Songbird (A Sinclair Story #1) (20 page)

“You
don’t think Nathan and my worlds are too far away to be able to co-exist?”
Melodee was curious of what Rose thought on their social class gap.

She
threw her hands in the air. “Phew, the only difference between you is money.
Nothing important.” She dismissed Melodee’s worries with a few more hand flaps.
“As long as one of you has enough money for food, shelter and baby, the rest is
not important.”

Melodee
got awkwardly to her feet, and moving around the bench she had to hug Rose.

“Thank
you for raising such amazing boys. You have made me the luckiest girl in the
world, and three other ladies will be giving you this same hug one day.”

Rose
patted her shoulder. The doorbell sounded then and Rose took over with Jewel
while Melodee went to let Candice in.

Forty
minutes later Candice helped Melodee slide on her flat, leather boots. She
wasn’t in condition for heels yet, so tonight she was going to be short. The
final touch was her gold cuff bracelet.

“You
look stunning,” Candice gasped, stepping back for a better look. “Nathan is
going to lose his shit.”

A
few tears speckled her eyes, and while Melodee knew Candice was a crier, this
was still unexpected. She raised her brows at her.

“Sorry,
it’s just hard loving a Sinclair, I should know, but looking at you and the joy
shining from your eyes, it must be worth it. And Nate’s a changed man.”

“Matthew?”
Melodee guessed.

Candice
snorted. “I’ve loved the stubborn bastard from the moment he saved me from
drowning when I was six.” She sighed, swallowing loudly. “And he’s hated me
from the moment he fell apart when he was fifteen over his bitch of a step-mom.
I was the only witness. I don’t think he’s ever forgiven me for seeing his
weakness.” Candice gasped. “Shit, don’t tell him I told you that.”

Melodee
shook her head. “Your secret is safe with me, but I wouldn’t give up on
Matthew.”

Melodee
wasn’t the best judge of real relationships. She’d been in just one her entire
life, but the tension between Matthew and Candice had to mean something.

“I’ve
tried to give him up,” Candice confessed. “But Matty is under my skin so far I
can’t get him out.”

She
jumped to her feet. “Anyways, enough about me and my problems. You should have
a look before Nathan sees you and musses my hard work.”

Melodee
moved slowly into her bathroom. She stopped as her reflection came into view.

“Shit,
Candy you missed your calling as one of those fashion makeover people,” Melodee
said, as Candice appeared over her shoulder, her gorgeous face grinning.

Melodee
couldn’t believe how different she looked. Her hair was shining, and for once
curled softly to her shoulders. Her eyes looked huge and so damn blue with the
kohl and mascara. Candice had dressed her in a short, tight white dress with
black stockings and black boots. The dress was knitted, and looked reasonably
modest from the front, but when she turned around, it had almost no back at
all. It was cut away all the way down to an inch over her butt. She was as
ready for her first date as she would ever be.

Melodee
grabbed her coat, bag and cell, before tiptoeing in to check on Jewel. Her
princess was sound asleep, one hand gripping her silky comforter, the other
over her eyes. Melodee had all the monitors on and Rose held the microphone
part so she could hear if the baby woke while they were out.

“Thanks,
Candy, you’re a great friend.” She hugged the blonde girl as she was leaving.
“I owe you one.”

“Nah,
it was my pleasure, but as soon as you’re better I’ll line up a few of those
self-defense classes.”

Melodee
grinned. “I can’t wait.”

As
the door shut behind Candice, Melodee realized she’d made her first female
friend. Look at her fitting into society like a normal person. She heard the
door open again, and thinking Candice had forgotten something Melodee turned
back around. Nathan stood in the doorway. His aqua eyes locked on her and they
were filled with heat. He was dressed in an open collar suit, his blond hair
damp as if he’d just gotten out of a shower. He held a huge bouquet of flowers.
Melodee froze; her heart stopped beating and the ability to breathe suddenly
got very difficult.

She was fucking beautiful.
Nathan couldn’t tear his eyes from where she stood in the entry hall. All
thought and reason flew out of his head, and if she wasn’t injured he’d already
have her out of those sexy ass clothes and against the wall, with him finally
inside of her. But he could be patient for a little longer. Hurting her was
just not an option for him. As she stepped toward him, a brilliant smile
crossing her features, Nathan forgot all of his plans for the night. The limo
out the front, the restaurant he had booked out completely so they’d have it to
themselves, the handpicked dinner and dessert. Instead, he dropped to one knee
in the damn hallway of his apartment, no romance, no planning, the bundles of
flowers he’d carried simply flowing out onto Melodee’s boots.

