Melinas Men

Chapter Nine.

Chapter Nine.

By the time we got home the champagne hit me like a tonne of bricks. As soon as we got out of the cars I saw Eric with his eyes on me, coming towards us.

“I think I will retreat to my quarters for the rest of the night,” I told the group as a collective, I didn’t want my mother to see I was buzzed.

“Have a good night, dear,” my father said, holding my mother’s hand.

“Yes, good night Melina,” she smiled. None the wiser.

I curtsied towards King Angus and Eric then left as quick as I could.

Not saying a word to anyone I went straight to my room and flopped on my bed.

I could’ve fallen asleep right there and it was only 5 o’clock. I lifted my legs up, attempting to take my heels off without getting up.

But they were too strappy, and then there was the case of my dress and makeup. I had to get up. I was falling asleep trying to get ready for bed, and I ended up passing out in just my underwear.

I woke up and it was pitch black, it must have been the middle of the night. But I didn’t wake up on my own accord, I woke up to weight shifting the bed. The weight of another body. My eyes fluttered open until my vision became clear.

“Oh my god, what are you doing?” I looked over at myself and realised I was still only in my underwear.

I immediately flipped the covers over me to hide my body.

“I just wanted to give you a proper goodbye before I leave in the morning,” it was Eric, the last person I expected to be in my room right now. I had not given him any inclination that this was okay.

“Please leave, I will see you at a respectable time in the morning,” I told him.

“You will, but I needed to give you something privately first,” he said.

He leant towards me and before I even had a chance to react his lips were on mine hard and fierce.

He was hanging over me, his arms planted on the bed on either side of me.

I put my hands on his chest and pushed him off.

He retreated, wiping his mouth, “is this not what you wanted?”

“Forcing yourself on me is not the way to win my hand, Eric,” I warned him.

He said nothing in reply, just sat on the bed, then finally stood up and walked to the door.

Before opening it he turned back to me, “let’s pretend this never happened then?”

“It was all a dream,” I said in return.

He smiled devilishly then exited from once he came.

I laid back down, pulling more covers over me. My heart was beating fast, and I couldn’t slow it, no matter how hard I listened and slowed my breathing. That was a side I hadn’t seen of Eric, we all thought he was a perfect gentleman.

All I could think of though, had he told Jack of his plan?

I must have somehow fallen back to sleep, because when I woke up again it was bright in my room, and I could hear the sound of cars leaving. King Angus and Eric had left I assumed, and that meant Jack too, and I didn’t get to say goodbye. Only a retched goodbye to Eric.

I wonder how he would twist our encounter to Jack. I disliked the thought of events that transpired last night so I got up and had a boiling hot shower. I washed my hair and just spent as much time I could in there until my skin couldn’t take it anymore. I dressed in casual clothes to be lounging around the house, but I was starving, so the first thing I did was go to the kitchen.

“Hello, miss,” the kitchen hand smiled at me as I came through the doors.

“Hey,” I smiled, heading towards the fridge.

But he stepped in front of me, “is there anything I can get you?”

“I’m just a little peckish. I can find something,” I told him, I had played this song and dance before, and I wasn’t going to win.

“I can fetch you something,” he said, “how about a bacon and egg sandwich?”

“That sounds really good actually, with cheese?” I was salivating at the thought.

“Of course, tea or coffee?” He asked.

“Coffee please,” I smiled, “I’ll be out on the alfresco.”

“No worries, miss,” he opened the fridge and got to getting things out.

I left the kitchen and headed out to my spot on the alfresco. No one was around which was nice, I did wonder where they were. There were no horses being ridden in the paddock, my father and Michael may be on the front lawn playing croquet or maybe my parents actually had some work to do. Who knew? This place was large, it wasn’t uncommon to not see or hear anyone. I was just surprised my mother hadn’t come and berated me for not being at the send off, granted I wasn’t given a time for such thing.

