It's You That I Need Page 4

  “Sounds delicious. What do you want me to do?”

  The two women went about dinner preparations, but Melissa’s thoughts stayed focused on what Karen had said. Could she possibly hope Kyle wanted more than just a casual affair? No. She remembered his words last Christmas when she overheard him talking to Damian and Troy: An affair is all I want, all I’ll ever want. With her newly discovered emotions, it was, ultimately, what prompted her to end their relationship. Despite what Karen believed, Melissa knew better than to get her hopes up for something not likely to happen.

  Chapter 4

  “How serious do you think this is?” Damian asked once they were alone.

  Kyle blew out a long breath and shook his head. “I don’t like it, Damian. The tone of that last note has me worried. You just don’t go from ‘stay away’ to ‘you’re going to find out how it feels to ruin other people’s lives’ from making a couple of home visits without some other provocation.”

  “Is that what it said?”

  “Yeah. A friend of mine is a detective on the force here and came by this morning. He seems to think we might be dealing with two different people and I tend to agree.”

  Damian muttered a curse.

  “My thoughts exactly,” Kyle said grimly.

  “Any ideas who this second person might be?”

  “No, but Melissa volunteers at a women’s shelter and had a run-in with the husband of a woman who was running. Apparently, the guy lunged for one of their kids and Melissa stepped in front of him and took the hit on her face.” Thinking about that incident made him angry all over again.

  “Karen never mentioned anything about Melissa being hit by someone.”

  “That’s because she didn’t tell her. The guy is still in jail as far as we know, so he can’t be the one sending the threats.”

  Damian shook his head. “I may not have law enforcement experience, but I’ll help in any way I can. I do have one question.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Why didn’t you just give Melissa this detective’s number and let him handle it instead of flying out here?”

  He had been asking himself the same thing from the moment he’d started packing Friday night. “I’ve missed her and wanted to see her,” he confessed. Kyle jumped to his feet and started pacing. “I can’t stop thinking about her.”

  He grinned knowingly. “Need any pointers on keeping your woman?”

  “Shut up.”

  Damian laughed. “Nah, bro. You didn’t have any problems trying to give me pointers on that cruise.”

  Kyle grinned. He had teased Damian about being out of the dating game so long that he wouldn’t know what to do with a woman if she held up a sign that read ‘Unattached and Available.’ “Seriously though, I don’t know if she wants to be ‘kept.’ She said our relationship had run its course. I tried calling her for weeks, but she never returned them, so I left it alone.” He came back and sat.

  “Are you coming back next month for Christmas? Troy said he’d be here.”

  Seeing Melissa again had an unexpected effect on him and he didn’t know if he could handle being around her and acting like nothing more than friends. But he’d seen the longing in her eyes during breakfast and that gave him hope that she’d want to rekindle their relationship. “Yeah, probably.”

  “Well, don't start up with Melissa again unless you plan to offer her more,” Damian said pointedly.

  “You keep forgetting that she’s the one who ended the relationship, not me. Obviously, she didn’t want more.”

  “I’m going to tell you something and if you breathe one word of it, I will kill you.” He glanced over his shoulder toward the kitchen then leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Karen mentioned to me that Melissa broke off things because she wanted more than an affair, but assumed you didn’t.”

  “Why didn’t she tell me?”

  “Well, let’s see. How many times have you said that you had no plans to settle down soon, if ever? That all you ever wanted were casual affairs? I know you told her that when you first hooked up, correct?”

  “Yes, but she said that’s what she wanted, too.”

  “I’m sure she did, but over time that changed for her and rather than continue in an affair leading nowhere, she chose to end it. Can you blame her?”

  He couldn’t. Because he’d told her exactly that and had meant every word at the time. But, truthfully, he had begun to want more, too. “Why didn’t she say something?”

  “Would you risk putting your heart on the line?”

  “No, but we could have talked about it.”

