Blood Stained Collar BOOK 2 of The Collar Series #Wattys2017 ( BDSM )

CHAPTER 45

Reece checked his watch as he walked down the hallway and was annoyed to see he was five minutes late already for his shift. He picked up the pace and walked hurriedly down the hallway and was about to run up the stairs when he saw Melanie about to walk into the ER. He called out to her. "Nurse Mckinney."

Melanie recognized his voice immediately and turned around. "Evening Dr Denver."

"Mel, are you okay?" He rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"You didn't show up for coffee and you weren't with Cirrus."

"How do you know I wasn't with Cirrus? Are you checking up on me?" She was annoyed and shrugged his hand off her shoulder.

"No, of course not. When you didn't show up for coffee, I bought you a cup and went looking for you."

"You went looking for me in Cirrus's room?"

"It seemed the most logical place and the reason you'd miss our usual coffee date."

"Reece, I don't know how this will end. I just know I need time to get my head around everything. Cirrus and I parted on bad terms and to think he could have died coming to find me ... I'm just struggling now."

"You still have feelings for him then?"

"I'd be lying if I said no."

"So where does that leave me in your circle of things? Where does it leave us?"

"Right now, I think it leaves us both late for our shift. I've got to go." Melanie smiled. "Go, before you get sacked and I have that on my conscience too." She turned away before he could say anymore and walked through the ER doors.

She gave herself a virtual shake as she prepared herself to handle the emergencies and leave her problems outside the door.

***

Cirrus lay in bed thinking about everything Reece had said. He was shocked and angry to hear about Melanie's kidnapping and furious with Sheena and Dante. They knew what had happened and never told him. He couldn't help wondering if they knew about Reece too. Amidst all this anger he felt a jolt of sadness and regret too. He should never have let Crystal come with him. She could still be alive now and enjoying that ghastly coffee or whipping some poor sub to breaking point. Hers was the only hand that had ever torn his safe word from his lips. From the moment that he had found and explored the BDSM life style his safe word had always been 'Melanie'. After seeing her playing the piano while waiting for her father something inside him sparked, like a light had been switched on and when he heard her name it was like music to his ears. She looked like an angel sitting at the piano; her blonde hair caught the sunshine and looked golden. Her fingers appeared to float over the keys yet he could hear the classical tune she was playing. Right then and there he knew she was the one for him and he would wait an eternity for her.

A heavy weight now rested on his shoulders. He would find Crystal's family and go and see them personally and do what he could to assist the family with funeral arrangements. He hoped they would let him cover all the costs which would be a small price to pay and would never stop him feeling responsible for her death. He couldn't help wondering if they knew about her lifestyle and would make sure he watched what he said. He needed to make sure their memories of their daughter were good ones, memories they could always treasure.

***

Melanie was exhausted at the end of her shift. She had volunteered to do a double shift for another nurse whose child had taken ill unexpectedly. Walking back to her apartment she glanced up at the dawn sky. She had to stand still and catch her breath as memories came flooding back of just such a beautiful sky, on a balcony, in Cirrus's arms. How she had loved him with all her heart and soul. Would things have been different if he had told her the truth about everything right from the start or would she have still been so disgusted she would have left him before she had witnessed any of the events which led to their break up? Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest. It echoed like drums in her ears. The fatigue she felt turned to adrenalin as she ran back to the hospital and ran up the stairs to the floor Cirrus was on. Without knocking she pushed the door open and walked in. She was breathless. Her pulse was racing and her heart was beating in her ears. She placed her trembling hand on his shoulder.

Cirrus was lying facing the window and snoring when Melanie came in. The pain medication helped him sleep deeply and he didn't hear her when she came in but felt someone touch his shoulder. When he opened his eyes, and saw Melanie he blinked. Was he dreaming or was she here? It was then that he noticed how flushed and breathless she was. "Angel, what's wrong? Has someone hurt you? Upset you? I'll do whatever it takes to fix whatever is wrong." When she didn't answer he asked softly. "Did Reece say something?"

Unable to speak Melanie ran around his bed and lifted the blinds and pointed to the sky which was now in hot shades of orange and red.

"What? What can you see Mel? Baby girl, what is it?"

She went back to his bed side and took his hand and placed it over her heart. "Don't you remember? The balcony? The sunrise at dawn?"

He could feel her heart thumping wildly against his hand and looked from her face to the sky outside. The sun was rising fast and the golden sunrise was fading into the blue Australian sky. He threw his mind back into reverse and pictured them on the balcony, holding her in his arms while they watched the sunrise. If this memory brought her running to his bedside then surely, she must still be in love with him. He knew it was soon after that time that everything went wrong for them and both their hearts were broken. Was it possible he could rewind the clock and make it right? Was this the chance he had been waiting for to mend their hearts and reunite their love? He wanted her back in his life. He needed her to make his life worth living, to make him feel whole again. She completed him.

"Melanie, my Angel. I love you so very much. Will you let me make things right between us?"

Tearing her eyes away from the sunrise and the memories that washed over her she looked at Cirrus. His hand still resting over her heart. She wanted more than anything else in the world to go back to that time on the balcony and change history. Yes, she wanted to make things right. She needed to understand his need to be whipped and submissive. Was he brainwashed by her father or was he like that before he met him? Was her mother her father's submissive and did he beat her? It cut her deep to think her mother might have suffered because of her disobedience. There was so much she didn't understand about this BDSM life she never even knew existed.

Cirrus watched her expressions change. She was looking at him but not really seeing him. Tears welled up in her eyes. The corners of her mouth turned down and her bottom lip trembled. Was she reliving the past as he had done so many times before, wondering how he could have made things different if only he could go back in time. "Mel, will you tell me what you are struggling with? You can ask me anything and I will answer you honestly. I will tell you anything you want to know and if I can't answer you I will do my very best to find the answers for you."

"Take me back to that time on the balcony. That time before everything went wrong."

Shocked by her words, he wasn't quite sure how to respond. When she let his hand go he caught hold of hers and pulled her towards him. "I would if I could Baby Girl, but it's going to be a while before I'm able to go anywhere, but I promise you that as soon as I can get out of this hospital I will take you to that balcony. I will hold you in my arms and never ever let you go again. I will love you the way you want to be loved. No more collars, no more rules, no more clubs. I will cut ties from everyone and everything from that lifestyle just to have you in my life again. Angel please give me a chance to prove I can be the man you want me to be, that I am worthy of your love and forgiveness." He laced his fingers through hers. "I love you Melanie McKinney. I always have and always will."

She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to stop the tears, but it was pointless, they rained down her cheeks the moment she opened them.

"Baby girl don't cry. Come here." He pulled on her hand till she was bending over him. Letting her hand go he slipped it behind her neck and pulled her face towards his.

She could feel his breath on her face and his lips were invitingly close. She knew if she kissed him she would be lost in his touch all over again ... would that be such a bad thing? After all, they had been lovers not so long ago.

"Stop thinking." He whispered. "I've missed your kisses Angel."

She kept her eyes open, staring into his until their lips touched. As their kiss deepened she felt as if someone had ignited a bonfire inside of her. Every ounce of love she'd buried now surfaced and wrapped around her heart. She loved the sensation of his tongue as it played around hers. When she felt him pull her closer, she knew this was where she belonged.