Dangerously Close

by Dee J. Adams

  Mel froze. He didn’t understand the about face. She’d given him very clear all systems go. “So the blow job was strictly a ‘thank you’?” He didn’t know if he should be insulted or thankful.

  “It was what it was,” she said. “It’s not as if you didn’t like it so don’t pout.”

  Mel held her face in his hands. He wished more than ever that she could see so he could read her blue eyes, but they stared blankly just off to the side. “So let me get this straight. You kiss me like you’re dying to fuck me. You go down on me like a dream, but when it’s time to receive some TLC for yourself, you run and hide?”

  She pushed away from him. “I’m not running or hiding. I’m just not in the mood for it, that’s all.”

  He didn’t believe her for a minute. “Bullshit.” All the signs were there. He lifted his jeans back into place. “Your cheeks are flushed. You’re breathing hard. Your nipples are all but busting out of your bra. You want me. Don’t even try to deny it.”

  She sputtered and that’s all the encouragement Mel needed. It was a cruel thing to do to a blind girl, but she asked for it. Without warning, he scooped her up in a fireman’s hold. She squealed as he hauled her through the house toward her bedroom. Ignoring her protests, he got halfway there when he realized why she’d backed off. Why she’d given him that blow job in the first place.

  She was scared. Scared she wasn’t sexy enough? Scared because she couldn’t see him? Scared her body wouldn’t cooperate? Just plain scared of sex. He didn’t know if it was any or all those things and frankly he didn’t care. His mission was to obliterate the fear.

  He wished he’d been one of her “pals” in high school. What an absolute ton of fun the girl must have been. A free spirit, generous with her laugh and sometimes her body. He’d have snatched her up and held on tight.

  Bullshit. He knew better. He’d have been too immature to see a good thing back then. He’d been focused on music then. Women hadn’t been on his radar.

  But Ashley was on his radar now. He didn’t plan to let her go.

  In her bedroom, he tossed her onto the big king-size mattress. Huffing and puffing, red-faced and mussed, she was a sight to see. She bounced up on her knees, ready to climb off when he shushed her with another kiss. Her muffled “I’m seri—” got lost in his mouth.

  She couldn’t have been too serious, because she melted into his kiss like a woman in need. Of course, he slowed things down. She deserved to be loved. Slowly. Thoroughly. He was more than ready to handle that job.

  “I’m going to make you feel so good, Ash. I promise,” he rasped in her ear. He took her mouth before she could respond. He pulled her tightly against him so she felt his erection against her belly. “Look what you do to me, Ash. I’m so hard for you, baby.”

  A moan rumbled in her throat as Mel continued to run his hands along her body, feeling every curve, all her soft skin. He pulled her shirt over her head and unsnapped her bra. Cupping a full breast, he took a hard nipple in his mouth before she protested.

  He had her on her back in seconds.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Ashley arched under Mel. His hot mouth did wicked things to her breast. Sensation shot from her nipple to her center. A growing need built inside her.

  He was too good at this. Who knew how many women he’d been with? She had to keep this light. Had to keep their friendship above all else. But the more he drove her crazy, the harder it became.

  His mouth connected with hers again and she didn’t hold back. She kissed him with an intensity she hadn’t known before. With a passion she’d never felt. His hands felt so good. Stroking over her body as if he couldn’t get enough. He stripped off her pants and underwear in one shot. His hand slid between her legs and made her gasp. Then he began a descent.

  “Mel, no,” she panted. If he went down on her, she’d lose the last speck of control she had. He was already making it hard for her to keep him in the “friend” department, but if he performed this act, she’d be lost.

  “Yes,” he murmured and continued going down.

  His hair was too short so she grabbed his ears, lifted his head. “No.” God, she wished she could see him. It was impossible to gauge his reaction.

  He stilled then moved up her body. His mouth hovered over hers, his breath warm on her lips. “Here’s the deal, babe.” He used her word “babe” in the same tone she always did. “You got to thank me for taking you to the market. I get to thank you for a spectacular blow job.”

