I just want to let any readers of this story know that I have not forgotten about it! Other projects have taken my attention away for a while, but I'm going to try to update this one as often as I can. My stories are all WIPs, so it just depends on when inspiration strikes as to when I can update. Please let me know if there's anyone out there still reading this and let me know what you think!

-FIFTEEN-

Melinda ran her finger around the rim of her cup, the coffee long since gone cold. Jess chewed a cracker as she watched her sister, who was staring out the window. She hadn't said much since they ordered their food, and Jess had given up on trying to carry on a one-sided conversation. Melinda took in a breath, letting it out slowly, and Jess sighed.

"Okay, that's enough."

Melinda blinked as she looked away from the window, over to Jess. Jess tilted her head as she looked at her sister.

"What's going on with you?"

Melinda shook her head, looking down at her coffee. Jess blew out her breath.

"Uh-uh. Hey."

She reached across the table, removing Melinda's hand from her cup and holding it. Melinda let out a shaky sigh, taking her hand back from Jess and running it through her hair. She covered her face for a moment, and Jess bit her lip. Melinda finally let her hands fall, meeting Jess' eyes again. She let out a sigh.

"I just … I don't know what's going on. And I'm not saying that so you'll let it go, because I know you won't let it go. I just …"

She let out another sigh, smiling up at the waiter as he brought their salads out to them. She went ahead and picked the carrots out, pouring the dressing over her salad while Jess just watched her. She picked up her fork, looking up to see Jess staring at her, and Melinda let out a sigh.

"Eat."
"Talk to me."
"I'm hungry."
"You're full of shit."

Melinda smiled at that, setting her fork down. She and Jess had a staring contest for a few seconds, until Jess sighed and dressed her own salad, then took a bite. She held out her hands, and Melinda let out a quiet laugh as she took a bite. After a few minutes filled with only the sounds of chewing, Melinda spoke quietly.

"Last night, Brady took me to the movies. We've been dating for two months now."
"Aw, Mel. That's so cute."

Melinda nodded, chewing on a crouton. She kept her eyes on her salad as she continued to talk.

"He, uh … He invited me back to his place."

Jess dropped her fork, causing Melinda to lift her eyes. She sighed at the wide blue eyes staring back at her and shook her head.

"Jess—"
"You're doing it with Brady?!"
"What? No! God, Jessica! I said he invited me. I didn't say I went."

Jess let out a breath, laying her hand over her heart. Melinda tossed her napkin on the table with more force than she intended.

"And your reaction is the reason I'm having this … whatever the hell is going on with me!"

Jess sighed again.

"Okay, let's just … Let's calm down."

Melinda pushed her hands through her hair again. Jess took a sip of her water, then picked her fork back up. After a moment, Melinda picked her fork up, taking another bite, just as Jess had hoped would happen. They ate in silence for a moment, until Melinda looked up and noticed Jess was watching her. She sighed.

"We went to the movies. Stopped and got some ice cream after. And while we were sharing the sundae, he invited me back to his place. No pressure."

Jess just nodded, chewing slowly. She swallowed, then nodded.

"What did you do?"

Melinda blew out her breath, laying her fork on the side of her plate.

"I freaked. Not out loud, but my head was screaming. Jess, I … Brady is a good guy. A great guy, you know? I know how lucky I am that I'm with him. But the thought of—of going home with him?"

She shook her head, closing her eyes. Jess stopped, her eyes narrowing.

"Wait a second. You and Brady have been together for two months and you haven't … sealed the deal yet? You?"
"Thanks, sis."

Jess sighed.

"I didn't mean it like that. Honey, you know as well as I do how you do. In any other relationship, usually by this time, you've—"
"Moved on to someone else?"

Jess grimaced, but nodded. Melinda sighed.

"I know."

Jess nodded, looking back down at her plate, before reaching over and stealing a cucumber from Melinda's plate. Melinda sighed, pushing the other cucumbers that she didn't eat to the edge of her plate closest to Jess.

"Why do you think you're acting like this?"

Melinda closed her eyes.

"Don't shrink me, Jess."
"I'm not trying to, I promise. I just … I want to figure out what's eating my baby sister."

Melinda sighed, nodding her head. She used her fork to move the remaining lettuce around on her plate, eating the last cherry tomato before she spoke quietly, more to the plate than to her sister.

"You want to know the truth? Well, what I think is the truth, anyway."

