Melanie read the words on her invitation card over and over again until they were engrained in her mind. As she sat behind her desk, staring intently at the address, her mind wandered to her time with Christopher Coleman. It had felt like ages ago, and although she didn't regret the experience, she felt guilty that he had played such a vital part in her journey of moving on from Eddy.
A knock at her door drew her attention back to the paper in her hand. When she looked up, Lukas was standing in the doorway with a tight smile on his face.
"Are you ready to go home, pretty princess?" he asked her. His eyes moved to the card she was holding. "You got Chris' invitation."
Although it wasn't a question but rather a statement, she nodded to confirm. "He's getting married. That's exciting."
Lukas glanced behind him to ensure that no one would hear their conversation. Then he stepped into the office, and with a deep sigh, he said, "Please don't tell me you're upset."
Melanie's brows drew together in confusion. "Why would I be upset?"
"I can hear it in your voice."
"I'm fine," she told him. She gathered her purse and jacket and walked over to him. Then she pressed a chaste kiss on his lips and brushed past him into the hallway. "Are we going home or not?"
"Mel, don't be like that."
Ignoring him, she made her way to the elevator and pushed the button down. When it arrived, she and Lukas stepped on together and took it down to the main level where he had parked his car.
Silently, they both entered the car and even though Lukas was itching to touch her, he kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other dangerously close to her but not quite on her. During the drive home, he often glanced at her, noting the look of disappointment on her face. But they remained quiet.
Once he had pulled into the driveway of his house, Melanie quickly exited the vehicle and walked inside. He cautiously followed her into the kitchen and watched as she pulled out food from the refrigerator to start on dinner.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he finally asked her.
Melanie still didn't speak as she remained focused on her dinner.
"Please talk to me, Mel," he said, moving behind her to kiss each of her shoulders. "You never have to pretend to be okay with me."
Her lips quivered but she kept a straight face as she began cutting vegetables. "Are we going to your brother's wedding?"
Lukas swallowed hard. "Are you... jealous?"
"No," she quickly told him. "I'm not jealous. I just think it's a little fast. Didn't they just publicly announce their relationship?"
"I think I know what this is about," he said, taking a step back from her. He moved around the island to see her face, but she refused to look at him. "Are you starting to regret your decision?"
Melanie scowled. "What are you talking about?"
"Chris went back to Cali and you got stuck here with me. This place isn't Cali, but I'm trying to make it home."
A deep frown met her face. She set the knife in her hand down on the island and slowly approached Lukas. When she was finally standing in front of him, she wrapped both arms around his middle and breathed him in deeply. "I love you," she reminded him. It brought her immense pain to know that she needed to remind him.
"Then why are you so upset by the fact that my brother's getting married?"
"Because that invitation should have been ours," she snapped at him. She had raised her voice in the heat of the moment but instantly regretted it when she saw the look of horror on his face. "At some point you have to tell me if I'm wasting my time."
His nose flared as he watched the tears well up in her eyes. Then he cupped the back of her neck, pulled her to his chest and kissed the top of her head. "You're not wasting your time. I had no idea you felt this way."
"Let's just go visit your brother and enjoy his wedding. We can talk about this when we're back."
"You have to know that I want to marry you more than anything," he told her.
She shook her head, refusing to hear another word from him. "Let's talk about it later."
"Mr. Coleman has set you both up in the penthouse for the week. If you should need anything, he's requested that you call me."
Melanie gazed out the large glass window overlooking the city as the man spoke to Lukas. Although he was addressing them both, she couldn't bring herself to listen. She was in awe by the beauty of her view.
"Thank you, Dex," Lukas said before closing the penthouse door on the man. When he was finally alone with Melanie, he joined her at the window and pressed her body against the glass. "I imagined this in my head. Except you're naked and cumming on my face." He massaged her tender breast and licked the nape of her neck, earning a moan. "It's too bad Chris will be over any minute."
"That's not fair," she whined, grinding her ass against his growing erection. "I want you now."
"Be patient, pretty girl."
