Reckless Entanglement: The Hunter Brothers Book # 1

by Iona Rose

  “Oh hundreds,” Sebastian says with a twinkle in his eye.

  By the time I’ve finished my breakfast, I’ve heard about the time Matt got himself locked in the bathroom, and by the time his dad managed to get him out, he had emptied three full bottles of bubble bath into the tub. Sebastian laughed, telling me how long it took his mom to get rid of all of the bubbles. I’ve heard about what he was like in school, a bit of geek according to Sebastian, but I find that hard to believe, and about the time Matt came home with a stray dog, announced he had adopted it, and threw a fit two hours later when the frantic owners tracked it down and came to collect it.

  “Right then, I’ll leave you to your day.” Sebastian smiles as he gets up, takes his cup through to the kitchen and puts it in the sink.

  “I’ll tell Matt you dropped by,” I say.

  “No need. It wasn’t anything that can’t wait.”

  I stand up to see Sebastian out, remembering too late that I’m only wearing Matt’s shirt. It’s too late to sit back down without drawing even more attention to the fact I’m pretty much naked, so I brazen it out and walk to the door, acting casual like this isn’t phasing me in the least.

  “See you later, Callie,” Sebastian says as he opens the door. “Oh and by the way. What I said earlier about not being in the habit of stealing my brother’s girlfriend? That could change if you keep wearing shit like that around me.” He winks at me and laughs.

  I just stand there open mouthed.

  “Later,” he calls over his shoulder from the hallway.

  “Bye.” I laugh as I close the door and stand with my back against it for a moment. Sebastian is a handful, but something tells me underneath it all he’s harmless. I decide to go shower and get back into my own clothes. Just in case he comes back, or some other family member drops in unannounced. I find my panties on the balcony, blushing slightly as I retrieve them, and then I get the rest of my things from the bedroom. I shower and dress then I sit on Matt’s bed towel drying my hair.

  I debate calling Chloe, but what would I tell her? I’m still not entirely sure where Matt and I stand. I should probably go, but it’s only now that it occurs to me that I have absolutely no idea where Matt keeps his spare front door key. I can hardly leave and leave the place unlocked, although Matt seems to have no such qualms as that’s twice in two days Sebastian has strolled in and caught me in various states of undress.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Callie

  I wash my breakfast plates and put the leftovers in the fridge and then I take my glass of orange juice and go back out onto the balcony. It’s good I don’t have any classes today I think to myself as I sit looking out over the city, listening to the faraway sound of the traffic on the streets below.

  By the time I’ve finished my orange juice, I have managed to work myself up into an agitated state. What if Matt didn’t really have to go to work? What if he realized this was a mistake and he’d left early, hoping I’d take the hint and just leave? What if he comes back and he’s angry that I’m still here?

  I try to remember him telling me he loves me, Sebastian telling me he’s serious about me, but all I can focus on now is whether or not it’s weird that I’m still here. God, no wonder Matt didn’t bring me here sooner. He was probably scared of this very thing. Like he brings me here once and I just don’t leave.

  I stand up abruptly and go and get my handbag. I pull my phone out and text Matt. Hey. Where’s your key? I don’t want to leave your door unlocked.

  That gives him the perfect opportunity to tell me where the key is and let me know he wants me to leave. It also explains why I’m still here so late without making it weird. A reply pings in and I feel my stomach knot slightly when it hits me that I don’t want to leave. I open the message.

  Do you need to leave right now? I’m almost done and I was kind of hoping you’d be there when I got back. If you do need to go, the key is in the top drawer next to the sink in the kitchen x.

  I can’t keep the smile from my face. He wants me to be here when he gets back. And he signed off with a kiss, which is more than I did. I text him back.

  I’ll be here x.

  I wander back inside and rinse my glass and then I go and sit down and turn the TV on. Daytime TV is the worst, but it’s not like I’ll be able to concentrate on anything anyway. Not now since I know Matt wants me here. Not since I know it’s all real.

  It’s almost time for lunch when the door opens again. I look up and smile when Matt comes in.

  He beams when he sees me. “I’m so glad you stayed,” he says as he crosses the room and kisses me hello.

  “Me too,” I say.

  He sits down beside me and pulls my feet into his lap. “I planned on taking today off to spend with you, but I got a call this morning, something I couldn’t ignore.” He’s smiling and he looks quite pleased with himself.

  “Go on,” I urge.

  “Stewart, the new manager in the restaurant called HR and asked for my number. They refused to give it to him and tried to find out what was wrong, but he refused to talk to anyone but me. They called me with his number and he asked me to go down there straight away. He wouldn’t talk over the phone, but I could hear in his voice something was wrong. I went down there expecting the worst.”

  “And?” I prompt him when he pauses.

  “And he showed me some papers he found tucked away in the back of the safe. He said they showed some unusual activity, and he wanted to talk to me personally because he was afraid he would be blamed for it all. I assured him that wouldn’t be the case. The papers were pretty much the proof I needed that Marco was laundering money through the restaurant.”

  I grin. “That’s great news. So what happens now?”

  “I’ve spoken to my lawyer and delivered the papers to him, so now we wait and let him work his magic I guess. He’s confident this will end in a conviction.”

