Authors: LaVenia R. Boswell
She noticed he looked relieved.
He must've been afraid she wouldn't want the job. Boy, was he mistaken!
Four times her salary and she would work closely with him.
Besides, she hadn't been lying when she told him he was addictive, she would work for a penance just to be near him. Something about his scent is just about driving her to jump his bones. And it wasn't any cologne, he'd told her when they were on the beach that he had none, not yet. Melody thought to herself,
his male pheromones are more intoxicating to me than any drug or alcohol could possibly be.
Her thoughts finally returned to his last question, “Ten would be great. I guess I better get back home, I have gold fish to feed.”
“What, no cats? I thought all American females had cats?” He was just stalling. He'd love to get her to stay a little longer.
“No cats. Actually my landlady doesn't allow animals. If she did I'd have a small dog. Dogs are good companions, as well as being great security alarms.”
“Security alarms? Do you fear break-ins where you live?”
“Well, where you come from you might not have much crime, but here it's the norm. A woman two doors down from my apartment was raped and beaten last month. Yes, I do fear break-ins.”
This news flash sent Jonathan into a new panic. Why hadn't he been told about this? He couldn't let her return to face that! What should he do? Then an idea hit him. In all innocence he asked, “Why don't you stay here? I have plenty of spare rooms and I promise you there will be no break-ins here.”
“What?!” Her face became livid. “No way! I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression but, I'm not that kind of woman.”
Uh oh, I have definitely made her angry this time
, he realized too late.
“No, not live
with
me! You misunderstood. What I mean is, for you to stay under my protection, you could have the room that's between my two Aunt's rooms and lock all the doors. I promise you no one will bother you.”
When her face returned to normal color he smilingly added, “No matter how much I beg, you could lock me out as well.”
She calmed down seeing that he had just been concerned about her safety. “I have to have my own place, break-ins or not.”
Seeing that she was firm about it, he let it drop. His mind was already working out an applicable solution. He would buy her a condo nearby with lots of alarms, and several small dogs as well as a puppy. He knew all females, in most places, had a weakness for small cuddly animals. His new plan would take a few days though. In the mean time he would secretly post guards outside her door and windows.
Melody bid his aunts goodbye then noticed the relief on their faces when she agreed to return again tomorrow.
Jonathan rode with her back to get her car from the student parking lot. He was too excited to hide it. Melody got caught up in his excitement and they began to discuss decorating ideas and fashion designs. When she began sketching her ideas on the back of her notes he was awed. This was a side of her he didn't know about. Oh, he knew she loved artistic things, as well as shopping, but she showed genuine talent with her designs.
“Until we meet again . . . in the morning, please be thinking about me with kindness and forgiveness in your heart?” he asked. She smiled. Kissing her fingers he bid her farewell.
When Melody got home, opened her door, she went into her bedroom and collapsed onto her fluffy yellow chenille bedspread. Grabbing a soft teddy bear she had kept from childhood she smothered it with kisses. After a while she fell asleep.
When Jonathan told his aunts about the rapist they insisted along with him that she be protected. She was never aware of the guards that were vigilant all night, outside her door and below her window. It was an effort for Mark to convince Jon that the guards would be enough. Jonathan wanted to be there as well.
Her eyes flew open as the morning sunlight inched its way toward the pillow she was lying on. “It can't be morning already!?” But her bedside clock took away all doubt. It was
8:30 am
. Her radio came on and began blasting away a rock tune that she wasn't in the mood for right then. Stretching her left arm out she turned it down.
Her dreams had been filled with Jonathan kissing her tenderly. Then, he'd finally begged her repeatedly to marry him. It had been a very pleasant night indeed. She still felt the warm glow and excitement from her pleasant, unusual dreams.
Quickly undressing she stumbled toward her tiny bathroom.
A hot shower should get your blood pumping
, she thought to herself.
As soon as she had showered and shaved her legs and underarms she heard her doorbell ring. Grabbing a large towel she wrapped it around herself as she went to the door.
“Good morning Miss, these flowers are sent from an admirer who has fallen deeply, completely and forever in love with you. He also inquires if you would give him the pleasure of sharing this morning meal with him?”
She was completely flabbergasted. There stood a grinning Jonathan in all his gorgeous male beauty wearing cream dress slacks and an emerald green, blue and white stripped linen shirt, surrounded by at least ten huge bouquets of flowers. The largest one was the flower she had admired so much yesterday. With him was Mark rolling a serving table filled with silver and gold trimmed covered dishes.
She didn't quite know if she should say okay or not when people started coming out of their apartments going to work. She got lots of stares and many smiles, especially from the male tenants leaving to go to their jobs. One leach that had always been a real problem to her came slithering by looking at her with unabashed lust.
