Tender Loving Care

by Susan Mallery

  “I’m not tall enough to reach the sky,” she said finally, hoping the joke would break the serious tone.

  “Then reach for me.”

  With a swiftness that startled as much as it excited, he claimed her again. This time the coupling was quick and hot. Like a firecracker in the summer sky, their lovemaking flared brightly and exploded.

  He rested his weight on his elbows, his chest pressing lightly on hers. “You make me feel like I’m seventeen,” he whispered into her ear.

  “I could tell.” She smiled. “I think I’m going to walk funny for a while.”

  He smirked. Lazy satisfaction stole into his eyes. She pushed at his shoulder and wriggled out from under him. “Don’t you dare laugh.”

  He bent toward her thighs. “I could kiss it better.”

  “No.” She swatted at him. “I’m going to take a bath in that oversize tub of yours and you’re going to get some work done.”

  He stood up, six feet of sleek, contented male. “Can I watch?”

  “Watch what?”

  “You. In the bath.”

  “No!” She pulled the sheet around her body. “It’s perverted.”

  “It’s exciting and you’re gorgeous. I’ll wash the front.”

  She made her way to the bathroom door and glanced at him over her shoulder. “You’re supposed to offer to wash the back.”

  He looked down at her bottom and smiled. “I like that part, too, but the front…” He shrugged. “What can I say? It’s my favorite.”

  “Leave me alone.” She shut the door with a bang.

  But when he crept in and lathered the soap in his hands, then showed her how carefully he could minister to her sensitive flesh, she didn’t do anything but lean back and let him have his way.

  Logan finally sat down to work. They ate lunch together, then he resumed his study of the blueprints. Melissa made the beds, her fingers lingering as she inhaled the scent of their passion. Yes, she walked funny. Yes, it had been worth it. She’d walk funny for the rest of her life if it meant loving and being loved by Logan Phillips.

  The afternoon was spent reading her textbooks, with occasional side trips into his office. The tender look on his face when he saw her standing in the doorway never failed to send a shiver of joy down her spine. By five, her aches had subsided and her wants were growing.

  They only had tonight. Wendi would be home sometime tomorrow and they’d be forced to return to their frustrating, platonic existence. She walked toward the office door. Maybe they could sneak around at night. She grinned, imagining herself tiptoeing down the hall to join Logan in his big bed. There were worse fates.

  “Hi,” she said softly as she stepped into the room.

  “I was wondering where you’d run off to.” He tossed his pencil down onto the desk and leaned back in his chair. “How about a kiss?”

  “In a minute.” She was careful to stay back from the desk and keep her arms folded over her chest. “What would you like for dinner.”

  “In addition to you?”

  The leer made her blush…and smile. “Yes.”

  “How about dining out?”

  “At a restaurant? With you?” He wanted to take her out! It would be like a date! She sighed.

  “Yes, with me. I was thinking, we’ve never been out alone.”

  She raised one hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Sounds fun.”

  “Tell me about your clothes.”

  “What?”

  He chuckled. “I’ve made reservations at a nice restaurant near here, but I just realized you may not have brought anything dressy to the house.”

  She thought about her recent shopping trip with Wendi. “Would a silk jumpsuit be okay?”

  “Perfect. The reservations are for seven. Is that enough time?”

  It was almost two hours. Who took that long to get ready? “No problem,” she said as she backed toward the door. “Oh, and Logan?”

  “Yes?”

  She dropped her hands to the bottom of the shirt and pulled open the sides, exposing her bare breasts. After their lovemaking she hadn’t wanted to put on a bra. His eyes feasted on her chest. He sprang to his feet and made a dash for her.

  “No,” she squealed as she took off down the hall. “I was just giving you a little look. You can’t possibly do it again. You’re too old.”

  By the end of the living room, she could feel him behind her. He caught hold of her waist in the dining room. With a single lift, she was perched on the table with his crotch nestling between her legs.

