The women in the photos included actresses, several were models, and one was a television reality show star. All were in the public eye, all of them linked with to other famous men through a series of relationships. Except me.
She opened her notebook, scribbling on the blank page. Then she looked at the location of each photo. Some were of Logan and the woman leaving a building, as if the photographer was waiting outside. In some, Logan or the woman was looking at the camera.
But in three, the photographs showed Logan and the woman inside. One of them was of Logan with a model, Irina someone. Melody recognized her from a perfume ad. They were eating dinner, the shot clearing taken from outside the restaurant. There were other diners in the foreground, blurry and indistinct. She thought it might have been taken with a telephoto lens.
In the photo of her and Logan, the shot was clear, but appeared to be taken at very close range. There were no other people in the photo, just her and Logan.
Something clicked in Melody’s mind and she decided she wanted to show the photos to Logan. She grabbed them, stuffing them back into the envelope before grabbing her purse.
Victoria was still at her desk. She looked up as Melody came out of her office.
“Did you read the complaint?”
“No. I’ll do that first thing. I’m out for the rest of the day. You can just take messages and let anyone know who’s looking for me that I’ll be back in the office in the morning.”
* * *
Logan wasn’t at the security door waiting for her and her heart did a little stutter step in her chest. You’re being silly. You’re perfectly capable of getting from here to the suite in one piece.
He didn’t answer her knock and she noticed her hand was trembling as she used the key card.
The door of the suite opened and Melody gasped, her hand going to her mouth.
“Oh, my God, Logan. What have you done?”
The room was lit with candles, dozens of them. Bouquets of white roses were placed around the room, their rainy scent reaching her. The table that sat beneath the window was pulled into the middle of the suite, set with crystal and china, more candles in tall holders on the snowy white table cloth. And with a single chair at one end.
“I ordered dinner.” Logan reached behind Melody, closing the door. “You can come in, ye ken. This is for you.” He took her purse, dropping it on the floor. He was wearing just the gray sweatpants, exactly as she’d left him this morning, bare-chested and barefoot.
“But why…how…when…” She turned to him, and before she could finish, he had her in his arms. She looked up at him, laughing, hands against his chest.
“Hush, woman. There’s all night to talk. We have a date, remember? With a certain table and chair.”
His kiss was slow and sensual, his lips lingering over hers while his hands moved over her body.
Logan finally stepped away from Melody. She opened her eyes, her gaze unfocused, her body reacting to his touch, his lips on hers, the promise this night held. He took her by the hand, leading her to the table and she stopped, looking down at it. And then to that single chair.
“Logan, this is all beautiful. The table…the room. Everything. Thank you.”
There was a silver bowl of strawberries sitting nearby, plump red globes that looked almost too perfect to eat. Logan took one, holding it out for Melody. She bit into the delicate flesh, the sweetness of the berry exploding in her mouth.
“Oh, Logan. This is amazing. You need to taste this.”
“I will.” He leaned forward, slowly tracing the outline of her lips with his tongue, before slipping it between her lips. She opened to him, letting his tongue explore the recesses of her mouth, flicking and sliding against her tongue. The strawberry was momentarily forgotten as the kiss deepened, the only point of contact between them their kiss.
When he broke away this time, Melody sighed, already aching for his next kiss, his next caress. Logan popped the rest of the berry into his mouth and Melody pulled him to her, arms around his neck, echoing the path his tongue had traced, over his lips, tasting the sweetness of the strawberry, before he opened his lips to her.
“Mmm, you taste wonderful.” Melody ran her tongue across her lips.
“Aye, as do you. Come here.” He sat down, pulling her onto his lap.
“Just where we left off this morning. You have no idea how hard it was for me to leave, to go to work.”
“Well, you have no idea how…hard…my day was, being left by you. It’s a bit different when you have somewhere to go, something to take your mind off things. I was left here in rather a…delicate state.”
Melody laughed, brushing his hair from his forehead. “Poor you…I’ll make it up to you. We have all night…I don’t have anywhere to be until tomorrow.”
“Would you like a drink? I have champagne…” Logan reached for a bottle chilling in a silver bucket.
“No Macallan?” Melody leaned forward, reaching for two champagne flutes, setting them at the edge of the table.
“Maybe later…I want you relaxed, not insensible. Although…” Logan carefully filled the glasses. “I remember you were still quite sexy the first time I bedded you, after too much Macallan.”
Melody made a face at Logan. “And that was entirely your fault. You plied me with that stuff and then took advantage of me.”
“Aye. I did. Worked out quite well, I think.” Logan handed her a glass, taking his.
“A toast. To you, Melody. Without you, I don’t know what my life would be like. You’ve been my rock of late.” He clinked his glass lightly against hers.
“I love you, Melody.”
“Logan. I love you too. And there’s nowhere I’d rather be, than with you. You’ve been my rock, too.” She took a sip of champagne.
