The evening had been very romantic, as the couple ate their spaghetti and meatballs, then reclined in front of the television with dessert. They finally decided to settle on an old movie with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, before spending two hours talking about their families.

Jordan listened as she spoke admirably about her siblings and parents. She told him of Stephanie’s wedding, avoiding the more depressing aspects of whom her groom was related to. She talked about her school, the children she taught, and how much she loved her job. As he listened, he recalled the enthusiasm of the teenager he once knew. She was older, but just as excitable and more beautiful than she had been back then. She was now a woman, older, wiser, with a knowledge of what a man and woman were. It was an idea that had accompanied him into the next several days.

As predicted, Anne had spread the word of her being with a handsome man, and Melanie had several family members calling to inquire about Jordan. They all wanted to know who he was and how long they had been dating. It had been a long week, with schoolwork, phone calls, and lonely evenings without so much as a hint that she had a next-door neighbor.

Four days passed by with Melanie and Jordan going about their own lives. Sunday evening ended with the closing of the door between them, leaving both wondering what would have happened if the other asked for more.

Melanie knew she didn’t have the nerve to ask him to spend the night. She had only slept with one man her entire life, and if she had to be honest with herself, it wasn’t as pleasant as her friends said it would be. Donald was very self-centered and that embraced them even in bed. How could she possibly know how to please another man, when she hadn’t been able to keep the one she had?

Monday morning came much quicker than either of them wanted. Melanie bumped into Jordan as he was coming out of his apartment. She smiled sweetly, hoping the past evening would not affect the way they acted now. The look in his eye said he wasn’t going to forget their time together. He smiled at her with a haunted expression, walked her down to her car, and opened the door. He kissed her on the cheek and whispered goodbye, then turned and walked to his own car.

She watched as the little blue sports car pulled out of the parking stall and around the side of the building before she laid her head on the steering wheel. She should never have allowed things to go as far as they did. She barely knew anything about the man, other than he was gorgeous, seductive and she couldn’t stop dreaming about him. If things were to go any further, it would prove difficult if not impossible. He was her neighbor, in a small building with only eight apartments. Everyone would know her business in a matter of hours. She had spent the better part of three years cleaning up the rumors Donald left behind. She couldn’t risk another scandal.

The rest of the week passed by without so much as a hint that she had a neighbor. Jordan worked long hours, and even though she heard him come home Wednesday night, around two in the morning, she hadn’t seen or spoken to him once. It was enough to make her angry. Was he deliberately ignoring her? Did he like playing games with a woman’s heart? Was he with another woman instead of being home? That was one thing she never bothered to ask him. Maybe he was married, after all. Oh God, she thought. I am the other woman.

Thursday came and went, and like the days before, Jordan was missing in action. She had built up the courage to ask him about his family, imagining a beautiful thin blonde sharing his bed. She had created four and a half kids in her mind, all with those amazing eyes looking out the window as their daddy pulled into the drive.

Friday was the last day of school for the year, so she didn’t need to be as alert as any other day. She was going to stay up and confront the man on his infidelity. She would wait up for him and if he didn’t come home, she’d go to the Trib right after school and deal with him there. How dare he treat her like some common barroom floozy, when he had a wife and kids at home worried about him?

She pulled the blankets up across her slender form as she stretched out on the floral sofa. She had turned the television down very low, so she could hear Jordan come home, but by ten forty he was still out. Melanie yawned as she tossed the blanket aside and went into the kitchen to make another pot of coffee. She was determined to stay up until he returned. She had a lot to say to him and she had to let him know she wasn’t his plaything.

Melanie looked out the window above the kitchen sink. The night was pitch black, with thick dark clouds covering all that resembled the heavens, leaving one to feel helpless and suffocated. The slightly parted curtains made the feeling of being closed in seem unbearable.

She walked back to the sofa and pulled the blankets across her legs, reaching for the remote. To hell with Jordan James, she grumbled as she began flipping through the channels. Maybe the reason he hadn’t come home all week was that he had given her up for his family. Maybe he finally realized his misdoing and repented to the beautiful blonde who forgave him and took him back. That would be the noble thing to do, she thought. After all, Jordan did seem like an upfront, honest man. Even if he was cheating on his wife, he wouldn’t have been able to keep it up for long. It just wasn’t in his nature.

