Drive Me Crazy (3 page)

All the self-righteous anger she’d let build up fled her body. She hugged her dad tight. “Thank you.”

He kissed the top of her head affectionately. “No need to thank me.” Then he stepped back and took her money, shoving it in his pants pocket. “Why don’t you keep that in a bank?”

“
I do.” She smiled and untied her apron. “I just like to make big deposits with lots of singles and fives. Makes all those stuffy ladies’ eyes get real big.”

“
I bet.”

“
Especially when I tell them that, despite the down economy, lap dances are still high in demand. In fact it’s my patriotic duty to go down to Jacksonville and make those poor Marines feel better,” she teased.

Louis groaned. “That’s not how I want people to think of my daughter.”

“
But I thought that’s how you met momma,” Melanie reminded him.

“
She was a cocktail waitress. Big difference in skill set and clothing choices.”

“
I don’t do that, you know.”

“
Greatly relieved to hear it.”

“
But I did get a job as Carter Ambrose’s assistant.”

Her dad raised his brows. “You sure that’s a wise thing? I know you’ve always been sweet on him, but—”

“
But nothing.” Melanie lifted her chin. “Aren’t you ready for me to move out?”

“
Not really.”

“
Dad!”

He chuckled. “Yes, I want you to move out and find a nice guy who’ll treat you right. Not like your last two boyfriends.”

She tossed her apron on her bed. “Don’t remind me of those disasters.” However, those two disasters were a positive reminder that she hadn’t sat around mooning over Carter Ambrose. She’d gone on with her life, especially after he’d gotten engaged, and had fun. Now the timing was perfect. Neither of them were in a relationship (that she knew about anyway). It was up to her to make the most of it, maybe even make him fall in love with her.

“
Never been so happy in my life when you broke things off with Trent. Heard he’s in prison now, for grand theft auto and assaulting an officer.” Louis rapped his knuckled again the door. “Guess I’ll turn in, sugar. I’m repairing the front and back porches at Rayl”—Melanie narrowed her eyes at him.—“Mrs. Alfred’s house tomorrow.”

There was nothing she could do to stop Louis. He was a grown man. So she had two choices: Stay mad at him. Or love him no matter what. “Night, daddy. Don’t stay too late tomorrow. I’m cooking supper.”

“
No, tomorrow’s my turn. See you in the morning.” Louis walked out of her room, shutting the door softly behind him.

With a sigh, she moved to her dresser and began to undress. She needed a shower, else her bed would smell like Jack’s Fine Italian Dining. Plus she needed to look her best tomorrow.

Carter had to stop viewing her as a kid. She rolled her eyes as she thought about his
you’re not much older
comment.

She might be three years younger than him, but she knew men. Knew what they liked and didn’t like. And she’d known Carter since she was eight, and for dang sure, she knew what
he
liked: boobs and butts. Both of which she had. Okay so she might have more butt than boobs, but none of her ex-boyfriends had complained.

It was time to bring out the big guns.

Searching through her top drawer, she pulled out the laciest push-up bra she owned and smiled.

Chapter Three

Carter frowned as Melanie walked into his office. It was either that or let his jaw drop to the floor. She was dressed in the sexiest do-me-I’m-the-naughty-secretary outfit he’d ever seen. She had always dressed in themes to match wherever she was going. Hell, it had been something he thought was kind of cute. Until today.

“
Morning, Sunshine,” she said with a big smile. She tapped a black pen against the top of her clipboard, drawing his eyes to the deep vee of her shirt.

He blinked. Her breasts were about to spill out of it.

God help him.

Her smile wobbled a little, then she pressed her shoulders back and said, “Need some coffee to start off your day? If you show me where the coffee pot—Oh, there it is.” She sashayed over to the coffee maker on the file cabinet, black stiletto heels clicking on the floor.

Jesus. His weakness. There was something about a woman wearing heels so high that it pushed out her ass and breasts. So high that it made a woman look delicate and needy. Ready for a man to catch and do very dirty things to her.

She kicked up one foot as she reached for the mugs hanging on hooks above her. The black, narrow skirt she wore rode up her thighs.

“
Stockings
and
garters? Ah, fuck me,” he muttered to himself and bit his knuckle, willing his very inconvenient erection away while she chatted on, mercifully oblivious. Damn, but he was a sick son of a bitch. He shouldn’t be lusting after anyone who worked for him, least of all Melanie.

Shooting to his feet, he grabbed his coat and held it in front of him. “I have to go. Errands to run.”

Melanie turned to face him, a little frown on her pouty lips. Lips so pouty that he wanted to bite the bottom and—

“
But that’s what an assistant is for.”

“
Not wearing that get-up you’re not.” No way in hell he’d send her to Frank’s. Not because the boys over there would do anything to her, but because they were
boys
and didn’t know how to talk to a woman. And he didn’t relish the notion of having to beat anyone’s ass for being disrespectful. Old fashioned—maybe, but he didn’t give a shit.

“
You don’t like, I mean, it’s not appropriate for what I’ll be doing for you?” she asked, slowly smoothing her blouse down and then her skirt. “I could go home real quick and change.”

