"I understand, Andy, but I'd never push you into doing something you didn't want. I know that you do want this and I think you need this." Nora raised her brows and reached for the door handle. Andy could only take a deep breath as the door opened. Deciding it was now or never, Andy pushed Harper's stroller through the door onto the gleaming wood floor. The lighting was soft, except for the lights that were used to display the pieces of art. Those works were easily discernable.
"Nora, I'm so glad you made it." A tall, blonde haired woman came forward. She was smartly dressed in a dark pant suit and silver bangles on one wrist. Nora moved towards the woman and they hugged briefly.
"Andy, this is Amelia Benson. She is the curator for the gallery." Nora introduced them and Andy shook Amelia's hand. Surprisingly, her nerves dissipated somewhat as she took in Amelia's kind smile and quick wit. She didn't feel entirely at ease, but the butterflies had ceased to make her nauseous.
"Andy, I can't tell you how impressed I was with your photographs. They were outstanding." Amelia smiled, her brown eyes warm and engaging. Nora clapped her hands together happily.
"Thank you for thinking so." Andy swallowed hard. She knew she should be portraying more confidence than what she had, but she felt out of her depth. "I usually only take my camera out for fun. Nora is the one who forwarded my pictures to you."
Amelia and Nora shared a look, something communicated between them, but Andy wasn't sure what. Harper spit out her pacifier and started to howl. Reaching forward to quiet her daughter, Nora plucked Harper from the seat and began to bounce her around. They went from painting to sculpture to woven mat. Andy and Amelia were left alone.
"I will be frank with you, Andy. I liked what I saw. I think I can even sell some of them for you. The cowboys and the buffalo are insights to the heritage of this area. Both locals and tourists would see the value in what you captured yesterday." Amelia walked over to the table by the door. She picked up a business card, flipped it over and wrote on the back. The card was handed to Andy when she was finished.
"I appreciate your kind words." Andy mumbled, taking the card in between her fingers.
"This is my business card with my cell phone listed. On the back, I have written the contact information to a studio that will print your pictures and frame them as you want. I'd like to request six prints to put in my gallery."
Andy was speechless and just a bit more than shocked. She hadn't expected that. Six prints. Her first entry into a gallery. Her cheeks began to ache and only then did she realize that she was grinning like a little kid on Christmas morning.
"Thank you so much, Amelia. I will get them to you soon. I just can't thank you enough." Andy let out a girlish giggle and wondered just how professional that was. Still she never imagined this could happen and for once in a long while, a dream came true. Her eyes went to Nora, who oddly enough was watching her too. How lucky to find Matt and his family! She knew it was just that and she would forever be grateful. This was her chance to show them that she could land on her feet.
***
Her cell phone rang its familiar Duh. Dum. Duh. Dum. Pink panther song. Andy looked at the screen and couldn't help but smile. Matt. How fitting that he should be calling just as they pull into Nora's front yard. She wondered if they had binoculars down at the ranch house just for spying on who was coming and going. She clicked the phone on.
"Hello, Matt." She bit her lip, grinning in a slightly wicked manner.
"Hey babe! I wanted to congratulate you on your gallery acceptance. That's huge!" The warmth and enthusiasm in Matt's voice made her smile. Taking a seat on the daybed, Andy kicked off her shoes and scooted until her back was against the wall.
"How did you know already? We only just got home from town." She heard him chuckle.
"Nora sent out a mass text. I think she's just as excited as you are." Matt was right there. Nora hadn't stopped smiling all the way back. She had even mentioned something about taking candids at the wedding, which was the day after tomorrow.
"The gallery curator was amazing. She wants six prints with more to follow as they sell. I just never imagined that this would happen." She felt near to bursting with joy and pride. Her photos were just that. Hers. No one else could claim that they weren't and for once, she owned something all her own. It was heady and powerful.
"It's nothing more than you deserve, Andy. I've always known you were something special. Now you know it to be true for yourself." His words speared straight to her heart. All the doubt was overshadowed by the love and confidence that blossomed inside her.
