Private Melody (8 page)

Kianti was greedy for all he had to give, but the approaching climax commanded her surrender. Therin shuddered above her as he came seconds later. For an eternity, it seemed, they lay in a tangle of covers, arms and legs. Therin was first to move, roused by the thundering of Kianti's heart.

“A
re you all right?”

She nodded. “Yes, very.” She smiled. “Therin, I've never felt better.”

Still, he searched her face for a full five seconds.

Kianti's dark eyes sparked as she followed the path of her hand across his cheek. “I'll be even better when you give me more.”

“Forget it.” He had the audacity to smirk.

Her mood soured instantly. The sparkling of her eyes became a glitter of rising anger.

“I have a feeling that was way more exertion than you needed.”

Kianti rolled her eyes. “I assure you it wasn't.” She wouldn't allow herself to harp on any possibility that she'd overexerted herself.

“Well,” he groaned while turning onto his back, “I'm pooped.”

Again, Kianti rolled her eyes away from the arousing image of him lying there stroking his chiseled abs. “I knew you'd do this,” she hissed, turning over and propping her fist upon a pillow. “Have a taste, and then run like a scared little boy afterward,” she clarified when he looked over at her. She would have left the bed, but he grabbed her wrist so suddenly, she'd scarcely seen him move.

“Do you think that's all I intend to have of you?” His expression was hard.

Kianti didn't know how to respond and only lowered her gaze.

“Stopping just now was as much for your benefit as it was for mine.”

She stiffened. “Were you holding back?”

Again, he smiled. “At the risk of making you mad, yes.”

Her laughter was brief and humorless after she uttered a curse.

“Do you want me to go?”

“No, dammit, I want you to stay here and make love with me again.” Her reply came without a moment's hesitation.

Therin's chuckle filled the bedroom. “You're killing me…”

“I think you're confusing yourself with me,” she snapped.

“Maybe.” He braced his weight to an elbow. “But as you've been dishing out ‘requests' all night, I guess that entitles me to one of my own.”

Her ebony gaze narrowed.

“Sleep with me.”

She melted, wanting to hold on to her frustration but finding that she couldn't. “Are you sure about sleeping over? You might wake up to find me taking what I want from you.”

Therin nodded, gazing in wonder at the coarse dark locks that tumbled across her back. “I'll keep that in mind.”

She nodded. “So long as I'm understood. I'm not a woman who beats around the bush waiting to be offered what I want.” Something haunting crept into her eyes then. “I know how fragile life is and I don't intend on wasting any of it
waiting.

He toyed with a tendril of her hair, twisting it about his index finger before he met her stare. “I get it, Kia. Now will you sleep with me?”

The rich tone of his voice, mingled with the sweetness of his words and the shortening of her name, were Kianti's undoing. She snuggled down next to him. Both were asleep in seconds—neither stirred for the rest of the night.

 

Therin was first to wake the next morning. He dressed and started coffee before returning to the bedroom. From his position against the doorjamb, he studied Kianti for a long while.

At first, he was simply taken in by the sight of her tousled and naked but for the sheet twisted around her lovely brown body. He finally had an answer for the nagging voice consistently asking what he thought he was doing. He was falling in love with the tiny, talented beauty he'd enjoyed the pleasures of the night before.

The words gave him pause. Had last night evoked the
sudden feelings of love? He'd bet everything he owned that it hadn't. He'd been falling, cautiously but surely, perhaps from the moment he'd met her.

She began to stir beneath the gray woven coverings and Therin braced off the jamb. He took a seat on the edge of the bed and leaned near, draping an arm across her prone form. Gently, he reached out to smooth a few locks of hair from her thoroughly kissed mouth. The top sheet was bunched loosely at her breasts, beckoning him to indulge. He let his fingers be nudged by the gradual heaving of her bosom as she breathed.

He'd done his best to mask the fear in his voice and expression over the frantic sound of her heartbeat. He thought back to what she'd said about taking herself off the pills and the anger he'd felt then returned in a sudden wave. What the hell was that doctor of hers thinking?

