by Amy Storm
“Maybe because I knew you would have that fireplace on, but it is really hot in here tonight. What the hell, Ma? Did you invite Olivia over here to sweat the truth out of her?”
Olivia looked away from Melanie, not sure if she was joking or if her comment was meant to get a jab in.
“Melanie, be nice. Have a seat at the table girls, I’ll bring the food in.”
Olivia watched Mary disappear into the kitchen again. She turned to find Melanie still standing near the door watching her. Olivia tried to get a read on what Melanie was thinking, but she couldn’t. Any other person she could pick up on the way they smiled or didn’t smile. If they were smiling, if their eyes matched their smile, or if the smile was fake. Were their arms crossed in front of them or was their body language more open? Melanie was a different story though. Olivia could only see the overall picture with her, and right now she wasn’t sure what that picture was telling her.
Melanie walked past Olivia without saying a word and went into the kitchen whispering something to Mary. Mary nodded for her to go sit down, and Melanie disappeared behind the wall and came out the other side into the dining room. She sat down at the table with her back to Olivia.
Now was Olivia’s chance to preserve her ego and make an escape. No one was around to stop her. She was only a few feet from the door, from freedom to live her life however she wanted. She could go back to her old ways or settle for something in between. Hell, she could go back to the bakery and take Brittany up on her offer. She could walk out that door and never have to face Mary or Melanie again. That’s what she would have done months ago before these two people opened their lives up to her. She felt tears threatening to spill over and ruin her eyeliner and mascara, so she retreated to the bathroom.
She grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her eyes being careful not to smudge her makeup. Her reflection in the mirror told her she couldn’t walk away, not now or ever. If this relationship didn’t make it, it wouldn’t be for her lack of trying. She had done nothing wrong since meeting Melanie. Yes, she had hurt her, but that was because of her past and because of the investigation.
She found Mary sitting at the end of the table, which left her sitting across from Melanie. Olivia sat down and tried to focus on the food in the center of the table, but she could feel Melanie’s stare. She reached for the stew and caught a brief glimpse of Melanie out of the corner of her eye. She was right, Melanie was staring at her.
She tasted the stew and it reminded her of her mother’s crockpot meals. It used to drive Olivia crazy smelling the meals cooking all day torturing her with their delicious aromas. Her mother wasn’t afraid to experiment and come up with her own recipes. “Do you want some carrots?” she heard Mary ask.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Mary. I was just daydreaming of my parents and my mother’s good cooking. This meal reminds me of the ones she used to cook for my father and I.”
“I bet they were delicious,” Melanie said. Olivia looked up at Melanie and for the first time that night saw some resemblance of the kind and compassionate Melanie she fell in love with. Melanie knew her parents had passed, something no one else knew.
“She was an excellent cook. My mom made huge pots of spaghetti, and she would make her own meatballs with a taste of sweet Italian sausage. It was incredible. She came from a long line of Italians and anything that resembled Italian cuisine or even Italian-American cuisine, she could cook it. The spaghetti simmered on the stovetop all day at a low temperature while she prepared the ingredients and spices. She insisted on adding them at different stages in the process instead of throwing it all in at the same time. I played every sport in high school just to keep the pounds off from her addictive cooking. As for me, a frozen pizza in the microwave is about as close as I get to cooking.”
Mary laughed, and Olivia got a genuine smile from Melanie. She could see compassion in Melanie’s eyes. Melanie knew the truth about her parents and how painful the memory was for her.
After a few minutes of silence while everyone ate, Mary felt the need to keep the conversation flowing. “I hope I will get to meet your parents soon.”
Olivia looked to Melanie to say something because she couldn’t. She shouldn’t have brought her parents up, but she had a judgement lapse in the comfort of Mary’s home. Mary had no idea what had happened to her parents. After the emotional hell she had been through the past few days, she couldn’t bring herself to tell her without losing it.
“Olivia, should I?” Melanie asked.
Olivia nodded.
