No. Brett wasn’t like that. He probably waited till they were back at her place. He’d sit her down, and break the news as gently as possible. He might be wondering if it’s too late to call me. I picked up the phone. It wouldn’t hurt to call him. I let it ring and ring and finally I heard his voice. It was his answering service. He wasn’t home.
CHAPTER TWENTY
My eyes popped open and I glanced at the alarm clock beside my bed. It was seven o’clock. Where was Brett? Alone in his bed? Lying there, thinking about me? Wondering if it was too early to call?
I used my mental telepathy skills to try to get the phone to ring, but nada. My skills were either dead or needed recharging or something. I was afraid to call him. Afraid to know if he wasn’t home.
I thought about going out for a run, but I might miss his call, so I did Pilates instead.
An hour of them. I took a long shower, shaved my legs, and washed my hair, making every inch of myself as appealing as possible in case he dropped by.
I used a nice-smelling body lotion, blew my hair out, put on a pink lacy thong and matching bra, and checked the phone to see if there was a dial tone.
Hmm. It seemed to be working. I decided to call Fran to make sure. She had been such a comfort to me when Brett was in the hospital, and had come to visit him often. She knew I cared about him, and she didn’t know why he continued to see Samantha. I wanted to tell her that it was over between them, but was it? Where was he? Why hadn’t he called?
“Fran! Hey, what’s going on? I haven’t seen you at the Candy Bar in weeks.” We chatted for a few minutes, and then she said she was going for a walk on the beach, and would I like to meet her for lunch. “I’d love to, but I’m waiting on a call right now. Can I let you know in an hour?”
“Of course you can. It must be an important call for you to wait around,” she hinted.
“It is,” I said. “It’s Brett.”
“Brett?” she squealed. “Are you two…?” I bit my lip.
“That’s what I’m waiting to find out.”
“Oooh! That is a call worth waiting for. Oh, I’m so glad he came to his senses.”
“Well, I’m not sure if he has. He was supposed to tell Samantha yesterday—it was her birthday, but I don’t know if he did. Oh, wait, someone’s on the other line. I’ll call you back, okay?”
“Yes, and good luck.”
I clicked over, and squeaked out a breathless hello. “Good morning.”
It was Brett, sounding calm, cool, and collected. “So, how did it go?” I blurted, as if it was the only thing on my mind. Which, of course, it was.
“It was awkward,” he said. “I mean, she was really excited about going to the Dolphins game and their winning, and then I had a present for her, and she had to open it.”
I tried to envision how that all went down. “You mean you gave her a birthday present before breaking up with her?” He hemmed and hawed, then finally admitted, “No, I couldn’t do it last night. It was her birthday celebration and I couldn’t bring myself to ruin it for her.”
“Oh.” I felt like he had punched me in the gut. My dreams of spending my life with this man, having his children, evaporated like a puff of cold air. “I understand, Brett. It’s okay.” I wondered if he’d slept with her but was afraid to ask. No, it wasn’t okay and I wasn’t right with it, but I had too much pride to let him see how deeply he had wounded me. Besides, it was none of my business. “I went over there this morning and told her, Susie. I didn’t stay with her last night.”
“You didn’t?” My heart came alive again. Maybe my children would have a father after all.
“No, I made up some lame excuse and she didn’t question it. Now I know why she didn’t bother with me after the fire. It wasn’t just because of the burns.”
I waited, and felt peace for the first time that day. My breathing had returned to normal. My stomach had finally unclenched. “I told her my feelings had changed and you know what she said? You won’t believe this.”
Oh, yes, I would. “She said, that’s okay, because she and Joe were in love.”
What a bitch! After he’d been so nice. But at least he knew the real Samantha now, and how deceitful she was.
“Brett, I can’t believe she said that! How horrible for you.”
He cleared his throat. “Funny thing is, I don’t have a problem with Samantha, but I’m going to miss Joe as a friend.”
“Yes, of course you will, and I’m sure he’s going to feel like a total jerk facing you at work.”