Kianti woke as if on cue and Therin forgot everything else while drowning in the sleepy dark pools of her gaze. A disturbed current eased into her stare as she took note of the clothes he wore.

“You're going?”

“Only for a few hours.” His deep voice was soft while he stroked her temple. “There's a meeting I need to go to.”

Kianti propped herself on an elbow. She took in the sudden agitation which flashed on his handsome face.

“Can I at least make you breakfast?” she asked instead of questioning the look.

“I'll grab something while I'm out.” He dropped a quick kiss to her mouth and stood. “This is my cell number.” He waved a card between his index and
middle finger before pressing it to the nightstand. “Call if you need anything before I get back.”

Realizing it was pointless to argue, she snuggled her head into the pillow. “'Kay.”

He graced her with a wink and a smile before leaving the room.

 

Therin didn't bother to put a smile in place when he spotted the four men across the café dining room. He greeted them with nods and handshakes and they all placed breakfast orders before getting to the point of the meeting.

“This is about Kianti,” Cube David guessed from his position at the opposite end of the rectangular table.

“That's right.” Therin nodded.

“And if you're here, that means she's told you who
he
really is,” Winton Terry noted, glancing toward the man who sat next to him.

Again, Therin nodded while looking toward Brody. “In light of that, I don't see how any doctor worth a damn could allow his patient to self-medicate or in this case,
not
medicate.”

Brody smiled, but waited until the server had set out milk for Cube and coffees for the rest, to the table. “If you know that, then you already know at least two other things about our lovely Kianti.” He dropped his elbows to the faux-wood-grained table. “She hates those pills with a passion and she's not a woman who appreciates being told what she can't do.”

“To hell with that,” Therin growled, though he fully understood Brody's words. “You're her doctor. One she trusts enough to have travel with her.” He waved a hand
across the table before laying it down. “You tell her there's no wiggle room on that—take it or leave it.”

The rest of the guys exchanged glances before joining in on a round of soft laughter.

Khan tugged up the sleeves of his sweatshirt and cleared his throat over the remnants of his laughter. “You've obviously never tried to tell her what she
can't
do.”

Therin wasn't amused. “This is her life we're talkin' about.”

“Now hold on, man.” Cube pointed a finger in Therin's direction. “Don't mistake us. We care about Key's welfare more than we do our own, but when it comes to this medical stuff…” He shrugged. “We take our cues from Bro. If he's cool with lettin' her do this, we've got to believe he knows she'll come through it okay.”

“Forgive me if I don't share your certainty.” Therin massaged the bridge of his nose.

“By my calculation you've only known her a little over a week.” Winton toyed with the rolled cuff of his sleeve. “Already such concern…”

Therin's smile emerged slowly. His light stare was dangerously probing as he regarded Winton. “What does that tell you?”

Winton waited as their breakfast orders arrived. He glanced toward his colleagues then. “That tells me you've been charmed as totally and as easily as every other man who meets her.”

Therin smiled, looking down at his platter, but didn't dig in. “You're chalking my concern up to momentary fascination,” he told Winton.

“No man is
momentarily
fascinated with Key,” Khan said after washing down his food with a mouthful of juice.

“She hasn't had a serious relationship in a few years…that's why,” Winton said. “Every man who meets her realizes she's no momentary fascination. Unfortunately, that condition of hers rears its ugly head sooner or later and she has to choose between being happy and being alive.”

“But dammit, that's not a choice she has to make,” Therin snapped.

“It's not just about taking a pill,” Khan said. “It's what the pills represent for her. She thinks of them as a badge of shame. She's been tied to them her entire life. She's a strong-willed person and to be…dependent on them is probably harder on her than the illness itself.”

“Christ.” Therin pushed away his untouched plate, nodding toward Cube when he requested permission to dive in.

For the next five minutes, Therin watched them passing salt and sharing food. He studied them each closely and eventually realization dawned.

“You're waiting her out, aren't you?”

