What Matters Most by Gwynne Forster Page B

knew it the minute we met,” he whispered, and his lips, sweet and hot, burned her mouth, and wave on wave of heat seared her. “Open up to me, Melanie.” Tremors laced his voice.
    Shivers raced through her in anticipation of the feel of him inside her at last. She parted her lips, and he went into her, testing, tasting and sampling every crevice, ever centimeter of her mouth. She sucked his tongue deeper into her mouth, and as his long fingers stroked her back, she feasted on it. Her nipples tightened against his chest, and she rubbed on him in frustration. Her groans mingled with his, and suddenly she pushed him away from her. But, as quickly, he brought her back into the cradle of his arms as if to soften the brunt of their separation. Her eyes and her cheeks bloomed beneath the sweetness of his lips.
    “I don’t know what we’re going to do about this, Melanie, but I do know that I wanted you the minute I saw you. I thought I could control it or that it would wear off, but I’ve been learning how unlikely that is. Are you all right?”
    She stared at him, feeling not one bit angelic. “Apart from frustration, you mean?”
    The sound of laughter began deep in him and slowly rumbled out of his throat. “Your choice. I know how you feel. Will you call me when you get home? I’ll stay right here until I hear from you. Tomorrow, you take the day off and look for an apartment.”
    “Hmm. I see the bossy Jack is back with us. I already know where I want to stay. It’s a development that opened several weeks ago. I’ll call them in the morning.”
    He took both of her hands and looked into her eyes. “I’m counting on that, Melanie. I don’t want to think of you living there any longer. You’ve paid your dues, and he owes you a better life than he’s given you. I don’t mean financially, because I don’t know his circumstances, but he owed you a father’s love and protection from abuse and harm of any kind. I find it hard to forgive him for causing you to fall and hurt yourself. If you need money for the rent, phone me, and you can have a salary advance.”
    He called for a taxi and, to her astonishment, he kissed her lips before walking with her to the taxi. She didn’t look at him, but merely stumbled into the cab and listened dumbfounded while Jack gave the driver her address. She supposed he remembered it from the information she’d given him the day he’d hired her.
    “Thanks,” she remembered to say as the taxi pulled away.
     
    “You’re late again. Where’s the money?” her father called when she entered the house.
    She didn’t run up the stairs like a scared rabbit as she usually did when he began one of his tirades, but walked into the living room and faced him. “I have always respected you as my father. Last night, you almost broke my shoulder. If you ever touch me again, you will regret it for as long as you live.”
    He stared at her, his eyes wide in an expression of disbelief. “You got a mouth on you. I’ll close it for you.”
    She didn’t move. “Don’t try it, Daddy. I’m not taking any more of your abuse. Good night.”
    His demeanor seemed rigid, almost as if he were suspended in disbelief, as he seemed to decide whether to challenge her. For once, she didn’t fear him. It occurred to her that a man who would push a woman around was probably a coward. She walked into the kitchen and telephoned Jack.
    “It’s all right,” she told him. “He began his usual harassment, but I called him on it, and he backed down. I won’t be at work tomorrow morning, because I’ll be renting that apartment.” After they talked for a few minutes, she hung up, made a sandwich and got a glass of milk, sat down and ate it. Then she went to her room, closed the door and began packing her things.
    By noon the next day, she had the keys to a two-bedroom apartment. She phoned a company that promised to deliver a mattress within two hours, included some bed linen with her personal belongings,