Yolanda had almost made it to the top of the stairs when I walked into the hallway. She had a welcoming smile everywhere she went.
“Good morning, Yolanda,” I greeted her.
“Good morning to you to, Kate,” she replied. “Can I get you something to eat?”
“I was just coming down for a drink of water,” I answered. “But I can probably have a bite to eat.”
“What would you like?” She asked. “I’ll make anything you want.”
“Maybe a chicken salad,” I suggested.
“No problem Kate,” Yolanda answered. “I will prepare it and bring it up for you.”
“It’s alright, Yolanda. I’ll come and help.”
“No, no Kate,” she answered quickly. “Mister Lewis said to make sure you got your rest today. And I like taking care of the cooking. Let me bring it up for you, okay Kate?”
I nodded and she went back down the stairs. I knew Matt put her up to it, so I wasn’t upset. I knew, though, that eventually I was going to go stir crazy if I couldn’t keep busy. I wondered if the police had made any progress in finding that man who attacked me. At least then the threat would be gone and things might be able to go back to normal.
I went into the room with the clothes that Matt had bought me, thinking I’d look to see what I might wear to the fundraiser. I picked out some boots, a pair of comfortable jeans and a lovely sweater I had been eying the first time I went into the room. I took them into my guest room and placed them on the armchair. I remembered I had two books in my purse that I had been meaning to read for weeks.
I pulled one of them out, and got comfortable in the ottoman near the window. Yolanda returned with lunch on an exquisite serving tray, and set it down on the end table beside me. I ate and began reading, thinking it was probably going to be one of the most relaxing days I had had in a while.
* * *
I heard Matt’s voice in the hallway before I saw his gorgeous face. He was beaming as he walked in.
“How was your day?” he asked, looking like he had some news he could barely hold back.
“Completely uneventful, but very relaxing,” I answered. I stood up and gravitated over to him, unable to be in the same room with him without getting closer. He towered above me in height, but managed to lean down and gave me a peck on the cheek. “So, what’s got you brimming with such delight, Lieutenant?”
“You do, Miss Samuel,” he answered, slipping one hand around my waist and pulling me closer.
“Why? What did I do?” I asked, puzzled. I thought for sure he had some good news for me.
“I couldn’t wait to come home to tell you,” he grinned. “My family’s charitable foundation is going to fully sponsor a housing program for the fire victims who didn’t have insurance!”
“Really?” I shouted with excitement. “That’s unbelievable. How did you swing that?”
“I took it to the board this afternoon. For some reason, one of the members from out west had seen some media coverage of your fundraiser tomorrow. They did the selling to the other members, and voila, done deal.”
“I can’t believe it! So how soon will the families be able to access it?”
“Well, not before next fall,” he continued, “but that’s where it gets better.”
“What do you mean?”
“The longer term plan is to reclaim the land and rebuild the row houses where they were destroyed,” he explained. “But for now, there’s a condo development about 20 blocks away, with unit capacity for 35 families. One of the real estate holding companies I have a share in, owns them. And instead of putting them on the market, they’ll lease it to the charity for just the monthly maintenance cost. The charity will, in turn, sublease the units to the families until the row houses are rebuilt.”
“You’re amazing, you know that?” I said to him in utter admiration. “That’s got to be over a quarter million per month in revenues you’re foregoing to house the families.”
“More like half a million a month, but who’s counting?” he quipped. “It’s all a write-off anyway. You know how these things work. It all works out in the wash. What matters is they’ll have somewhere to settle into before Christmas.”
“That’s a lot of money, Matt,” I said softly. I couldn’t believe he’d do so much for people he barely knew. “Are you sure you want to do all that?”
“What’s money, if not a way to help more people,” he declared.
I looked up at him, and I had to sit down. I knew exactly why his statement had affected me. I felt the tears rolling down my face before I could control it.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, puzzled at my reaction.
“Nothing’s wrong,” I whimpered. “I’m so impressed by your generosity, and what you said reminds me of something my grandmother would always say.”
I completely broke down at that point.
Chapter 9
I had my hands over my face, with my body heaving uncontrollably. Matt was perplexed, as my breakdown came out of left field for him. He did the only thing he thought would help. He gathered me up into his arms, pressing my head into his comforting chest as I sobbed. I had not cried like that since I was very young.
I didn’t cry when my nana passed away. I was too angry. I had felt there would never be another generous soul anywhere near my life. I was too busy blaming my mother. I spent too much of the time planning my exit; and then I had to be strong to survive without my parents.
