by Julie Cannon
“What can I do for you, Cynthia?”
“Is Jordan here?”
This was her subtle way of finding out if Matt had shipped her son off to a friend’s house for a sleepover so she could have an adult one.
“Yes. He’s upstairs. Do you want me to call him down?” Matt doubted that was the reason she was here. She never asked to see her grandson.
“No. I came to speak with you.”
Matt sat back on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table. Cynthia practically blanched. Andrea never would have…Matt waited for Cynthia to speak. She refused to make small talk. Cynthia never did small talk.
“We know you’re going to a place for homosexuals.”
Cynthia had practically spat the word from her mouth like spoiled milk.
So that’s what this is about, Matt thought. Another in a long line of unnatural acts that her daughter had to have been forced to endure because their daughter was not like that.
“The correct term is lesbian, Cynthia.”
Matt watched Cynthia’s expression turn sour, like she’d just tasted something unpleasant.
“We don’t believe you are setting a good example for Jordan.”
Not that Matt cared what the uptight woman thought, but she asked anyway, “How so?”
“Because of where you are going.”
And what you’re going to do there, Matt knew Cynthia wanted to add, but the actions behind the words were unmentionable.
“I’m going on a vacation, which, by the way, I have never had since Andrea died, with friends I knew before I met Andrea, who loved Andrea, and who stood beside me when she died. We’re going to a safe place, with no civil war, gangs, drug lords, or human trafficking. It’s a five-star resort that is not staffed with slave labor and has clean, running water and flush toilets. What’s your point?”
“You are leaving Jordan to go and—”
“Jordan is going to a camp he has begged to go to for two years. One that I checked out and talked about with a lot of families that have sent their kids there. They have a spotless safety record and zero complaints. I am not leaving him just anywhere, as you’re implying.”
“I’m not implying—”
“Yes, Cynthia, you are. You are accusing me of leaving Andrea’s child, my child, so I can go to the other side of the world and have sex with every woman on the island.” Cynthia grew pale. “Yes, Cynthia, don’t kid yourself., That’s exactly what you think I’m going to be doing. And it’s in the British West Indies, not on the moon.”
Matt had never spoken to her mother-in-law like that, even though there were more times than she could count when she had wanted to. Andrea had been the buffer between them, and after her death, Matt had kept the peace for the sake of Jordan.
“I didn’t…I wouldn’t…I never…” Cynthia stuttered. It was the first time Matt had ever seen her without something to say.
“I think you should leave, Cynthia. This is my house, and I will not be insulted by you or anyone else about my parenting ability. I love Jordan, and ever since the day he was born, no, actually,” Matt hesitated for a second or two, “ever since the day he was conceived, he has always been my number-one priority.”
Matt stood and walked toward the front door. She opened it, her body language clearly signaling the conversation was over. As Cynthia approached, Matt said, “Andrea loved you very much, but she’d be ashamed of your behavior toward me and our son.”
Cynthia glared at her as she walked past. “And don’t come over without calling first. It’s the polite thing to do.” Matt used all her restraint not to slam the door behind her.
“Jesus, why don’t you move?” Sandra asked when Matt finished retelling the unsettling event.
“Because she’d just buy the house across the street like she did that one. Did I ever tell you that their house was never really for sale when they bought it?” Both women shook their heads again. “They convinced the Moyers to sell. Made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.”
“What?” Becca asked, clearly incredulous.
“Joanne, whose son went to high school with the Moyers kids, lives around the corner. She was at the mailbox one day just a few months ago, and she told me that Cynthia and Harrison rang their doorbell and offered them cash.”
“Andrea would wring their necks if she were alive.” Sandra was spot on with her comment.
“If Andrea were alive, they wouldn’t have to. They wouldn’t have to worry about me disrespecting their daughter by continuing to live my life.”
“That’s just ridiculous,” Becca said. “Do they expect you to stay single and celibate for the rest of your life?”
“Yes. They do.”
“Well, one down, one to go,” Sandra said.
Matt glanced at her watch. She had to head in and get cleaned up for her date with Kelly. Her voice mail pinged again, and she glanced at it to make sure it wasn’t Jordan’s camp calling. She’d return Cynthia’s call tomorrow and put it out of her mind. “Speaking of the one that’s down, I’ve got a date with Kelly for dinner. Don’t wait up.”
Chapter Twenty-three
Matt was chatting with Carol, the concierge on duty again that night, when Kelly came up the walk. She was wearing a yellow sundress that fell just above her knees, the spaghetti straps exposing her tan, well-defined arms and shoulders. Her hair was down, and something sparkled around her neck. When she saw Matt, she smiled and waved, the bracelets on her wrists jangling. If Matt had thought Kelly was sexy in a bikini, she was adorable in her dress. Matt had to swallow a few times before she could speak. She needed to be careful, or she’d get carried away and start having white-picket-fence thoughts. The idea stunned her. Where had that come from? Sure, they’d had several days of fun in the sun and the sheets, but when did it jump from fun to fences?
“Hi.”
“Hi yourself.”
