More Than Friends (22 page)

She nodded. “I think it is.”

As she walked out of the bar, she texted Melanie and asked if she could see her soon. Her phone beeped with a response before she reached her car. When Melanie asked her to come over, she smiled, hoping that meant Melanie wanted to see her just as badly.

Chapter Eighteen

Melanie opened the door before Evelyn had a chance to ring the bell. She leaned against it and smiled, and Evelyn’s doubts began to melt under the warmth spreading through her. Melanie wore a T-shirt and old blue sweats, and her disheveled hair indicated she must have fallen asleep and just woken up when she texted.

“I wasn’t thinking—you have to work in the morning. If it’s too late, I can just go home.”

“Come here.” Melanie took her hand and pulled her inside.

“I missed you.” When Melanie loosened her hand as if about to let go, she held on and Melanie wrapped her fingers back around Evelyn’s.

“Me, too,” Melanie said softly. “How was work?” Her question was purposely general, but she surely meant how had things gone with Kendall.

“She won’t talk to me.”

“Do you think we should stop seeing each other?”

“No. Would I be a better friend if I said yes? Maybe. But,” she urged Melanie closer and rested her hands on her hips, “I can’t believe that making all three of us miserable is the best solution.”

Melanie rested her forehead against hers. “I don’t want to be the reason you two can’t be friends.” The sadness in Melanie’s tone sent a streak of panic through her chest.

“Please, don’t tell me that you’ve decided we shouldn’t be together.”

“Ev—”

“No, Mel, no.” She didn’t want to hear that she’d lost Melanie, too.

“Maybe if we weren’t together, maybe Kendall would—”

“She wouldn’t.”

“It’s worth a shot, Ev. She already hates me. You can tell her I came on to you.”

She pressed two fingers to Melanie’s mouth. “I’m not going to do that.”

“She might forgive you.”

“I’m happy, Mel. For the first time in my life I know what other people feel. When I’m not with you, you’re all I can think about.” She laid her hand against the side of Melanie’s face, stroking the hollow below her cheekbone. “I understand why Kendall’s hurt and I know it’s my fault—”

“Our fault.”

“Okay, our fault. And I miss her, I do. But this—your friendship matters, too.” Flooded with emotions, she swallowed the words that would convey just how much she felt for Melanie.

“Evelyn.”

“No.” She covered Melanie’s mouth with hers. What began as a means to silence Melanie quickly deepened. Melanie threaded her fingers behind her neck and pulled her closer, slanting their mouths together. Melanie’s hands found their way to her hair, holding her, and she traced the shell of her ears with her thumbs.

She shoved her hand under Melanie’s shirt, desperate for skin, and when she found it, on Melanie’s soft belly, she couldn’t contain the sigh that whispered against Melanie’s lips.

Melanie kissed her jaw, then moved to her neck, biting gently. Sharp points of arousal followed each scrape of teeth against her skin.

“Melanie?”

“Yes?”

“Kendall knows about us now.” She eased her hand back and grasped the hem of Melanie’s shirt.

“Yes.”

“Does that mean the ban on sex has been lifted?” She pushed the shirt up, pausing after she’d exposed several inches of Melanie’s stomach. She’d never been so nervous at the thought of escalating a physical relationship.

“I suppose it does.” Melanie placed a hand over hers. “But don’t you think we should talk about this a bit more first?”

“No, I don’t.” She walked them to the couch and urged Melanie back. “I’m tired of thinking and talking.” Moving on top of her, she added, “I’ve wanted to touch you for so long. Please, let me.”

Melanie met her eyes, arousal burning as hotly there as in her own body. Melanie guided her hand farther under her shirt and up her torso until her palm covered the lacy cup of Melanie’s bra. She snuck her fingers inside and caressed a hardening nipple, then paused.

“What’s wrong?” Melanie gasped.

“Nothing.” She smiled, Melanie’s breathless tone had her trembling with the effort of holding back. “I’m just waiting for my brain to catch up. Right now all I can think is, ‘You’re touching Melanie’s breast.’”

“Yeah? Do you think it will catch up soon?”

“Maybe.Why?”

Melanie grabbed her wrist and pushed both of their hands beneath the waistband of her boxers. “You might have to outrun it, because I really need you to touch me right now.”

When her fingers grazed soft hair, then slipped into moist flesh, Evelyn groaned. “You’re not wearing panties.”

