Seventeen

 

 

MELANIE STEPPED OUT of the shower, slipped on a clean skirt, and buttoned up her sleeveless top. Braden was likewise rinsing off and changing into clean clothes next door. With dinner preparations still needing attention, Melanie didn’t want to spend too much time on her hair. She grabbed a scarf, rolled it into a long strip, and used it to tie back her hair. The silk spilled down her back in shades of turquoise, teal, and aqua along with her ponytail. She glanced in the mirror, hoped she looked okay for Braden’s birthday dinner, and exited the bedroom.

Melanie stepped onto the patio, balancing a plate of seasoned and skewered shrimp ready for the grill. Tweeny barreled across the backyard after a tennis ball.

“Did you bring the ball with you?” she asked Braden.

Braden relaxed in a patio chair, a bottle of beer in hand. He set the beer on the table and rose to his feet. He closed the door behind Melanie. “I found it in the yard. It may have been Barkley’s. She likes chasing it.”

“I’ve never been able to get her to fetch anything. My dog has adopted you.” Melanie set the plate down and watched her dog trot back to the patio, the green ball lodged between her jaws.

“I have no objections as long as her owner doesn’t mind.”

“I kind of like that she likes you, but you’ll have to clear it with Sienna when she comes home.”

“Sounds alright,” Braden drawled in that smooth tone of voice he sometimes used that caused Melanie’s lower abdomen to turn into a warm puddle.

“What’re we cooking this evening?”

“Grilled shrimp, lobster tails, clarified butter, salad, rolls, and dessert.”

“I may have died and gone to heaven,” he said.

“Or just to your neighbor’s house,” she corrected.

“I think we may be more than neighbors.”

“Sounds alright,” she said, repeating his phrase from a moment before.

Braden smiled at her behind the lip of his beer bottle and bent down to pick up the ball. He pitched it into the yard. “What can I do to help?” he asked, using the spine-tingling voice that made her sigh with contentment.

By the time the food was hot, the sun had dropped below the tops of the trees, and twilight settled over them. The golden hour cast a soft hue across the yard and house. The surface of the lake rippled gold and silver as it caught the final rays of sunlight sneaking between the trees.

They sat outside eating and drinking and enjoying the summer evening.

“I thought about inviting family and friends over, but decided against it. I hope you don’t mind spending a quiet night alone with me.” Melanie finished the apricot ale Braden brought with him to go with dinner. She loved the subtly sweet apricot flavor combined with the unfiltered wheat beer. She’d never been a huge fan of beer, but this particular flavor could change her mind.

“I’m glad it’s only us. I like your family and I wouldn’t mind hanging out with Treasure and her boyfriend, but I wouldn’t feel right about lying to them. Right now, the situation with my job is presenting challenges I haven’t had to face before.”

“I thought about that. I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable. I decided a private dinner might be best.”

“You made a good choice,” he said.

Braden stared at her so intently she thought he saw the very depths of her soul. The silvery blue color of his irises had darkened with the falling daylight and now looked like exotic gemstones that exclusively belonged to him. All she could think was that he had the sexiest bedroom eyes she’d ever seen. And the thought shocked her because she’d never had the idea about anyone before.

“Ready for dessert?” she asked, not breaking eye contact.

“In more ways than one,” he said as if in a trance.

Melanie blinked, breaking the spell before losing her mind and jumping on his lap. The kiss in the lake was a continual bright light in her mind and she was ready for another. Her stomach fluttered with nerves. Did she want Braden to stay the night? Was she ready for that experience? She’d only ever spent the night with her husband and didn’t know where to begin with such a request. What if he wanted sex but went home afterward? Is that what she wanted? Having zero experience with this scenario, she couldn’t answer honestly. And what if she asked him to share her bed and he said no? She would die of humiliation, or worse, she would be stuck living next door to someone who turned her down.

“Would you like to take the canoe out on the lake?” she asked. “The sunset is stunning. If we go now, we can catch the last of the daylight.”

Braden glanced at the canoe on the shore by the dock. She watched as he rotated his injured shoulder.

