Melissa was in an excellent mood by the time she got home. She could tell Blake was home the moment she walked through the front door of the apartment, she could smell him, it was a good smell.
Her shoes clacked on the white tiled floor as she passed the dining room and headed into the kitchen.
It was the hub of the home and right in the centre of the twentieth floor apartment. They had the entire level of the Watson Tower and only five stories below the penthouse. The view from any room of the city around them was spectacular, but Melissa's favourite was... or had been; that of the city's Central Park.
She'd placed her keys in the bowl by the door on her way past and quickly removed her heels, depositing them in an invisible closet; named so because it was built into the wall and if you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't.
This was how Blake had no idea how many sets of shoes she owned, and it was potentially excessive.
Not that shoes were her only vice.
Growing up with a mother who was one of the more respected surgeons in the city, long before she'd left the public system and opened her own practice; Melissa wanted for nothing growing up. Her parents were reasonably wealthy but mostly they were just very well connected, and that came with a lot of perks.
Her love for fine things stemmed from a childhood where wealthy patients lavished upon Melissa, whether out of friendship or gratitude. Either way Melissa had been very young the first time she was given a pair of designer shoes and her desire to grow and develop in the world of beautiful things only grew as she did.
Being the only daughter of Dr. Carter definitely had its perks. Especially once you too were a Dr. Carter (even though your name was actually Dr. Wright). If only her brother Dimitri had chosen a medical career instead of becoming a personal trainer.
His nickname was Dim, though.
She was checking the fridge for inspiration when two muscly arms wrapped about her and the much stronger scent of Blake washed over her, invading her senses as he buried his face into the right hook of her neck.
She'd had quite the session in that sauna with Lola but that didn't dampen her appetite one bit. She leant backwards feeling his hard chest against her shoulders and his lips worshipped her neck. He'd just brought his hands up to cup her breasts when they heard the front door open again.
Blake let his hands fall to her hips and his head returned to its normal height as Tyler came around the corner into the kitchen.
"Hey guys," he greeted them warmly, he was in his Subway uniform having just finished work and smelled like he'd laboured harder than a sandwich artist ought to have.
"Hey man," Blake fist-bumped him, moving out from behind her. Melissa realised as he did that there was no longer the pressure of his erection against her arse.
Damn Tyler. That guy was giving people blue balls and not just Jack.
"Is Jack home yet?" He enquired, looking off down the hall to Jack's bedroom door which was closed as usual.
"Not yet," Blake told him and Melissa felt decidedly less fond of the young man now that she knew for a moment she and Blake had had the apartment to themselves and might still have if he weren't here.
Not that she was bitter or anything.
On the contrary she actually rather liked Tyler, even if he was straight and Jack was clearly in lust with him.
Thinking of lust. She wondered if Blake would consider sneaking off to the bedroom with her. It would probably be fairly obvious to Tyler what they were up to though, and while she didn't really care, she knew Blake would think it was rude.
But then maybe he just needed a little convincing.
"You know where his room is though, make yourself at home," she told the young man smiling at him kindly and tossing him a bottle of water she'd just taken from the fridge. "You look like you've had a rough day."
And smelt like it. She wasn't complaining mind you; if someone could appreciate the masculinity of a man that's had a hard day at work, it was Melissa. She wasn't sure if it were because of all her years assistant coaching her fathers football team with him, or the amount of times Blake would come back from a run with his blood pumping and just took her, right here, on this kitchen bench.
Either way, the smell of the young man, the smell of Blake, and the memory of Blake's arms about her; mouth nibbling at her neck with his manhood pressing into her backside was...
She needed a cold shower.
No. Tyler needed a shower. Now.
"Why don't you go take a shower buddy," she told him pleasantly, "we've got nothing in the fridge," she closed the fully stocked fridge, "I think we might eat out tonight, it's so ruddy hot."
Ruddy? Who the fuck said that to her today; causing her to pick it up?
Even Blake had quirked and eyebrow at the word.
It had to be the heat effecting her brain. And maybe the onset of blue-balls.
Fuck off, Tyler.
Tyler sniffed himself and pulled a face. Straight boys were so crass.