“Marry
me, Dee.” He pulled the ring box from his pocket. “I can’t live without you. My
life is fucking beautiful with you in it and there’s no doubt that you are
mine.”

“And
you are mine,” Melodee said, and she awkwardly dropped to her knees in front of
Nathan. “And despite the fact you said fuck during my wedding proposal, it would
be the greatest gift in my life to marry you.”

Nathan
flicked open the box and Melodee gasped. Her hands flew to her face as she
stared at the ring. It had a flawless, round-cut, three carat center diamond,
and then there were two thin bands and they were covered in tiny sapphire
stones that went all the way around. It was without doubt the most stunning
ring she had ever seen. Nathan reached out and slipped it onto her finger. It
fit perfectly and looked huge on her hand. She was grateful that her right hand
was the one in a cast.
 

And
then she was in his arms, his lips descending onto hers, and she drowned in his
kiss for endless minutes. His tongue stroked hers, coaxing it, caressing it,
stripping her of everything that made her Melodee before building her right
back up again. In that endless kiss she was undone, but she knew Nathan would
be there to catch her.

“Take
me to bed, Nathan Sinclair,” she gasped out when she managed to tear her mouth
from his.

It
was at that moment that Candice burst through the door with Charles right
behind her.

“Sorry,
Dee, I forgot…” She trailed off as she took in the sight of them on their
knees, flowers everywhere, and the gorgeous ring on Melodee’s finger.

“Oh
my God, he proposed,” Candice trilled, clutching her hands together.

“Nice
job, man,” Charles said. “Sinclairs work fast when they know what they want.”

“It’s
so romantic,” Candice chimed in again. “And Matt’s gonna lose his shit.” She
turned to Nathan. “Let me tell him, please. Come on. This is a once in a lifetime
opportunity.”

Nathan
didn’t tear his eyes from Melodee as he spoke.

“I
will tell you once, before I throw your asses out the door. Get. Out.”

They
both snorted with laughter, before backing out the way they came, the door
slamming behind them.

Nathan
noticed the fleeting look of unease that crossed Melodee’s features.

“Are
they right?” She focused on him. “We’ve known each other for no more than two
months. This is crazy.”

Nathan
lowered his face until their foreheads rested together. “You’re a fighter, Dee.
You have spent your entire life relying on your gut, your instincts. What are
they telling you now? Is this the right decision? Listen to your heart. Listen
to you.”

He
waited patiently, his aqua eyes never shifting from her, his head touching hers
lightly.

A
brilliant smile crossed her features. “Damn, I’ve never been surer of anything
in my life. If this was a fight, I’d know I had it won before I even stepped
into the cage.”

“That’s
my girl,” Nathan said, as he gently lifted her into his arms.

He
couldn’t stop kissing her as he walked toward his bedroom. Nathan had never
been afraid of much in his life, but losing Melodee and Jewel literally scared
the shit out of him.

“I’m
starting to think I like dates,” Melodee sighed, as she pulled back a little.

Nathan
laughed. “I planned on flying us to Italy in my private jet, but this feels
even better.”

Melodee
snorted. “I’d laugh, except I’m sure you are serious and that’s a ridiculous
first date.”

“I
thought that was pretty tame.” He shut his door behind them, before lowering
her to stand next to his bed. “I’ll have to work on my ideas for next time.”

Melodee
lost her train of thought as his eyes darkened and locked onto her face.

“Turn
around.”

Melodee couldn’t have found
her voice to argue, even if she wanted to. Slowly, holding her breath, she
turned until her back faced him. She could hear the low growl from Nathan, and
desire pooled low in her belly. Her knees buckled a little, but Nathan held her
up with one hand. With his other hand he traced a slow, burning path from the
top of her spine down to the curve above her ass.

“Fuck,
you have no idea what this dress is doing to me,” his voice and breath rasped
in her ear and she closed her eyes as delicious anticipation flooded her. “All
I can think about is ripping every lace strand from your perfect body. It’s
getting difficult to remember that you’re injured.”

She
finally found her voice. “Please, Nathan, I need you.”

Nathan
lowered his head, and his mouth followed the path his hand had taken down her
body. Melodee felt as if she was going to explode from the sensation. She could
feel the wetness between her legs already. Nathan was like the ultimate
aphrodisiac, he only had to be close and her body reacted to him.

