Chapter 6
“What happened then?” Joey questioned as he laughed.
“Well,” Melissa finished. “Basically I had nowhere to go but down. I couldn't go up because every time I moved the gravel under my feet began to fall. So I just stood up as straight as possible, screamed like a banshee, ran down the hill and jumped into the water.”
They had been talking for almost an hour since Chris left, covering everything from music to the birth of Joey's baby. At this time Melissa had been recounting the time she had been on vacation as a teenager, and an adventure had gone a little too far. “Oh man, that had to suck,” he laughed, as he mentally pictured the whole scenario.
“Actually, once I was in the air it was really cool. Kind of a rush. But, yeah, for a little while, I thought 'This is it. It's over.' It was pretty scary. The funny part was that my friends had already made it back up the hill, because they had been a little more cautious than me. So they were just standing there looking at me like I had lost it,” she concluded with a giggle, as she glanced at the clock above the table. “Joey, do you have any idea what time it is?”
He shook his head as he smiled, “It's probably pretty late, er early.”
“Yeah it is. It's 4:00 in the morning. Of course all of those wild Hollywood parties probably keep you up this late all of the time,” she said, smiling.
“Oh you know, I'm usually out until about 5 or 6,” he teased.
“Well, I hate to do this, because I really am enjoying this, but I need to at least get in a nap, so that I can get you guys some breakfast. Um, ok, there's a bed in the office upstairs. I guess that's probably where I'll put you tonight.” When she looked at Joey, though, she didn't even want him that far away. She wanted him beside her. She wanted it more than her mind would even comprehend. The expression in his eyes told her he wanted that just as badly as she did. “Or, well, you could...” but she couldn't finish her sentence.
“Melissa, I understand. It's ok,” he said as he brushed her hair away from her face, looking into her deep, blue eyes. “ I want to be with you, but not unless you want it too. This is gonna sound really cheesy, but I just want to be near you. I just want to hold you.”
When Melissa looked into his eyes, she knew he was being truthful, and it made her want him even more. “If that's a line, it's a pretty convincing one, Mr. Fatone,” she smiled as her eyes began to tear.
“No,” he reassured her, “I mean every word.” With this, he placed a finger under her chin and brought his mouth to her own, in the softest, most sensual kiss either of them had ever experienced. As soon as their lips touched, Melissa felt that charge again, that electricity she had felt the first time she touched him, but now it was so much stronger. There was no feeling of unease, just a desire to feel him deeper within her, in every way. She slowly parted her lips willingly as his tongue attacked her own, taking her breath away.
He deliberately explored her mouth, savoring the way she tasted, the way her hair felt against his fingertips, everything about her and this moment.
The yearning Melissa felt consumed her as she kissed him back with what seemed like ages of pent up desire. She unconsciously moaned against his mouth and her soft kiss was suddenly replaced with one of hunger as she dueled with his tongue. He returned her ardor as he assailed her mouth, taking her completely into his arms. His hands roamed across her body and rested on the small of her back, as he pressed against her.
She felt his hardness against her stomach and responded by kissing him even harder. For what seemed like an eternity, they stood, entwined in each other's arms, a world away from anywhere. When Joey finally broke the kiss, they were both out of breath, panting, as he continued to hold her in his arms. “Melissa, if I want to keep my promise, I don't know if this is such a good idea,” he whispered breathlessly, smiling down at her.
“You could be right,” she managed to murmur into his shoulder, between breaths. To tell the truth, she almost didn't care. She would give anything to feel this way forever. “Well, I want you to stay with me,” she confessed, blushing, “but I just want you to be patient with me. It has been two years.”
“I can do that,” he reassured her. “I want you, but I'm willing to give you all of the time you need.” Again, she knew he meant every word he said to her. She looked deeply into his brown eyes as she led him up the stairs, into her room.
As they walked in through the door, Joey's senses were assaulted by a faint scent of vanilla. Melissa escorted him through the huge room, over to her bed. She parted the large, royal blue, sheer curtains that contained the queen-size bed, and then turned to face Joey. “I'm going to go wash up,” she told him. “You get comfortable, and I'll be back in a second.” She lightly kissed his lips and walked into her bathroom.
As she washed her face, Melissa thought about the gorgeous man in her room. “You must be out of your mind,” she told her reflection. She wanted to be with Joey more than she could say. She wanted him so badly that it hurt. It was the first time she had felt anything like this, since losing Robert. Any woman in her right mind would jump at this chance, so why was she hesitating? She knew in her mind that it was time to move on-physically, as well as emotionally. Something was stopping her, though. Maybe it was the reminder Justin had unknowingly supplied. Perhaps, too, it was the fact that this had been the home, even the room that she had shared with Robert. She was just grateful that the bed they had shared was now in the room where Lance slept. She cursed herself as she brushed her teeth, “You know Robert would want you to be happy. What the hell is wrong with you?” She was not generally in the habit of conversing with herself, much less answering aloud. “I'm scared,” she replied through the toothpaste.
Without warning, a quiet rap came at her bathroom door, invading her thoughts.
“Melissa?” It was Joey. “Hey, um, can I come in? I need to brush my teeth, and well, um, I gotta pee.”
