Melody Seabright - The Kitchen Witch - Melody Seabright - The Kitchen Witch Part 10
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Melody Seabright - The Kitchen Witch Part 10

Logan swore beneath his breath and grabbed his keys off the dresser, regret in his soul and guilt in his gut. He had just experienced the best, and worst, turn-on of his life. He had also just come as close to irresponsibility as he'd allowed in years.

He'd gotten into the habit of remaining in control, but letting his passions rule him was not the kind of control he could afford. Once, that had been everything, but not now.

Thank God, Melody hadn't awakened to discover what a lowlife he really was. '"Jerk, scum, idiot," he called himself as he took his jacket from the closet, his words bringing a measure of sobriety... and gratitude for close saves.

Logan looked in on Shane, then checked his watch and saw that nearly half an hour had passed, while he had been lusting after his son's sitter, for pity's sake.

That he wanted to make love to Melody didn't bother him. Lust was natural. But the fleeting idea of sleeping beside her, and worse, waking beside her, frightened the hell out of him... as if he needed her.

It was time to remember that Melody Seabright spelled trouble with a capital T. Logan groaned inwardly just thinking about the trouble he could get into with Melody, how close he'd just come. She exuded a madcap abandon that bordered on reckless. So what if she was there for Shane night and day? So what if Shane adored her to the point Logan feared his son would move in with her if he could?

Shane didn't know what was best for him. His father did. And joining Melody in that bed would have been one of the worst mistakes Shane's father could have made... and he had already pulled off some world-class beauties. The worst had been getting a sexy number named Heather pregnant, though the result was a gift he didn't deserve. Now he had to protect his son from another potential mistake- Melody. Logan groaned. What had he done to hook up with Heather and Melody in the same lifetime?

His worry crystallized. Suppose Melody was every bit as flighty and unreliable as Shane's mother? Suppose she hurt Shane as badly as Heather had?

Logan checked his watch again, swore, and took the stairs two at a time. Shane started crying before he hit the landing. Logan ran back up. By the time he got there, Melody was sitting on the edge of the bed, coaxing his son awake with gentle words.

Shane opened his eyes, blinked a couple of times, focused on each of them, one on each side. No hesitation, no second thoughts, he reached for Melody, and Logan's heart sank.

"I thought you went to work," Melody said as she rocked his son in her embrace, stroked his hair, and kissed his brow. "Shh, baby, it's okay."

"I was on my way out when I heard him."

"He's too sleepy to stay awake long. We're okay. You can get going."

"Yeah, I'm... running late." At the door, Logan stopped and turned. "Mel, do you walk or talk in your sleep?"

Melody winced, a dead giveaway. "What did I do now?"

Logan shook his head, easing the concern in her expression. "You didn't do anything." He had nearly done something terrible, for which he would never forgive himself, but she had not been responsible. "I'll be back as quick as I can," he said.

Logan berated himself all the way to the station, until he remembered that Shane had been crying for his mother, and that when it came to a choice, his son had gone to Melody for comfort, not his father. Logan slammed his hand on the wheel. "Serves you right, Kilgarven."

What had not happened with Melody in his bed had been for the best, Logan knew. He could not get involved with anyone, especially not Melody Seabright. It had taken him years to become a man in control, but it had only taken her a few weeks to break that control, and he had no one but himself to blame. He was going to stay away from her from now on.

MELODY slipped off the forties walking dress she'd just modeled for Gardner, regarded herself critically in the mirror, and wondered what was wrong with her.

She was wearing the underwear she'd been looking for on the morning of the tall ships party, just another unwelcome reminder, among many, of her shortcomings.

As if that day hadn't gone bad enough, she'd capped it by having an erotic dream about Logan... while sleeping in his bed, no less. Glory, he had been doing amazing things to her. Worse, she had wanted him to do as much, and more. The dream had been so real, she remembered waking eager and ready for him. So real, the feel of his big, capable hands haunted her still.

Later that same night, as she'd waited for Logan to return from the station, she'd realized that she would have to stay away from him, but no need. He had apparently decided to stay away from her, as far away as he could get, given the fact that they traveled to work together, and shared an office and a house.

As a matter of fact, steering clear of someone became pretty damned obvious when you tried to pull it off in close quarters. Logan's ploys to avoid her were getting embarrassing.

What had she done to drive him away?

It didn't matter. She didn't miss him. She wanted him at arm's length. She would not fall for a conservative, pinstriped workaholic. Though she'd had no say in the matter, her father amply filled the role of token tight ass in her life, which made one too many.