Nathan
slid a hand on either side of her thighs and up under the short dress, and then
in one movement had it up and over her head. She tried to turn around, but his
hands held her in place. Normally, she’d have freaked at a person standing at
her exposed and vulnerable back, especially when she had no idea what he was
about to do. But she had a level of trust in Nathan that was unprecedented in
her world. In deference to her injuries, he continued with his gentle assault.
Kissing along her body, touching her, and all the while she could see nothing
he was doing. She was pretty much using the bed to keep herself upright.
Finally, he lifted her and placed her on the bed and helped her roll over so
she could see him. His expression was serious as he stared down at her.

“You
have to promise not to get hurt again,” he said, having to clear his throat.
“I’m not sure my heart could handle it again. You almost left me a broken man.”

Melodee
reached up and placed her hand on the side of his beautiful face. “I’ll fight
for us, Nathan, don’t ever doubt it.”

His
mouth captured hers, taking and demanding in return, before starting to kiss
down her body. Each breast received thorough attention before his mouth reached
the place she’d been waiting for. His tongue caressed her, loving every inch,
before he moved with more urgency over her clitoris. He went slowly, allowing a
gradual buildup. The explosion of her orgasm was as insane as always, but
gentle enough not to strain her injuries.

Nathan
rose over her body, his strong arms straight on either side of her. “I want to
make love to you, but we won’t tonight.”

“Nathan,
my injuries are not that bad,” she protested.

“Don’t
argue, Dee, you just got out of hospital.” He shifted her so that they lay
under the covers, his large body cradling her. “You need rest.” He lifted her
left hand and kissed the finger on which his ring sat. With a sigh she sank
into the warmth and safety, closing her eyes for the first decent sleep in
weeks.

Chapter 15

The judge signed the last
pieces of paper before handing them across to Nathan and Melodee. She smiled,
her gray hair pulled back tightly, but she had kind eyes. “It’s official, you
two are parents. The case worker gave you glowing reviews, but really I can see
from twenty minutes with the three of you that you’re already a family. Good
luck.”

Nathan
and Melodee added their signatures to the adoption and official change of name
forms, before they were slid back into the judge’s folder. Jewel gave a happy
gurgle then and Melodee laughed as she kissed her cheek. Nathan pulled them
both into his arms when they stood.

“Best
day of my life,” he told the judge.

“Say
hello to Lincoln for me,” she replied as she gathered her things and left the
room.

“We
really have to thank your father. No way would this have happened so quickly
without him.” Melodee picked up the nappy bag, but Nathan took it from her
before she could sling it over her shoulder.

“Yeah,
especially the way he shoved the whole kidnapping business under the rug. Our
case-worker reviews wouldn’t have been so glowing otherwise.” Nathan shook his
head. “But Dad’s slowly chipping away at his mean old bastard title. He seems
to be happy to have a grandbaby to spoil.” Nathan led them out of the building,
holding open the back door of his car so Melodee was able to settle Jewel into
her seat. “It helps to be away from Mother’s poisonous personality. Her
extended vacation has been refreshing for everyone.”

Nathan’s
mother was refusing to speak with any of them, but Lincoln had actually visited
a few times, and it was his influence that facilitated their adoption of Jewel.
They settled into the car and Nathan cranked the heat. It was still freezing mid-February.

“So
my agent rang,” he said casually as they pulled out of the car park. “I’ve got
an unofficial offer from the Knicks. I still have to go into the draft pool but
I’m hearing it’s looking good.”

A
broad smile spread across Melodee’s face. That was the second best news she’d
heard all day.

“I’m
so proud of you. I never had any doubts you’d achieve your dreams,” she said,
leaning over to kiss his cheek. Thankfully, her injuries were almost healed.

Melodee
sank back in her seat. “I feel as if luck follows you around. I’ve never had so
many good things happen since I met you.”

Nathan
laughed. “Dee, you just got out of hospital after almost dying.”

She
waved her hand. “You know what I mean.”

He
reached out and laced his fingers with hers. “So I have a surprise for you.”
His voice tightened, along with the hand which clutched Melodee’s. “But I’m not
sure if you’re going to hate it.”

“You
sounds a little unsure, Slam Dunk. Where’s the famous Sinclair confidence?”

He
lowered his voice. “Do you trust me?”

