Seaside Whispers: Matt Lacroux (Love in Bloom: Seaside Summers)

by Melissa Foster

  “Are you ready?” the instructor asked.

  Great. She was going to fall from the sky and get eaten by sharks and this guy would probably film it with his GoPro and make millions from a highly monetized YouTube video.

  Matt gave the instructor a thumbs-up and the boat began to move.

  “I get the idea of living in a safe little world where you control everything around you. I’ve done it my whole life, just like you have since you’ve had Hagen. It’s time for us to see what we’re missing.”

  “You have not! You’re a secret savior.” She said this casually, but at some point, when they weren’t about to be flown like a kite above shark-infested waters, she wanted to delve deeper into that side of him and see what it was all about.

  He laughed.

  The wind kissed her face as the boat picked up speed and the cables began to tug into place. As they lifted from their seated position and her toes left the safety of the boat, she realized what Matt had said.

  “You haven’t done this before?” she hollered.

  Matt smiled and wrapped his hand around hers, which was still clinging for dear life to the grip. “No, but I trust we can get through anything together.”

  “That’s not how you earn a woman’s trust!” She white-knuckled the grips as they sailed into the air and the sleepy little town, and the sea around it, came into view. It was a spectacular sight.

  Matt pointed out their cottage and the streets where they’d ridden their bikes, but Mira was busy watching him. The wind whipped his hair away from his face, accentuating his striking features, which had taken on a golden tan over the balmy afternoon. His tank top looked sprayed on over all those hard planes of muscles she’d gotten to know so intimately last night. When Matt turned to face her again, his eyes warmed, even against the whipping wind.

  “Okay, sunshine?”

  It was all she could do to nod. Waking up in his arms, making love with him, was an entirely new experience. He didn’t just love her physical body; he reached deep into her soul, caressing her heart with tender, careful hands, making her feel safe and special. He was breaking down her barriers one moment at a time. She never stood a chance against the passionate, loving man who was looking at her like she’d created life itself.

  “We should bring Hagen,” he said, and her heart skipped.

  She bit back her initial reaction of, Hell no! It’s way too scary for him. He grabbed her chin and pulled her into a long, sensual kiss, bringing all of her senses tingling to life anew. She got lost in his unforgiving mouth, the feel of his strong, warm hand sliding to the back of her head as he deepened the kiss, and the wind whipping over her skin. And just like that, her fear drifted away.

  Chapter Seventeen

  RELAXED DIDN’T BEGIN to touch the feelings floating through Mira. The sunny afternoon had given way to a warm, clear summer evening. She and Matt had biked all over the island, seen the beaches and lighthouse, the historic homes, and everything in between. When they’d come back to the cottage, they’d opened the front and back doors, and the evening breeze filled the cozy space. It was only six, and they decided to have a late dinner after taking some time to relax. She checked her messages, of which she had only two. One from Drake telling her that Hagen was doing fine and teaching him and Rick how to use a compass, and one from Serena, who wanted to know if Mira had given in and used Nair. She quickly sent off a text to Drake—Thank you! Give him extra kisses from me. I’ll see you Sunday afternoon—and Serena—No! And he hasn’t complained.

  She stretched out on the couch and closed her eyes, thinking about the incredible day they’d had.

  Matt came out of the bedroom a few minutes later wearing nothing but a towel and a pair of black-framed glasses. Her jaw dropped open. Her naughty-professor-slash-coed fantasy sprang to life in vivid color.

  He chuckled, rounding the couch.

  “If you changed your mind about calling Hagen, we should probably do it now.”

  “No need. Drake texted and said he’s having a great time and showing them how to use his compass.” She couldn’t take her eyes off of him as he reached for her hand and lifted her to her feet.

  “Glasses,” she whispered. How could glasses make him even hotter? “Holy moly. Where have you been hiding those?” She pressed her hands to his chest, feeling his pecs jump beneath her palms.

  “My contacts were bugging me.” He swept an arm around her waist, pulling her against his now tented towel.