So what if Logan smelled of cloves, tasted of sex, and kissed like... God, and he stood so... tall, and... masculine, and his hands on her felt- Melody broke a nail trying to tug her stubborn blouse off the hanger. "Damn it." She pulled an emery board from her makeup kit as the bathroom door opened.

Melody squeaked, and Logan gaped, devouring her with hungry eyes, which damned near improved her mood. "Do you not know how to knock?" she snapped.

"I distinctly remember that the door stood ajar," he said, his frank appraisal stroking her like a caress, so that where his gaze lingered, Melody sizzled.

"Oh," she said, feeling like an idiot, because she remembered why the door hadn't closed properly, and it was all his fault. He had annoyed her by walking out in the middle of her impromptu fashion show, and she'd slammed the bathroom door so hard afterward, it had bounced open again.

He regarded her now, with appreciation, and her pulse kicked into overdrive.

"That color makes your eyes sparkle," he said.

Melody looked down at herself, surprised. Like a doe in headlights, she stood unmoving, in nothing but a pair of lace bikinis and a strapless underwire, which he liked very much, judging by his evident reaction.

Melody raised her chin, proud of her power, and stood her ground. She'd teach him to ignore her. "Lemon chiffon," she said, striking a pose.

"Huh?"

"The color is lemon chiffon."

"Oh."

"Hey, Mel," Woody yelled from their empty office. "Somebody called to say your kid's waiting in day care."

"Damn!" Logan whispered, quietly shutting the door, as if to protect her modesty. "Get dressed."

"Go ahead." Melody stepped into her lime Capris and nearly lost her balance. "Get Shane," she said, hopping on one foot. "I'll catch up with you."

"Right. Good idea."

WAITING for the elevator took more patience than Logan could muster. God Mel had looked... tasty, like a dessert he'd like to savor. "Damn." He'd felt himself harden and all but tremble with need when he saw her. He was in worse trouble after staying away from her for nearly a week than he'd been when he saw her fifty times a day.

He looked up and wondered how long the elevator had been sitting there with the doors open. He just made it inside before they began to shut. When he saw Melody coming down the hall, he dove for the "open" button, hit "close" instead, and swore, but she managed to slip between the gap in the doors anyway.

"Cranky today, are we?"

"Can it, Mel." "Aye, aye-" "Mel..." Logan hated when she tried to hide her amusement, like now, because it charmed him as much as it irked him, damn it. Annoyed with himself for letting her get to him, hoping no one saw him dive for the "open" button like a hormone-ripe teen, he inhaled the subtle, intoxicating scent of the day. Orchids. Okay, so he'd been sniffing the perfume bottles she kept in the office medicine cabinet. Man, had she turned him into a sick bastard, or what?

The elevator jolted to a teeth-jarring stop as the lights flickered and went out, and Melody fell against him, her thick waving mane stroking his cheek, toying with him, sending him spiraling into alert mode.

Logan wanted to bury his face in that hair, bury himself in her.

To his relief, and dismay, she regained her balance and moved away. "What happened?" she asked.

Logan grasped the railing to keep from pulling her back. He might not be able to see her, but he knew, his body certainly knew, that she stood nearby. "How the hell should I know?"

"No need to snap. I didn't take that long."

"It's not you."

"It must be me. You've been avoiding me."

"No I haven't."

"Have."

"Have not."

Her rude noise made him smile in the darkness. "You most certainly have," she snapped. "For the last four days."

Five. "Why? Does it bother you?"

"No. Yes. Maybe a little."

Melody felt the warmth from his body radiate through her clothes and stroke at her core. He touched her hair-oh God-moved it from her brow, his breath warm at her temple. Had she moved closer? Had he?

She closed her eyes, her sigh of contentment so obvious in the silence, she was grateful he couldn't see her flaming cheeks.

The elevator whirred to life then stopped again, so fast, the lights barely flickered.

"Damned electricians. I hope your office is finished soon."

"Anxious to get rid of me?"

"Anxious to get back to normal," he said. "Nothing personal."

Nothing personal, Melody thought, wishing he'd kiss her. "You don't think this is another initiation, do you?"

The silence lasted long, pulsed, as did she. Logan's hand at her jaw both startled and enervated her, his torso touching hers turned her molten, as if the missing electricity shot through them both.

Logan's breath fanned her lips, made them tingle as if he'd caressed them. Melody sighed as his mouth came for hers, a whisper of breath, promising more, promising... everything.

The lights came on, blinding in their intensity, and the elevator arrived in day care in two sobering beats.

