The Art of Love [Hedon Falls 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  “Most guys like action, you know. And not just in the bedroom.”

  “Ha, ha,” she replied drily.

  “What about you? What’s your favorite movie?”

  “The Princess Bride,” she replied without hesitating.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  She gaped at him. “You haven’t seen it? How could you not have seen it?”

  “I’m a guy, remember? Princesses and brides are not part of my usual movie lineup.”

  “Well, I’m going to have to make you watch it, then,” Melanie said firmly. “It’s got more than just romance, and it’s really funny.”

  “Fine, as long as we can watch some shit get blown up afterward.”

  The theatre darkened then and they settled back to watch. But David was much more interested in her than the screen, and they spent most of the time making out like teenagers.

  When the movie ended, they strolled hand-in-hand through downtown Hedon Falls. There were many old buildings there which housed a variety of businesses, and they decided to stop in at Carol’s Café.

  “Tell me about your family,” Melanie said to him as she sipped her macchiato.

  She thought she saw his jaw tighten slightly, but he shrugged and said, “There’s not much to tell. I mostly grew up in foster homes.”

  “Really? Where were your parents?”

  “I didn’t know my dad, and my mother died when I was four years old.”

  “Oh.” Melanie sipped her drink again, not sure how to respond.

  “What about your parents?” David asked after a moment of awkward silence.

  Melanie smiled. “I was lucky to have a great family. My parents were a little older when I was born and I was an only child, so I guess I was a bit spoiled. They tried hard to make sure I had everything I needed.” She stopped when she felt tears prick at the back of her eyes.

  David stroked her cheek. “They passed away recently, didn’t they?”

  “It’s been two years,” Melanie replied faintly. “There was a car accident. I’ve dealt with it, but sometimes it still makes me sad.”

  “That’s normal. You must have good memories of them.”

  Melanie nodded. “Of course. They always encouraged me to follow my dreams and they supported me. Some parents wouldn’t want their kids taking art at university, but mine didn’t care. As long as I was doing something that made me happy.”

  “Art makes me happy, too,” he said with a smile.

  “When did you decide to become an artist?” she asked.

  “When I was in grade ten,” David said. “I took an art class, because I had to have an arts credit, and because I’d always loved to draw and create stuff. My art teacher was an amazing man. He was a huge influence and encouraged me to pursue my art all through high school. I liked painting and drawing well enough, but I loved creating sculptures.”

  “You are very good with your hands,” she said. They both laughed.

  “Maybe if we get out of here, I can give you a demonstration,” he whispered against her ear, his soft breath sending a tingle through her body.

  They left quickly and when they got back to Melanie’s house, they made love.

  “I really like being here with you,” he said as he traced circles on her upper arms as they lay together afterward.

  She turned to look up at him. “I like having you here, too.”

  “Can I stay the night again?” he asked. He slid his hand down to cup her breast and lightly stroked the nipple.

  She shivered again. “You’re very persuasive,” she said.

  “I try,” he responded. “Is that a yes?”

  She nodded. “But you can keep doing that.” She arched her back a bit so her breast pressed more firmly against his hand. He laughed lightly and kissed her forehead.

  “What do you want to do tomorrow night?” he asked.

  “I have plans,” she said with a twinge of guilt. She was supposed to see Garrett again.

  “What are you doing?” he asked her.

  Melanie hesitated. She knew he would be disappointed that she was seeing someone else. But it wouldn’t be fair to let their relationship continue without telling David about the others. How do I do this? She decided that honesty was probably the best approach. “I have a date.”

  David’s hands stilled. “A date?” he asked. “With who?”

  “Garrett,” she said softly.

  “As in Garrett Anderson? The artist you went to see yesterday?”

  Melanie closed her eyes and nodded. She could hear the hurt in David’s voice.

  “Did you end up fucking him on his studio floor, too?” David asked angrily. When Melanie hesitated again, he burst out, “You did, didn’t you! Why the hell would you let that bastard fuck you? What about me?”

  David had pulled away now, and Melanie had to fight to keep the tears at bay. She hadn’t meant to hurt David, but it looked pretty bad when she thought about it from his point of view.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just got…carried away.”

  “Why?” he asked again. “You were seeing me. You can’t go fucking other guys when you’re already in a relationship!”

  “Relationship?” Melanie said incredulously. Anger was beginning to build within her. “I fucked you, we had one date, and you stayed the night. That doesn’t make a relationship!”

  David got out of the bed and began yanking on his clothes. “It does make a relationship. Or at least for me it does.”

  “Well maybe you should have made that more clear!” Melanie yelled back. She sat up in the bed, the sheet pulled up to cover her. “You never said we had to be exclusive.”

  “You never said you were a slut, either!”

  Melanie gasped. She felt as though he had slapped her. “Get out,” she said in a low voice.

  “No problem.” He picked up his wallet and keys from the dresser and strode out of the room. A moment later she heard the front door slam.