"I couldn't have done it without you. You've turned so many things around in such a short amount of time. I wonder what it will be like years from now." She absently tugged on a loose thread from the quilt as she said all the words that came to her mouth. Her brain didn't even try filtering them. Matt's side was quiet for a moment and the huskiness resurfaced. Her entire core seemed to glow.
"Would you want to stay?" Matt's voice sounded sexy as hell, but she still heard the deeper question in his timbre. She lay back on her pillow and stared up at the ceiling.
"Would you want me to?" She questioned him back. She was sure there would be much to lose if this didn't work out. This answer, a real answer would mean all or nothing.
"I can't think of any place I'd rather have you than here in my arms." Ah, good answer. You didn't expect him to ask such an important question on the phone, did you? Her body stirred at his answer and as she closed her eyes, all she wanted to feel was his arms around her. She wanted to feel his muscular and insanely warm body next to hers. Skin to skin, heart to heart. She nearly groaned aloud.
"It sounds like a place I very much wish I could be." Andy didn't have to try. She purred into her speaker and sighed softly. The needing only seemed to expand tenfold. She heard Matt growl.
"Let's go out tonight; just you and me. There is a good bar downtown." Matt's invitation was laced with sexual undertones. She yearned for it, but the bar scene wasn't quite her thing. She never drank much and definitely not to the point she was out of control. It scared her too much to let someone else think for her. She heard Harper sniff in her crib.
"I can't leave Harper and I refuse to take her to a bar with us." Andy regretted offering Harper up as a shield, but her daughter was still a very big part of her life. Matt chuckled again.
"Of course she isn't going. Don't worry. Nora and my mom are babysitting over night for us." Before she could even question it, Matt continued. "We will have the cottage all to ourselves."
Bang! Instantly her emotions went full tilt and she embraced the molten heat surging through her veins. They'd have tonight together, alone. They could do all that she had been hoping to do since before she got injured. There was a niggle of the slightest misgivings about his mother watching Harper, but she reminded herself that Nora would be there. She trusted Nora.
"I'm in. What time do I need to be ready?"
***
Matt arrived at seven on the dot. He had showered, shaved, and even found his favorite cologne in the back of the medicine cabinet. Leaving his black cowboy hat on the dash of his truck, he closed the door and did a mental last minute check. Oh, you're behaving like a teenager! Tonight, he kind of felt like one. Smoothing out whatever imaginary wrinkles were in his pressed Wrangler jeans, Matt planted his feet before his sister's door and knocked twice. He heard the latch click before the door opened and Nora stood there, brow cocked in her best older sister knows best look.
"She's almost ready." Nora left the door open to him and walked further into the living room where Harper was in her car seat and a giant diaper bag was stuffed nearly to bursting.
"You are only spending one night at Mom's house. Does Harper really need that much stuff?" Matt gestured to the overnight bag and he used that term loosely. Nora rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Yes, genius! Anything can happen. Kids, especially babies, are walking disasters. Besides, half that bag is diapers, formula, and w
ipes." Nora pulled her Chadron State College hooded sweatshirt over her head and shrugged. "Besides, I didn't know when you two might be up and functioning tomorrow. I have to get the rehearsal dinner set up and make sure everything is on task for the wedding the day after that."
Matt felt a bit stupid asking his sister to take Harper tonight when she had this wedding to see to. It was probably poor timing on his part, but he needed this time with Andy. As far as he was concerned, by the end of Nora's wedding, he and Andy would have things figured out or they wouldn't. The deadline was something he felt deep into the marrow of his bones.
"I'll try not to be too late tonight. I really appreciate you covering for me. To make up for it, I'll help watch Drew while you and Randy are in Deadwood. Hell, I'll even pay for an extra couple of nights!" Matt grinned at his sister, who looked surprised by his gesture. Okay, it's not like I babysit all that often.
"Hmm, you have a deal. I'll get you the hotel information tomorrow." Now that was the smugly content Nora he knew. He chuckled, but it died as he heard heels on the wood floor. It drew him to the sunroom and his heart stopped right then. Black heels, dark skinny jeans, a thin silver belt and a shimmery silver top that was draped in such a way as to highlight Andy's beautifully rounded breasts.
