wordless high-pitched noises. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Then do nothing. I’ll take care of this.”

“How and why? Why put yourself in danger?”

“Because.”

“What of your sister? I thought she was the reason you turned to evil.”

Wes sighed. “I love my sister. Don’t get me wrong. But I can’t let you and your boys come to harm.” Because, if he did, something inside him would probably die.

“I’m scared, Wes.” The softly spoken admission hurt him.

How could words make him ache so badly?
It’s because I love her so fucking much still.
The thought of her coming to harm…

“I’ve got you, angel. I will not let anything happen to you.” He palmed her cheeks, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I’d die first.” He sealed his promise with a kiss, the salt of her tears flavoring it with bittersweet despair.

At first she remained still under his soft caress, but then, as if a dam within her burst, she came alive in his arms. Her lips pressed insistently against his. Her body turned and leaned into him, the plushness of her ass squirming against the hardness of his cock.

Fucking jeans confined him, but he wouldn’t complain, not one word, not when with a simple embrace she ignited all his senses.

I’m on fire.
On fire like he hadn’t been since they’d broken up. He’d been with women since Melanie, more than his fair share, in an attempt to forget her. None, not a single goddamn one, ever made him feel like she did.

She’s mine.

Her mouth parted at the insistent tease of his tongue. He truly got to taste her again, a sensuous slide of flesh, a nibble on her tongue.

His mouth wasn’t the only thing busy. His hands roamed her shape, a little fuller than it used to be, a woman’s shape, all curves and sexy plushness.

Rearranging her so she straddled him took only a little maneuvering. Melanie seemed as eager as him to get closer. With her facing him, the core of her sex rubbed fully onto his erect shaft.

It didn’t matter that clothing separated them. They burned as if they were skin to skin.

Thinking of skin, he slid his hands under the hem of her shirt, stroking the smoothness of her back. His mouth left her swollen lips and nipped along her neck, sucking at her exposed column, her trust in him in that moment absolute.

He kissed the fluttery pulse at the base of her neck. Then went lower. His hands pushed the fabric of her shirt up, up and over the swell of her breasts, the peaks protruding with excitement through the cotton of her bra.

He dipped his head and caught a tip, sucking on it, even though fabric barred his way. She let out a breathy moan. He took more of her breast in his mouth, loving the fullness of it.

Since she had her fingers dug into the muscles of his shoulders, he allowed both his hands to cup and squeeze her ripe peaches. He buried his face between them, inhaling her scent.

Melanie squirmed against him, the heat of her core scorching. He needed to touch it. To touch her. To feel her moistness on his fingers.

Her molding athletic pants did not impede his exploration, but her position did.

“Turn around,” he asked.

She quickly complied, turning so she still sat on his lap, facing outward. Leaning back against him, her head rested on his shoulder. He nuzzled her neck as he let his hand skim past the waistband of her pants. He encountered the edge of her panties and slid under those, too.

He cupped her and hissed at her scalding heat. Her sex practically pulsed against him. It certainly wet him with her honey.

With the tip of his fingers, he found her nub and rubbed it. She cried out. He rubbed again then froze as a sound drew his attention.

“Shhh,” he whispered in her ear as someone came out on the roof deck.

He kept an eye on them as he continued to circle her clit. They didn’t seem inclined to move far from the door, and he could hear the two men—intruders!—chatting in low murmurs as they smoked.

Another time, he might have rebuked them for not using the designated section, but given he pleasured Melanie, he decided to let it pass.

When she squirmed as if meaning to get off his lap, he wrapped his free arm around her and whispered against her ear. “You’re not going anywhere. I’m not done.”

And by done, he meant with her. For too long he’d tortured himself with the memories of what they shared. Too many nights, as he stroked himself, he recalled her fiery passion, the sweet scent of her honey when she moaned at his touch.

He pinched her button, and she trembled as she whimpered. He murmured, “Remember to keep quiet, angel. We don’t want to be discovered.”

At his words, she shivered again. She always did so enjoy making love with a fear of discovery. It seemed that hadn’t changed.

She relaxed against him and spread her legs wide so they draped on either side of his lap. She gave him complete access to her.

Sweet fucking glory.

Some men were selfish lovers, caring only about giving the woman enough pleasure in order to ensure they got a piece of action.

Not Wes, and never with Melanie. With her, he loved watching her as he stroked her. Loved the hot slickness of her pussy when he slid a finger between her soft folds. Nothing was more beautiful than Melanie with her eyes closed and her mouth parted as he inserted a finger into her tight channel.

He finger fucked her, adding a second and a third digit to his penetration. Her sex clung tight to him, the flesh hot and welcoming. Still so beautifully tight.

