Page 46 of The Man in the Painting

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Melody

I change the channel with another sigh. An animal show comes on, and I roll my eyes at the overly dramatic voice of the narrator.

Abram’s chuckle draws my attention from the TV. I look up to see him walking toward me with two cans of soda. He hands one to me and lowers himself to the space beside me.

I snuggle up against his broad chest, and his arms immediately come around me.

He smells so good, a tantalizing combination of some minty men’s shampoo and his natural woodsy scent.

His hair is still wet from the shower, and I suddenly feel like running my fingers through the dark steel-peppered strands and pulling him down for a ravishing kiss.

I drink my soda instead, embarrassed at the direction of my thoughts when we just made mind-blowing love right here on this couch before he showered, and then all night before that.

“What were you watching?” Abram asks, breaking the comfortable silence that’s fallen between us.

“Nothing in particular,” I reply with a deep sigh. “Everything is boring. I shouldn’t have let you talk me into staying home all day.”

“You need the break, baby,” Abram says in an amused tone. “You work too hard.”

I turn my head slightly so I can look at his face. “You work me even harder at night. You don’t hear me complaining.”

Abram’s brows shoot up.

“Is that so?” he asks, his mouth pulling up in an engaging smile. “Here am I thinking what we do helps you relieve stress. Especially seeing as you’re always begging for more.”

I narrow my eyes teasingly.

“What’s this stress I feel right now, then?”

Abram feigned surprise.

“Well, well... We should do something about that, shouldn’t we?” he asks, backing me against the sofa until he’s half-lying on top of me.

He starts to lower his head to mine, and my eyelids close in anticipation, my heart thudding violently against my ribcage.

The doorbell rings and my eyes snap open.

“Are you expecting someone?” I ask.

Abram reluctantly pushes away from me with a dejected sigh.

“No. It’s probably one of the workers for Summer House or someone who got the wrong address.”

The sound comes again, and I stand, instantly bereft of his body heat.

“I’ll get it.”

“Just dismiss whoever it is,” Abram says with a petulant pout that soon turns into a smirk. He smacks my ass playfully as I walk past him and wink up at me. “That way, we can get right back to relieving you of stress.”

I shake my head at him and continue on my way to the door. I pull the door open and freeze in shock. My head goes blank, and my heart seems to stop functioning.

Brenda is standing on the threshold, arms wide open with a big smile on her face.

“Surprise!” Brenda says, her smile widening until it almost splits her face.

Surprise indeed.

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