Melanie tossed the remote aside, having decided to watch an old Tom Hanks movie for the hundredth time. She switched off the lamp on the small table next to the sofa and curled back up under her blanket. The room was dark except for the television screen. It was a delightful movie and she soon found herself completely involved in the storyline until the ending credits. She couldn’t believe Jordan still wasn’t home, or that she was still awake.

Taking her laptop, Melanie walked to the kitchen table and began searching the internet. She looked through the want ads for yard sales, she looked at her social pages to see what her friends were up to and eventually ended up flipping through the pages of the online newspaper.

Many of the stories echoed tomorrow’s activities and the last day of school. She was looking forward to having some time off, even though it meant going home to Vernal and listening to wedding plans. She was eager to just hang around the farm and relax in the hammock under the large oak tree in the front yard.

She continued to read the articles, one after another, and completely forgot all about her neighbor. There was a sale this weekend at her favorite store at City Creek Mall and several of the outdoor summer concerts looked like they would be worth attending. Then her eyes fell to the article she had subconsciously been trying to find.

There it was, a story about the cost of housing in Utah, and how so many out-of-staters were buying up million-dollar homes, causing the housing rate to skyrocket. But what really caught her eye was the name under the headline. Written by Jordan James. It was a simple line, not even in bold letters, but it stood up off the page and saluted her, like a long-awaited lover returning after a lengthy trip.

“Oh Jordan”, she whispered to the computer screen.

She knew it was ridiculous, the moment she heard her own voice echo through the darkness. She hadn’t waited up to confront the man on a fictitious family, she was waiting up, just so she could see him. She was falling in love and there was nothing she could do to hide it.

“One date and you’re hopeless,” she scolded herself, as she shut the screen to her computer and switched off the television.

She didn’t want to go to bed alone. The dreams that haunted her was worse than her frustrations of not seeing the man. Instead, she chose to remain on the sofa. Pulling the blanket up across her, she took her cellphone and set the alarm, then placed it on the covered coffee table.

Tomorrow would be here sooner than she knew it and she would be of no use to her students if she had red eyes and was cranky from lack of sleep.

Jordan cursed himself more than once over the past four days. Sunday night, before the movie had ended, he had Melanie wrapped in his embrace, his lips exploring her face and neck as his hands fought to remain on her waist. It took all the strength he possessed not to carry her to her bedroom. If it had been any other time, if she wasn’t a suspect, in this case, he would have taken her on the sofa. Instead, he abruptly broke his contact with her sweet mouth, and reluctantly told her goodnight.

Sunday night was spent pacing the floor of his apartment. Jordan wanted to go back to her, he wanted to hold her in his arms and make passionate love to her, but he couldn’t. How was he supposed to explain the seduction of one of his prime suspects to his superiors? How was he supposed to explain to Melanie the reason he had been stalking her all these years?

Since then, he had kept himself so busy, he fell into bed at night, completely exhausted, then fell promptly to sleep, only to dream of the dark-haired angel. He tried to keep his mind off her, but it didn’t work. He found himself judging every woman he saw by her. Either their hair wasn’t the right length, or their eyes weren’t blue enough, they were too skinny, or their voices were too deep. It didn’t matter how beautiful the woman was, she just wasn’t Melanie.

Jordan pulled into the parking stall and shut off his car. It had been a long week, and he was exhausted. He drove around to the back of the building before parking, seeing Melanie’s lights on. As desperately as he wanted to see her, he knew it was still too soon. He needed to go slowly, despite how much his heart longed to hold her.

He took his jacket off the back of the passenger seat, then climbed out of his car and closed the door, locking it behind him. He opened the door leading into the building, frowning that it was unlocked. Mrs. Walsh called it a security door, but in all honesty, it was barely a large pane of glass with a handle.

He climbed the steps to his apartment, trying to be as quiet as possible. He didn’t need the old lady waking the building up with her screeching about being too loud, and he didn’t want to disturb Melanie. He knew the end of school was the following day, and she needed her sleep.

Taking his keys out of his pocket, he unlocked his door and walked in. He flipped on the switch next to the door and turned on the lamp beside the recliner. He had managed to spend a few hours this week emptying boxes, but there were still at least two dozen left to go through.

Jordan tossed his jacket across the end of the sofa and walked into the kitchen, looking at the clock on the stove. Twelve forty-five, earlier than the other nights this week, but still late enough, he was eager to call it a day. He opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer. Reaching into the cupboard, he took out the bag of Doritos, then unscrewed the top of his beer.