"Yeah I definitely need a shower," he admitted the obvious. "The air conditioning broke down at work today, good thing for our fridges or we'd have lost all of the stock."
Blake expressed polite concern, "that's no good, will they have it fixed by tomorrow it's supposed to be a scorcher?"
"Who knows," Tyler shrugged, starting towards Jack's room. "Who cares though, Mandy and Ben are working it and I have the day off." He seemed rather pleased about that as his voice trailed off.
"Only two?" Blake asked, still being polite, and Tyler stopped in Jack's doorway with his hand on the doorknob.
'Shut up,' Melissa was trying to tell him telepathically that she too had a knob she wouldn't mind handling. She wanted the boy to go and shower so she could mount Blake here on the kitchen sink.
Tyler shrugged, "they haven't replaced Jarrod, not sure why."
And there went Melissa's desire. Up in flames like the bus full of rapers, that damned Figtree and Jarrod Lund of Wickham Boys Sports High School and all his nasty little mates.
She sighed. Despite them being Jack's attackers, thinking about that bus crash still made her blood run cold.
It had barely been a month since the 'accident' and looking out the glass wall between their lounge room and the city outside, you could see that part of the park from above and there was no sign of the inferno that claimed thirteen lives and the massive Figtree that once stood in the far corner from Watson Tower.
Melissa tried not to look at it anymore and more than once considered it might be time to look for a new place.
Her parents had given them this apartment though, so even considering moving wasn't really an option. They'd never find something as good and it was a buyers market at the moment anyway.
"Surprised you got the weekend off then," Blake added still in his casually friendly manner, "hope you're making the most of it!"
"Yeah we're thinking of heading out to the beach, we know a couple of guys who... well one of them likes the beach but the other could probably be convinced... eh it's a long story and you don't want to hear it," Tyler mumbled like this a lot and Blake was always very patient with him.
Preoccupied with her thoughts, Melissa sided up to Blake for comfort though not of the sexual kind. She didn't like to think about that bus accident, it always made her melancholy.
"I'll go shower," Tyler added politely seeming to think that Melissa was trying to get Blake's attention.
She was of course, but not for the same reason from a moment ago.
They heard the bedroom door close and Blake turned back to her immediately. He clasped her face from either side and his tongue invaded her mouth suddenly. She moved into the kiss but the images of those burning boys were in her head again and she quickly pulled away.
He looked surprised and concerned about her immediately, "did I bite you?" He asked in a deep rumble that normally drove her wild but for the moment was just nice to hear.
"No," she apologised shaking her head and moving into him but burying her face into his chest.
"Are you alright?" He asked her his concern even more genuine if that was possible.
She shook her head but said nothing. Why had Tyler mentioned Jarrod?
"I'm fine," she lied.
He held her close but didn't pursue her any further sexually. She loved him so much, he always seemed to know what was going on in her mind, even when there was no possible way he could.
They heard the front door again and they parted companionably, still keeping contact but not so much as to raise questions.
"Hey," Jack smiled warmly as he entered the kitchen in three quarter shorts and a long sleeved t-shirt.
"Aren't you hot?" She asked him, even with the aircon on it was borderline uncomfortable when she'd first arrived home, only now was she beginning to cool down.
"Sure," Jack responded vaguely and Blake gave her a pointed look.
Ok. So they had agreed to stop commenting on his long sleeve shirts. Melissa and Blake both knew it would take Jack a while to heal after being attacked in the park but Melissa couldn't shake the concern that he seemed to think he was fine, but covered up a great deal more skin than he used to.
"How was your run?" Blake asked him, "Sam and Nick go with you?"
"Mmmhmmm," Jack murmured through the bottle of water he was chugging. The kid was so fit that he wasn't even sweating.
But it was a million degrees outside. Not literally perhaps but this kid should be sweating, especially if he'd just gone for a run.
This was Melissa's other concern these days. The lies. Once they'd come into their home they seemed to be everywhere. Or maybe that was just her guilty conscience.
"Don't forget I'm out of town tomorrow night," Blake was reminding Jack but in doing so had also reminded Melissa, and she made a mental note to message John. "For that charity auction in Melbourne, flying out in the afternoon, straight down, stay the night, be back the following morning."
