Nathan grabbed his camera bag and backpack, and silently slipped out the door.
Chapter Eleven
Red-Point: Lead climb from bottom to top without falling after rehearsing the moves.
Melanie wrinkled her nose in disgust. The only thing that made her read to the end was morbid curiosity. Kind of like slowing to check out a car accident. “This article isn’t any better than the others.”
“But at least it’s not about you.” Kane plucked the magazine from her fingers and tossed it in the trash.
“I feel damn sorry for the poor sod it is about.” Derrick passed the popcorn bowl over, and Melanie mindlessly added butter and salt.
The second of Rave’s two September issues was out, without the article featuring her, and Melanie was both confused and relieved. Just as Kane feared, each new magazine release had proven the stories to be sensationalized garbage. Even knowing she wasn’t yet the focus of negative attention didn’t make Melanie’s anxiety disappear. While she trusted Nathan, he had been clear the actual article was out of his control. She’d almost resigned herself to being center stage in a nasty exposé.
Still, there was something else wrong she couldn’t put her finger on. She helped carry the snacks into the living room, distracted from her gloomy thoughts by the sight of her brother with his best friend Jack, their pregnant partner snuggled between them. Now that it was official the three of them were together on a permanent basis, Melanie got a huge kick out of teasing Kane.
Dara didn’t seem to mind the banter—in fact, she aided and abetted every chance she got.
“You need anything, Dara?” Melanie plopped the popcorn bowl on the coffee table, moving aside beer bottles to make room.
Dara glanced on either side of her before turning back and raising a brow. “I have two guys at my beck and call. Trust me, if I want anything, they’ve got it covered.”
Jack chucked a piece of popcorn at her. “Kane’s on slave duty this week, woman.”
Of course his instant capitulation two minutes later when she asked him for a glass of water proved her point, and Dara winked at Melanie from where she was curled up, nestled between her men.
Melanie crawled onto the love seat next to Derrick, and they all dove back into their movie.
By the time the DVD finished, Melanie had realized what was bugging her. She slipped back into the kitchen and was digging through the garbage when Dara wandered into the kitchen, Derrick on her heels.
“It’s not Nathan.” Melanie flipped the magazine open and scrambled through the pages.
“It’s not Nathan what?” Dara asked.
“The pictures. Look, Derrick, those aren’t his shots. That doesn’t look at all like his work.” A huge sigh of relief hit, even though now she was more confused than ever.
Dara made a disgusted sound. “Throw the magazine out again, Mel. There’s nothing in that trash you need to see.”
“But Nathan isn’t listed in the credits anymore. Not for any of the shots. I wonder why?”
“When is the article on you supposed to be published?”
Melanie thought for a moment. “He said it would be fourth quarter, since he was taking the shots in August. But none of these pictures are his, and I know while he’d been assigned to get all the illustrations for that series of articles, he usually has other credits as well.”
Dara leaned back on the kitchen counter, the front of her shirt hanging loose. “Maybe he switched jobs? Have you managed to get hold of him at all?”
“Just a couple emails. He said he was fine, things were okay. It was like talking to a total stranger. At least we know he’s still alive, but that’s about it.”
“Then there’s not much you can do but wait.” A huge yawn escaped Dara. “I’m sorry, but I’m ready for bed.”
A couple hearty laughs sounded as Jack and Kane joined them, carrying in the dirty dishes. Kane wiggled his brows at her. “No objections on my part with that suggestion.”
Dara smacked him on the chest. “Behave. You two are the reason I’m totally exhausted at nine o’clock. Building a baby is hard work.”
“So’s starting one.” Jack ducked under her swing then scooped her up in his arms, ignoring her protests. “Thanks for the evening’s entertainment, guys. We’ll see you in a few?”
Derrick leaned Melanie back against his chest, resting his chin on her shoulder. She savoured the warmth of his body as her brother and the others took their leave. When she really considered it, the article was an annoyance on the edge of all the good things she now had in her life. And Dara was right—there was nothing she could do anyway but wait.
“I’d better be getting home as well.” She twisted in Derrick’s arms to give him a good-night kiss.
He brushed their lips together and refused to let her escape. “Stay.”
It wouldn’t be the first time she’d slept over. In the month since Nathan had vanished, they’d spent more and more time together. She still hadn’t gotten up the courage to actually confess her feelings in words, although they both seemed to have come to the conclusion they liked each other. A lot. Melanie opened her mouth to answer, and he kissed her again, stalling her response. She smiled against his lips, stroking her fingers over his broad shoulders. She loved being in his arms.
Derrick whispered against her cheek. “Stay with me forever.”
A shiver raced up her spine. What? “Derrick?”
He held her chin delicately in his strong fingers. “I love you. I want this to be your home. With me.”
Melanie’s heart pounded, a flush of heat racing over her entire body. “You love me?”
He laughed, and the lightness of the sound broke into sparkling pieces and bounced off the walls of the room to fill her ears with joy and her heart with hope. “Damn it, Mel, you missed your cue. It’s like climbing. You ask ‘On belay?’ and I respond ‘Belay on.’ So when I say ‘I love you’, you’re supposed to say it back. I know it’s taken me a damn long time to get up my courage to ask you. I was holding out, trying to figure out the exact right moment, but unless I’ve been totally misreading you for the last—”
She dragged their mouths together and kissed him senseless until there was no possible way he could be uncertain of her response.
October
“Derrick, come look.”
Melanie carried in the package she’d found on the front porch when she got back from her run. The parcel was well wrapped, and she brought it into the living room, excitement rushing her as she spotted the return address.
“What’s up?” He wandered down the stairs, wearing nothing but his jeans and total distraction hit. Reaching with one hand, she touched his chest and let him draw her in for a long, slow kiss that made her toes curl.
She was the luckiest woman in the world. Melanie released him, sighing with sadness as he pulled on his shirt and covered up all that wide expanse of firm male chest. She couldn’t get enough of him. Even having moved in together didn’t give her enough time to fully appreciate not only his body, but his presence.
How he made her feel inside and out.
The leaves on the trees had completely changed colour in the past week, and they were well on their way into fall. Outdoor climbing was over for the season, but she’d been working hard in the gym whenever Derrick was scarce, getting ready to share her surprise with him.
She shook the box. “This was on the top of the steps. Look who it’s from.”
Derrick swore lightly. “Nathan. Bugger it. Go on, open it up. Let’s see what he sent us.”
He tugged her toward the couch, and they sat, sunshine falling over their shoulders as she worked the edges of the paper open.