Her breath came in short pants as he stroked her faster and faster, the pad of his thumb rubbing against her pleasure button at the same time.

He whispered against her ear. “Come for me, angel. Come for me. Quietly. Now.”

She uttered a tiny sob as she obeyed, the muscles of her sex suddenly spasming and undulating as her orgasm crashed through her.

He held her as bliss made her tremble, turned her head and kissed her to catch any sound she might make.

In that moment, he made her his again.

Yes, mine.

And, this time, he wasn’t ever going to let her go.

A
part
of Melanie didn’t want to leave the rooftop with its panoramic view of the stars. But it wasn’t the view that gave her the biggest reason to stay.

Wes did.

Don’t I mean Wes did me?

She, a married woman, had let another man touch her. More than touch her, he’d made her
feel
. Feel a sense of closeness and desirability she’d forgotten existed. He’d made her come. Hard. And, dammit, she’d loved it. Loved that sense of feeling alive again.

It was selfish. Wrong. Totally not what she should be doing or thinking, but she didn’t regret it.
I refuse to regret it.
She’d spent too many years living as a shell of herself, trying to be someone she wasn’t.

I am not a cookie-cutter trophy wife.
She’d hated that life. The only good thing that had come out of it was her boys, and it turned out they didn’t even belong to Andrew. Given his lies, his actions, and, she realized, her general dislike of the man, as far as she was concerned, she no longer belonged to him either.

Time to move on.

To those who might condemn her actions because she didn’t wait for a divorce? To them she raised a middle finger. The marriage had ended the day Andrew inseminated her with someone else’s sperm.

And he’d been a dead man living on borrowed time as far as she was concerned the moment he threatened her sons.

“I can hear the gears in your head churning,” he muttered against her ear, the hotness of his breath against her lobe.

Since she didn’t want to talk about their current situation, she asked him something she’d never really understood. “Why did you really dump me?”

A heavy sigh.

“Wes?”

“You that determined to hash this out now?”

“Yes.”

“How about if we just left it at I was an asshole who thought he was doing the right thing.”

She tilted her head back to look at him. “How was dumping me, after eating my cake, the right thing?”

“Well, because eating the cake after would have just been a total dick move.”

She elbowed him, and yet he still laughed. “This isn’t funny,” she grumbled. “You broke my heart. And, now, here you are, acting as if you care, and I’m confused.”

“It’s not an act. I never stopped caring. I cared too much, which was why I had to let you go. You deserved better than a swamp gator like me with a reputation.”

“You thought you weren’t good enough for me?” She couldn’t help a note of incredulity.

“Look at you. You’re gorgeous. Smart. With me out of the way, you could marry a guy with a good name. No family baggage. You could have the life you deserved.”

“Are you saying I deserved this?”

“Fuck. No. Of course not.”

“Let me explain something to you, Wes Mercer. I settled for Andrew. Settled for a man that did not ignite me with a single look. I settled for a guy who thought work was more important than family. I settled because I couldn’t have you.”

The words spilled out of her, shocking in their honesty. Spoken, she couldn’t take them back. She waited for his reply.

“I can’t turn back time.”

“What of the future?”

“Until I get you out of here, there is no future.”

Bleak outlook, and one she couldn’t talk about because more people decided to emerge onto the roof deck, their steps taking them to the shadowy gazebo.

Wes didn’t spare them a greeting or glance as he led her from their rooftop bower to the stairs. Only when they were alone in the elevator, free from nosy ears, did Wes mutter, “I’m getting you and the boys out tonight.”

“How?”

“I have an idea, so be ready.” He yanked her to him for one brief kiss before the elevator shuddered to a stop. “I will come for you.”

Would he really?

She wanted to trust in him, especially after his revelation. Wanted to believe him when he said he cared.

But he’d hurt her once before…

Anticipation rendered sleep impossible. As she lay in that barrack room, listening to the soft sounds of her sons’ snores, she waited, maybe even fantasized a little about the future.

When we get out of here, maybe we’ll move away. Start somewhere new and fresh for both of us.
It would be good not only for Wes to escape the Mercer taint, but also for her boys. The quicker they forgot their life with Andrew, the better.

It was time to let go of the mistakes they’d made and forge a new future. A future together.

Because Wes will come for me.
The more times she repeated it, the more times she recalled his tender caress, the more she believed it.

In the wee hours of the morning, when the door whooshed opened, it didn’t surprise her. Already awake, she sat up, ready to act.

Only the man standing in the doorway wasn’t Wes. She could only gape in stunned disbelief at Andrew, especially since he held a gun in her direction.

Uh-oh.