by Karen Booth
She grabbed her umbrella, then climbed the stairs double-time, rang the bell and straightened her sweater. She’d gone with a cobalt blue cashmere V-neck and she could admit to herself that she’d chosen the garment for very specific reasons. Matt always complimented her when she was wearing blue and she knew he liked to admire her cleavage. He’d told her as much when they were at The Opulence. She needed to distract him while she figured out whether it was worth risking her professional future to wade into deeper waters with him personally. He was expecting an answer about what had once been unthinkable—dinner with his parents.
Carla, one of Matt’s housekeepers, answered the door. His staff had once been kind to her, but there was now a distinct air of cold disdain. The only thing that had changed was that she and Matt had slept together and everyone knew it. Apparently they did not approve.
“Mr. Richmond is downstairs in the home gym.”
“I’m going to go speak to him now if that’s all right. This is a rather urgent matter.”
“Mr. Richmond has instructed us to let you do whatever you need to, Ms. Gonzalez.”
Somehow that was not reassuring in the least. “Great. Thank you. I know the way.” Nadia left the umbrella by the door, then hustled down the wide central hall, past the great room, library and kitchen, to a back staircase that led to the bottom floor of the home. Matt’s house was built into a hillside and he had turned this lower level into a bachelor’s paradise, featuring a theater with a fully stocked concession stand and seating for at least twenty. It also had a rec room that rivaled the most extravagant man cave, with pool tables, arcade games, a full bar and a bank of flat-screen televisions for watching every game imaginable, all at the same time. At the very back of the house was an expanse of glass doors overlooking the pool and spa.
She admired the view for a moment before venturing farther in search of Matt. The tall trees and perfect landscaping were only barely visible on this rainy, foggy morning, but she still appreciated it. Her apartment had a decidedly less glamorous view of a busy parking lot, while this vista was peaceful and serene. It hinted at a life where there were no worries, but she knew that wasn’t reality. Would this kind of life ever be for her? Not only did it seem impossible, but it also didn’t even seem likely. She knew she didn’t need any of it, and she also wasn’t sure she wanted it. Rich people seemed to have problems that were infinitely more complicated than hers.
For now, she had to hunt down Matt. She was not looking forward to breaking this news, but she had to. Around the corner, she found him in his gym on an incline bench, doing chest presses with a barbell. He had his earbuds in, and she didn’t enter the room, but simply stood in the doorway and admired him. His muscles strained against the sleeves of his black T-shirt as sweat rolled past his temples. His normally disheveled hair was pushed back from his face and that look of earnestness and concentration while he focused on his workout made her smile. For a man who had been given every imaginable advantage in life, he still worked hard. He always wanted to be his best. She could hardly believe he’d spent even a minute being jealous last night. Hideo was a sweet guy, a good friend and admittedly easy on the eyes, but he was no Matt, a man who was uncommonly brilliant and kind, handsome but not consumed by it. Matt had absolutely nothing to be jealous of.
Matt rested the barbell on the rack and sat up on the bench, dabbing at his forehead with a towel. He pulled out one of his earbuds and that was when he noticed Nadia. “Hey. Isn’t this a pleasant surprise?” His heartbreaker of a smile crossed his lips. The way his eyes lit up made her breath catch in her chest and her knees come close to buckling.
“I wish this was a social call, and I hate interrupting your downtime on Saturday, but we have a situation.” She walked into the room, every step closer making his pull on her a little more impossible to ignore. “I wanted to tell you about it personally.”
He swung a leg over the bench, then got up and walked to her, taking a long drink from his water bottle. His shirt lifted, revealing an innocent sliver of his stomach, but it gave Nadia all sorts of ideas that were anything but pure. She wanted to thread her hands under that T-shirt and peel it right off his body. Then do the same with his shorts. Perhaps this should have been a phone call. “What’s up?” he asked.
“Teresa talked to a business journal reporter at the end of the party last night. He asked about the retreat and somehow ended up writing a story with the name Sasha in the headline.”
Deep creases appeared in his forehead. “How did that happen?”
“She swears she didn’t say a thing about it, and of course I have no way of verifying that, but she really has zero reason to talk about Sasha. But I do need you to know that the reason she knows about Sasha at all is because of me. I slipped in front of her when she and I had our meeting at The Opulence. We wouldn’t have to even ask ourselves this question if I hadn’t messed up.”
“Are you covering for her?”
Nadia shook her head. “No. It’s my fault.”
“And what were the details revealed? I need to know how bad things are going to get with Liam.”
“No details. Just the name. There isn’t even any mention of it being a technology-based project. But I realize it’s less than ideal. It’s not what you and Liam wanted. And I’m really sorry. I messed up. I understand if you’re upset.”
A breathy laugh left his lips. “You’re amazing. You won’t let the blame fall on someone else, will you?”
“I own up to my mistakes.”
“In a business where almost no one does that.”
Nadia shrugged. “Don’t put me on a pedestal for doing what’s right. I really should have told you when we were at The Opulence.” Heat flushed her cheeks as she thought about the things they’d done to each other that afternoon. And that night. And the next morning. That moment when he’d dropped to his knees in front of her and lifted up her skirt? She’d revisited it in her mind dozens of times since it had happened. It still made her dizzy. “I guess I was too distracted. By you.”