He wanted to groan at the images that formed in his head. Her outfit was very, very appropriate for what he wanted her to be doing for him. Shaking his head, he tried to clear his mind of her straddling his lap, her skirt at her waist and his cock buried balls deep inside her wet heat, while he sat in his office chair with his face in her breasts.

Son of a bitch. He had to think of something else. Grasping at straws, he asked, “Do you really need this job?”

The light in her pretty brown eyes faded. “Yes, especially after—never mind.” She turned away, but not before he saw tears welling.

Crossing the distance between them, he put his hand on her elbow and turned her to face him. “Louis gambled his money away.” Everyone knew about her dad’s gambling. And when Louis Smith got a wild hair to bet it all, he usually lost his shirt. Usually Melanie had to find a way to pick up the pieces.

Her lower lip trembled as she nodded. “I gave him almost all of my money from my House Jar…to pay the rent.”

Ah, hell. “How often does he ask for your help?”

She lifted her chin. Damn, Louis did not deserve the excuse she was getting ready to make for him. “Not that often. Just every couple months or so.”

Carter let go of her elbow and rubbed the bridge of his nose, not trusting himself to speak at the moment. Someone needed to take Louis in hand, because Carter knew every couple months or so actually mean every other month. At that rate, Melanie would never move out of her dad’s place.

“
Please don’t tell anyone, especially not Zoe. You know how she is and I can’t take any money from her.”

Why she trusted him with this, he had no idea. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. About three years ago, he’d found her sitting along the side of the road with two suitcases and a huge bag slung over her shoulders.

So, Carter had offered her a ride. Turned out, she and her dad had been evicted from their rental. All they’d let her pack was her clothes and some personal items. Louis had been up in Cherokee, presumably trying to change their luck.

He’d driven her back to Holland Acres Mobile Home Park and paid what was owed, plus two extra months. He would have paid more, but Louis might have gotten the wrong idea.

Carter still remembered the kiss Melanie had given him in thanks, soft as a butterfly’s caress and more potent than moonshine. But he had stopped her, really himself, before things had gone any further.

“
You know I won’t.”

Her nose crinkled a little as she smiled. “Thank you.”

“
You’re welcome.” He couldn’t help but dust his thumb over her bottom lip. Her breath hitched and it was all he could do to not kiss her right then. “How about I give you an advance?”

“
A what?” she asked and he could have sworn she stepped closer to him.

Tilting his head to the side, he let his thumb find the corner of her mouth, then coast along the line of her jaw. Melanie really was a pretty little thing. Always had been and mischievous as hell, too.

She leaned into his touch, her eyes closing and chin tipping up. Black lashes brushing the tops of her cheeks and barely visible freckles. “You shouldn’t hide those.”

“
Hide what?” Her sweet breath fanned over his face.

“
Your freckles.”

“
Men don’t like freckles.”

He chuckled, continuing his exploration of her face and easing his hand behind her neck. He wanted to undo the ridiculous bun she’d put her hair up in. “This man does.” Then he said the worst thing possible. “In fact I’d like to see if you have freckles in other places.”

Of their own volition, his fingers came from around her neck and coasted over her clavicle, down to the deep vee of her shirt. He nudged it to one side, watching in pure male satisfaction as goose bumps appeared. A perfect line of golden dots disappeared underneath her lacey black bra. Her breasts rose and fell, breaths coming out in little pants that made him harder than before.

“
Then I’d spend some time connecting the dots with my tongue,” he added, tracing the lace at the edge of the cup.

Eyes popping open, she gaped at him. “You would?” she all but squeaked.

It was as if someone had clipped his fender and woke his ass up. He dropped his hand and high-tailed it out of his office. “Be back later. I need my files organized,” he called over his shoulder.

Melanie stared after him, watching in disbelief as the door slammed closed. Then she walked over to his chair and flopped down in it, her heart still beating a mile a minute. Her nipples were hard and she was wet and throbbing between her thighs. Dear Lord, the man had barely touched her.

There was no way she could get anything done. At least not right now. She needed time to calm down. She needed to talk her best friend.

Picking up the receiver, she quickly dialed Zoe’s number.

“
Hello?”

“
It worked!”

“
Yay,” Zoe squealed into the phone. “Wait, what worked?”

Melanie rolled her eyes. “Brain hasn’t kicked in yet?”

“
I stayed up until four a.m.writing,” Zoe said with a yawn.

“
Well your brother said he liked my freckles and wanted to see where else I had them,” Melanie crowed. “And some other stuff, too.”

“
Carter said that?”

“
Oh yeah. He’s coming ‘round to my way of thinking.” Melanie should’ve taken the opportunity to touch him, only she had been scared that he would reject her.

There was silence on the line, so long that Melanie thought Zoe had hung up. A sliver of self-doubt tried to pierce her victory.

“
Mel, you know I love you, right?”

Oh crap, this couldn’t be good. “And I love you, too.”

“
I’ve never lied,”—There was a pause and Melanie’s forehead wrinkled—“about things that could possibly hurt you. I also know how much you love—”