Page 50 of Forbidden Secrets
“That is a good prediction.”
“Now tell me about the hot neighbor with the cute dog.Anything happening with our handsome Alaric look-alike?”
“He’s read my books.”
“I’m not surprised.M.Brennan is an amazing author.”
“I’msurprised.Stunned is more accurate.He said a teen relative challenged him to read the first book, and he’s since read all of them.I haven’t had a chance to talk with him about them, but he used the wordincredible.”
“That’s the best kind of validation, Mel.”
Melanie leaned against the kitchen counter, rubbing her eyes.“It adds layers to the attraction.I don’t think either of us is looking for a relationship, but there’s something there.”
“Define this something.I need details.”
“He kissed me.”
“What?!?”Melanie pulled out an earbud when Esme screeched the word.“If I didn’t need to get my steps in, I’d have to sit down.Tell me about the kiss.”
“Actually, I kissed him first.Just a peck.Then last night, he kissed me, and boy, did I kiss him back.It was sexy and hot, and now I think I’ve lost my mind because I can’t think of anything else.”
“Oh mygod, Mel.”
“I know.And up until recently, he was an FBI agent.”Another squeal from Esme.“Put those together and I’m not sure what to make of him.”
“FBI is way cool, but what does that have to do with you two locking lips?”
She deemed it safe to return the earbud.“I think his background makes him protective.I have to tell you what happened on Monday.”
“Your tone says it’s something serious.What happened?”
Melanie told her friend about Gage’s call to lock herself in her bathroom, and how he’d subdued both intruders single handedly.“So you see what I mean about him being protective?I think it’s encoded in his DNA and is probably why he joined the FBI.He now owns his own security consulting firm.I told him about the assault and how I want to find who did it.”
“Okay, so he’s protective, which is uber hot.But again, what does that have to do with kissing you?”
“I don’t like the idea that being attracted to me is somehow mixed up with thinking I need his protection.”Melanie sighed.“And now that I’ve said it out loud it doesn’t make as much sense as it did in my head.”
“Maybe one doesn’t have anything to do with the other.It sounds like being protective is part of his nature and he can’t help extending that to you.I bet he’s attracted despite that.”
“Maybe,” she said.
“You shared your history with him, which means you trust him.That’s a good start for any relationship.”Esme called out a hello to someone.“Now I want the good stuff.How did you end up locking lips with Special Agent Gage?What’s his last name?”
“Landry.”
“Okay, with Special Agent Gage Landry.Was the kiss amazing?”
“Oh yeah.”Melanie described the ladder mishap.“I was using a screwdriver to pry out staples holding the screen up and I would have beenfine,but then Gage comes up behind me and demands to know what the hell I’m doing.He’d been on an overnight business trip and we’d spent at least an hour the night before texting.I’d been thinking about him and then all of a sudden he’s there and startles me.I’m near the top of the stupid ladder, which I should’ve realized wasn’t strong enough.Then the step breaks under my feet and the ladder falls.”
This time Esme’s squeal wasn’t quite as loud.“Oh my god.You must’ve been terrified.”
“Tell me about it.I’m hanging on to the roof and I think I’m about to die, but he grabs me.Good thing he’s tall and has excellent muscles because he’s got his arms around me and I basically slide down his body.All of which leads to this moment when I’m looking in his eyes and he’s looking in my eyes and the next thing I know, we’re seriously kissing and it’s amazing.”
“Holy shit, Mel.First off, be more careful.Second, how amazing is amazing?”
“Off the charts amazing.I’ve never felt like that with a kiss.There was the sexy part of it, because good lord that man is sexy down to his bones.But there’s the other part too.I’m scared to put it into words, but it’s like something inside me recognized him as mine, like he belongs to me, and I belong to him.Which sounds dumb when I say it out loud.”
Esme’s sigh carried over the connection.“Oh, that’s so romantic.You found him, Mel.You found your man.I have dibs on maid of honor.”