  Chapter 9

  Melanie didn’t hold back the tears after David stormed out. They fell freely down her cheeks and she flopped down on the bed. She had been stupid. What made her think she could date two men at once, and then add a third, just because he let her beat him with a riding crop? She couldn’t keep seeing all of them. She was just so confused. Should she tell Justin and Garrett to get lost so she could go back to David? Or would he even take her back? Should she forget about David and choose one of the others? She fell asleep as she tried to reason through the problem.

  * * * *

  Melanie woke the next morning to the phone ringing.

  “Hello?” she said groggily.

  “Hey, sleepyhead,” Serena said. “Are we walking today or did you get enough of a workout last night?”

  Remembering the previous night, Melanie burst into tears.

  “Melanie? What’s wrong?”

  “I fucked everything up,” Melanie choked out.

  “I’ll be right over,” Serena said before hanging up.

  Melanie got up and pulled on her most comfortable pair of pajamas and her robe. She stumbled into the kitchen just as Serena came in the front door. The older woman went to Melanie and hugged her.

  “Go sit down,” Serena said. “I’ll make the coffee.”

  Melanie shuffled out to the couch, sat down, and tucked her legs under her. A few moments later, she gratefully took the cup of coffee Serena brought to her.

  “So tell me what happened,” Serena said as she settled in beside Melanie.

  Melanie sighed. “You know how I went to see that other artist yesterday? The one who does the BDSM paintings?”

  “Oh, dear,” Serena said.

  “Yup. He was gorgeous, and sexy, and dangerous and showed me that I enjoy being tied up.”

  “Oh, dear.”

  “And I went out with David last night, we came back here and made love. He wanted to know what I was doing today. I had already made a date with Garrett. I figured
it was better to be honest, so I told David.”

  “I’m betting he didn’t like that idea,” Serena said. “You hadn’t ever said you couldn’t see other people, had you?”

  “No. But then he called me a slut and left.” Melanie’s tears began falling again.

  Serena slid an arm around her shoulders. “I had a lot of people saying that about me when they found out about me and Liam and Lance. We got some really nasty letters.”

  “No!” Melanie said. “What did you do?”

  Serena shrugged. “We mostly ignored it. It hurt a little, but we were just so happy to be together that it didn’t really matter what anyone else thought.”

  “I don’t know what to do. Do I try and forget David? Or should I tell the other two to take a hike?”

  “Tough call,” said Serena. “Who do you feel most strongly about?”

  “I don’t know! They’re all so different, but they’re all so great. How do I decide?”

  “I wish I had an easy answer for you,” Serena said. “I never had to choose. Right from the start my men wanted to share.”

  “Well, choosing sucks,” Melanie said. “Maybe I should just drop all of them.”

  “You have to do what’s best for you,” Serena said. She patted Melanie’s hand. “And don’t forget that you still want them to be part of the exhibit.”

  “Great,” Melanie said. “So I have to deal with them no matter what. Why can’t I just keep my stupid hormones under control?”

  “It’s okay,” Serena said. “You’re allowed to have fun. Everyone’s got to let their hormones think for them sometimes.”

  Serena stayed to talk for a while longer and then left. Melanie went to her computer to try and get her mind off her problem. But of course, there were e-mails from Justin and Garrett. She thought about how much fun she had had with them. She didn’t want to lose either of them just yet. Deciding to take the bull by the horns, she picked up the phone. She had been with Garrett less than the others so she called him first.

  “Hey, sexy,” he said when he picked up the phone. “I was thinking about you.”

  “Garrett,” Melanie began. “I need to tell you something.”

  “Is everything okay?” he asked.

  “The truth is, I’ve been seeing a couple other guys.” She said it quickly, hoping it wouldn’t sound as bad.

  “And?”

  “And I don’t know how you feel about that. Do you want to keep seeing me, too?”

  “Let me guess,” he said. “One of these other guys didn’t want to share you.”

  “Something like that,” she muttered.

  “Melanie, you’re a grown woman. If you want to see more than one guy at once, that’s your decision,” he said. “I’d love to be one of those guys. If I want more than that, I’ll talk about it with you.”

  Melanie felt a little relieved. “So you still want to come over tonight?”

  “If you want me, I’ll come wherever you want,” he said.

  She felt a flush rising in her body. “I’ll see you at seven, then?” she said softly.

  “I’ll be there.” He hung up.

  That hadn’t gone nearly as badly as she thought it might have so she felt a bit better when she called Justin next. “Justin, I wanted you to know that you haven’t been the only man I’ve been dating. I’ve been seeing other guys, too, and I wanted to be honest with you about it.”

  “Ma chérie,” he said. “I am glad you told me. But I’d still like to see you.”

  “I’d like that,” she said.

  “Well there is no problem then, is there? So when can I see you again?”

  “What about tomorrow?”

  “I will see you then, ma chérie,” he said, and hung up the phone.

  Melanie felt better after talking to Garrett and Justin. Before she could make a decision about which man she wanted, she needed to get to know them better. If David couldn’t accept that, then she would have one less option.

  Late in the day, Melanie was getting dressed and debating between a red shirt and a black one. She had on a short, black skirt that showed off her legs and didn’t make her look too hippy. She liked the red shirt because its colour was so dramatic. But the black one showed more cleavage. Garrett was taking her to dinner and then dancing at a night club. It wasn’t normally her thing, but she figured a change of pace would be nice. Garrett certainly seemed to be able to introduce her to new things. At last, she decided on the black top. The whole outfit made her feel sexy, and she liked it.

