Chapter 38: Thirty-Eight

Henry didn’t know when his life swerved to the wrong road, taking him on a journey of no return. After the day he joined Franco’s cartel, everything snowballed. One crisis followed another and another, and he was drowning in problems with no way of emerging for air. He didn’t recognize himself anymore, even Darryl got confused by his raw behavior, but something in him broke when those chocolaty eyes stared at him with loathe and accusation.

Life hasn’t treated him with kindness, and he couldn’t deny that there wasn’t a lot of blood in his hands. He executed a lot of threats to the business under Franco’s orders and once he was out; he worked non-stop to take Franco down, and specialized in searching and finding people, and that also rendered him a few more corpses to his growing pile of sins.

Suddenly he dropped his face into his palms, laughing. His husky, deep voice resounded in a strained, humorless laughter in the night’s emptiness. It was that or weep, and he wasn’t a crying man. He’s never been. The only time he cried like a baby was at his brother’s funeral, and they were tears of revenge and anger. He noticed Melina standing behind him, observing. Orange blossoms enveloped him in a tender caress, and his laughing fit died down. He shook his head, still staring at the calming darkness in front of him, but didn’t dare to glance at her.

“You shouldn’t be here. Go to sleep, Melina.”

“Could you please stop barking orders, and talk to me?”

“We have nothing to talk about anymore. I’m not myself at the moment, so I advise you to let it be and go to sleep.” His tone was dark and calculated.

He would never hurt her, at least not physically. She was sure of that as the day she was born. Seeing him half mad and alone, sitting on that wall, didn’t sit well with Melina. She didn’t mean to hurt him, and she needed to fix the situation. Tell him she didn’t hold him accountable for what happened with Eve, make Henry understand he wasn’t the only one suffering and trying to adapt to this new reality.

Melina braced herself and walked to him, embracing him from behind. One arm circling his shoulders, the other hand cupping his cheek and bringing to rest close to her face. He went stiff in her arms, but she didn’t let go of him, feeling his warmth seeping into her skin.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to him.

It felt so good being nestled in her arms. He needed Melina like the air he breathed. It was an everyday craving in his blood, and he’d only get sated once he had his fix of her. Henry wanted her trust, but he wasn’t about to beg for it. The conversation between them was cut short. They didn’t finish it. A few things he didn’t have the time to explain. Others were not worthy of the trouble for now, since he didn’t want her gratitude but her love.

They had lots of chemistry going on between them, since the first text they exchanged, and when they met it just got stronger. The day Melina vanished, he thought he’d go mad, and he vowed to find and punish her for putting him through that pain. But he never dreamt of finding her with his daughter by the arm. A sexy mama bear who built a good life for her and Eve without him in it. They didn’t need him as much as he needed them. And it was infuriating. It was maddening to know he was not missed.

“I’m going to give you a chance to walk away from me before I do something both of us will regret later.” It was a low, menacing rumble.

“Could you please give me a chance to explain myself?” She kissed his temple, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

He brought her to his lap in a blunt movement, holding Melina tight, and his hand danced over her body in a possessive care. He claimed her mouth, his lips rough and brutal on her soft ones, but when she circled his neck and her fingers entangled in his hair, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss, and the orange blossoms of her perfume explode around him, his body hardened with need for her to the point of pain. Melina was the only one for him. There was no other who could fill the emptiness in his soul.

Electricity sizzled through Melina’s veins, spreading lightning over her body, and warmth built between her thighs. She moaned on his lips, molding her body to his, eager to feel his heart beating against her own. The soft sea breeze caressed their heated skins, and their ragged breathing mingled with the soft murmur of the wind, blowing the dry leaves onto the floor.

Melina wanted to hold him closer to her. She craved to touch him, to feel him. Her hands wandered down his back on their own accord, feeling each chiseled muscle and raking her nails above his t-shirt, and satisfaction filled her mind when he shuddered under her touch. But it wasn’t enough. She needed to feel his hot skin on her palms, to make sure he was real, and she wouldn’t wake up from a steamy dream later on.