"Hotel information?" Andy asked as she walked into the room. She seemed totally oblivious to the drool on Matt's face. Nora wasn't that blind-sided though. She giggled softly and nodded.
"Matt's paying for a couple extra nights in Deadwood for my honeymoon. If he knows what's good for him, he'll leave some money for the Black Jack tables too." She wrinkled her nose at him.
"Blackmail!" Matt's voice suddenly sounded scratchy to his ears and he cleared his throat. Meeting Andy's green eyed gaze just a few feet away, he could see a seductive glint. Oh she knows what she's doing to me! If he knew what was good for him, he wouldn't keep her at the bar all that long tonight. He held out his hand to her. "Shall we?"
"Absolutely." Andy's smile set fuel to the fire and she looked to Nora as she crossed the space between them. "If you need anything, Nora, just call. I can't thank you enough for watching her." Andy slid her hand into Matt's larger one and leaned up to kiss his cheek. Nora shrugged, smiling at them.
"No problem. I sort of think of Harper now as my niece. I always thought I'd be a pretty awesome aunt!" She smiled warmly at Andy and then offered a conspiratorial look with him. If he didn't propose to Andy soon, his family might beat him to it. Andy only smiled and picked up her clutch purse and black leather jacket off the couch.
"I'll call you in the morning, Sis." Matt said as he ushered Andy out the door.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." His sister called after them and he could only close the door on her gleeful laughter. Knowing Nora, that wouldn't limit him to anything! Matt walked briskly around the passenger side of the truck and opened the door as Andy just got there. Her heels were a bit challenging in the loose dirt and rock driveway. Helping her into the seat and closing her door, Matt took a deep breath and tried to imagine just how he was going to go about this date. As he opened his truck door to climb in, he found the girl of his dreams looking at him as if she couldn't wait to lose every bit of clothing they each wore. Ah, heck! It had really better not be a late night out.
"You look amazing tonight." Matt half whispered in the dark interior of the truck as they drove their way to Hot Springs. She slid her fingers along his hand on the seat and giving her seatbelt a pull, Andy shifted next to him. Coming to rest in the center, he suddenly found his palm flat on her thigh just above her knee. He almost couldn't breathe for the heat that flared brilliantly hot.
"I was feeling a little sexy tonight, so I thought I'd dress the part. I hope I didn't go too overboard." Andy crooned softly, her features dark in the truck. He couldn't make out much by the dashboard lights. His eyes were thirstily drawn to her lips and the fact that she kept running her tongue over her plump bottom lip.
"No one could hold a candle to you, Sweetheart." He squeezed her thigh, gliding his thumb along the seam of her pants; up and back. This heated flirtation was going to get him into trouble if he didn't slow it down. He heard her sigh as his thumb brushed closer to the fabric covering her core. Sweet God in Heaven! "Are you sure you want to go have drinks tonight?" The huskiness of his voice was testament to his heightened state of desire.
"One or two wouldn't hurt, right? We have something to celebrate." Her words made his nerves jump and he cleared his throat.
"What would that be, my love?" His chest tightened in expectation and wondered if Nora had said too much. Was she expecting him to propose tonight? Damn! I should have brought the ring. Andy nodded her head and covered his hand with her own.
"The gallery that is wanting six pieces to sell. That is what we are celebrating. Was there something else?" Her other hand miraculously found its way into his lap. His mouth went dry and his brain was blank. Matt had never met a girl who could give him amnesia, but he was experiencing that now.
"I'm sorry, what?" Matt let out a ragged breath as she boldly brushed the growing bulge in his pants. She'd be the death of him, he was certain. If they weren't so close to town, he'd turn them around and head back to Nora's. He'd keep her there until neither one of them could see straight, let alone walk.
"I can't believe we made it out of the house tonight. You just look so damn good and I feel so lucky to have my very own cowboy." Andy smiled to herself, her touch still setting fire to the skin under his jeans. He tried to focus and found it was getting tougher to drive and continue this foreplay.
"Bet you never thought you'd be with a cowboy from South Dakota, did you?" He grinned, his eyes drinking in her face. She shook her head.