“If it seems like a cop out, it is.” Brody spoke up then. “I'm not happy about it one damn bit, but to argue with her over it would aggravate things more than they already have been.” He bowed his head and massaged the area where his Afro tapered at the neck. “It terrifies me to think about her off of her medication.”

The clatter of silverware and glasses slowly diminished as the rest of the guys stilled. Before now, none of them had heard Brody voice that particular concern.

“I told her we'd be watching her like a hawk…if something happened, I'd insist on her forgetting this foolishness and begin her regimen again. I'm confident she'll take them if she needs them. I have to be.”

Therin cursed and buried his face in his hands as he inhaled deeply to cool his temper. The others seemed to lose their appetites as well.

Khan was first to stand. “I'll get the check. Catch you guys later. Mr. Rucker.” He nodded a goodbye.

“Yeah, I'm outta here, too. Got some stuff to do.” Cube followed next. “Rucker,” he bid.

“Good seeing you again, Rucker.” Winton extended a hand to shake.

“Give us a minute, man,” Brody said when the waiter came to collect dishes. “Have you two slept together?” he asked once the young waiter had walked on.

Therin propped a sneaker-shod foot to the chair Winton had vacated. Bracing a fist to his forehead, the resigned smile he gave was confirmation enough.

“How was she when you left her?” Brody asked.

A muscle danced along Therin's jaw as it tightened. “She was sleeping, woke up before I left. Said she wanted to make me breakfast.” He smiled briefly on the memory.

Brody picked at his bacon. “Did she tell you about her condition before or after you…?”

“Before.”

“And I suppose you figured you could…keep yourself in check around her?”

“The hell with you, doc.” Therin's fist landed on the table. “I didn't jump on her the second I met her. Hell, I didn't even want to risk it—”

“Exactly.” Brody straightened in his chair. “May I speak frankly?”

Therin's laughter drew a fair amount of attention. “Isn't that what we've been doing?”

Brody grinned. “Khan was right. What he said about not being able to tell her what to do. She's got a way…an almost undetectable way of working things in her favor.”

“That passion of hers?” Brody waited for Therin's nod. “It's evident in all she does.
All,
Mr. Ambassador.”

The muscle began its wicked dance along Therin's jaw again. “Are you speaking from experience, then?”

“No. Not mine—others.” Brody ran his hand across the low afro. “Key's last relationship was over three years ago. Things didn't move nearly as fast there as they have with the two of you but they made progress. The first night they slept together, she wound up in the ER.”

Therin went cold beneath his tan hoody.

“Hmph. The guy could've used time in the ER himself—he looked ready to pass out.” Brody smiled. “I think he did when Cube got there.”

“What kind of idiot do you think I am? You believe I'd intentionally overlook the risk and put her in danger?”

Brody leaned forward, clasping his hands against the top of the table. “No. I don't think that, and neither did her last two acquaintances—but it happened.” His voice softened. “What I'm saying is that in spite of best intentions, I don't know a man alive who could take it slow and easy with a woman like that.”

Therin's words had failed then and he offered no argument.

Brody regarded him for a moment before he stood. “I'd appreciate you not mentioning our chat with Kianti. She'd kill us slow if she knew we'd talked to you.”

When silence met his request, Brody sighed and left the table.

The waiter returned to clear the dishes, noticed the harsh look Therin wore and decided to return once the table was vacant.

Therin stared unseeingly past the windows and wondered if it was too late to shut down emotion and back off from Kianti Lawrence. A host of responses filtered his brain—all of them telling him he was already hopelessly beyond the point of no return. He had never opened himself up to such a rush of emotion. In spite of the many women he'd known before, he'd never
wanted
to open himself up to such emotion. His fate was sealed, he knew it and he'd passed the point of caring.

He felt the phone vibrate in his jean pocket and quickly checked to see if it was her. The sight of Vaughn's name on the faceplate brought a frown to his face and he pushed the phone back into his pocket. He remained at the table for another half hour.