Relentless (6 page)

“I know. I love it here. Especially in fall when the
leaves are all changing colors. It’s such a stunning array of
hues.”

They arrived at the falls. The three all combined
into a large pool, which some kids swam in on hot days. Currently
however, there was no one else there. Not another vehicle in sight.
Toby shut off the engine and climbed out. She unbuckled her belt
and followed. He was withdrawing items from the trunk of his
car.

She took the blanket from him and waited as he shut
it behind him. He brushed a quick kiss along her cheek. “Where do
you want to sit?”

“Your picnic, your show.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he teased with a wink.

She trailed him to a flat spot under another large
tree. They could hear the rush of water over the falls and see them
easily. She spread out the blanket then helped him pull out the
food from the basket.

“Who made this?” she asked as she opened the
containers.

“Would you be surprised if I said I did?”

“Yes,” she answered immediately.

“I’d be offended but hell, I’d be surprised as well.
My mom made it for us.”

“In that case, I’m ready to enjoy the food.”

“I think you just insulted me,” he said.

“Would you eat what you cooked, Toby?”

He scrunched his face up in pain. “Is that my only
choice? I mean, is there no bugs, or twigs around too much on to
tide myself over?”

Her laughter spilled from her, lighting her heart
and soul. “You should learn to cook. At least the basics.”

“I have my mom.”

She accepted the offered plate and settled back to
eat. He was right, this was what she’d needed. After they ate, they
splashed around in the water, lay on the blanket, staring at the
sky and the shapes of the clouds floating overhead. He allowed her
to just be her and to take some much needed relaxation.

Melinda ended up falling asleep on his lap and woke
later, cradled in his embrace. For a moment, she knew there wasn’t
anywhere else she longed to be. There, with him, had everything she
could need or want.

“Thank you,” she muttered as they packed up when the
first stars of the night began to pierce the sky.

“For?”

“Giving me a wonderful day and asking nothing in
return.”

He kissed her. “I’m tempted to say something about
how much of a nice guy I am, but I’ll stick with you’re welcome.”
His grin warmed her all the way to her toes.

***

“
I hear Mickleson found your
earring in his barn,” Janelle said with a wicked grin on her face.
“Is it true?”

The others at the table all turned to Melinda for
her explanation. She flushed and mumbled, “It’s true.”

They all hooted before clinking their beer bottles.
Melinda shook her head and drank. It had been five weeks since her
date with Toby. The news had spread around town that she’d gone out
with him. That wasn’t the only change. He’d changed, sitting with
her while she hung out waiting for her father to get his chemo.
Playing cards with the man when he didn’t feel much like doing
anything else. Stopping by the clinic to bring her lunch or say hi.
Taking flowers to her mother. No matter if Melinda wanted to admit
it or not, they’d grown closer. It was no longer just about the
sex. At least not for her and, from all appearances, not for him
either. Only recently had the bit about her earring popped up.

“So?” Janelle prodded. “How was he?”

All of the women there leaned closer. She worked
with them all, and at her left, was her best friend growing up,
Hermione Windsor. She balled up her hand and punched Melinda.

“I can’t believe you neglected to tell me you slept
with Tobias Latner.”

“Would you keep your voice down?” she begged. “I
don’t need everyone in town knowing.”

The women laughed. She knew, yeah, good luck with
that.

“How many times?”

“Hermione,” she said.

“What? I’m not getting any. It’s my time to live
vicariously through you. And, girl, it’s been a while, so please
tell me you got a lot.” She shook her head, braids moving along
with her.

“I did. Now, can we please talk about something
else?”

“His size?” Janelle said.

“How long he goes?” Ruby, another tech, spoke
up.

“The freakiest position you did it with him in or if
you’ve done it in your father’s office?” Hermione added.

“Such a shame I meant something not involving my sex
life.”

“What fun is that?” Janelle again.

“Bitches.”

More laughter, and this time, she joined in.

“Do tell, when are you seeing him again?” Hermione
posed the question.

“I don’t know when I’ll see him next.”

“Why not?”