Jess nodded, and Melinda looked up to her.

"I miss Dean."

Tears filled her eyes, and she set her fork down, putting her napkin on her plate and pushing it out of the way. Jess did the same thing, reaching over the table and taking Melinda's hands.

"Hey. Look at me."

Melinda shook her head, sniffling.

"I will come around this table and take you in my lap."

Melinda let out a laugh then, lifting her head, looking to Jess as a tear rolled down her cheek. Jess let out a sigh.

"Oh, honey."

Melinda let out a laugh that sounded more like a sob. She shook her head.

"What the hell is wrong with me, Jessie?"
"Nothing."
"He can be such a jackass."
"Truth."
"But he can be so … incredible, too. He's kind. Funny. And he's so smart, but he doesn't think so. He would do anything for anyone, especially his brother. Sam comes before anyone else."

Jess nodded, leaning back in her chair as she watched Melinda.

"He can be the most annoying person on the planet. Or the biggest asshole. And then he'll turn around and hold me after I have a nightmare."
"Have you lately?"

Melinda looked up, then shook her head, before letting out a sigh.

"Well, kind of."
"Mel."
"Last night. But it's okay. I—I didn't even scream this time. He was there, and he woke me up before it got too bad."

Jess let out a breath. Melinda looked down at the table, smiling softly as she spoke again.

"And he stayed with me, until I fell back to sleep. I fell asleep listening to his heartbeat, feeling his fingers brush through my hair. And he was still there when I woke up this morning. I left him sleeping to come meet you."

Melinda let out a sigh, bringing her eyes up to her sister's. Jess smiled gently.

"But you're with Brady."

Melinda blew out her breath.

"I know. I know, and I'm a horrible person."
"Mel, stop it."

Melinda sighed. Jess spoke gently.

"But isn't Dean with Anna?"

Melinda looked to the table, absently tracing the seam of the tablecloth with her finger. She nodded, and Jess let out a sigh.

"Honey."
"I know, okay? It's just …"
"Complicated?"
"And that's putting it lightly."

Jess smiled, and Melinda sighed again.

"You know how it is in the movies? Where the girl and the guy are like best friends, but they keep having these moments?"
"Like where they're trapped in the coat closet together, pressed up against each other, and there's that will-they-or-won't-they moment?"
"Exactly!"

They laughed, and Jess nodded.

"That's been going on with you and Dean?"
"Like you wouldn't believe."
"Well, what about Brady? Has it started? You know, where he kind of—"
"Such as the way he sucks his teeth with his tongue whenever he finishes eating? Or the way he never, ever turns the blinker on in his car, yet bitches when other people do the same thing? Maybe the way he dog-ears the magazine pages he thinks I'd like."

Jess was doubled over in her chair, laughing. Melinda smiled.

"Yeah, noticing the tiny little things he does that piss me off to no end has started."
"Oh, honey. I'm sorry."

Melinda sighed, pushing her hands through her hair.

"I don't know what to do, Jessie. And now, tonight … We're double-dating."
"Who is?"
"Brady and me, and Dean and Anna."
"No."

Melinda laughed, nodding her head.

"Oh, Mel. Do you want me to find some way to get you out of it?"

Melinda smiled and shook her head.

"No, it'll be fine. Right?"

Jess smiled, reaching across the table and taking Melinda's hand.

"Yes. It's going to turn out just fine. I know it."

Melinda smiled, squeezing Jess' hand.

Dean took a long drink from his water bottle, twisting the top back on it and letting out a breath. He glanced to his left, where Sam was bent at the waist, hands wrapped around his ankles as he stretched.

"I hate you."

Sam laughed as he stood to his full height, stretching his arms over his head.

"You're full of shit."
"No, I am full of hatred, aimed at you, Sasquatch."

Sam laughed again as he slapped Dean on the shoulder.

"You'll be fine."
"I think I'm dying. My lungs are literally on fire."
"Then you need to run more often and not be so out of shape."
"Out of sh—I am not out of shape!"

Sam laughed, stumbling back as Dean pushed him.

"You'll just have to come running with me more often."
"Do I look suicidal to you?"

Sam doubled over laughing, walking over to pat Dean on the shoulder again. They stood in silence for a minute, before Sam spoke.

"Hey, Dean?"
"Yeah."
"Can we talk?"

Dean sighed, dragging a hand over his face. He scratched his chin, mentally telling himself he needed to shave today. He nodded, and Sam smiled.