“We don’t have to go far and I can paddle if your shoulder isn’t up for it,” she said.

“Sounds great. My shoulder is doing well. As well as it can be.”

Melanie smiled, stood, and collected the dirty dishes to take inside. She slipped on her water sandals and met Braden by the canoe. He had already upturned it and slid it into the shallows.

“I haven’t taken the canoe out since I moved back,” she said.

“Why not?” He gestured for her to step inside.

Melanie took the seat in the front and Braden handed her a paddle. “It was too cold during the winter and I was busy settling into the house. Sienna left for the summer, and since she’s been at her father’s, I didn't want to go alone.”

Braden climbed inside and sat. He stuck his paddle into the water until it touched bottom and he shoved them forward. The canoe glided away from the shore taking them out of the shadows beneath the trees and into the open water. A great blue heron startled out of the shallows and rose into the air, large wings flapping slowly but with power and grace. Braden and Melanie stopped paddling to watch the bird. It swooped low over the water and disappeared, its blue-gray color blending perfectly with the late evening shadows and the midnight blue lake water.

“Great blue herons are the third largest heron in North America. The males lure in a potential mate with an irresistible nesting site. The male also gathers the nesting materials but it’s usually the female who builds the nest,” Braden said after the bird disappeared from sight. “In case you wanted an ornithology lesson today.”

“They’re beautiful. But I wouldn’t want one coming after me with a bill like that,” Melanie said, half joking.

“They’re harmless unlike, say, a goose. Goose attacks are vicious. And they don’t take prisoners.”

A smile spread across Melanie’s lips. “You sound like you’ve had a bad experience.”

“Do not approach geese during nesting season. That’s all I have to say about it. The rest of the story is too traumatic to retell.”

“Thanks for the tip.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Braden said with a wink.

Melanie had been looking at him over her shoulder, but she turned around on her seat so they faced each other. Their eyes met and held. The peaceful calm of Granite Lake on a summer night worked wonders on her nerves, but as Braden stared at her, she felt the rise of expectations. What was wrong with her? Braden was the easiest person to be around. She enjoyed his company like no one she’d ever known before. Maybe that was just it. He was, or had always been, everything to her and she wasn’t ready for such deep feelings. Melanie looked away. It was nearly dark. Windows glowed from the surrounding lake houses with warm inviting light. Frogs croaked near and distant while crickets chirped in harmony. An occasional splash of a jumping fish added to the mountain soundtrack. She looked heavenward and spotted the first of the evening stars. In her mind, it couldn’t have been a more perfect evening, but her nervousness kept creeping over her and ruining things.

“Are you okay?” Braden asked, as if telepathically picking up her vibe.

“I am. I was thinking this was a perfect moment and I was trying to memorize everything about it.”

“It has been perfect. Thank you for the birthday dinner.”

“Well, almost perfect. Let’s go back to the house and have dessert,” she said, turning around so they were facing the same direction again.

Conversation flowed sweet and effortlessly while they ate cake. Then Melanie’s grip on sanity lost a foothold as they brought their plates to the kitchen. She wanted Braden to stay but couldn’t get the words to exit her mouth. Their shoulders touched as they placed the dirty dishes in the sink.

“It’s getting late,” she said.

Horrified that he might take her meaning wrong and think she was kicking him out, she turned, wide-eyed. “Do you want to go golfing?” She could smack herself on the forehead. Golfing? Really?

Braden’s brow arched. The twitch at the corner of his mouth indicated he knew she was blubbering nonsense again. His hand reached for her hand and he intertwined warm fingers with hers. “Putt-putt or eighteen holes?”

“I...umm...didn’t mean to say that.”

“Good, because it’s a little late for golf.” Braden stepped to the side and eased her around so Melanie’s back was to the counter. He boxed her in by placing his hands on the countertop. “I don’t golf.”

“Neither do I. Except putt-putt, on occasion,” she murmured.

“Hmm.” He made a sound that had every nerve ending in her body tingling. “It’s going to have to wait, Mel.”

“Why is that?” She was lost in his stare again. The luscious curve of his lower lip had her transfixed.

