She’d never felt so alone.
~*~
Hamish looked up as Matt walked through the substation door. “Is Lori all right?”
That was debateable. He’d just taken her virginity roughly in sexual heat that had damned near scorched the soles of his feet off, tended her injuries, gotten into an argument with her, asserted dominance which he’d never done with a woman before, and ordered her to be waiting for him when he got home that night.
“Sure,” Matt said. “She’s fine.”
He glanced around in case lightning struck, but when no ominous rumblings sounded nor the crack of lightening come to singe his lying arse, he figured he was safe.
“Good. Cripes, I’ve never seen Lori lose it like that.” Hamish scratched his head. “Man, never knew she had it in her.” He grinned. “Guess you never know what lurks beneath those quiet exteriors, huh?”
Hamish had no idea. Matt just nodded, crossing to the little kitchen to make a cup of coffee. Hot and strong was exactly what he needed.
“So she was all right when you left her?” Hamish hovered at the door, curiosity clear in his voice.
“Absolutely fine,” Matt replied. “Back to normal.”
Or as far from normal as she could get. He’d felt her stunned stare all the way to the hall doorway.
Walking home had been a revelation on its own. He was ready to almost snarl at any man who even walked near Lori’s house. Luckily no one had been on the street. The mastery that had surged upwards in the face of her defiance wasn’t leaving in a hurry, and he actually found himself wallowing in it, sicko that he was.
Unfortunately - or maybe fortunately - regardless of him wanting to beat his bare chest with both fists and roar out his ownership, there were still bills to pay. A quick shower and a change of clothes, his ruined uniform shirt in the bin, and Matt was leaving the house for work.
But one thing was burned into his brain, and that was the sight and sensation of Lori undulating beneath him, her heat, her eyes hot with desire. Christ, she’d been so responsive, arching whenever he’d touched her, her body taking him eagerly, her kisses almost as ruthless as his. Just as desperate.
He actually had to wipe one hand over his brow at the memory.
“Right,” Hamish said from the doorway. “I’m going to re-stock the ambulance while we have the time.”
“I’ll just have a quick cuppa and I’ll be there,” Matt replied.
“No worries.” Hamish disappeared from the doorway.
Stirring the hot drink, Matt turned and leaned back against the bench, his thoughts filled with Lori and what had happened.
Christ, she’d been a virgin. He’d suspected that maybe she hadn’t had much sexual experience, but a virgin? That boggled the mind. Hell, the woman was pretty, her body lush, and just the memory of those voluptuous curves beneath his hands was enough to get his loins stirring. What was wrong with the men in this town that not one of them had apparently tried to seduce her?
Or maybe they had and she’d rebuffed them. That sounded more like it. She certainly hadn’t rebuffed him. Matt grinned.
Of course, there were some other issues. He wasn’t normally a dominant man, not like that, but Lori seemed to bring that particular unknown trait out in him, and after one taste of her body all he wanted to do was again dominate her. But it was more than that, too, right? He shook his head. Hell if he really knew. And wasn’t that the kicker?
“Daydreaming?” a voice asked from the doorway.
Matt looked up to find Adam entering the little kitchen. “Oh, g’day. Just thinking.”
“Wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain Mackay girl, would it?”
Matt arched an eyebrow. “Is this an official visit?”
“Just following up.”
Matt took a slow sip of coffee, watching Adam over the rim, taking his measure before lowering the cup. “I’ve seen her, there’s no need to follow up.”
“Really?” Striding past him, Adam grabbed a cup and spooned coffee into it.
“Yeah.” He couldn’t stop himself from tensing. “I’ve taken care of things, you don’t need to concern yourself.”
Adam might be his mate but right now Matt wasn’t feeling very comradely.
“Huh.” Face expressionless, Adam filled the cup with hot water from the urn. “And yet, I’m her friend.”
“And I’m her…” Matt stumbled to a halt, common sense prevailing.
Turning to look at him, Adam raised one brow. “Yes? Her what?”
