Chemistry of Desire

Todd came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her

“That was nice of you, babe, but never thank me for telling the truth. You can feed me,” he added pointedly. “Especially if you plan on taking advantage of me again.” He let go of her just enough to move her hair out of the way so he could kiss her neck, which he did with great skill and desire.

“You’d better stop that if you plan to eat, because I can assure you I have plans for you,” she said in a sultry voice.

He turned her around so they were facing each other and he pressed the lower part of his body into hers. “On second thought, I can wait a little while longer for food, but I still need to eat. Have you ever made love in a kitchen?”

MELANIE SCHUSTER

attributes her love of writing to her love of reading. She was lucky enough to be born to parents who were avid readers and she learned to read before she started school. She is still a voracious reader of all genres, that is, when she’s not on deadline! When she’s not writing, she enjoys painting, shopping online for rare books, making jewelry and sewing. She also loves to cook, and is working on a very special cookbook based on her novels. She lives in Michigan with her very sassy and slightly spoiled dog, Sadie.

Chemistry of Desire
Melanie Schuster

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Dedicated with love to Evette Porter

and ShaShana Crichton. Thanks for everything, always.

Dear Reader,

For all of you who wanted to know more about the delectable Todd Wainwright from Model Perfect Passion, this one’s for you! And it will also answer any questions you had about Ayanna’s grumpy sister, Emily, from A Case for Romance. Emily was a grouchy, antisocial workaholic who got a whole new outlook on life, as well as a new appearance, thanks to her BFFs. But it might have been a bit too much of a change for a man who already thought she was perfect from head to toe. He was already attracted to her, but the new version scared him off. Love and understanding, along with communication, conquer all for this seemingly mismatched couple.

Thank you all for the prayers and love you’ve been sending my way. I love and appreciate all of you more than I can say.

Stay blessed!

Melanie

I Chronicles 4:10

Many thanks and much love to my ride-or-die readers

and friends. Thanks for believing in me

and supporting me every step of the way.

A special thanks to Betty, Louise, Kimmi-Kim, Nicole,

Patsy, Pam and “Miss Begina”. No one can do it all

without a support system and

you ladies make my hard road much easier.

Love you all!

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Prologue

The hallway of the middle school was quiet, much quieter than it was during the normal school day. There were only a few students left taking part in after-school activities. Two girls were lingering outside the gym, eavesdropping for all they were worth. One was tall and rail thin, and the other was so short she could have been in elementary school. They were standing as still as possible and listening to every word being spoken in the gym, which wasn’t hard because the words echoed loudly in the corridor due to the poor soundproofing.

The first voice was the coach of the girls dance team, Mrs. Carter. “Emily, you need to find another after-school activity. You’re just not suited for dance.”

A second voice chimed in. This time it was the assistant coach, Mrs. Johnson. “You just don’t have the feminine grace to succeed in dance. You would do better in soccer or basketball, something like that.”

“I don’t understand,” Emily said, her voice clear but slightly shaky. “I can do all the dances and I don’t forget the steps. I know all of the moves we’re supposed to do, so why can’t I dance?”

“Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should,” Mrs. Carter said condescendingly. “I’m sure you thought you could do this because your older sisters were such lovely dancers, but this just isn’t for you.”

“But I can do it,” Emily protested. “I can show you.”

Mrs. Johnson cut in. “We’re not trying to hurt your feelings, but our decision is final. Get your things and get on home. Think about something else you’d like to participate in, because you’re not getting on the dance squad. You are so different from your sisters, it’s like night and day. They’re so petite and graceful, and you’re just not. Face it, dear—you’re just too big and clumsy-looking for this. Find another activity.”

The two girls looked at each other with anger and indignation. Emily was their best friend, and nobody had the right to be so mean to her. They heard the door to the locker room forced open as Emily went to get her things. They also heard the two women continue to talk to each other.

“I don’t know how that girl could be related to Attiya and Ayanna. They got all the beauty in that family, and that’s the truth,” said Mrs. Carter.