“Because I’ve been thinking about doing this all day.” Braden lowered his mouth to hers, but held his lips a centimeter away. “You’ll have to excuse me while I get this out of my system.”

A tiny wisp of air slipped past her lips as she inhaled with anticipation. He didn’t keep her waiting and kissed her softly, determined, but tentative.

She gripped his waist and pulled his body in closer. He responded by pressing his pelvis against hers and deepening their kiss. His lips held a fevered urgency, but his hands caressed with methodical patience. Melanie responded to his kiss with wobbly knees and a lustful pull deep in her abdomen. He lowered his mouth to the space beneath her jaw and she tipped her head back.

“Stay with me, Braden.” She finally said it and instead of relief, her body began to tremble and her heart fluttered.

Braden answered by scooping her up and carrying her to the bedroom.

 

* * *

 

Braden lowered her gently to her feet in front of the bed. He cupped Melanie’s neck, kept one hand pressed to her low back, and kissed her senseless.

Braden took his time as he began a slow exploration of her body. His hand stroked down the length of her back and over her curves. His fingers ran down her thigh then up under her skirt. Melanie shivered when he reached her center and he rubbed his thumb over her mound.

His lips parted from hers. “Why are you shaking?” he asked.

She forced a breath to move in and out of her lungs. “I’m...nervous. It’s been...well...never.”

Braden removed his hand from under her skirt, concern etched on his face.

“I was fine when we were at the lake. This is probably some freak reaction of my body, but... I don’t know why. I’m sorry. I want to... I do.”

“Don’t apologize. It’s okay, Mel. We’ve never been here. Like this.”

“I've been planning your birthday for a while, and I guess my expectations are ruining the mood, or I’m over thinking.” Not only was her body shaking but her teeth began chattering.

“You’re not ruining anything.” He wrapped an arm around her and held tight. “Sit down, Mel. You’re starting to shake all over.” Braden eased Melanie backward until she met the end of the bed and sat on the mattress. He took his place by her side. “I had thoughts of my own. You’re not alone there. But we don’t have to do this tonight.”

“I want to. This will pass. I need to calm down for a minute,” she said.

Melanie felt the reassuring squeeze as he hugged her in closer. Faint traces of moonlight seeped in through the bedroom windows. Before he spoke again, she practically bounced to her feet and moved to the dresser.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to relax. I don’t know. It’s dark in here.” She lit two jar candles then returned to Braden.

He reached for her hands. “Did that help?”

“It’s a distraction. And yes, it helps a little.”

“Good. I like being here with you, Melanie, but there are no expectations. Try to forget about what you thought it might be like tonight and just talk to me.”

“Easy to say, but hard to do.”

“I agree. It is hard. I’ll start. I always wanted to be with you in my bed. Do you remember the promise I made to you? Now, here we are, and it’s not my bed again. If I let the thought of how I’m failing take over, it will kill the mood. I’m here with you, and it’s your bed, not mine, but the night is perfect as long as I let the expectations go.”

“Thank you, Braden.” She raised their joined hands and turned his palm up. She placed a kiss on the inside of his wrist. “Being reminded to stay in the moment helps a lot.”

“But you’re still nervous,” he said. “Now I’m starting to get stage fright,” he admitted.

That made her smile. “How do you calm your nerves?” she asked.

“I think about my gun.” He paused for a hint of a second. “That’s not helpful right now. Sorry. Sometimes I take a long hike, drink a beer after work, or watch a game. Also, not very helpful answers. How do you usually relax?”

Melanie thought about it and couldn’t immediately come up with an answer. Tips and tricks for relaxing weren’t in her parental handbook. Then she knew. The only place she’d ever consistently been able to relax. “When I’m under the water, I’m the most centered and calm.”

“The lake is right out your back door. We could move this outside if that would help,” Braden said. “There’s always the shower.” This suggestion quirked the side of his full lips.

As much as she loved his teasing, and she wanted to relax, her nerves wouldn’t calm down. Her heart raced as if powered by hummingbird wings and her insides vibrated with nervous energy. What was wrong with her? She wanted this, wanted him, and yet she couldn’t control the anxiety.