“Been busy, Janelle. Most of my free time is spent
helping my parents out best I can. I’m still unpacking as y’all
would have seen if you’d come to my house instead of us coming
here.”

“You needed to get out.” Ruby pointed at her right
before belching and reaching for another beer.

“Such class,” she teased.

“Hey, I have five brothers, and I can burp better
than any of them.”

“Such pride in that statement, Ruby.”

She nodded. “Hell, yeah.”

“Okay, back to the topic at hand. Why is he avoiding
you?”

“Janelle, I never said he was. I said I have been
busy.”

“Sounds to me as if you’re avoiding him.” She arched
an eyebrow at her.

“Yes, Mellie, do answer the question. Are you
avoiding me?”

Heat flushed her at Toby’s bedroom voice. Glaring at
Ruby, who sat across from her and hadn’t felt it necessary to warn
her, Melinda spun the bottle in her fingers.

“No. I thought you would be gone by now.”

He sank his fingers into her hair and teased the
nape of her neck. “You know all those rumors?”

“Yes.”

“I like them.”

He tugged her head back and kissed her like she was
the air he needed to breathe. She lost herself over to his touch
until the whistles of her friends and others broke into her small
bubble.

“What did you do that for?” she demanded, doing her
best to ignore the catcalls.

They remained nose to nose. “You know I’m staking my
claim on you. I have to head back to New York for a while, but I
wanted to tell you I was leaving, and I
will
be back.” He
kissed her again. “I’ll see you soon.”

He walked away, and she closed her eyes when she
could no longer see him.
I can’t believe he just kissed me in
public and left to go back to New York, so I’m here to deal with
questions about it alone.

Her friends watched her with a look of astonishment
on their faces. All she could do was shrug, for she had no
answers.

***

Melinda’s mood hadn’t improved a month later. She
hated the fact she craved a word from Toby but had received
nothing. Her father wasn’t doing all that well either, and she
worked from sunup until her head hit the pillow at night.

She washed her dishes as Hermione sat on the sofa.
“Are you serious?” she asked her friend.

“Yes. He walked in today like nothing had happened
between us. Then dared approach me in the parking lot and act all
surprised when I said I had a date tonight.”

Melinda put down the rag and went to sit beside her
at the distressed tone. “Are you okay?”

“No. I wanted to punch him in the face. How dare
he?” she seethed. “Stroll back into town and my life after leaving
me as he did. If I never saw Brody Paget again, it would have been
too soon.”

Melinda caught her gaze and opened her arms.
Hermione sagged against her, crying. “He was my fiancé, damn it.
He’s not supposed to be doing well when he was the ass who walked
out.”

“What a mess we both are.” Melinda got back to the
sink and finished the last few dishes. “I say we need a girls’
night in. Junk food, movies, and the like.”

Her friend curled up on the couch, hugging a pillow
to her gut, looking more lost than she’d ever seen her.
Is this
what happens when you pine after someone? I don’t want to be like
this.

“I’ll be right back,” she said and walked to her
room. Digging on her dresser, she found the business card for one
Tobias Latner. She called the work number and waited for the time
to leave her voicemail.

“Mr. Latner, it’s Dr. Glazer. Whatever we may have
had is over. Good luck in your life.” She hung up, tossed the phone
on the bed, and left the room before the reality of what she’d done
could hit her and she understood how horrible it was. Right now,
she could be there for Hermione.

Chapter
Five

“Did you get your message, Mr. Latner?” Sherliyn,
his secretary, asked him as he strode by into his office.

“I did, thank you.” The reply, while polite, hid the
rage simmering unchecked inside him. He dropped his briefcase and
flopped down in his chair, spinning around to take in the New York
skyline. It had changed so much since 9/11, but he was growing
accustomed to the way it was now. He whirled back to the desk.

“I don’t think so, Mellie. You don’t get to break up
with me over a message.” He pushed a button on his computer, and
the screen jumped to life. Everything was in order on this end.

A knock on the door drew his attention from the
words he read. “Enter.”