“They took after their mother,” Mrs. Johnson agreed. “That Emily looks like a big ol’ bear next to them. It’s a good thing she gets good grades, because she has nothing else going for her. It must be hard being the big ugly one in a pretty family.”

“Too bad for her,” Mrs. Carter agreed. “Turn off the lights and let’s get out of here.”

The two girls waited until the lights went out in the gym before running into the locker room to get their friend. The teachers left by the side entrance and didn’t even notice that Emily was still in the locker room. The girls got there just in time to see Emily wiping away angry tears.

“I’m not going out for the dance team,” she mumbled. “I’m not going out for anything. I’m going home.”

“Don’t listen to those old bats,” said the short one, who was named Alexis. “They’re just old and senile, and they don’t know what they’re talking about.”

The tall one, named Sherri, agreed. “You should tell your mother and get them suspended without pay, because they have no right to say those things to a student. It’s discriminatory.”

They were trying to make her feel better, but it didn’t really work. She’d been hearing the same kind of things from people since she was a little girl. Nothing she ever did was good enough, because she didn’t look like her sisters. It wasn’t her fault that she was tall and sturdy instead of little and gorgeous. So she was done trying to be like them. From now on she was going to be the smartest girl in the family, since she couldn’t be anything else. And she had something else to look forward to, according to Sherri.

“Don’t worry about it, because tomorrow I’ma put a worm in their desks. That’ll fix the old hags.”

Emily was surprised that she could laugh, but she did. They all laughed together as they left the building and started the long walk home.

Chapter 1

“Do you think she’ll cuss us out?” Alexis sounded more amused than nervous as she checked the contents of her shopping bag.

“Probably. But she needs to vent to somebody or she’ll pop. It’s our duty to annoy her enough to let it out.” Sherri was always practical, down-to-earth and fearless. And she would probably need all of those characteristics to deal with their BFF today. She turned off the ignition and reached into the backseat to get the bag she’d brought. She turned to Alexis with a face of determination. “Let’s get it over with. Emily’s had her panties in a knot for weeks, and it’s past time that we find out why. Get out of the car.”

Alexis frowned. “If she wanted us to know what’s been bothering her, she’d have told us. She’s entitled to her privacy,” she pointed out.

“Get out of the car. She doesn’t need privacy, she needs her girls. Out!”

They finally made it to the green front door of the cottage. It was a perfect little jewel of a house. Emily had done almost all the renovation work herself, and the results were spectacular. Alexis looked ready to bolt, but Sherri grabbed her arm with one hand while she rang the bell with the other. “Girl, if you make me drop this bottle of wine, I will hurt you,” she threatened.

Luckily, Emily answered the door before mayhem could ensue. She had been exercising from the looks of her; she was wearing workout clothes that bore large sweat patterns around the neck and the armpits, and she was wiping more sweat from her face. “What a surprise,” she said dryly. “So what is this, an intervention?”

Sherri sucked her teeth. “Yes, it is. And it wouldn’t be necessary if you would just confide in your best friends like a normal woman. Move out of the way so we can come in before we drop this stuff.”

Emily didn’t budge. “What stuff? Is it edible?”

Alexis nodded vigorously. “We brought you dinner, and it’s hella good.” Emily moved out of the doorway so they could enter the house. As Alexis walked past her, she whispered, “Sherri made me ambush you. This was all her idea.”

Sadly, Alexis had never really learned how to whisper, so Sherri heard every word. “I’ll get you later. In the meantime, let’s eat,” Sherri said cheerfully. “We’ll set the table while you go shower, Miss Emily.”

“Fine, if you’re gonna gang up on me,” Emily mumbled, but she really didn’t sound angry. She actually sounded a little relieved, but only someone who knew her very well would have noticed.

In a short time the ladies were sitting at the table in the breakfast room off Emily’s kitchen. It was spotless, as was every room of the house. The walls were pale green, matching the green-and-white ceramic tile floor. All the trim was black, matching the black and stainless steel appliances and the black table and chairs. The chairs had seats covered in green-and-white-patterned fabric that matched the café curtains in the windows that surrounded the seating area.

