Swing (26 page)

"You don't think I turned into a slut-monkey?" Her eyes glazed with tears but she blinked them back.

He smiled warmly. "I don't even know what a slut-monkey is, but whatever it is, you're not it. You're a woman

who indulged in some sexual fantasies and awakened something special inside yourself. It took a lot of courage

and I think it's made you a more well-rounded person."

He slipped his arms around her and she leaned close to him, loving the comfort of his embrace.

"You have a novel way of looking at the world, Shane."

He kissed the top of her head. "And you love me for it."

That was true. That was one of the main reasons she loved him. And there were many others. But that love was

from one close friend to another. She was not in love with him. And that, she realized, was the real reason their

relationship had never evolved into something romantic.

True, since making love at the resort, they shared a closer bond, but it was still friendship.

No, she was not in love with Shane.

She was in love with Ty Adams.

"Ms. Fox."

Suzanne glanced up from her papers and gazed at her assistant, Gina, peering in the door. She only cal ed her

Ms. Fox when there was someone important in the office.

"What is it?"

It had only been a week since she'd returned from the resort and she was stil dealing with the aftermath of the

financial damage done by Hal and Vanna. It seemed the resort had been doing quite well, but none of those

profits had made it to Suzanne and now she might have to sel anyway.

"There's someone here to see you."

"Who?"

"He won't say, but he says it's very important he speak with you."

Ordinarily, Gina would get rid of anyone like that, but her uncharacteristic behavior sent Suzanne striding to the

door. She pushed it open and glanced across her assistant's office to see Shane standing in front of Gina's desk,

briefcase in hand.

"Ms. Fox," he said in a businesslike tone. "I would like to discuss a proposal with you."

Her heart melted seeing him standing there, so tal and handsome. She wanted to run to him and throw her

arms around him.

"About the resort?"

She hoped he would throw down his briefcase and exclaim his love for her, insisting that the club didn't matter.

Her deception didn't matter. Nothing mattered but their love for each other.

But he didn't. He simply nodded.

"All right," she said flatly.

She gestured him into her office. Her heart, held tightly in place by her rigid control, burned in her chest as he

walked past her. Her back to him, she pushed the door closed, then turned around.

Startled, she came face-to-face with him, only a foot away. She'd assumed he'd continued to the guest chair

facing her desk. His closeness set her body tingling and her heart thumped loudly.

"Suzanne, I'm sorry about what I said at the resort . . . what I thought." He rested his hands on her shoulder.

"I've had time to gain some much needed perspective and I realize I was wrong."

His wonderful, deep blue eyes glowed with warmth. "Suzanne, now that I know you're not married, I want to

pursue a real relationship with you."

She stepped forward, her heart swel ing. "You do?"

He closed the short distance between them and cupped her shoulders. She stared into his eyes, glittering with

sincerity. "Yes, I do."

His warm words caressed her then he tilted his head forward and she closed the distance, melding her lips with

his, stunned by the intensity of her emotions. She realized she loved this man.

His arms encircled her and he drew her close. His lips moved on hers with a hungry passion, then he dragged her

against him and hugged her so close she thought she might break. At the feel of her body pressed the length of

his, their hearts thumping together as one, Suzanne's heart soared.

Shane knew he'd been an idiot thinking Suzanne had only made love with him to get him to buy her resort. She

wasn't that kind of woman. He hadn't real y needed Ty Adams to tel him that.

Shane realized the real reason he'd run was because he'd been afraid. When he'd found out she was not

married, and therefore free to be with him, he'd been terrified. But a week without her showed him what real

pain was. He'd realized he had to take that risk. Living without her would be worse than any possibility of losing

her in the future.

Now, holding her in his arms, he knew he wouldn't lose her. Because this was right.

Melissa stared out the window of Shane's big country house, watching a gray squirrel prance across the lawn

then scamper up the big oak tree near the riverbank. Shane had invited Melissa and her two sisters up to the

place for the weekend, as he did every year for his annual summer party.

Shane hadn't arrived yet, but Melissa had gone straight to the room she always used, telling her sisters she

needed a nap. In reality, she just didn't feel like socializing right now. She'd have to do enough of that over the

weekend, but right now, she needed the quiet time.

She wrung her hands together. Her heart still ached for Ty. He had awakened a part of her that she'd always

hidden away. A part of her that understood that pleasure was a part of life. A part of happiness. And it was

something she deserved. After much soul searching, she realized she'd always denied herself what she wanted,

throwing herself into looking after others.

Now she realized it was not only a person's right to pursue things they enjoyed, but it was the only way to be

complete. It didn't make them less capable of giving. It filled them with joy and allowed them to give more of

themselves.

How ironic that she would find that out just as the thing she wanted most in life was stolen away from her. Ty's

love.

An hour had passed and she realized she couldn't hide in this room forever. She sighed and opened her door,

then descended the stairs.

She could hear the murmuring of a familiar deep voice coming from the kitchen. It sounded amazingly like Ty's

voice.

Oh, great, now I'm hearing things.

As she got closer, she heard it again. Her ears perked up. That wasn't her imagination. That was real!

She raced into the large kitchen to see Ty leaning against the counter, her two sisters eyeing him avidly.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Melissa, there you are." He smiled that devilish smile of his. "I was just telling your sisters about the week we spent together."

Elaine and Ginny glanced at Melissa, big grins on their faces.

"That was at the resort you went to a couple of weeks ago, wasn't it?" Elaine asked impishly.

Melissa's face burned red. She couldn't have her little sisters thinking she had gone off to a swingers' resort and

had sex with a stranger. . . even though she had.

He held up a DVD, hand-labeled.