"How's Anna?"

Dean smiled, starting to walk with his brother beside him.

"Good. She's great. She's sweet, and funny. Smart. Plus, she's beautiful."

Sam nodded, not saying anything. Dean stopped, letting out a sigh.

"Damn it. Damn it, and damn you."
"Me? What did I do?"
"You know exactly what you did. What you're doing."

Dean turned to walk away and Sam smiled. He jogged the few steps to catch up with Dean, falling into step beside him again. Dean let out a long breath.

"Mel had a nightmare last night. We watched a movie after we closed down the bar, and we both fell asleep during it. I woke up when it was over, and I picked her up and carried her down the hall. As soon as I laid her on the bed, she made this … I don't know, I guess a whimper. I sat on the bed, brushing my hand through her hair, and she woke up. Her eyes were so big and she just seemed so scared, and I couldn't just leave her with her as scared as she was."

Dean sighed, pushing a hand through his hair.

"I stayed with her."
"All night?"

Dean nodded. Sam spoke softly.

"Does Anna know?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders.

"She knows we live together. She kind of knows the past."
"But does she know about you sleeping in the same bed with your ex-girlfriend when she has a bad dream?"
"Stop saying it like that."
"Like what? Like it's the truth?"
"Like it's wrong."

Sam let out a disbelieving sound as he stopped.

"Dean."
"Sam."

Dean glanced over his shoulder, staring at his brother. Sam shook his head.

"Dean, you can't do shit like that. Not when you have a girlfriend who isn't Melinda."
"Oh, thanks for letting me know, Sam. I hadn't realized that was proper dating etiquette! Jesus, I'm not an idiot."
"Now that's debatable."

Sam easily dodged the punch Dean threw. He sighed, walking to catch up with Dean again.

"Hey."
"I know, all right? I know what I'm doing with Mel isn't fair to Anna. But I just …"
"What?"

Dean sighed, glancing at his brother.

"I can't stay away from her."

Sam stopped again, tossing out his arms.

"Then why the hell are you with Anna?!"
"Because Mel is with that bastard Brady!"
"And if she wasn't?"

Dean let out a long breath, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Then I wouldn't stop until she was with me."

Sam let out a breath, letting his head fall back.

"Thank you, Jesus."

Dean gave Sam a look that made him smile. Sam walked up, throwing an arm around his brother's shoulders.

"Come on. You stink."
"Dude, that's you."

Melinda ran her hands through her hair, debating on whether or not to leave it down. The weather outside was warm, even for California in April, and her hair was thick. It got hot, and Melinda just decided she didn't want to fight with it. She pinned her hair up, spritzing it with hairspray. She smoothed her hands over her pale blue dress and let out a long sigh.

God, she didn't want to do this.

She took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror, from her honey-colored hair, down to her ocean-blue eyes. She brought a hand up to touch her cheek, and her eyes drifted close as a memory hit her hard.

"So what are we doing tonight?"

Melinda smiled as she stirred the sugar into the tea.

"That new Italian place over on Sycamore. Past the bookstore, you know?"
"Oh, that one that we were going to order from, but we said we'd save it for a rainy day?"

Melinda nodded, and Dean pushed the blinds back on the living room window.

"Seems clear and sunny to me."

She let out a laugh, continuing to stir.

"Anyway, Brady said he'd just meet us there."
"Yeah, Anna too. Her place is right down the road, so…"

Melinda swallowed and nodded, not wanting to know how he knew that. Dean stepped back into the kitchen and leaned up against the doorway. He just watched her for a second, the way her foot drifted up and down her calf muscle until he coughed, shaking his head, bringing himself back to the present.

"What are you doing?"

Melinda smiled again.

"Making tea. Sweet tea."
"Like Southern sweet tea?"

She nodded, and Dean smiled.

"How do you know what Southern sweet tea is like? Aren't you the one that's never been out of Cali?"
"Well, there's this fascinating thing called the Internet, and you can literally find whatever you want on there. Such as a recipe for sweet tea, just like they'd make you down in Georgia."

She put on a thick Southern accent with the last part of her sentence, and Dean let out a laugh. He took a few steps forward, stopping directly behind her. Melinda swallowed again, her eyes fluttering closed as the familiar, masculine, Dean smell filled her nose. She turned her head, looking over her shoulder into emerald-colored eyes. She took in a breath.

