Living Lies (26 page)

He’s manipulating you with his gorgeous green eyes.

“I can play.”

“All right!” Stan said, racing away. “Hey, ref we’ve got our player.”

“Thanks, uh, Mel…” he was about to say something when Stan hollered.

“Hey, love, what’s your name?”

“Ward, Melanie Ward,” she told the man who was writing her name on a clipboard.

Melanie was introduced to the team, and tossed a blue jersey.

“Okay, then, time is up, folks.” The judge blew his whistle and clapped his hands together.

“Tiny thing, aren’t you? I hope you can play. If not, just stay out of the way,” Stan said, patting Melanie on the back.

From the first serve Adam tried to protect her. “You can’t cover both our areas,” she said. “Really, trust me.”

“These guys play rough.” He wasn’t trying to be condescending.

“I’m fine. You can’t win if you’re worried about me. I’ve got this.”

She did. And once he realized, they fell into sync. The sun burned and sweat dripped from her body. With the back of her hand she pushed back a strand of hair, sand scraping her forehead, then she called the score and served. The ball volleyed a few times before Melanie saw it head straight for an open corner. She lunged for the spot. Lifting her face, as she crashed, skidding across the coarse sand. The ball bounced off her wrists as a sharp pain seared from her hip. She heard the cheers as she pushed to her feet.

“We did it!” Adam shouted as he scooped her up in his arms and spun her around.

For an instant their eyes locked and without thinking Melanie bent down and pressed her lips to his. Her breath caught and they both hesitated. He tasted salty and she could feel his heartbeat quicken beneath his sweaty jersey. This was where she wanted to be, she reengaged in their kiss. Still in his elevated embrace, his fingers gripping her back, he lowered her. But their gaze didn’t break until his teammates pulled him away to celebrate.

Her heart was racing and she was feeling light-headed, mostly from the salty kiss but a bit from the pain. She hobbled gingerly off the court, pulling open her shorts to admire her crimson hip.

“Anything I can help you with?”

Melanie looked up at the man from the opposing team. His shoulder-length jet-black hair was slicked back into a ponytail and his accent was a Portuguese dialect. His gaze started at her hip and rose slowly up her body to her eyes.

“Are you a doctor?”

“Almost,” he smiled. “Well, it has always been my mother’s dream.”

Melanie chuckled.

His bright, white smile was enormous and he stretched out a hand.

“Javier Santos.”

“Melanie Ward,” she said taking his hand. “Brazilian?”

“Yes! Brava Melanie.”

He placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand, never taking his brown bedroom eyes off hers. Javier was tall and fit, each muscle well defined under bronzed skin. His brown eyes were almond shaped, and on first impression Melanie was reminded of a sleek, untamed panther.

“Melanie,” her name rolled off his tongue like a gentle breeze through a field of wheat. “Maybe I can teach you to speak my native tongue over dinner?”

“Sorry, I’m going to have to pass.”

“Another man? Which one?” His brow furrowed.

Five yards away he stood with Stan, her radio in his left hand. “Adam.”

Javier reviewed Adam before turning his attention back to Melanie. “Yes, he has a certain charm but no passion. A woman like you will become bored.”

Melanie shrugged.

“Here is my card. Melanie, call me.”

Sexuality oozed from his body. He kissed her hand and smiled powerfully enough to strip her of every piece of clothing.

“’Bye, Javier.”

She read his card: car salesman, Luhan Motors.

Should’ve known.

Melanie walked toward Adam as people trudged across the burning sand, seeking out valuable beach real estate. The sun was almost directly overhead and the wind had momentarily stopped, allowing her to feel the scorching rays penetrating into her skin. She did her best not to limp.

“You all right?” Adam asked, putting his hand gently on her bruising hip.

“I landed hard on that last dig. I may have bruised my hip. It’s not a big deal.”

“I think the medic is still here. Maybe he has an ice pack or something.” Adam put his arm around her waist, supporting her as she walked.

Melanie tried to protest as she wrapped her arm around his back, acutely aware that her deodorant was no longer giving off its spring mountain scent.

The medic looked to be in his early 20s and was disappointed to learn there was no gaping wound to treat.

Melanie wondered how much training this kid had received and was reminded of how pissed Stan had been. She sat on the bumper of the emergency vehicle, swallowing the two tablets she’d been given with an icy bottle of water.

“This ice pack is the best I’ve got. I brought some tape so you can stick it to your skin.”

He handed her the thin, rectangular frozen pouch and a roll of emergency tape.

“An ice pack and some Tylenol, the duct tape for the medical profession.”

Adam smiled, lifting her heart to a new height. The wind and humid air had put a curl at the ends of his dark hair, which the sun had lightened to a chestnut brown.

“Mel,” he said, rubbing his sweaty forehead. “I feel like I need to explain. I met Gigi in L.A. after you and I had ended things.”

“You don’t need to explain. I’m not going to say that I’m not disappointed but…”

“Just for the record, I’ve thought about you a lot, probably too much.”

“I saw that last night.” She couldn’t help herself.

He shook his head. “Believe me when I tell you that I’ve missed you.”