“Olivia’s parents died when she was eighteen. Someone broke into their home while Olivia was away and they killed her parents.”
Mary clutched Olivia’s hand. “Oh, I’m so sorry, dear. I feel so awful bringing it up over dinner. I had no idea.”
Olivia felt a soft touch on her other hand and realized Melanie was holding it, stroking her thumb over the back of her knuckles in a soothing gesture.
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I had already told Melanie the story before, and your cooking reminded me so much of my mother that I started talking about them. I’m okay now. The last few days have been so long and stressful, but sitting here with you two I felt comfortable enough to let my guard down and share my childhood with you. I was blindsided a little bit when you asked about them, but really it’s okay, I’m okay.”
Mary stood up and wrapped her arms around Olivia. “Well, thank you for opening up. It’s not good to keep all that pain and hurt bottled up inside. It sounds like you have some wonderful memories of your parents.”
“I do, but they all end with me trying to figure out why it happened and who did it.”
“They never found out who was responsible?” Mary asked.
“No, the police wrote it off as a robbery gone bad. They never found any reason to suspect it was a personal attack, but I’m starting to think it was personal.”
Mary shook her head. “Is that the reason you became a private investigator?”
“Yes, my life changed that day, and I have never been the same. The police gave up, but I’m determined to figure out who killed them.”
“You’re definitely a strong, independent woman, and I know they would be so proud of you.” Mary stood and gathered Melanie and Olivia’s plates. “Let me go heat this up for you.”
Olivia mouthed “thank you” to Melanie and realized they were still holding hands. Melanie smiled and pulled her hand away leaving Olivia confused. She thought they were making progress. Olivia sighed and covered her face with her hands trying to think of anything to take her mind off of the woman sitting across from her. She felt hands on her shoulders and then a kiss on her left temple. She turned to find Melanie standing beside her.
“I’m sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I said some pretty awful things to you that I didn’t mean,” Melanie said.
“It’s okay. I’m relieved everything is all out in the open now, but the timing sucked.”
Mary returned with their plates. She grabbed hers and carried it into the kitchen without saying a word.
“I think we should talk more about it later, but I need you to know I’m sorry and that I still love you.” Melanie kissed Olivia on the lips and then took her seat again across from Olivia.
After dinner and dessert, Mary gathered the dishes. “You two go relax in the living room while I clean up.”
“We can help, Mom.”
“No, no. I just have to throw a few things in the dishwasher and put the leftovers away.”
Melanie nodded her head towards the living room. “Well, you heard the boss. Let’s go.”
She held her hand out to Olivia. Olivia intertwined her fingers with Melanie’s and relished the way it felt to be able to touch her again. She never wanted to do anything to make Melanie question their relationship in the future. She followed in behind Melanie as she led her to the couch.
They sat and Olivia brought the back of Melanie’s hand to her lips. “I’ve missed you so much.”
�
�I’ve missed you too, but let’s talk about it later. I do want to talk about it, just not when the memory of Sue is so fresh in my mind.”
Olivia cringed hearing Sue’s name. “Okay, hun. Do you want to come over to my place?”
“Your place? You’ve never invited me over before. We’ve stayed at my condo these past few months.”
“I’ve never invited anyone over before, so it’s a big deal for me. I know I sound strange, but my home has always been my safe place. I’m a private person and I’ve never wanted to share that part of my life with anyone before…until now.”
“Do I get to spend the night, or do I have to leave before sunrise?”
Their eyes met and Olivia arched her eyebrow. “How soon can you come over?”
“Hey, Ma, Olivia and I enjoyed dinner, but we’re going to head out now. Thanks for inviting us over.”
Mary came out of the kitchen with a dish towel thrown over her shoulder. “You girls are leaving so soon?”
“We have some catching up to do.”
“Okay, baby. Give me a call this week and let me know how your photo shoot turns out.”
“All right, Ma. Talk to you later.”
