Page 74 of Love is a Harmony
But he’d never imagined she’d feel this good under his touch.
Her hands came up to skim over his cheeks, brushing away the remnants of his sadness. Carson was gone, no amount of scandals was going to bring him back this time. But Noah was still here, still living, and this woman… she made him want to keep going, to push past his grief into a new future.
“Melanie,” he whispered against her lips. “Is this why you came tonight?”
Her eyes darted between his. “I don’t know. I just… I needed to see you.”
He recognized the feeling. Last week, when Stella demanded going to Melanie, he’d been relieved to have the excuse. “I need you to know, when I asked you to marry me, I didn’t expect this. I—”
She pressed her palm over his lips, cutting off his words. “I know. Both of us truly wanted to help Stella.” She replaced her palm with her lips, kissing him long and slow before pulling away again. “We aren’t a love song, Noah. I need you to know that. I want you… so much. I want to be near you and to be here for Stella, but you have to promise me something.”
He didn’t like the way this conversation was going, but he nodded. He’d promise her anything if he could kiss her again.
Her lips curved into a sad smile as she met his eyes. “I have had the great love of my life, Noah. I don’t think my heart can handle another. You need to promise you won’t fall in love with me.”
Her words cut through him, pulling the wounds wider and wider until he worried there’d be nothing left if he didn’t stem the bleeding.
When his mouth formed the words “I promise,” it was the greatest lie of his life.
Because he knew it was already too late.
* * *
Noah lay back on his bed as he watched Melanie open his closet in search of sweatpants to sleep in. “There’s a set of drawers in there where I keep all of that.”
“Oh my gosh, what is in here?” Melanie ducked her head out, a grin widening her lips. “Someone has been shopping.”
Noah slid from the bed to join her. “Christmas is in four days.”
“So, you decided to buy out an entire store?”
“Well, I don’t know what a six year old wants.” It had been quite aggravating figuring it out. He’d asked Ben to help, but he’d laughed in his face. What a guy.
“Ever thought of asking her?” Melanie shook her head.
“Asking her?”
“I don’t claim to be a kid expert, but even I know they have lists and lists of things they want.” She opened one of the bags. “And I guarantee it won’t be a teddy bear… or three.”
“How was I to know which color she’d want?”
“You really are hopeless, aren’t you?” She found a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt before digging through the rest of the bags. “You’re lucky we can get two-day shipping. Come on.” She dragged him from the closet.
“What are we doing?”
“Shopping. Get your laptop while I change.”
Who was he to argue? He walked into the study to get his computer. When he returned, Melanie had already burrowed under the blankets on his bed, making herself at home.
Noah slid under the blankets and pulled Melanie closer, reveling in the fact she let him. He kept one hand on her hip while opening the internet with the other.
“I hope you kept all your receipts.”
Noah shrugged. “I’ll just donate it all. Now, sensei, tell me what a little girl wants for Christmas.”
Melanie rested her chin on his shoulder. “She didn’t bring much from France, did she?”
He shook his head. “That was her decision.”