“He damn well should. The bastard—sneaking around with my girl. If I was in love with Sam, I’d bust his head in.”
My heart went out to him. He’d just lost two people in his life he’d cared about. “I’m sorry, Brett. I really am.”
“I want to see you. What are you doing? Like right now.”
“Right now?” I smiled and my pulse quickened.
“This very minute.”
“Nothing. Talking to you.” I could play it cool too.
He laughed. “I’m calling you from my cell, and I’m across the street.” I laughed too, and went outside onto the patio to see if I could spot him. He was leaning against his car, and when he saw me, he waved. I waved back. He started walking toward the building. “You’ve got one minute,” he said, then hung up.
I buzzed him in, unlocked the door, and dashed to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I combed my hair, added some lip gloss, and dashed back out to greet him as he sauntered through the door.
“Hi. What took you so long?”
A moment later we were kissing and I could barely catch my breath. I pushed his chest away, and looked up at him. “Hey,” I said softly, “does this mean you missed me?” “You bet it does.”
We resumed kissing, and I started to unbutton his shirt. He broke his mouth away to mumble, “What are you doing?”
I pulled his shirt out of his pants. “Undressing you. Now, don’t ask questions. Just enjoy.”
His shirt was open, and I had my hands on his muscular chest. I kissed his neck and worked my way down to his tummy. My hands were on his fly, and before he could utter a word I pulled it down. He moaned when I took him in my mouth. That was all the incentive I needed to pleasure him the best way I knew how. “Susie, Susie, what are you doing to me?” he groaned with heated pleasure.
I stopped what I was doing for a second to say, “I told you not to ask.”
He lifted me up, and took my mouth. My hands were in his hair, holding his head so he could not escape, as his tongue continued to ravish my mouth. His kisses were so heated I could feel my entire body catch fire. His hands slid under my bra, and I gasped the moment his thumb ran over my nipple. He seemed to know how much I wanted it because he cupped my breasts and teased my erect nipples until I could barely stand the friction.
Then he licked them and suckled gently. I thought I’d come right then. I wanted him so badly, and he was making me so wet. Hot and wet. “Brett?”
“Hmm?”
He didn’t lift his head.
“Would you please get on with it?”
I heard him chuckle, and a second later his arm swept under me, lifting me off my feet. He carried me into the bedroom and kicked the door shut. He plopped me on the bed and sat down next to me. His eyes were on my flushed face. “You’re an impatient little one, aren’t you?”
I smiled. “No. I’ve waited most of my life for you.”
He gave me the sweetest kiss, and then broke away to unfasten the back of my bra and toss it aside. He lightly kissed each breast, and then my taut belly. I held my breath. He pulled my panties down to my knees, and his hands slid under my rump, arching me so he would have better access. His mouth moved in. I could feel his warm breath, his hot tongue as it flicked in, deeper and deeper, softer and sweeter, toying with me, playing with my clit until he brought me to an all-time high. I was whimpering like a baby, and finally he took pity on me and gave me what I wanted, what I needed. He filled me complete
ly, and as long as I had his loving, I knew I would never want for another thing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
A few nights later, Brett and I were in the lobby of my apartment building, waiting for the elevator, when I heard someone call my name.
“Susie?” A young girl got up from the bench near the window, and walked toward me. “Remember me? Melody?”
“Melody, honey! Are you all right? I haven’t seen you in a couple of years.”
I had met her at the shelter a few years back when she was sixteen, an escapee from the foster care system. I’d been like a big sister to her, taking her on outings, spending quality time with her, but she’d only stayed around for a couple of months before taking off again. I’d heard she’d moved to Orlando to stay with her grandparents, but she hadn’t stayed in touch.
“When did you move back?”
“Six months ago.”
“Where are you living now?” I asked, not so much out of curiosity but real concern.
She chewed her bottom lip. “Nowhere. My money’s run out. I’m on the street.”
