The Beach Reads Book Club: The most heartwarming and feel good summer holiday read of 2021! (The Kathryn Freeman Romcom Collection, Book 5)

by Kathryn Freeman

  She smiled down at him, though something flashed across her face, a flicker of emotion that for once, he couldn’t identify. But then she lifted herself over him, and onto him, and he was lost to the thrill of her body, her loud, lusty words, all over again.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Lottie lay in Matt’s bed, the lingering smell of his aftershave surrounding her as she listened to the sound of the shower coming from the ensuite.

  Her body felt utterly relaxed, sated from round… Wow, she’d actually lost count. But though the sex had been off the charts, her mind refused to chill like her body had. Last night was meant to have been all about fun. A nice meal, laughter (God, she loved his sharp sense of humour), followed by some much-needed sex, which she’d missed like crazy.

  Instead, she was worried it had changed everything. This morning, when she’d sleepily watched him dress for his morning run, she hadn’t seen a handsome man who needed lightening up at bit. She’d seen a man she could fall for. You’re more than a distraction. And crap, yes, perhaps also a man who could fall for her.

  Was a serious relationship really what she wanted? And with Matt? He’d said he wasn’t good for his wife, and though she knew he was a good man, did they make any sense as a couple?

  From its place in her jeans pocket she heard her phone buzz. Welcoming the distraction, she hopped out of bed and grabbed it before diving back under the duvet.

  Expecting Sally, her stomach dropped when she saw who it was.

  Hey, Goldilocks. How’s things? H x

  Clutching the phone to her chest, she stared up at the ceiling, trying to picture Henry’s face. But in place of vivid blue eyes was a pair of chocolate brown ones, instead of a wide, grinning mouth she could only see a sensual curve. There was no dirty-blonde hair, just thick nearly black hair.

  A lump jumped into her throat. This was bad. One night with Matt and already she’d forgotten what Henry looked like?

  ‘Everything okay?’

  Matt stepped back into the bedroom, a navy towel around his waist, rivulets of water running down his chest, through the dusting of dark hair on his pecs, over the ripples of his abs and down to the arrow of his groin.

  ‘Lottie?’

  With a shake of her head she looked up into his handsome face with its strong profile and sharp cheekbones. ‘It’s fine. Just … Henry, saying hi.’ It felt wrong, saying his name out loud in the bedroom of a man she’d spent the night having sex with.

  The muscle in Matt’s jaw twitched. ‘Does he text often?’

  ‘No.’ She made sure to catch Matt’s eye. ‘What we had is in the past. Now we’re just friends who message from time to time.’

  It was good she no longer held a vivid image of Henry in her mind, she knew that, yet it was terrifying how quickly Matt seemed to have replaced him.

  Matt inclined his head in a brief nod before stepping into black boxers followed by dark jeans and a grey T-shirt in quick, economical movements. She liked how unshowy he was, as if he had no clue how attractive he was.

  ‘If you want to take a shower,’ he said, doing up the button on his jeans, ‘I’ll make us breakfast.’

  Her eyes were drawn to his still bare feet. ‘Is that cereal and toast or a full English?’

  He rubbed at his hair with the towel. ‘If I say cereal?’

  She forced her gaze away from the sexy feet and onto his equally sexy face. ‘I’ll pretend to be happy but secretly I’ll be worried you’re a health freak.’

  He winced. ‘I’m not sure I like the term “freak”.’

  She remembered back to the picnic, and how she’d plied him with fatty, processed meat. ‘God, you hated my picnic, didn’t you?’

  ‘No.’ He gave her a wry smile. ‘I enjoyed the cheese. And the fruit.’

  Lottie started to laugh. ‘Oh boy, we really aren’t compatible food-wise, are we?’

  He stilled. ‘What I eat is not that important to me.’

  She thought it was pretty important, but the fact he didn’t want to make an issue over it said volumes about the kind of guy he was. And perhaps how he felt about her.

  ‘We could compromise. You can do scrambled eggs, yes? That’s pretty healthy.’

  His expression relaxed. ‘I can even add mushrooms. And tomatoes. Do you want me to bring it up to you?’

