Craved Mate (Cybermates #6) - Candace Ayers Page 0,23

Do you know the story in Greek mythology?”

“No. I didn’t know there was a story.”

“Amethyst was a mortal on her way to pay tribute to the Goddess Diana when she got caught in an argument between the gods and found herself face to face with tigers sent by Dionysus, the god of wine. To save her, Diana turned Amethyst into a statue of pure crystal that was so beautiful that when Dionysus saw it, he was overcome with sorrow and remorse and cried tears of wine. His tears fell over the statue staining it and making it even more lovely.”

Ame managed to hook two of her fingers into Mel’s earring and was pulling at it. I leaned over and slid my hand around the back of Mel’s neck to hold her steady as I unwrapped Ame’s fingers. “She’s beautiful, but she’s handsy.”

Mel’s pupils dilated and the smallest breathy sigh escaped her parted lips as she looked up at me. I realized how close I was to her, how private our little corner was, and tightened my fingers on her neck searching her face, desperate for a sign warning me to back away.

Mel, tell me I’m invading your space, tell me I’m pushing you too far. Just tell me to leave you alone.

Instead, her lids fluttered and closed, her chin tipped up just the slightest bit. That was an invitation. An opening for me to kiss her, but if that happened, there would be no going back for either of us. Even Ame had gone silent in the face of our tension. The entire café seemed to disappear.

“Mel…” Her name was a moan on my lips as I drew closer.

“Three sandwiches, all ready! I threw in some cookies that we had left over, too.” As Paige pulled back the palm fronds, I sunk back into my chair, a guilty expression on my face.

Mel cleared her throat and smiled at Paige, color creeping up her cheeks. “Thank you. For the cookies. I’ve got to get going.”

I watched as she stood up, and with a flustered expression, took the bag from Paige, and stepped briskly toward the door. “Mel?”

She looked back at me and bit her lip. “Y-yes?”

Despite being horrified at my lack of self-control, I couldn’t fight a grin. “Can I have my niece back?”

“Oh, my god!” She rushed back towards me and shoved Ame at me. “I am so sorry.”

Ame instantly burst into tears.

Paige stood back, giggling. “An almost kidnapping. That’s a first for my shop.”

But Paige’s voice could barely be heard over Ame’s howls. Mel groaned and hurried away. With one glance over her shoulder at me, and a sympathetic and longing look at Ame, she fled the shop.

Ame instantly squealed and her little hand flew out and slapped me.

“I know, I did screw that up, didn’t I?”

14

Mel

I’m a skanky hoe. I am.

I almost kissed a man who wasn’t my boyfriend.

Well, technically, he almost kissed me. But I would have kissed him back! And I’d wanted him to kiss me. I’d wanted him to touch me and kiss me and cart me off to some romantic, secluded spot and make love to me under the stars.

I felt a connection to Mac, the kind of connection I’d been trying so hard to form with Adam. I never totally blamed Adam. In fact, I blamed myself more than him. I’d never felt a deep soul-level type connection to a man, and I’d known more than a few smokin’ hot A-listers during my celebrity days. None had ignited the fires of passion in me the way Mac the firefighter did. There’s irony for you.

Adam was a good looking guy. Ugh! I’d been with Adam for almost a year, yet I’d never felt for Adam anything like I’d felt with Mac tonight. And we hadn’t even actually crossed that friendship line.

I sent an SOS text to Ingrid. Then I remembered she was probably having the time of her life at Mimi’s with the fire department and sent a cancel-the-SOS text.

I was sprawled across the bed in the B&B lamenting my situation when the door burst open.

“Ahh!” I jerked upright and let out an embarrassing scream. “Oh, my god! What are you doing?”

Ingrid frowned and leveled me with a look. She didn’t appear to have been having as good a night as I imagined. “You sent me an SOS text.”

“And I canceled it! I shouldn’t have bothered you.”

“Do you see this face?” Her finger drew an imaginary circle around her face. “I only wish you