  “Hey guys. Dinner is ready,” Karen said from the kitchen.

  “Be there in a minute, baby,” Damian called back, then said to Kyle, “Look bro, I’m only telling you this because I think your feelings for Melissa run deeper than you’re admitting, and I hope you’ll do the right thing this time. She’s a good woman.” He stood.

  Kyle followed suit. “I know she is. And, yeah, I do care about her.”

  “About damn time.”

  He shook his head and followed Damian to the kitchen. Armed with the knowledge that Melissa might want more for them put a smile on his face. This trip was going to be far more interesting than he anticipated. But first, he had to find the coward who was threatening her.

  ***

  Kyle kept a possessive arm around Melissa’s waist as they crossed the school parking lot and made their way to the office Monday morning. She noted that although his features remained relaxed, his eyes were sharp and assessing. It gave her a strange sense of comfort.

  He held the door open and followed her into the office. “You okay, baby?”

  Melissa nodded. “Yeah, thanks. What are you going to do today?”

  “Follow up with Carlos to see if he’s found out anything, and I have some work to do for a crisis intervention training class I’ll be teaching early next year.”

  “Good morning, Terri,” she said to the school’s secretary.

  The woman glanced up from her desk. Her eyes lit up and a smile bloomed on her face. “Morning, Melissa. Well, hello Mr. Jamison. Seeing your handsome face sure does brighten up a Monday morning.”

  Melissa rolled her eyes.

  Kyle smiled. “It’s good to see you again, Terri,” he said to the fifty-something year old who had been a fixture in the office for almost two decades.

  “You here to do some training?”

  “Nope. Just visiting for a few days. I’d better get out of here. Ladies, I’ll see you later.” He and Melissa stepped away from the desk and he quietly asked her, “What time will you be done today?”

  “Around four. I have a meeting after school and I want to get to the women’s center before five.”

  “If you finish early, call me. And stay inside until I get here.”

  Melissa started to argue, but that last note had freaked her out and she’d do whatever Kyle asked if it kept this person from carrying out that threat. “I will.” He stood there as if he were trying to decide something. “What?”

  “I really want to kiss you, but I don’t trust myself to stop with just a little peck.”

  Her pulse skipped.

  “So, I’ll just have to save it for later when I can take my time. Have a good day, Melissa.”

  She stood in the same spot thinking about his hushed promise and her lips tingled in anticipation. Terri chuckled, drawing Melissa out of her haze.

  “Honey, if I were you, I’d make sure that man visits permanently. If I were twenty years younger, I’d give you a run for your money,” she added with a pat of her stylishly cropped salt and pepper layers.

  Melissa laughed. “I bet you would. On that note, I’m going to my office.” She had two students to test this morning and needed to stay focused. However, not even their presence could keep the memories at bay and hours later, seated behind her desk, thoughts of Kyle and his mind-stealing kisses wouldn’t leave her. It didn’t take long for the vivid memories to fill her thoughts—his pillow-soft lips, his tongue slowly tangling with hers, driving her insane with desire. Her eyes slid closed.

  “Ms. Tucker?”

  Her eyes snapped open and she smiled at the little girl standing in the doorway. Gathering herself, she stood. “Hi, Gianna. Come on in.” Forcing Kyle from her mind, Melissa rounded the desk, gestured Gianna to a chair then sat opposite her at the small table she used for testing.

  By the end of the day, she’d completed four evaluations and input her scores and notes into the computer for her meeting.

  Karen poked her head in the door. “You ready?”

  “Yes. I just hope this time Mrs. Dalton will agree to services for Aaron.” The second grader had been falling further and further behind since the end of kindergarten, but his mother wouldn’t allow the school to provided the needed occupational therapy to address his fine motor difficulties and resource time to give him the added support with his reading and math. The woman kept insisting that her son wasn’t ‘retarded’. Melissa, Karen and his teachers had talked until they were blue in the face to dispel the notion, but she hadn’t budged. However, the grades on his latest progress report had prompted her to request a meeting.

