Page 62 of Love Me Darkly
Before pulling on the dress, Melody realized that Mateo had raided her underwear drawer. A matching bra and panty set in a shade of ivory sat beside the dress. The unspoken instructions were explicit. Melody pinched her lips to keep from laughing while trading out her comfortable cotton for silk. If she hadn’t missed her guess, the pair she pulled up her hips just now would find their way into Mateo’s little ‘collection,’ which now consisted of a red pair and navy blue lace.
Once dressed, she studied her reflection in the bathroom mirror. The dress was a pale shade of buttercream yellow, almost appearing ivory before it settled against her skin. The short, fluttery sleeves and sweetheart neckline accentuated her shoulders and cleavage. The bodice molded to her waist thanks to the corset ties running down the back, and the short skirt would flutter around her legs whenever she moved. She couldn’t help smiling at her reflection, realizing the dress had the effect she had imagined. She looked feminine in this dress. Dainty and pretty and doll-like. Innocent.
Her heart sank as she realized the truth could never measure up to her fantasy. She was used and damaged—soiled goods. It would take more than Mateo’s good opinion of her to change that, especially given that there were still things he didn’t know about her. Things that might cause him to see her differently.
“Two minutes!”
Mateo’s voice jerked her out of her reverie, and she quickly touched up her makeup before swiping some gold-tinted gloss over her lips. She slid her feet into the low-heeled sandals Mateo had chosen to go with the dress, then picked up her denim jacket. It was still warm enough that she didn’t need it yet, but if Mateo had laid it out, he would expect her to have it. As an afterthought, she went to her dresser to reapply the perfume oil she’d dabbed on her neck and wrists this morning. Frowning, she pushed aside the other bottles and vials, looking for her favorite. It was missing.
“Time’s up, baby girl. Let’s?—”
Mateo came up short in the doorway, almost tripping over his own feet at the sight of her. Melody stood tall and endured his perusal, holding her breath. His eyes slid over her from head to toe with excruciating focus, as if he saw nothing in this room but her and didn’t want to miss a single detail. She swallowed past a lump of anxiety and waited for him to give voice to his thoughts, praying they would be favorable.
“Jesus, baby girl,” he whispered, coming slowly into the room as if swept up in her gravitational pull. “You are beautiful.”
Melody released the breath she held with a huff, then her lips parted on a shaky smile. Tears stung her eyes. “Thank you.”
“Come here,” he said, offering her a hand.
She crossed the room and took it, then allowed him to bring her close. He rested a finger under her chin and tipped it up before placing a short, soft, bone-melting kiss on her lips.
“I am going to enjoy showing you off tonight,” he murmured into her mouth, giving her another kiss and a quick feel of his tongue. “Make every man jealous. They can look, but they can’t touch, because you’re mine. These lips. This body. Your name. Your truth. Mine.”
Melody’s vision swam with only Mateo’s face in sharp focus. Her legs were made of water and her spine was jelly. He was holding her up with only his finger on her chin, firm but gentle.
“Where are we going again?” she managed around a thick tongue.
He took her hand and pulled her along, thrusting the paper bag from Willie’s into her hands before picking up a purple leather tote bag.
“Lake Charles.”
Melody stumbled along behind him and through the door. “Lake Charles? Is that my overnight bag?”
Now she knew where her perfume had gone.
Mateo didn’t respond until he had her in the car. He opened the passenger door and motioned for her to get in, then slung her bag onto the backseat. While he got in on the other side, she glanced back and noticed that his own bag sat beside hers.
“We’re going to Lake Charles because it’s not safe for us to be seen in public here, and I’m tired of sneaking around and hiding. I want to take you somewhere, buy you drinks, dance with you, and maybe try to get under that pretty little dress later. No pressure.”
She put on her seatbelt as he backed out of the parking lot, pressing a button on the console to open the sunroof. The sun had set a while ago, and the night was clear, allowing her a view of a blanket of stars as she tipped her head back.
“Korenic has associates everywhere along the southeast coast,” she said. “There are eyes everywhere.”
“Not where I’m taking you,” he said. “Not Korenic’s scene.”
Melody wrinkled her nose. “Lake Charles is three hours away.”
“Thus the overnight bags.”
“I have work tomorrow!”
Mateo stopped at a red light and looked at her. “I’ll have you back in plenty of time. We won’t even be gone twelve whole hours. Relax, baby girl. I wanted to take you out, and I don’t want to have to worry about who’s watching.”
Melody relaxed against the seat, realizing that her anxiety abated the further they drew away from the French Quarter. She didn’t know what he had planned, but realized it couldn’t be anything that would take him away from his case for too long.
“Okay,” she said. “That sounds like fun.”
“Good. Eat.”