  ‘I’m sure I can find my way to the kitchen.’ A horrid thought occurred. Was he embarrassed she was here? ‘Unless you’d rather I kept out of the way.’

  ‘Good God, no.’ He gave her an incredulous look. ‘I thought you might be uncomfortable. Dad’s sure to be up, though Amy is unlikely to surface till lunchtime.’

  ‘I like your dad. He’s all grumpy on the outside and marshmallow on the inside.’

  Matt gave her a wry smile. ‘He is for you.’

  ‘Things aren’t getting any easier between you?’

  Matt averted his eyes, hand rubbing across his chin in that way he had when he was thinking, very carefully, what to say. ‘We’re doing okay.’

  She let out an exasperated breath. ‘Nope, that’s not going to do.’ She met his startled gaze. ‘I know you don’t like talking about yourself, but you told me you were trying to be better at it. And honestly, if this is going to happen, if we’re going to keep sleeping together, I need you to open up to me now and again.’

  He was silent for a moment and she held her breath, wondering if he was going to call it quits. Sex with her wasn’t worth the aggro. But then he sighed and went to sit on the end of the bed. ‘You’re right. Sorry.’ Elbows on his thighs, hands clasped, he glanced sideways at her. ‘I’ve spent so much of my life keeping my feelings to myself.’

  She remembered his comment about being bullied at boarding school and wondered if he wasn’t reserved by choice, but by circumstance. Having spent his childhood mainly in his own company, it was hardly surprising he’d withdrawn into himself. ‘I don’t expect you to change overnight, to suddenly want to sit me down and tell me your full life history.’ She drew her legs up, resting her head on her knees as she looked at him. ‘And I don’t want this between us to get too heavy,’ she added, more as a reminder to herself. ‘I don’t think either of us are ready for that. I would like to think we’re friends though, and friends share their feelings. They talk to each other.’

  He nodded, shifting his gaze to stare down at his hands. ‘It wasn’t just my ex-wife I let down,’ he said quietly after a long pause. ‘In the pursuit of my career I had no time for my family, either. By the time I realised how ill Mum really was, it was too late.’ When he turned to face her, his eyes were filled with so much misery, it hurt to see it. ‘I’d broken so many promises to come and visit, wasted all those opportunities to spend time with her. And to help Amy and Dad.’ His voice choked on his words and he drew in a shuddery breath. ‘I saw her twice in the last six months of her life. Twice. And one of those times was the week before she died.’

  Lottie’s heart filled and she leant across to put her arms around him, hugging him tight. It was easy to blame him, to say work should never come before family, yet that overlooked the reason for his obsession with it. It wasn’t money, or power, but a determination to show the bully boys what he was capable of.

  Besides, this complicated, serious yet ultimately kind-hearted man had already beaten himself up enough over it.

  Matt felt the back of his eyes prick as Lottie’s arms wrapped around him. If he’d been asked, he’d have said he wasn’t a hugger. A childhood spent mainly away from home, a wife who wasn’t very tactile… Hugging wasn’t something he was used to, but by God it felt good.

  ‘I’m sure your mum understood.’

  Lottie’s voice, full of sympathy, reminded him what they’d been discussing and he carefully extracted himself from her embrace. ‘She deserved more from her only son. As did Dad and Amy.’ The fact he’d been so blinkered, selfishly focused on his career to the detriment of those he loved, would haunt him for the rest of his life.

  ‘We all do
things we regret. It’s how we make amends that counts.’ She reached for his hand, holding it between hers. ‘You moved your dad and sister down here to start a new life together. That’s important.’

  He wanted to think so but he wasn’t yet convinced, though at least Amy seemed happier. Raising his eyes from their entwined hands, he opened his mouth to thank her, but the words died on his tongue when he realised she was still naked, her breasts hanging gloriously free.

  ‘Ah.’ She caught the direction of his gaze and pulled the duvet around her.

  Shaking his head, he pulled it back down. ‘They’re too beautiful to keep hidden.’

  She narrowed her eyes in a way that made him feel she could see straight through him. ‘You’re only saying that because you want the distraction.’

  He gave her a sheepish smile. ‘Maybe it’s both.’