  “So do I. He’s a bright kid, but he just needs a little extra support to get him up to grade level.”

  “She did finally agree to all the testing, so let’s keep a good thought.”

  An hour and a half later, and following much discussion, Mrs. Dalton tearfully agreed to the suggested services. Afterward seeing her out, Melissa followed Karen back to her office.

  “You did a fabulous job,” Karen said, placing her laptop on the desk. “Thank you for keeping the focus on all of his successes and how each service could support his learning style. I think it reall
y helped.”

  Melissa leaned against the table and blew out a long breath. “Me, too. Now, I’m ready to go home.”

  “What time is Kyle picking you up?”

  She glanced up at the wall clock. “Any minute. Is Damian coming to get you?”

  Karen rolled her eyes. “You heard the two of them yesterday. Since the day he found out we were having a baby, he’s been acting like I can’t do anything. All he needed was an excuse.”

  She laughed. “Well, you called him a knight, so…”

  “I’m not the only one with a knight. You keep saying nothing’s going to happen between you and Kyle, but I saw those heated looks you two were throwing out when you didn’t think the other wasn’t watching.”

  “I don’t—”

  Karen cut her off. “Girl, don’t even try to lie. I’ve been there, remember?”

  She did. When Damian and Karen first reconnected, Karen was adamant about keeping him at a distance. “I do, but Damian was committed to you and ready to settle down.”

  “And I think Kyle is, too.”

  She shook her head. “I think you’re wrong.”

  “Wrong about what?”

  Melissa spun around at the sound of Kyle’s voice. How much of the conversation had he heard? “Nothing. Just talking about one of the students. Let me pack up and I’ll be ready.”

  Kyle ran a gentle hand down her arm. “Take your time, baby. Hey, Karen.”

  “Hi, Kyle.”

  Out of her periphery, Melissa saw Karen’s smug expression, but ignored it. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I’m coming with you. Karen, Damian is out in the parking lot,” Kyle said over his shoulder as he followed Melissa out.

  “Thanks. I’ll see you two later.” Karen waved.

  Melissa shot her a look.

  Karen laughed and headed toward the front.

  As soon as Melissa entered her office, Kyle shut the door and pulled her into his arms. She waged an inner battle for a few charged seconds before he lowered his head. The moment their mouths touched, every ounce of willpower she had melted. His tongue slipped between her parted lips and curled around hers in a long, drugging kiss. He drew her closer and deepened the kiss.

  Kyle eased back a fraction. “Do you know how long I’ve waited to hold you in my arms again, to kiss you? Ten long months,” he said just before capturing her mouth again.

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and urged him closer still, wanting to feel every inch of his hard body against hers.

  He finally lifted his head. “You said you wanted to be at the women’s center before five. If we don’t stop now, you’ll never make it,” he whispered against her lips. “I’m about two seconds away from taking you on that desk.”

  Melissa gasped sharply. What was she doing standing in the middle of her office kissing this man like there was no tomorrow? He had her mind so muddled that she probably wouldn’t have protested if he had gone anywhere near her desk. She stepped out of his arms and released a shaky breath. It took her a moment to remember why she’d come to her office in the first place. By the time Melissa finished packing up, her heart rate had slowed, but she felt no more in control.

  After programming the directions to the center into the GPS, she leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. Her mind said to stop this madness before it went any further, but her body told her mind to shut the hell up and enjoy the ride. And what a ride he could give.

  “Any problems today?”

  “No,” she answered without opening her eyes. “Did the detective find out anything?”

  “Not yet. Are you sure there’s no one else you can think of who might’ve had a reason to leave the notes?”

  She sat up slowly and focused on him. “No, why?”

  Kyle’s eyes left the road briefly to meet her gaze. “Just want to make sure we’re not missing anything.”