She snuck her hand under his t-shirt and continued her exploration. Her goal was closer as she was reaching the left side of his lower back and with tenderness, her fingertips traced the spread scars marring him. They were rugged and slightly raised from his skin. They felt like a burn, but he flinched away, grabbing her hand and holding it to his chest. She noticed those marks the day he got sick, and she had to soak him in a cold bath. She meant to ask about the scars, but with all the chaos going on, it slipped through her mind.

“What happened to you?” Melina gently caressed the place above his heart while biting and sucking on his bottom lip.

“It doesn’t matter what happened to me.” He laced his fingers in her hair and tipped her head to face him. “Besides, I won’t give you a chance to explain yourself. What are you going to do? Apologize every time something goes awry, and you put the blame on me?” He gripped harder on her hair when she tried to avert her gaze. “Words I can deal with, Melina, but not with what I saw in your eyes.”

Melina blinked away the tears threatening to fall. How could she make him understand her side? She wanted to trust him, give him a chance, but so many terrible events took place in her life. She was altogether confused and scared. Scared of herself, of her feelings for him. The amazing emotions he aroused in her, but also so frightening.

“I know, Henry.” She cupped his cheek, her eyes fixed on those pools of honey, so bright in the surrounding darkness. “I know.” Her fingertips played with the short scruff of his beard.

“Too bad you tied yourself to this monster, because I’ll never let you go. I didn’t come all the way to an island in the middle of the ocean, to let you get away from me.”

He smoothed his lips on her throat, and his beard grazed her skin. Goosebumps crawled over her body, sending little flames licking on her flesh. His hand brushed on the side of her breasts and cupped one in his palm. She cursed the damn blouse to be in the way, but it didn’t stop him from teasing Melina into elation. She pulled Henry to her, melding their mouths together as he tightened his grip on her, his tongue lashing through hers, making Melina’s brain short-circuit.

Henry’s right hand descended lower, taking his time, discovering the pleasures of her curves, strumming her velvety skin. She was sweet and delicate, even burning for him in his arms. Her moans and soft sounds were like a lullaby for his ears. He wickedly gained access inside her leggings, fondling with the rim of her panties, and when he found his way into her wet, soft folds, he wreaked havoc on her. Melina writhed in his lap, making him rock hard underneath her buttocks.

“Your body sings under my hands, kitty cat. You can’t deny it.” He whispered to her, cynical and enticing. “Even if your heart doesn’t agree with it, your body is mine.” Melina bucked forward when he pressed and delivered soft circles on her delicate nub, making her gasp and grind on him, as an impish smile curved his lips.

Henry was right. Her body belonged to him, and she couldn’t deny it, but she wasn’t sure about her heart anymore. Those were emotions she never felt with anybody else but with him, and she wasn’t talking only about her body. Melina didn’t like to see him behaving this way, trying to prove he was something he wasn’t, just because she messed up in a moment of weakness. She cared about him, but he didn’t allow her to apologize. He thought he was punishing her, showing he could rule over her. Little did he know. It was a sweet torture what he was doing, but far from punishment.

She wanted to turn the table on him, but would she have enough boldness to do it? Show him he was at her mercy the same way she was at his? His fingers delved into her hot channel, thrusting into her, and Melina whimpered, her body flushed as she threw her head back. She was glad they were in a dark corner of the terrace, and the only witnesses of this naughty section between them were the bugs singing to the night. Her breathing came in ragged gasps. She couldn’t think of anything else, only Henry and the delicious sensations he was putting her through.

“Please, Henry…” she moaned. “Don’t stop…”

“Come for me, Melina.” Henry grunted, his control by a thread. She was beautiful, a naughty angel all flushed hot and looking at him with those glazed, chocolaty eyes, begging him to put an end into her sweet misery. He moved harder and faster, in and out of her, until her body rippled with life and convulsed on his lap. Melina cried out his name, holding to him as her walls clenched around his fingers. After a few minutes she relaxed, spent in his arms, trying to catch her breath.

Little by little Melina’s erratic heart rate slowed down, but not at a comfortable pace. Her heart still sped in her chest with fear and excitement about the decision she took. It was time for her to be a little bold and make him get a taste of his own medicine.

“I believe I should return the favor, don’t you think?” Melina whispered, sucking at his earlobe and blowing hot air on his neck. He grunted, gripping hard at her.