She should know all of this. When she was in grad school, Melanie was one of Braydon’s best bartenders. That’s the other reason I wanted her input; she knows what the club is like, knows what type of problems they run into.
“I don’t see that as a huge problem. I could watch Jacob those nights.” She rolls her head from side to side, probably to get rid of the tension that flooded her shoulders when I told her I would be working a few night shifts a week. Seeing as she adores Jacob almost as much as he’s grown to love her, I know this has nothing to do with him, but I don’t press. “Actually, yeah, I do have a problem with it,” she adds, turning so she’s staring directly at me. “When I worked there, you hated the thought of other men looking at me even though they couldn’t touch. I’ve seen some of those girls and you don’t have the same security I did. There’s nothing stopping the dancers from trying to flirt with you and that pisses me off.”
It’s adorable to see her get so riled up over the thought of someone hitting on me. What she doesn’t get is the hottest dancer in the club could drop to her knees and offer to suck me off and it wouldn’t interest me. I meant it when I told Melanie I will do everything I can to make sure I don’t screw up again.
I stand, pulling her to the edge of the rock so my legs are straddling her body. “Are you getting jealous already?” I ask playfully, cupping her face in my hands. Even being in the park does little to squelch the desire building inside of me right now.
Our eyes lock, staring at one another as my thumbs graze along her cheeks. She pulls the corner of her lip between her teeth as her breathing shallows. I lean in, softly covering her mouth with my own, loving the gentle moan that escapes as her lips part for me. There’s no sense of urgency in our kiss, only the deep need to stay connected. Melanie’s hands slide beneath my t-shirt, sending a tingle up my spine. She deepens the kiss, her eager tongue conveying the message to me that I am hers as much as she is mine. Surrounded by the sounds of nature, it’s a kiss that begins to heal our wounds.
“I wouldn’t say jealous,” she says breathlessly after breaking the kiss. Her body is still pressed against mine and my cock stirs, remembering how amazing she feels when there isn’t the barrier of fabric between us. As much as I crave that feeling again, I refuse to rush that aspect of our relationship. “But I’m not above making it clear to them that I know their silly little games. I swear, if you come home smelling like cheap perfume, I might be forced to hurt someone.”
I lift her off the rock, swatting her ass playfully as we start walking again. I don’t need her to admit that it bothers her to think about me being around that much bare flesh, it’s enough for me to know she cares enough to be jealous.
With the air clear between us once again, we’re able to enjoy our walk. At times, the incline is so steep that our conversation dies off so we can pay attention to our footing. Other times, we slow to point out wild animals in the distance or birds high in the trees. Finally, we make our way to the clearing at the top of the bluff. We pass the observation point in favor of a secluded clearing in the trees. As we near our spot, I start to reminisce about the times we used to share up here, wondering if she’s doing the same thing. These rocks are where we made most of our plans for the future. Deeper in the woods is where we escaped to when we couldn’t stand the thought of waiting until we got home to be together.
“Will you tell me about how you and Alyssa met?” Melanie asks me as I lay out food between us on the flat rock. I’m caught off guard by the question and honestly not sure I want to talk about this right now. This is my time with Melanie in our special place and I don’t want her to think that Alyssa is always going to be an invisible third party in what we share. She reaches for my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze that matches her loving smile. “You don’t have to now, but I want to know more about her.”
“You’re a strange but amazing woman,” I laugh nervously. I realized shortly after Melanie started taking care of Alyssa just how strong she is now. I can’t imagine I would have been as kind and compassionate if roles were reversed and I had been expected to be face to face with a man in Melanie’s life. And to then want to know more about my time with Alyssa? It just goes to show what a genuine heart she has. “There will be time for that, but today I want to talk about you. I want to know everything you’ve been doing for the past six years.”