“Oh, hell, no,” I said. “We’re having dinner. And then we’re going back to your place, and you’re going to tell me every little thing that you’re keeping from me. In your business, you know it helps to talk to someone.”

I just hoped I could be there to listen and not get so crazy that I had to fuck her brains out first.

Chapter Twenty–Two

Melanie

I could tell that sushi wasn’t Jonah’s favorite meal. But he was a trouper, and he tried everything I ordered. He actually liked the unagi—freshwater eel—quite a bit. I almost felt bad having to tell him it was cooked. We talked mainly about the food. One thing that was great about Jonah—I didn’t feel like I had to keep talking. I hated small talk, and I sucked at it as well. So we finished up, shared a dessert of green tea ice cream, and then walked back to my place.

“Do you want a drink?” I asked. “I can open a bottle of wine.”

“No, I have to drive home later, and I already had that sake at the restaurant. But I’d love a cup of coffee if you have it.”

“Sure. I’ll start a pot. Make yourself at home.” I walked to the kitchen, fiddled with the coffee maker, and ground some beans.

Then I went into the living room. Jonah was leafing through a copy of my book.

He looked up when he saw me. “That first time I met you, when you were at the psychology conference and I was at the agricultural conference, you told me you were working on a book. Is this the one?”

“Yes, although the book was done by then. I just said I was working on it because it hadn’t been published yet. It came out a month ago.”

“You said it was about overcoming childhood trauma. That caught my interest. Obviously, it’s a topic I’m familiar with.”

“Of course. Talon.”

He nodded. “I kept your card. That’s how he came to you.”

“I know. He told me.”

“I told him you came highly recommended. But I have to be honest with you. I really didn’t know much about you, other than that you had written a book and you were presenting at the conference, so I figured you were an expert.”

“That’s how a lot of people get referrals. By doing conferences.”

“You turned out to be a great fit for him, Melanie. He’s a changed man. He really is. I mean, he told me he still has dreams sometimes and that he knows there are parts of this that will never leave him, but he’s dealing with it now, and he’s living his life.”

Warm happiness dribbled through me. I did have successes—far more successes than failures. But that one failure really hurt. I didn’t want to go there. I couldn’t go there with Jonah.

“You know,” I said, the sake from dinner giving me the courage, “Talon told me something at one of his sessions. Something about you.”

He quirked his eyebrow. “Oh? I hope it was good.”

I gave him a half smile. “He said you had the hots for me.”

His cheeks went ruddy. Difficult to discern on his nicely bronzed face, but I could tell.

“I hope I haven’t embarrassed you.”

“Why should I be embarrassed? I think it’s clear from my behavior up to this point that what he said is true.”

I couldn’t help a little laugh.

“Look, now, there’s nothing I’d like better than to take you to the bedroom, but I want you to tell me what’s going on. Something scared you earlier today, and then you got that phone call. Maybe this is none of my business—in fact, I’m sure it’s not—but you can tell me anything. My word is as good as gold.”

The second time he had used those words. I knew I could trust him. I never doubted it. And oh, how wonderful it would be to unburden myself to someone. I had opened up a little bit to Oliver about it, as another physician. But to tell Jonah? To him, I was the brilliant therapist who’d saved his brother. What would he think of me? I couldn’t bear it if he thought less of me. And at this point, I didn’t think much of myself. I just couldn’t tell him.

“I can’t.”

“You can. It will help. You know it will.”

From the kitchen, the coffee maker dinged, telling me my pot of coffee was ready. I ignored it. There was only one way to get Jonah’s mind off of what was bothering me. And I knew what that was.

I sat down on him, pulling my spandex skirt up my thighs and straddling him, cupped his cheeks, and lowered my mouth onto his.

It didn’t take long for him to respond. His cock hardened beneath me. I ground against it, my clit tickling from the roughness of the denim enclosing him. Oh, how good it felt.

He broke the kiss. “My God, you’re driving me fucking insane.”

I took his lips again. Good, insane. Exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be driven insane too. I wanted to escape from the emotions overwhelming me. Escape from my patient who had taken her own life, from the love she’d hidden from me, from her father who’d threatened me.

Just escape.

And even though I knew it couldn’t last—escape never did—what better way to escape than in the arms of the most beautiful man on the planet? For that’s what Jonah Steel was. He was darker and even more rugged than his brother Talon. The silvery flecks in his stubble and in his beautiful black hair made me swoon. I unbuttoned his shirt quickly and pushed it over his shoulders. A gorgeous chest, too, adorned with just the perfect amount of black and silver chest hair. He let go of me long enough to pull his arms out and then grabbed me, cupping my breasts. He found my nipples through my blouse and bra, and they hardened, pushing through both layers of fabric.

I gasped into his mouth.

He pushed me off of him and laid me on the couch, touching me between my legs.

“Oh my God. You’re so wet. So wet for me.” He pushed my skirt the rest of the way up to my waist and spread my legs. “The lips of your pussy are engorged, Melanie. I’m going to eat you raw. And then I’m going to stuff my cock into you and fuck you. Fuck you all night long.”

I closed my eyes as he lowered his beautiful mouth to take my most secret place. When he swiped his tongue across my clit, I nearly unraveled.

“God, you taste so good.” He nibbled on my thigh, sucking, biting. “I could suck you all night long.”