Will nods, watching the three of them play the music and smile and laugh together. “Meg’s already marrying you off in her head. You know that, right?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Of course she is. Meg wants everyone to be happy.”
“She’s a lot like Nat in that way,” Will agrees. “Jules might be a hard sell.”
“Jules loves everyone, too,” I disagree, thinking of my sweet baby sister. “She’s just a little protective of her brothers. She never had an issue with Meg.”
“No, but that’s because she’s known Meg since college,” Will replies. “And Bryn’s been around forever, too. It’ll be interesting to see how she reacts to someone she doesn’t know.”
“I’m not worried about Jules,” I reply drily.
“You will worry when she and Nat take Nic shopping.” Will shakes his head ruefully. “Those two are responsible for keeping Seattle’s commerce thriving.”
“At least they’re doing their part,” I reply with a grin.
“Looks like your girl has a bit of a crush on Leo.” Will gestures toward them with his chin.
Leo has hugged her, excited about the progress they made on the song, and Nic is blushing furiously.
“That doesn’t worry me either.” I smirk. “Leo’s a rock star, and Nic’s a fan. She’ll get over it.”
“I wonder if she knows who Luke is.” Will says thoughtfully. “She doesn’t seem to mind being around me.”
“That’s because you’re a douche bag,” I reply.
“Whatever, moron.” Will laughs.
“I know what you’re getting at. It’s hard to be with our family. But I trust her.” I scratch my cheek then cross my arms over my chest.
“Okay.” He grins at me smugly. “I knew you’d fall in love eventually.”
“I’m not…” I begin, but he cuts me off with a loud laugh.
“Right. That’s what I said, too. Now look at me, so in love with her I can hardly see straight, and getting married.” Will’s face softens when he watches Meg play her guitar. “I wouldn’t change it for anything. She’s all that matters, Matt.”
I take a deep breath and watch Nic at the piano, tickling the keys, singing under her breath, off in her own world.
She’s all that matters.
Chapter Eight
~Nic~
“Thanks for taking me with you,” I murmur to Matt as we walk up to my apartment.
I rub my temple, hoping to alleviate the dull ache that’s been throbbing behind my eyes all day and has only gotten worse since dinner.
Matt lays his hands on my shoulders and rubs, making me moan in pleasure. “There’s nowhere else I’d have you be.”
I unlock the door and lead him inside my apartment, but turn and stop him from following me inside. “I’m not going to be the best company tonight, Matt.”
He frowns as he takes my face in his hands. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve had a headache all day, but it seems to be getting worse, so I think I’ll just take a shower and go to bed.” I shrug and offer him a small smile. “I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?” He takes my hand, kisses my knuckles tenderly, sending electricity up my arm, before pulling me behind him to the bedroom.
“For ending the night early.”
“Do you mind if I stay?” His voice is soft, gentle. He brushes his knuckles gently down my cheek before leaning in and kissing my forehead carefully.
“I don’t mind,” I reply.
“Have a seat.” He gestures to the bed, but I shake my head.
“I really just want to take a hot shower and go to sleep, Matt. If you change your mind and don’t want to stay, it’s okay.”
He steps closer and wraps his arms around me, pulling me in for a big hug.
I wrap my arms around his waist and hang on, close to tears, and I have no idea why. I had a great time with his family. He hasn’t done anything wrong.
Damn hormones.
He runs one big hand down my back to my ass and back up again before sighing and whispering against my hair, “I don’t want to go, little one. I want to take care of you.”
I begin to shake my head no, but he chuckles quietly.
“Just relax and let me take care of you. Let go. I’m going to help you get rid of this headache.”
It suddenly occurs to me that just having him here with me has helped. Who knew that a good, firm hug could ease a headache?
Matt kisses my hair and gently pushes me back onto the bed before marching into the attached bathroom. I hear water running in the tub and soft music begins to play, which must be coming from Matt’s phone, before he walks back into my bedroom and pulls my shirt over my head. He undresses me slowly, careful not to jostle my head as the smell of jasmine fills the air.
“You used my bubble bath,” I whisper.
“I like it,” he replies calmly. His hands are warm but don’t travel my skin the way they normally would when he has me naked. Instead, he’s comforting.
Loving.
He leads me into the bathroom, and I’m surprised to see candles flickering around the room. The bathtub is my favorite part of the apartment. It’s a large old-style claw-foot tub set against the wall and is currently full of water and bubbles. I step inside and lower myself into the fragrant water, sighing with relief as I lean back against the white porcelain.
“Water too hot?”
“Mmm,” I murmur.
“Is that a yes or no?” he asks with a laugh.
“Feels good,” I reply. My eyes slide closed, and I float weightlessly. The pain behind my eyes begins to fade.
“Can I get you something to drink?” he asks quietly.
“No, thank you,” I whisper. “You can join me, though.”
“No, this is just for you, baby. Relax. I’ll be back.”
I open one eye to see him walk out of the bathroom and shut the door behind him to keep the warmth in the bathroom. I sigh and sink down lower into the hot water. It is a bit too warm, but it feels fantastic.