He took a drink and started back into the living room when he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head. The room began to spin as he felt his legs buckle beneath him, but it only took a moment before he managed to regain his composure. He stood up and rounded on his assailant, his large fist thrusting into the intruder’s abdomen.

The man grunted and bent over as Jordan’s fist came up into his face. The man stumbled backwards, the ski mask on his face twisting slightly, obscuring his vision from one eye. He reached up and yanked off the woolen covering, then charged at Jordan, knocking him into the wall beside the sofa.

Jordan came back swinging, anger raging in his dark eyes as the framed awards fell off the wall and crashed to the floor. He caught the man’s chin, knocking him hard enough to topple him over. Jordan watched as the man lay on the floor panting, his eyes closed. He drew a deep breath then turned to retrieve his phone from his jacket when he was tackled from behind. Again, Jordan found himself thrown into the wall, his face meeting it full force.

The two struggled and fought, punched and shoved, one or the other being tossed into the wall until at last the intruder lay on his stomach on the floor. This time, he was genuinely unconscious. The sound of banging on Melanie’s side of the wall echoed through the still room, and for a moment Jordan panicked. What if she wasn’t alone? What if this creep had the chance to get to her first.

Checking the man once more, Jordan wiped the blood from his lip then left the apartment. He glanced at Mrs. Walsh’s closed door, thankful the couple who lived beneath him was gone to visit family until next week. The last thing he needed was to be evicted before he had the chance to get closer to Melanie.

A loud thump against the wall made Melanie sit straight up on the sofa. Her eyes were blurred with sleep as she tried to figure out what had awakened her. She looked around the room with a frown, trying to make out her surroundings. Once she was coordinated to the sights around her, she laid back down. It must have been her imagination, she told herself, pulling the blanket back up across her shoulders. Just then the sound came again, twice and then three times, as if something was being thrust against the wall.

Melanie closed her eyes, feeling the blush creep up her cheeks. She could imagine Jordan with a skinny blonde beneath him as he made love to her. She knew the sound was like that of a headboard when banged against the wall. He had someone in bed with him, and that made her angrier than she was willing to admit.

The growl that escaped her throat was more like the sound of a wounded beast than an angry neighbor. Melanie banged on the wall, as quiet fell over the room and an ache that weighed more than the silence, laid heavy against her heart. Here she had been secretly hoping Jordan was missing her, only to learn he had replaced her before the passion between them had cooled off. How could he be so insensitive, she argued, throwing herself against her sofa and pulling the pillow across her head. Let him be that way. Why should I care? He could sleep with every woman in Utah and she wouldn’t give it a second thought.

It wasn’t until her doorbell rang, over and over again in a frantic sound, that Melanie realized she had tears streaming down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand, then tossed the blanket aside and hurried to the door. She peeked out the small hole and saw the distorted figure of her neighbor. Melanie closed her eyes and leaned against the cold wood. The bell rang again, causing her to jump away from the closed barrier.

She didn’t want to answer it, she just wanted to ignore it, to tell him to go away and leave her alone forever. Then the memory of the noise a few minutes ago burned in her mind. Anger swelled up inside her and she pulled the door open as the bell made its annoying bing-bong sound again. She narrowed her eyes at the man standing in the shadows in front of her, her teeth clenched so tight her jaw began to ache.

“If you don’t mind, Mr. James,” she snarled quietly, as not to disturb her nosey landlady across the hall, “some of us have to get up early in the morning and would appreciate it if you would keep the noise down.”

“I’d love to, just as soon as you let me in to call the police.”

Jordan leaned against the frame of the door, the light from the hall catching him just right, showing the blood that streaked down his temple and out of the corner of his mouth.

“Oh my God,” she gasped, grabbing hold of his arm. “What the hell happened?”

Melanie helped him into her apartment and onto the sofa, forgetting all about her anger.

“I walked in on a burglar,” Jordan said, leaning his head against the back of the sofa and allowing Melanie to fuss over him for a few moments.

“I need you to call the police for me before the guy wakes up. I lost my phone somewhere at my place and I don’t have a landline.”

Melanie looked at him in astonishment as what he had just said filtered through her sleepy conscience. She ran to the phone on her counter and began dialing. She took the cordless device back to Jordan, then glanced up to her open door. Moving as quickly as she could, she shut the door and bolted the latch.