“You’re stating the obvious.” Melanie lifted her hips, causing her fingers to probe deeper. Melanie closed her eyes and a small smile lifted one side of her mouth. Entranced by Melanie’s sigh of pleasure, she stroked her slowly, giving a little more pressure with each pass over her clitoris.

Melanie pulled Evelyn’s shirt up until it tangled around her shoulders. “Take this off.”

Evelyn sat up and yanked it over her head.

“Your bra, too,” Melanie said breathlessly. God, Evelyn was gorgeous. She drank in the sight of Evelyn’s tight abs, strong shoulders, and lean, muscled arms. She’d seen Evelyn in a swimsuit before, knew she had a great body, but she’d never looked at her in this light.

She hooked her hands around the waistband of Evelyn’s jeans, her fingers making Evelyn’s skin jump. Testing, she raked them lightly over her belly and she twitched in response. Evelyn reached behind her and unhooked her bra, revealing small, perfect breasts. Melanie traced two fingers around the swell of her chest, circling toward her nipple, which puckered in anticipation of the touch she didn’t yet deliver. “Beautiful.”

Evelyn stretched over her, putting her hand back in Melanie’s boxers. When Evelyn cupped her and slipped a finger inside, Melanie moaned. She wrapped her leg around Evelyn’s hip and pressed up, seeking more. Evelyn ground her hips between her legs, trapping her hand between them, creating the pressure she wanted.

Evelyn buried her face in her neck as she thrust against her. Melanie hugged her shoulders, loving the feeling of being pinned beneath her, and planted her feet into the sofa cushion, scrambling for leverage to bring them even closer together.

When Evelyn sat up, kneeling between her legs, she tried to rise with her. But Evelyn placed a hand in the center of her chest and held her in place.

“I want to slow down,” Evelyn said, her eyes liquid with need.

“Later. We have all night.” Right now, she didn’t care if their first time together was a quick, half-dressed romp on the sofa.

“Exactly. We have all night. So what’s the rush?” When Evelyn worked her boxers over her hips and down her legs, her hands trembled and Melanie could tell her control wasn’t as strong as she tried to make it appear. Challenged, she cupped Evelyn’s small breast. She rubbed her thumb lightly across her nipple and it tightened. Evelyn bit her lower lip, her eyes dark with desire, and heavy arousal throbbed between Melanie’s legs.

She grasped Evelyn’s hips and tugged her back down. As Evelyn sprawled across her, she slipped her leg between Evelyn’s.

“No rush. Take your time,” she growled in Evelyn’s ear as she bent her leg and pushed her thigh snugly against her center. “But you don’t mind if I amuse myself while I’m waiting, do you?” She smiled, slipped her hand between them, and toyed with Evelyn’s nipple. Evelyn shivered. “Sensitive, huh? Now there’s something I didn’t know about you.”

“Yeah. It’s funny the things that don’t come up in five years of friendship.”

Intrigued, she braced her hands on Evelyn’s shoulders and pushed her up. She rose and took one of Evelyn’s nipples into her mouth, sucking gently and flicking it with her tongue.

“Oh, God, hold on, Mel.” Evelyn arched her back, but with Melanie’s legs tangled in hers, she was unable to get away.

Melanie switched her attention to Evelyn’s other breast. Evelyn moaned and cradled her head to her chest. Intoxicated with the power of controlling Evelyn from beneath her, she wrapped her arms around Evelyn’s torso, her palms flat against her strong back. Evelyn’s hips moved against hers and she braced herself against the sofa. Evelyn’s motions teased the pleasure building between her legs, and even when she wrapped her legs around Evelyn’s hips and pulled her closer, she didn’t get quite enough pressure.

She released Evelyn’s nipple, unwound her arms, and lay back. “I need you.” She moaned, distantly aware that she’d probably never had the control at all.

Evelyn scooted down the sofa, pausing to kiss the hollow of her hip and her stomach just below her navel. Melanie trembled. Evelyn looked up, her gaze heavy with arousal, then lowered her head and dragged her tongue along her clit. Melanie barely had time to register the singe of bliss before Evelyn returned with even more fervor, sucking her fully into her mouth. Numb pleasure started at Melanie’s fingertips and toes and traveled to her center, seizing her muscles with each stroke of Evelyn’s tongue and the pull of her mouth.

Sensation overwhelmed her. The contrast of Evelyn’s warm mouth and the cool leather against her bare ass heightened her experience. Far too quickly, she was in danger of tipping over the precipice.