Melanie sat on the bed, their thighs touching, her hand on his leg. She breathed slow, steadying breaths and watched the candle flame. “No shower. I think I’m ready to try again. Just ignore the shaking.”

“I can wait as long as it takes,” he said.

“I don’t want to wait any longer. I’ll pretend we’re in the water together. It was so easy last time.”

She turned slightly and placed her fingers against his jaw. Melanie tipped her face to his and leaned up to kiss him. The silk scarf tied around her hair slipped backward and she reached to retrieve it. The silk reminded her of water brushing against her skin. Instead of pulling the scarf free, she pulled it forward over her eyes. She tightened the knot in the back to create a blindfold. “It’s like being under water.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

The silk over her eyes helped settle the pounding of the blood in her veins. “Yes,” she whispered.

Just the idea of taking her clothes off while he watched had her on edge, but now it would be like they were only at the lake again. She knew it was totally irrational and on this side of crazy but, somehow, using her imagination worked to calm the anxiety.

Braden moved with the gentleness of coaxing a wild animal out of a corner. His lips moved over the silk and he pressed a soft kiss to each eyelid, then moved to her lips.

They kissed and reacquainted their bodies with one another and Melanie’s trembles eased. A tingling trail lingered where his fingertips traced a path over her shoulder and down her arms. Melanie’s inhibitions continued to lessen. Little by little, Braden enticed the wanting out of her. The shy teenage girl turned into an inexperienced woman still existed, but she was coming out of her shell the more she allowed him to touch her without expecting anything.

His lips brushed the edge of her ear. “Do you need me to stop?”

The sensation of having her ear caressed by the satin feel of his lips made her whimper. The breath of his laugh tickled her skin. “I’ll take that as a no.”

His hands moved to the divot between her breasts, fingers releasing the top button of her shirt. Her chest rose with an intake of air.

“Your heart is beating so fast,” Braden said against her neck.

Melanie brushed his chest and checked his heart rate. “Yours, too.”

His lips found her pulse and a heat like fire spread through her blood. “That’s because I want you,” he said.

But a simple kiss wasn’t all he had to offer. Braden’s lips parted and he sucked the skin into his mouth. Melanie was certain she was about to come undone. Her toes curled, gripping the floor as if to hold on as her sexuality took flight. She would have let it escape to another realm if not for the burning desire to know what Braden would do to her next.

Another button on her blouse fell open. Fingertips brushed a path along the swell of her breast. Her nipples rose to attention straining against the lace of her bra. Melanie’s shoulders began to bunch with tension as she held herself back from removing Braden’s shirt and unbuttoning his shorts.

As if sensing her stress, Braden nipped her neck, shocking her enough to draw a quick breath and snapping her attention to the present. She crashed back into the sensual caress of his full lips moving across her jaw and halting. With lips almost touching hers, he asked, “Are you ready to see us?”

She shook her head, afraid to hear her own voice and ruin what they’d started. He unfastened the rest of her buttons.

“Tell me when you’re ready,” he whispered as his hand glided along her ribs and down her back.

Her shirt slid down her arms then fell away. Braden’s lips moved over her sensitive skin leaving a trail of heat. The lace of her bra became a tantalizing barrier between his mouth and her hardened nipples. Melanie held in a cry of pleasure as he took one taut bud into his mouth and toyed with its sensitive tip. Pleasurable waves of sensation rippled through her blood. Braden stroked a heated hand along her side and across her waist. The blindfold worked and Melanie became lost in the sensation of feeling everything through touch, taste, and smell. She held his head and relished the soft short hair tickling her palm. His hand snaked over her ribcage and a moment later, her bra was unfastened. The straps slid over her shoulders. She lowered her arms and let the delicate fabric join her discarded shirt.

She heard his intake of breath before he made a distinctly male sound of wanting. Of lust. A groan and a low growling hum. It was a sound she’d never heard before and it tugged at primal, primitive instincts. The resolve to hold onto any sense of modesty or embarrassment loosened and sought escape.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said as his hand slipped inside the waistband of her skirt. “A thousand times more beautiful than any dream. Stand up,” he said.