  “What was that about being old?” he asked before taking a nipple in his mouth.

  The gentle sucking awakened nerves all the way to her toes. “That wasn’t me,” she gasped, leaning her head back and offering herself more fully. “I was momentarily possessed.”

  “Uh-huh.” He raised his head and began fastening the buttons on her shirt.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Making you decent.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I have about an hour more of work. If you let me finish, I’ll be available all night and tomorrow.”

  She thought for a moment. “Okay. It’s a deal.”

  He kissed her nose. “Good looks and brains. I’ve got quite a lady here.”

  Melissa borrowed earrings from Wendi. Her own jewelry assortment was sadly limited, and she told herself the girl wouldn’t mind. With the last stroke of the hairbrush, she was done.

  Stepping back from the full-length mirror, she tried to view herself objectively. But all she could see was the look on Logan’s face when he had first entered her. The need and hunger and want had been scored onto her soul. If only…

  No, she told herself. No if-onlys, no almosts. Tonight was magic. Cinderella and her prince. If the morning turned her back into just a housekeeper, then so be it. She would have her memories and her love for Logan. That would have to be enough.

  She glanced at the reflection. Her eyes seemed to sparkle. It was either the new eye shadow or the sex. Maybe both. The jumpsuit was all Wendi had claimed, clinging in the right places, skimming forgivingly over the others. The high heels made her legs look long…sort of. She looked like what she was…a woman in love.

  There was a knock on her door. “Are you ready?” Logan asked.

  “Yes. You can come in.”

  Had he always been so handsome? The jet-black dinner jacket accentuated the width of his shoulders and chest. The white shirt set off his tanned face and the gleam in his eyes. Dark trousers and a perfectly executed bow tie completed the formal look.

  She reached up and touched the knot. “Let me guess. You did that yourself.”

  “Of course. Doesn’t everybody?”

  She laughed. “No.”

  “You look lovely.”

  “And you look hot.”

  “Hot?” He raised an eyebrow. “I like that. Come on. We’ve got some hell to raise.”

  The restaurant was small and elegant—one of those Beverly Hills establishments with a sign so discreet you had to be a detective to find it…or a regular.

  Melissa knew she was in trouble when the maître d’ greeted Logan by name. Their table was tucked in a corner, isolated from the noisy groups in the center of the room. A band played softly. A few couples swayed on the eight-by-eight square of parquet flooring. Her palms were sweaty and she had the irresistible urge to make a break for the outside.

  When Logan sat with his back to the room, her first thought was that he was ashamed of being seen with her. Get real, she told herself as she drew in a deep breath. Glancing around, she saw all the other couples were seated with the man facing in. Must be etiquette for the rich, she thought, and felt herself begin to relax.

  “Would madam like something from the bar?” their tuxedo-clad waiter asked.

  Double scotch on the rocks and just leave the bottle? “Uh, white wine, please.”

  Logan ordered the same.

  “Are you nervous?” he asked when they
were alone.

  “No. I always get the urge to throw up in restaurants.”

  He laughed, then reached across the table and took her hand. “You’ll be fine. Maybe we should start by dancing.”

  She swallowed. “I’ve never had lessons.”

  “Are you saying you can’t dance?”

  “No, but I didn’t come out or go to a cotillion or anything so don’t expect dips or twirls.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. The other diners looked at them and she saw the envy flash in the women’s eyes.

  “Come on.” He rose and offered her his arm. “Nothing fancy. Just a little swaying and a chance to have you touching me.”

  “Lech.”

  He leaned down and pulled her close. “Admit it. You love me this way.”

  Dear God, she loved him any way. Hadn’t he figured that out yet?

  She survived the dance and the first course, which consisted of unidentifiable green leafy things topped with white chunks of…stuff.

  “Tell me about when you were growing up,” she said.

  He leaned back in his chair. “What do you want to know?”

  “Were you smart?”