Melissa smiled and snickered, “Yeah, I'm almost done. Come on in.” He slowly opened the door, walking in with a small black bag. “Sorry I took so long.”
“No problem, gorgeous,” he said as he playfully smacked her behind.
“Watch it Fatone, or I'll have to take you out of the game for a personal foul,” she teasingly admonished.
“Sorry Coach,” he said as he grinned mischievously. She smiled as she left the room,
“Ok, just don't let it happen again. See you in a minute.” He smiled back, causing Melissa shudder inside. She shook her head, wondering if she would ever grow accustomed to that feeling.
As she entered her room, she continued her silent conversation. She knew there was no hope for a relationship with this man. It just wasn't possible, but it didn't really matter to her. She just wanted to be with him. She walked across the room to her fireplace and pressed a button on the wall, turning the moonlit room a pale yellow. This had always been her favorite room. Cassie had done a beautiful job in the design. It was simply the most romantic room she had ever seen.
Melissa slowly removed her short black skirt and placed it in a small hamper, followed by her shirt and black lace bra. She stood for a few moments, in front of her mirror, clad only in her black panties, before she took a white tank top and flannel pajama pants. She knew it wasn't anything revealing, but she always felt comfortable and a little sexy in the ensemble. She first pulled the corded cotton shirt over her curves, the cool material resting against her warm skin, causing her nipples to tighten against the fabric.
As she pulled her pants over her hips, the bathroom door opened, and light flooded into the room. Neither Joey nor Melissa moved for several moments, each of their eyes glued to the other. Joey stood in the doorway, clothed only in a pair of black sweat pants. He stood before her bare-chested, the light straining around him. Melissa looked him up and down as her breath caught in her throat. She really must be crazy to let a man like this out of her bedroom.
She could feel his eyes gaze over her entire body and her already hard nipples began to strain against the material of the shirt even harder. He stood for a few moments to admire her body. Standing in front of the fireplace, light surrounding her, made her all the more appealing. He loved the way everything she wore was forced to hug her every curve. His eyes traveled down her body, noticing her voluptuous breasts give way to the cutest little stomach with only the slightest swell. Her generous hips jutted back out, forming a silhouette that reminded Joey of Betty Paige or Marilyn Monroe. “Well,” Joey said, eyeing her hungrily, “I only have one condition of sleeping here tonight.”
“What's that?” she asked seductively, knowing full well that whatever it was he asked, she would happily fulfill.
“I get the left side,” he teased as he ran toward the bed and dove through the curtains.
Melissa rolled her eyes as she jumped on the bed beside him. “And what if I refuse?”
“Well, I suppose we'll just have to find a fair way of determining who gets the left side.”
“Hmm, and exactly what do you have in mind?” Almost before the question left her mouth, Joey had tackled her. He threw her onto her back in the middle of the bed and held her arms down to her sides, as he straddled her pelvis. For a moment, Melissa wasn't sure what he had in mind until he took his free hand and began to tickle her ribs again, causing her to giggle loudly, begging him to stop. “OK, OK you win, you can sleep on the left.”
Joey threw his arms up in the air, victorious. “The winner and still champion, Joey Fatone. And the crowd goes wild.”
His celebration gave Melissa the advantage that she needed. She was able to throw him off balance as he crashed onto his side of the bed. She moved quickly and pounced on him, straddling his stomach. Immediately, she forced his arms above his head, bringing her body down on his own, her stomach resting against his hard chest. “Now who wins, Fatone?” she teased.
“Well,” he said “from where I, uh, stand, it looks like I still win,” he teases, openly eyeing her large breasts.
“Pervert!” she laughed, as she slid down his body until her face was directly over his own, her nipples grazing over his, sending a shock through her body.
“Am not, I just know that there are times when it's ok to let a girl beat you,” he laughed.
“Mhm,” she smiled. Thoughtfully, she then added, “Thank you.”
“For what?” he asked. He didn't know how much more of this close contact he could take. Her bottom rested just above his growing erection, and soon she would be fully aware of his need.
“For tonight. It's been wonderful,” she said as she leaned in to kiss his soft lips. Still holding his arms, she kissed him delicately. Soon she felt him harden against her and she instinctively ground into him, eliciting a deep moan.
“Melissa, I want you so bad. You have no idea what you do to me,” he confessed. “If you don't stop now, girl, I won't be able to.” She giggled as she climbed down off of him, knowing that he was right.
“Well, we should get some sleep. I wouldn't want you disappointing the fans because you were up all night. Besides, there will always be another night, when we have all night.”
“That's right girl, and what I have planned for you will take all night, if not several nights,” he said softly taking her earlobe into his mouth and tugging, inciting a low moan. He lightly placed soft kisses upon her neck, before kissing her lips again. “Good night, beautiful,” he whispered.
“Good night, Joey. See you in the morning,” she said as she turned over her back to him, as he cradled her body his sturdy arms. As Melissa lay in his arms, his hot breath against her neck, his body pressed against her own, she fantasized about the man lying in her bed. Soon, she felt steady breaths and knew he must be asleep. She drifted off soon after, dreaming of what the following night would hold for the two of them.