of her beer and set the bottle on the floor. “Because I really want you to stay.” She turned back to Mel. Before she had time to think about what she was doing, she tossed a leg over and straddled Mel’s lap, facing her.
“Whoa!” Mel pulled back, surprise on her face.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle.” Addie leaned forward and kissed her.
Chapter Six
Mel’s eyes widened when Addie’s mouth touched hers. She thought about returning the kiss and bringing to life the fantasy she’d harboured for over a week. But the sexy, dishevelled woman tasted like beer and something stronger, and Mel was not about to take advantage.
“Whoa, slow down, there.” She pressed Addie back gently.
Addie raised her hips and ground herself into Mel’s lap. “Don’t you want me? I want you very much.”
“Um, yeah.” Mel didn’t know how to answer that one.
Hell yes, I want you
.
But it’s not
going to happen like this.
She gripped Addie’s shoulders. “Not tonight, honey. Not in the mood you’re in.”
“I’m in the perfect mood.” Addie smiled at her, a lopsided try at seductive.
“Yes, I see that. Come on, now.” Mel moved the delightful body off hers and set her back on the sofa.
“Aw, hell!” Addie began to cry. Big drops trailed down her cheeks, smudging her mascara.
Mel gazed at her and realised, judging by the makeup, it wasn’t the first time she’d cried that night. She reached out and pushed a lock of hair away from Addie’s face. “Don’t cry, sweetie. Maybe we just need to talk. Seems like you have a lot on your shoulders right now.”
“I can’t talk about it.” Addie shook her head. “Can’t think about it. Too much. Way too much.”
“What’s too much? Come on, Adeline. Tell me what’s going on with you.”
Addie opened her eyes and looked at Mel. She sniffled, wiped her face and smiled.
“Okay, Melissa. I’ll tell you. Nothing is turning out right. My father wasn’t supposed to die, my mother wasn’t supposed to disown me…”
“Slow down.” Mel could see Addie had a lot to get off her chest. “Start at the beginning, please. When did your dad die?”
Addie’s slurred speech seemed to clear up as she reached into the past. “A few months ago. He had lung cancer. Smoked all his life. They tried to operate, but the doctors discovered it was too far advanced. He lived one year from the diagnosis, but he was pretty miserable.”
“I’m sorry.” Mel saw Addie relax, leaning back on the sofa, and she did the same.
“What about your mom? You said she disowned you?”
“Several years ago. I was fresh out of high school. She’d always suspected I was different, but when I turned eighteen and joined a gay rights activist group, she blew up.
Kicked me out of the house and all that. I was happy to go, but I didn’t have any money.”
“Were you going to college?”
“Nope. Never quite figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. Still haven’t, I guess. Anyway, my father set me up in an apartment, which annoyed my mother no end. I got a job waiting tables, and he got booted out of the house just like me.”
“You’re kidding!” Mel had never heard of such a thing. Her parents were fun-loving, easy-going types. Better than that, they were best friends. They’d been married twenty-five years, and their relationship showed no signs of aging.
“Not kidding. Dad was okay. He was a plumber with his own little business. There was never a shortage of work. Truthfully, I don’t think he was ever good enough for my mom.
She thought she was hot stuff—some big shot banker’s administrative assistant. That’s a fancy-ass word for secretary. I heard people say that might not have been all she was to the guy, but I didn’t want to get into that. Colorado Springs is a big place. She lived her life. Dad and I lived ours.”
“At least you were close to your dad.” Mel tried to see the positive.
“Yeah, he was great. Towards the end, when he knew he
“Whoa!” Mel pulled back, surprise on her face.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle.” Addie leaned forward and kissed her.
Chapter Six
Mel’s eyes widened when Addie’s mouth touched hers. She thought about returning the kiss and bringing to life the fantasy she’d harboured for over a week. But the sexy, dishevelled woman tasted like beer and something stronger, and Mel was not about to take advantage.
“Whoa, slow down, there.” She pressed Addie back gently.
Addie raised her hips and ground herself into Mel’s lap. “Don’t you want me? I want you very much.”
“Um, yeah.” Mel didn’t know how to answer that one.
Hell yes, I want you
.
But it’s not
going to happen like this.
She gripped Addie’s shoulders. “Not tonight, honey. Not in the mood you’re in.”
“I’m in the perfect mood.” Addie smiled at her, a lopsided try at seductive.
“Yes, I see that. Come on, now.” Mel moved the delightful body off hers and set her back on the sofa.
“Aw, hell!” Addie began to cry. Big drops trailed down her cheeks, smudging her mascara.
Mel gazed at her and realised, judging by the makeup, it wasn’t the first time she’d cried that night. She reached out and pushed a lock of hair away from Addie’s face. “Don’t cry, sweetie. Maybe we just need to talk. Seems like you have a lot on your shoulders right now.”
“I can’t talk about it.” Addie shook her head. “Can’t think about it. Too much. Way too much.”
“What’s too much? Come on, Adeline. Tell me what’s going on with you.”
Addie opened her eyes and looked at Mel. She sniffled, wiped her face and smiled.
“Okay, Melissa. I’ll tell you. Nothing is turning out right. My father wasn’t supposed to die, my mother wasn’t supposed to disown me…”
“Slow down.” Mel could see Addie had a lot to get off her chest. “Start at the beginning, please. When did your dad die?”
Addie’s slurred speech seemed to clear up as she reached into the past. “A few months ago. He had lung cancer. Smoked all his life. They tried to operate, but the doctors discovered it was too far advanced. He lived one year from the diagnosis, but he was pretty miserable.”
“I’m sorry.” Mel saw Addie relax, leaning back on the sofa, and she did the same.
“What about your mom? You said she disowned you?”
“Several years ago. I was fresh out of high school. She’d always suspected I was different, but when I turned eighteen and joined a gay rights activist group, she blew up.
Kicked me out of the house and all that. I was happy to go, but I didn’t have any money.”
“Were you going to college?”
“Nope. Never quite figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. Still haven’t, I guess. Anyway, my father set me up in an apartment, which annoyed my mother no end. I got a job waiting tables, and he got booted out of the house just like me.”
“You’re kidding!” Mel had never heard of such a thing. Her parents were fun-loving, easy-going types. Better than that, they were best friends. They’d been married twenty-five years, and their relationship showed no signs of aging.
“Not kidding. Dad was okay. He was a plumber with his own little business. There was never a shortage of work. Truthfully, I don’t think he was ever good enough for my mom.
She thought she was hot stuff—some big shot banker’s administrative assistant. That’s a fancy-ass word for secretary. I heard people say that might not have been all she was to the guy, but I didn’t want to get into that. Colorado Springs is a big place. She lived her life. Dad and I lived ours.”
“At least you were close to your dad.” Mel tried to see the positive.
“Yeah, he was great. Towards the end, when he knew he
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