Rose was waiting for them when they pulled up outside. A semi-circular courtyard fronted the property and the front door was open, framing Rose, who was beaming from ear to ear.
She was a slightly built woman, with soft fair hair that she was allowing to turn grey. She had enormous blue eyes and the sort of delicate features that had once made her startlingly pretty but now made her look fragile and breakable, as though a single gust of wind might blow her off her feet and whip her away.
But she was still smiling as she hurried forward, peppering them with questions, then standing back to look at them both with excitement and satisfaction. She moved to embrace Matias—a proper tight hug of an embrace—and Georgina noted the way he stiffened before returning the embrace with awkward sincerity.
He’s not used to such shows of affection, she thought, startled. But then she wondered why she was surprised, when she knew how distant the relationship between them was—when she had seen with her own two eyes the awkward way they circled one another, almost as though they had forgotten how to interact as mother and son. It seemed, with that spontaneous hug, that it was a chasm Rose was trying to close.
Matias had moved to stand by Georgina, and then he did something both expected and unexpected at one and the same time.
He slung his arm over her shoulders.
Just like that her breasts were suddenly heavy, her nipples pinched and sensitive, scraping against her cotton bra. She wanted to squirm, to move, because she was gripped by a sudden restlessness. But instead she remained as still as a statue, barely able to breathe as he absently stroked just below her collarbone in small circles, finding bare skin beneath the light silk top.
She knew that Rose was chatting animatedly as they walked into the cool of the house. She was aware of Matias responding. But the details were foggy because all she could think of was Matias’s arm still around her, so close to her breast, his fingers so close to her rigid, aching nipples.
‘I think,’ she heard him drawl in that deep, dark, velvety voice of his, ‘that I’ll leave Georgie to answer that one...’
‘Huh?’ Georgina blinked vaguely and accepted the cup of tea that had appeared in front of her. She looked at Matias and her heart banged in her chest. Her pulses raced and her pupils dilated.
‘How did we meet? My mother wants no details spared.’
Georgina had not taken any physical contact into consideration. But to all intents and purposes they were here together in Cornwall, a couple, doing all the things most normal couples did.
Like putting their arms around one another.
Like this...she thought, with sluggish fascination as Matias lowered his head.
Her eyes closed and her mouth parted as his lips ever so lightly brushed against hers.
The kiss was over in a heartbeat, but the effect was devastating. She blinked and made a huge effort to get her brain to engage. His attention was back on his mother, and Georgina was furious with herself for letting the kiss get to her. But it had been thrilling. She didn’t know whether that was because it was forbidden or because he was such a good kisser that he’d managed to blow her self-control to smithereens.
She edged away from him and sat down in front of the cup of tea which she had deposited on the table. Rose followed suit while Matias strolled through the kitchen, inspecting stuff.
‘So?’ Rose was pressing. ‘How did the pair of you meet? Silly me! I know you’ve known one another since for ever, but when did you first realise...? Oh, I would never have guessed!’
She was tripping excitedly over her words and thankfully not pausing for breath, which meant that Georgina hadn’t been cornered into answering any direct questions yet—although she knew that it was just a matter of time.
‘You’ve certainly kept it under your hat, Georgie! I had no idea you were going up and down to London, seeing Matias!’
‘The train service is so efficient, so quick...’ Georgina said faintly.
‘And I can understand,’ Rose exclaimed, ‘when Matias says that neither of you wanted to say anything yet just in case...’
‘Ah...er...yes...’ Georgina’s eyes skittered towards Matias, who raised his eyebrows, sipped his tea and left her floundering in her own panicked witlessness. ‘Well, you know...relationships can be so unpredictable...’
‘Of course, my darling. And you of all people would know that after Robbie. I’m sure you were ultra-cautious...’
‘Yes, ultra-cautious,’ Georgina parroted weakly.
