She blamed it all on the big jerk, too. If Cal would just keep his hands and lips to himself, she could get over this weird attraction she had to him. But every chance he got, Cal found a reason to touch her. Whether he was helping her at the shop or cooking with her at home, his hands always found a way to touch her body. Sometimes innocently, other times not so innocently. And the crafty man had stolen more than a couple of kisses from her unsuspecting lips. Kisses that she’d enjoyed way more than she should, she silently admitted. But Lord, the man knew how to turn her on and he knew it. Shivering slightly, she forced herself to focus on what Harmony was saying.
“Of course Cal is there, Mel. He promised RJ that he’d protect you. Speaking of which, have you told Cal yet that Brad is still trying to reconcile with you?” Harmony asked worriedly. “Or the fact that you’re still getting those weird hang-ups?”
“Uhmmm….” Melody hedged, privately wishing like hell that she’d never confided those particular items to Harmony. The other woman had been harping on her for a week that she needed to tell Cal what was going on.
“Melody, how is he supposed to keep you safe if he doesn’t know what’s going on?”
“Harm, there’s nothing going on. Brad is just pissed that I’m not taking him back. It’s a pride thing. And the hang-ups might be a little creepy, but they’re harmless. Nothing has even happened to indicate I should be scared.”
“Besides the fact that some asshole is calling you and terrifying the shit out of you by breathing into the phone and saying absolutely nothing.”
“Yeah, except that,” Melody muttered, keeping one eye on Cal’s firm ass as he climbed a few steps up the ladder to reach the top of the wall with his paint roller. God, how could a middle-aged man look that damned good without a shirt on, she wondered. It wasn’t fair. She wasn’t too many years younger than him, and she already had to worry about wrinkles and cellulite. Sergeant Sexy, however, just seemed to get better with age.
“Tell him!” Harmony ordered, her sweet voice serious. “I know that Callum isn’t exactly a “hearts and flowers” kind of guy, but any idiot can see that he wants what’s best for you, Mel. Help the man out and tell him what you…and he… are up against.”
“I’ll think about it,” Melody offered with a sigh. She knew her friend meant well, but she refused to be an alarmist. She could handle things on her own without the assistance of the Bossy Pants currently painting her store, she thought with another lingering look toward Cal. “I gotta go, lady. It’s time for Goose’s walk. I’ll call you tomorrow and we can finalize the details on the ribbon cutting ceremony for the store,” she said, shooting a smile toward her waiting canine friend. She and Goose had bonded over the past ten days and he’d quickly become her closest confidant, listening to her rants and ramblings without judgment.
“Fine,” Harmony consented reluctantly. “Just think about what I said, okay?”
“I will; I swear,” Melody promised her solemnly before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. Looking at the back of the store where Callum was still moving his paint roller up and down, spreading the soothing green color over the wall, she dug in the pocket of her lightweight jacket for a jellybean as she murmured aloud to herself, “Lord, forgive me for the dirty things I wanna do to that man,”. Popping the cherry-flavored candy between her lips, she moaned quietly at the sweet burst of flavor. Jellybeans were her stress food, and she’d been eating them by the bagful for days. They weren’t quite as satisfying as good sex, but they’d do in a pinch.
“Hey, Cal” she called back to him as she gathered the dog’s leash and her keys off the counter, “I’m gonna take Goose for his walk around the park.” She held her breath as Cal turned to look at her, his bare chest gleaming with perspiration.
“If you give me a few minutes, I’ll have this wall done and I can walk our boy with you,” he said, dipping his roller back into the paint.
“Perfectly capable of walking a dog all by myself,” she retorted tartly, her eyes flashing as her stubborn gaze collided with his amused one even as her neck tingled at the way he referred to Goose as their boy. She had to do a better job at keeping their lives separate. Although, it seemed the harder she fought him, the deeper Cal tried to entrench himself. He was tenacious like that. “I was just telling you out of common courtesy, Mr. Pushy Pants. It wasn’t an invitation.”
“Okay, Little Miss Independent, I was just offering. I thought after he dragged you all over the park yesterday that you might want some help today,” he returned, unperturbed by her sour attitude.
