“You’re having an affair with your boss.” His voice was flat, emotionless…cold.
“No, I’m not. I wasn’t. What you saw was all Ryan’s idea…Ryan’s been doing this…setting this all up…I’m not having an affair with him. I swear to you. But Ryan’s been making it seem like I am.”
“So all the times you hung up on me, after I heard Ryan’s voice in the background…that wasn’t you trying to keep me from knowing about Ryan? Or the times you were late because of work? That wasn’t because of Ryan?”
“No. It wasn’t. It was to keep Ryan from knowing about you.”
Logan sat forward, elbows on his knees. “Melody, I’d like to believe you. I would…I want to. But it tears my heart to think you were with someone else and didn’t have the courage to tell me. I can’t go through that again. Just have the courage to be honest with me.”
Melody felt tears welling in her eyes. “Oh, Logan. No. It’s not like that. Ryan set it up…set us up…to make it look to you that I was having an affair with him. He’s been making passes at me, touching me at the office…none of it anything I wanted.”
She took a deep breath. “He’s been doing this since Patrick, since my engagement ended. But it got more…intense, I guess…since you. Since he’s suspected we were having an affair. I think it’s driven him to this somehow.”
Logan was watching her closely, some of the pain fading from his eyes. But they still remained cold and distant. She leaned forward and reached for his hand and he let her hold it.
“He had a photo of us…from that first night I slept with you. It came in a package of other photos…of you. With other women.”
Logan scowled. “Ashton. I thought someone was following me, more than just the paparazzi.” He shook his head. “That man will go to any lengths. He’s ruined so many things in my life.”
“And so will Ryan. Ashton’s out to ruin you and Ryan’s out to…either have me, or ruin me, whichever comes first. He’s threatened my career if I don’t…go along with what he wants. He’s told me I’ll never make partner unless…”
“Unless you give in.”
Melody nodded. “Unless I give in.”
“But why didn’t you tell me? Let me help you…or at least let me listen to you?”
Melody slid across the couch and Logan pulled her close. The tears she’d been holding back spilled down her cheeks as she rested her head on his shoulder. The warmth of his body, his scent was comforting, but she was still uneasy, still unsure as to what Logan really thought.
“I wanted to…I thought about it, but I didn’t know how…we were so new, you and I. I was afraid you’d think the worst of me or not believe me at all. Or…I don’t know. I was so confused…Ryan has me so incredibly confused and… scared. By the time I felt that I could trust you, it was too late. And here we are.”
“You should have trusted me, Melody.” He stroked her hair gently as she cried softly against his shoulder. Finally she sat up, still in the circle of his arm.
“Logan. I’m so sorry. For all of this.” She ran her fingers down his cheek, her eyes searching his.
“I care for you so much. Logan. I wanted to tell you. But you were gone. I thought I’d lost you forever.”
“Aye, I ran away. It was wrong, me being a coward, but it tore my heart out, seeing you there with him. I wanted to do so many things; pull you away, beat the shit out of him, demand an explanation. But I ran, like I’ve run before.” Logan shook his head.
A knock on the door made Melody jump. Logan looked up as a tall red-haired man came into the room. Melody recognized him as the drummer from Revival.
“Logan…we’re heading out. I…wanted to say good luck, before we left.”
Logan stood and pulled the man to him in a warm embrace.
“I’ll miss ye, Angus. I’m not sure what I’ll do without ye around.”
“Aye, well, this is for the best, at least for now. Take care, Logan. I’ll be in touch.” The man nodded to Melody and slipped out of the room. Logan stood for a moment, looking at the empty doorway before turning back to Melody. There was sadness and loss on his face, deep in his eyes. His voice was so low she barely heard him as he answered her unspoken question.
“The band’s broken up. This was our last show. We’ve cancelled the rest of the tour.”
* * *
They were quiet in the taxi to Logan’s hotel, Logan holding her hand during the ride, absently running his thumb across her knuckles. The street was dark and the night chilly as Logan ushered her into the small building and up the narrow stairs. She half expected the same dismal accommodations she had at her hotel, but the room turned out to be surprisingly cozy, dominated by a large canopy bed with lavishly curtained sides. Melody was inspecting the decidedly feminine looking bed when Logan caught her eye and smiled.
“All the rooms have them, ye ken. The curtains, I mean. Not all inns had central heat back when they were built. What looks romantic now kept those sleeping from freezing.”
He came to stand in front of her, his hands on her arms. She felt the warmth of him reaching her skin, even through the thick sweater.
“I see you’ve gone native already.” He fingered the wool of the garment.
“I was unprepared…and cold. I left in a hurry.” She looked into his eyes, longing to see the smile reaching them again. But it was still absent.
“Melody…can we get back to where we were? It was all so new… so fragile before. Is it too broken to fix? Did I ruin everything?”