‘But you did the right thing,’ Rose mused thoughtfully. ‘Instead of rushing into a replacement relationship you took lots of time to come to terms with what had happened before dipping your toes back into the dating pool.’
She gazed at her son with affection.
‘Darling,’ she addressed him, ‘I can’t begin to tell you how I hoped...’ Her voice threatened to break and she gathered herself. ‘But you still haven’t told me how all this happened. Was it as romantic as it sounds?’
Matias fixed his fabulous eyes on Georgina and said precisely what she’d hoped he wouldn’t say.
‘Darling—would you like to do the honours?’
He was such a good actor, Georgina thought with some of her usual spirit. The warm voice, the light touch, the easy proximity... He was probably thinking of the next big deal he had to complete while playing the attentive lover, but no one would ever have guessed—least of all his mother, who looked as though Christmas had come early.
She gathered herself and smiled brightly. ‘Of course...darling...’
Busying herself pouring another cup of tea killed a couple of minutes, during which time Matias sauntered towards the kitchen table, where she had sat down, and rested his hands lightly on her shoulders. He gently massaged the nape of her neck, then lifted her hair to feather a kiss where his massaging thumbs had been.
Breathing became difficult. This was totally out of order, she thought furiously. Some semblance of affection might be permissible, but this...?
‘What was it,’ he murmured, thankfully straightening, although he kept his hands on her shoulders, ‘that made you fall head over heels in love with me?’
‘No idea.’ Georgina lightly covered his hands with hers and gently but firmly prised herself free.
In response, Matias circled around to take the seat facing her, slightly behind his mother so that he could watch the expression on her face without Rose being any the wiser.
Georgina ignored him to the best of her ability. She smiled at Rose, although her jaw was beginning to ache from the effort of pretending that this was just a normal conversation.
Out of the corner of her eye, she registered Matias’s lazy gaze resting on her. Was this his way of punishing her for having put him in a situation he hadn’t invited? Watching her having to flesh out the little white lie that had propelled him into sitting here in his mother’s kitchen, pretending to be someone he wasn’t?
Rose was looking at her with eager, interested eyes and Georgina felt a flash of anger towards Matias. Couldn’t he see that he was making their inevitable break-up all the harder by laying on the touchy-feely stuff in such abundance?
She gathered herself. ‘I mean, it certainly wasn’t his engaging humility or his sweet-natured, easy-going personality! You know your son, Rose! He’s challenging, to say the least! And sometimes...’ she smiled brightly at Matias ‘...I’d go so far as to say there’s an arrogant streak there...’
Matias watched, amused, and then he returned with a wicked smile, ‘Well, my darling, if it wasn’t my soft, soppy nature and my ambitious streak, it must have been my scintillating and exciting personality...wouldn’t you agree?’
How, she wondered irritably, had sweet-natured and easy-going turned into soft and soppy? How had arrogant and challenging become ambitious?
‘Let’s just say,’ he continued, much to his mother’s delight—this was obviously just the sort of familiar banter she enjoyed hearing—‘that I made her heart race and it
hasn’t stopped racing since. Wouldn’t you say, my darling, that that just about sums it up...?’
CHAPTER FOUR
‘THAT,’ GEORGINA SAID less than an hour later, once Rose had retired for a brief rest before dinner—which she had prepared even though Matias had told her not to bother, that he would make sure a caterer was on board when they arrived, ‘was awful.’
‘You look as though you could do with a drink.’ He poured them both a glass of wine and then stood back to look at her coolly. ‘I had my doubts about this hare-brained idea of yours, but I have to admit that my mother is a different woman to the one I visited three months ago.’
Georgina accepted the proffered glass of wine and stared moodily into the clear liquid as she swirled it round and round and wondered how a couple of hours spent with a woman she dearly loved could end up being as wearying as if she’d run a marathon up Mount Everest carrying weights.
But the questions had been exhaustive and had called for a repertoire of invention she had not foreseen when she had embarked on—as Matias had called it—her hare-brained scheme.