“What are we eating?” Emily asked. “Not that I care, of course. You know I’ll eat anything.”

“I brought some chicken salad and rolls and brownies,” Alexis told her.

“Brought out the big guns, huh? You’re really trying to make me talk, aren’t you?” Emily put a big helping of salad on her plate and took two of the crusty homemade rolls. Alexis made astounding chicken salad, and Emily could never get enough of it.

Sherri poured her a glass of pinot grigio. “Yes, this is a bribe. It’s come to that, Em. You’ve been acting like a different person since you took that trip to Hilton Head in September and we want to know why. You have been avoiding us, and when we do manage to get in touch with you, you’re in a nasty-ass mood, the one that scares most people off. We’ve been friends since grade school, and you can’t scare us off,” she said. “But there has to be a good explanation for your errant behavior, and we want to know what it is. Time for you to share, sister.”

Emily looked at Sherri and then at Alexis. The three of them had been friends forever. They were really the only people she was close to, outside of her family. All of them were pretty, but they couldn’t have been more dissimilar. Emily was tall and bronze, with long, thick black hair that she never did anything to, other than keep it clean. She was in perfect shape, thanks to years of yoga, cycling and karate. Nothing fussy or girlish about her, but she was a very busy woman. Head of the biochemistry department at University of South Carolina, her schedule was loaded with academics as well as community service. She had too much on her plate to mess around with cosmetics—at least that was her excuse.

Alexis, on the other hand, was petite with chocolate-brown skin, and her hair was always chic. Since she was a much sought-after cosmetologist, her hair was her advertisement; it had better be fly. Sherri was even taller than Emily and very striking. She was very fair-skinned with short red hair, and she was always fashionably attired even though she was as busy as Emily, if not busier. She was a doctor with a practice in family medicine, and she was also a single mother. But she would still take the time to put on a little makeup and some jewelry, two things that Emily ignored. Despite their differences in appearance and demeanor, they were truly close and always would be. When good things happened to them they celebrated, and when bad things happened they commiserated. What they didn’t do was hold out on each other the way Emily was doing.

“You know we’re not just being nosy,” Alexis said. “Well, Sherri is, you know what a busybody she is. I’m truly concerned about you, sweetie.” Her pious tone ended in a shriek as Sherri pinched her arm.

Emily was considerably mellower after her delicious dinner. “Look, if it’s gonna keep you two from maiming each other, I will tell you why I’ve been in such a pissy mood for the last month. As you already know, I went to Hilton Head the week after my summer science camp. But what you don’t know is I had some company while I was there.”

“Who?” Alexis and Sherri spoke in unison with wide eyes.

“This will go faster if you don’t interrupt. And might I add you look like owls when you do that? Okay, so this is what happened,” she drawled.

Chapter 2

September

Hilton Head Island

It was a perfect fall day. The SUV was humming along the road, the sky was cloudless and blue and the music was blasting from the speakers. Todd Wainwright was feeling more relaxed than he had in months. When he saw the bright blue mailbox that was his landmark, he turned into the driveway. It was a long driveway that went up a slight incline, and there was a big barnlike garage at the end. He chose not to explore the garage, stopping instead next to the house, where he turned off the ignition and tried to stretch. The drive from Chicago had taken hours, and his long limbs were feeling the strain. He got out of the Expedition so he could get the kinks out of his body and take a look around at the same time.

The house was everything he was told it would be. It was beautiful, spacious, secluded and near the water. The house sat far back from the road and was surrounded by trees, mostly pine. He removed his sunglasses and took in a deep breath of the enticing scent of the sea and the fragrant scent of evergreen. For once he had listened to his friends and family back in Illinois, and he was glad he had. It was his brother’s idea that he take some time off. It was his sister-in-law’s notion that he needed to go out of town and his friend Ayanna had given him the keys to her family’s vacation home on Hilton Head Island.