I ate my late breakfast and drank my coffee silently as I watched the sun rise higher in the sky. It was a nice day, every day had been, we were right in the middle of spring and all the wildflowers were blooming and springing colour across the front of the forest in the horizon. I loved watching nature. But my mind went back to my encounter with Eric in my bedroom hours before. What was that about? I had never seen that side of him before, even when we were younger, he was always gentle and shy. I don’t think I had flirted with him or made any innuendo at all the evening prior at the match to make him think that was okay.

I sat there for an hour before I saw another soul, Michael.

“Where were you?” He burst out onto the alfresco.

“I’ve been here,” I shrugged, “watching the world go by.”

“We went to the markets, it was pretty cool, Melina. There was this group of children and me and dad played soccer with them for a while,” he slouched in the chair beside me.

“Thanks for the invite,” I laughed.

“You must have been dead asleep; it was just after King Angus and Eric left.”

“Must have been,” although I wasn’t, I was in the shower.

“What have you been doing anyway?” He asked me.

I shrugged, “had something to eat, then just been sitting here.”

“You know Georgia was with us, right?”

“So?” I looked at him, “oh god you didn’t, did you? She’s my maid!”

Michael laughed, “hell no. But no ones fed the beagles then.”

“Oh s**t!” I stood up.

“You better hurry before they eat each other.”

“Shut up.”

I quickly went downstairs and out to the stables, grabbing the bag of food to take to them.

But when I got out the back of the stables, I noticed someone was with them.

He wore a short-sleeved shirt, so I knew it was him even though his blonde hair gave it away anyway.

“What are you still doing here?” I asked, so surprised that I dropped the bag to the floor.

The beagles were covering his feet as he turned to me, with the biggest grin on his face because he had tricked me.

“Carmichael’s butler is sick, and Eric didn’t need me on their trip, so he offered me to help for the week,” he shrugged like it was nothing. Throwing the tennis balls for the dogs.

I walked into the cage and Blue walked over to me instantly, I crouched down to give him some head scratches.

I looked up at him suspiciously, “Michael’s butler isn’t sick?”

Jack put his hands up in defeat, “it wasn’t my idea.”

I stood up, “then who’s was it?”

Jack took a few steps towards me. “Carmichael’s actually.”

“Oh god,” I put my fingers to the bridge of my nose. I knew he was suspicious, but I didn’t know he actually knew.

To my surprised Jack put his arms around me. No one could see us out here unless they went to the stables or were already on horseback, so I wasn’t worried. Instead, I pulled my arms out and wrapped them around his neck, standing on my tippy toes.

It felt nice, he was so strong around me.

He was leant down with his head in the crook of my neck, mine in his. He smelt so good, so masculine.

“You didn’t think I’d leave without saying goodbye, did you?” He said into my neck, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention.

I kissed his neck, I couldn’t help it, after smelling him I needed to taste him. And his skin was sweet and salty all at once.

“Don’t do that,” he whispered.

“Why not?” I asked.

We both let go and we’re standing in front of each other.

“I might not be able to control myself around you anymore,” he pulled a hand through his hair.

I could feel my cheeks go hot, apart of me wished he wouldn’t.

All of a sudden, our silence was broken by the dogs trying to bowl Jack over because he stopped playing ball with them. I grabbed onto his elbow to try and stable him, but of course he already had that covered.

“Are they like this all the time?” Jack asked, looking down at the little menaces.

I picked a few balls up and threw them, laughing, “yes.”

I patted Blue with my foot, “except this one. He’s my favourite child.”

Jack knelt down, throwing a ball, then patted Blue.

He looked up at me, and the world went insanely slow. Looking up at me Jack looked so sweet and innocent, not like the usual bad boy vibes he put out, it was quite attractive. That’s when I realised it wasn’t just a physical attraction I had with him, I wanted to know everything about him.

“You know you’re not suppose to have a favourite child?” He was still looking up at me, squinting in the sunlight.

“That’s bullshit, everyone has a favourite child. Jessabelle is ours.”

He stood up, “that doesn’t count, she’s just the baby of the family.”

I shrugged.

“Let me take you out tonight?” It was more of a statement than a question.

“How would that even work?”