When did they first know...? Where did they go when they met...? Had they met in Cornwall on the sly...? What about getting engaged...? Summer wedding or winter...? What sort of rings did she like...? There was an excellent jewellers not too far away—she knew the one... Oh, don’t mind me...you probably think I’m getting ahead of myself...
By the time the conversation had settled into something resembling normality Georgina had been wrung out. And Matias hadn’t helped matters.
‘I didn’t appreciate your hands all over me,’ she bristled now, sipping her wine and hunching into herself as she looked at him severely over the rim of her glass. ‘I know it’s important that we maintain a...a...realistic...er...front, but you don’t have to touch me all the time!’
‘Point taken,’ Matias said piously. ‘Although I thought you might welcome the way I’ve thrown myself into this situation without grumbling.’
‘And is there really any need for us to go exploring tomorrow?’
‘What do you suggest we do, as a loved-up couple with stars in their eyes?’ Matias returned coolly. ‘Go our separate ways and communicate via email while I’m here? Don’t forget that I didn’t ask to get embroiled in this situation but here I am. Rather, here we are. I propose you go with the flow and cut back on the steady stream of objections.’
It still got on his nerves that he was doing something he hadn’t banked on doing—especially something he hadn’t generated himself. But Matias had enjoyed himself this evening. His mother’s attitude towards him had been subtly but noticeably different. Less...wary. It surprised him how much he had liked the unexpected thaw when he’d always considered himself as hard as nails when it came to accepting the shortcomings of his relationship with his mother.
He’d always known that she judged him for the life choices he had made and, crucially, for not being able to attend his father’s funeral. But, despite that, their relationship had meandered along, with neither party doing the other any harm. He’d fulfilled every obligation when it came to supporting his mother financially. Whatever she wanted, big or small, he did not hesitate to provide. And if there was a certain distance between them, then Matias accepted that it was simply the way it was. Irreversible and inevitable and not that unusual when it came to family dynamics.
Except it wasn’t.
His mother had embraced him. She had teased him. Had laughed with genuine warmth. Her guarded affection had been replaced with an open show of love and it had felt like the reconnection he had never imagined possible.
And as for the touching that Georgina had talked about... He’d liked that as well.
She wasn’t bony, like the catwalk models he was accustomed to dating. Her skin was soft and smooth, and those intermittent touches had put him in mind of what it might feel like to touch a real woman—which was a phrase he would have scoffed at only days ago.
He liked the smallness and the roundness of her...he liked the way her breasts were generous and lush...he liked the shapeliness of her legs. Touching her had definitely not been a hardship.
‘Your mother doesn’t expect us to be all over one another!’ Georgina was protesting now, heatedly.
‘She didn’t look distraught at the sight.’
‘Well, I won’t be joining you for dinner tonight.’ She stood up and primly smoothed her hands over her trousers. ‘I have stuff to do.’
‘Stuff? What stuff?’
‘None of your business.’
‘Oh, but everything’s my business now that we’re a couple...’
‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’ Georgina gritted.
Matias delivered a cool, mocking smile. ‘Enjoying?’
Georgina flushed, because of course he wouldn’t be enjoying anything. He’d been shoved into playing a part with a woman who got on his nerves most of the time and whom he didn’t fancy at all. He would rather steer clear of her. Instead, where was he? Having to put on a show of physical affection for the sake of his mother.
‘I have a job coming up,’ she said, opting for a conciliatory tone. ‘I’m photographing some food for an up-and-coming young local chef. It’s a good job because she’s going to be using some of your mother’s produce—that should be free advertising for the farm. I need to start working on my templates.’
Matias grimaced. ‘I’ve never seen your work,’ he mused. ‘I’ll have to put that right. And, for the record, while I’m here I’m going to use the opportunity to try and persuade my mother to leave this house. It’s too big. Naturally there are memories, but isn’t that what photo albums are all about?’