“He was chasing one of the ducks,” she retorted hotly as if that justified everything. “I’ll make sure not to take him down the path that leads to the pond today. We’ll be fine … we’ll just stick to the playground trails.” How was she to know that the dog had a duck fetish? Every time Goose spotted one, he lost his little furry mind.
Cal nodded as he resumed his painting. “Okay. See you after a while.”
Melody stared at his huge, muscled body for another moment, unable to tear her eyes away from the way his sinewy muscles clenched and released every time he lifted his arm to roll paint against the wall.
“Baby, you keep staring at my ass like that and that dog is gonna do without his walk,” Cal warned without turning around.
Startling at the sudden deep sound of his voice reprimanding her, Melody jumped and softly gasped. “I wasn’t staring!” she immediately denied. It was a useless waste of her breath, however, since she suspected he knew that she was lying. His easy laughter only confirmed her suspicion. “Oh, shut up! You shouldn’t walk around half naked if you didn’t want somebody to look at you,” she chided him sharply.
“Fuck, Princess, I’ll take it all off if you promise to keep looking at me like I’m the last meal on Earth. Hell, I’ll even be generous and let you do a little touching if you ask me real sweet,” he offered over his shoulder, his blue eyes heated as he wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“In your dreams, Cal,” Melody growled as she bent to clip the lead of the leash to Goose’s collar. She was more than a little embarrassed that he’d caught her ogling him. Hell, he hadn’t even been watching her. She wasn’t sure how he’d known she was drooling over him. Maybe he’d developed some weird kind of telepathy where she was concerned.
“Baby, you have no idea. The things I’ve been doing to you in my dreams are positively sinful,” Cal shared as his eyes moved over her body longingly. “I’ve already corrupted that gorgeous body of yours thirty different ways in my sleep. Wanna hear about ‘em?” he asked, leaning against the ladder as he shot her another of his patented panty-dissolving smiles.
Running her hand over Goose’s sleek coat of fur, she shook her head at the dog. “I hope your daddy’s dick is as big as his ego. If it is, he’s gonna make some woman very freaking lucky,” she whispered to the animal. Goose merely snorted in return. “Bye, Cal,” she shouted as she led her guard dog toward the glass door at the front of the shop. She did her best to tune out Cal’s laughter as she led her dog out onto the sidewalk.
Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, she realized that in just a few more days, it would be Christmas. Chewing her lower lip, she debated with herself over whether she should pick up a gift for Cal. They’d agreed they’d share Christmas dinner together since he had no family and was new to the area and her only family was half a world away serving their country. Heck, like a true good sport, her roomie had even agreed to help her start decorating for the holiday this afternoon and climb up on the roof to help her put up Christmas lights. Sure, he’d grumbled about it over their breakfast of eggs, toast, and orange juice this morning, but he’d eventually conceded to her wishes. Tomorrow, she’d either ask to borrow his truck or enlist his help to go pick up a live Christmas tree. No fakes for her home, thank you very much. She’d been forced to use an artificial tree for five years thanks to Bradley’s allergies, and she was excited to finally be able to use a real pine tree now that her ex wa
s no longer a part of her life.
She picked up the pace on her walk as Goose pulled her toward the gates of the town park, smiling as she took in the pretty holiday decorations hanging from the light poles and trees. The town of Paradise loved its holidays and went all out when it came to decorating. At night, the park was lit up like a winter wonderland and people from all over the area made the trip into town to look at the holiday lights.
Smiling and nodding as a mother pushing a stroller walked past her, Melody pulled gently on Goose’s leash to get him to slow down. Following after the huge Great Dane, she bit her lip as she again turned her thoughts to a gift for Cal. She could ask her brother when he called if he had any ideas, but she honestly wanted to figure it out on her own. Since he’d moved in a couple of weeks ago, she hadn’t noticed him having any hobbies like reading or sports. Honestly, he spent most of his time following her around, trying to get to know her better. His clothes all seemed like they were relatively new and in good condition, so that idea was out. The harder she thought about it, the more she wished that she’d asked him more questions about himself. It would have made things easier if she knew him a little better. She could go with something impersonal like a wallet or a money clip, but that just seemed cold to her. She wanted him to know that she’d at least put a little effort into getting him something that he’d like.
