“So you’ve just always done what your parents expect? You didn’t ever tell them about wanting to surf? There have to be ways to make it work. It’s a sport, an industry. People have to make money doing something surfing related other than going pro.”
He shrugged one shoulder, trying not to get sucked into envisioning how well a conversation like that would go. It made him sick even thinking about thinking about it. He swallowed hard, pushing the ghost of a thought away. “Yeah, well, you remember my dad. Going against his ideas of what’s best was never easy. If it were up to him, I’d have given up surfing altogether a long time ago. Or better yet, never started. The only reason he tolerated it at all was because teaching surfing got me a decent summer job, though that didn’t stop him from trying to get me to work on a boat instead. I’ve had enough conflict with that man to last a lifetime. I’m no good at conflict anyway.”
That brought a disbelieving laugh from Hannah. “Um, were we in the same student center earlier? No good at conflict?”
He waved a hand dismissively. “That wasn’t conflict. Not really. I’m not likely to ever see that guy again. I don’t care about him or his feelings. He’s just some asshole. I’d happily punch him in the gut and leave him puking all over himself on the floor.”
Hannah nodded, something like understanding dawning in her eyes. “I see. So you’re okay with that kind of conflict, but not with people you care about or where real emotions are involved. Good to know.”
“Yeah. Something like that.” He shifted, uncomfortable with this conversation, not liking the sick feeling in his gut as he brought up his father’s repeated disappointment in him. Visiting home was less painful now that he had a good job and a steady paycheck and he’d “gotten over that surfing nonsense” according to his dad. “Can we talk about something else now?” he pleaded.
Hannah gave him a quick kiss before settling against his chest once more. But Matt remained unsettled from their conversation, confused about how it got turned around on him. He just wanted Hannah to make herself and her feelings a priority. It wasn’t supposed to be about him wanting to surf. And even though he’d considered what she suggested, he could never figure out a way to make it work, so he tried not to think about it. Even if some part of him desperately wished he could.
Chapter Seventeen
Hannah wrapped the robe around her while Daniel pulled his track pants back on and Megan put the finishing touches on their painting. She’d said they could go, that she didn’t need them to pose while she finished.
Hannah hoped this would be the last session. After Matt’s reaction last weekend, she’d felt more conflicted this time with Daniel’s arm wrapped around her. Daniel was a gentleman, at least as much as possible while they posed practically naked, and he didn’t do anything that made her feel uncomfortable. He was friendly, but more reserved than last week. Apparently now that he knew she was taken too, that put a damper on things. They were all quieter than last week. Megan had music playing, and Hannah had let her mind drift, playing through the events of the last week since she’d been here.
She’d spent the rest of Sunday afternoon with Matt, then Chris and Megan came home and they all had dinner together. After that she insisted Matt take her back to her car so she could go home and finish her homework for the next day, even though it had been hard to stay firm in the face of him trying to convince her to stay. At work she’d taken her cue from him, keeping things professional, though he sent her flirty texts during the day and he’d brush up against her in decidedly unprofessional ways when no one was looking. The slightly forbidden aspect of their relationship sent a little thrill through her, making things even hotter when they got together after work. If he weren’t so openly affectionate around his house and away from work, she might feel like his dirty little secret.
But she figured that would only last for a little while. Once her internship ended in late April, they wouldn’t have to worry about people at work finding out about them. Unless they invited her back for a summer internship. That thought had occupied her for most of the modeling session. Would she accept a summer internship knowing she’d have to keep her relationship with Matt under wraps even longer? And if they liked her enough for a summer internship, would they eventually want to hire her? But if Matt only supervised interns, there wouldn’t be a conflict if she were a regular employee. Right? But he could get promoted or something. And would people think that he’d influenced the hiring decision in her favor if they found out about their relationship after the fact? That last question turned her casual thoughts into something closer to worry.
She knew he wasn’t happy at work. He’d all but said so last week. But he remained convinced that he couldn’t do what he really wanted. She’d tried to bring it up again a couple of times since that conversation last weekend, but he’d shut it down every time, either changing the subject, or distracting her with his mouth on hers, or her neck, or her breasts, or points farther south. She wanted him to do something he loved, or at least that allowed him to do what he loved on the side. But wouldn’t that mean him moving away? What would happen to them then?
She scoffed at herself for thinking up all these convoluted hypothetical situations that probably wouldn’t even happen. Things almost never worked out the way she imagined they might, especially when looking for worst-case scenarios.
Daniel pulled his gray T-shirt over his head. “So, you and Matt?”
“Yeah.” She didn’t offer anything else.
He gave her a crooked smile. “Alright. Well, if things don’t work out, come find me.” With a wink and a kiss on her cheek, he opened the door and left.
Hannah glanced over to Megan, who stood watching her with wide brown eyes. “Damn, girl. You’ve got all the hot football players on the hook.”
“What? No, I—what?”