  “That’s great,” I say.

  “There’s something else as well, but you have to promise not to get mad okay?”

  The second he says it I feel myself preparing to be mad. If someone makes you promise not to be mad, it means they’ve done something they know for a fact is going to piss you off. “What have you done Matt?” I demand.

  “You haven’t promised,” he says.

  “And I’m not going to until you tell me what you’ve done.”

  “I spoke to Sasha,” he says.

  Ok, I was imagining something much worse than that and I relax a little. “Why would I be mad about that?” I ask.

  “Well we were talking about what went down, and then of course we got on to you, and I might have laid into her a little bit. It just pissed me off that your so called friends were so quick to think the worst of you and I made it known.”

  “Oh,” I say.

  “That’s it? Oh?” Matt looks surprised.

  I shrug. “What else is there to say?”

  “I told her you knew nothing about any of it, and she seemed like she was genuinely sorry. She asked me to ask you to call her,” he adds.

  “Screw that,” I say. Now I am kind of mad. “She didn’t believe me when I told her, but now you say it, she believes it and expects me to go running after her? I don’t think so.”

  “Now you’re mad,” Matt says, watching my face carefully.

  “I am.” I pull my feet away from him and get to my knees on the couch, so I can lean in and kiss him. “But not with you.”

  “I kind of thought it might be a whole I don’t need anyone to fight my battles for me kind of a reaction,” he says.

  “I don’t need anyone to fight my battles,” I confirm, smiling at him. “But I think it’s sweet that you want to. You know what? Life’s too short to be bitter. I will call Sasha. We’ll never be friends like we used to be. I could never trust her again, but I’m not going to hold onto a stupid grudge.” I get up and go and get my phone. I go out onto the balcony and call Sasha.

  She picks up almost immediat
ely. “Callie. I’m so glad you called. I’m so sorry,” she gushes.

  “It’s fine,” I say, my tone neutral. And it really is fine, because everything has worked out for the best. I got out of a job I didn’t particularly love, and I have Matt.

  “I know you think I only believe you now because of what Matt said, but it’s not like that,” Sasha says.

  “No?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

  “No,” she confirms. “I realized you were telling the truth pretty much the moment after I was such a bitch to you. But then you walked out before I could apologize, and I know I should have called you, but I was so afraid you wouldn’t take my call, and then too long had passed you know?”

  “Honestly, it’s fine. I get it,” I say. I feel myself thawing a little as I picture Sasha nibbling on her nail like she does when she’s nervous. “I was plenty pissed at the time, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I would have found it hard to believe that someone didn’t know their boyfriend’s true identity myself.”

  “So you and Matt are still together then huh? Tell me all of the details,” she says.

  Now I picture her eyes sparkling as she demands the details of my love life. I find myself sitting down and telling her how I wasn’t sure I could move on from what happened, but that I did. I tell her the most important thing; how happy being with Matt makes me. And really, that’s all that matters.

  We end the call promising to stay in touch with each other. I think we both know deep down we probably won’t. There’ll be the odd text message back and forth at first, and then they’ll slowly fade out. But still, I’m glad we made up.

  I go back inside where Matt is waiting for me.

  “Do you want to go out and get some lunch?” he says.

  “I thought you’d never ask. I’m starving.” I smile.

  He gets up.

  “I need to go to my dorm and get changed first though,” I say.

  He shakes his head and comes over to me. He pulls me into his arms and kisses me. “Callie, you look amazing as you are.” He smiles.

  “You know, maybe we should skip lunch and go and get your eyes tested instead.” I laugh.

  “If we’re skipping lunch, I have a better idea of what we can do instead,” he says.

  I feel a warm rush in my pussy, and I know it won’t be lunch we’re eating today. “Really? What’s that?” I ask, playing along.

  “Well, I was thinking I could take you back into the bedroom and show you something,” he says.

  “Show me something, huh?” I grin, looking down at his cock.

  He laughs. “That’s not what I meant, but I’d be happy to show you that too.”

  “What did you mean then?”

  “I want to show you that I love you. Now and forever,” he says, serious again.

  “I love you too, Matt,” I say.

  And I know it’s true. I really do. And everything else? The worries, the baggage, the money? We’ll just have to deal with it all as it comes.

  Together.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Matt

  “Sorry I’m late,” Callie says as she gets into the car. She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me loudly on the cheek.

  “It’s fine,” I say with a grin. “I know what you’re like once you get in that place.”

  She laughs. “What can I say? I love books and I love working at the library. I honestly don’t know why I didn’t think of applying there sooner.”

  I pull away from the curb and head towards my apartment. Callie chats away, telling me about her day. I’m listening, but I’m not really hearing her. I’m too nervous to pay as much attention as I should be.

  “Are you listening to me?” she demands, her eyes narrow as she studies me.

  It’s as though she can read my mind at times I swear. “Yup. Someone brought a book back that was three months overdue and then they couldn’t understand why you weren’t able to waive the late fee.”

  “Oh, you were listening.” She smiles. “You just seemed like you were a million miles away.”