  When the doorbell rang at seven, she answered it to find Garrett standing there in leather pants and a leather jacket, with a plain white T-shirt underneath. Her eyes travelled over his body, and she smiled. He pulled her against him and kissed her, a slow, sensual kiss that left her breathless.

  “You look hot,” she said to him.

  “So do you,” he replied. They kissed again, and his hand slid down to cup her ass. She moaned into his mouth. He pulled back and smiled at her, the look in his eyes making her insides squirm pleasantly. He took her hand and led her out to the car.

  “Where are we going?” she asked him as they drove.

  “There’s a great Irish pub in town called O’Connell’s. They have live music tonight, and I thought you might enjoy it.”

  “That sounds great,” she said. “Do you have an Irish background?”

  “My mother was Irish and my father was Scottish. They met in Wales, I was born in England, and we all moved to Canada when I was six.”

  “You don’t have an accent, though,” Melanie said.

  “I was young enough when we came here that I picked up the local accent. My older brother has a weird one though. He sounds Canadian but like he can’t exactly pronounce everything properly.”

  “Does your family live near here?”

  “They’re all in Toronto,” he told her. “I came here when I got a job at the brewery.”

  “The brewery? You mean the Falling Waters right?” Melanie was surprised. “How long did you work there?”

  They pulled into the parking lot at O’Connell’s and Garrett said, “I still work there. I’m actually the vice president of the company.”

  “No way!” Melanie said. “I thought you were a full-time artist?”

  He laughed as they entered the pub. He waved at the bartender and then led Melanie to a table near the stage. As they settled in, he said, “The art was something that came along later for me. I enjoyed it a lot, but my family wanted me to study business. About eight years ago, I started taking an art class on the side and found my passion with the oil paints. And the sensational subject matter, of course.” He winked at her.

  “Wow,” Melanie said. There was certainly more to Garrett than she had thought. “I think it’s great that you’ve been able to develop your art so well while you’re working full-time.”

  “I love to paint,” he replied. “It’s relaxing and it’s so different from my day job. I’ve sold paintings, mainly to members of the BDSM club I belong to in Toronto, but it’s just a hobby.”

  “A club? They have BDSM clubs?” Melanie realized just how much she had to learn about this lifestyle.

  “They have clubs,” he confirmed. “I don’t get to go as often as I’d like, especially because I don’t always have someone to go with. Maybe you’d like to explore it sometime?”

  “I have to say, I’m curious. Maybe we could try it once?”

  “We can do whatever you’re comfortable with,” he replied as he took her hand. “I don’t want to rush you. I think you’re great, and I want to get to know you better.”

  Melanie leaned across the table and brushed her lips against his. Garrett was so willing to accommodate her that she couldn’t help feeling at ease with him. She was glad they had decided to continue seeing each other. And it was nice to be away from the bedroom where she could concentrate a little better.

  The waitress arrived then to take their orders and the band began to play shortly after
that. Melanie loved the atmosphere in the pub. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. They sang along with the songs, and they all seemed to know each other. She lost track of all the people Garrett introduced her to. He was friendly and easygoing, and seemed to know a lot of people. Although Melanie tended to be shy with new people, Garrett always made her feel included. After the musicians finished their second set, he suggested they move on. Melanie found she was actually eager to try the dance club he planned to take her to. It had been years since she had gone dancing.

  The club, Empire, was loud and crowded. The music had a steady, driving beat, and Melanie pulled Garrett right out to the dance floor. She began to move to the beat, and he took her hand and moved with her. It was more fun than she’d had in a while. Every so often, Garrett would pull her close and they’d grind for a few minutes, which turned her on immensely. But then he’d move away again, leaving her wanting more.

  After a while, Melanie leaned close to his ear and said, “I have to go to the little girl’s room.” He nodded and she made her way through the crowd. There was a line up in the bathroom, and she stood for quite a while, waiting her turn.

  Finally, she was able to head back out into the main club. She was making her way to the dance floor and surveyed the crowd for Garrett. She didn’t see him. She turned to look around the rest of the club, and spotted him at the bar talking to someone whose back was toward her. She made her way over and when she got there, she was shocked to see who Garrett was conversing with.

  It was Justin.

  Melanie stopped in her tracks. Why was Justin talking to Garrett? Were they talking about her? She started warily toward them, not sure what to do. Justin saw her first. His eyes lit up, and a smile came to his lips. He walked over to meet her.

  “Ma chérie, it’s lovely to see you here!” He pulled her close and kissed her.

  Melanie leaned into him, her lips parting beneath his, her tongue stroking his as it entered her mouth. He grabbed her ass and pulled her more firmly against him, and she could feel his erection pressing into her stomach. Her pussy was positively quivering with desire. She felt hands on her arms and another body pressed against her back. She turned her head to see Garrett there and smiled guiltily. She was on a date with him, but she was kissing another man. He didn’t seem to be upset though.