“You’ll love it down there,” she’d assured him. “Daddy was an architect and he not only designed the house, he built it himself. It’s right on the beach, and it’s kinda secluded so you’ll get some rest and relaxation. My mother is in Africa right now and my sister Emily is off with her youth camp, so you can run around naked all day if you want to,” she had teased him.

Todd had laughed and said he might just do that. Now, as he looked at the greenery surrounding the modern but rustic-looking home that awaited him, he grinned. Maybe running around without clothes was a possibility. The stitches were out and there was no reason to stay covered up anymore. Besides, Ayanna had said something about an outdoor hot tub that had sounded pretty good. He didn’t bother to get his bags. He decided to take a look around and get his bearings first.

The exterior had a porch that extended around three sides. In the back there was a deck with a broad overhang that protected the hot tub Ayanna had mentioned. Todd had mounted the stairs and was standing on the deck when he realized the back door was open. The screen door was closed and locked, but the wood-and-glass door that opened into the kitchen was wide open. He sorted through the keys on the ring he was holding and found one that was labeled for the kitchen screen door. He opened the door and stepped into the kitchen, announcing himself so that he didn’t scare whoever was in the house.

“This is Todd Wainwright, a friend of the family. I’m invited to use the house so I have keys,” he said in his low, mellow voice.

He didn’t get an answer, so he kept moving through the downstairs, looking into the great room that adjoined the kitchen, the living room and the media room. The house was even better on the inside. Everything was paneled in gleaming oak. The living room had a cathedral ceiling, and all the rooms had black ceiling fans that looked elegant instead of kitschy. The furnishings were simple and casual, yet the rooms exuded a touch of elegance. It looked like a layout from a House Beautiful magazine, but lived-in.

Todd kept walking around, repeating his original statement a couple of times but still getting no answer. He was at the foot of the stairs when he thought he heard something. Climbing the stairs to the second story, he continued to try to alert anyone who might be in the house. “I’m not a burglar, I’m not a pervert, and I was invited here by Ayanna. I got in with the keys she gave me,” he said in a soothing voice, or what he hoped was soothing. He heard water splashing and followed the noise to what appeared to be a bathroom. The door was open, and the warm moisture in the room was heavy with the scent of flowers. And standing in the bathtub covered with creamy foam was Ayanna’s sister Emily—naked as the day she was born, singing at the top of her lungs as she swayed under the spray of a handheld shower.

Todd’s heart leaped to his throat and stayed there, lodged right next to his Adam’s apple. He wanted to say something to let her know he was there, but he couldn’t get a word out. He’d met Emily on a few occasions, but he couldn’t currently make sense of what he was currently staring at. Her golden-brown skin gleamed with the droplets of water cascading over it. She had an amazing body, now that he could see it without clothes. Her back was to him, and he could see the perfect globes of her behind, her firm thighs and her long, curvy legs. Her long hair was full of shampoo, and she was using the shower attachment as a microphone. He’d never heard a version of “Single Ladies” as off-key and tuneless as the one Emily was wailing, but her beauty more than made up for it. Todd knew he had to get out of there fast or things would get real ugly.

He backed out of the doorway and silently made his way back downstairs. Damn, that was close. He couldn’t have explained his actions in any way that would have made sense. He knew that Emily would’ve been angry and embarrassed about being spied on. And she’d have been completely justified, too. He knew better than to sneak up on a woman like that, even if it was an accident. Once she dried off and dressed, he could explain everything to her. In the meantime, he decided to sit on the porch and enjoy the breeze for a few minutes. He took a seat in one of oversize chairs with comfortable, thickly padded seat covers and propped his legs on a matching ottoman. He fell asleep almost at once, lulled by the soft wind and the chirping of the birds in the trees. He would have stayed that way for a long time, but a strange voice made his eyes pop open.

“Sir, do you care to explain why you’re here?”