Melissa had been invited but as a night at the footy with Blake Wright was one of the prizes up for grabs she felt she'd better stay out of it.
Last time she'd been to an event like that, she hadn't liked the look of the bimbo bidding for Blake, and so ended up paying six thousand dollars to go watch a football game with her own husband.
To make things worse it was for a game neither of them were interested in watching anyway. To top it all off, as a professional NRL player, on the city team, Blake already had access to unlimited free tickets.
"Ok, well... we didn't really have any plans but..." Jack looked at Melissa with an unspoken question.
'Would he be cock-blocking her if he stayed at home?' His eyes seemed to ask.
"A night in then," she smiled at him warmly. "Movies, maybe some popcorn,"
For him maybe. She had plans.
"Sounds great," He smiled back seeming pleased not to be kicked out.
Jack's eyes fell upon the set of keys Tyler had left on the bench in his haste to go and shower. "Tyler's home?"
It might as well be Tyler's home. He went to see his mum occasionally but Blake and Melissa had welcomed him with open arms when they saw how much better Jack was doing with his new best friend around all the time.
Literally, all the time.
"Yeah, he's showering," Blake told him and Jack's eyes sparkled and his ears perked up a bit.
"I might go and surprise him," Jack winked and without a backward look he snuck off to his bedroom.
Melissa sighed heavily at his retreating form.
"Do you feel like sharing?" Blake asked her, face again creased with concern.
"Oh, no, something else now," she said this time truthfully, "I was just thinking that that is not going to end well."
Blake looked back at her with an unreadable expression, "we don't know that it will end at all. Plenty of gay guys have straight mates."
"They sleep together in the same bed," Melissa reminded him. "In only their underwear."
"I know," Blake nodded seeming to find it funny. "I've seen them chasing one another around the kitchen."
"You don't think someone's going to get hurt?" She asked him, then clarified, "you don't think Jack is going to get hurt? He's been through too much already,"
Blake seemed to consider that for a moment. "He's not the one I'm worried about."
Melissa didn't quite follow that.
"Jack's still healing and trying to cope with... well, what happened to him." Wherever possible they didn't use the R-word. "But he's a good looking boy and very soon he's about to become very well known, and once he starts getting attention from other good looking young men..." he seemed to think the rest was self explanatory.
"You think so?" Melissa was dubious,
"He thinks he's keeping himself topped up with these little games he and Tyler are playing," he went on, "but Tyler will never be able to help him... get there. And eventually he will need to find someone who can."
She still felt unsure about it but it made sense.
"We have hormones on our side and Jack and Josh had a pretty active sex life," Blake shrugged. He fell into a quiet moment of reflection before adding, "you don't think he's sorting himself out with Tyler in the bed, do you?"
"Of course not," Melissa scowled at the very thought. Jack was a good kid, which was why it had effected her so much when he'd been attacked.
"Well eventually that pressure is going to build up and right hand isn't going to cut it," Blake smirked.
"Right hand?" She smirked at him a accusatorially.
Blake shrugged, "I might have walked in on his once or twice,"
Melissa was scandalised, "didn't you knock?"
"Of course I did," Blake seemed scandalised himself at the very accusation, "he had those headphones of his on with that VR headset he puts his phone in."
"VR porn?" She almost spat out the water she was drinking.
"His balls are so blue he's starting to get creative," Blake grinned. He actually looked proud of the eighteen-year-old. "It will only be a matter of time before he goes and finds himself a nice guy, or perhaps just one with a nice butt and Tyler will be the one potentially getting hurt."
Melissa considered that, "but Tyler is straight?"
"Yes, I know," Blake nodded, "but when you spend as much time as they're spending together, I wouldn't be surprised if he's beginning to develop feelings."
"But he's not gay?" Melissa added curiously, "does that sort of thing happen?"
Blake shrugged, "who's to say it doesn't?"
"You don't become gay," she didn't know why she was so certain but Tyler had plenty of opportunity and incentive to be gay, and he just wasn't.
"Maybe you can maybe you can't, but maybe you can also fall for someone you're not sexually attracted to?" Blake philosophised.
Melissa was still dubious but what did she know. She liked sex.
