Private Melody by Altonya Washington

had called it.
    Such frustration, such sorrow— loss. He’d never admit it aloud, but it had all been due to the choices he’d made. It all combined to make him determined to see that there was something phenomenal to show for it in the end.
    He shook off those heavy thoughts when Kianti’s house came into view over the bend in the road. He’d grown accustomed to the nagging voice and its standard inquiry. What the hell are you doing, Therin?
    The hell if he knew. The hell if he cared. And what about her condition? Did he care about that? She’d warned him that overexerting herself could prove fatal. The warning alone should have made him back off in a hurry. Instead, it only had him thinking whether he could rein in his need for her when they made love. For they certainly would make love. That much, he’d settled in his mind.
    Casey O’Dell waved while pressing the button to engage the gate leading to Kianti’s place. Therin parked the gleaming silver Chrysler 300 and headed toward Casey for handshakes. Now used to Therin’s visits, Casey didn’t bother to ring for his mistress and let her familiar guest up on the elevator.
    Casa Marvelo was a romantic Mexican restaurant not far from Kianti’s place in Pacifica. The food was to die for, but it was the ambience Kianti was going for that evening. Therin would be leaving on Sunday and…what? She was going to pull out all the stops to get him into her bed.
    She set the lotion on the dresser with more force than necessary while wishing herself luck with that. Tons of luck, especially since she’d already told him about her illness. While he played the role of a man who didn’t scare easily, she knew it was only a matter of time. God, how she wanted him….
    Throwing up her hands and forgetting about her wants, she inspected herself in the dresser mirror and the floor-length one next to her bed. A frown rumbled her brow when she stepped closer to the mirror. She angled herself to and fro as if somehow the movements would make the run in her stockings disappear.
    Cursing, she took a seat on the bed and tugged up the hem of the cranberry wrap dress to see how high the snag went.
    â€œDamn.” She glimpsed her watch and then speed-walked to the dresser to select a fresh, and hopefully run-free pair of hose. She unfastened the spike-heeled pumps and removed the damaged garments, tossing them to the nightstand.
    She bit her lip and hesitated before slipping on the new pair. Debating then, she trailed her nails across her bare thighs. The night may’ve been warm enough to go without. Biting her lip, she went to the windows and unhinged the lock to push open one side and take in the fragrant sea air kissed with a hint of warmth.
    Might be all right, she told herself. Besides, if seduction was the order of the evening, hose would only be an obstacle. Satisfied by that train of thought, a saucy smirk curved her mouth and she turned from the window and right into Therin.
    â€œGuess Casey didn’t ring up.” The smile he wore radiated no humor.
    Kianti felt her lashes flutter and bowed her head to order them to stop. She cast a quick glance and wave toward the open window. “I was just about to put on my hose.”
    Therin eliminated any personal space existing between them. “What for?”
    Her effort to find a response was unnecessary. He was kissing her then and the only things leaving her mouth were moans. She went to her toes, seeking as much height as she could gain in order to enjoy his kiss more comfortably—in order to feel the unyielding length of his frame more adequately.
    Therin handled that when he tugged her high against him and backed her next to the closest wall. Without shame, Kianti wrapped her legs around his back and returned his kiss with a fiery eagerness.
    There was the nagging voice again at the back of Therin’s mind but the whispers coming from Kianti’s throat