I knew she was too old to take refuge in the shelter. She would be eighteen or nineteen and they only took kids up to seventeen. There were just too many, and they had to draw the line somewhere, but it left Melody and others like her with no resources. Brett looked at her the way I had the first time we’d met. He was probably trying to understand why such a nice looking girl would wear such appalling clothes and dress in chains.
I introduced them, feeling almost defensive as far as she was concerned. I knew enough about her background to know she’d had a raw deal in life. Her mother was in jail for selling crack, and her dad was an alcoholic with a penchant for violence. She had metal studs in her ears, in her nose and on her chin, and wore a dog collar and cuffs. Chains hung from her black leather jacket and ripped jeans.
The elevator arrived, and Brett held it for me. “Coming, Susie?” he asked. I made a quick decision, knowing I couldn’t leave her.
“Brett, hold the elevator a sec.”
Melody stood there rocking back and forth in her black boots, arms wrapped around her middle as if she were cold or afraid. She seemed so lost, so beaten, with nowhere to turn. I might be her last straw. How bad was that? I was nobody’s last straw.
I put my hand on the elevator door, and beckoned her inside. “It’s okay,” I said to Brett. “Come on up with us, Melody, and we’ll figure out something.” Brett didn’t look too happy with this new development, and truthfully neither was I, but what choice did I have? She was a girl in trouble, and I’d been there once myself.
Inside my apartment, Brett took me aside. “What’s going on? Who is this girl?”
I told him how I met her, and a little about her past. “I don’t know how she found me, or what she’s doing here, but I aim to find out.”
“Okay, I’ll leave you two alone.” He sank on the couch and flicked on the TV. “I’ve got a football game to watch, and you girls probably have a lot of catching up to do.” He winked at me. “Pretend I’m not even here.”
“Thanks for understanding.” I touched his cheek. “Melody and I will chat in the kitchen. Want anything? A beer?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
Melody stood in the living room gawking at my paintings on the walls, and checking out the sculptures I’d collected from a South Beach gallery.
“This is your apartment?” She said, her eyes wide. “Looks more like a museum.”
“Thanks, I think.” I handed Brett a frosty mug of beer, wishing I could slide down beside him.
“I mean, it’s nice.” She shrugged. “Just fancy.”
“It’s comfortable.” I noticed her walking around carefully, as if afraid she’d break something. “Hey, come into the kitchen with me. You want a Coke?”
“Sure.” The kitchen was separated from the living room by a long counter space. She took a stool and watched me grab the sodas from the fridge.
“I’m sorry if this sounds rude, but I haven’t eaten all day.” Melody tried to act casual, but her eyes gave her away. She seemed desperate. “Do you have anything I could snack on?”
“Of course. Can I make you a sandwich? I have some leftover turkey, or ham?”
“Uh—I don’t eat meat. What about grilled cheese?”
“Coming right up. How about you, Brett? Want one too?”
He shook his head. “No. I’ll pass.” He guzzled a third of his beer. “So, how did you find Susie’s address, Melody?”
I gave him a sharp look, wishing he’d let me ask the questions. She looked uncomfortable enough, and I didn’t want her to bolt.
“I used my cell phone to get it on the Internet.” She watched me take the bread out of the fridge, add a slice of cheese, coat the outsides of the bread with butter, and pop it into a sizzling pan.
“You can do that?” I asked. “Isn’t there a privacy law or something?”
“You can find out anything about anyone,” she answered. “Especially for a small fee.”
“Why did you look up her address?” Brett said, jutting out his chin. “Why not just call her?”
I answered instead. “Melody and I became friends when she was at the shelter, Brett. We had some good times together, didn’t we, Melody?”
Keep it simple, I told myself. Don’t go into long explanations. Melody did, however. “My old man kicked me out of the house after Mom went to jail. I was fourteen and living off the streets. A cop found me eating scraps out of a bin, and placed me in a foster home. That didn’t last long. I was bounced around from home to home and decided I could do better on my own.” She gave Brett an appraising look, but didn’t stop. “Then I found the shelter and gave it a try. Hell, free food and a roof over my head wasn’t a bad deal. Susie took me to movies and stuff. She was cool.”