“You…uhh…look nice.” Matt had seen Kelly naked and had explored, up close and personal, every inch of her, and she still felt like an adolescent on her first date. Kelly smiled like she knew exactly what Matt was thinking.
“Thank you. You do too.”
Matt was glad she’d taken the extra time to iron her shorts and shirt.
“Carol called us a taxi.” Matt had to tear her eyes away from the hint of cleavage at the top of Kelly’s scoop-neck dress. She was more than a little familiar with what was underneath, but it was enticing just the same.
A battered white Toyota 4Runner pulled into the circle and stopped under the portico. An elderly man in wrinkled, cut-off khakis two sizes too big and a T-shirt well beyond its prime hustled around the back of the vehicle and approached them.
“You two girls call for a taxi?”
Carol came around behind them and, with more than a little effort, yanked open the passenger door.
“Ladies,” the driver said, his arm sweeping in a gesture indicating they should slide into the backseat.
“Maybe I should have read up a little bit more on the transit situation on the island before I came,” Matt mumbled under her breath. The taxi they’d taken to dinner with Becca and Sandra had been nothing like this.
“That’s on you,” Kelly said, deadpan. “I was planning on being half naked on the beach or completely naked in my room with my girlfriend the entire time. I had no plans to get out and explore the city.”
“I can help you with that,” Matt said, winking at Kelly.
“Yes, you definitely can, but later. Right now, you need to feed me.”
“Enjoy your evening, ladies.” Carol slammed the door seconds after Matt pulled her leg inside.
The driver settled into his seat and turned the key. It took several tries before the vehicle sputtered to life.
“You are going to Mancuso’s?” he asked over the rattle of the engine.
Matt met his eyes in the rearview mirror. “Yes, we are,” she replied, forcing a smile and wondering what would die before they got to the restaurant—the vehi
cle or them.
“It’s a very nice restaurant,” the man commented. “Very good food. Very nice patio. Very romantic.” He winked at Matt.
Kelly, sitting beside her, chuckled but kept a white-knuckle grip on the door handle.
They didn’t have to worry about making conversation on the ride, because the driver went into endless detail about every bush, building, and tree along the route. As they drove Matt kept her eye on the terrain, wondering if it would be safer for them to walk back than have a similar return trip.
There were no seat belts, and Matt slid into Kelly on the sharp turn the driver had taken when pulling into the restaurant parking lot. Pebbles clanged as they hit the undercarriage. He pulled into a parking space, put the vehicle in park, and turned around.
“That will be US twenty dollars.”
Matt tried to mask her surprise at the exorbitant amount for a trip she figured was less than three miles. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cash, but Kelly touched her arm.
“I’ll get it.”
“No. I will. You can get the return trip.” Matt handed the driver a twenty and a few ones and banged on the passenger door to get it open.
As soon as they were out of the vehicle, they both started laughing.
“You got the better end of the stick,” Matt said. “If you think I’m going to get into that vehicle and ride back, you’re nuts.”
Kelly continued to laugh. “Well, if you think I’m going to walk all the way back to the resort on that road in these shoes, you’re out of your mind.”
Matt looked down at Kelly’s shoes, but not before taking a long look at her bare legs.
“Because of that look in your eye, you’ll need to buy me a drink first,” Kelly said.
“My pleasure.”
Matt’s hand was warm on the small of her back as they walked through the restaurant and out onto the patio. The expression on Matt’s face when she’d first seen her this evening had caused Kelly’s stomach to flipflop, and with the roller coaster of the taxi, it still hadn’t settled. If anything, the look on Matt’s face had excited her even more than her touch.
She’d thought about Matt as she was getting ready for dinner—what her real story was and why she’d have friends who saw the need to send her here. Was it because her wife had died? That was years ago. Surely she couldn’t still be grieving, could she? As attentive as Matt was when they made love, the way their eyes locked when they came, the fact that she cried out her name and not someone else’s told Kelly otherwise. Matt was obviously attracted to her. She knew it instinctively when Matt’s eyes roamed over her and felt hot when they lingered on certain places.
She was right when she’d told Matt that it made her feel good that someone found her attractive. But she was also angry at herself for allowing Suzanne’s actions to impact her self-esteem.
She’d looked at herself standing naked in front of the mirror in her hotel room earlier, seeing the effects of great sex. She was glowing, her breasts still full, nipples tender. She had red marks on her stomach where Matt had sucked her, teasing at first, then more passionately later. Other than the attention Matt had given her the past few days, Kelly thought she still didn’t look half bad. The effects of time and gravity were evident, even at thirty-six, but she worked hard to not let them overtake her if she could help it.
Somewhere between finding Suzanne and Lorraine together and getting on the flight, Kelly had realized she really didn’t care. Being with Suzanne had become more of a habit than a desire, and perhaps Suzanne had felt the same. However, that wasn’t an excuse for her behavior. If Suzanne wanted out, she should have said so.
The waiter led them out onto the patio to a table with room for four but set for two. Matt held Kelly’s chair as she sat down.