"Do you … do you want to try some?"

He nodded, and she lifted the spoon from the pitcher, holding her hand under it as she turned and lifted it to his lips. He closed his eyes as he swallowed, nodding.

"That's delicious, Mel."
"Thank you."

He was so close. So incredibly close that she could feel the heat from his body, and she was sure he could feel the way hers was trembling. It would be so easy for her to just lean forward, closing that inch between them and pressing her lips to his. She didn't know he was debating on closing that very same inch by lifting her onto the counter and pressing up against her.

"Mel?"
"Yeah."

His voice was barely a whisper, and her murmured answer sent a shiver down his spine. It would be so easy to take her in his arms, carry her to his bed. So incredibly easy…

And so unfair.

"We should, uh …"
"Yeah?"

He saw her eyes fluttering closed, and he just couldn't help it. He laid his forehead onto hers, and she gasped in a quiet breath. Dean ran his hands up her arms, gently holding the backs of her elbows. He let out a sigh.

"We should get ready."

He breathed in the breath she breathed out. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling her nod. She moved away from him, and the pain of the loss was almost unbearable for him. Melinda pushed a hand through her hair, walking down the hall, leaving Dean staring at the pitcher of tea.

"Hey, Mel? You about ready?"

She opened her eyes, glancing back at the door as the gentle knock sounded again. She walked over, running her fingertips over the door before she spoke.

"Yeah, just about."
"Okay. Well, I'm ready when you are."

Melinda smiled as she heard Dean walk away. She looked to the mirror and let out a breath. What the hell was wrong with her? How in the hell did she agree to this? Whose grand idea was it to double date with Dean and that bitch Anna?

Well … okay. Melinda sighed as she cleaned up her makeup. Anna was just about the furthest thing from a bitch. She was sweet and pretty, had her funny moments, and she was perfect for Dean. She adored him, and they'd only been together for two months. She was even nice to Melinda, which made it even worse. Melinda shook her head. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear the girl was an angel.

And then there was Brady. Melinda zipped her makeup bag and stared at herself in the mirror. She glanced down, where a little picture of her and Brady was taped. He'd snapped the picture at the fair that had come to Stanford a few weeks ago, right in front of the bumper cars. Melinda sighed.

He was fun, really good looking, and he made her laugh all the time. He treated Melinda like a queen, took good care of her, walked her to and from all of her classes, picking her up at the apartment and bringing her home at the end of the day.

So why couldn't Melinda bring herself to fall in love with him? The answer was simple.

He wasn't Dean.

Melinda groaned, shaking her head, spritzing her hair one last time before she opened the door. She walked to the living room, and Dean stood up from the chair he'd been in. She picked her shoes up as Dean walked over to her, and she laid a hand on his shoulder as she put her shoes on. Dean just smiled, holding a hand on her elbow to steady her. When both feet were in shoes and back on the ground, Melinda stood up straight.

"Okay. Ready."

She looked over, saw Dean looking back at her with a smile on his face. She felt her cheeks begin to grow warm.

"What?"

Dean just shook his head.

"Nothing. You look beautiful."

Dean opened the door for her, following her down the steps out the door. He smiled when Melinda let out the sigh as she stepped into the waning sunlight. He walked over and opened the door to the Impala for her, and Melinda smiled.

"Such a gentleman."

Dean laughed at her murmured statement, and they rode to the restaurant in silence, save for the low thrum of the Black Sabbath tape playing on the radio.

Dean sipped a whiskey on the rocks, watching Melinda over the rim of his glass. She sipped a glass of water, having gently smiled at the waiter, shaking her head at his offer of wine or anything else from the bar. Anna sipped a glass of Cabernet, and Brady was drinking a beer. The date was going good, much smoother than Dean had been afraid it wouldn't be. Anna and Brady seemed to hit it off, and it wasn't even bothering Dean the way Brady kept running his fingers over Melinda's arm.

His jaw must have been aching from some other reason than gritting his teeth constantly.

Okay, maybe it was bothering him just a little bit. He could feel Anna's foot gently rubbing his ankle, but he just couldn't bring himself to reciprocate. He took another sip of his drink, tuning back into the conversation. Anna smiled, smoothing her hands out on the tablecloth.

"Okay. Ten year plans."

She laughed as she was met with groans from all around the table.

"Humor me. I'll even go first."

She smiled, pushing a strand of her red hair behind her ear.