  “I did okay. When I was younger, I was more interested in sports than schooling.”

  She sipped her wine. “What did you play?”

  “Football, basketball. Baseball was my favorite. I played first base on my Little League team.” A faraway look stole into his eyes. “I remember one year, I think I was Wendi’s age, I wanted a new mitt. There wasn’t anything wrong with mine, but I begged and pleaded. Finally my dad told me if I improved my report card, I’d get a new glove.” He grinned. “We had a big project in science. Even then I liked to build things. I made a volcano. You know, the kind that erupts steam and everything?”

  She nodded.

  Their food arrived, but he ignored his plate. “While the teacher was grading the projects, something went wrong. The top blew off mine. Foam sprayed all over the walls and ceiling and the teacher. No one was hurt, but…” He shrugged. “Needless to say, I didn’t get a good grade in science, or the glove.”

  Melissa felt her heart melting. Even now, the disappointment echoed in his words. “But you had worked really hard,” she said.

  “My family wasn’t as concerned with effort so much as results.”

  “You must have felt they’d let you down.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. It was a long time ago. I gave up baseball when I decided I wanted to be an architect. I needed the hours to study.”

  “Is that why you barely looked at Wendi’s report card from camp?”

  “I don’t really care what her grades are, as long as she’s passing. The important thing to me is that she tries. If she works hard, she’s a success in my eyes.” He laughed. “Enough about me. Our very expensive dinners are getting cold.”

  Melissa cut into her steak. She’d thought Fiona had been the first person to hurt Logan and let him down, but now she saw the wound went much deeper. His ex-wife hadn’t taught him not to trust, she’d simply reenforced something he’d always suspected was true.

  The stars hung low in the sky. Logan led Melissa out of the living room and onto the patio.

  “What are we…”

  “Shh.” He covered her mouth with his fingers. “No talking. I want to finish what we started a few weeks ago.”

  “Out here?”

  Her outrage made him smile. “You weren’t protesting before,” he reminded her. “And that was broad daylight. It’s almost eleven. No one will see.”

  After dinner, they’d seen a recently released movie. The film had been a lighthearted romantic adventure romp. All Logan had cared about was that enough time had elapsed to allow them to have digested their dinner.

  “I couldn’t,” she said.

  “Nonsense.”

  A full moon turned the red silk of her jumpsuit to liquid fire. His fingers made quick work of the bodice and slipped the garment from her shoulders. Light brown eyes met his. Want and uncertainty in the smoky depths made him reassure her.

  “I’ll stop if you’d like.” His hands rested on her waist.

  “No. Don’t stop.”

  Her skin was satin—warm, soft and alive as he traced every line. Her reaction—quickened breathing, dilated pupils—caused a matching response in him. When her clothes lay in a tangled puddle at her feet, he began to undo his tie. She leaned forward and assisted with the shirt. In a matter of moments, they stood naked.

  He led her to the pool. The warm water lapped invitingly. It caressed as they stepped deeper and deeper into the waiting darkness. When they’d reached chest level on her, he boosted her to the side.

  “This isn’t where we were before,” she said softly.

  “I know, but it works for what I have in mind.”

  Lifting one of her feet out of the pool, he started at her ankles. Nipping, licking, sucking, he made his way up one leg and then the other. Then his tongue found her sacred place and lavished it with patient attention. Half-muted cries, the sudden tension in her legs, the way her torso arched kept him connected to her response. As the waves of pleasure washed over her, he felt his own need tighten and ache. Soon, he thought. This was for her.

  When she had regained her composure, she looked down at him. Emotions chased across her face. One made him smile, another satisfied, the last…concerned. He tried to prevent her from speaking by pulling her into his arms and kissing her lips. It was no use. She touched the side of his mouth and drew back.

  The moonlight outlined her face and exposed the faint tremble in her smile. “I love you, Logan.”