The knock at the door forced them apart, and although Lukas' cock was still hard and unrelieved, he adjusted his pants to conceal the bulge then opened the door. Christopher was on the other side with a large grin to accompany him. When he looked over his brother's shoulder and met the gaze of the woman by the window, his smile immediately dropped.
Wordlessly, he invited himself inside and stood before Melanie, taking in her pink floral sundress, light makeup and loose curls. "You made it," he said more to her than to his brother. "I'm glad."
"Take your eyes off my woman," Lukas scolded his brother. When he cupped a hand over Christopher's shoulder, turning him away from Melanie, he felt more than just anger boiling within him. "Where's your fiancée?"
"She's in the studio," he explained to Lukas.
"So she's a singer," Melanie said, forcing a smile to her lips. "That's great, Chris."
Lukas glanced at her but only momentarily before turning his attention back to Christopher. "When do we get to meet her?"
"Now," Christopher said, pointing to the door. "We need to get going so I can pick her up for dinner. Lukas, you should change into something better. Melanie, you're perfect as always."
Her cheeks flushed at the unwarranted compliment. "Lukas looks great the way he is now. Let's just go."
Christopher shrugged his shoulders and then walked out of the penthouse first. When Lukas and Melanie followed behind him, he locked up and then slipped the key into Melanie's hand. "Hang onto this copy. I have a feeling you two won't be around each other all week."
"I assure you Melanie is safest with me," Lukas said, scoffing. "Right, Princess?"
She laughed and raised her head to kiss him. "That's right, Teddy Bear. So, where are we going for dinner, Chris?"
"It's Kacey's favorite restaurant, but I have a feeling you'll love it, Mel." Christopher opened the back door of the limousine for his brother and Melanie. When they stared back at him skeptically, he chuckled. "I know it's a little much, but you two deserve the best for coming all the way out here for my wedding."
Melanie was the first to climb in. "So it's Kacey you're marrying?"
"Kacey Davis," Christopher said, grinning. "She's just as sweet as she looks."
Lukas tried not to grimace, but he didn't do well in hiding it. "Well, congratulations, man. I'm sure you've wanted this for a long time."
Christopher exchanged a look with his brother that Melanie couldn't quite decipher. All she knew was that it created more tension in the backseat of the limousine. "It's funny that I wanted to propose a long time ago, but it didn't work out. I hope it's working out for you, Luke."
"Don't worry about me," Lukas told him. There was a tight smile on his face, but when Melanie dropped her head on his shoulder, he immediately relaxed. "This week is all about you."
The men fell silent for the rest of the ride. But when the limo finally stopped in front of a major corporation studio, Christopher told the couple to wait before exiting the vehicle. He stood outside with his hands in his pockets. Golden pillared legs moved with grace as they approached. The woman's eyes were covered with large frames but her red lipstick was hard to miss in the sunlight.
When she stopped in front of Christopher to greet him, she removed the sunglasses and pressed a sloppy kiss to his lips, moaning with desire. "I've missed you," she whispered to him.
He opened the back door for her and waited for her to get into the limo before following. As soon as they were settled, Christopher turned his eyes to his brother and Melanie to introduce the woman, but she spoke first.
"What's this?" she asked, blinking hard at the strangers.
"I told you that my brother and his girlfriend were visiting," he explained to her. "You remember, right?"
"That's right," she said, extending a hand to Lukas. "I'm so glad you could make it to the wedding. I'm Kacey."
Melanie raised a brow when she realized that Kacey fully intended to ignore her. "And I'm Melanie. His girlfriend."
Kacey turned to Melanie. Unamused, she forced a smile and then nodded her head. "Right, also Chris' ex-girlfriend. I've never quite been into sharing, but to each their own."
"Kacey, stop," Christopher said, shaking his head in disappointment. He looked to Melanie who remained surprisingly impassive. "Melanie's a good friend, so don't disrespect her like that."
"Oh, honey, I wasn't disrespecting her," she claimed. "I was simply making an observation."
