Ryan turned away from the window and Melody pressed herself back into her chair as he walked toward her. He stopped in front of her, looking down at the photo of her with Logan.
“You’ve turned against me, Melody. And that hurts. I’ve done everything for you, everything you’ve wanted, and you repay me with this?” Ryan rapped one finger on the photo. His jaw was tight and his words were uttered through clenched teeth. He’s jealous of Logan. That’s what this is about.
“I didn’t think you were this kind of woman. You’d said you had a one-night stand, and this was it, wasn’t it? How stupid of me, not to realize sooner. And you weren’t going to tell me, were you?”
With a swiftness that caught her off-guard, Ryan had her by the shoulders, pulling her up from the chair. “You’re throwing everything away…for him? When you could have everything you wanted…in your career, and with me.”
He brought his lips down in hers, hard and painful, not a kiss as much as a brand. There was nothing Melody could do but struggle weakly in his grip, pushing at his chest with her hands.
When he broke away, Melody barely resisted the urge to spit in his face. She felt violated, demeaned and confused.
“You know this is what you want. We both know it.”
Ryan’s eyes were focused on hers, burning and intense, but not with passion. It was outright conquest, predator holding prey, and Melody did not like being the prey.
“I’ll…still file a complaint.”
Ryan’s laugh was harsh, his face close to hers. “Go ahead. I’ve got evidence now of your morals and ethics, in black and white. You’ll be admitting to far more than you care to, if you go anywhere, talk to anyone.”
His grip tightened, his fingers digging painfully into her skin. “You are in a pretty serious situation here, and you’re not the one calling the shots. You’ve made a serious mistake, Melody, and I’m the only one who can help you now. You know that.”
“Ryan…you’re hurting me.” She was dismayed at the passive tone in her voice. “Please…”
Ryan looked at her a moment longer, then released her arms. She fell back into the chair, breathing fast.
“Think about this…” Ryan ran his finger over the photo, lingering over her face, his voice eerily gentle. “Think about what you’ve done and what you can do. Your options are severely limited.”
He turned, looking down at her. “And who the only person is who can help you…now.”
Melody bolted from the chair, fumbling open the door, running away from Ryan’s office. There was no one to see her, the cubicles of the secretaries and paralegals were empty, the offices around her dark.
Pushing open the stairway door, she ran down one flight of steps, finally stopping, leaning against the cool tile wall. Tears sprang into her eyes and she sank down on the top stop, resting her face on her knees.
She’d hoped it would go away; it didn’t. She’d threatened to file a complaint; Ryan had just laughed. And now, how could she tell anyone? Ryan had something to hold over her, by her own admission. She’d slept with a client…she was still sleeping with the client. I’m such a fool.
She cried silently for a long time, until the sound of someone opening a door above her echoed down the stairwell. Straightening, she wiped her face, went back to her office and closed the door.
The message light was flashing on her phone and with shaky hands she pressed the buttons, retrieving the message. It was Logan.
“Looking forward to dinner tonight…don’t go to any trouble. Whatever you make will be fine with me.”
She could hear the smile in his voice and her heart did a little flip flop. And then sank. She’d promised dinner. How could she see Logan now, after the afternoon in Ryan’s office?
But how could she not?
He answered his cell phone on the first ring and she gave him directions to her apartment.
“Are you sure you have time to cook? You’ve had a busy day, no doubt. I don’t want you slaving over a hot stove when there’s other things we could be doing.”
Hearing his voice, the sexy teasing, she relaxed, sitting back in her chair. “I like to cook. It’s relaxing. I never have anyone to cook for though, since…well, you know. So I’m looking forward to tonight.”
“As long as you’re not too tired. What time do you want me there, bearing the Macallan?”
Melody glanced at her watch. “Let’s say seven-thirty or so? Dinner about eight. And then…whatever you have in mind.”
“When it comes to you, Melody, there’s always lots on my mind. There’s no end to what I want to do with you.”
* * *
Melody was distracted in the cab on the way home, trying to remember what was in the freezer, what fresh vegetables she had, what she needed from the corner deli. Salad, chicken br**sts with a jar of her homemade marinara sauce and bread. Bread and cheese from the deli…that’s it.
She was back home, with the sauce simmering, the chicken in the oven, by seven. The doorbell rang just as she was coming out of the bedroom. She padded barefoot to the door, finishing up the last few buttons on her blouse.
“You’re early…” She froze in the open doorway.
Ryan Marshall was standing in the hallway, a bottle of Macallan in his hand.
“Not who you were expecting?” He brushed past her into the apartment and she stared after him, trying very hard to understand why Ryan would be in her apartment, much less with a bottle of Macallan.
“Ryan…what are you doing here?”
