Secret Lover Ch. 02

"Jamie I'm not having this conversation with you again" He began, but then had a thought. "But I'm actually glad you called. I thought I should let you know we're through. I'm done with you and we need to just leave it at that."

"Cole you can't be serious! I made a mistake - you know how much I love you." Her voice became even more shrill, and Cole's jaw clenched in response.

"Jamie I doubt highly that you know the meaning of love, and if a "mistake" is sleeping with more than ten guys then yes, you made a mistake but like I said - it's over. Just lose my number."

"But Cole, I-" Cole hung up quickly, knowing that staying on the phone any longer would have him enraged and ready to beat a wall in. But not tonight. Tonight was his date with Melanie and nothing was going to ruin it.

*****

By the time Melanie stepped from the shower, her friends had returned and had turned her bedroom into a disaster zone. There was clothes and shoes across the bed, jewelry and makeup sat on her vanity across the room.

"You guys, what is all this?"

"This, Melanie, is your saving grace." Kandice said, pulling her further into the room. "Tonight is your first date in a long time with a really good guy and I want you to blow his socks off when he sees you, so me and Raul ran around like chickens with our heads cut off getting all this stuff for you. All you need to do is pick one and leave the rest to us."

Melanie looked at the variety of dresses on the bed. There was a black cocktail dress with a sheer lace back and light beading, a yellow pleated dress with a dropped back and, lastly, the winner. Melanie picked up the dress and couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. "This is a Georgio Mendell - I couldn't possibly! These dresses are so expensive!"

"Melanie, for once allow yourself to have exactly what you deserve. If we cared about the cost, we would have went shopping at Macy's, ok? So choose." Kandice? said

Melanie looked back down at the dress in her hands. It was fire red chiffon dress with a dropped v-line back, broad straps, and a clinging waist. The bottom was slightly ruffled and the fabric had a feel of silk. "This one" Melanie said, pulling the dress against her body.

Raul stood, clapping his hands together. "Great! Then lets get started!"

The pair spent a little over two hours preparing Melanie for her date. They paired her dress with a pair of gold stilettos, a simple gold necklace and a red clutch. Raul leaned to apply the last bit of lip gloss to her lips before leaning back and smiling. "Melanie love you look beautiful." He said, stepping aside to let her pass.

"Really?" Melanie looked at her reflection in the mirror and was taken aback. Just as she had thought, the dress fit perfectly, but it was her friends' masterful work on her hair and make up that really tied it together. Kandice had applied dark shadow to her eyes, giving them a smoky, mysterious look. Her hair was pulled into a swirling bun with stray strands of hair near her ear and behind her neck.

"I love you guys!" She said, rushing to embrace them in a hug. Melanie knew she was blessed to have friends like them. They had been there when she was a crumbled mess on her sofa, eating Chunky Munky ice cream and listening to Keith Sweat and now when she was turning the page onto a new chapter in her life.

"We love you to Mel, you really do look amazing." Kandice said, beaming.

The friends were pulled from there short conversation by a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Kandice said. "I want to see his face when he sees your dress." With that she disappeared around the corner.

*****

Cole was a ball of nerves. He had called his sister shortly before reaching Melanie's house and even her words of encouragement failed to ease his mind. Tonight he had one of his driver's escort him in his ash Grey Aston Martin for the date in the hopes of making a good impression. He wanted to be sure he made tonight unforgettable for Melanie. As his driver Jones opened the door for him, he quickly made his way to the entrance of her complex. He turned back to look towards Jones, who gave him a reassuring thumbs up before he went inside. There was silence in the hallway as he knocked on her front door followed by a short pause before he heard the sound of footsteps and as the door swung open, he released the breath he had been holding in and he was met by a familiar face.

"Well hello Cole." Kandice said, stepping aside to let him in

"Hello Kandice. What are you doing here?"

"Oh nothing, I was just helping Mel get ready. I'll call her - I'm sure you're ready to get out of here." She raised her voice "Mel! Cole's here." Kandice yelled from the living room, leaning against the wall.

When Melanie stepped from the room, every ounce of air Cole held in his body caught in his throat. He thought she was beautiful before, but tonight she was stunning. She looked breathtaking and, if not for Kandice being in the room at the time, he would have said 'screw the date' and ravished her right there.