Melody shook her head. “No, Logan. It’s not. As long as you believe me, that there was nothing between Ryan and I.”
Logan nodded. “Aye. There’s nothing. I believe you. And I won’t doubt you again.” He pulled Melody into his arms and his lips found hers. The longing was there and Melody wondered again what it was he really wanted, if she was it, or if there was something else he was searching for.
But the gentle curve is his lips against hers, his hands on her body sent all rational thoughts out of her mind. She let herself fall into the kiss, let it take her on the start of an escalating ride of passion.
They worked to get through the layers of clothes, Logan laughing softly at the struggle to get Melody out of her new sweater. Her chilly fingers struggled with the buttons on his shirt, the zipper on his jeans. But once they were nak*d, lying on the big bed, Logan grew serious.
“I thought I’d never see you again…never have this again. I’d never kiss these lips…” He leaned over, kissing her softly, briefly.
“I’d never see these again…” His fingers trailed slowly over the soft mound of one breast, slowly circling its nipple. Melody sighed, her body moving under his touch as he trailed his fingers lower, over her stomach, sliding between her thighs.
Melody arched her back, letting her legs move apart. “Aye, and I thought I’d never be there again, inside you, feeling you surrounding me.”
Logan moved over her, his mouth again on hers, his body briefly pinning her to the bed as he lay claim to the space between her legs, settling himself against her. And then he hesitated, holding her face in his hands.
“Will you have me again, Melody? After I’ve been such a fool?”
Melody ran her hands over Logan’s face, tracing the contours of his lips with her fingertips as he kissed them softly.
“You’re allowed to be foolish, Logan. Just stop running away. Trust me…trust us.” She pulled him to her. This time, the longing was in her kiss, the longing to feel him making love to her.
“I want you, Logan. More than anything. I love you.”
“Aye, I love you too, Melody. More than you know.”
Everything she’d ever wanted she’d found in Logan. And everything she felt, as he moved with her, was more than she’d ever thought possible. Each touch of his hand on her body, or his lips on her skin felt like it was the first time she’d ever been touched that way.
She lost herself completely in his love-making, her body fluid and supple, arching beneath him as he moved over her.
As she tensed beneath him, her body taut, muscles straining, he held her, whispering the Gaelic words in her ear, the words she’d heard before. He was close to his own release, his body moving with purpose against hers, as they danced this dance, so many emotions flooded through her, so many sensations, all driving her toward the edge of her own cliff.
The brush of his lips on her neck, the warmth of his breath on her ear, sent her on a dizzying upward spiral, her body swirling with intense sensations, riding the crests of wave after wave of increasing passion, finally ending with a soundless explosion of ecstasy. And then everything faded away.
Logan was holding her, rocking her against his body, crooning what could have been Gaelic or a lullaby. She didn’t care, only cared that she was in his arms, warm and safe, her body full of the ebb and flow of their love-making.
“Ye came back. Wherever it was ye went, it must have been grand.” Logan was kissing her along the edge of her hair, his lips warm against her hot skin.
“Oh, it was…it certainly was.”
* * *
Melody lay in the quiet dark, listening to Logan’s soft breathing. She was relaxed but not yet asleep, drifting in a haze of contentment. Logan was warm beside her and for the first time in days she was at peace, the constant anxiety that had been eating at her at bay. She snuggled beneath the eiderdown comforter, closer to Logan, and he stirred.
“Am I keeping you awake? I’m sorry,” she said.
He shifted, pulling her closer, and she rested her head on his shoulder, her hand on his chest.
“No, I wasn’t really sleeping. Just enjoying having you here with me.” His fingers brushed against her ear, sliding down to cup the nape of her neck. His lips found hers in the dark. They stayed like this for a moment before he settled back against his pillow.
“Logan, you said something earlier. What did you mean, you can’t go through this again? That you ran away before?”
He was quiet for a long time, finally taking a deep breath.
“There was a girl, a long time ago. From here, from home. We were engaged. We had a tiny flat in the center of town. Nothing much for furniture, but it was ours.
“We’d been on tour, nothing like what we have now, just mucking about in Glasgow for a few weeks playing out in the pubs. I’d come home, I guess earlier than she’d thought. She was there, with my best friend, in our bed.”
“Oh, Logan. I’m sorry.”
His gentle laugh startled her. “No, you’re not. Not really. If it’d worked out, we’d not be here now. But thanks anyway.” He squeezed her shoulder briefly.
His voice grew serious again and he went on. “I didn’t know what to do. I was so happy to be home, to see her, so tired from driving all night to get to her. And then I was so angry. I wanted to hit him, hit her, do something…anything. So I punched the wall. Damned near broke my hand. She screamed, he jumped up, searching for his pants. Before anyone could say anything, I was gone.”