Lover? Hell yes, because he was definitely way more than just a friend. Matt took another sip of coffee but refused to look away from Adam.
Adam simply took a sip of his own coffee, his gaze steady and a touch hard. When the silence went on for several more seconds, he asked quietly, “You all right, Matt?”
“Of course.”
“Because you look a little…” Adam tilted his head to one side consideringly. “Aggressive, actually.”
“Do I?”
“Yeah, and that’s not like you.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Matt, you’re one of the most mild-mannered men I know, but you’re giving out these vibes.”
Matt stared at him unblinkingly.
A sound came from the room next door and with a small frown Adam placed his coffee mug down. “Follow me.”
Without a word Matt obeyed, going outside and around the corner of the substation. Immediately he knew it was the most private place around, no one would hear what they were saying.
He started bristling. Was Adam going to try and warn him off Lori? Because if so, he could go and-
“Ease up,” Adam ordered.
“I’m fine,” Matt replied tightly.
“No, you’re not. You’re wound up tighter than a spring.”
No doubting that, he was tense.
Hands in pockets, Adam braced his legs slightly apart while studying Matt. “What happened?”
“Nothing much.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” Adam said dryly. “Try again.”
Matt’s eyes narrowed. “I saw her, we talked. I’m seeing her tonight.”
“Try again.”
“This is none of your business, Adam.”
“It became my business when Lori flipped out in a public place. It’s my business as her friend to ensure she’s okay. It’s also my business as your friend to ensure you’re all right.”
That reminder actually had Matt relaxing a little, common sense prevailing as he took a deep breath of fresh air. “I’m fine.” But he still couldn’t shake off the protective feeling he had when it came to Lori. Didn’t want to shake it off, had no intentions to, in fact.
Adam considered him. “This has gone further, hasn’t it?”
Matt flashed him a look. He wasn’t about to deny it. “Yes.”
“Ah, I see.” A ghost of a smile touched Adam’s mouth. “You poor bastard.” And he laughed.
That did what nothing else could do. The last of the tension flowed out of Matt and with it returned his normal clear thoughts. No doubt about it, he felt a little foolish.
But the protective feeling was still there, he just controlled it better. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d never gone looking for a fight, never been aggressive, it just wasn’t him. Except when it came to Lori, then he went all caveman.
“Oh, man, I’m sorry. I can’t believe I was such an arsehole.”
“Yeah,” Adam replied. “You were. But don’t worry, I understand.”
“You do?” Matt leaned against the wall, cradling the mug in his hands. “You been there?”
Adam’s face shadowed, the mirth fading. Instead of answering, he asked, “So you and Lori Mackay, huh?”
“Yeah.” Matt rubbed the rim of the mug with his thumb. “It kind of happened. I didn’t plan it or anything, just…” Hell, Adam might be his friend, but there were some things blokes just didn’t discuss in-depth. “Anyway…”
“A woman can do that to a man, make
him all possessive and full of shit. Don’t worry, it happens to a lot of us.”
“If you could see I was - what did you call it? Putting out vibes? - how come Hamish didn’t comment?”
“Because Hamish doesn’t have a brain in his head.” Adam smiled a little crookedly. “And I’m smart.”
“Trained to watch for trouble, you mean.”
“I’m a good judge of character, comes with the job.”
Matt had a feeling that it was more than just the job, Adam seemed to have an inbuilt radar system. He’d seen it when he’d gone out with him to the pub a few times.
“So I’m guessing Lori has you tied up in knots.”
“It kind of happened fast.” Matt took a sip of coffee. “But we’ll work through it.”
Adam nodded. “If you need a hand-” He laughed when Matt shot him a dirty look. “Let me rephrase that. If you need someone to talk to, you know where I am.”
“Thanks, but I’ll sort it out myself.”
“Fine.” Adam started to move away. “I’m going back on patrol. See you later.”
By himself, Matt tipped back his head and took several deep breaths. Going all caveman with Lori was one thing, but he had a job to do, people he worked with every day, and he had to separate it. He wasn’t a man who lost control, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to do so again, not at work. He was an adult, not an out-of-control, hormone-ridden teenager.