"Hello Cole." Melanie said, walking towards Cole who quickly embraced her in a hug.

"Wow Melanie you look amazing!" He said.

"Thank you, you look very handsome yourself."

"Should we head out?" Cole said, making his way to the door.

"Uh yeah sure..."

"Wait, wait! I must meet the one named Cole!" Raul said, sauntering into the living room. Cole wanted to laugh at Melanie's flamboyant friend - he watched as Raul circled him, stopping in front of him to stare him down.

"I will say this, Mr. Cole - you hurt my Melanie and I will make sure you never be with another woman again. ¿Si?"

Melanie was mortified. She loved her friends, but right about now she wanted to shove her head into the closest hole. "Cole please exscuse my friend Raul - he was born an arrogant asshole."

"No, Melanie, it's alright. I understand he's just looking out for you. Raul you have my word that I have Melanie's best interests at heart, and that's all that matters to me. I have no intention of hurting her."

Raul looked at cole for a moment before smiling. "Alright then. I'm glad we have an understanding."

"Well we better go - wouldn't want us to be late." Cole said, opening the door for Melanie. "It was nice seeing you Kandice and nice meeting you, Raul."

The friends quickly hugged Melanie before she made her way out the door with Cole.

*****

It was a beautiful night. Cole and Melanie made their way down the stairs and towards his car and his chauffeur was at the ready and proceeded to open the door for them to enter.

"Thats a really nice car." Melanie whispered, not sure Cole had heard her.

"Why thank you. It's one of my favorites." He replied as they took their seats on the plush leather interior.

"You mean you have more than one?"

"Yes, I've always had a love for cars and I have a very extensive collection." The pair conversed more, mostly about movies and music. Melanie found herself enjoying the date and it had barely even begun. In no time they pulled up in front of the restaurant. Melanie could see the glowing sign above the double mahogany doors and nearly fainted.

"Are we eating here?" She asked.

"Yes, unless you'd rather eat somewhere else" Cole chuckled.

"No, no," She said quickly. "It's just that this is the most exclusive rester aunt in Baltimore. Getting a reservation here is harder than getting into the White House with a loaded gun."

Cole laughed. he loved Melanie's quirky humor and how, when she was relaxed, she spoke her mind. "I have a few friends that happen to own this restaurant and I pulled a favor. Shall we?" Cole offered his hand and helped Melanie exit the car. The moment she did she was met by a barrage of flashing lights and hurried voices.

"Mr. McKinney you've been laying low for a while. Who's the mystery woman?"

"Mr. McKinney - any word on your plans to expand your business globally?"

The various people shot words at Cole left and right. Melanie felt dizzy being surrounded so quickly but felt Cole's arm braced tightly around her waist, guiding her into the entrance of the restaurant. A large man at the front door blocked the way, making it impossible for the paparazzi to continue their verbal attack.

"Jesus, what was all that about?" Melanie said, slightly winded from the ordeal.

"Sorry to say but that's normal for me. I'm not sure how they knew I'd be here, but there's no point in trying to hide now." They made their way down the hall to a woman who stood at a podium.

"Good evening and welcome to L'Albero Vuoto. May I have your names?" The hostess asked.

"McKinney, party of two." Cole said, pulling Melanie closer to him. Melanie smiled and turned to the woman, who was shooting daggers at her.

"Ah yes McKinney. Your table is right this way, please let me escort you." The woman flipped her platinum blonde hair and sauntered in front of Cole, leading the way to a booth in a nicely lighted area of the restaurant. She was switching way too hard, obviously trying to get Cole's attention. Melanie wished she could knock that bimbo's head clean off her skinny shoulders.

"Here you - are our best table." Cole waited for Melanie to be seated in the booth before taking his place next to her. "If you need anything else, anything, please don't hesitate to ask. My name is Michelle by the way."

"Thank you Michelle, I appreciate it." Cole smiled as the woman walked away only to turn to a scowling Melanie. "Jealous?"

"Hmmph. Please, and why would I be jealous?"