"That's enough," Lukas chimed in. He moved closer to Melanie and wrapped an arm around her, consoling her. "I thought we were here to meet your sweet fiancée, Chris. Where is she?"
Kacey threw her head back in laughter and reached over to place a hand on his knee. "Very funny, Lukas. That's a good one."
Lukas shifted in his seat and leaned forward to meet her gaze. If he was uncomfortable, he was good at not showing it. Even though he was looking right at Kacey, he spoke only to Christopher. "Watch your girl, Chris."
Melanie placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back against his seat. Although she was grateful for him speaking on her behalf when she had become completely speechless, she didn't want to create conflict with the woman Christopher would be spending his life with. "We're here for your brother, remember?"
Despite the hard glare Lukas held on Christopher, he managed to take a deep breath and placed Melanie's small hand in his. She brought him much needed comfort.
Finally, the limo stopped in front of a restaurant in the heart of downtown. The driver exited the vehicle and then walked around to let them out. Christopher and Kacey were the first ones out, making their appearance in front of paparazzi and other diners.
Melanie wasn't expecting that much attention. The last time camera swarmed her, she had turned Christopher down and publicly humiliated him. Breathing in deeply, she followed the couple. She was relieved with Lukas right behind her, holding her close and hiding her from the cameras.
Dinner with Kacey Davis suddenly seemed unappetizing.
After a long night pretending to get along with Christopher's fiancée, Lukas and Melanie decided to join Christopher at his house for late night drinks. While Melanie only sipped on red wine, the brothers shared a few glasses of scotch and toasted to the upcoming wedding. Kacey sat beside Melanie, a bottle of beer in her hand. Although she had insisted on it, she had only taken one sip, grimaced in disgust and then proceeded to hold it for over an hour without touching it again.
As the men continued to joke about old times when they were kids, Kacey reached above her head to stretch and yawned. "I think I should turn in," she said to no one in particular.
Christopher cut his conversation short to look at her and frowned. "Are you staying the night or going home?"
"I'm staying," she told him. "Are you coming to bed, babe?"
He awkwardly glanced between his brother and Melanie and then shook his head. "I have guests, Kace. I'll see you upstairs in a bit."
She rolled her eyes before turning to the stairs. Once she'd disappeared, Lukas and Christopher returned to laughing again while Melanie drank from her glass.
"You're out," Lukas said to his brother, holding up the empty bottle of scotch. He had begun slurring his words, but he wasn't nearly tipsy enough to quit drinking yet.
"I'll grab us another bottle," Christopher offered.
"Just tell me where to find it. I know you got something better you're hiding."
Christopher laughed at his brother and pointed in the direction of the kitchen. "It's in the pantry. Get something stronger."
Lukas got up and walked to kitchen. It was across the house, out of earshot, so Christopher had no problem stirring up a much needed conversation with Melanie.
"What do you think of Kacey?" he asked her.
Melanie looked up from her glass and forced a smile. She didn't expect him to speak to her in his state. "She's not who I envisioned."
"Who did you envision?"
She shrugged, unsure how to answer him.
"Someone like you?" he asked for clarity. He was completely sober now. Although he was on the other side of the coffee table, it still didn't feel like enough space for Melanie. "Or just you?"
She laughed, but it wasn't out of humor. "I'm in love with your brother. He and I are together now."
"A shame, it is," Christopher murmured to himself.
"I'm happy for you."
"Don't do that, babe," he said, sucking in a sharp breath. He walked over to where she sat and looked into her glass. When he realized that it was nearly empty, he grabbed the bottle on the coffee table and poured her more. "You get to be happy, but I'm fucking miserable without you."
Melanie hadn't realized that she was holding her breath until she spoke again. "Why are you doing this? I'm happy with Lukas. You're getting married soon."
"I should have been paying more attention to you," he said, shaking his head in dismay. "I should have been giving you all my time. Maybe then you'd be the one I'm marrying. Tell me, Melanie. Has Lukas proposed to you?"