"I was just telling your sisters I have a great video of you and me at the resort enjoying ourselves."

"We'd love to see it," Ginny insisted. "There's a DVD player in the TV on the counter."

Blind panic gripped Melissa. She stared at him, her eyes demanding, You wouldn't.

His half smile said, Wanna bet?

"Excuse us a minute." She forced the words through clenched teeth as she grabbed his hand and dragged him

from the kitchen and up the stairs to the only place she could be sure of having some privacy from prying ears.

She closed the bedroom door behind her.

"Don't worry about the DVD," Ty said. "It's just some photos taken by the staff photographer showing various guests enjoying themselves around the resort—all PG-rated. A service the resort provides so the guests have

something to take home and show their families. I thought you might like one."

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" she demanded, as she glared at him.

He proceeded toward her, closer than she wanted him to be.

"I came here to talk to you."

She dodged sideways, putting more distance between them.

"Well, I don't want to talk to you."

He stepped toward her again and his long reach allowed him to capture her and draw her close. His arms slid

around her waist. The warmth of his embrace shocked her senses into temporary paralysis. As hard as she tried,

she could not find the wil to move away.

His mouth claimed hers and, damning her traitorous lips the whole time, she responded. For about a second. He

released her mouth and smiled.

"Actually, I don't feel much like talking right now, either," he murmured, his hot charcoal gaze locked on hers.

She would not melt into his arms. She had to be strong. She couldn't give in to this sparking desire. He'd

betrayed her and made a fool of her. And broken her heart.

She drew away.

"You have a nerve coming here. You lied to me . . . used me . . ." Her hands clenched into fists. "Had sex with me

. . . as part of your job."

He stepped closer to her.

"Why are you really mad at me, Melissa? Because I didn't tell you why I was really there? Because that's the only

lie I told."

"No, it's not. You lied about . . ." She bit back any further words, not quite sure what they would be, but knowing they would leave her too vulnerable.

"About what?" he prompted.

She turned around, grasping the edge of the dresser for support. Staring at herself in the mirror, she saw herself

as a teenager. Knowing no one would ever love her. Believing her mother had never loved her. Always feeling

the need to prove herself, to make everyone happy but herself.

Ty's hands rested on her shoulders. Gentle. Reassuring.

"What is it really, Melissa?"

"You weren't real y attracted to me." And you weren't real y in love with me. But she couldn't say that.

"The hell I wasn't." His reflected gaze captured hers. "Melissa, I did what I did to help my best friend. Suzanne has always been there for me. She's seen me through some pretty rough times. I won't apologize for that,

because I'd do it again. I followed you to make sure you got the right impression of the resort. I never misled

you. I helped you out of that jam the first evening, in the numbers room, because I knew you were

uncomfortable, and it was the right thing to do. And I liked you."

He turned her to face him.

"I made love to you, because I found you extremely sexy and I wanted to be with you. The first time."

"The first time?"

"After that . . ." He stroked her cheek, holding her gaze with the warmth in his simmering eyes. His voice grew low and compelling. "I made love to you because I'd fal en in love with you."

She shook her head.

"I don't believe you." She wanted to—desperately—but she was afraid.

"I didn't believe it at the time, either, but when I found out you weren't married . . . and realized there was

nothing standing in the way of us being together . . . then I realized. Then, when you left the resort, and I

thought I'd never see you again . . . I couldn't stop thinking about you. I couldn't stop wanting you." His fingers curled around her cheek, tender and loving. "I've never loved a woman before. I never thought I would. But I

was wrong."

He took her hand and stroked it with his lips, then knelt down in front of her.

"Melissa Woods, I love you more than I ever thought a man could love a woman. My life is empty without you.

Please tell me you'll marry me."

Her heart pounded in her chest. Marriage? The pain of his betrayal stil burned through her, but . . . He'd helped

her to free herself from her inhibitions. He'd encouraged her to go after her own pleasure without guilt. He'd

made her feel alive for the first time in her life.

She wanted to believe this would work . . . she really did . . . but she was afraid. How could she trust that he

wouldn't hurt her?

"Melissa . . . sweetheart . . . I'm on my knees before you. I love you. Please say yes."

"I . . ." Tears spilled from her eyes. Her jaw quivered.

He stood up and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She felt safe and protected in his arms. Like

she had always felt with Shane. But with Ty there was so much more. An awareness of his masculinity. A desire

to turn her face upward and join her lips with his. An ache deep in her heart to be with him. Always.

Did she need him too much?

He tucked her head under his chin and stroked her hair. Silence hung around them as her teardrops fel to his

shirt leaving round, wet splotches.

Ty had done what he'd done to protect his friend Suzanne. Just as Melissa had wanted to protect her sister

Elaine. Melissa had lied, too, but Ty hadn't argued that point. He'd made his case for what he had done, not

pointing a finger at her. And he'd made a good case.

She realized it wasn't about the fact he'd lied. It was because she'd come to believe he real y liked her . . . had

begun to hope he'd grown to love her. Learning that he was undercover had crushed that hope, along with her

fragile sense of self-worth.

She gazed at him. "Do you really love me?"

His soft gaze and gentle smile reassured her. "More than life itself."

She snuffled, tears flowing more freely. As she gazed into his eyes, she realized she believed him. And, deep

down inside, she knew she could trust him. He would never hurt her.

"I love you, too." The words trembled from her lips.

His mouth burst into a broad smile and he crushed her to him, then his lips swooped down on hers with a

breathtaking passion.

"Does that mean you'll marry me?"

She nodded, a crooked smile claiming her lips.

He scooped her into his arms, his lips claiming hers again.