When he stated, “Baby, I could make you
my
breakfast!” Jonathan's smile evaporated as he turned to him.
“Do you have a Bond with this lady?” Jonathan asked the leach.
“A Bond? I don't know what you're talking about, but I'd enjoy bonding a few things in her.”
The leach didn't have a chance, Jonathan decked him before he'd wiped the leer off his face.
Melody, fearful of them continuing this confrontation grabbed Jonathan's arm, pulled him into her apartment and slammed the door.
Jonathan looked at her strangely then spoke, “Is that man a rapist?”
“A rapist? I . . . I have no idea, why do you ask such a question?”
“In my country a man would only speak to his Bonded mate in such a manner and that would only be in private. So, since he has no bonding with you . . . or does he?”
“Absolutely not!” she stated rather loudly. “What in the world is this Bonding stuff you keep talking about, anyway?”
Realizing he wasn't making a lot of sense to her he explained. “My, uh, country was isolated from the rest of the world for a long time . . . because of its location. Over the centuries we developed a sense of closeness toward our mates. The closeness grew in strength and quickly became known as the Bond. We're now at the point where we feel the Stirring of the Bond when we first meet our intended mate . . . the one that's preordained by God for us. The Stirring of the Bond has almost always been mutual.” He looked questionably at her with that last comment.
When she didn't react he continued, “Anyway, there's no jealously because everyone has or will have their own Bonded wife or husband. The only fighting is done when an outsider attempts to break the bond or cause harm or insult to one's mate or family. Or . . . if the Bonding male feels threatened by another male during this time.”
He looked worried when he added, “Since I'm new to your country, I've been appalled at the number of crimes committed by people breaking or trying to break their mate's bonds. I guess my culture sounds very strange to you, doesn't it?”
She nodded affirmation.
He continued, “Was it wrong of me to hit him? I reacted before thinking. At first I feared that maybe he had a kind of weak bond with you. When he said he didn't, I realized he was just insulting you. I couldn't stand that!”
Melody hugged him tightly, he was her knight in shining armor. “I only wish I had decked him first,” she laughed. “Thank you for defending my honor, my gallant knight.”
His heartbeat was just as strong and steady as her's when she looked into his eyes and asked, “Have you ever felt this Bond sensation?”
His face blushed and his blue eyes darkened as he whispered in his deep manly voice, “The very first time I saw you, I felt it. Since then it's so strong that my heart aches when I can't see you. They had to give me medication last night just so I could sleep. Then my dreams were only of you.”
Holding her at arms length he asks with a solemn, sincere look, “Have you ever felt what I've described?”
He was too sincere for her not to be honest. She also knew that she couldn't lie when she looked into his innocent blue eyes. “I must admit that you describe something that is very, very intense! But . . . those Stirrings that you mentioned . . . I think that I've had 'em.”
A worried look came over his face as his grip on her arm became tighter, “When did you have them? Who were you looking at when it occurred?”
Before she could govern her mouth, she was shocked when she heard herself admitting, “Every time I look at you, or I'm thinking about you, I get this funny feeling. It's nice, but it's different.”
“Oh, Melody. Melody, my love.” He caressed her so firmly and kissed her so sweetly that neither heard the knock on the door. When he finally released her she knew what she had said was truth.
Remembering that Mark was still outside she turned to go to the door to let him in. Just then her towel hooked on Jonathan’s belt buckle and came loose. It fell to the floor. Mark opened the door without knocking again just as Jonathan grabbed the towel and was wrapping it around Melody. “Uh, I'm sorry,” he stammered as his face went scarlet and he started to back out.
“No! It's not what you think! Please come in, before it is what you think,” she said after turning and seeing Jonathan's reddened face.
Melody pattered barefoot into her bedroom and closed the door.
Wow! Is he intense or what? I can't even trust myself around him. There I was, hoping he would make mad, passionate love to me, just because his fingers touched my skin.
She smiled to herself.
Maybe there is something to this Bonding stuff after all?. You better get a hold of yourself young lady! Don't blow this! He's much too wonderful to lose, so keep your sanity.
As she dressed she thought a lot about those stirrings he mentioned. Could she in some primitive or on the other hand, in a much advanced way, be feeling those same feelings?
Is it just lust or could it possibly be love starting to grow? Nah, had to be lust. Love doesn’t happen this fast – never!
Jonathan had already done the unspeakable for an American man, he had openly and unashamedly stated his love for her. And they have just met.
He's the most innocent and honest man I've ever seen or talked to. He even admitted that he felt that Bonding thingie with me. Is he for real?