  The pain was as swift as it was unexpected. He should have been more prepared, he thought. He should have prevented this from happening. She was his responsibility, and he’d allowed her to do the one thing guaranteed to break her heart.

  In a corner of his soul, apart from the darkness that marked his existence, was a place that warmed to her words. For the time it would take him to once more claim her, he would allow himself to believe in happy endings.

  “Melissa,” he murmured as he plunged inside of her. Later, when she lay next to him and he tasted the tears upon her cheeks, he wondered if she cried for him…or for herself.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Melissa! Where are you? Jeez, this is important.”

  Melissa walked into the living room. “What’s all the screaming about? Did you get in trouble on your first day back to school?”

  Wendi dropped her books on the sofa and twirled in a circle. Her short ruffled skirt flared out, revealing matching panties below. Trust Logan’s little girl to be perfectly dressed, she thought with a grin.

  “It’s Mark,” Wendi said dramatically. “He asked me if I’d like a ride with him to the dance on Friday. Yes. Yes. Yes.” She punctuated each word with a jump. “There’s going to be a group of us, so it’s not like a date or anything, but still. I’m going to the dance. I’m going to the dance. Okay.” She stopped and grinned. “I need a new dress. A green one to match my eyes. And shoes. And a purse. And…”

  “Slow down, young lady. No one has said you could go.”

  Wendi’s jaw dropped. “Y-you’re kidding?”

  “Yes.”

  She pretended to punch Melissa in the arm. “You scared me. Don’t do that with important stuff.”

  “Sorry. I’ll remember for next time.” She walked into her bedroom and picked up her purse, then returned to the foyer. “Do you have homework?”

  “On the first day of school?” The preteen looked outraged.

  “Yes or no?”

  “Yes.” She sighed heavily. “In algebra. Don’t you just hate that?”

  “What grade did you get in math last year?”

  “An A. Why?”

  “Do you promise to do your homework right after dinner, with no phone calls to interrupt?”

  “Sure, but…”

  Melissa opened the front door and grinned. “We have a dress to buy.
What was it? Green to match your eyes?”

  “Really?” Wendi danced out the door. “Melissa, you’re the greatest. Wow. A new dress. We’d better get something, you know, conservative, so Dad won’t have a cow this time.” Linking her arm with Melissa’s she skipped along the walkway. “You’ve sure been nice these last couple of days. Are you happy about something? Did you get some good news or…”

  “These have been the longest three nights of my life,” Logan said as he slipped into bed beside her.

  Melissa rested her head on his shoulder and rubbed her hand across his chest. “You shouldn’t even be here now. What if Wendi comes looking for one of us?”

  “It’s almost midnight. Besides, I checked on her and she’s sound asleep. I’ve set my watch to beep in two hours, at which time I’ll sneak back into my own bed. Unless of course you don’t want me here.”

  He lifted the covers as if to leave. She grabbed his arm. “You’ve made your point.”

  He laughed. “I knew you’d see things my way. It’s the charm. Gets ‘em every time.”

  “Oh, does it? How very convenient for you.”

  “Isn’t it though.” He slid between her thighs. His gaze lingered on her face before dropping to study her bare body.

  “Tell me about this charm,” she said. “I certainly haven’t seen it. Do you keep it in the closet and bring it out for company?”

  “Very funny.” Leaning down so their lips could touch, he drew his brows together. “I’ve missed you.”

  The tender embrace that followed the words allowed her to once again pretend their time together was real. As his hands and tongue took her to the edge of pleasure and back, while her body accepted and caressed his, the space beyond the four walls of her room ceased to exist. They were a man and a woman engaged in a ritual as old as time.

  It was only when their breathing had returned to normal that she was forced to deal with the truth. Logan had never said he loved her.

  There were countless explanations, but only one she believed. He wasn’t ready to trust her. She’d given him everything she had and it wasn’t enough. Now what? she wondered. Her time left was pitifully short.