Megan laughed, cutting into Hannah’s stammering protests and making her cheeks grow hot. “Don’t worry. I can tell you’re head over heels for Matt. I don’t think Daniel knows he doesn’t stand a chance, but it’s nice of you to let the guy down easy. He’s a sweetheart.”
Hannah closed her mouth with a snap, realizing it was hanging open. Megan could tell that she’d fallen for Matt? She frowned to herself, thinking over everything between her and Matt. It had been so easy, so comfortable, to fall back into the way their relationship had started that summer three years ago. She’d been half in love with him by the end of that summer. And those feelings had come rushing right back, deepening as she got to know him more now. Was she that obvious? She protested anyway. “I don’t know what you mean. We’re just—”
“Spending every available moment together? Sleeping in the same bed more often than not?” Megan chuckled, letting her arched eyebrow relax. “Oh, Hannah, don’t worry. He’s got it as bad as you. I’ve never seen him like this with anyone before, but it’s good.” She finished covering her paints and swirling her brushes in the jar of turpentine, screwing the lid back on before gathering her brushes in her hand. “I love Matt like a brother, and he’s a sweetie, but he’s kind of a doofus. Don’t let him get away with being a bonehead, okay? And if you ever need it, don’t hesitate to call me up for some help.”
Hannah nodded, not sure how to respond to that revelation, and followed Megan out of the room to the kitchen, watching her wash her brushes in the sink.
“So my friend Abby’s birthday is the week after next. We’re having a birthday party for her then.” Megan looked up from where she swirled one of her paint brushes in the puddle of liquid soap in her palm, meeting Hannah’s eyes. “It’s going to be small, just our little group. You have to come. I won’t take no for an answer.” She smiled to soften her words, but Hannah got the feeling that she meant it exactly how it sounded.
“Who’s your little group?”
Megan rinsed off the brush, fanning the bristles out with her fingers under the running water, then squeezing the bristles in a paper towel before smoothing them together and setting
it on the counter. She picked up another one and started the cleaning process again. “Oh, you know. Chris and me, of course. Abby, clearly, and her boyfriend Lance. Matt. And now you.” She glanced at Hannah, continuing before Hannah could say anything about her inclusion in Megan’s group. “Lance used to live here with Chris and Matt, but he and Abby got together over the summer and moved in together in August. Abby and I were roommates before that, so I took over Lance’s place here.”
“Oh.” Hannah hadn’t known all of that. “Interesting. So were you and Chris together before you moved in?”
Megan laughed and shook her head. “No.” She laughed some more, finding something about the question hilarious. “Not even close. I mean, we’d flirted some, but we barely knew each other. He was a complete manwhore, so I wasn’t planning on going there, you know? It was actually Matt’s idea for me to move in.”
“Oh. Oh. So were you and Matt …”
“No! What? God, no.” Megan’s shock at the suggestion was almost comical, except it seemed a little insulting to Matt. “I mean, no. Matt and I have never been more than friends. God, could you imagine how awkward that would be if he and I had been together and now I’m with Chris?” She shuddered and went back to washing her brush. “What a horrible thought. Matt’s a cool guy, and like I said, I love him, but he reminds me of my brother, and I remind him of his little sister. Our relationship has always been that way. We joke around and hang out, and I can objectively see that he’s an attractive guy, but I’m not attracted to him.” She shrugged. “And anyway, I’m totally in love with Chris, so … yeah.”
Hannah boosted herself up onto the counter next to the sink to continue this conversation, more drawn in than she’d expected to be. She hadn’t talked to Megan much, and wanted to know more about her relationships with the guys. “So how did you and Chris end up together?”
She shrugged, moving on to her next brush. “Proximity and opportunity, I guess?” Wincing without looking up, she went on. “That sounds terrible. No, I mean we were attracted to each other, but I doubt we would’ve acted on it if we hadn’t been constantly around each other. Anyway, he got all pissy and jealous that I was dancing with other guys at a party and dragged me out and kissed me.” Another shrug. “That was in September. We’ve been together ever since.”
Hannah laughed and shrugged in imitation of Megan. “Just,” a shrug, “and you’re together. Happily ever after and all that?”
Megan looked up at her and grinned. “Well, no, not exactly. We’ve had our ups and downs, but, yeah, we’re pretty happy now. I mean, nothing’s perfect, and relationships take work, but when you’ve found the right person, it’s worth it, you know?” She turned her attention back to washing her brushes. “But you do know. Otherwise I don’t think you’d be here.” With a glance at Hannah through her eyelashes, Megan continued, her tone morphing from friendly confidence to something smoother and more probing. “Matty’s been pretty quiet where you’re concerned. From the little he’s said and the way you guys went from zero to serious, I gather you have some history?”
Hannah snorted when Megan called him Matty. “Yeah, we met over the summer a few years ago.”
Drying off her last brush, Megan nodded. “He mentioned something about that. But you lost touch or something?”
“Something like that.” Hannah didn’t feel like going into all the details. She liked Megan, but she didn’t know her that well, and Matt and Chris were supposed to be home soon. She didn’t have time to go into everything that had happened between her and Matt.