"Well I don't know Melanie, but just a moment ago you looked as if you wanted to rip that girl's head off." Melanie rolled her eyes, lifting the menu in front of her face, only to have Cole take it from her hands.

"I was reading that." She said, pouting.

"Well a menu isn't necessary" Cole told her. "I took the liberty of ordering before we came."

"Really? What did you order?"

As if on cue, a team of waiters and waitresses exited the chef doors across the room, carrying in their hands plates and bowls of various Italian dishes.

"Oh my goodness Cole, we can't possibly eat all of this!"

"Maybe not, but the menu has so many amazing dishes it's difficult choosing just one, so I thought you should be able to try everything." Melanie could feel a large smile creep across her face as the servers continued to fill their table with entrées and delicious meats. Once the team finished, they proceeded to eat.

"Mmmm... Oh my god, Cole, you must try this." Melanie took a spoon and scooped a generous portion of the tiramisu. She watched as Cole devoured the sample, licking his lips as she removed the spoon.

"Now that was amazing." Cole said, savoring the taste of the decadent dish.

"Cole this meal was amazing. Honestly the best I've ever had." Melanie said, wiping the corners of her mouth with her napkin.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." He replied.

It wasn't long before both Melanie and Cole were escorted by Cole's chauffeur through the kitchen of the restaurant to the car in the back alley, away from the barrage of people still waiting out front to get a sneak peak of the couple. As they drove, Melanie looked out the window to see they weren't going anywhere near her house.

"Are you not taking me home?" Melanie asked, a quizzical look on her face.

"Well I figured the night was still young, why not enjoy it? Besides, I've been having such a great time with you tonight I don't want it to end so soon."

Melanie smiled and moved closer to Cole as he draped his arm around her. He had peppered small kisses on her neck and cheeks before Jones informed him that they had arrived.

"Where are we?" Melanie asked as Cole helped her out of the car.

"You'll see."

Right away knew they were at Druid Park. She could tell from the silhouette of the reservoir in the distance and she smiled. Further ahead she could see small lights that she soon found to be lanterns strewn about the trees and the walkway. There were people scattered about - some talking, others relaxing on blankets while a band was setting up on a small makeshift stage not far from them. Cole led Melanie to a small booth that was selling blankets and shawls and purchased one for them to sit on.

"Cole, this is so cool. I didn't know they had shows out here!" She exclaimed.

"Neither did I, until recently. A friend of mine was gracious enough to inform me of the location."

It wasn't long before Cole and Melanie found a perfect spot next to the stage. Cole laid the blanket down and helped Melanie take her seat before doing the same.

"Ladies & gentlemen we would like to welcome you to our Starlight Concert tonight, and thank you for attending. Tonight we want you to hold that person you love close to you and enjoy the music styling of The Low Tides."

The band began to play a slow jazz beat, the sound of the snare drum and deep saxophone filled the park. Melanie swayed slowly as the singer began to sing and the band began to play Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon in the Sky".

"Care to dance?" Cole asked, extending his hand to Melanie. She nodded and moved into Cole's arms as he began to lead her in a dance.

"You dance so well, who taught you?" She asked.

"My mother." Cole said, laughing. "She always said that a man who could dance would never have a problem making a woman fall for him. Is it working?" He asked. If Melanie was a few shades lighter she knew Cole would have surely seen her blush. As the beat picked up, Cole began to spin and dip Melanie, all the while holding her close to him, Melanie felt a feeling of passion and safety that she hadn't felt in a long time - she could have stayed in Cole's arms forever but with one final dip, the song had ended.

They enjoyed a few more dances together before Melanie began to grow tired and the night air began to bring on a chill. Cole quickly phoned Jones and had him bring the car around and before long they were back on the road. Within minutes, they had arrived at Melanie's home.

"I had an amazing night Cole."

"So did I Melanie. I would love the opportunity to do it again soon."

"I'd like that." Melanie replied.

Cole watched Melanie opened her door before he pulled her close and planted a soul-ripping kiss on her lips. He put every ounce of feeling he had for her in that kiss so that there would be no mistaking how he felt. As he began to pull away, he felt Melanie tighten her hold on his neck, refusing to let him end the kiss - and he was more than willing to oblige.