A small smile played across his mouth. Tonight he would see Lori, then he could let his caveman out. After, of course, they had discussed more serious things.
Such as the fact that Lori was his and no amount of arguing was going to change that.
Oops, there went the caveman again.
Grinning, he went back into the substation.
The rest of the afternoon went well and by the time he got home he had his plan worked out. Talk to Lori patiently, they’d work things out and everything would be okay.
Good plan, except when he went home, Chris Smith, the mechanic from the service station, was in Lori’s driveway with his head under the car bonnet. Obviously he was there to fix the car and Matt hoped he’d hurry up. He wanted Lori to himself.
A shower, a clean pair of jeans and t-shirt, socks and sneakers, and he was ready. Smith still had his head under the bonnet and tools lay scattered on the driveway along with several boxes of parts of some kind.
Lori was sitting on the step of the veranda talking to him but her gaze went straight to Matt when he walked along the footpath. Her apple cheeks flushed and she glanced away.
Sweet, shy Lori was back. Matt couldn’t help the wolfish grin. “Evenin’, love.”
“Matt,” she replied faintly.
“I’ve just got a few things to do and I’ll be over.”
That had Smith’s head popping out from behind the bonnet. The mechanic eyed him before switching his contemplation to Lori, who blushed and stood up, mumbling about having something to do and disappearing inside.
Matt liked watching her walk away, it gave him a good view of her generously curved derriere. The light summer pants she wore didn’t detract from the view, nor did the loose blouse she wore over top of it. It was as though he had x-ray vision, he could see those curves, knew exactly what they felt like under her clothes.
Oh yeah.
Now his tongue was practically hanging out like a dog panting.
Smiling to himself, he entered Ghost’s house to find that Lori had obviously been over to tidy up and feed the cats and clean the trays. The house didn’t look a wreck. The feather duster was sitting primly on the bottom step of the staircase, a box of cat toys was neatly packed and sitting by the sofa, and the cat bowls had all been filled and eaten, going by the scraps left in the bottoms.
Washing and drying the dishes, he watched as Abraham came skulking around the corner of the door. His prey was Mauve, who was sitting with her back to him while contemplating the scenery outside the window.
Before the big tabby could jump the small Siamese, Matt opened the back door. It’d be better to let the cats burn off some energy rather than fight and wreck the house. Plus, it was more entertaining than waiting for Smith to leave so he could be alone with Lori.
As though it was a magical message, Mort, Millie and Max shot out from wherever they’d been lurking and soon all five cats were out in the backyard exploring.
Wandering out, Matt sat on the back step and watched them.
Abraham, as usual, went straight for the ferns, proceeding to mangle one beyond repair. Ghost’s gardener would have a fit when he arrived.
Mort bounded amongst the flowers chasing Millie, while Max sat in the middle of the lawn, stuck one leg in the air and proceeded to wash his manly bits. Mauve sat on a chair and contemplated them all with haughty disdain.
All in all, a typical late afternoon for Ghost’s place.
The sun was low in the sky when Matt rounded up the cats and herded them inside, ensuring the biscuit and water bowls were full before he locked the door and strode down the footpath to Lori’s house.
Smith was gone but now there was another car in Lori’s driveway, one he hadn’t seen before, and he hesitated at the gate. To go in or not? It was one thing to see Lori, another to bust in on her and a visitor. He decided to go home and watch for the car to leave.
Not stalker behaviour at all.
Unfortunately, he got waylaid at his own gate by Old Man Parker and his dog.
“’Evening, young Matt,” Old Man Parker greeted him.
“Mr Parker.” Not really having anything much to do, Matt leaned against the gate.
“How’s Lori?”
“Fine.”
“I’ve never seen her go nuts before,” Old Man Parker said. “Quite an eye-opener.”
“She’s been under a bit of pressure.” Matt gave him a knowing look.
Old Man Parker was completely oblivious. Figured. “What happened?”
“Gossip,” Matt stated bluntly. “Too much gossip and not enough people minding their own business.”