"Chris, you have to get the idea of you and me out of your head. It's not healthy."
"I can't," he confessed. He cupped her chin in his hand, and even though she tried to pull away, he kept a firm hold on her. "I love you, Melanie Rivera. If you feel the same, I'm ready to call this wedding off so you can finally come home."
"I love Lukas, and that's not going to change." When she had managed to break free of his hold, she moved to the other side of the couch and frantically shook her head, shaking away the shame of letting him get so close to her. "You've had a lot to drink. Maybe it's best if you find Kacey now."
"I think so, too," Lukas said, appearing beside his brother.
When Christopher stood up, he chuckled, moving his gaze between Lukas and Melanie. "Lukas—"
"I'm willing to forget this happened if you walk away now." Lukas set down the bottle of liquor and took Melanie by the hand, pulling her to his side. "Just go upstairs to your fiancée and we don't have to talk about this again."
"I'm sorry, Luke," Christopher said, shaking his head disobediently. "I can't let you take her from me again."
As Christopher tried to reach for Melanie, Lukas raised a fist to his brother, knocking him back down on the couch. Melanie gasped in shock, but her face showed fright. Just as Lukas reeled his arm back to punch Christopher again, Melanie wedged herself between the brothers, serving as a barrier to end the chaos.
"Please, stop," she pleaded with Lukas. "You're brothers. You shouldn't be fighting."
Lukas took a step back to exam his brother who was cupping his jaw in one hand. She was right, but that didn't subdue the anger boiling inside him. "Don't ever put your hands on my woman again."
Christopher looked away, embarrassed for having been caught during one of his drunk slip ups. "I won't touch her again. But if you don't give her the ring she deserves, I might just be the one to do it."
Despite his burning desire to hurt his brother again, he extended a hand to Christopher. When he graciously took it, Lukas pulled him up off the couch and led him to the staircase. "There's someone waiting for you upstairs. If she's not the one, then you need to walk away, but you won't come between me and Mel. She means too much to me."
Melanie watched the exchange between the two men and when Christopher finally walked up the stairs, leaving the couple alone, she spoke up first. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, pretty girl," he told her. He returned to the couch and sat her down, studying her features closely. "I should be the one apologizing."
Her brows furrowed. "Why would you need to do that?"
"Because I got you your ring long ago," he admitted to her. He reached into his pocket and presented the black velvet box. "I can't show you yet, but I've been waiting for the perfect moment to ask you."
"Why not do it now?"
Lukas chuckled and gestured to their surroundings. "This isn't the setting I was hoping for. I don't want to tell our kids one day that I only asked because their uncle confessed to being in love with you."
She grinned. "You want kids with me?"
"I wouldn't ask you to marry me if I didn't."
"You haven't asked yet," she reminded him, pointing to the small box.
"You deserve more than I've given you," he explained to her, shaking his head in dismay. He was expressing the disappointment in himself. "Under a perfect setting, you'll get the proposal, but for now, I'm telling you that I want to spend my life with you. I want you as my wife."
Melanie didn't look at the ring as he slipped it on her finger. Instead, she dropped her head against his chest and smiled. "This is the perfect setting," she said.
His brows pulled together, and he chuckled, confused. "How can that be?"
"I don't care where we are." She gazed up at him and licked her lips. When she realized that he was no longer looking at her, but instead at the ring on her finger, she placed her hand in his and deeply sighed. "You love me through actions, not words. I'm confident that won't change no matter what my title is."
"I do prefer Mrs. Harrison."
She grinned. Her heart felt full and her arms ached to be around him. So she embraced him, holding him so tight that she could hear every breath he took. "Then Mrs. Harrison it shall be."
You've reached the end of this story. Thank you so much for reading!
Author's Note:
The reason you are seeing a rewritten epilogue is because I took down Book 2. It wasn't going anywhere, and there was no point in dragging out the storyline. I'm sorry to disappoint those of you who genuinely enjoyed the book, but I'd rather write one decent book than force a second book that lacks quality and content.
Thank you for being such amazing readers!