She told the woman on the other end of the phone what had happened, as calmly as possible and told her the man was still in the apartment. Then she rambled off her address and phone number, along with her name, then hung up the receiver. Jordan was looking at her, his eye swelling under the pressure of trapped blood. She hurried to her freezer and pulled out a bag of frozen carrots. She wrapped it in a clean towel, then wet a rag and brought both back into the living room.

“Now, tell me what happened,” she ordered, sounding much like a school teacher who had just broken up an argument.

Jordan was silent for several long moments as she wiped the blood away from the side of his face and dabbed gently at the swollen lip.

“I told you, I walked in on a burglar. We got into a fight, I knocked him out and came over here. How long before the police get here?”

Melanie pushed the towel with the carrots gently against his eye and frowned.

“It shouldn’t be long. We’re not that far from the station.”

Silence fell over the room as she tended to the man’s injuries. The feeling of guilt and shame edged its way into her subconscious and tears brimmed her clear blue eyes. Jordan frowned as he saw the moisture slip down her cheek.

“I’m alright, Melanie,” he told her, brushing the tear from her pale face. Melanie shook her head and stood up.

“I thought you were...” she began as she paced the small room. “I mean, I figured with the banging and all, that you were...”

“In bed with another woman,” he said, finishing her sentence. Melanie nodded silently, brushing the tears away with the back of her hand. “It wasn’t passion that made the noise, Sweetheart, it was my face meeting the wall, and my bedroom is on the other side of the apartment.”

Jordan tried to make light of the situation, receiving a stern angry look from the woman, instead of an amused one.

“How can you joke about a thing like this?” she snapped at him, her blue eyes turning dark with emotion. “Don’t you realize you could have been killed? You never stay in a house when you know there’s an intruder in it.”

“But I didn’t know anybody was there.”

“What about the door? Didn’t you see it was open or broken?”

“It was still locked, Melanie. Everything looked normal. It was almost as if the guy was waiting for me.”

“You mean he was there to...”

“No,” he interrupted, standing up and going to her, caressing her cheek with his thumb.

Jordan knew from the sudden drain of color in her face and the trembling of her slender hand, what was on Melanie’s mind. He pulled her into his arms, caressing her back with a large, warm hand.

“I’m sure the guy had a key or was really good at picking a lock. I just moved in, remember? He probably saw all the furniture and has been watching to see when I get home. I’m sure he thought I’d be out longer than I was.”

A knock at the door brought a jolt of fear racing through her, causing her to jump away from the protection of Jordan’s embrace. She stared blankly at the door then back to Jordan, who smiled a sore grin at her.

“It’s probably the police,” he said, walking beside her to the door.

She opened it cautiously, seeing the two blue-clad officers outside, then opened it wider for them to enter.

“Did you call the police, ma’am?” one policeman asked looking first to Melanie, then to Jordan and frowned.

“Yes, we did,” Jordan answered for the woman.

He quickly explained the situation as he stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind him. Melanie stood motionless in the middle of the floor, waiting to hear more banging or shouts, maybe even gunshots, but all she heard was silence.

Minutes seemed like hours and the silence of the room swelled up around her like an unbearable cloak. She thought about turning on the television for companionship but found herself paralyzed in place.

Half an hour soon gave way to forty minutes, then an hour and still Jordan hadn’t returned. She eventually found her legs and moved back to the sofa, sitting curled up in the corner to wait. Maybe he didn’t plan on coming back, she thought. Maybe she should go see if he was alright.

She was just about to give up and go to bed when a quiet knock sounded at her door. She forced her reluctant legs beneath her and opened it, finding Jordan standing outside in the hallway. He glanced up at her, as she opened the wooden slab for him to enter through it.

“What did the police say?” she asked as he stepped inside.

“The guy was gone when we got there. I guess I didn’t hit him as hard as I thought.” He watched as she closed the door and bolted it again.

“Are you alright? Maybe you should go to the hospital?”

“I’m fine, Melanie. I don’t need a hospital. What I do need is a place to sleep. The police won’t let me back into my place until tomorrow when they’ve finished their investigation. Would you mind if I crash here tonight? I promise you won’t even know I’m around.”

“Of course. I have a spare bedroom you’re welcome to.”