  “But you wanted it,” she argued.

  His fingers gently stroked along her folds and she gasped. “You want it too,” he said.

  She wanted the intimacy. The feeling of being wanted. She didn’t want to disappoint him, didn’t want to be a dud in bed. What if the other night and day had been a fluke?

  “What if I said I didn’t want it?” she asked.

  He kissed her softly, just a brush of his lips over hers. “I wouldn’t believe you,” he murmured. His finger pushed deeper inside her and she felt the moisture he worked up. Relief seeped into her chest. Pushing in and out, he kept a rhythm that had her arching into his touch. After a few minutes, he took that wet finger and spread the moisture around her nipple. Then he sucked her.

  A sharp cry tore from her throat and Mel repeated the process.

  “Please, Ash. I’m dying for you. I need more. Gotta taste you. All of you. Please, baby.”

  Oh, God, it was so good. He made her feel so cherished, so hot and beautiful. His finger pushed inside of her again and Mel rubbed the wetness around her clit.

  “Please, Ash. Say yes. I’ll make it so good. Say yes.”

  She didn’t doubt it. That was part of the problem. She didn’t see a way around it. Hadn’t she already run into the problem she feared? She loved him. Whether he went down on her or not wasn’t going to change that fact.

  Still, she should be strong. She should say no. She would say no.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes.” So much for will power.

  He stilled above her. Not being able to see his face nearly killed her. She hated that he was staring and she couldn’t read him. Softly, his lips brushed hers and Ashley wanted to cry at the tenderness. He ran his fingers through her hair as his tongue gently stroked into her mouth. He didn’t gloat or joke or say a word as he moved between her legs. His hands and mouth grazed her skin until she burned with every touch. He took his time, licked and nibbled the inside of each thigh and had her gasping for air. By the time he put his mouth on her, she was fisting the sheets, silently begging him to take her.

  His hot breath tortured her. His devilish fingers moved inside her. Finally, he licked her…one long swipe that tore a cry from her lips. Then he simply took her and she lost her mind to sensation. To the feel of his tongue plunging deep and the rhythm of his sucking mouth. Her legs shook, her back arched and sanity fled. He mumbled something, but she couldn’t hear it because of the roaring in her ears. One thick finger eased between her butt cheeks and she waited for his retribution. She’d wondered how he’d react to her foray into private territory when she’d gone down on him, but she’d wanted him crazy, wanted him pushing hard and deep into her mouth. Now, he wanted the same thing.

  She skated the edge, so ready to fall, as his tongue circled and lashed. When he pushed his fingertip into her ass, at the same time he gently bit down on her clit, her world exploded. A keening cry sounded in her throat as her body clenched convulsively. She grabbed his head with both hands and held him to her as she came, forcing him to take her the same way he’d forced her. He didn’t fight her. He wanted it too.

  When she finally settled, when her limbs collapsed and she lay lifeless on the bed, Mel didn’t move. His hands caressed her skin, skimming from her stomach down her thighs and back up her sides.

  “You okay?” he asked softly. His warm breath drifted over her hip.

  “No.” Her breathing was still choppy. “You killed me.”

  “Poor baby.” She heard
the smile in his voice. He dragged his tongue over her sensitive clit and she gasped. “Round two might be especially exhausting if you’re already dead.” With that he proceeded to go at her again. She tried to shake him off, tried to squirm away from his insistent mouth, but he held her down. Two minutes later, he had her on the same precipice, hanging onto logic by a thread, but that line soon broke and she cried out a second time as he took her to another peak.

  While her body clenched, he moved up and plunged inside her. His arousal, thick and hard, stretched her, burned her and it felt perfect. He pressed her deep into the mattress as he pushed inside her with long, sure strokes. A few thrusts later, his come jetted into her, warm and creamy.

