She finally pushed away from Logan and he raised his head, eyes meeting hers. Her breath was more or less back to normal, her heart beat slowing.
“I’m afraid I ruined your blouse.”
Melody was unsuccessful in controlling her fit of giggles. She slid off his lap, lying on her back on the couch, letting them run their course while Logan watched, an amused smile on his lips.
“Aye, it’s good to see you laugh again, Melody. It seems like such a long time since I’ve heard you laugh like this.” He leaned over, kissing her briefly as she hiccoughed her way through the last of her giggles.
As he straightened, she stretched her arms over her head, feeling the wet silk clinging to her body. Logan’s eyes strayed from her face, looking over her as she lay there.
“Like what you see?” Arms still overhead, she arched her back slightly, the silk molding to every curve.
“Oh, aye.” His voice was a low growl and it set off a corresponding shudder in Melody. The amused look on his face had been replaced by something else, a wild and dangerous look, a look that had Melody drawing in a sharp breath, her heart fluttering in her chest. His eyes met hers again.
“As much as I like this blouse, I think it’s needing to go.”
Melody started to reach for the buttons at the back of the blouse but Logan was quicker, grabbing the front of the fragile silk, pulling sharply, tearing the garment. One more tug had it fluttering to the floor in a puddle of tattered material.
“I liked that blouse.” Melody gave Logan mock pout. The cool air on her damp skin made her shiver, her n**ples pulling up sharply.
“I’ll buy you a dozen.” Logan leaned over, his lips hard on hers, his tongue flicking over her lower lip. His hands were at her h*ps in an attempt to tug her skirt off. Melody covered his hands with hers, breaking away from their kiss.
“I like the skirt more. There is a zipper.” She tugged the zipper down and Logan quickly had the skirt joining the blouse on the floor, leaving Melody nak*d on the couch. He sat back, kneeling between Melody’s legs, slowly undoing the buttons on his jeans. She was incapable of looking anywhere else but where his fingers worked at the front of his pants, the bulge of his erection so very obvious, all the more tantalizing because she knew in her heart how much she aroused him, that she did this to him. And she knew Logan knew it too.
With a slowness that belied their arousal, Logan stood, leaving his flies undone but his jeans in place, his erection just visible, rising above the waistband of his jeans. Melody bit her lip, wanting more, reaching for him. But he just smiled, undoing the buttons of his shirt one at a time, teasing her as he stopped to slowly undo the buttons at the cuffs.
He left his shirt open, revealing a seductive view of his chest and stomach, as he looked down at her, eyes traveling over every inch of her body. Everything he wanted to do to her was written in his gaze and Melody gasped.
He finally shed his shirt and Melody let her eyes wander over his broad chest, down his torso to the jeans that still concealed most of his erection. Logan finally drew them down over his hips, kicking them away, standing nak*d in front of her.
She was so aroused by his strip tease, every nerve ending singing with desire. She wanted him, to touch him, kiss him, to have his hands on her skin again. Her body was moving on its own, h*ps rising, legs moving restlessly in anticipation of him claiming the space between them. His restraint was maddening to her and she was on the verge of begging him to come to her when he did, lowering himself onto her, his weight against her br**sts, his h*ps pinning hers to the couch cushions.
He held her gaze for a moment, his eyes burning with a fire that matched Melody’s.
“Aye…now, Melody. Now.”
There was nothing restrained in anything he did to her. He took her hard and fast, with such force she was gasping within minutes. She met him fully, all the emotions and tensions of the day transmuted into pure animal lust.
The couch was too narrow, too confining and they tumbled to the floor. In a seductive struggle, Melody briefly fought with Logan for control, finally pinning him to the floor, rising above him in triumph. His hands came up to her br**sts as she set the pace, controlling him with her movements, driving him to the edge over and over, taking herself dangerously close to that same cliff, pulling back before either of them fell.
When he rolled her over onto her back, she let him, giving up, surrendering to him again. He settled himself between her legs again and she knew there was no turning back this time, no reason to control anything. She was free to fall, free to let him take her with him over the edge.
Logan held her face in his hands, his body rising above her, his breath coming hard and fast, their bodies locked together. The strength of his gaze took her breath away, his words making her dizzy with love.
“God, woman, but I love ye. More than I thought possible.”
He closed his eyes and Melody knew it was time. Logan cried out, his face buried against her shoulder. Her body responded, arching beneath him, her legs wrapped around his hips, pulling him hard against her writhing body.
There seemed to be no end and Melody lost track of time and space. Her body was consumed with wave after wave of ecstasy, and from a distance she heard herself crying out, high and keening, mixing with Logan’s almost feral growls.
Sometime later she was aware of his breathing as it gradually slowed, his heart beating against her breast. With a low groan he pushed himself off onto his back, arms flung wide, where he lay for a moment before turning to Melody.