“Chivalry is not dead. Thank you.”
Matt lightly trailed her fingers over Kelly’s shoulders before she settled into the chair next to her. “Just being polite.”
“Well, I appreciate it all the same.”
“I am having dinner with a lady. And one that’s quite beautiful. She deserves it.”
A woman, who couldn’t have been more than five feet tall if she were wearing thick socks and standing up real straight, took their drink order, recited the dinner specials, then left them alone.
“This looks exactly like the photos in the brochure Carol gave us,” Kelly said, glancing around. The tables were covered in royal-blue tablecloths, accented with white linen napkins and flatware. In the center of each table a small candle burned, and occasionally Kelly caught the scent of sandalwood. Thick shade sails, a little darker than the color of the cloudless sky, floated in the cool breeze, blocking out the late-afternoon sun.
Several boats were moored at the adjacent dock, three more jockeying for position as they approached. The waitress returned with their drinks and a basket of bread. She took their order and left as quickly as she had the first time.
Kelly raised her glass in a toast and waited until Matt did the same. “Here’s to a lovely dinner. Thank you for the invitation.”
“Here’s to surviving the taxi ride to bring us to this lovely dinner.” Matt touched her glass to Kelly’s, a delicate “ping” filling the air.
Kelly sipped her drink, glad she had, because there was more Crown Royal than Coke in the short glass. She’d have to go easy on this cocktail, or she might end up doing something stupid—like fall for Matt. Heat flashed through Kelly, but she had enough sense to take several gulps of her water to cool her raging pulse. She wanted Matt again, and this was beginning to feel like more than a vacation fling. She hoped she didn’t look as flushed as she felt.
They sat in comfortable silence until the waiter returned with steaming plates of their dinner. She came back a minute later and lit a can of Sterno, placing it at the edge of the table.
“This will keep the flies away,” she explained. It also added five degrees to the table.
They made small talk about the scenery, the meal, and innocuous topics that people introduced over dinner as they were getting to know each other. Why were they even doing this? It wasn’t like they would see each other after this. They had a week left, and then it would be over.
“Kelly?”
Matt’s voice yanked Kelly back from the slippery slope she was falling into. She felt a burn low in her belly and a hard beat of her heart every time she thought of Matt. She was drawn to her, the air around them always electric. Matt brought out a side of her she didn’t know existed. Erotic words accompanied with soft touches turned her body to fire. She didn’t need Matt; she craved her.
“Are you all right? You seemed to go somewhere else for a minute.” Matt reached over and touched her arm.
“Sorry. Yes, I’m fine,” Kelly managed to say.
“You sure? You look a little flushed.”
“Because I keep remembering how magical your tongue is.” Might as well go with the truth, she thought.
Matt looked around. “Waiter,” she called, holding her arm in the air to signal her. “Check, please.”
Chapter Twenty-four
The trip back to the hotel was the opposite of their white-knuckle ride to the restaurant. The driver was a neatly dressed young man driving a sparkling clean Chevy Impala in immaculate condition. He followed the speed limit, took corners at an appropriate speed, and didn’t dominate the conversation. As a matter fact, he didn’t speak at all, and Matt added a generous tip when he dropped them off.
“How was your dinner, ladies?” Carol asked, coming around the concierge’s desk.
“It was lovely, just as you recommended,” Kelly said.
Matt couldn’t remember the last time someone had used the word lovely in a sentence. It was sweet. Kelly was warm, charming, witty, and absolutely beautiful. Matt had almost mentioned Jordan during dinner, but she saw no point. After she got on the plane to go home, she’d never see Kelly again. It wasn’t like she was going to be his stepmother.
Kelly
took her hand as they walked through the lush landscape to her room. They passed several couples out for a stroll, the sound of wet flip-flops striking the cement as they passed. They didn’t rush quite as much to get back to Kelly’s room as they had yesterday afternoon, but they still hurried, eager to continue where they’d left off that morning.
Once inside, their eyes locked as Kelly led them to the bedroom. The maid had been in for the turndown service, leaving a small mint on the pillow. Matt lowered Kelly onto the crisp sheets and kissed her. Slowly, this time, they undressed each other, Matt taking her time revealing the warm, smooth skin she knew was underneath. She lifted Kelly’s dress over her head. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and Matt’s breath caught in her throat. Kelly’s nipples were hard, begging for attention.
Her lips skimmed over one, then the other, and then traced a pattern from the top of Kelly’s legs to the bottom of her feet, gently tickling her toes. Her hands joined the trip back and settled on the wet triangle between Kelly’s thighs, the last barrier to her pleasure. She slowly removed the silk panties and leaned back on her heels to regard Kelly in awe.
“You are so beautiful,” she managed to say. No way could those few words convey the wonder and amazement of seeing Kelly bared so boldly for her.
“Take off your clothes,” Kelly ordered her. “I need to feel all of you.”
Matt stood and pulled off her shirt and removed her shorts, her eyes never leaving Kelly’s. When she was completely naked, Kelly reached for her, drawing her down so her body completely covered hers.