"Stay with me tonight?" She asked. Cole looked into Melanie's eyes. He was searching for any hint of doubt and found none. He didn't want to ruin what he knew was the best thing to happen to him in so long. With one swift motion Cole had lifted Melanie off her feet and entered her apartment. Their lips met again, exploring the reaches of each other's mouths - not wanting to break away for fear of this moment ending.

"Where's your bedroom?" Cole asked, his voice a harsh growl. He followed Melanie's directions and once inside, he laid her gently on the bed before attacking the buttons on his shirt. Melanie sat on the bed and watched as he removed his shirt. His chest was divine a mass of smooth muscles that rippled throughout his body. He tugged as his belt and let the slacks he wore drop to the floor, giving Melanie a view of his thick member tucked firmly away in his briefs. Seeing the shock in Melanie's eyes and seeing her body tense, Cole moved slowly towards her. He kissed her head, then her eyes, and finally her lips.

"I'll fit baby, don't worry ill be gentle." Melanie nodded as he motioned for her to lift her arms. He pulled her dress above her head, revealing the flesh that was hidden from him just moments ago. With shallow, labored breaths Melanie's breast rose and fell. Cole didn't waste a moment, licking and sucking the flesh that wasn't covered by the lacy bra she wore. Moans escaped Melanie no matter how hard she tried to contain them. As Cole pulled the fabric away from her breast, he latched onto her nipple, softly biting and sucking the deep brown areola. Cole massaged Melanie's thighs as he slid two fingers inside of her and was rewarded with a deep moan. He watched Melanie's faced as he pumped in and out of her, her thick lips formed a perfect "O" as he quickened his pace.

"Oh Cole! Ungh, ungh, Cole, yes!" Melanie screamed. The orgasms that ripped through Melanie sent shivers through her whole body - her back arched as she rode out the first of the many orgasms that Cole promised to give her. Cole couldn't wait any longer, every moment he wasn't inside of her was driving him insane. He winced from the throbbing in his cock before releasing it from the confines of his boxers. He gripped it tightly, positioning himself at Melanie's hot box. He rubbed the head of his cock against her slowly, loving the way her skin contrasted with his. Her juices flowed easily onto his cock, coating him with her sweet cum. Cole knew that from this position he wouldn't be able to get as deep as he wanted. He quickly flipped her on all floors before slamming his cock into her quivering pussy. Cole could feel her legs instantly buckle and he smirked. He began to pound her relentlessly from behind, stopping only to grab a hold of her breast. Cole decided it was one of his new favorite parts of her body.

"Cole I'm cumming! I'm going to cum!"

"Yes Melanie, cum with me baby - I want you to cum with me." Three more piston-like thrusts was all it took to send Cole over the edge. He growled loudly as Melanie's walls contracted around him, draining him of every drop of cum. Cole wrapped his arms around Melanie, holding her tightly to him. He could feel her breathing becoming normal and knew she had fallen asleep. It wouldn't be long before the same feeling gripped him and he followed suit. Cole was on cloud nine - she was his finally his and he wasn't letting go.

*Across town*

"SON OF A BITCH!!!"

Jamie threw the phone to the ground, sending shards of plastic and glass flying across the room. "He thinks he can just dump me, that worthless piece of shit?! I'll make his life hell." Jamie paced the marble floors of her suite, her sheer robe flowing behind her as she made her way to the small bar in her penthouse. She poured herself a drink and sat on the sofa and, turning on the TV, she brought the chilled glass to her forehead.

"Don't stress, we've been here before he always says he's done, but soon he comes crawling back with his cock between his legs. He'll be back."

"Is it love for business tycoon Cole McKinney?

Jamie's eyes shot up to the TV, her mind unsure it heard correctly

"Our viewers definitely think so after Mr. McKinney, the multi billion-dollar mogul was caught locking lips with a lady in red. Our team saw them leaving L'Albero Vuoto, the new restaurant in downtown Baltimore shortly after this candid photo-op."

Jamie's blood boiled as photos of Cole with a mystery woman flashed across the screen his perfect lips in a wide smile as he led this "other woman" away from the paparazzi. "He dumped me so he could fool around with that black whore?! Well we'll see how happy she'll be when she meets your wife!