  “Were your clothes bugging you, too?”

  His low laugh rivaled the seduction in his eyes. “I promised you pampering.” He kissed her tenderly, then led her into the expansive bathroom, where candles burned on every surface. The oversized tub was filled with bubbles. The window was open, bringing a cool edge to the heat simmering between them.

  Matt lifted her shirt over her head and laid it on the sink, then helped her out of the rest of her clothes, kissing her skin as it was revealed. He kissed her shoulders, the swell of her breasts, and when he removed her panties, he sank to his knees and pressed a single kiss to each thigh and to the curls above her sex. She was no longer embarrassed or felt the need to cover up. Matt seemed to appreciate her curves. Heck, he appreciated everything about her; there was no seemed to about it.

  He took off his towel and set it beside the tub and stood before her naked, his eager arousal grazing her stomach. He was every professorial fantasy she’d conjured up since the day she met him, only better.

  “Do you wear those glasses in class?”

  “Sometimes. Why?” He gathered her hair over one shoulder and helped her into the tub. She expected him to climb in behind her, but he sat across from her and gently guided her legs around his so she was nestled between his knees and their bodies were only a few inches apart.

  “Do you…? Have you…?” She was embarrassed for even thinking the crazy thought that was in her head, but his glasses made him look very professorial, sparking memories of friends who had slept with their professors.

  He set his glasses beside the tub and wet a washcloth, lathering it up with heavenly smelling body wash. “What, sunshine?”

  “Have you played ‘naughty professor’ with any students?” She bit her lip, feeling ridiculous for asking.

  “Only a few,” he said as he brought the washcloth to her shoulder and gently washed her arm.

  “Only a few?” Her stomach sank. “Isn’t that against the school’s policy or something?”

  He lifted her chin and shook his head. “Do I seem like the kind of guy who would sleep with a student?”

  She let out a relieved breath. “You can’t do that to me. I think you just shaved ten years off my life.”

  He wrapped his arms around her. “The girls who try to seduce their professors have ‘daddy issues’ written all over them. I’m attracted to women, not girls, Mira. Give me some credit.” He drew back with an intense look in his eyes. “And give yourself a little credit, too. Would you spend the weekend with a guy you thought would do that?”

  “No, but…” She picked up his glasses and shook them. “I blame these. You looked so hot in them that my mind went lots of places it shouldn’t.”

  He smiled, but his eyes remained serious as he lovingly washed her sides and belly.

  “Does that mean you think I have daddy issues because I want to play naughty professor with you?” She had to ask.

  He smiled and kissed her shoulder with a seductive look in his eyes. “You’re not my student. There’s a world of difference.” His expression turned serious again, and as he spoke, he ran the washcloth over her breastbone and around her breasts, making her thoughts hard to pin down. “It’s a wonder you trust anyone after what Hagen’s father pulled.”

  He lifted his eyes to hers, moving that washcloth down the center of her body, then detouring over her thigh. She watched his hand, hoping it might slip between her legs.

  “Is that also why you haven’t been dating?” he asked.

  It took he
r a minute to get her lustful brain to process his question. She knew they’d talk more about this subject at some point, but she hadn’t been anticipating it now, and it took her off guard. She wrapped her hands around his legs, needing something to anchor her.

  “Partially.” This was not going to be easy, but she wanted to be honest with him, and somehow baring her soul in the bathtub, where neither had anything to hide behind, made it a little easier. “I think it’s always in the back of my head that guys lie.” She knew how harsh that sounded and added, “I’m sure women lie, too. I don’t mean that we’re perfect, but of course my experience affected me. And the few dates I went on proved to me how different my life is from a single woman’s. Most guys have no idea what it takes to raise a child. They think a child’s like a puppy. Put them in a crate for a while and they’ll get used to it.”

  She paused, taking in his serious expression and the thoughtful way he was touching her now, his hands holding her around her waist. He’d become her anchor, knowing exactly what she’d needed. Again.