  “Things aren’t always what they seem.” I grin. I tell myself I need to hide my nervous energy better in the future. I almost ruined the surprise.

  We reach my apartment and go in. “So you know in the car when you thought I was a million miles away?” I say.

  Callie eyes me suspiciously and nods.

  “Well, I kind of was. Because I was thinking about your face when you see your gifts,” I say with a grin. “They’re on the bed.”

  She frowns, but it’s a good natured frown. “Matt, we talked about this and you agreed not to spend too much money on me,” she chastises me.

  “Ahh, but we never did specify an amount. How much is too much? Nothing is too much in my mind.” I grin.

  She punches me in the arm.

  I laugh. “It’s our five-month anniversary. That means I’m allowed to treat you.”

  Callie’s face softens. “You remembered.”

  “Of course I did.” I take her hand. “Now come on and open your presents.”

  She lets me lead her to the bedroom and she moves to the bed. She picks up the smallest gift first and opens it. Her face lights up when she sees the diamond earrings. “Oh Matt, they’re beautiful,” she whispers. “But you really —”

  “— shouldn’t have,” I finish for her. “But I did. Now are you going to ruin the moment by lecturing me, or are you just going to enjoy your new things?”

  She reaches for my hand and pulls me onto the bed beside her. She kisses me full on the mouth. “Thank you,” she says when she pulls her mouth from mine.

  I know it’s killing her to not remind me about our agreement, but it kills me every day to not be able to treat her how she deserves to be treated, and this is my compromise. I’ll respect her wishes on a day to day basis, but on special occasions, I get to spoil her.

  She opens the gift with the bracelet and necklace to match her earrings. Finally, she moves onto the biggest box. She lifts the lid and pushes aside the tissue paper and lifts out the red silk dress. She stands up and holds it against herself, twirling around and giggling like a schoolgirl. “I love it. I love it all. Thank you!”

  “I thought maybe you could wear it tonight,” I say.

  “Oh, really? And where might we be going?” she asks.

  “My mom invited us over for dinner. My dad’s away on business, but my mom is dying to meet you. Seb and Chance will be there too.”

  She sits down and peers at me. “You want me to meet your family?”

  I laugh at how surprised she looks. “Of course I do. The only reason it’s taken this long is because I know you’re nervous about meeting them.”

  She nods. “Okay.”

  I kiss her. “Don’t worry Callie. Honestly, if you can handle Seb, you can handle anything. Chance is much more reserved and the only thing you’ll have to worry about with my mom is that she’ll want to make you a part of the family the instant she meets you.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Callie

  To say I’m nervous as I get out of the Uber at Matt’s parents’ place would be the understatement of the century. His parents’ house is huge and I’m already overwhelmed just looking at it.

  Matt takes my hand in his. “Look we’ll show our faces and if you don’t want to stick around, I’ll make something up and we’ll leave early.”

  I try to relax as I shake my head, telling myself I have to make the effort for him. “It’s okay. I’ll be okay. Do I look all right?”

  “You look perfect.” Matt smiles.

  I feel good in the dress, accessorized with the diamonds he bought me, but feeling like I’ve made the effort still does nothing to settle my nerves as Matt leads me up the steps to the front door.

  He opens the door and we step in.

  “Mom? We’re here,” he calls.

  She appears instantly, an apron covering a beautiful midnight blue dress. Her hair is swept up in a French pl
eat and she looks younger than I pictured her. Most importantly, she doesn’t look me up and down like I imagined she would. Instead, she comes towards us, beaming, her arms outstretched. She hugs Matt and then me. I feel myself relaxing slightly.

  “This is Callie, Mom,” Matt says.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Hunter.” I say.

  “The pleasure is mine dear, and it's Eve. Carlton sends his apologies, but he couldn’t get out of the trip. I hope you understand. Come on in, don’t be shy,” she says, ushering me towards the living room. “You already know Sebastian, but you need to meet Chance.”

  I allow myself to be swept away by her chatter and I find myself in a tasteful living room. Sebastian and a younger man I assume is Chance both get to their feet as we enter.

  “Looking good as usual Callie.” Sebastian winks at me.

  “Can you give it a rest for just one night?” Matt groans.

  “What? You don’t think she looks good?” Sebastian says.

  Matt just scowls at him.

  “I’m Chance, the normal one.” Chance grins at me, stepping forward and extending his hand.

  “Callie,” I reply, shaking his hand.

  He has Matt’s smile, but his complexion is fair, his hair blonde and cut in a trendy tousled style.

  “Dinner won’t be long. Sebastian, why don’t you come on through and grab Matthew and Callie some drinks?” Eve says.

  I have a feeling she does it to keep him away from me, so he can’t keep pissing Matt off.

  The dinner goes well, and by the end of it, I am completely stuffed full, but more importantly, I feel relaxed. Eve is the perfect hostess, drawing me out of myself and making me feel welcome. Matt was right. Within ten minutes in her company, I am made to feel like one of the family. Sebastian spent dinner flirting with me and getting dirty looks off Matt. Chance was much quieter; he seems shy but friendly.

  “I’m so sorry to eat and run, but I really do have to go,” Chance says, getting up.