Old Man Parker shook his head and tut-tutted. “Sad business when folks don’t mind their business.”
“Yeah,” Matt agreed with a touch of sarcasm.
Totally lost on Old Man Parker apparently. “You get women together and they gossip like a bunch of old crows.”
“I don’t think it’s just women.”
“Don’t let those old biddies fool you. Eyes like sharks, see all. Spread what they see, too.” Old Man Parker clucked his tongue and repeated, “Yep, sad state of affairs when they can’t mind their business.”
Matt just shook his head.
As usual, Old Man Parker was completely unaware of Matt’s true thoughts. “I know, I know, you think the best of everyone. Kind of like Lori.” His gaze switched almost hungrily to the Mackay house. “See she’s got a visitor.”
Matt glanced at the car. “Yeah.”
“Wonder who it is?”
“Not a clue. Not my business.”
“Had a busy day, has our Lori. First her tantrum at the shops-”
“Brought on by gossips. Let’s not forget that.”
“Then you visiting her.”
“Just checking on her.”
“Really? Spent a bit of time there, didn’t you?”
“Not really.”
Old Man Parker’s smile was all teeth. “Uh-huh.”
Matt just gazed placidly at him. No way was he going to give him any ammunition.
When it became obvious that he wasn’t going to say anything further, Old Man Parker announced with great satisfaction, “Tommy visited.”
That made Matt tense. “Tommy? The café owner?”
“Yep.” Old Man Parker practically quivered with anticipation, his eyes never leaving Matt’s face.
Okay, calm down. Don’t give the gossips anything juicy to hash out over tea and scones. “Do tell,” he managed calmly.
Disappointment shone briefly in Old Man Parker’s eyes but it didn’t st
op his observations. “And then that young mechanic came sniffing around-”
“I saw him fixing Lori’s car. He did say he’d do it.”
“Oh.” Old Man Parker frowned for a few seconds in disappointment that there was a logical explanation before his gaze slid again over to Lori’s house. “And now there’s another visitor. A woman.”
“Woman?” Matt queried despite himself.
“Yep. In fact, it’s that new sheila in town.”
“New sheila?” A sense of foreboding crept over Matt and he straightened.
“Yep. Even better - I mean more worrisome - this is the same one whom Lori had a fight with today in the park.”
Oh shit. Matt had to battle his first impulse to leap over the fence and run straight into the house. Keenly aware of Old Man Parker watching avidly and not wanting to make Lori the subject of more gossip, Matt smiled easily and pushed away from the gate.
While he personally didn’t care what people said, there was no way he’d cause her further embarrassment. That meant fighting his urge to run, instead bidding Old Man Parker an easy goodnight and walking sedately - albeit with big steps - to his house, unlocking the door leisurely and closing it behind him without seemingly a care in the world.
As soon as the door shut, he ran down the hall, out through the kitchen door, leaped off the veranda and was up and over the fence into the Mackay yard within seconds. A leap onto the back veranda and he burst through into the kitchen, only to come to a skidding halt as Lori and the woman looked up from where they were sitting at the kitchen table.
“Um - hi,” he said.
The woman looked from him to Lori.
Lori smiled at the woman, though her cheeks pinkened when she looked at Matt. “Matt, this is Harriet Keller. Harriet, this is my…this is Matt.”
Oh yeah, he hadn’t missed that little stumble nor the way she bit her lush bottom lip. Not to worry, he’d soon give her the correct label for next time. Burn it into her hot little mouth with his tongue, in fact.
Harriet stood up. “Nice to meet you, Matt.”
Forcing his erotic thoughts away, Matt smile politely. “Same here, Harriet.” Curiously, he glanced at Lori. “Have I interrupted anything?”
“Yes,” she began.
“No.” Harriet picked up an oversized handbag that was sitting by the side of her chair. “Lori, thank you for seeing me, talking, being so understanding. It’s made things easier. I must get going.” She nodded to Matt. “’Bye.”
Lean on Me (The Mackay Sisters) Page 15