She did recall her brother mentioning that Cal was a bit of a Civil War buff, though. And he had shushed her three times the other night when a documentary on Gettysburg had been playing on television. The longer she thought about it, the more a vague idea began to form in the back of her mind. Humming a Christmas carol under her breath as she continued to plan and follow behind Goose as he paused to christen every tree along the footpath, she began to relax.
It was as they were rounding the last bend of the park path that her cell phone began to ring inside the pocket of her coat. Pulling it out, she frowned when she didn’t recognize the number that flashed on the phone’s display. Consigning herself to the probable reality that she was about to have a very short conversation with a telemarketer, Melody swept her finger across the screen and pressed the phone to her ear. “Hello,” she greeted the caller, purposefully injecting a hurried tone to her voice.
“You bitch!” a deep voice snarled at her. “A restraining order, Melody? What the fuck were you thinking? My father and the Knoxville Chief of Police play golf together, for God’s sake!”
“Bradley?” Melody questioned, surprised.
Brad continued as if he didn’t hear her. “Undo this, Mellie. Undo it, immediately!”
“Bradley, I thought you knew I’d gotten the restraining order. I took it out almost two weeks ago,” Melody replied weakly.
“I’ve been in New York on business for the company, but imagine my surprise when I return home and find a deputy waiting on my doorstep to serve me with a fucking restraining order! You’re going to be my wife, Melody. I hardly think this is necessary.”
“Are you crazy? We broke up, Bradley! Months ago!” Melody shouted, grimacing as she drew stares from a few walkers in the park. “We are not together any longer, Brad, and you can’t seem to get that through your head. Hence, the need for a restraining order. Which, as it stands, you’ve been violating for ten days by repeatedly calling me,” she hissed.
“I’ve done no such thing. And we’re NOT broken up; we’re merely taking a break,” Brad retorted dismissively. “I’m giving you time to realize that being apart is a mistake. And I’ve been very patient with you, Melody, but this is unacceptable. Have this order dropped, Mellie, before I’m forced to become unnecessarily unpleasant,” he threatened, his voice turning cold and distant. “I don’t think you want me to do that, do you? After all, I come from a rather powerful family, and you…well, you’re nobody.”
Melody’s jaw dropped at his audacity. “Fuck you, Bradley. In fact, you should feel free to fuck yourself up the ass with a brill-o pad, you egomaniac! You don’t scare me!”
“Then you are a very stupid little girl, Melody. And do you know what happens to stupid girls?” Bradley asked, his voice dark and scary.
Melody shuddered, swallowing hard as her eyes stung with tears. “What?”
“They have to learn very nasty lessons the hard way,” he replied softly before hanging up on her.
Momentarily terrified by Brad’s threats, Melody tugged Goose’s leash as she took a few stumbling steps toward an empty park bench, collapsing heavily when she reached it. Her heart pounded in her chest and she could feel her pulse throbbing in her neck. In all the time she’d known Brad, he’d never spoken to her like that. He’d always been a perfect gentleman. Now, she didn’t recognize the person she’d spent the last five years with. Not anymore. And she had absolutely no idea of what he was capable of doing. Unfortunately for her, she was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice the furious man in blue flannel that stood behind her listening to every word of her conversation with her ex-fiancé.
“Are you fuckin’ shittin’ me woman?” Mellie heard Cal’s deep, angry voice growl from behind her. “You’ve been talking to that dick every day for almost two weeks and you never said a fuckin’ thing?”
And as Melody looked up into Callum’s irate face, she wondered who was more dangerous to her at the moment. Brad or Cal?