Brett nodded. “So what happened when you left the shelter?”
She shrugged. “I went to live with my grandparents. They kicked me out a year later.”
I didn’t want to know why, but obviously Brett did.
“Why did they do that?” he asked.
I knew Brett’s father had been a cop but I really wished he wouldn’t interrogate the girl. I would find out all I needed to know, in good time.
“I don’t know.” She licked her lips. “They just didn’t want me hanging around, I guess.” Melody glanced at me. “Before I moved to Orlando, Susie tried to get me back into school, but I wouldn’t go. I came back thinking maybe it wasn’t too late. But it is. I’m too old now for the system. The children’s shelter couldn’t take me in.”
“What are you?” I asked her. “Eighteen, nineteen?”
“Almost nineteen. I should have listened to you.”
“You need to get an education somehow,” I said to her. “It’s the only way you’ll ever have a better life.” It seemed almost funny to hear those words coming out of my mouth, because hadn’t my parents told me exactly the same thing?
“I know, but it’s not easy. I need to work to live.”
“So, what do you plan to do now?” Brett asked. “What kind of work do you do?”
“Whatever I can get.”
“Brett, what’s going on with your football game? I thought you were watching it?” I shook my head at him, and he just grinned.
“Halftime,” he answered. “So, Melody, what was the last job you had?”
She ignored his question. “Is my sandwich ready?” Melody said instead, watching the frying pan sizzle.
I flipped the sandwich onto a plate and placed it in front of her.
“Thanks.” Melody took a huge bite out of the sandwich. “I’ll finish this and get out of here.”
“No, Melody. I want you to stay. For tonight at least. We’ll figure out something in the morning.”
Brett raised his eyes to mine. “Can I speak to you privately for a minute?” I nodded and followed him out to the balcony. “This is crazy.” He ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. “She could be on
drugs, or running away from something. I mean, seriously, what the hell do you know about her? This isn’t safe.”
I kissed him. “It’s safe enough. She’s just a scared kid and you’re a big, strong man. I’ll try to get her a place to stay in the morning.”
“Promise?”
“I promise. Just one night.” I went back inside and sat down next to Melody. “You’ll have to sleep in my spare room. It’s my studio, but it has a sofa bed, and we can move a few things around and make a little space for you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” She yawned. “I’m really tired. Can I go to bed now? You two can carry on and do whatever you do.”
“Of course, honey. Did you have enough to eat?”
“Yes. Thanks.”
Brett helped me clear the studio and make up the bed while she changed into a pair of my pajamas. When she was out of hearing range, he whispered to my back, “You’ll probably get knifed in the middle of the night.”
“You better stay and save me then.” I put my hands around his back and moved up against him. “She said she’d eat and leave. Couldn’t we put her up in a motel for the night?”
“I can’t, Brett. I just can’t.”
After Melody was sleeping soundly, I tried to get Brett to come to bed with me. He refused and I didn’t push the issue. I knew he wasn’t happy with me, but I could not turn my back on someone in need. Not Brett, not a child.
“What if she loots the place when we’re sleeping?” he griped. “You have all your paintings, your life’s work on the walls of this place. Not to mention anything else not nailed down.”
“I trust her,” I answered simply.
He raised a brow, then kissed my cheek. “Look, you go to bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“You sure? You don’t mind?” He gave me a sexy grin. “We’ll make it up tomorrow night. After Melody leaves,” he said pointedly. I gave him a pillow and a blanket, and a huge kiss to hold us over for the night.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
I felt something on my cheek, and opened my eyes.
Brett was leaning over me, with a feather between his fingers, tickling my cheek. He put the feather down and kissed me. “Good morning.”
The Candy Bar Complete - 4 book box set: Candy Bar Series Page 39