I’ve never trusted someone enough to take care of me. I would have said that I don’t need someone to take care of me. And, truth be told, I don’t. I can take care of myself just fine, thank you very much.
But having someone around to pamper me a bit, just because he can, isn’t a bad deal at all.
“How are you feeling?” Matt joins me, kneeling beside the tub.
“Better.” I grin at him and raise a wet hand to cup his cheek. He turns his face and plants a kiss to my palm. “Thank you.”
“We’re not done yet,” he replies, his clear blue eyes smiling.
“We’re not?”
He shakes his head and holds his hand out for mine, pulling me out of the cooling water. He wraps a towel around my shoulders and dries me off, then leads me back into the bedroom, where he’s lit more candles.
“Lie on your stomach,” he instructs me, pointing to the center of the bed.
I shrug and climb up onto the bed, smiling at Matt’s groan. “You okay?”
“You did that on purpose,” he growls.
“Did what?” I look back over my shoulder and bat my eyelashes innocently.
“Stuck your ass and beautiful pussy in the air for me to see,” he replies.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I giggle, lie on my stomach and sigh in contentment when Matt’s oil-coated hands begin to knead my shoulders. “Oh God.”
“Not too deep?” he asks.
“You can go deeper,” I reply and melt under his touch. Instead of flaring to life in lust, my body settles, calms under Matt’s magical touch. “You’re good at that.”
“Just breathe deeply and enjoy,” he murmurs.
Being the object of a pampering Matt is perhaps the best thing I’ve ever experienced. My already relaxed muscles from the hot bath relax further, loosening until I’m simply a pile of mushy goo on the sheets.
“You’re going to make me drool,” I mutter.
“You have amazing hands,” I reply as he finishes rubbing my shoulders and backs away so I can sit up.
“Here.” He tugs the covers up over me as I snuggle down into my bed, yawning deeply.
“Are you leaving?” I ask with a frown. I don’t want him to go.
“I’d like to sleep here with you, if that’s okay.”
I grin and pull the covers back in a silent invitation. “I think it’s perfectly okay.”
A smile spreads over his handsome face as he strips down to his boxer-briefs. I never tire of seeing his perfect body. A flare of recognition flows through me as my eyes travel the length of him.
“If you keep looking at me like that, sweetheart, I’ll have no choice but to fuck you until we both pass out, and I’ve already made up my mind to simply cuddle you tonight, so be good.”
“I’m always good.” I grin.
Matt laughs as he climbs between the cool pink sheets with me and pulls me up against him, my head resting on his chest. “Did you have fun tonight?”
“I did.” I grin, thinking of the banter between Matt and his brother, how the girls accepted me so readily. “They were really nice to me.”
“They’re good people,” he murmurs. “I’m excited for you to meet the rest of the gang next weekend.”
“How many people will be there?” I ask. My finger is making swirly designs across his chest, down his stomach and back up again, making his muscles twitch under my touch.
Fuck, I love touching him.
“Well, we are a big group. Let’s see.” He purses his lips in thought. “Luke and Nat, Jules and Nate, Isaac and Stacy, Will and Meg, Leo and Sam, Caleb and Bryn, Mark, Dominic, and you and I, so that’s…”
“Sixteen people?!” I ask, shocked.
“Yeah.” He grins and shrugs. “I told you, we’re a big group.”
“Wow. It must be fun to always have that many people around.” I settle my head back on his chest and feel the tears threaten again. I don’t know what it’s like to have that kind of support system. I made the choice to live far from my family long ago, and I certainly don’t have a circle of friends that big.
“It can be a pain in the ass, too.” He laughs. “They’re all nosy, so you’ll get a lot of questions.”
“How do you want me to answer them?” I ask.
“Honestly, of course.” He tilts my head back and frowns down into my eyes. “Why would you ask that?”
“They’re going to want to know how we met,” I remind him. “Especially the girls.”
He sobers, as though he hadn’t thought of that. “Just tell them we met at a party. That isn’t a lie.”
“Okay.” I nod. It’s true, we did meet at a party. “So, your family doesn’t know about your…preferences?”
“My brothers know some,” he replies and pushes his fingers through my short hair. “Caleb knows more than the others.”
“I won’t say anything you don’t want me to,” I assure him.
“What happens between you and me behind closed doors is our business, Nic. It’s no different than me asking Will if he likes to use toys when he fucks Meg. I’d never ask that. It’s none of my business.”
I wrinkle my nose at him and giggle. “I don’t think I want to know.”
“Trust me, neither do I. Although, I should warn you, the girls like to talk about orgasms and sex in general when they get together and alcohol is involved. But it’s always in generalities, not specific to their relationships.”
“Of course they do,” I reply with a scoff. “We’re women.”
He closes his eyes and sighs deeply. “You’ll get along fine.”
I grin and kiss his chest.
“Are you sleepy?” he asks.
“A little.”
“How is your head?”
“Better.”
“What do you usually do before you fall asleep?” he asks and kisses my forehead.
“I read.”
He glances around my room and spies my e-reader on my bedside table, picks it up and raises an eyebrow in question.