SHANE chattered like a magpie on the way home, which relieved Logan considerably, as it eased the sexual energy sparking between him and Melody. He didn't want to dwell on what had not happened in the elevator, what should never happen.

"Dad, Dad, in the road. Stop the car! Dad!"

Logan caught his son's terror in the rearview mirror, and pulled right over. "What's wrong-"

"I saw it, too," Melody said as she opened her door and bolted. Even as Logan called her back, she stepped into a stream of two-lane traffic moving at a fair clip.

Horns honked. Cars stopped. The tour trolley screeched to a halt. One guy drove his truck up on the curb and ended nose-down in a holly hedge.

Only the women drivers seemed miffed; the men were too busy watching Mel move. Man, she really did have a figure that could stop traffic. She looked like an ad for rainbow sherbet in her raspberry spikes, sexy lime Capri pants, and lemon chiffon top, traffic frozen around her, as if she were true north.

Logan looked at his son then, and swore inwardly at the pure adoration Shane directed her way. There she stood, teaching him to play in traffic, and he looked as if she had just saved the world.

Two men got out of their cars and started toward her, then a police car pulled up beside her. Logan wanted to go to her rescue, but he didn't want to drag Shane into what might become a scene, and he couldn't leave him alone in the car.

Reduced to watching from a distance, Logan felt as if he were letting Mel down. He'd probably end up dropping Shane at Jessie's, though, so he could go and bail her out. Honest to Pete that woman could get herself into trouble.

To Logan's surprise, however, not two minutes later, she made her way back to the car with a full male escort-two cops and two civilians. Logan didn't appreciate the way one of the cops guided her with a possessive hand to her back, as if she couldn't make it on her own. She'd gotten out there by herself, hadn't she?

Watch it, buddy, Logan thought as he stepped from the car, waited, then opened the passenger door for her to get in. "Bozos," he said beneath his breath as he shut it and watched them walk away. He'd give Mel a piece of his mind later, he thought belting himself back into the driver's seat. For now, he'd get her the hell out of there and away from the ogling hordes.

Mad at her for jumping into traffic, madder still at the men who drooled on her, it took Logan a minute to focus on the kittens she and Shane were cuddling. Then he saw the small brown paper bag in her lap. "Jeez," he said. "Is that what you saw in the road? A bag of kittens?"

Shane's eyes spilled over tears as he nodded. "They were gonna get squished, Dad. Mel had to save 'em."

Logan looked at Melody, and she looked back, daring him to deny it. He shrugged, and she nodded. "Pet store," she said. "Now. We need kitty formula and an eyedropper, or maybe a baby bottle. A little one. I'll ask the clerk."

Logan started the car, while Melody wrapped both kittens in Shane's sweater and handed them to him. "Hold them, but be gentle, and keep them wrapped so they're warm. Your dad is going to stay in the car with you while I go in the pet store and get what they need. Okay?"

Shane nodded. "Mel?"

"What, baby?"

"Where's their mother?"

"Pet store," Logan announced as he pulled into the lot, and dropped Mel at the door, glad they'd been so close, she hadn't had a chance to answer Shane's question. "Go ahead, Mel," he said. "We'll be watching for you when you come out."

She nodded and left, looking as relieved as he felt.

"Dad?" Shane said a minute later. "Where's their mother?"

ON Logan's coffee table, Melody spread an assortment of baby formula and rice cereal, eye droppers, mini baby bottles, kitty vitamins in a tube, pet blankets and warmers, not to mention kitty litter, a scooper big enough for the kittens to sleep in, and a litter box.

"Did you get enough?" Logan asked.

"Stuff it, Kilgarven," she responded dryly.

"I want to call them Ink and Spot," Shane said.

"Good names, sport," Logan said.

One kitten mewled incessantly, while the other looked terrifyingly near to giving up the fight. If they lost one, his son would never get over it. "What can I do to help?" Logan asked as he followed Mel into his kitchen.

"I need a bowl and the smallest funnel you can find."

Logan swore and started rummaging. "You shouldn't have-"

Melody slammed a can of formula on the counter. "You think I should have left them there to die?"

"No, but stepping into traffic with-"

"Screw the traffic. We've got to keep them alive."

Logan shut his mouth and ran a hand through his hair in concerned, and wholehearted, agreement. Between them they silently mixed a miniscule amount of baby cereal with the formula and enlarged the holes in the nipples. Melody took the sluggish kitten to feed, the one with a white spot on the tip of its stub tail, and she let Shane feed Ink, its frenetically starving sibling.