“It was lucky we were on the floor and not the bed.”
She turned onto her side, propping herself on one elbow. “We’d have ended up on the floor anyway.”
Logan took her hand, kissing her fingers before laying it on his chest. “Tá mo chroí istigh ionat.”
Her eyes met his and she repeated the words. “My heart is within you.”
* * *
“Yes, I do have to go to work.” Melody was trying with much difficulty to extricate herself from the tangle of sheets and Logan’s arms in a vain attempt to get ready for work.
“I can’t stay home today.” She moved out from beneath his arm, sliding to the edge of the bed.
“I have work to do, for one thing. Your case, as a prime example. With Ryan gone…” She slapped at his hand as it snaked up the inside of her thigh “…I’ll have to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.”
Logan finally gave up, rolling onto his back as Melody climbed out of bed, clutching the sheet around her body.
“I don’t want to think about Ashton,” he said. “But I suppose there’s no hope for it. Do you know where we’re at with the case? It seems so insignificant now, but it’s what started this whole thing, no?”
“I still need to interview you, you know. That part of yesterday’s meeting wasn’t a ruse. It still needs to happen. You can come with me to the office and we can do that first thing.”
Melody padded to the bathroom, stopping at the door to look back at Logan. He was lying nak*d on the bed, hands behind his head, regarding her with that look that made her weak in the knees. She bit her lip. It was obvious, even from across the room, he was ready to take her again.
She dropped the sheet, letting it fall slowly to the floor. “We could share a shower, if you want to. Save some time getting ready. If you don’t dawdle, that is.”
Logan had her in his arms almost before she’d finished speaking. “I was hoping for an invitation.” He pushed her ahead of him into the bathroom, hands already exploring her body.
“But hey…” She tried to talk over the sound of the shower. “We can’t be late…”
But Logan was already pulling her under the stream of warm water. “Aye, stop talking, woman, and we won’t be.”
* * *
Melody was on time, barely. She and Logan had taken a cab, and as she walked past the desks of secretaries and paralegals on the way to her office, she was conscious of curious looks and some outright stares. Whether it was just Logan’s presence or word of yesterday’s encounter with Ryan, she had no idea.
Victoria had her head down, engrossed in the document on her desk. She jumped, head coming up sharply, as Melody spoke.
“Morning, Victoria.”
“Morning, Melody.” She rose, eyes traveling to Logan.
“This is Logan MacKenzie. We’ll be conducting an interview in my office. Do you have the file for the case?”
“Um…no. It’s still upstairs. Do you want me…” Her voice trailed off as Melody shook her head.
“I’ll go get it. I know where it is. Victoria, can you see if there’s anything Mr. MacKenzie might like to drink? You can get settled in my office. I’ll be right back.” As she turned away, she heard the chirp of Logan’s cell phone. Victoria was ushering him in Melody’s office and she saw him scowl at the display before flipping the phone closed.
The door to Ryan’s office was open, the lights out. Lori’s desk was unoccupied as well and she remembered Lori had said she was given the day off.
She was shuffling through the files on Ryan’s desk when she heard a noise from the doorway. Looking up, she was shocked to see Ryan leaning against the doorframe, dressed in jeans and a sweater.
Fear made her jittery and her immediate reaction was to bolt, but he stood between her and the rest of the office. I could scream…
“Don’t worry. I’m not coming near you, especially here. Why should I? You’ve ruined me at my own firm.” He straightened, walking slowly into the room.
“I’m here for a file.” She held out the case file, then clutched it to her chest.
“Melody. You have every right to the file. It is your case, after all. I’m just here for a few personal effects. Hunter was gracious enough to allow me to come claim my own things.”
Ryan moved behind his desk and Melody watched as he opened drawers, rummaging through the contents.
He spoke without looking up. “You know, I really need to give you credit for your little scheme. Well played. I didn’t think you had it in you. I underestimated you, Melody.”
Glancing up, he regarded her from behind the desk. “Although, judging by your cowering here in my office, I suspect the bravado yesterday was all a false front, as it were.” His gazed traveled down to her br**sts, lingering there for a moment. She pulled the file higher, gripping it tightly.
Ryan shrugged, resuming the search through his desk drawer. A few objects materialized on the blotter. “Oh, well. I’ll have the memories at least. Nothing quite as stimulating as what we might have had, Melody, if you’d gotten your head out of your ass long enough to realize what was being offered to you.”
His bark of laughter made Melody recoil. “The look on your face is priceless. Really. And again, I have to wonder…was your boyfriend the mastermind behind yesterday’s little coup? I really don’t see your hand in that at all, come to think of it. It’s not your style. You’re a little…too passive.”
Ryan came around the front of his desk and Melody backed up a step. But he only leaned against his desk, arms folded across his chest.