“And do you still find me distracting?”
It would be so easy to lie and say no and walk away. But it went against everything in her nature to hurt Matt or to be dishonest. “Ridiculously distracting.”
“And what about Hideo?”
Nadia shook her head. “He’s an old friend. Nothing else. Don’t let your jealousy show, Matt. You don’t need it. You have everything.”
“I don’t have you.”
Yes, you do. The words were sitting right on her lips, even when it was the most damning detail in her life. She could spend her entire day questioning what she was doing with Matt, but she knew at her core that her desire for him ran deep. “Things are complicated. We didn’t think that part through.”
He agreed with a subtle nod. “I know. But I’m ready to make things even more complicated. I was serious about you meeting my parents. I want it to happen. This week, if possible.”
Nadia’s heart cartwheeled and did a backflip. She couldn’t help it. It meant a lot to her that Matt wanted to pull her into the personal side of his life, even when it could make things even messier between them. She craved messy right now. She craved Matt. “Okay. If you think it’s a good idea, then yes.”
“Good.” A sly smile crossed his lips. “You know what’s distracting? That sweater. You look unbelievable in it.” He grinned and stepped closer until they were nearly toe-to-toe.
“I thought you might like it.”
He slipped his fingers under the hem of her sweater and ran his fingers back and forth against the fabric, his knuckles grazing her bare stomach. “I’d love to kiss you right now, but I’m all sweaty.”
Nadia put her hands behind her back, rose to her tiptoes and pecked him on the lips. “Maybe we need to get you into the shower and distract each other.”
“You have the best ideas.” He grabbed her hand
and began walking to the back of the gym.
Nadia stumbled along. “Wait. In here? Really?”
“Yes, really. The best shower in the whole house is back here.”
Sure enough, back behind the water cooler was a door into a bathroom that rivaled any fancy hotel Nadia had ever been in. With cool gray slate tile, a long vanity topped with Carrara marble and a glass shower enclosure built for two, she was in awe of how beautiful this room was. And that she and Matt had it all to themselves. So much better than a phone call.
Matt wasted no time while Nadia put her purse on the vanity. He kicked off his shoes and stripped off the rest of his clothes. He was already hard, making Nadia wonder what she’d ever done to be so lucky. He reached into the shower and cranked the water, then turned his focus to her, starting with her sweater, which he didn’t toss on the floor but rather folded neatly and placed on the vanity. Nadia adored the attention, and the way the color in his eyes darkened when he looked at her as he removed each item of clothing. Her boots and socks. Jeans. Bra. And finally, her panties. She stood before him completely naked, feeling as admired as a woman could feel, and that was a feat on its own. He’d hardly touched her.
He opened the shower door and she stepped into the warm spray, her muscles immediately relaxing. Matt stood behind her, pressing his erection against her bottom. He placed his hands on her hips and began kissing her neck, using the gentlest touch, all while the steam began to swirl around them. “You are a goddess. You know that, right?”
She didn’t really know that, but it was an awfully nice thing to hear. “You’re so sweet to me.” You make me want to give you everything.
He reached past her for a bar of soap and rolled it in his hands, his arms threaded under hers. He spread the creamy lather up her stomach, then over her breasts, his hands working in deft circles, stopping every few passes to pluck at her nipples with his fingers. Nadia reached above her head and wrapped her hands around his neck, giving him unimpeded access to her entire torso. She pressed her bottom harder against his length, rocking her hips back and forth. Matt groaned into her neck then rinsed off one of his hands. Moments later his fingers were spreading her folds, rubbing her apex in perfect circles. His other hand cupped her breast, pinching her nipple and making her skin impossibly taut. The heat in the shower was building and so was the pressure between her legs. Tighter. Coiling. Zipping from her nipple to her clit and back again. Over and over until the pressure won. She knocked her head back into Matt’s shoulder and called out. He slowed the motions of his hand between her legs, but he didn’t stop. He seemed to be reading her gasps. Her breaths. And reacting to every sound.
She turned in his arms and kissed him deeply, the waves of pleasure still lapping at her muscles. “That was incredible.”
“I love the noises you make when you come. I want to make it happen again. And again.” His hands were all over her hips and butt, his eyes still raking over her body.
“I want you inside me.” Nadia smiled and handed him the soap. “But somebody needs to clean up.”
“I’ll be fast.”
It was Nadia’s turn to soap him up, spreading the silky bubbles over his glorious chest while his hands were working the shampoo through this thick hair. Even after that mind-blowing orgasm, she still hadn’t had enough of him. She wanted it all. He rinsed off and turned off the water. They didn’t bother with towels, just stepped onto the bath mat and immediately fell back into each other’s arms. The slick, wet skin of her breasts met his dripping chest and they spun their way to the vanity, hands grabbing and pulling, water going all over the floor.