"In ten years, I'll be teaching. High school, English, hopefully. Shaping some young minds."

She smiled again.

"I want to be married. Have a baby or two. Live either somewhere off, completely different from anywhere I've been, or back home."
"Opposite ends of the spectrum, huh?"

Anna looked to Melinda and smiled as she nodded. She turned to Dean, dark eyes going soft, smile still on her face.

"Your turn."

He gave a long sigh, smiling when Anna reached over and punched him on the arm.

"All right. In ten years … Jesus, I'll be almost forty."

Melinda laughed at that, and Dean couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

"In that case, if I'm going to get married, it should have happened somewhere during that ten year break."
"What about kids?"

Dean looked to Anna and smiled as he shrugged his shoulders.

"I really don't want to screw up some little kid."
"You're great with kids."

Dean looked to Melinda, his eyes wide. She shrugged her shoulders, reaching for her glass and taking a sip of her water before she looked to him again.

"You'd be a good dad."

Dean nodded, swallowing. He gave Anna a smile as she reached over and laid her hand on his arm. He looked back, noticing the way Melinda was staring at the tablecloth. Dean watched as Brady leaned over, how Melinda smiled at him and shook her head. Brady took her hand, picking it up and kissing her knuckles before letting their hands rest again on the table. Dean cleared his throat.

"Maybe a kid, then. I'll probably still be at the bar, or maybe I'll have opened a garage. I think that's what I'd like to do. 'Course, I wanted to be a firefighter when I was little, so…"

Brady let out a laugh as he nodded, taking a sip from his beer. Dean looked across the table and saw the sadness in Melinda's eyes. He pulled his phone from his pocket, typing out a text and sending it before he cleared his throat.

"What, uh … What about you, Brady?"

Brady smiled, showing off his straight, white teeth.

"I hope to God I'm out of medical school by then."

Laughter sounded from around the table, before Brady spoke again.

"I want my own practice one day. Sports medicine, of course. Big-ass house, somewhere in a big city. Beautiful wife."

Brady winked at Melinda then, and Dean was amazed at the way he didn't jump up from the table and beat the shit out of him. Melinda's cheeks went red, and Brady laughed before he spoke again.

"Couple of rugrats, a dog or two. American dream, you know?"

Dean smiled and nodded, lifting his glass to Brady and gritting his teeth again. He watched Melinda lean over, and Brady follow suit, watching her as they whispered to each other. Brady grinned again with his damn perfect teeth, and Dean closed his eyes, draining his whiskey. He watched as Brady sat back, speaking again, but Dean wasn't paying him any attention. He was staring at Melinda, the way her eyes were focused on the table, full of something that unsettled Dean. He started to say something to her, but Anna beat him to it.

"What about you, Melinda?"

Dean watched her push a smile on her face, taking a sip of her water before she spoke.

"Well, in the next ten years, I hope I figure out what I want to do with my life. Write, be an editor, teach, maybe. Sometimes I think I'd like to travel. Other times I think I'd be just fine right here."

She shrugged her shoulders, and Anna smiled at her.

"Do you want to get married?"

Melinda nodded, and Dean watched as she looked over to Brady. Dean let out an almost-silent cough, looking up to see Melinda staring at him with that look still in her eyes. Anna spoke again, and Melinda looked to her.

"Any kids?"
"Yes. I think I want—"

She cut herself off, eyes wide as she looked at Dean. She quickly looked down at the table, then to the phone in her lap. She opened the text, her heart in her throat when she realized it was from Dean.

You okay? I'm worried about you.

Melinda let out a shaky breath.

"Excuse me."

She tossed her napkin on the table, pushing her chair back from the table and making her way to the bathroom. Anna looked to Brady.

"Is she all right? Do I need to go check on her?"

Brady opened his mouth, shaking his head, but Dean cut him off.

"You know, she wasn't really feeling all that great today. Let me go see about her. Go ahead and eat without us if the food comes."

Dean stood up from the table, following the direction Melinda had just gone.

Melinda gripped the edge of the counter of the bathroom sink. She could barely breathe, the air burning as she tried to push it in and out of her lungs. She shook her head, looking up to find tears sliding from her eyes, leaving black rivulets of mascara down her cheeks. She turned the water on, splashing her face. She grabbed a paper towel and dabbed her face dry, letting out a long sigh as she wet another paper towel, draping it across the back of her neck. She heard a knock at the door and she let out a quiet sigh.