  ‘Well, thank you for opening up to me.’ He placed his hand on her right breast, and she smiled. ‘When you said you and your dad were doing okay, what you actually meant was okay, considering.’

  He barked out a laugh. ‘You mean I could have left it at that?’

  ‘You could. But I’m glad you didn’t.’

  Their gaze collided. She didn’t want heavy and yes, he wasn’t ready for that either. But as he sat beside her, one lush breast in his hand, an understanding, an acceptance he’d not felt before written across her beautiful face, his heart opened up in his chest.

  Clearing his throat, he bent to kiss her breast before rising to his feet. ‘I promised you scrambled eggs.’

  ‘You did.’ She smirked. ‘And a chat with your dad.’

  ‘Good luck with that.’ He walked towards the door but paused before opening it, his mind going back to the last book club meeting. ‘Any idea why he’s avoiding the shop? It’s like he doesn’t want to work, which surprises me because he’s been a grafter all his life.’ He hesitated. ‘Unless he doesn’t want to work for me.’

  ‘I don’t think that’s the problem.’ Her smile had a touch of secrecy about it. ‘But leave it with me. I have ways of making people talk.’

  ‘Don’t I know it.’ His gaze fell to her breasts. ‘But don’t show him those. They’re only for me to see.’

  He wasn’t sure where the possessive tone came from. Only that he couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else touching where he’d touched. His mind flashed to earlier, and her text from Henry. It was clear her ex was the reason she didn’t want another serious relationship. Obviously they still shared something, a bond that time had failed to break.

  The realisation settled heavily over him. If he wasn’t careful, if he didn’t guard his heart, he would find himself in another world of hurt.

  ‘I have no intention of showing my boobs to your dad, or any other man for that matter. Not while I’m seeing you.’ She laughed as she climbed out of his bed, all curves and glorious nakedness. ‘And the same rules apply to you. No flashing your impressively manly parts to anyone else while you’re sharing them with me.’

  ‘Impressively manly, huh?’ A flush crept up his neck and he felt like a teenager being complimented by the coolest girl at the party.

  ‘You know, with anyone else, I’d think they were fishing for more compliments, but with you…’ She shook her head as she strolled up to him and ran a hand down his chest, causing his impressively manly parts to sit up and take notice. ‘I really believe you don’t know how gorgeous you are, so here goes. You, Matt Steele, are an honest-to-God hunk.’ She patted his face. ‘Now go and take that smoking-hot body of yours downstairs and make me the breakfast you promised.’

  He watched her walk naked to the ensuite, her hips swaying; whether consciously or unconsciously, he didn’t know and didn’t care. By the time she closed the door behind her, a broad grin had settled across his face. When he reached the kitchen, he realised he was whistling.

  ‘Must have been one hell of a night.’

  The sound of his dad’s voice behind him made Matt jump. ‘Morning. I’m making scrambled eggs. You fancy some?’

  ‘Am I still breathing?’ He lifted himself onto the barstool. ‘She still here then? The woman who’s put that smile on your face.’

  It wasn’t just Lottie he needed to start talking to more, he realised. ‘Lottie is taking a shower. She’ll be down in a minute.’

  ‘Lottie, eh?’

  He was acutely aware of his dad watching him as he cracked the eggs and placed the tomatoes and mushrooms into the grill pan. ‘Yes.’

  ‘You’ve got good taste.’

  Matt smiled to himself. He knew his dad had a soft spot for her. ‘I think so.’

  ‘Just make sure you don’t cock this one up.’

  Okay then. He gritted his teeth and vented his frustration on the eggs, whisking them to within an inch of their life. When he was sure he had his emotions under control, he turned to face his dad. ‘I have no intention of cocking anything up.’

  ‘Bet you said that about Pat, but look how that turned out.’

  He wanted to argue that he hadn’t been the one who had an affair, but what was the point? He was the evil one in his father’s eyes. The bad son who neglected his wife, his mother and his sister.

  Thankfully Lottie chose that moment to walk in on them. Her hair still damp, the curls more contained than usual, she had the same clothes on as yesterday, only without the makeup. And still she looked gorgeous enough to make his breath catch in his throat.