  Melissa leaned back again. “There’s no one else. I haven’t had any problems like this in over two years.”

  When they arrived at the center, she directed Kyle to park in the back lot and got out. As he’d done at the school earlier, his gaze swept the area. She walked up to a door, input the code and waited for the green light.

  He held the door and closed it behind them. “Are all the doors locked like this one?”

  “The front door has an intercom and buzzer and we have a receptionist around the clock.”

  Kyle nodded and walked ahead of her poking his head in empty rooms and checking them out.

  “May I help you, sir?”

  Melissa turned to see Floyd blocking the hallway with his arms folded. “He’s with me, Floyd,” she said quickly, noting the hard look in Kyle’s eyes. The two men assessed each other and she did a mental eye roll. Men. “Floyd, Kyle Jamison. Kyle, this is Floyd McBride, our night security guard.”

  Kyle extended his hand. “Nice meeting you.”

  Floyd shook his hand. “Cop?”

  “In another life,” Kyle answered with a grin.

  “I had fifteen years in before shattering my knee. You planning to work here?”

  Kyle stared intently at Melissa. “No. I’m just here for Melissa.”

  Melissa’s face heated with his implication. “Um, I need to get ready for my group. Is Sandra in her office?”

  “Yeah,” Floyd answered, seemingly trying to figure out her and Kyle’s relationship.

  “Thanks.” She led Kyle down another hallway and into her office. “Why did you tell him that?”

  “What? That I’m here for you?”

  She nodded.

  “Because I am… for as long as you need me,” he said softly and brushed a kiss across her lips. “What kind of group do you have?”

  Still reeling, she said, “Relationship Conflict Resolution.”

  “Interesting.”

  Interesting indeed. Tonight she needed to complete her own “I” statement: I don’t think we should be kissing. Of course, she didn’t see that happening anytime soon.

  Chapter 5

  Melissa’s nerves were stretched tight by the time she and Kyle made it home later that evening. The kisses, intimate touches and subtle brushes of their bodies, had her on fire and forced her to recall just what she’d been missing. And what did he mean when he’d said he had waited ten months for the kiss? She had been so caught up with everything going on that his statement hadn’t registered until much later. She dropped down on her bed and let out a frustrated sigh. He had gone to his room not long after they arrived and she could hear the shower running. What she wouldn’t give to step into the shower with him, watching as the water ran over his magnificent body, using her hands to trace a path across the hard planes of his chest, abdomen, and the smooth length of his engorged shaft.

  She grabbed a pillow, put it over her face and groaned loudly. I am not starting up with him again! Hopping up, she went to take her own shower. The warm water did nothing to help, so she decided a cup of hot chocolate might just do the trick. Melissa left her room and thought Kyle had gone to bed, but saw the light under the door as she passed. She stood there a moment before deciding to knock.

  Kyle opened the door wearing nothing but a towel. “Hey.”

  She clenched her fists to keep from reaching for him and willed her eyes to stay focused on his face. “I… um… I’m going to make some hot chocolate and I wanted to know if you wanted a cup.” Her traitorous eyes dipped briefly and she caught herself. Evidently, so did Kyle, if his smile was any indication.

  He chuckled softly. “That would be great. Thanks.”

  “Okay.” She turned and fled. Damn him. Why did he have to be so… irresistible?

  Minutes later, Melissa felt the heat of his body as he came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. She concentrated on scooping the chocolate mix into the mugs. Her hands shook so badly that she spilled some onto the counter.

  “Mmm, you smell good,” Kyle murmured, nuzzling her neck.

  His tongue skated along her neck and shoulder and she shuddered. The spoon, forgotten, clattered to the counter.

  “And you taste even better.”

  “Kyle?”

  “Hmm?”

  “What… what are you doing?”

  “I’m tasting you. You asked if I wanted some hot chocolate, and you are the best damn chocolate I’ve ever had.” He turned her around and his mouth came down on hers.