"Just—just a minute."
"Mel, it's me."

She couldn't stop the sob. She covered her mouth, and the next thing she knew, she was enveloped in strong arms, breathing in the familiar scent of leather, whiskey, and motor oil that always came with Dean. She wrapped her arms around him, clutching him to her, digging her fingers into his shoulders. He ran his hand up and down her back, holding her close to him, the other hand cradling her head.

"What is it? Are you okay?"

She shook her head, burrowing closer to him, putting her face in his neck, breathing him in deeply and relishing the feel of his arms around her.

"I can't do this anymore."
"Do what, baby?"

She let out a ragged breath at the term. She shook her head.

"I can't, Dean. It hurts too much."
"Mel, I don't understand."

She sighed, shaking her head as she stepped away from him.

"I can't be here with him. Not when …"

She shook her head again. Dean's eyes never left her, eyebrows drawn together in worry and confusion. She closed her eyes, then looked to him.

"While we were talking about our stupid ten-year plans, I asked him what his dream car would be. And you know what he said?"

She let out a laugh, lifting her hands to touch at her hair.

"A Porsche. A silver one, actually. And I wanted to vomit when he said it."

She shook her head.

"And then, when Anna was asking me about kids, I had to stop myself. You want to know why?"
"Why?"

She looked to him as tears welled up in her eyes again.

"Because all I wanted to say was yes, I wanted children. I want a little girl with green eyes and a little bow-legged boy. I want carseats in the back of the Impala, Dean."

She shook her head again, as a tear slid down her cheek. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I can't be here with Brady when all I want is you."

He stared at her, eyes wide, breath stuck in his throat. Melinda let out a ragged breath, turning to grip the counter again.

"I can't do this. I can't be here with him. I can't live at the apartment. I can't be around you one more second, Dean."

She shook her head as she let out a breath, looking up into the mirror, seeing him staring back at her. She shook her head again, gasping as he stepped up behind her, nosing behind her ear. She whispered his name as his hands slid around her waist, sliding down her thighs. Her head fell back on his shoulder, hands lifting to grip his hair. She gasped again as he turned her around to face him, and she swallowed as she looked up, saw the storm in his emerald eyes. They stared at each other, until Melinda reached out, taking hold of Dean's shirt and pulling him forward, fixing her mouth to his. His hands came up to cradle her face, deepening the kiss as she untucked his shirt, pushing it up to where she could lay her hands on his skin. He groaned when he felt her hands on him, and he moved to grab her waist, picking her up and sitting her on the counter. She pulled him with her, still holding onto his shirt, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Dean moved his hands back to cradle her face, letting his hands drift up into her hair, pulling the pins out, and she pulled away from his lips to shake her head, letting her soft, blonde hair bounce around her head. Dean groaned as he plunged his hands into her hair, and Melinda moaned when he pulled her to him, kissing her again. He kissed away from her mouth, and Melinda gasped out breaths as he fixed his lips on her neck.

"Oh, Dean. God, I missed you."

He felt his heart stumble at her barely whispered words. Dean moved back to her lips, groaning as Melinda pushed her fingers through his hair, tugging on the short strands. Dean fumbled around, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket. He waited until Melinda's hand drifted from his hair to his cheek, sliding down his arm, and he pressed the wallet into her hand. She pulled away from him, looking down, and Dean rested his hand against her cheek, thumb running along her jaw as he kissed just under her ear. Melinda reached up, taking his hand, pulling it away from her face, pressing the condom she'd gotten out of the wallet into his palm.

Dean realized Melinda had unbuttoned his shirt when he felt her hands against his bare chest. He groaned, kissing her again as he reached under her skirt, pulling her panties off, swallowing the moan she gave. Melinda tightened her grip on his shoulders as Dean made quick work of the condom. He pulled her close to him, to the edge of the counter, and they shared a groan as he slid into her. As Dean began moving his hips, Melinda tightened her legs around him. He moaned her name quietly as she raised her hand to fist in his hair, bringing her lips to his again. He continued to thrust, and Melinda started to tremble, whimpering against his lips.

"Dean."
"I'm right here, baby. I'm right here."

He groaned as he moved to cup her cheek in his hand, and she kissed him again. Melinda gasped as the pleasure hit her hard, tightening her hands in Dean's hair, that little twinge of pain sending him over the edge with her.