She
didn’t even hesitate before answering. “Completely.”

“Alright,
then we have a little detour to take.” He pulled the car off to the side road,
before turning around and heading in the opposite direction.

About six hours later, when
the plane finally touched down onto an unknown private airport, Melodee spun in
her huge leather chair to face Nathan.

“Can
you tell me yet where we’re going?”

“You
said you trusted me?” he teased.

“Are
we even still in America?” Her voice rose. “I don’t have a passport.”

Nathan
laughed. “I organized everything, including a passport. Why do you think it
took a little extra time at the courthouse today?”

She
looked out the window again, trying to determine where they had landed. It
looked very natural. Lots of lovely green could be seen beyond the airport
grounds. Finally they were free to disembark. Nathan carried Jewel and Melodee
followed them off.

A
man met them at the bottom of the stairs, which had been extended off the
private plane.

“Welcome
back to Florence, Mr. Sinclair. Your car is waiting.”

He
handed Nathan a few things and pointed toward the black Town Car which was
idling on the pavement.

“Did
he just say Florence?” Melodee hissed. “As in Florence, Italy?” The weather was
very mild here, almost warm after the freeze they’d just left.

Nathan
grinned at her again, his features relaxed. “You’re terrible at surprises.”

She
sighed, before sliding into the car. Nathan followed after strapping Jewel into
the baby seat which had already been in the car.

“I’m
taking you to our home in Italy,” he said. “It’s one of my favorite places in
the world.”

Melodee
was speechless. She’d never been outside of America, and this was beyond a
dream. Her eyes were glued to the scenery for the entire drive, which took well
over an hour. Nathan pointed out landmarks, and she couldn’t believe how much
history was present in the buildings here. Its beauty astounded her.

“Our
home is in Livorno,” he finally said, as the beautiful waters came into view.
“It’s on a large piece of land overlooking the sea.”

The
car turned onto a long winding driveway, taking a path along the cliff and up
to the top. When they car came to a halt, Melodee clicked open the door before
the driver could get to it. She couldn’t stop herself from approaching the stunning
two story cathedral home. It looked like it had stood on this cliff forever. It
was brick, but there was spiraling flowered ivy ascending to the balconies.

Nathan
wrapped an arm around her, and together with Jewel they stepped up to the front
door. It was unlocked, so they moved through into the large, open spaced foyer.
Melodee stopped dead at the sight before her. The front room was filled with
people: Nathan’s brothers, Candice, and a handful of others she didn’t know.
She spun her head to stare as Nathan.

“What’s
going on?” she asked, her brow furrowing.

“I
was thinking we could have a little wedding,” he said casually, although the
heat in his eyes spoke of something stronger. “I don’t want to wait any longer
for you to be my wife. But,” he added, “if you want to plan something different
for the wedding, this can just be a family holiday.”

Melodee
threw herself into his arms. He shifted Jewel at the last minute so he could
catch her.

“I'm
ready right now, I don’t need anything fancy.”

Candice
snorted from behind her. “Better cancel the ten-piece string quartet setting up
outside.”

“What?”
Melodee spun to face her.

Nathan
cleared his throat. “Nothing for you to worry about, Candy’s chosen a few
dresses so you can at least have some say in that. And one for Jewel. We’ll set
up the rest.”

With
one last kiss he placed Jewel in her arms, and Candice led Melodee up the
massive double stairs to the second floor.

Melodee
faced her friend. “What the hell just happened? A few hours ago we were in Syracuse
and now I’m in Italy about to get married.”

Candice
gave her a hug. “This is how the Sinclairs work. Generally, its strap-in and
enjoy the ride. But I’m happy to sneak you out if you need a little time to
think it through.”

Melodee
laughed then, snuggling her daughter close. “Are you kidding me, I was dreading
planning a massive, overly ornate wedding to try and please the millions of
Sinclair hangers-on. This is my dream come true.”

“I
figured.” Candice linked her arm through Melodee’s. “So let’s find you a
dress.”

They
entered the second door down the massive hallway. It was decorated in bright
Tuscan colors, large with a couple of squishy couches. It looked like a sitting
room. Melodee could see through the far doorway to the bathroom. Candice led
her straight across to a large rack of white, plastic-covered dresses.

“I
just asked the local dressmaker to send over a selection,” Candice said. “She’s
very sought after for her wedding gowns. Luckily, she is an old friend of
Nate’s gran.”