They rose to their feet by the bed. Braden’s hands never left her body, giving her a sense of security while blind. He caressed and soothed as he explored every inch of her. The roughened, callused skin of his hands were steady, confident, and hot as he stroked and massaged. Braden lowered the skirt over her hips and she stepped out of the circle of fabric around her feet. His chest expanded with a full breath before he cupped her breasts then brought his lips to her nipple. Melanie arched her spine toward his hungry mouth and Braden ravished the taut peak with skilled lips and tongue.

Her womanhood pulsed and throbbed as her craving for more of him rose to an almost unbearable intensity.

Melanie reached for his shoulders and found the hard muscles with her fingertips. She stroked the caps of his shoulders and let her hands glide down his biceps and over his ripped triceps. Intrigued, she suddenly wanted to see as well as touch and taste Braden’s muscular chest and shoulders. The urge to pull off the silk scarf and behold his male splendor made her hands tingle, but she feared the nervousness would return the moment he noticed her watching him. She left the blindfold in place and focused on the corded and rippling muscles. His shirt was in her way. Melanie’s hands trailed down the length of his torso until she found the edge of his T-shirt. She pulled it slowly upward so Braden had time to remove his mouth from her breast.

Cool air washed over her wet nipple after he removed his lips and a shiver passed over her flesh. The sensation shot straight to her core and increased her urgency. She reached for his beltline the same time his mouth landed against hers. Melanie unbuttoned his shorts and lowered the zipper. Their tongues mingled then swirled and she thought she was floating. Apparently, she didn’t need to be in the water after all to find contentment. Only this was exponentially better, she told herself as she pushed Braden’s shorts lower.

“You’re not shaking. Does that mean you’re starting to relax?”

“I’m more than relaxed. I’m ready for anything.”

“Anything?”

She heard the smile in his voice. His hand moved to her temple.

“Almost,” she said. “Leave the scarf on.” She wanted to remain sightless. “I’ll take it off later.”

His lips replaced his hand and he left a gentle kiss before moving to the sweet spot below her earlobe. “Whatever you want.”

“I want you inside me,” she said. Her palm stroked the bulge of his manhood and she was in awe at the steely hardness and the size of him.

He made the growling sound again. Her body responded with a rush of heat and bubbly effervescence taking over her bloodstream. Braden pressed forward into her hand. She teased and massaged, taking in his shape and size through the fabric. Melanie slid her fingers into his briefs and inched them lower.

Braden didn’t rush as he nibbled and tasted her neck and shoulder. His hands glided and stroked her body in places that felt entirely new to her. Her panties joined the other discarded clothes.

Melanie eased Braden’s briefs down long sculpted thighs. “Where’s the bed?” she whispered.

He took her hand and gently pulled her to the side. Her leg brushed the soft cotton quilt covering her bed. Braden guided her to sit. He bent down and kissed her, his hand claiming the back of her head as his firm, confident lips possessed her again. She moaned with complete submission. Braden cradled her hips and pulled her forward until she was perched on the very edge of the mattress. Her knees separated as he placed himself between her legs. She was exposed to him and had to steady her nerves by breathing through a new rush of panic.

His hand slid from her inner knee up the length of her thigh. “Your legs are beyond belief, woman.” His finger slid across her abdomen trailing just above her triangle and kept moving down her other thigh. “You’re blowing my mind, Melanie,” he said with a rush of breath.

The exploring hand traveled down her calf and back up again. He moved in closer, her legs opening farther to accommodate the width of his chest. Without the use of her sight, she was mildly shocked when the heat of his lips pressed to her ribcage just below her breast. His heated hand pressed to her low back keeping her upright. Braden tested, teased, and tasted a path over her lower ribs and across her stomach.

His other hand found her center and dipped in. “You’re so wet.”

