Turning the Page (21 page)

Melanie's hand stopped in mid-air, the book she was about to shelve floating just inches from

its destination. Finally, she set it down, staring at it as she turned the question over and over

in her mind. It was a pretty simple one, really. Just yes or no, right? The problem was, she'd

been avoiding asking herself the very same question, scared to death of what the answer

might be.

Lynda watched her carefully, watched the various emotions as they marched across her

expressively beautiful face. She was surprised to find herself thinking what a lucky woman

Taylor Rhodes was and hoping that the young brunette knew it. "Melanie?" she prodded softly.

Melanie nodded almost imperceptibly before answering. "I think I am," she whispered at last.

"My God, I think I am." She laughed, a sound which held very little humor. "What the hell happened? I'm thirty-three years old, for crying out loud, I just now realize I'm a lesbian?"

"Consider yourself lucky," Lynda chuckled. "I know some women who didn't come out until they were in their fifties."

Melanie turned a stricken face to her friend. "No."

Lynda laughed out loud. "True."

Melanie dropped into the other chair. "Oh, Lynda. What do I do?"

"First thing I suggest you do is chill. Stressing yourself out is going to get you nowhere fast."

Melanie nodded. She never got this worked up. Never. Not even when an account was in danger

of deserting Rucker & Steele.

Nothing had ever made her stomach churn and her head ache like the current situation.

"You've got a point."

"Have you slept with her?"

"No." She said it almost sadly, which Lynda found amusing. Not that Melanie hadn't thought about sleeping with Taylor, dreamed about it, obsessed over it. Images of the two of them

together, Taylor moving above her, Taylor touching her with those beautiful hands, Taylor's

fingers, lips, tongue on her, in her, stroking, coaxing, driving her higher, making her gasp for

breath...she swallowed hard, feeling her face flush.

"Have you talked to Taylor? About how you feel?"

"What? No. Absolutely not."

"Why?"

"What the hel would I say?"

"Have you stopped to think that maybe she feels the same way?"

Melanie fell silent. Yes, she had thought of that. Several times. Several hundred times.

Hundreds of thousands of times, probably. She knew it was a possibility. She also knew there

was the possibility that Taylor didn't feel the same... that Melanie was just fun. A fling. That

was the part with which she had all kinds of trouble dealing. So she just didn't.

"Are you seeing her again?"

"Tonight."

"Melanie, you need to talk to her."

The redhead sighed. Lynda was right, whether or not she wanted to admit it. "I know."

"Look, Taylor seems like a really approachable person. It'll be okay. Look at you. You're a mess over this. At least if you talk to Taylor, you'll know. One way or the other, you'll know."

"What if I don't want to know?" What if I just want things to go back the way they were,

with me and my job and nothing else? a little voice inquired. A second, louder voice added, No

friends, no hobbies, no love... Yeah, that was great. Is that real y what you want to go back to?

Lynda's voice softened as she took Melanie's hands in her own. She cared so much for this

new found friend, and she hated seeing her in such emotional turmoil. "Honey, we're all afraid

to get hurt. It's a fact of life. It sucks to have your heart thrown on the floor, and we all

know it. But, if it's bound to happen, maybe it's better just to get it over with so you can deal

with the pain and move on."

"Maybe you're right." Melanie forced a smile, praying to any god that would listen, to please let it not be her heart that was thrown on the floor tonight.

Chapter Twenty-one

TAYLOR TOOK a deep, shaky breath as she stood on the front stoop of the carriage house.

She lifted her hand to knock, then withdrew it before doing so. She looked down and surveyed

herself one last time.

She'd tried not to get too dressed up, finally settling on a soft pair of khaki colored shorts

and a deep green scoop-neck T-shirt.

She'd pulled some of her dark waves back and fastened them behind her head in a gold clip

that matched her earrings, leaving the rest of the locks to flow freely around her shoulders.

A spritz of musk and a touch of clear lip gloss, and she'd headed across the yard, glad that

Ben was working late so she didn't have to explain where she was going.