Melodee
could see why her dresses were in demand. They were masterpieces of silk, lace
and glittery adornments. She set Jewel on the ground. The little girl was happy
to play with the bottom of the dress bags while Melodee shifted through the
rack. She pushed past the puffy skirts, having no desire to look even shorter.
She halted halfway through as a champagne color caught her eye. It had a
heart-shaped neck line, the bodice was delicate lace with thousands of stunning
beads. The dress was form fitted until it reached the pale lace and tulle
skirt. Unlike the puffy mermaid style ones earlier, this dress was perfect.

“That
would look gorgeous,” Candice gasped. “And it has a corset bodice, so we should
get a perfect fit.”

Melodee
pulled it free from the rack and laid it across the closest chair.

“Okay,
there is a matching dress for Jewel. So now you need to shower and I’ll call in
the hair and makeup people.” Candice started to nudge her. Melodee reached down
and picked up the baby from where she was on her back kicking at the dress
bottoms.

“I’ll
shower Jewel with me,” Melodee said, as Candice shuffled her into the massive
bathroom and shut the door.

Ten
minutes later, dressed in towels and bathrobes, Melodee exited to find the room
filled with people. Before she could say anything, Candice was rushing forward,
taking Jewel and shoving Melodee toward a short, dark skinned man.

“This
is Marco, he’ll be your hairdresser today.” Candice smiled.

“Gorgeous,”
Marco declared. “Ahh, make my job so much easier.” He had a heavy Italian
accent as he continued to chatter and led her toward a chair and mirror that
had clearly been set up just for this. A woman followed, but she was very quiet
as she shuffled around.

After
a while Melodee simply closed her eyes. She started to meditate, anything to
stop herself from mentally freaking out. There were too many people in the room
and too many people touching her, but she could do this for Nathan. She
pictured his face and that helped to calm her. Her phone, which had been
sitting in her clenched hand, vibrated and rang. Without opening her eyes she
slid the call accept.

“Are
you okay, baby?” Nathan’s voice washed over her, increasing her inner calm.

“Of
course, I’m being all prettied up for you,” she said, a smile crossing her face
for the first time since she left the bathroom.

“And
hating every second I’ll bet. Tell them to hurry up, you don’t need to be any
more beautiful, and I’m sure it feels like torture.”

Melodee
laughed. “Nah, this is nothing. I love you,” she said as she went to hang up
the phone.

“And
I you,” he replied. “You’re my life, my songbird.”

The
tone sounded in her ear and her heart fluttered in her chest as joy flooded
her. She opened her eyes then, finally able to deal with the situation. She
froze as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. They must have finished
while she was on the phone, and she looked so different.

Candice
had a few tears in her eyes. “You look stunning. Nathan’s going to cry. I
better get my camera ready.”

Melodee
stood slowly, moving back a little to see the full picture. Her hair shone,
like black silk, curled and pinned up in loose ringlets. Her makeup was
flawless, her skin perfect ivory, her eyes huge, and the sapphire color was
deep enough to almost look like a midnight purple.

Candice
had her hands clasped together. “Let’s get you in your dress.”

Melodee
looked around for her daughter. “Where’s Jewel?”

“She’s
having a little nap.” Candice had her tucked into a padded, woven basket. “This
was Nathan’s daybed when he was a baby. He asked me to bring it up for Jewel.”

Melodee
loved how thoughtful Nathan could be.

It
took two of them to get her into the many buttons and laces of the dress. It
fit her perfectly, and if she wore heels it wouldn’t even be too long.

“Lucky
she had a decent selection of dresses for petite women,” Candice said.

Candice
was a lot taller than Melodee, towering over her as she finished the buttons.
Melodee hadn’t noticed at first, but there were two men discreetly taking
photos of everything that was happening. She almost protested, hating the way
this violated her privacy, but she knew they were just there to capture this
moment. And that was something she wanted to keep.

“Alright,
shoes now.”

Melodee
slipped her feet into very comfortable and padded heels. Despite the fact they
had three inch heels, she knew immediately she’d have no problem walking in
them.

Jewel
cried out, having awoken hungry for her bottle. Once she was fed and changed,
it was time to slip the champagne silk dress, with flowers and a bow on the
back, over her tiny head. Melodee felt a few tears prick her eyes at how
beautiful Jewel looked. She lowered her head and rested it against the silken
black curls. A few flashes went off, which she ignored. The last touch was a
lace headband slipped onto Jewel’s head.