Megan was quiet for a moment, waiting for Hannah to go on. When she didn’t, Megan looked up from drying her brush, eyes narrowed. “You’re as bad as him.” She made an annoyed noise in her throat. “Getting any info from either of you is like pulling teeth.” She shook her head in exaggerated exasperation.
Hannah grinned, Megan’s annoyance obviously real, but not like she was mad. Gathering her brushes in her hand, Megan headed back toward the living room. “If you’re going to be like that, then I’ll just have to take you out drinking and pry the information out of you that way.” At Hannah’s laugh, Megan cast a glance at her over her shoulder, her brows raised, eyes amused, fighting a smile of her own. “You think I’m joking. I promise I’m not.”
“Oh, I believe you. It’s still funny, though.” Hannah hopped off the counter and followed Megan. “Do you want to do it at my place? You’d get along well with my roommate. She knows all the details and I’m sure would happily fill you in sober, though if you’re offering liquor she’ll take you up on that too.”
Megan chuckled, popping into her studio to put her brushes away.
“Who’s offering liquor?”
At the sound of Chris’s voice, Hannah glanced down to make sure her robe was closed and crossed her arms over her chest. She hadn’t heard the front door open and guys come in. Chris tossed his keys on the coffee table and gave her a smile on his way to the studio to see Megan. “You throwing a party, babe?”
Megan stepped outside the door and wrapped her arms around Chris’s neck as his went around her waist. “Just Abby’s in a couple weeks.” She kissed him once and pulled back, tilting her head in Hannah’s direction. “But I’m going to get Hannah here sloshed and pry all the details about her and Matt out of her since neither of them will tell me anything.”
Hannah’s attention was diverted from Chris’s answer by Matt’s eyes raking up and down her body, her nerves sparking to attention as his gaze swept over her. He and Chris both wore athletic shorts and sweatshirts. Moving closer, he pulled her into his arms, the chill from his body seeping through the thin fabric of her robe. She still wrapped her arms around him, mimicking what Chris and Megan had done moments earlier, though she’d pretty much forgotten about them now.
She pressed herself into Matt. “Aren’t you cold?”
A quick grin crossed his lips, and he shook his head. “We just got done working out. The cool air feels good.”
Hannah chuckled. “Cool air? It’s freezing out.”
“Not quite. I think the bank sign said it was thirty-four. That’s above freezing.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, but before she could say anything, his mouth found hers. When he pulled back, his eyes had darkened, the pale blue of his iris a narrow band around the fathomless depths of his pupil. “You’re done modeling for today?” His voice came out lower and huskier than before.
Hannah nodded. “Yeah. I think we’re done altogether.”
His arms tightened around her waist, and she could feel him growing hard against her belly, the thin fabric separating them making it more obvious than normal.
A throat clearing to their right had them both turning their heads. Megan and Chris stood side by side, their arms still around each other, grinning at them like idiots.
“Do you need something?” Matt scowled.
Chris’s grin grew wider. “Not really. But you guys are sort of blocking the walkway here, so …” He gestured past them toward the living room.
Matt grunted. “Yeah, well, you guys are in the way to my room, so what d’you expect?”
While Chris laughed, Matt pulled Hannah to the side to let Chris and Megan pass, then dragged Hannah into his bedroom. Once the door was closed, his hands went to the sash at her waist, pulling it apart and pushing the robe off her shoulders.
She shivered as his cold hands skated over her bare skin, but his mouth on hers warmed her up right away. Lifting his sweatshirt and the T-shirt underneath, she slid her hands over his torso, running them over the firm muscles on his back, the dent of his spine straight and narrow in the center. First up, and back down, tracing that line until she came to his ass and slid her hands inside his shorts and the tight boxer briefs he wore while working out, squeezing the firm muscles there.
Breaking away with a groan, he set her back from him. “You’re killing me.” He flicked his fingers at her torso. “Take that off. All of it.”
With her arms cross
ed, she gripped the lower band of the bandeau bra and pulled it off over her head. Matt stood staring at her chest, making no move to undress as well. “Huh-uh. You have to undress too.”
His eyes raised to meet hers, a lazy smile on his face. “Yes, ma’am.” He stripped his sweatshirt off in one move, his T-shirt coming with it. They both bent and removed their bottoms at the same time, their eyes never leaving each other. Kicking his shorts to the side, Matt stepped forward, wrapping her up in his arms again and backing her toward the bed. Their legs tangled together when the bed hit her behind her knees, and she fell with a whoosh, Matt bracing himself on his arms so his weight didn’t land on her. His hands went to her breasts, kneading and squeezing them, holding them up for him to worship with his lips and tongue. She arched, and her breath hissed through her teeth when he scraped his over the hardened tips of her nipples, soothing them with the flat of his tongue.
He stayed there for a while, lavishing them with attention, only pulling back once to admire his handiwork. “You have great tits.”
Always You Page 14