His partner, Jacques Perrot. He swaggered in and
lounged in the chair across from Toby. “Are you sure about
this?”

“I am. Look, there’s minimal risk to you in this
venture, but it’s something I want to see through.”

He shrugged easily. “I’m not condemning your
decision, Toby. I’m on board with you. I was talking about this”—he
waved a hand about—“heading back to Cottonwood Falls.”

“Trust me, I’m sure.”

“This woman, she means so much?”

Toby rocked back in his chair. “She’s special;
there’s no denying that. I feel things for her I didn’t think I
would for any woman. I have no desire to be with another. I’m not
promising there’s wedding bells on line for next month, but I’m in
love with her.”

“And, this is the woman, you say, told you there is
nothing left between you?” Jacques gave him a pointed look.

“To a machine. She didn’t tell me to my face.”

“You’re crazy.”

“No, I’m relentless when I want something. And, I
want her.”

Jacques leaned forward, dark eyes glittering. “So,
wedding in two months?”

“If it is, you’ll be my first call.”

“I hope so. Let me walk you out.”

The men left, and Toby gave Sherliyn a hug, along
with a present. “Open it when you get home,” he said with a
wink.

“Good luck with your doctor,” Jacques said, standing
by the car door.

“Thanks. I’ll call when I get there and let you know
progress reports.”

His friend sobered. “I hope this works out for you,
Toby.”

“Don’t worry; the money will be earned back.”

A brief smile. “I was talking about you and
Mellie.”

Toby grinned, slid behind the wheel, and shut the
door. He had a two-day drive ahead of him and wanted to get
started. With a wave, he backed out and drove away. Grateful he’d
thought ahead, he left New York City before rush hour truly began.
It was NYC, after all; there was always traffic.

Two days later, he drove into the drive of what used
to be the Felton house. Now, it was his. He climbed out and dug for
the key he’d gotten from the realtor before coming here. A large
two-story home with ample yard. His things would be arriving within
the week.

He unlocked the door and let himself inside. After a
tour and a rest, he got back in his car and drove to Mellie’s
place. Her SUV in the drive had him parking beside it and walking
to the door.

He tested the knob, not shocked at all to find it
unlocked, and pushed in. “Mellie?” he called out, shutting himself
inside.

Unlike his last time here, there were no more boxes
cluttering the floor. The place was spotless.

“Mellie?”

“What are you doing in my house, Mr. Latner?” she
demanded, appearing at the end of the short hall.

“Looking for you.”

He raked his gaze up and down her body. She just
didn’t know her effect on him. Ripped sweat shorts and an older
t-shirt, and the way he reacted one would think she was in
something from Fredericks or Victoria’s.

She crossed her arms over her breasts. “Why?”

He stalked toward her, loving the way her pupils
dilated and her nose flared. “Did you really think I would let that
go as a break-up?”

“Breaking up implies going out. If you recall, we
were fucking.”

“Trust me, baby. I recall all of that fucking, as
you put it. Having you stretched out beneath me as I moved in you
slow, ignoring your pleas to go faster. Holding your gaze as I came
deep inside of that pussy. All our times together. Fast, slow, and
in-between. Your place, my bed, the barn. Even under the
waterfall.”

A tremor overtook her body, and he held his smirk
back.

“Either way,” she said, as if their times together
were inconsequential. “It’s done.”

He prowled around her, predator stalking prey. “Are
you sure?”

“Yes.”

“So you’ve moved on, then?”

She lifted her chin. “Yes.”

“I haven’t. I still wake up in the morning with your
name on my lips as I fist my cock, wishing it was your hand, your
pussy, or your mouth around it.” She whimpered and shifted her
stance. He stopped in front of her. “Ours was an odd discovery of
one another, I’ll give you that. But, if you can look me in the eye
and tell me you felt nothing during our time together and want
absolutely nothing to do with me, I’ll walk out that door right
now.”

“And leave me alone?”

“God no, I will work on courting you and changing
your mind.”

She licked her lips and his pants grew tighter.
“And, if I don’t say it?”