Nadia reached back for the countertop and Matt followed her lead, digging his hands into her bottom and lifting her. The cool marble was a delicious contrast against her skin. She wrapped her legs around his waist and dug her hands into his thick hair, kissing him, their tongues winding as water dripped everywhere. Her hands followed the muscled contours of his back. All she wanted was this closeness with him. “I have a condom in my bag,” she said, reaching inside and pulling it out.
Matt kissed her shoulder while she tore open the packet. Then he stood back and watched as she rolled it onto his erection. He got even harder in her hand and that made her ridiculously impatient. Matt again grabbed her hips, this time pulling her to the edge then guiding himself inside her once she was in the perfect spot.
His first strokes were slow and deep, and Nadia wrapped her legs back around him. But she could tell that he was already close—his eyes were shut, and his mouth slack. She pushed back against him harder, encouraging him to go faster. He didn’t need to be gentle. And he read her cues, driving into her, sending her back toward her peak.
Nadia planted her hands on the counter back behind her and had to smile when she saw the way Matt was mesmerized by the way her breasts bounced with every forceful thrust. He was going even faster now and Nadia was right at the brink when she grabbed his hand from her hip and placed his thumb against her apex. He needed no further instruction. Two passes and she was jerking forward, calling out again, Matt following, his breaths heavy and ragged as he pulled her body against his and they rode out the waves together.
Several moments of pure silence passed between them and all Nadia could feel was the warmth and security of his embrace and the way her heart beat so fiercely in her chest. It was like her own body was telling her everything she already knew on some level. Hold on. You’re falling for him. Hard.
Ten
Nadia knew it was dangerous to allow herself to get excited by the prospect of dinner with Matt’s family. Her heart and brain were at war right now, and she worried that this was yet another case of Matt being incredibly optimistic and Nadia ignoring the reality of their situation. She was not from his world. She was his assistant. It would be a monumental task to get his family to see her as anything more than a temporary, and quite possibly foolish, distraction.
Matt reached across the center console of his car and took her hand. “I don’t want you to be nervous. It’ll be fine. They’re very nice people.”
“Okay.” Nadia didn’t want to feel so on edge, but she did. She’d changed clothes six or seven times before Matt came to get her, eventually deciding on a demure knee-length navy blue dress with a matching cardigan and pearls. Nadia didn’t consider herself a flashy dresser, but this outfit was going for superconservative status and she didn’t like it at all.
“You look beautiful tonight,” Matt said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear that before.”
“The last time I wore it was to my uncle’s funeral. I figured this was safe. I didn’t want your family to judge me by my appearance. You know how I feel about that.”
“I know,” Matt said. “Just don’t overthink this whole thing. It’s dinner. Nothing more.”
Nadia shook her head. “But it’s big. This is a step forward.”
“Think of it as the start of us being closer.”
“Is that really what you want, Matt?”
“It is if that’s what you want.”
Her heart sank. She didn’t want to be demanding or have to ask for things. She wanted this to be a mutual agreement, a conclusion they reached together. “That’s not an answer.”
“I feel like anything I say will be the wrong thing. The truth is that I get involved with a woman and I just see where it goes. I don’t think about the destination.” He squeezed her hand. “I just enjoy the ride.”
Nadia let out an unflattering snort. “I bet.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it. I’m doing this because you told me that you needed more. This is me giving more.”
She did appreciate that this was difficult for him. He wasn’t the only one putting a lot on the line. “I know. And I appreciate your willingness to try.” She only hoped it didn’t blow up in their faces.
“That’s all that matters.” Matt took a tu
rn into a neighborhood and the houses began to get decidedly larger, and were farther apart and much more stately.
“This is where you grew up?”
“Yep. My parents inherited the house from my mom’s parents. My grandma and grandpa retired in Miami and left us to deal with the rain.”
Nadia could only think about her childhood neighborhood, which would be best described as quaint. The yards were tidy and kids ran around everywhere, but it wasn’t the land of fancy cars or swimming pools. It was a working-class area with grocery stores and strip malls and people doing their best to provide. She’d loved it because it had always felt very real. The world of Matt’s parents was so polished, which she struggled with. He wasn’t like that. He was genuine, honest and affable. Hopefully that meant he was a product of his upbringing rather than the mansion they were pulling up in front of, with its towering columns, countless sharp-peaked dormers with white wood shakes, hulking trees artfully lit up and a garage with five bays.
“Wow. It’s beautiful,” Nadia said, climbing out of the Aston Martin. Matt was immediately at her side, holding her hand.
“Thanks. Now let’s go meet my family.” He led her up the stairs to a pair of tall glossy black doors. He turned the knob and they stepped inside a foyer so big it was like a ballroom. From the sky-high ceilings to the untold number of oil paintings on the walls, from the grand piano in front of the two-story windows to the endless stretch of shiny wood floors topped with Persian rugs, everything was pure luxury and elegance. “Hello? Mom? Dad?”
From around a corner, a man with a striking resemblance to Matt appeared, a cocktail in one hand. Nadia had seen pictures of Matt’s father before. This was not Matt’s dad. “Hello, Matthew. How are you?”
Matt dropped Nadia’s hand and took a single step forward. “Zach. What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were coming to town.” Nadia had been right—this was Matt’s brother.