Olivia hugged Mary. “Thank you for this. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Chapter Thirteen
Melanie and Olivia walked down the steps outside Mary’s apartment holding hands. The winter frost nipped at Olivia’s fingertips, but the anticipation and promise of a night together kept her warm. Olivia stopped in front of her car and pulled Melanie into her.
“Could you have been more obvious back there with your mom?”
“What? We have a lot of catching up to do.” She leaned in giving Olivia a quick kiss on the lips. “In fact, it might take us all night to catch up.”
“Hmm, is that so? Well, we had better get going then. Follow me, and try to keep up.”
Melanie kissed Olivia pushing her back against her car as their kiss intensified. “See you soon.” She turned and walked away towards her jeep on the other side of the road.
Olivia waited until Melanie had crossed before she got into her car. She watched in her side mirror. Melanie’s headlights flashed on and seconds later she pulled out into the roadway to make a U-turn. Olivia pulled out in front of her. She had decided to avoid the tollroads and busy highways on the way to her home. She kept an eye on Melanie in the rearview mirror. In her excitement, she looked down at the speedometer to find herself with a heavy foot and had to ease off the gas. Her mind raced and those damn butterflies from months ago were back again. Her nerves got the better of her emotions and she kept questioning herself. Was the bathroom clean? Did she leave any clothes on the floor? Did she have anything to make for breakfast tomorrow? Would Melanie have second thoughts by the time they got there?
She pulled into her driveway with Melanie close behind. She opened Melanie’s door.
“Welcome to my home.”
“I never would have imagined you living here. Look at you with a house and a yard and neighbors. Now, all you need is someone to share it with. You don’t have a family tied up and hidden away inside do you?”
“I’m only interested in tying you up. Let’s go inside.”
She grabbed Melanie’s hand and they walked up the steps and onto the small porch. Olivia fished her key out of her purse while Melanie leaned against the doorframe looking out over the neighborhood. Olivia pushed the door open and flipped on the light switch.
Melanie entered and closed the door behind her. “This is nice. I think we’ll be spending a lot of time here from now on. I can’t believe you haven’t brought me here before.”
“Thanks. Can I get you something to drink?”
“I didn’t come here for a drink.”
Olivia locked the door and pushed Melanie up against it pressing her body into her. “Oh? What did you have in mind?”
“Make-up sex. I’m feeling very, very apologetic at the moment.” Melanie pushed herself away from the door and flipped positions so that she had Olivia against the door. “How about it? Will you allow me to apologize?”
She pinned Olivia’s arms above her head and held them against the door. She brushed her nose against Olivia’s cheek and pressed her pelvis into Olivia’s.
“We might need to fight more often,” Olivia said.
Olivia was beyond aroused. This wasn’t their first time, far from it, but it was their first time in her house. Just like her heart, her home was her personal sanctuary that she had never allowed anyone else into. She wasn’t afraid of allowing Melanie in, she was terrified of losing her once she did.
Melanie placed a soft kiss on Olivia’s lips and wrapped her hands around Olivia’s waist, pulling her shirt from the waistband of her jeans. Olivia tilted her head back against the door while Melanie kissed her neck. Melanie released her grip on Olivia’s wrists and slid her hands underneath Olivia’s shirt.
“I forgot about the tank top. Are you trying to slow me down?” She ran her fingertips underneath the hem of the tank top until she felt Olivia’s skin.
Olivia sighed as her arms fell to her side. She hadn’t realized she still had them above her head until she felt Melanie’s nails grazing across the skin above her waist.
“Mmm, it’s been too long. I’ve missed you,” Olivia said.
“I’ve missed you too.” Melanie’s fingers inched up higher and higher with each quick breath Olivia took. “I’ve missed your touch and being able to touch you.”
Olivia ran her fingers through Melanie’s hair and pulled her in for a kiss. She felt Melanie’s hands grip her sides, pulling her against her harder. Their kiss deepened as they unleashed their uninhibited passion. Olivia snatched the bottom of Melanie’s sweater in an attempt to pull it up.