There was a sudden shout of laughter from Jack's room and it sounded like they were wrestling on the bed, they were certainly thumping into the wall's and rough-housing.
Melissa wondered exactly how many articles of clothing Tyler managed to get on after his shower before they'd begun wrestling.
"You're very protective of him, aren't you?" Blake asked and she looked back into those intense blue eyes. Her favourite feature of his after that arse she always wanted to bite.
She finally understood Sarah's woes.
"I don't want anyone to ever hurt him again," she said very seriously now and Blake nodded soberly.
"I know," he nodded, "me either."
Just thinking it made her feel the growl that bubbled up through her chest. She felt like a lioness and even though Jack wasn't actually her son, and wasn't really even hers or Blake's brother; she was very fond of the boy.
No. Not fond of. She loved Jack, and she knew Blake did too.
The three of them had been through far too much in the last few months for it to be considered anything less than that. Jack was family, she instantly liked him the night they'd met at that gala all those months ago; and you don't mess with people Melissa Wright likes.
Melissa was having a great day visiting Wickham Boys Sports High for classes. The bitchiness among the girls at her own school was really grating on her and she always looked forward to the classes she had to cross the road for at the neighbouring all boys school.
Boys were just... easy. They were all led by their dicks or ambition, or ambition for their dicks. Either way they were pretty easily manipulated being the simple beasts they were.
She was just wiping her face clean as the spent footballer sat back in the toilet cubicle with his dick still in his hand and oozing all over his bare thighs with his orgasm while his shorts sat on the ground around his ankles.
She didn't even know his name but she'd been watching him in her father's training sessions and felt that he looked tasty. Her dad was the team coach, so she wasn't even supposed to be looking at him.
It hadn't taken much convincing to get him to follow her into the girl's bathroom, especially since this was a boys school and no one would walk in on them.
The painted cement floor hadn't done her knees any favours though but fortunately (or maybe unfortunately) he'd blown his load pretty quickly and she was pleased to see that he did taste good.
She preferred boys with a bit more stamina though.
She finished cleaning herself up and was just walking out of the girls bathroom digging through her bag for some perfume when suddenly; she wasn't.
A boy had collided with her in an epic crash of limbs, books, bags, pens and pencils and both he and she were suddenly in heap on the pavement, both lying on their backs.
"Son of a bitch!" Melissa cursed loudly raising herself up off the cement. Her elbows were bruised, and her belongings were everywhere. The buzz she'd gotten from that blow job was now completely gone.
Her eyes angrily found said 'Son of a bitch'. He was younger than her, maybe the next grade down. His age wasn't so much the first thing she noticed beyond his appearance. He was lean but muscled, like a swimmer. She wondered if she'd just taken the wrong guy to the girls bathroom.
"I'm so sorry," he told her, his spidery teenage-growth-spurt-limbs untangling from her and he darted around quickly sweeping up all of her things before holding his hand out to help her up.
"I've got it," Melissa responded not unkindly, getting up off the ground, "why are you-"
She looked up hearing the rush of feet and five boys came to a halt just short of them. They were sneering at the blonde swimmer like predators whom had just caught their prey.
She hated boys like this. Hunting in packs and never with the balls to give their victim a fair fight. Their expressions changed as they looked at her now.
Good. They recognised her. She recognised them too.
She'd make quick work of these bullies.
"Should have known this creep would run to another girl for help," the ringleader of the boys hissed.
Did they just suggest that being a girl would make the blonde swimmer guy, weak?
She stepped in front of the slender athlete boldly. She could smell the pheromones on this group of bullies, they had the taste of blood and were out to beat on this kid who had risked his skin to help her up after knocking her down accidentally. She didn't really care why they were doing it; it wasn't happening anymore.
She hated bullies. Especially the ones that picked on cute guys.
"I know you," she said a firm voice that made the sneers disappear from the bullies faces. "You all tried out for the footy team last Wednesday."
They had definitely recognised her, she'd been at those try outs and was helping her dad select the next season's line up.
The boys fell silent. They knew a word from her to her father would mean any dreams they had of becoming senior football stars on the school team would vanish. Her father would do anything for her, mostly as his daughter, but also as an assistant coach.