“I wanted to bring you something…a present. Peace offering, as it were.” He held out the familiar oval-shaped bottle of amber liquid. Melody looked down at it, taking a step back as if he were offering her snake. Her mind was reeling; the last person she expected to see was Ryan. And the second to the last person she wanted to see now was Logan.
“I came to apologize, Melody. For my behavior. I know you’re only trying to do your best… I know that you want to succeed. And maybe I’ve been pushing you a bit too hard.” He took a step toward her and she backed up, bumping into the kitchen counter.
“Melody. Why so tense? Here…let me open this and you can pour us a glass. I think a nice, stiff drink would do both of us some good. We can sit, have a talk…I’d like that. Wouldn’t you?”
“No, Ryan. I don’t…this isn’t right. I don’t want a drink with you. I…would like…I want you to leave.”
Ryan took another step toward Melody. As he reached past her to set the bottle on the counter, she tried to move away but he outmaneuvered her, placing his hands on the counter, effectively pinning her between his arms.
Ryan looked down at her and she saw a mixture of so many emotions on his face. But chief among them was something that made her heart pound and her stomach drop. He was looking at her with a feral lust, a look she’d never seen in Ryan Marshall’s eyes before.
“Ryan. No. You have to leave.”
She tried to slip beneath his arm, but he pulled her against his chest. She could smell him, the heat of his body, aftershave, and something else, something primal and masculine. He smelled like a predator. And she was the prey.
“No, Melody. I don’t have to leave. I know you really don’t want me to. And I think, if you just let yourself relax, we can make this much better for both of us.”
He bent his head, his lips finding hers in a crushing kiss. She twisted her head, trying to break free, but he grabbed the back of her head, winding his fingers through her hair, holding her tight against his mouth.
She tried wiggling out of his grip, but he held her hard against his body, his other arm wrapped around her waist. The more she squirmed, the harder he held her and the more evident his arousal became as he pressed his h*ps forward into hers.
He broke away from her mouth, looking down at her, his breath rasping from his parted lips.
“You’re playing hard to get, Melody. Or…” Ryan yanked her hair, pulling her head back. “You think the boyfriend is going to save you?”
Melody’s eyes went wide.
“Don’t play coy. I know he’s on his way here… ‘seven-thirty or so?’ But I don’t think there’ll be any dinner for Mr. MacKenzie.”
“Why are you doing this, Ryan? Why?” Tears were pooling in Melody’s eyes, tears of fear and anger.
“Because you’re all I’ve ever wanted, Melody. You were so distracted with Patrick, and now with this… musician… to even see it. But I’m tired of being patient, of waiting for you to come around and realize what we could have…together.”
“But I don’t want you…I never have.” Melody looked up at Ryan. “You’ve been a mentor, a good friend…but nothing more. I haven’t thought of you in any other way. You have to know that.”
Ryan let go of Melody’s hair, his hands running down her back, one sliding down to cup her ass. She struggled briefly but he pressed himself against her again and she went still in his arms, afraid she’d only excite him more. She could feel the hardness of him, the heat, as he rubbed himself against her.
“No! It’s never been that…ever. You’ve either misunderstood or you’re delusional…there’s never been anything between us…I don’t feel that way about you.”
“Liar...” Ryan growled the word in her ear as he pulled her close again, his mouth on her neck. She felt one hand moving to the front of her blouse and as she struggled to push him away, she heard the tearing of fabric, the patter of buttons across the kitchen floor. His hand groped her breast and she gasped, suddenly wild to be out of his grasp.
The sound of glass breaking made them both jump. She turned toward the noise and saw Logan standing in the open doorway to her apartment. A shattered bottle of Macallan was on the floor at his feet.
“Logan…” She saw the confusion in his eyes, and then the pain.
“Aye…I should have known,” he muttered, looking down at the puddle of Macallan on the floor. “Waste of a good bottle of Scotch.” And then he was gone.
“Let me go!” Melody pushed away from Ryan and he let her go. She struggled to pull the front of her blouse together.
She cried out as she ran through the glass, sinking to the floor, a shard embedded in her foot.
The slam of the stairway door was loud, echoing back down the hall. Melody sat for a moment, her foot forgotten. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks, her mind racing. How can I explain this?
“Well, that’s unfortunate.” Ryan was standing behind her, looking down at the broken glass, the amber liquid seeping across the floor.
Melody twisted around, looking up at him. “Unfortunate?” She struggled to her feet, pushing aside Ryan’s offer of an outstretched hand.
“You call hurting the man who loves me unfortunate?” She rounded on Ryan, anger stilling her tears.
“No. I meant the Scotch. Macallan isn’t cheap and this was a good year. The man…well, if he’s so easily put off, then it wasn’t meant to be, I guess.”