  “I think the reason I let myself move so quickly with you is that I feel like we’ve been heading toward this for almost a year. That’s a really long time, and I know your family and friends, and I’ve had months to get to know you and trust you.”

  He took her hands in his and gazed into her eyes. “I will always be honest with you. That’s one thing you can count on.”

  She nodded, believing him with her whole heart, and her next words came surprisingly easily. “I don’t like to admit it, but it was hard, trying to juggle a new baby and work and life. Before your father hired me, the companies I worked for weren’t very accommodating when it came to time off for Hagen, and with kids you never know when they’re going to get sick. We’d moved a few times based on babysitters and jobs. Our lives are finally stable, and if something happens to me, my family is there for Hagen.”

  “You’ve done a good job with him,” Matt reassured her, picking up the washcloth and running it along her back, bringing their bodies even closer together. “He seems very grounded and happy.”

  “Thank you. My biggest fear is that I’ll somehow screw him up. The prospect of letting a man into my life is still scary, because in the end, my decisions affect Hagen’s life. You mentioned daddy issues, and I’m not sure he won’t have them, once he learns the truth.”

  MATT HAD BEEN thinking about that himself, and about Hagen’s comment about being a nerd. That issue was far from closed in his mind. But Mira was telling him she needed to keep some boundaries and he knew he had to be careful how strongly he voiced his concerns.

  He washed her tenderly, placing kisses along her wet skin.

  “I don’t think all children who grow up with only one parent have issues. Hagen has a strong support system in place.”

  “That’s true, and I hope it’s enough. I lost my dad when I was twelve, as you know, and that was hard. But I think it’s different, because I know how much he loved me before he died.”

  “Yes, it’s different, but every situation is different. I wasn’t ready to lose my mother as an adult. But losing a parent and being treated as if you don’t exist to that parent are totally different. Maybe, when the time comes, when Hagen is older and inevitably learns the truth, you can get him into counseling, so he has a safe place to deal with it.”

  “That’s already on my list. I’ll protect him from the truth as long as I can, but there’ll come a time when he’s filling out medical papers or just curious, when he’ll need to be told. I don’t look forward to it.”

  Matt wrapped his arms around her and held her, wanting to promise he’d help her when the time came, but he sensed that wasn’t what she needed to hear, so instead he said, “He’s lucky to have you.”

  When the water cooled, he dried her with a thick towel, blew out the candles, and led her into the bedroom. He knew she wasn’t used to all the physical activity they’d done today, and he’d planned a nice relaxing evening of pampering his lovely girlfriend.

  He took the towel from around her and she climbed onto the bed on all fours, moving like a seductive kitten across the mattress. Gone was the shy girl of last night. She looked over her shoulder, her hair tumbling over one eye, and he nearly forwent the pampering he’d planned, but he didn’t want her to miss out on being cherished like she deserved to be.

  “Lie down on your stomach, beautiful.”

  She followed his request, looking utterly gorgeous sprawled out on the blankets, her hair streaming away from her face in soft waves, her sweet curves on display. She closed her eyes and he retrieved the body lotion from the bedside table and straddled her hips. Pouring the lotion into his hands, he brought them to her shoulders and began kneading what little tension she had.

  “That feels so good.”

  “You feel so good, baby.” He massaged her shoulders, down her arms, then worked his way back up each limb again.

  “My arms feel like wet noodles.”

  “Good. Relax, sunshine. You never have a chance to put yourself first, so tonight is all about you.”

  “Matt?”

  “Mm-hm?” He focused on the back of her neck, rubbing all the places he knew she carried tension.

  “Why haven’t you been dating?”

  He moved lower, carefully massaging her upper back. He smiled as he answered, because he knew how cheesy the truth sounded. “Because I met you, and you weren’t in New Jersey with me.”

  She craned her neck and gave him a look of disbelief.