Chapter Eight: Inside Voices Are for Parents and Pussies
“What in the name of ever-lovin’ fuck were you thinking, Melody?” Cal thundered as he stomped toward where she sat on the bench, his furious face etched with equal parts worry and frustration. He wasn’t sure what the fuck she’d been thinking. Hell, he wasn’t sure he cared what she’d been thinking. Right now, all he could concentrate on was fighting the urge to hunt down and kill the weasel that had put that frightened look in her eyes. “You don’t look like you’re brain dead to me. Am I wrong? Are you fucked in the head, woman?” He knew he might be stepping across a line in the sand with her, but damn it, she’d risked her safety talking to that douchebag.
“Cal, shhhh!” Melody quickly shushed him as several people turned to look at them. “You’re attracting attention.”
“Good! Witnesses watching us may be the only thing that stops me from shaking the life out of you,” he roared furiously, unwilling to have his rage dampened. “Dammit! You’ve been talking to that dick for days, Mel? And you’ve been hiding it from me, too?”
“Callum, use your inside voice,” Melody managed to say through her teeth as Cal watched her shoot a particularly nosy elderly couple a stiff smile.
“Fuck that!” Cal snapped, ignoring the stares he was attracting – especially the gawking old woman that was shaking her head at him disapprovingly. “Inside voices are for parents and pussies,” he announced harshly, taking a perverse kind of pleasure in watching the old woman frown at him. “As you know, I’m neither fuckin’ one. What I am is a grown-ass, pissed-off man! Now, answer me, damn you. What the fuck were you thinking? Tell me, do you want that piece of shit back in your life or what?”
“Of course not,” Melody hissed, bolting to her feet and jamming a finger into his chest. “Now, I’m not asking, I’m telling you…. Stop yelling at me!”
Dropping his gaze to look down at the index finger she had jabbed into his chest, he snorted. “Is that supposed to hurt?”
Melody dropped her hand. “You’re an ass,” she growled before pulling on Goose’s leash and making that universal kissy face noise that convinced dogs everywhere to fall in line behind their mistresses. Jaw clenching as he watched her begin to walk away from him, he quickly caught her arm. “You’re not bolting, Mel. And you aren’t shutting me out either. Tell me what happened to put that look on your face a few minutes ago. What did that monster prick say to upset you?”
“Nothing that I can’t handle,” Melody snapped, avoiding his gaze as she tried to jerk her arm from his grip.
“Nuh uh,” Cal denied. “You aren’t going anywhere until we hash this out. Did that
asshole threaten you, babe? So help me God, I’ll find him and castrate him with a butter knife if he scared you.”
“He just took me by surprise, Callum,” Melody whispered painfully as she looked up into his face. “Look,” she said, looking around at the few people milling around the park. “I’m cold. I promise, I’ll tell you everything you want to know if we can just do it privately,” she bargained, keeping her voice low for his ears only. “This is a small town. I really don’t want my business broadcast to the masses. Please,” she begged, lifting her gaze to stare at him with pleading eyes filled with tears.
“Shit,” Cal swore softly, his gut twisting as he spotted her shining eyes. He automatically lifted a hand to cradle her cheek, his broad thumb catching a teardrop as it fell from the corner of her eye. “Fine, baby, we’ll do things your way. Just don’t cry,” he whispered. “We’ll go home, talk, and figure out how best to handle your former dick of a boyfriend. I’ve already locked up the store for you. We need to let that paint smell air out anyway before we go back and try to do any more work. It should be fine by tomorrow, but for now the fumes are pretty strong.”
“Okay,” he heard Melody acknowledge softly, her breath hitching slightly as Cal watched while she tried to get her emotions under control. Bending his head, he stared down at her and realized he’d do damn near anything to take that bruised look out of her eyes. Hooking one hand around the nape of her neck, he drew her toward him, pressing his lips to her cool forehead. “We’ll figure things out, Mel. Just don’t leave me in the dark, Princess,” he chided gently. “I can’t protect you if I don’t know where the danger is,” he murmured against her skin before moving to her moist lips. Sucking her lower lip gently, he felt her inhale sharply, shocked at the touch of his mouth against hers. “For once, just kiss me back, Melody. Don’t fight the connection, honey. Feel how strong it is between us.”
Tangled Hearts (Passion in Paradise) Page 9