The first thing Todd focused on was a tall South Carolina state trooper who was watching him intently while he repeated his question. “Sir, I asked you why you were here.”

Now that he was aware that the man’s partner was also present, Todd answered him. “I was invited to stay here by the owner of this house.”

“Well now, that’s a funny thing. The owner of the house is the person who called us and reported a B&E. She doesn’t seem to know you.”

“There’s been a big misunderstanding. I’m a friend of Ayanna Walker, uh, her married name is Phillips now. Anyway, she gave me the keys to the house and said no one would be here. But her sister Emily is home, and I was just waiting for her to come downstairs so I could let her know I was here.” His words sounded bungled and inane even to him, but he figured it was better to tell the truth.

“Okay, sir, that sounds plausible, except for the part about your being a friend of the family, because Ms. Emily is the one who called us and she claims to not know you.”

Just then a female head popped out of the door. Emily was fully clothed with her still-soapy hair draped over her shoulders in long tight ringlets. Her long-lashed eyes peered at him with suspicion. “Todd, is that you? When did you cut your hair?”

In a short time all the misunderstandings were ironed out and the troopers left, although the younger man was still giving Todd the side eye. Emily had felt totally foolish when she realized that it was indeed Todd and not some random stranger who had invaded her home. She had thrown on clothes hastily as she was calling 911 and was now attired in faded denim shorts with frayed edges and an equally faded T-shirt, complete with holes from years of wear. Her feet were bare and she should have looked like a typical tomboy, but she didn’t. She looked quite sexy, as a matter of fact, but she wouldn’t have believed it for a minute. Emily was much too down-to-earth to categorize herself as any kind of femme fatale.

“Well, come on in,” she said. “You want some lemonade or sweet tea?”

“Sure.”

They went into the kitchen and she poured him a glass of lemonade, offering him some fat sugar cookies to go with it.

“I’m really sorry,” Todd said again. “I had no idea you were here, or I wouldn’t have come. In fact, if you tell me where there’s a hotel, I’ll get out of your hair.”

Emily ignored his comment and looked at him intently. “Speaking of hair, you never said why you cut yours,” she pointed out.

Todd ran his hand over his head, which was shorn down to his scalp. The last time she’d seen him, he’d had long braids that came way past his shoulders. Now he was almost bald with a shadow beard and moustache.

“I cut it because I met a patient who was starting chemo. She came into the emergency room during a crisis, and I treated her before she was admitted. Cutest little girl you ever saw,” he added. “Anyway, she knew she was going to lose all her hair, so I told her I’d shave my head so we’d match.”

Emily smiled. “That was really sweet of you. What did she think?”

Todd laughed. “I went to see her after I did it, and she said I looked better with braids and I wasn’t handsome anymore.”

Emily laughed, too. “You can’t beat kids for being honest.” She might be honest, but she’s wrong. You still look good to me, she thought.

Todd was looking around the kitchen as she was looking at him, examining every inch of his tall, muscular frame. She blushed as he had to repeat his question, since she was in her own little world when he spoke.

“I asked if there was a hotel nearby. I don’t want to get in your way,” Todd said.

“Todd, don’t be silly. There’s plenty of room here. Ayanna said you were welcome and you are. She thought the place would be empty because she’d been so busy with her family that she forgot that my camp was last week. We have four bedrooms and two and a half baths, so it doesn’t make sense for you to go to a hotel. Just go out to your car and get your things,” she said briskly.

“If I’d seen your car I wouldn’t have used the key to get in,” Todd said ruefully. “I probably just should have waited until I heard you come downstairs or something, instead of just coming in.”

“That’s because my car is in the barn. And if you hadn’t come in you wouldn’t have been able to see me in the bathtub, would you?”

Her tone was both casual and naturally seductive, so much so that Todd choked on his lemonade.

“Damn, I’m sorry. I didn’t think you heard me upstairs. How did you know I saw you?”

His face got red as she gave him a knowing smile and answered, “Because you just told me. Go get your stuff and I’ll take you to your room.”