Georgina shot him an incredulous look from under her lashes. ‘You’re impossible, Matias. How can you be so cold and unfeeling? Not that anyone would guess with that touchy-feely show you put on for your mother. You’re a brilliant actor. But... I’m really glad you can see a difference in your mum. I know you got dragged into this, and it helps that you can see why I ended up doing what I did. Anyway...’
She stood up and hovered for a few minutes.
‘I’m going to head off now, before Rose comes down. She’ll understand. She knows that I have a lot of prepping to do before the shoot the day after tomorrow.’
She hovered some more. She hesitated for just a little too long. Watching him. Paralysed by the surreal nature of events, torn by weird, conflicting emotions that she couldn’t rationalise.
The sound of Rose’s voice made her start.
‘You’re going? But, my darling, where are you going?’
It took a few moments for Georgina’s brain to sluggishly register that Rose, who should have been safely tucked up having a nap, was now looking at her and waiting for an answer.
The only thing Georgina could stammer out in response was, ‘Home. You know...work... But of course I’ll be back tomorrow...’
‘What Georgie is trying to say...’ Matias neatly stepped into the breach, moving to gather her against him ‘...is that she’s going home to finish up what she has to do but she’ll be joining us for dinner.’
‘Er...’ Georgina’s voice trailed off.
‘Darling,’ Rose intercepted briskly, ‘I’ll have none of this nonsense about you two being apart while you’re down here. Never you mind my sensibilities! I wasn’t born a century ago! I do realise that young people in love actually share beds! You could have Matias’s bedroom here, but I think you might enjoy the privacy of staying at your place, Georgie.’
She beamed and Georgina tried hard to beam back and appear delighted.
‘You don’t want a middle-aged woman getting underfoot.’
‘Er...but... Matias...? Didn’t you say that the whole point of you coming down here was to see your mum?’
‘And I will,’ Matias soothed with infuriating calm. ‘But of course my mother is right. It makes complete sense for us to be in the same place.’
He moved to give his mother a peck on the ch
eek. She looked delighted. While she, Georgina, contemplated a scenario she hadn’t banked on in a million years.
Share a house? With Matias?
On the one hand at least she would be able to dispatch him to the furthest bedroom from hers, because his mother wouldn’t be there keeping tabs on the loving couple, but still...
Share a house?
‘You look a little anxious, Georgie.’
Rose stepped forward to reach for Georgina’s hands, which she clasped warmly. Her sharp eyes reminded Georgina that recoiling in horror at the prospect of sharing her space with the guy she was supposed to adore wasn’t going to do.
‘But I do understand that you want to finish some work tonight—and, yes, give Matias some time to be on his own here with me.’ She looked at Matias with a smile. ‘That’s the sort of lovely, understanding girl Georgie is. Always putting other people ahead of herself.’
‘An absolute angel,’ Matias murmured, tightening his hand on her waist and giving it an affectionate little squeeze that made her stiffen in response.
‘Perhaps tomorrow you two can go off and do something exciting together. It’s so beautiful around here at this time of year! I know you probably think you should drag me along wherever you go, but please don’t.’ Her face shadowed for a few seconds, but then the smile returned. ‘Why don’t you head to Padstow and explore? I could even make you a picnic to take to the beach. When was the last time you were at a beach, Matias?’
She looked at her son, tentative and affectionate at the same time, breaking new ground, making Georgina feel that it would be a sin to rain on the older woman’s parade.
‘A century and a half ago...’ he drawled.
So it was decided. The details of this wonderful day out floated around Georgina’s head. She tried to think It’s all for a good cause—just look at how great Rose looks compared to a few days ago... Instead, the only thing she had in her head was an image of Matias in her house, in a bedroom, in the shower...sharing her space. An intruder in her life and one she had invited—an intruder who could make her break out in a cold sweat and remind her of a time when she had idolised the ground he walked on.
Modern Romance May 2019: Books 5-8 Page 6