She could ruin their lives.
"Why are you still standing there?" She asked and resisted the urge to stomp in their general direction.
They looked at their prey one last time but didn't say anything before they fled.
She turned back to the hot blonde. She probably wouldn't go there to be honest, he was younger than her and she preferred older guys, but he was hot.
And blonde.
And had those beautiful green eyes.
She could see a name scribbled in permanent marker on the inside of his backpack strap as he picked it up. So his name was James?
"Are you a creep?" she asked him suddenly, eyeing him up and down unashamedly. To be honest she knew she was being the creepy one but it was so easy to get guys think she was vulnerable.
She could see the heavy weight of his penis through his school pants too.
She'd definitely taken the wrong guy to the girls bathroom.
This guy must look delicious in his swimmers.
"No," he responded defensively, though there was a certain lack of assurance in that claim that peaked her interest.
So someone thought he was a creep. He didn't see any girls following that group of boys perhaps in the hopes of watching them get revenge for a creep.
So maybe it was the guys he'd creeped on! He didn't seem gay. There was definitely something about him though.
If he was gay, that explained the gang of bullies.
She felt sorry for him.
She could barely keep her hormones in order and she was allowed to stare at boys. "You know if you don't stand up to them, they're just going to keep on going after you,"
"I'm faster," he responded boldly and a smile crept into his face.
She liked that. He was cocky. She liked cocky.
She allowed a smile to creep into hers too, "I hope so 'cos they're going to get bigger and meaner over the next few years,"
"I know," James nodded, "I'll get bigger and faster,"
She could see he was well on his way there, the legs that holding his tall frame up were pretty solid. Not footballer solid, but definitely athletic.
"I'm Melissa," she extended her hand casually, smiling, "I like your confidence,"
He smiled back at her, "James," he told her shaking her hand, "I like your backpack,"
She laughed, ok so he was definitely gay, or somewhere in that ballpark. She could have sworn he checked out her boobs though.
Maybe he was just polite. She wondered if he'd like to go into the bathroom.
'No,' he mind snapped at her, 'control yourself, your knees can't take anymore of this today,'
Melissa hefted her bag onto her shoulder. A vintage 1993 Captain Planet backpack that was designed for primary school kids who only needed something to carry their lunch and pencil case in.
"Thanks, so do I," she smiled feeling genuinely pleased.
Blake was watching her contemplatively now, "so you're going out tomorrow night?" It wasn't an accusation, he was smirking.
He couldn't accuse her anyway, she knew he'd finally fucked Daniel Hennessy when she was last out of town, he'd told her all about it.
She listened with eager fascination asking all the appropriate questions like how big he was and how good was it and Blake shrugged it off like it was nothing special, but definitely didn't seem to feel the experience hadn't been a poor one.
Nor one he wouldn't repeat.
These were their rules. When they were alone they didn't have to be, and whomever they chose to be with in the absence of their spouse was something they promised to share with one another, and didn't have to feel ashamed for.
She didn't like Daniel being with Blake, but their rules were ironclad. He could sleep with anyone he wanted to and so could she.
"Yeah," she told him with an eager smile,
"John again?" He asked with a cheeky grin,
"Maybe," She nodded slyly. She had nothing to hide. Much.
"He's been a popular one of yours for a while," Blake suggested carefully, "is he maybe....?"
"Straight as an arrow," she lied. Sorry Blake, not sharing John.
He shrugged looking barely disappointed, "when I get back there this security guard at the Olympic Stadium I want to introduce you to,"
She smiled archly, "is he a spunk?"
He grinned at her, "she" he corrected her, "has the biggest tongue I've ever seen on a woman, and she knows how to use it,"
Melissa was beginning to feel in the mood again but she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket so she kissed him chastely and headed towards her bedroom to change for dinner.
She slid out of her dress and sat on the end of the bed lifting her phone to her face.
[1 missed call]
As she watched it the facial recognition unlocked her phone and the notification changed to
[Daniel Hennessy]
She hit the return call button and the phone rang once only before he answered.
"If it isn't my favourite footballers feminine half," he answered pompously, like he always did.
"What do you want, John," she asked with a sigh.