“You want to read to me?” I ask with a laugh.
“Sure.” He wakes up the tablet, and the book I’ve been reading is immediately displayed. “Do you mind?”
I bite my lip and look from my book to his face and back again. If I remember correctly, things were getting very interesting in the story when I put it down the night before.
“It’s a romance novel,” I warn him.
“I don’t mind.”
“Okay.” I shrug and settle in next to him, where I can watch his face as he reads. “Read on.”
“What’s this called?” he asks and looks into my eyes.
“Kaleb. It’s by Nicole Edwards.”
“One of your favorite authors?”
“Yes. Bailey recommended her to me a few months ago. She’s excellent.”
“Okay, here we go.” He clears his throat and begins to read.
“Lean into me,” Gage told her, and she did as she was told. It didn’t take a rocket scientist—or someone who had done this before—to know what they were getting ready to do. Had she not been on the verge of begging them to fuck her into oblivion, she might’ve been worried.
Kaleb’s warm mouth trailed kisses down her spine as she continued to impale herself on Gage’s cock. She couldn’t quicken her pace because both men were controlling her movements, and she was beginning to get frustrated. Then, just when she was about to tell them to get on with it, something cool slid down the crack of her ass, followed by a warm finger.
“Interesting,” Matt mumbles. He tosses me a curious look and settles down deeper into the bed to keep reading. His voice is deep, and the sound of him reading the erotic images is turning me on.
Big-time.
Kaleb’s big hand pressed down on her back, flattening her against Gage and holding her still. She was filled entirely with Gage’s iron hard erection, and Kaleb was teasing her anus with a gel slicked finger.
“Oh!” Damn, it felt good. “More.” Zoey wondered if she’d ever be able to look at either of them again after this. They’d turned her into a wanton slut in just the last hour, proven by her begging.
When Kaleb’s finger slid into her, Zoey tensed momentarily, her body instinctively trying to force out the intrusion.
“Relax for me, baby,” Kaleb said, his mouth shockingly close to her ear. “Let me fuck your beautiful ass, Zoey.”
Matt clears his throat again and lowers the tablet to his side, watching me carefully. “Does this turn you on?”
“It’s hot,” I reply. Fuck, yes, it turns me on!
“Is a threesome something you’re interested in?” His eyes are hot, watching me intently, and I wrinkle my forehead as I think of my answer.
“I think it’s something that most women fantasize about, wonder what it would feel like. Having two men focus entirely on her pleasure.” I shrug and blush. “But I’m way too shy for that.”
He sets the tablet on the bedside table and rolls toward me, facing me but not touching me.
“There are other ways to feel what it would be like to have sex with two men at once.”
I frown in confusion.
“Let me make this clear right now, little one.” He cups my cheek in one palm and holds me in his intense gaze. “I will never share you. The thought of someone else touching you doesn’t sit well with me, and I’m not interested in watching you with someone else. That isn’t my kink, and I won’t allow it.”
He drags his fingertips down my cheek and over my neck then cups my breast in his palm, making my legs squirm against the dull ache that has settled between them. “But, I can use toys, or even my own fingers, to give you the same full feeling.”
My eyes widen on his. Is he serious?
“Have you ever had anal sex, Nic?”
“No,” I whisper.
“Are you interested?”
“To
night?” I squeak.
“No.” He chuckles and kisses my forehead. “No sex tonight. I’m enjoying just being with you. Holding you. But it’s something we can explore if you want. I would love to push your boundaries a bit, help you learn more about yourself.”
As I process his words, I’m shocked to discover that the possibility of exploring the kinkier side of sex doesn’t scare me in the least. It excites me, especially knowing that it’s Matt who will be with me every step of the way.
“I’d like that,” I reply softly.
“Do you remember when I told you that I’m a member of a club?” he asks quietly.
I nod, wary of where he’s taking this conversation.
“I’d like to take you there this weekend.”
I swallow hard, watching his face. He’s waiting patiently, watching me, his big hand petting me soothingly.
“Why?” I whisper.
“Because I want to share that part of my life with you, Nic.” He frowns and glances up as though he’s trying to gather his thoughts. “I can show you things that will excite you. Some might scare you. Turn you on. You don’t have to be interested in all of it. In fact”—he grins wolfishly—“you might not like most of it. But some of it might interest you. I’d love to show it to you.”
“Is it like the erotic festival where we met?” I ask.
“Not really. It’s easier to show you than try to describe it to you. But I guarantee you this”—he pulls me closer, wraps his arms around me and nuzzles my nose with his own—“if you are uncomfortable at all, all you have to do is say so and I’ll take you out of there. I’ll be right beside you every second. I promise you’ll be perfectly safe.”
“I always feel safe with you,” I reply honestly. “What would I wear?”
“The outfit you wore to the festival is perfect. Is that a yes?”
“Yes, I’ll go with you.”
He kisses me deeply, but before I can lean in and take it further, he pulls back, picks up the tablet and continues with the story.
She couldn’t verbally respond because her breath was locked in her chest…
Chapter Nine
Come Away With Me Page 34