  She should’ve been freaking out since she wasn’t on birth control and he hadn’t used a condom, but the worst-case scenario didn’t strike her as bad at all—a baby, a shot at motherhood. So she let the worry go. Mel wasn’t permanent and she knew that, but having a part of him with her always wouldn’t be a hardship. Just like Roamer, it might not have been planned, but she’d happily accommodate. Though she couldn’t realistically compare her dog to a baby, she could compare the unconditional love.

  Mel collapsed over her, but promptly pulled her with him onto his side. Breathing hard, they both stayed silent. His hand traveled along her back, over her ass, kept her snug against him.

  The intimacy and sense of security she felt was amazing…unparalleled. This sense of rightness, of emotion, caught her by complete surprise. Just breathing in his scent, feeling his body heat and the way he caressed her took her off balance in a crazy way.

  “I have something to tell you,” he said quietly and very seriously.

  Her heart lurched and she waited. She had no idea what made him so intense. Maybe he had birth control on his mind too.

  “I can safely say I’ve found your libido.”

  She sputtered a laugh at the same time tears stung her eyes, but she kept her head buried against his chest and he went on.

  “It’s alive and well and living south of your border.”

  Ashley nestled closer. His arms wrapped around her as they cuddled. She’d never cuddled like this with her other “friends.” This type of intimacy was new territory for her. As much as it scared her, she wasn’t ready to give it up so quickly.

  She couldn’t think of a comeback for his south of the border line so she contented herself with stroking her hand along his hip and down his thigh, committing every touch to memory. It would be all she had when their time together ended.

  The phone rang and she didn’t move a muscle.

  “You gonna get that?” he asked.

  “Nope.”

  His lips brushed her temple in a soft caress while his hands grazed her skin.

  The answering machine picked up the call in the office attached to her room. Her voice told the caller to leave a message before the beep sounded. “Hello, I’m calling for Ashley Bristol,” a woman’s voice said. “This is Nancy Vega from Dr. Preston’s office. I’m sorry about the delay in getting back to you, but I did want to schedule the first appointment for your Lucentis treatment. Unfortunately, the doctor is booked for the next week and a half and he’ll be out of town on vacation for two weeks after that, but I can schedule you first thing for Monday morning….”

  Four Weeks. Ashley let the voice drone on. It would be another four weeks before the procedure. Unless she went to a different eye doctor, but this guy specialized in this area and had come highly recommended. She did want the best.

  “You okay?” Mel’s soft voice drifted into her head. “Four weeks is a long time.”

  “I like this guy. Besides, I’ll need the time to wrap my brain around getting a shot in my eyes. Repeatedly.”

  “We talked about this. You can handle it.” He sighed, but she couldn’t read it.

  “Why are you sighing? I’m the one getting the shots.”

  He didn’t answer right away. One hand cupped her jaw. “As much as I want you to see again…I’m afraid that when you see me, you’re not going to like me.”

  What? “That’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever said. Of course I’ll still like you. I’ll always like you. I know we haven’t known each other a long time, but that doesn’t mean we’re not tight.”

  “I know. I just…” He shifted and brought her even closer. “What if you don’t like my face? What if you don’t like the way I look or the color of my eyes, or my crooked teeth?”

  She laughed at that. “You don’t have crooked teeth. Lizzie told me what you look like and I’ve felt your face with my hands. Besides, it’s the person inside that I like. Your face doesn’t have to be perfect. How could I ask for that when I’m the female Quasimodo over here.”

  “Hey, cut that out!” he snapped. He kissed her hard and pulled back. “You’re gorgeous. Don’t let that tiny scar rule your world.”

  Tiny? Maybe he was as blind as she was…

  “Don’t roll your non-seeing eyes at me,” he admonished. “You just said yourself that it’s the inside that counts, not the outside. It works both ways.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You made your point.” She hated when people threw her words back at her.

  “So you’ll call the doctor’s office back and set up an appointment?” he asked.

  “I’ll do it right now.” She pulled away from him, but he grabbed her and rolled her onto her back.

  “They’re at lunch now,” he said, brushing his mouth across hers.

  “How do you know?” She smiled as his scruff tickled her cheek.

