A Christmas Night to Remember(26)
He sat back a little, folding his arms over his chest as he surveyed her with an air of deceptive meekness. ‘Why not?’
‘I shouldn’t have taken the clothes,’ she said by way of answer, feeling churlish but knowing she had to make him see.
‘But you did,’ he pointed out gently, ‘and these are part of that gift.’ His eyes lowered to the black leather boots she was wearing, which were definitely more serviceable than anything else and couldn’t compare to the exotic creations in the box.
Melody’s mouth tightened as her chin rose. She knew what he was thinking, but he either took her out in her old boots or not at all. ‘I’m sorry, Zeke. They’re beautiful, but no.’
The mockery in the black eyes showed he was fully aware of what she was thinking. ‘No problem,’ he said lazily. ‘If you change your mind before we leave they’re here.’
‘I won’t.’ She stood up abruptly. Sitting so close, she could smell the expensive sensual aftershave he favoured, and it was playing havoc with her thought process.
Zeke rose too, walking across to where a tray holding two glasses of her favourite cocktail—sapphire martini—was waiting. He handed her one of the frosted martini glasses full of the chilled gin and blue liqueur. ‘No toasts tonight, but I hope you enjoy the evening,’ he said softly. ‘We’re eating after the theatre, if that’s okay? I thought it would give us time to work up an appetite after all that cake.’
Melody took a sip of the cocktail. The very blue, very sweet liqueur tasted slightly of lavender, contrasting wonderfully with the spicy gin, and giving her the kick she needed to be able to smile and say fairly normally, ‘That’s fine. I’m not hungry.’
‘We’ll have to work on getting that appetite of yours back. I was always amazed at how much you could eat.’
Melody stared at him. ‘I was a dancer,’ she said flatly. ‘I burnt off the calories. Everything is different now.’
‘Not everything.’ He leant closer.
With her heart thudding, Melody waited for his kiss. As his lips closed over hers they tasted of the bittersweet cocktail and a warm thrill of pleasure quivered down her spine. When Zeke exerted his charm it was as potent as mulled wine, heady and intoxicating. He was irresistible and he knew it.
He broke the kiss for just a moment, to place their glasses on the coffee table, and then took her in his arms again, holding her lightly against him as his mouth teased at hers. She found herself swept into the world of sensuous delight Zeke evoked so easily, and as she responded to him his arms tightened around her and his lips demanded more intimacy. She abandoned all reserve—for a crazy moment she couldn’t do anything else, didn’t want to do anything else. This was Zeke and she adored him; for a few blissful seconds that was all that mattered.
It was Zeke who finished the embrace by gently withdrawing, although he still continued to hold her, his eyes as black as night as he stared down at her flushed face.
Melody felt light-headed and slightly dazed, her eyes cloudy with desire as she struggled to compose herself. Part of her was shocked and embarrassed at how easily Zeke could break through her defences; another part of her had known this would happen. Zeke was a very physical man; he’d always wanted to touch and hold and kiss her and she had wanted it too.
‘You and I haven’t changed,’ Zeke said huskily. ‘Surely you understand that now? Nothing could come between what we have. We’re meant to be together. You must believe that.’
It would have been so easy to melt into him again and just agree, to let her need of him—his strength, his security, his overpowering maleness—take control. Over the past months she had been fighting constantly—fighting to get better, to control the negative thoughts that hit at all times of the night and day, to accept the fact of a future without Zeke.
Easy, but not right. That was the hard truth.
Melody stepped away from the warm circle of his arms. She looked at him and swallowed, hating what she had to say but knowing it must be said. ‘It’s over, Zeke,’ she said, very quietly but with a finality he couldn’t fail to recognise. ‘I have accepted that and you have to. If you love me, you’ll let me go. I can’t be in your world any more. It might sound dramatic, but I know how much I can stand and that would be the final straw. It would destroy me here, inside. I have to make a new life for myself and find out who I am now.’
‘You’re my wife,’ he said thickly.