He watched as she disappeared down the hallway before following her, watching as she removed a towel and washcloth from the linen closet. She was about to take them back into the living room when he joined her.

“Are you sure this isn’t going to be an imposition?” he asked, his tone hard and almost impersonal.

Melanie looked up at him and frowned. The black around his eye was darker than it had been an hour ago and the split on his lip was red and swollen. She blinked several times, trying to stop the tears that stung her eyes.

“I have the room,” she told him in a weak tone. “Here’s some towels. You can get cleaned up in the bathroom. I’ll fix you some coffee. Are you hungry?”

“No thanks,” he told her, taking the towel from her hand. “It’s been a really long day and I just want to get some sleep.”

“Alright,” she told him in a shaky voice. “Then I’ll say goodnight.”

Melanie turned to leave, but not before the tears fell to her cheeks. Jordan felt like a jerk. He hurt her feelings and all she was doing was trying to help him. He had felt guilty for moving too fast last weekend and deliberately worked every night on stakeouts, after putting in a full day at the paper, just so he could avoid her. But here she was, more beautiful than he had ever seen her, in a small pair of pajama shorts and matching pink tank top.

Without thought of consequences, he reached out and stopped her from leaving, holding her tightly to his chest. The feel of her made his tired libido come alive and he cursed himself for wanting her. She was not just a suspect, she was also Melanie Kent, the woman he’d secretly loved for so many years.

“Take it easy, sweetheart,” he whispered, smoothing her satin-soft hair with a gentle touch. “Everything’s going to be alright.”

Melanie felt the security and tenderness of his embrace and the sting of embarrassment. Just a few short hours ago she had practically accused him of being an adulterer, inventing an imaginary wife and kids. Now, here she was, wanting him to hold her and make love to her. He had been assaulted and beaten and she wanted to have him in her bed.

The arms that held her soon became stronger, as Jordan felt the urgency of his own need growing. He wanted to touch her, to hold her and kiss her. He needed to tell her how he felt, to explain the past to her. More than that, he wanted to make love to her, just as he had wanted all those years ago. She may have been too young then, but she was an adult now. She could express her desires and passion openly and he desperately wanted to be there when she did.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered against his warm chest.

The smell of fading cologne lingered on his shirt, making her head swim with pent up emotions.

“Are you okay now,” he asked, pushing her away slightly.

The swelling of his eye and lip didn’t seem quite so bad now that she was this close to him. His hair was tossed, and the stubble of a beard shadowed his firm jaw. Even swollen and bruised, he was perfect.

Melanie stood on the tip of her toes and gently kissed the red split on the side of his mouth. Jordan flinched slightly, a stab of pain shot through his jaw at her touch and she took a reluctant step back. She was about to leave his arms when they tightened around her, pulling her against his hard chest.

Jordan covered her delicate mouth in a movement so swift, Melanie was caught off guard. His mouth was against hers in a strange, lopsided kiss, as he tried to protect his broken lip.

Her emotions came alive, and she felt helpless to resist his actions. She clung to his shoulders for support, but in the span of a single breath, she eagerly surrendered to the heat and passion that burned inside of her. She parted her lips slightly, allowing the man to explore the dark cavern beyond with the gentle caress of his tongue.

The taste of his mouth against hers sent chills of excitement along her spine and across her lower abdomen. She didn’t think about resisting him, she didn’t even argue when he swept her into his strong embrace and carried her into the room across the hall. He laid her gently to the soft mattress, his lips still hard and demanding against hers.

Melanie gasped slightly, as the man’s large hand slipped beneath the thin material of her pajama top. He pulled away from her for a brief moment as he examined her expression. The look on his face was tender and seductive, and Melanie couldn’t find one good reason to stop him. She smiled sweetly at him as she reached for the hem of her shirt and began to pull it up.

“No,” Jordan said suddenly, capturing her hands and stopping her fingers from moving.

Melanie frowned. Had he changed his mind? Had she misread his motives? Maybe he didn’t want to make love to her.

Jordan smiled as his lips fell against her delicate hands, kissing the tips of each one of her trembling fingers.

“I’ve wanted to do this since we first met,” he told her in a deep, husky tone.

He stretched her hands above her head and wrapped her fingers around the brass decorations of the headboard. He smiled at her with a lopsided grin. His long fingers caressing their way back down her arms and over the sides of her breasts to the bottom of her shirt.