  “Weren’t you listening to the message? She said she’d be back in the office at two. We have a whole hour to kill before then.”

  “I must have missed that part,” she admitted, then she gasped as he sucked a nipple into his mouth. “Maybe she’ll take a long lunch today.”

  “Extra long,” Mel murmured. Then he got busy making her forget about doctors and appointments and rambling messages.

  * * *

  The next morning, the sound of Paula’s SUV interrupted marathon sex happening in Ashley’s bedroom. Mel had simply never left. He scrounged for food when they needed sustenance and he catered to her every whim. It hadn’t been awkward or uncomfortable or anything but amazing.

  “What time is it?” Ashley murmured into his neck.

  He lifted his head, looked at the clock then plopped back down. “Ten.”

  Ashley groaned. “She’s an hour early. What is with her?” She threw back the covers and got out of bed. The loss of her heat next to him marked the reality of a new day. She put on a robe. “I keep telling her not to come early, but she keeps insisting it’s not a problem. Doesn’t she get that I don’t want her here?”

  “I have to say ‘no,’” Mel said as he followed Ashley’s lead and put his clothes on. He’d much rather have stayed in bed with her another twenty-four hours, especially since he had a gig in San Diego tomorrow that would keep him from her all day.

  “Why don’t you take away her key? How does she have it anyway?” he asked.

  “It was Lizzie’s key and Paula ended up with it.”

  Mel shoved his feet into his cross trainers. “Maybe it’s time to ask for the key back.”

  Ashley’s eyes widened and lit up.

  “What?” Mel asked, smiling at the look on her face.

  “This is terrible, but I don’t care.”

  “Speak, woman. What are you thinking?” Mel tossed a T-shirt over his head as Ashley brushed her hair.

  “Didn’t you tell me the security company called and said they’d had a breach in their system? Didn’t you also tell me they advised you to change the pass code on the gate to ensure our safety?”

  “Yeah, I like that. Let’s pretend I told you all those things.” Mel pulled her close as they heard the engine stop out front. Roamer headed to the front door with an unusually sharp bark. “You are brilliant.” He leaned down and kissed her gorgeous lips. “What’s the new pass code. I’ll go down and change it now.”


  “Make it whatever you want then tell me later. If I don’t know, I can’t tell her.”

  “Even better. So from now on, she’ll have to buzz in to get on the property.”

  “Why didn’t I think of this sooner?” she wondered aloud.

  “Sex.”

  Ashley laughed. “What? What are you talking about?”

  “Sex with me has a tendency to clear the mind and make it easier to think straight.” He kissed her soft and slow, but Ashley pulled back when she heard the key in the front door. “I’m going out the French doors.” He gestured behind him toward the backyard. “You’ll come over when she takes off?”

  “You want me to?” she asked.

  Mel pulled her flush against him so she felt the hard ridge of his cock in his jeans. “What do you think?”

  “I think you’re a crazed sex addict…” She brushed her lips across his in a wet tease. “And I’ll see you later so I can take care of that problem in your pants.”

  Grinning, Mel reluctantly let go and backed up toward the French doors. He heard Paula in the front entry. “See you later,” he said softly before sneaking out the door.

  Damn, he hated being such a coward. Hated that he let Paula’s presence decide his time with Ashley. But at least her fix would solve one problem regarding Paula.

  He hustled down the drive and stood at the keypad thinking of the best pass code. He smiled as he punched in the numbers.

  * * *

  The phone rang the next morning. Mel had left for his gig about a half hour earlier, but Ashley stayed in bed, relishing the memories of the night before. She took one last deep breath and smelled the scent of Mel and sex before throwing off the covers and picking up the receiver.

  “Is this Ashley?” A woman asked.

  She pushed the button on her talking clock. Nine. “Yes, who’s this?”

  “Nancy Vega from Dr. Preston’s office. We spoke yesterday.”

  Ashley had returned the message and set up her appointment for early in the new year. “Yes, of course. Is everything all right?” Please don’t let them reschedule for even later. She already had too long a wait.