“Not so fast, baby.” Melanie seized Olivia’s hands and pushed them behind Olivia’s back. “Don’t you dare move those hands of yours or I will cuff you.”
“You don’t have any cuffs.”
“Then, what would you call these?” Melanie picked up her messenger bag and rummaged through it until she found what she was looking for. She held up a pair of silver cuffs that flashed a reflection of light against the wall beside Olivia.
“You came prepared didn’t you?”
“Oh, baby, I’m always prepared. Whether I use them or not depends on how well you behave, but I can already tell you’re a bit feisty tonight.”
Olivia stared at Melanie while she unbuttoned her shirt. Melanie looked down watching Olivia’s fingers work one button after the next exposing more of her tank top underneath. Olivia tugged at the sleeves of her white shirt exposing one shoulder at a time and letting if fall to the floor.
“Damn, you are so sexy.”
Melanie nudged her upper thigh between Olivia’s legs and pressed it against her causing Olivia to moan. Melanie ran her hands up until her thumbs found Olivia’s pebble nipples and stroked them over the fabric.
Olivia closed her eyes and focused on Melanie’s firm thigh between her legs and the expert fingers teasing her nipples. She felt Melanie’s lips against hers and welcomed Melanie’s tongue with parted lips. She felt the sensation of Melanie lifting her tank top, and she raised her arms as Melanie pulled it over her head. She opened her eyes as she felt Melanie unfasten her bra.
“Where’s your bedroom?” Melanie asked.
“This way.”
Olivia wrapped her fingers around Melanie’s hand and pulled her down the hallway. In front of her bedroom door, she reached for the doorknob, but didn’t get a chance to turn it before she felt Melanie’s lips on the back of her neck and her hands reaching from behind to cup her breasts.
“I thought you wanted to see my bedroom.”
“I’m only interested in you.”
“Well, what kind of hostess would I be if I didn’t give you what you wanted?”
Olivia felt Melanie’s lips and tongue against her back and shoulders. She heard Melanie mumble something, but couldn’t make out what it was as she fe
lt her teeth scrape against her skin. Melanie licked behind her right ear before nibbling on her earlobe. She felt Melanie’s hand lower down her chest, past her stomach, and down between her legs. The moment she felt Melanie’s hand cup her hard over her jeans, her knees almost buckled. She hadn’t expected such force and pressure, but it felt so good. She braced herself on the doorframe, adjusting her stance wider. Olivia leaned her head against the door and wrapped one arm behind her pulling Melanie’s pelvis against her ass. Her thighs strained against the urge to collapse to the floor as Melanie rubbed her clit vigorously over top of her jeans. She needed more. She unbuttoned her jeans and slid the zipper down. Olivia placed her hand over Melanie’s, brought it up to her waistband, and pushed it inside of her pants.
“You read my mind,” Melanie whispered in her ear. She skimmed the tips of her fingers over Olivia’s panties. “Mmm, you’re so wet.”
She slid her fingers down in a slow motion causing Olivia’s body to contort beneath her touch. She used her other hand to turn the doorknob and push open the bedroom door. Without removing her hand from Olivia’s jeans, she nudged her forward into the room towards the bed.
Olivia slumped over the bed bracing herself with her palms and pushing her knees into the side of the mattress. Melanie’s fingers continued to tease her from behind, but still refusing to slip beneath her panties.
“I need to feel you against me,” Olivia said.
Melanie kissed her shoulder and pulled her hand out. She grabbed the waistband of Olivia’s jeans and pulled them to the floor rolling her panties halfway down her ass in the process. Olivia stepped out of her jeans and kicked them to the side. She pulled her panties down and kicked them off. She was done with foreplay. She needed to feel Melanie.
“You’re a little overdressed for the occasion. Let me help you with that.” She pulled Melanie’s sweater over her head and reached for the button on Melanie’s jeans.
“I’ve got this. Why don’t you go sit down on the bed?” She waited until Olivia sat on the edge, and then she unbuttoned her jeans. She lowered her zipper and shimmied out of her jeans.