Melanie shuddered with pleasure and momentarily lost herself as he stroked slow, methodical, and deep. A finger rubbed in delicate circles over her nub and Melanie’s heart pounded for completely different reasons than shyness. Braden added a finger to her tight core and worked them in and out. Warmth radiated upward and outward from her womanhood. She was close to flying over the edge from his touch, but she wanted to wait. Whimpers and quiet moans escaped her lips and she couldn’t hold them in. He barely touched her and she was near to coming undone, but she wanted what was coming next. She needed all of him inside her, not just his fingers. Braden’s tongue moved to her hip crease, tasted, nipped. She felt his head raise. “Can I kiss you here?” His hand made it clear where he was asking to lay his mouth.

Melanie bit her lip and a whimper moved out of her throat. “Mmm…yes.” Oh god, yes! she cried out inside her head. She wasn’t sure if she had ever wanted anything more in her life than to feel his tongue on her slick folds.

Still gentle and patient, Braden kissed her womanhood with skills she’d never experienced or dreamed possible. He tasted and lavished. The tip of his tongue swirled and teased. He sucked the delicate flesh then dipped his tongue in and out of her. The warmth swarming through her blood gathered low in her belly, building, heating, throbbing. Holding back no longer became an issue. Her body tensed, quaked, and let go to such an unimaginable degree she swore she was floating weightless in a pool of heaven.

Braden eased out from between her legs and all she could think was that she needed more. Again! her body screamed. He eased her backward, farther onto the bed. Melanie surprised herself as she leaned up on her elbow and pushed Braden over.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked with that characteristic smile in his voice.

“Putting you on your back.”

“Mmm…hmm.” The sound was part agreeable and part throat clearing.

She used her hands to locate his chest. Braden lay on his side, propped up on an elbow. Melanie directed him to lie flat on his back. He didn’t resist. Before she could over think her reactions, she followed the uncontrollable desire surging through her and straddled him.

Melanie worked down the length of his torso, lips exploring Braden’s chest and abs. She breathed in his scent. So very male with hints of the deep woods. Spruce blending with sun-baked resin. He smelled clean like he’d just stepped out of the lake. The smell of his skin filled her imagination with images of Braden in his natural element, but having him naked beneath her accentuated the imagery. Her lips traveled lower and she kissed his shaft, circled her tongue over his head, then took him into her mouth. The sound that rose from his chest sent ripples of delight through her body and she continued her oral exploration of his most sensitive place. She worked up and down his length and savored the broad head of his erection with her tongue and lips, sucking and needing to taste all of him.

“Come up here before I can’t hold back.” Braden’s voice held a gruff tone that purred down her spine.

Reluctant to leave her current position, she also couldn’t wait much longer either. As she slid upward, Melanie let her breasts glide over his length, delighting in the feel of his erection caressing her skin. She moved into place above him, her hips above his. He guided his tip against her opening and she lowered herself onto him until he was buried inside her. A delicate moan of satisfied pleasure escaped her lips as he filled her completely. He urged her to bend low over him so her nipples pressed against his chest.

“I need your mouth on mine,” he said before lifting his face and placing his lips against hers.

His tongue dove in and swept over hers, exploring, possessing. They connected from head to toes. Every cell in Melanie’s body experienced his strength, his lust, the raw maleness of him as he caressed her soul. Her hands stroked down his biceps and along his chest. Her core clenched around him but it was too soon to let go again. She wanted to give him more. Melanie pulled back, sitting higher over him. Her body found a new tantalizing rhythm. Braden held her by the hips, guiding but not controlling her movements. She relished the feel of his hands firmly on her. Melanie placed her hands over his and their fingers entwined. She arched her spine and lost herself to the overwhelming need to take this journey to new heights. The scarf slipped off her eyes and settled around her neck. The silk streamed down her back, tickling her skin and adding unexpected extra pleasure as she rocked and swayed against Braden’s pumping hips.

They crested the indefinable peak together, connected in more ways than only the physical. Melanie collapsed against his chest, eyes open. All traces of nervousness and self-consciousness were long gone as shock waves pulsed through her body. Braden’s heart pounded a steady and reassuring drum beneath her ear. The strength of his possessing hands on her back couldn’t have felt more secure. Melanie lay on his chest like a puddle of liquid joy and experienced the bliss of being present in the moment.