She brushed her wispy bangs off her forehead, taking one more deep breath, and forced

herself to actually make contact with the door. She finally steadied her breath, then felt it

leave her completely as the door was opened.

Never had a woman dressed so simply looked so stunning to Taylor. Melanie was dressed in a

pair of cargo shorts the color of charcoal and a pale blue tank top that almost exactly

matched the color of her eyes. Unable to keep her own eyes under control, Taylor's gaze

followed the curve of Melanie's body down past the swell of hips, over the sexy, now-tanned

legs, and settled on her bare feet. Melanie was fully aware of the scrutiny and let it happen,

watching Taylor with amusement, equally taken with what she saw standing outside her door.

"Hey." Taylor forced her eyes back up to meet Melanie's.

"Hey yourself," she replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Can I come in?"

Melanie grinned sheepishly and stepped aside. "Sure. Sorry."

"No problem." Taylor moved through the doorway, stopping to kiss Melanie softly on the

cheek, quietly inhaling the sweet, citrus scent of her. She stepped further into the room as

Melanie closed the door, noting with pleasure how she thought of the carriage house as

Melanie's, like she was just supposed to be there. Taylor plopped herself down on the couch

and smirked at the older woman. "How was your day, dear?"

Melanie smiled, liking the easy banter, and sat down next to her. "Great. I really got a lot done at the shop, but I wish I had my computer. The inventory's pouring in, and I'm trying really

hard to keep track of it."

"Jeff wasn't real keen on modern electronics, that's for sure."

"I'm going to have to make a trip back to Chicago fairly soon, I think. I can't use paper much

longer before I lose something important."

"Is it a long drive?"

"Brutal. Ten hours on a good day." She studied her hands for a long moment. "Um...maybe, if you...if you don't have anything else going on...maybe you could, you know, keep me company?"

Taylor's smile lit up her entire face. "I'd love that. When do we leave?"

"I don't know. Sometime this weekend, I think."

"Count me in. I'm a great co-pilot."

"I bet you are." Melanie stood. "Want something to drink?"

"Sure. What's for dinner?"

Melanie stopped in her tracks. "Oh my God." She turned a stricken face to her houseguest. "I invited you for dinner, didn't I?"

Taylor tried to stifle a giggle.

"Oh my God. What an idiot I am." Melanie covered her mouth with her hand in disbelief.

Unable to maintain control any longer, Taylor laughed out loud, which only succeeded in making

Melanie feel worse.

Seeing her sinking face, Taylor abruptly stopped laughing, guilt settling over her like a cloud.

She went to her hostess and quickly turned the redhead to face her. "Melanie." She forced

Melanie's head up to look her in the eye and smiled warmly at her.

"Hey. Relax. It's me. It's just me."

"I know." The two words spoke volumes, and Taylor felt a flood of warmth at the prospect

that maybe...just maybe...Melanie had been dealing with some of the same turmoil Taylor

herself had been going through.

Taylor put a comforting arm around Melanie and led her to the kitchen. "Okay. Apparently, you

don't know who you're dealing with here," she said, grinning. "I can make dinner out of

anything. Let's see what we've got."

Melanie was amazed at how quickly Taylor could make everything all right, just by putting an

arm around her. She felt so safe and protected, like nothing in the world mattered beyond her

little circle within Taylor's arms. Her anxiety faded away like a dying ember, and she watched

with amusement as Taylor bent to stick her head in the refrigerator. She shocked herself

when she realized she was actually enjoying the very pleasant view of the brunette's backside,

and tore her gaze away with embarrassment, deciding to study the ceiling instead.

"Hmm," Taylor mused. "I see this will be a challenge. Jesus, don't you or Sam ever shop?"

"I did when I first got here, but I was afraid if I went back to Wegmans, I’d never be able to

get out. The place is huge and just sucks you in,"

Taylor's shoulders moved as a low chuckle erupted from the refrigerator. "That's true. There

are several documented cases of tourists who have disappeared and were never heard from

again. It's a dangerous place."

"Ha ha."

