Melt (Steel Brothers Saga #4)(28)

“Yes, he’s the wine connoisseur in your family.”

I chuckled. “You have me at a severe disadvantage, don’t you? You know a lot about my family and a lot about me from your sessions with Talon. I have a lot of catching up to do to find out as much about you.”

“Me? I’m an open book.”

I couldn’t help a loud laugh that time. “Melanie, an open book you’re not. You are so closed off, you’re not just a closed book. You’re shrink-wrapped. Tell me, what’s eating at you?”

She cast her gaze downward.

Knife in gut. I felt really bad. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. After you made me dinner and everything.”

“Let’s eat. You don’t want your food to get cold, do you?”

Wow, she really was timid. And I thought I was closed off. I decided to leave it for now and just enjoy her company.

“This is good wine. I like a good Zin. I’ll bring you a bottle of Ryan’s Zin sometime. It’s great. He’s a master winemaker.”

She raised her eyes and met my gaze. Then she gave me a small smile. “I do enjoy a good bottle of wine.”

“Anything to get a smile out of you.” I smiled back. “You’re very beautiful when you smile.”

She closed her eyes, her long brown lashes lying against her creamy skin, and then opened them. Demurely.

My groin tightened again. She truly had no idea what she did to me, probably what she did to all men.

I took a bite of my chicken and decided to stop talking. Maybe then she would talk. But she seemed comfortable in silence. And the funny thing was, I was comfortable as well. Just being with her was comfortable. I didn’t feel like I had to make small talk. I loved that about her, because God, I hated small talk.

The food was good for takeout. I cleaned my plate in no time and helped myself to a second serving, first asking Melanie if she wanted any. She shook her head.

I topped off her wine glass and refilled mine. “You say you like a good bottle of wine. What’s your favorite?”

“I like all of it. Red and white. I guess I prefer red over white if I have to choose, but I like it all. My favorite of all is a good aged Cabernet Sauvignon.”

I nodded. “Yeah, Cab is great. I like wine too, but my drink of choice is a martini.”

She widened her eyes. Surely a martini couldn’t be that surprising. I cocked my head at her.

“That’s my drink of choice too. A martini. I mean, a real martini made with gin.”

I smiled. A woman after my own heart. “A vodka martini isn’t a martini.”

A broad grin split her face. “That’s exactly what I always say.”

“Well, Dr. Carmichael, I think we finally found something we have in common. Other than amazing sex.”

She blushed again. God, she was adorable.

“You know what I think?” I said.

“What?”

“I’m willing to bet we have even more in common, and I’m going to ferret everything out of you until I know you like the back of my hand and I can read you like a book.”

She cast her green gaze downward once more. She was so easy to embarrass. It had almost become a game with me. What could I do to embarrass her more?

She fidgeted with her napkin. “Are you still hungry? I have some chocolate ice cream in the freezer.”

I rose and stalked toward her, took her hand, and pulled her up. “I’m still hungry. But not for food.” I clasped her lithe body to mine and took her lips.

She sighed beneath me. I broke the kiss and gazed into her emerald eyes.

“Do you like kissing me, Melanie? Because I sure as hell like kissing you.”

Her answer was a moan, and I took her lips again. She tasted of the spicy wine and the zesty food we had just eaten. And she tasted of Melanie, sweet and succulent.

Without breaking the kiss, I backed her toward her bedroom door, into the room, and to the bed. Again without breaking the kiss, I spread the sides of her robe, brushing the satin fabric over her shoulders. My dick was hard against the denim of my jeans. I wanted her again. I had promised to go slow the next time, to savor every inch of her. I hadn’t yet tasted her most secret places.

But I couldn’t wait. I needed her now. Needed to be inside that hot little cunt. I reached into my pocket for my wallet. Thank God I normally carried two condoms and that I had resupplied after our first encounter at the hotel.

She looked into my eyes. “I… I’m on the pill. I have been forever. And I’m clean. I swear it.”

I flashed back to my conversation with Bryce earlier, how his Vegas showgirl had assured him he was on the pill. But Melanie didn’t strike me as the lying type. “You don’t want me to wear a condom?”

“I’m saying you don’t need to. If you’re clean.”

My heart nearly burst. To actually feel her silkiness with no barrier would be nirvana. “I swear, Melanie. I’m clean too.”

That was for sure. I hadn’t had a woman in so long, I was surprised sex hadn’t changed.

I shed my jeans quickly, and my cock stood straight out. I knew I was large, even larger than what was normally considered large. She’d been able to take me. She fit me perfectly. I couldn’t wait to feel every tiny ridge inside her sweet channel.