"I didn't. Of course so many things happened that I didn't think would. You just happen to be a delightful surprise." She lifted her chin, meeting his gaze with her own. His heart clenched and he swore under his breath. She looked surprised when he pulled the truck off of the dirt road and put it in park. He unclicked his seatbelt and turned towards her. Spearing his hand through her long brown hair, Matt took her lips with all the force of a dying man and his last breath. He needed her. He wanted her. Not one day could go by that she didn't know how incredibly special she was to him.
Andy didn't hesitate for a second and clutched at his broad chest. Her tongue dueled with his in a mindless dance. He plundered and she coaxed. He pulled her closer, kissing along her jaw up to the small shell of her ear. He felt her shiver at the contact and he pressed her closer still. He had no doubt she could hear the fierce beating of his heart. Sliding his fingers up underneath her silver shirt, he marveled at the soft, warm flesh he found. He followed her ribs up to the rounded curve of her breast and his thumb wiped across her nipple. She hissed at the sharp intake of breath and her forehead tipped into his shoulder.
"I don't think we are going to make the bar in one piece, baby." Matt growled in her ear and Andy giggled breathlessly. Lifting her head to look in his eyes, she pressed another liquid fire kiss to his lips. Her fingers played with the longer hair at the back of his neck and he groaned with need into her mouth. She nipped; grazing his lower lip with her teeth. Leaning back against the seat, Andy looked every bit the siren he saw in her.
"Let's go home." The heat that smoldered in her eyes left him physically weakened. Such a simple command made him want to send his truck tearing up those dirt roads all the way home. Reckless and foolhardy, but unable to control the gaping need inside him. Amazingly, he locked his seatbelt back into place and turned the truck around. He might drive faster than he was supposed to, but he very much wanted them both to get there in one piece. Andy snuggled in next to him and kept her hand in his lap.
Chapter Twenty Six
Her blood was pumping as hotly as it had ever done, perhaps more so. She couldn't help but grin when Matt's Chevy truck came to a rolling stop in Nora's drive. The headlights shining on the dark house said that it was all theirs. Her head spun at the thought of spending
an entire night alone with Matt Johnson. She hadn't shared a bed with him since the accident and the last time that they had slept together was tainted by his inadvertent betrayal and his crazy ex-girlfriend trying to kill her. So much had gone wrong in such a short amount of time and it was time to change their luck. No more secrets. No more should haves. No more I wish I could have. Now was the time for doing what felt right and what would be a start to something absolutely amazing.
Matt turned the key off in the ignition and clicked the headlights off. Andy could feel every inch of her body tingling where it was pressed against his; thigh to thigh, side to side. She desperately wanted to know what it would feel like to not know where her body started and his body ended. Please, never let it end. She bit her bottom lip in anticipation. Pure adrenalin pumping through her veins and she enjoyed the sensation. She wanted to remind him why they were there and cupped the ridge of his pants. She met those blazing blue eyes in the soft silver light of the moon outside.
"Just in case you forgot." Andy purred, leaning fractionally closer. His chin lowered an inch and he looked directly into her eyes. The silence in the cab of the truck beat like a bass drum. Her nerves were on end with wonder. Slowly, a wicked smile spread across his handsome face and her veneer of calm cracked. His hand slid up her bare arm over her shoulder and along the curve of her neck. His fingers wound into her long hair, tipping her head higher for his kiss. His lips claimed hers like a warrior claimed his woman. She might have taken exception to that, but it was so sexy. She liked the power in his grip, but she also knew that he would never use that power against her. Matt wasn't threatening. She thrived on his strength and pulled it into herself. By the time that he pulled back from their soul-searing kiss, she was panting for air. He adopted that wicked grin again.
"Just in case you forgot." The depth of his voice drifted over her skin like a sliding piece of silk. She was desperate for more. Andy leaned her breasts against his chest, wishing his hands were on them. Matt smiled again, leaned forward and whispered huskily in her ear. "It will be so much better inside." She watched him from the corner of her eye and grinned shyly as he pulled back. His hand reaching to the door panel, he opened it and helped her out.
Black Hills Angel (Black Hills Series) Page 29