Chapter 22: Twenty-Two

Henry didn’t waste time, and without breaking the kiss, he laid them on the couch, trapping Melina between the soft cushions and him, leaving her at his mercy. The feel of her fingers tugging and playing with his hair was too good to be true, and it was doing wonders into his senses. But when she wrapped her legs around him, his cock sprang to life. He wanted her with his entire being.

Melina was living in a hazy state at that moment, an overloading of emotions bashing at her. And she couldn’t manage herself. It was too much. Anger and hurt towards him were the leading ones, but clouded by her body’s response to what his kisses and hands were doing to her. She got needy and longed for him. The night of her graduation wasn’t near enough. She had to have him again and feel alive once more.

“Henry…” she moaned on his lips when his hand reached inside her panties, finding his way into her soft folds, igniting an inferno in her body that not even immersing herself into a pool of icy waters would assuage.

She found her way under his shirt, feeling him shudder under her palm when she raked her fingernails over his hot skin. The smell of his cologne was making her even drowsier than she was, and she loved it. Henry dropped kisses on her jaw to her ear, his warm breath on her neck biting and sucking on her earlobe. She never felt this aroused with any man, only him. She tried to date a few times, but in the end she gave up.

“I love my name on your lips, Melina.” He grunted the words in her ear, making her shiver under his lips. Melina bucked against his sinful hand, his fingers playing with her, driving her to the brink of ecstasy. He slid his other hand with tenderness up her body, feeling the contour in his palm. The curve of her hips, her narrow waist, until he reached one of her breasts. She gasped, and he took her mouth again, his tongue diving inside, demanding, exploring every corner and taking them into a roller coaster of emotions.

He wanted to explain everything about him. Tell all the truth and come out clean with her. But before, he needed her to understand that he wasn’t an evil person. He’d never hurt a helpless soul and wasn’t the monster she considered him, but he preferred her to figure it all out by herself. Besides, he didn’t want her change of heart because he explained everything to Melina, but because she had faith in him. If he had to have her, he wanted her fully committed to him.

They were all over each other, his firm body on hers, his mouth and hands all over her skin. He was rock hard for her, grinding into her core, making her clench and long for him. Henry was addictive. Once you have him on your system, you would never be the same. He was taking over her life. Body, mind, and soul. Everything! The thought came unbidden. She couldn’t let that happen. He was keeping Eve away from her and threatening her with Eve’s guardianship.

The salty taste came to his mouth, kissing her throat. Henry raised his head to find a tearful Melina staring back at him. “What’s wrong?” Confusion showed in his eyes.

“I can’t…” She trailed off. “Please, let me up.” She pushed him away, but he didn’t move an inch. “I can’t Henry, I just can’t! You’re taking over my life, and that won’t happen.”

“Melina…” She averted her face from him and closed her eyes. Henry’s chest tightened at the sight of her distress. She was fighting off her attraction to him. Her body wanted him, but in her mind he was the villain of her past, and his behavior didn’t add to minimize the wrong concept she had about him. He rested his head on her chest, inhaling her perfume. His place was with her and hers with him. Eventually, she must come to this conclusion. “Ok.” Henry stood up, going straight to his room, slamming the door.

A heavy sob came out Melina’s lips, hearing the loud sound, then the shower. She didn’t waste time rushing to her room. She saw the pain in his eyes and it pissed her off, knowing she had put it there. Why would she feel so bad for him? He was the one making her life a living hell. She had no right to feel that way. Sleep didn’t come, since she got too aroused and bothered by the way her life was going, but exhaustion took over and she jumped out of bed once her alarm went off.

Half an hour later, she left the house to find Giagiá waiting for her outside as she engulfed the old lady in a tight embrace. Melina needed her grandma’s love at that moment. Her feelings were a jumbled mess, and maybe she could think straight after that.

“Now, now, child. Eve is fine and holding herself better than we thought. Don’t worry so much.”

“I’m not worried about Eve. I know she will be fine, and I’m happy Eve is dealing with everything better than me, because I’m about to fall apart, Giagiá. Why is life so strange and complicated?”

“Life is not complicated, Melina. We are the ones making life difficult. Stop dwelling in the past and stop worrying about the future, your present will be easier, happier.”

“And if I can’t?” She whined with watery eyes.

“May I say something?” When Melina nodded, she continued, “Yesterday, he spent the entire day with Eve in my house. Believe me, Melina, a man who treats his daughter the way he does, would never hurt and kill your parents. Don’t torment yourself anymore.”

“Thank you, Giagiá! Thanks for being there when I needed it most. Give a big kiss to my little girl for me.” Melina planted a kiss on Giagiá’s cheek and headed for work.

Henry didn’t bother her anymore, and she barely saw him these last few days. Melina would wake up at dawn and go home in the evening when she knew he would be busy with Eve. Whatever food she consumed, it would be before she got home, even water she would take with her. The pain of being away from Eve was maddening, so she busied herself as much as she could in the clinic. This way she could keep her thoughts in check, but what to do at night, those were the worst. Sometimes she cried herself to sleep, as it seemed the only way.

She did everything not to bump into him, but one night she got so distressed, she peeked at the clock and still had some time to prepare herself a tea, before he got home. Opening and closing the cupboards in the kitchen, looking for chamomile, she found a stash of Strawberry Twizzlers in the highest door. She stared at them with lust beaming in her eyes, but her heart dropped to her knees, when she realised he’d never forgotten about them, and had the kindness to bring for her, she knew deep in her heart those were only for her.

She had told him she loved the treat in one of their chat conversations, and when she was in captivity, he had brought some to her for comfort. After she came to Greece, she never tasted another one again. Her mouth watered as she dashed to get a chair to reach for the bags. It was on the top shelf and her height didn’t help. Forget about the tea. Now she had the right thing to calm her nerves. Melina thought about leaving him a thank you note. But that would make him talk to her, and she didn’t want that. But if he wanted to melt her heart, he did. He was always attentive with the little things.

By the end of the first week, even though she spent chewing on her nasty things, like Henry used to call them, she looked like a wild ghost, dark bags under her eyes and a pale face. Giagiá always gave her an update on Eve, and Henry was doing a magnificent job entertaining her. She took him all over the island and introduced him to everyone she thought was her friend. Melina could imagine how tired he must have been. Evangeline knew everyone, and people loved her, since she was always kind and talkative.

Melina had a busy day at the clinic full of patients to see, and even a last minute C-section on a cat. All the kittens were born healthy and a happy mommy took care of her new babies. At least she could take her mind out of Henry and Eve for a little while. Life was so interesting. She was the one having a harder time, not Eve in this entire deal.

She suffered with the absence of her daughter day and night and counted the days she could have her in her arms again. Of course, Eve was also missing her. She had Giagiá’s updates, but she had done a good job always talking to her about him, so he wasn’t a stranger to her, and he kept her busy all day long, making her fall asleep exhausted in the evenings.

Xanthos barged in the clinic with a tearful Catalina, holding an almost dead little dog in her arms. The commotion took Melina from her thoughts, and she stared at them as Gabs approached.

“What’s wrong?” Gabs asked, taking the woman and the dog to her office.