  ‘Morning, Jim.’ Her eyes sought Matt’s and from the sympathy he saw in them, he knew she’d heard at least some of the conversation. ‘This is a lovely place you’ve got here. Any chance of a tour while Matt cooks us breakfast?’

  His dad immediately shuffled off the stool and Matt shot her a grateful glance as she followed him out of the kitchen.

  Baby steps, he reminded himself as he checked on the mushrooms under the grill. The relationship with his dad would take time; he had a lot of trust to rebuild. At least the man seemed happy showing Lottie around the house he’d not wanted to move to, though he suspected that had more to do with the woman he was talking to than any excitement about the house.

  Chapter Twenty

  Early August, nominated book:

  The Truest Thing by Samantha Young

  This will be fine, Lottie told herself as she pushed open the door to the bookshop. She was perfectly capable of talking to Matt without being reduced to such a puddle of hormones that everyone guessed they’d been seeing each other.

  Having sex with each other.

  Okay, there was that. They’d managed two further dates since that first one … and it had resulted in two further nights of phenomenal sex back at his place.

  The bell did its usual jingle and immediately Matt looked up from his position behind the counter. Their eyes met and everything around her seemed to fade into the background. God, he was handsome. Especially when he gave her the small smile he was giving her now, the one that was more with his eyes than his mouth.

  The one she was pretty sure he only reserved for her.

  ‘Hi.’ Way to go, girl. An excellent start.

  ‘Hi back.’ He smiled, eyes crinkled at the corners. ‘Good timing, the last customer has just left.’ His eyes flickered behind her. ‘No Chewie today?’

  Was he asking to protect his shoes/floor, or was he asking because…? His eyes flared, amusement and heat, and now she knew. ‘No Chewie,’ she confirmed.

  He stepped out from behind the counter and walked towards her, gaze zeroing in on her mouth, which tingled with anticipation. But just as he got close enough to do something about the simmering heat that pinged between them, he halted. ‘Do the others know about us?’

  ‘I don’t think so. I mean, your dad does, and Amy, but I wasn’t planning on making some big announcement.’

  He clasped her hand and led her round the corner. ‘Then let me do this here.’ His mouth swooped on hers, greedily, hungrily. As his hands slipped straight under her T-shirt he pushed her against the bookshelve
s, pressing his erection against her stomach. It sent her arousal state from medium to off the scale in record time. Utterly turned on, she kissed him back. ‘More.’

  He lifted her right leg around his hips, seating himself more firmly between her thighs, bending so his hardness found her core. His hips began to thrust, his tongue keeping rhythm, his fingers squeezing her nipples. ‘Oh God.’ She was going to detonate, right here in his shop, without removing any clothes and with minimal foreplay. ‘Yes, there, just there.’

  She was dimly aware of the bell ringing, of Audrey’s voice. Of chatter. The babble of Freddie, Sally laughing.

  But then his thrusting hips found exactly the right spot and suddenly she was climaxing, pleasure rushing through her as she gasped and clung to his shoulders.

  ‘Shit,’ she panted, her legs like jelly. ‘That was some kiss. Thank God you brought me back here.’

  He laughed softly, resting his forehead against hers. ‘Wish I’d locked the damn door.’ He drew back, eyes hot as they skimmed over what she was sure was her flushed face. ‘I will when they leave.’

  She swallowed, her face growing redder. ‘Why Mr Steele, are you planning on seducing me in your bookshop?’

  ‘Definitely.’

  He took a step back and she patted her hair. ‘How do I look?’

  His smile held a hint of smug. ‘Like you’ve been ravished against a bookshelf.’

  ‘Great. Audrey will be wanting full details.’ She drew in a breath, narrowed her eyes at him. ‘This is your fault. You should come and face the music with me.’

  He grinned, looking down at the clear bulge in his trousers. ‘I don’t want to give Audrey a heart attack.’

  It was only when she’d walked round the corner that Lottie realised she’d just seen a new side to him, playful Matt. She liked it. Liked him. A lot. Careful, a voice niggled but she pushed it away. Where was the harm? She was enjoying herself and he looked… Yes, she was going to blow her own trumpet. He looked happy.