  “It’s the truth.” Once she settled onto the pillow again, he said, “I’ve never been the type of guy who could sleep with a woman without caring about her. I know that makes me sound either like a liar or a fool, but I am who I am.” His hands glided over her sides, massaging all the way down to her hips.

  “But look at you,” she said, eyes still closed.

  He came down over her back and kissed her cheek. “Baby, look at you. There’s no difference, except you had Hagen to look after.”

  She opened her eyes, and he shifted so he was lying beside her. “But you’re a guy.”

  He pressed his erection against her hip. “I’m fully aware of that fact. But that doesn’t mean I’m an animal who can’t control myself. I had a healthy sex life. I wasn’t a saint, but once I met you, you were the only woman I wanted.”

  She smiled and touched his cheek. “But you couldn’t have known we’d end up like this.”

  He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them. “I didn’t, but my heart wanted you. I was busy with research projects and students and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. When they offered me the book deal, I took it as a sign. And here we are.”

  “All that time?” she asked with wide eyes.

  “It’s amazing what the mind and body are capable of.” He kissed her again and resumed massaging her back. She snuggled into the blankets with a sweet smile on her lips.

  He worked his way down her spine, easing the tension from her muscles. Kissing the dimples just above her rear, he reminded himself this was pampering, not foreplay, though his body had other ideas. He kneaded her rear, biting back a groan.

  “Mm. Feels so good,” she repeated.

  He parted her thighs and moved between them, massaging each leg from the back of her knee upward to the very tip of her hamstrings. She rocked against the mattress, moaning softly, erotically. He ground his teeth to keep himself in check. His hands moved over her inner thighs, grazing her wet center. She inhaled sharply, and he clenched his teeth harder, fighting a losing battle for control. Moving south, he massaged her calves, and finally her feet, which earned another sensual moan.

  “Turn over, baby.”

  She rolled onto her back, looking so relaxed and beautiful his heart swelled. She licked her lips, her long lashes fluttering above eyes heavy with desire. Matt poured lotion into his hands and caressed the front of her legs. When he reached the apex of her thighs, her breathing quickened. He brushed his t
humbs over her glistening sex, dying to delve inside, and she let out a long, needful moan.

  “Christ,” he said under his breath. This was not supposed to be about sex. He forced his hands down to her hips, pressing his fingers deep and kneading every last ounce of tension from them. His hands traveled up her ribs, beneath her breasts, and he lowered his mouth and pressed a kiss to one rosy nipple.

  “Matt,” she whispered urgently, eyes still closed. She curled her fingers around the sheets. “Touch me.”

  He filled his hands with her beautiful, full breasts, fighting the urge to take them in his mouth, and pressed a kiss to her other tight nub. She whimpered, her whole body arching up for more.

  “This isn’t supposed to be about sex, baby.” He forced himself to move away from her gorgeous breasts and massaged her shoulders and arms. When he’d massaged every inch of her, including each individual finger and toe, he made his way back up her body. She was trembling, her breathing shallow. And as he massaged her thighs, her sex visibly clenched.

  “Please, Matt. Make it about sex.”

  He pressed a kiss to her inner thigh, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her arousal—his new favorite drug.

  “Please, touch me.”

  The plea in her voice seared through his will and drew his mouth to her sex. He slicked his tongue up the center of her swollen, wet flesh.

  “Oh God, yes.”

  He dragged his tongue along her sex again, and her legs opened wider, accommodating his broad shoulders. He loved her with his mouth, feeling her sex pulse and twitch and drinking in the sweetness of her desires. Her hands pushed into his hair, holding him as he pleasured her. Her legs became rigid, and sexy noises streamed from her lips. He knew she was about to come, and he wanted to be right there with her. In one swift move he grabbed a condom from the bedside table, sheathed himself so fast he should win a gold medal, and imprisoned her hands beneath his on the mattress, driving his hard length into her.

  She cried out, and a stream of sexy pleas flew from her lips. “Yes! Harder! Oh God, Matt. Yessssss.”