AMelodyInParadise by Tianna Xander

took a deep breath. “Stay just like this for a minute, I’ll be right back.”
    Melody was too tired to argue, she let her legs go limp, her weight taking her down until her butt rested on her heels. As tired as she was she could probably sleep like this.
    At the touch of a warm cloth against her rear, Melody’s eyes flew open and she stiffened with mortification.
    “Shh…” Wyatt pressed on the small of her back, holding her in place. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, angel. I’m just trying to make you more comfortable.”
    Her face felt as if it was on fire. If anything, this was making her feel more uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to this type of intimacy from anyone. Heck, she wasn’t used to any type of intimacy. This could be something every lover did after this type of sex for all she knew. After all, she had no basis of comparison.
    Wyatt left her for a few minutes, presumably to put the wash cloth back into the bathroom. When he returned, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently on the lips.
    “Go to sleep for a bit, little one. I’ll wake you when the others return.”

    Chapter Eleven
    “We have to get Melody to Paradise as soon as possible,” Mitch said as soon as he and Carmen walked through the front door.
    Both Mitch and Carmen had been gone most of the day. Wyatt stood in the doorway of the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee. “Where in the hell have you two been? You’ve been gone most of the day. We were about to go looking for you.” He narrowed his eyes when what Mitch said finally sank in. “What do you mean we have to get her to Paradise in a hurry?”
    Melody, who had been cleaning her violin, looked up with a frown. “Paradise?” She looked at Carmen. “Where’s Paradise and why today?” She paused, a look of disbelief crossing her face. “I can’t go anywhere. I have a contract with the Philharmonic.”
    Carmen made a face. “Forget about the Philharmonic. Forget about your chair and forget about your contract, Melody. You only went for the chair to prove you could get it. You said that yourself.” She moved to sit next to Melody who sat on the sofa absently flipping through the channels on the TV. “Hopefully, Paradise is somewhere your stalker can’t find you.”
    “Why the sudden urgency? Last night you said I could play tonight.” She turned to look at the one suitcase they carried. It was Carmen’s. “And where are my things?”
    Mitch scowled at the worried frown on her face. He didn’t want to have to give her the bad news, but he and Carmen both decided that he needed to be the one to tell her what happened to her things. Slowly, Mitch knelt in front of her, took her hands and kissed each palm.
    “I can tell something’s wrong,” she said alternating her gaze between them. “What is it?”
    “Your things no longer exist, angel.” Mitch reached up to press his finger against her lips when she would have said something. “They were mostly gone when we got to your apartment. The door stood ajar and your room was a mess.” He paused, knowing his next words would put fear into his mate’s heart and he didn’t want that. Gods knew he never wanted that, but he could do nothing but tell her the truth, no matter how painful it was.
    “What was left was shredded beyond recognition. The only things you have left were what you loaned Carmen. They were in her room. Whoever broke in, only wanted to take or destroy your things.”
    “Oh, my God.” Tears filled his mate’s eyes.
    Impotent rage filled him as he watched the tears fall from her thick eyelashes. He clenched his fists, wishing he knew who it was that stalked their mate. His tiger roared, screamed with rage at the violation he knew she felt. Her clothing, her under-things, gone or shredded, must have devastated her. Still, after a moment, she straightened her spine and thinned her lips.
    “I’m not leaving here. I have a contract. I have to stay at least until they can find