Very slowly, Jordan inched her tank top up her torso, bending forward and kissing her exposed abdomen. Melanie moaned as his hot tongue trailed a moist path up her sternum as he moved her shirt over her breasts.

Jordan leaned back and growled softly, then looked up into her face, capturing her eyes with his one good one. He held her gaze as he leaned over her again, teasing the erect nipple of one firm breast with his tongue.

She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t break eye contact. It was the most incredible sight she had ever seen, and he smiled wickedly as his mouth covered the round globe, sucking on it gently.

Melanie moaned, her eyes fluttering shut as she held tight to the bar of the headboard. She had never felt like this. Donald was a selfish lover and took her to bed for his own satisfaction. She never knew there was any other way to make love, until now.

Jordan’s mouth moved from one breast to the other, then up to her throat, taking his time as he explored her lovely torso. He looked at her with a wicked gleam in his eye as he took hold of the front of her shirt.

“Is this special to you?” he asked in a husky whisper.

Melanie couldn’t answer, all she could do was shake her head no. He smiled a seductive, almost playful grin as he leaned up next to her.

“We’ll go shopping this weekend,” he promised and before she knew what had happened, he ripped the thin material apart, smiling at the shocked gasp she gave him.

“I need you to answer a very personal question,” he said, as he leaned across her and kissed her lips gently. “Have you ever played in bed?”

Melanie frowned, she had no idea what he was referring to and again shook her head.

“Did your ex ever teach you any sex games?” he asked, and again, she shook her head. “Have you ever had an orgasm?”

Melanie blushed scarlet, listening to the deep chuckle that escaped his massive chest.

“I’ll take that as a no as well,” he told her, nipping at her bottom lip. “In that case, you’re basically a virgin, so I’ll go slow. What time do you have to get up?”

“Seven,” she said, the words rolling off a suddenly dry tongue.

“That gives us two hours to play and four hours to sleep. Think you can manage?” She nodded her head. “Then let me teach you how to have fun.”

Jordan took the shredded ends of her top and gently wrapped them around her wrists, securing them to the headboard. Melanie’s subconscious warned her against what he was doing, but her curiosity was running wild, taking her along for an erotic journey. He leaned next to her and smiled, his long finger caressing the hard peak of her nipple.

“I know this is new to you,” he whispered. “But I won’t hurt you and I promise, you won’t regret it. All I ask is that you give me permission to continue.”

“Are you joking?” she croaked, her eyes wide with shock. “If you even think of stopping now, I’ll blacken your other eye. And you know I’ll do it.”

Jordan chuckled as he stood off the bed and pulled his shirt off his broad shoulders. He moved his hands slowly down his muscular stomach to the snap at the top of his pants, watching her admiring eyes. He had seen the way she looked at him when they first met. He saw the hungry way she inspected him when she thought he wasn’t watching and decided to have a little fun with her.

Very slowly, he unsnapped his pants and slid the zipper down, moving his long finger to the waistband that hugged his hips. In a fluid motion, he slipped his hands beneath the material and pushed his dress pants down his long legs, stepping out of them as they fell to the floor around his feet. With a wicked grin, he slipped his fingers into the elastic waist of his shorts and pulled them down just an inch or two, then stopped.

Melanie’s eyes shot up to his, blushing again at the wicked smile on his broken lips. He walked to the foot of the bed and began caressing her long slender legs from heel to knee. Over and under her leg, his large hands gently explored every inch of her smooth skin until she was audibly panting.

With a deep chuckle, he slid his hands higher, caressing her thighs in the same manner as he did her calves, over and under, around and across until she felt like she was going to lose her mind. She was hot and had a very hard time holding her hips still. It was a sensation she had never had before, even as a married woman.

“Do you want more?” he asked, his hands slowly inching up beneath the legs of her pajama shorts.

“Yes,” she said, blushing at the eagerness in her voice.

Jordan smiled, removing his hands and lifting her hips off the bed, tugging her shorts off her firm, round bottom.

“I see you still like to jog,” he said, his tone filled with admiration.

“How did you know I jogged?” Melanie asked with a frown. She couldn’t remember ever mentioning that before.

“I came by the other morning, but you had already left,” Jordan lied. “Mrs. Walsh told me you went jogging.”

“Oh,” she said, then relaxed across the mattress again as his hands caressed her flat tummy, playfully tickling the curls that covered her most private parts.