Taylor stood, arms full of various items. "Cheese omelet? I'd put mushrooms in it, too, but I'm not sure how good these are." She held up a soggy carton.

"Omelet sounds great," Melanie replied, taking the eggs from Taylor's grasp. They deposited the ingredients on the counter to the right of the sink, Taylor removing the necessary dishes

from the cupboard.

Melanie watched her work, admiring the grace of movement, the flexing of thigh muscles as

she squatted to retrieve the frying pan from a lower cupboard, the casual toss of hair over

her shoulder. She felt the now-familiar warmth seeping into her blood and welcomed it. "I'm

glad you're here," she said softly.

Taylor stopped what she was doing, an egg held in one hand, and turned loving eyes to her

companion. "So am I."

Their gaze held for a deliciously long moment.

"Here," Taylor finally said, handing a Ziploc bag containing a brick of white cheese to Melanie.

"Cut this?"

"Yes, ma'am." Melanie set it on the cutting board. "What kind is it?" she asked, retrieving a knife from a drawer and setting to work.

"It looks like some kind of cheddar. Didn't you buy it?"

"Wel , yeah, but there were nine hundred twenty seven kinds of cheese at Wegmans. I just

grabbed what was closest." She cut herself a small piece, popping it into her mouth and

chewing thoughtfully. "Hmm. I'm not sure."

"Let me taste."

Melanie cut another tidbit and held it up to Taylor's lips. The younger woman took it from her,

her tongue lightly brushing the redhead's fingertips. Melanie tried to ignore the jolt that shot

through her body like lightning. She swallowed hard as she watched Taylor chew.

"I don't know...I don't think it's cheddar after all...hmm...give me another bite."

Melanie complied, again holding the morsel up for Taylor to accept with her lips. She did so,

but this time closed them around Melanie's forefinger as well. Melanie caught her breath as a

pang hit low in her body, her heart skipping a beat. She watched, transfixed, as her entire

finger disappeared into Taylor's mouth, being thoroughly and gently bathed by her tongue.

Taylor reached up to grasp Melanie's wrist as she slowly withdrew the finger. "You, um, had

some cheese on it," she said softly, chewing and swallowing what was left in her mouth.

"Uh huh." Melanie nodded, the formation of actual words proving to be a nearly impossible

task.

A gentle tug on her wrist and Melanie found herself in Taylor's arms. She wrapped her own

arms around the taller woman's waist, felt Taylor's hands slide up her back, nestling in her

hair. Slowly, so slowly, Taylor lowered her lips until they were a fraction of an inch from

Melanie's. Shallow breathing was the only sound to be heard. Only when Melanie thought she'd

scream from the torture of anticipation, did Taylor close the distance and softly brush

Melanie's lips with her own. The touch was feather-light, teasing. She pulled back slightly,

flicking the tip of her tongue across Melanie's upper lip. Melanie was startled to hear herself

whimper.

The corner of Taylor's mouth crooked up in a tiny half-grin, and she repeated the same

maneuver, even slower this time, with the same result. She felt Melanie's fingers digging into

her back; she was torn between frustration and arousal. The third time, Melanie surprised

them both by growling, grabbing the back of Taylor's head, and pulling her down into a searing

kiss. Both women moaned at the contact, as their mouths crashed together, lips bruising,

tongues warring for space. Melanie's head was spinning, and she was sure if she let go of

Taylor, she'd be cast off into oblivion.

Using her hands to feel behind Melanie, Taylor took two steps to maneuver Melanie against

the counter, never breaking the contact of their mouths. Slipping her hands down Melanie's

back, she cradled her rear for several minutes, simply enjoying the feel of it under her

fingers, before she gripped it and lifted, depositing Melanie in a sitting position on the

counter. She stood between the redhead's knees, her hands caressing creamy smooth thighs,

her mind awash in the disbelief of what was actually happening.

The sensation of Taylor's hands on her backside was positively delicious, and Melanie felt a

wave course through her body.

When Taylor actually picked her up to set her gently on the counter, Melanie had to

consciously fight to keep herself under control.