“Oh, this is nice.” She hiccoughed and then burst into a fit of giggles.
“It’s like that, then? One sip and you’re already on your way?” Logan’s lips quirked up into that charming grin she’d been missing lately.
Melody’s giggles intensified and she wrapped one arm around Logan, kissing his cheek.
“It’s just so good to finally have something not turn into a bigger problem. And to see this…” She traced her finger over Logan’s lips. “It seems like forever since you’ve smiled like this.”
“And it’s good to have you like this, Melody. Giggles and all.”
Logan set his glass on the table. He cupped her face in his hand, his fingers caressing her cheek before trailing down her neck. They lingered at the neckline of her blouse for a moment, and then the first button on her blouse opened.
Melody’s giggles subsided, the giddy sensation in the pit of her stomach now accompanied by the familiar warmth that Logan’s touch started inside her. She bit her lip as Logan slowly undid the next few buttons. With gentle fingers he pulled the fabric aside, the tops of her br**sts now visible.
“Aye, it’s very good to have you like this.” His voice was husky. He took a strawberry, dipping it in his champagne glass. Melody leaned forward expectantly, but he held the berry out of her reach. She watched, lips parted, as he ran the dripping fruit between her br**sts, leaving a cool trail of champagne on her skin.
Logan bent his head, his lips warm, as he kissed the top of one breast before repeating the path he’d followed that morning, tracing the curve of her with his tongue, dipping between them. He paused, licking the trail of champagne from her skin.
“Just like I remembered.” His eyes met hers and the emotions she saw…love, lust, and arousal made Melody gasp.
“Logan…”
“Shhh…there’s nothing that needs saying right now.”
Leaning forward, she caught his lips in a kiss, a kiss that tasted of champagne and strawberries and passion. The kiss deepened, his tongue claiming her mouth again, his hand sliding up to cup one breast.
Logan shifted beneath her and she was aware of his erection pressing against her hip. She wiggled on his lap and Logan moaned against her mouth in response. The heat that had started in her belly at the touch of his lips blossomed, spreading upward, and down between her legs. The sudden jolt of pleasure had her practically whimpering, Logan’s lips and tongue doing wonderful things to her, her body coming alive beneath his hands and mouth.
They were locked in this embrace, Logan’s fingers slowly moving over her skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind. Somewhere along the way he’d undone the rest of the buttons on her blouse and his hands moved along her sides and then slipped up her back. There was a brief hesitation and she felt the clasp on her bra open.
She broke away from his kiss as Logan carefully slid the blouse and bra off of her arms, dropping them to the floor. His eyes traveled over her body, and she melted under his gaze.
“It’s like the first time, every time I see you like this.” His voice was low and his eyes met hers. “You take my breath away, Melody. Every time.”
She ran her hands gently through his hair, caressing his face with her fingers. “And you take my breath away too, Logan. Every time…all the time.”
Melody slid off Logan’s lap, unzipping her skirt, letting it slid down her h*ps and then stepping out of it. She was left in just her panties and heels. Logan’s eyes never left her body as she slipped her fingers beneath the waistband, sliding the satin down her legs.
Leaning forward, she placed her hands on his knees, running her hands up the insides of his thighs. He spread his legs and she leaned forward, her lips brushing against his, teasing him, her tongue flicking out over his lower lip.
His hands were moving restlessly over her, sliding up from her hips, along her torso, cupping her br**sts.
“Melody…” The wanting was evident in his voice, making her weak in the knees, her heart fluttering in her chest.
“Shhh….there’s nothing that needs saying right now.” She bit her lip, running her hands down his chest, over the flat plane of his stomach, over the bulge at the apex of his thighs. Logan groaned, his h*ps flexing forward as her touch grew more intense, her hands molding to him over the thin material of the sweatpants.
“God, woman. You’re driving me mad.” Logan’s words were a low growl.
She looked up at him from beneath her lashes, a smile curving the corners of her mouth. “That’s my intent.”
“I see that.” He raised an eyebrow, his smile matching hers. “You’re doing a very good job.”
Still smiling, Melody reached for the waistband of Logan’s sweats, slowly sliding her fingers beneath the elastic, brushing her fingers against him, feeling the heat and hardness of his erection, his gasp and moan sending a wave of arousal through her body. Logan raised his h*ps and she slid the pants down his legs, leaving him nak*d in the chair.
She stood for a moment, her eyes traveling over his body, drinking in every masculine line, every curve of muscle, covered in taut skin. Her body was singing with passion, aching for him and she found she was powerless to resist him.
Leaning forward, she placed her hands on his shoulders, straddling the chair and his hips. His hands went to her hips, clenching against her skin as she held herself above him, teasing him with her body, rubbing herself slowly against him. He’d reached up, his fingers on her br**sts, thumbs skating across her hard n**ples.