“Oh, don’t stop,” she gasped, clutching Evelyn’s shoulder. She craved the impending release yet wished she could prolong the ecstasy that assailed her. When Evelyn pressed two fingers inside, the last shred of her will slipped away and she gave herself up to the crashing orgasm.

She arched and cried out, her muscles rigid, her hand firm against the back of Evelyn’s head. Evelyn continued to thrust slowly and gentled her tongue, lapping through the contractions that pulsed in her flesh.

Melanie sighed and flung her arm over her forehead as she sagged into the sofa. Evelyn laid her head on her thigh and stretched her arm up, resting her hand in the center of her chest. When Melanie took a deep breath, her chest rose then fell into a slight concave, and the swell of her breasts embraced Evelyn’s fingers.

Evelyn turned her cheek into Melanie’s leg and kissed the soft skin of her inner thigh. “That was amazing.”

“I think that’s my line.” She lay quietly for a moment longer, enjoying the aftershocks. When the sharp points had smoothed into a languid flutter, she said, “I did learn another thing I didn’t know about you.”

“What’s that?”

“Jennifer Prince was right. You are a stud in bed.”

Evelyn smiled. “Yeah?”

“Mmm-hmm, but we didn’t actually make it to the bed, did we?”

“Not yet.”

*

Evelyn opened her eyes slowly, first registering warmth against her back, then the solid feel of an arm around her waist and legs pressed firmly along her butt and thighs. She rolled over and Melanie stirred only long enough to snuggle closer to her side. Evelyn smiled and kissed her forehead. Last night hadn’t been a dream, and waking next to a very naked Melanie Cook didn’t feel strange at all. In fact, she felt as if she’d been waiting for this day for most of her life.

The way things currently stood with Kendall cast the only shadow on her morning. She’d always thought that when she finally found someone who made her feel this way, she would share her happiness with Kendall and Melanie. She’d imagined the four of them going out to dinner or taking vacations together. And of course, the love of her life, still faceless in her mind, would get along great with her friends.

Reality had definitely thrown her a curve. That faceless love now had Melanie’s beautiful features—the same delicately arched brows that she currently traced with her finger, the strong chin with the slightest indentation, and the full lips that last night had brought exquisite pleasure as they puckered around her nipple. Had she just so easily cast Melanie as the love of her life?

Even the touch of panic at that thought couldn’t erase the memory of last night. She squeezed her thighs together as she recalled the hours they’d spent touching each other. She glanced at the clock. They had plenty of time, if she woke Melanie right now, for another round. But they’d gone to sleep only a few hours ago as it was, and since Melanie had to be at work so much earlier than she did, she should probably let her sleep.

Melanie moved in her sleep and her hand brushed down Evelyn’s chest and came to rest low on her stomach, her fingers teasing the crease where her hip and thigh met. Her skin tingled under Melanie’s hand and set off a fuse that crackled the few inches to her clit. She shifted her hips and Melanie stirred and opened her eyes.

“Hey, good morning,” Melanie rasped.

“Yes, it is.” She stroked Melanie’s hair back and tucked it behind her ear. “You should sleep for a bit longer.”

Melanie nodded groggily and closed her eyes. She burrowed her face into Evelyn’s neck and kissed her softly.

“Mmm, I don’t think you can do that.” She pressed her cheek to Melanie’s forehead.

“Why not?”

“Because I kept you up all night and your alarm is going off in forty-five minutes. You should sleep until then.” She sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. God, it would be so easy to get lost in making love to Melanie again. But she could stave off logic for only so long. Now, she needed to get her head around what had happened. Wherever they went from here, she could not let Melanie get hurt.

“Where are you going?”

“For a run.”

“Damn. I forgot how much of a morning person you are,” Melanie said

“Do you want to go?”

“Hell, no. Lucas and I are building a retaining wall today. I’ll get my exercise lugging around stones and bags of mortar. Do you have to?”

“I can’t lie here much longer without touching you.”

“So touch me.” Melanie caressed her thigh. She met Evelyn’s eyes as she slid her hand slowly upward. “We can be quick.”

Evelyn bent and kissed Melanie’s forehead. “Take a power nap. I’ll be back in an hour.”

“If you time it right, you might catch me in the shower and we’ll see,” Melanie said with a wink. She grabbed Evelyn’s arm and pulled her down for a proper kiss. When she released her, Evelyn fought the desire to crawl back into bed with her. “I’ll make you breakfast when you get back.”