“I’ve seen you like this, every night in my dreams,” he whispered, but she barely heard a word of what he said over the rhythmic pounding of her heart.

Jordan knelt on the bed and leaned over her, kissing the small curls until she began wiggling beneath his touch. Slowly, he slid his fingers down her labia, opening them for his gentle exploration.

Melanie gasped. She felt a sudden urge to stop him, but before the words could form in her mind, his tongue began to lick each lip in turn. She couldn’t think, she could hardly breathe and when his teeth grazed her clitoris she nearly screamed in pleasure. She had never felt like this before, hot and wanting, needing to feel all of him inside her. Her hands began to tug at the cloth holding her wrists secure, but she couldn’t get loose. He chuckled again, as he laid down between her spread legs and began caressing her, first with his tongue and then with his fingers. It was hell and heaven in one fluid sensation, and she was sure she would combust if he didn’t take her soon.

“Eager little thing, aren’t you, Darling?” he teased as he slipped a long finger inside her throbbing, wet vagina.

Her hips rose off the bed to meet the heat of his mouth as she moaned. She didn’t care if this was proper or not, she wanted him, all of him, and she wasn’t going to stop until she had him.

Jordan could feel her need increase as his free arm pressed her back down against the mattress. The muscles of her vagina were tight, and he was having a hell of a time keeping himself in check until she came. He knew Donald, knew what kind of a jerk he was, and knew that she had never been satisfied with him. It was a common conclusion after everything he’d learned over the past few months. It was for this reason alone, he would hold himself in check until she was satisfied.

“Easy, my love,” he whispered. “I’m going to teach your body some exciting new tricks that will have you going crazy.”

Before Melanie could think straight, she felt a strange need begin to build inside her. His touch was hypnotic, and his mouth was lethal. A heat was spreading through her veins like volcanic lava, beckoning her to feel even more. She wanted…something, but she couldn’t understand what was happening to her until she felt him slip a second finger inside her.

Immediately, she felt the white-hot shards of electricity explode beneath his touch. She was on fire and she didn’t want it to end. The explosion was deep, raking her entire body as she cried out, clinging tightly to the brass rungs of the headboard. The room began to spin around her like a carousel, and her hips gyrated against his fingers. Melanie pulled hard at the restraints holding her against the headboard, but all it did was tighten.

“Do you want loose?” he asked her as he removed his shorts and climbed on the bed between her legs, his fingers continuing to play havoc inside her.

“Yes, please,” she begged, lifting her hips off the bed to meet his thrusting fingers.

“But you like this, don’t you?” he asked, watching her nod her head in agreement. “Then why should I alter anything? You want to feel more. I can feel your heat around me.”

“Then take me,” she begged. “Please, Jordan, I need you now.”

Jordan didn’t need any further encouragement. He slipped his large hands beneath her buttocks and lifted her to meet him as he placed the tip of his swollen penis against her moist portal. Slowly, he began to caress her with the head of his arousal, smiling as she moaned again. Gently, he pressed against her until he was sheathed inside her tight body.

Melanie continued to moan. This was the most incredible thing she had ever felt. Jordan pulled at the cloth holding her secure, then lifted her in his arms until she was sitting across his lap. The feeling was stronger than anything she had ever felt before. It was as if he had buried himself inside her to the depths of her soul.

Jordan caressed her hair down her back as his lips claimed hers. His warm fingers moved down her spine until he reached her bottom. With a quick movement, he slapped her buttocks, chuckling against her mouth as she gasped. With a gentle touch, he continued his exploration of her backside until he found the small, tight hole. He smiled as his mouth moved off hers, trailing his lips down her neck as his finger played with the hole.

Melanie gasped, wiggling as he moved against her. Each time her hips began to gyrate, it would bring him deeper inside her until her breath was nothing more than deep, frantic pants.

Within minutes, she felt the fire surround her again, her vaginal muscles tightening around him as his finger pressed into her bottom. The insanity overtook her, and she cried out. The heat of him filled her as his primal growl echoed through the silence of the room. It was amazing. This feeling of passion was like nothing she had ever known. Never had she experienced anything so incredible or so outrageous.

Three years of marriage and not once had she felt what this man-made her feel in a single night. As they collapsed on the bed, arms and legs entwined with the other, she realized she had discovered a part of herself she never knew existed. In the arms of her handsome neighbor, Melanie became a woman at last.