Melanie wanted to believe him, but what difference did it make?

“I just thought there was something between us, and to see how quickly I was replaced is surprising.”

“I thought you’d left.”

“That’s not the point, Adam. You know what, forget it.” She clenched her teeth.

“Jesus, Mel.”

“Jesus, Mel? Really?” She matched his volume level. “All of your sermonizing about not taking sex lightly and looking for the right woman and then within days you’ve suddenly found her?”

“You ditched me, remember?”

Melanie was about to counterattack when a woman’s voice cut through the din of the beach.

“Adam?”

Melanie looked up toward the parked cars. A woman,
the
woman, was waving at Adam.

“She’s here?” Melanie was furious.

“She was meeting me after she got off work.”

“So you two are really coupled,” she said under her breath. It wasn’t a question.

Melanie couldn’t take her eyes off the woman, Gigi, walking across the blazing sand, wearing a business suit and waving her silver heels over her head. A sadistic pang of enjoyment comforted her when Gigi gave a rapid assortment of yelps, her brain finally realizing that her bare feet were smoldering.

“Bright girl.”

“Mel, she’s a real estate attorney in L.A.”

Melanie rolled her eyes.

The volleyball players and their families cleared the sidelines gathering their chairs and ice chests.

“Hey, Adam, we’re meeting in 30,” called out, one of the teammates.

“I’ll catch you there,” Adam shouted back with a wave.

“You’re coming too, right Melanie?” Stan asked.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” she lied.

“Great, great game, both of you. Nice kiss, too.” Stan chortled, a pair of orange beach chairs swaying from each arm

“It was a nice kiss, you know,” Melanie whispered, regretfully.

“They always are with you.”

“Why her, then?”

“Mel, you’ll like Gigi once you get to know her.”

“Are you kidding?”

He stared down at her and Melanie looked at the woman he’d chosen. Gigi was still tussling with her shoe, trying to wedge her toes between the straps while standing on one foot.

Melanie only partially listened as Adam pointed out the similarities between her and Gigi.

Blah, blah, blah, w
as all she heard until the final sentence that she couldn’t ignore.

“Friends? We’re not friends.” Melanie spat.

“You serious?”

They stood toe-to-toe and for the moment Gigi, with one shoe on, was forgotten.

“What’d you think, I wanted to be drinking buddies?” Melanie looked at the boy medic who’d been hanging on every word. “Am I done here?”

“God damn it, Melanie, why do you want to make this so difficult?” Adam asked, yanking off his sunglasses. “I hate this. You don’t get to control everything.”

“But I do get to control who my friends are and who are not.”

He glared, “We’re not friends. So, what? We’re nothing?”

That hurt.

“I guess so.”

“You are so frustrating. I don’t understand what you want from me. Mel, we had one date and I feel...” He growled. “I have a girlfriend now and you are too complicated, too confused.”

Now she was angry and embarrassed. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Melanie clenched her teeth to stop the tears. Adam pushed back the top of his hair and shoved on a cap.

“I asked you if I was done here!” she blasted the kid.

“Uh, yeah,” he said, looking scared as he backed out of her way.

“You suck, Adam.”

“
You
suck, Melanie.”

Melanie took another glance at Gigi, who was attaining Amazon status with each enormous foot forward. She was as tall as Adam and now she was kicking sand out of her shoe after each step like a cat with something stuck to its paw. She gave the impression of a giant buffoon until Adam stepped up and lifted her in his arms and over

his shoulder.

Hurt and humiliated, Melanie pushed through the throng of annoying tourists with their arms full of beach crap.

“Excuse me,” she said with heated sarcasm.

“Pardon me.”

Melanie recognized the voice. She bit her lip and looked up into the panther’s eyes.

“In a hurry, Melanie?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you,” she said, hidden behind her sunglasses. “I was trying to escape an awkward situation.”

Javier looked over Melanie’s shoulder and she could tell by his expression that Adam and Gigi were still within sight.

“Apparently he already has a girlfriend.” Melanie smiled, tried making light of her embarrassment.

“I guess that means you’re free tonight.”

Melanie laughed at the simplification. “I guess so.”

“I’ve got a special event and I’m in need of a date. Do me the honor?”

“Javier, I don’t know.”

“Please.”

Reluctantly, she agreed.

Javier arrived at her door right on time wearing a loose, off-white linen shirt and dark chinos. His shiny black hair was slicked back, like it had been earlier but without the ponytail and tucked behind his ears.

“Hi,” Melanie said, holding open the screen door for him.

“You’re breathtaking.” He stood directly facing her, placing a kiss on each cheek. “Beautiful.”

“Hello,” Rita sang, peeking around Melanie.

“Hello,” he said in his thick accent, a smile lurking at the corner of his lips.

Melanie made the introductions. Rita had been overjoyed with the news that Melanie was going on a date.

“I now know where your daughter gets her radiance.”

Rita giggled like a schoolgirl. It was uncomfortable seeing such an intensely sexual person flirting with her mom. Melanie had to escape before her mom did something scary like flirt back.

“It was a pleasure to meet you.” He kissed the back of Rita’s hand.