The tears and sobs seemed never-ending. I wanted to explain to Matt what his gesture meant to me, but the words wouldn’t come. The flood of emotion overcame me. The tears had been a long time coming, and I had to let them out. I needed to mourn for my grandmother. I needed to let her go and embrace her belief in the goodness of the world.
“I’m here for you, Kate,” Matt said, running a hand down my back to console me. “Whatever you’re feeling, I’ll be here.” I felt his arms tighten around me, moving his hands in circles to help me calm down. My heart quickened. Finally, as my breathing came under control, I pulled away, whimpering and wiping my eyes. Matt walked over to the night stand and brought me a box of tissues. I pulled out a few and blew my nose hard.
“I think I need some fresh air,” I whimpered.
“Of course,” Matt perked up, guiding me out from the bedroom into the hallway, then down to the balcony. I looked out toward the skyline views but saw nothing. Memories kept flooding in of the past few years. Doing it all on my own, missing nana, resenting my parents. I barely noticed when Matt ran over to the hallway closet and grabbed a coat, then ran back and draped it over my shoulders. He stood beside me with his arms cradling my back, silently, patiently. Everything about him oozed genuine kindness.
“I’m sorry about losing it like this, Matt,” I offered between sputtering and hiccups.
“Don’t be,” he answered. “Anything I can do? I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”
I looked over at him and my breath hitched. “Look at what I did to your shirt. It’s a mess.”
He looked down at his chest and smiled. “You know, from this angle, it kind of looks like a heart.”
We both laughed, although there was more sputtering and sniffles between my chuckles. He had a way of making me feel so at ease. I stood in the same spot and told Matt everything. About my family, my life before leaving home, my grandmother, my escape, and about why what he said led to such a reaction. He was right. He was a good listener. He waited until I was finished sharing it all.
“Wow. You’ve been through so much. You’re such a strong woman, Kate,” he said. I didn’t have an answer. I kept looking out at the city skyline, illuminated by the sky glow of artificial lights. It had a manner of beauty about it, but it was nothing like the natural night sky in the country.
“And your grandmother sounds like an amazing person,” he continued.
“She was,” I concurred.
“I can see why the necklace meant a lot to you now,” Matt replied.
“It was the least I could do for you, Kate,” he answered. “You lost so much. And you’ve given so much of yourself. Kate, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you.”
My heart stumbled and I didn’t know what to say for a few moments. “Thanks, Matt. What you’re doing for the displaced families, it’s…well… I love that you would do that for complete strangers. You’re now the kindest man I know.” I blurted the last part out. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. He deserved to know how I felt. I could have told him I loved him for it, but I kept that part to myself.
“I-I don’t know what to say,” Matt hesitated. “Thank you, Kate.” He shivered and rubbed his hands together. “It’s getting nippy out here. Let’s get inside before we freeze, young lady.”
We went back inside and I noticed the cops weren’t at the door.
“Where did the officers go?” I asked him.
“They’re downstairs at the concierge desk,” he answered. “There’s only one way up here, so I told them to stand guard from the lobby and parking entrances. No need for you to worry about a thing, either. I’ll protect you. I just wanted you all to myself tonight.”
His statement tugged at my heart. I paused in hesitation before I could answer. “Really, Lieutenant? And what did you have in mind?”
He leaned down and whispered playfully in my ear, “Some very bad things, Kate Samuel. Right here on the kitchen counter.” My skin flushed at the sound of his voice, and suddenly the room was too hot. It was impossible not to react to his imposing, masculine presence. He slowly placed one hand on my shoulder, and my body shuddered from his gentle, sensual touch. I let out a shaky breath that I didn’t realize I was holding in.
“You’re beautiful when you’re blushing,” he continued, without moving from my ear. This time, I couldn’t hold back. My mouth found his. Like a brutal storm, my kiss was demanding and fierce. There was no hesitation, only urgency and hot passion. Matt responded in kind. Pulling me closer, he met my desire and hunger head on. What I couldn’t say to him in words, the admiration I held in my heart for him, I expressed with my carnal need.
“God, Kate, you make me so hard,” he growled between breaths from my savage kiss. Instinctively, my hand reached down to his erection through his pants. He moaned aloud. The sound was intoxicating. My stomach clenched and I felt myself getting wet with instant arousal. Matt’s hands reached for my waist, lifting me up with ease, and gently placing me on the large island counter in the center of the kitchen. He spread my legs and stood between them, continuing the kiss. We stayed there for a few moments, just captured in the most passionate kiss, with no other thoughts or distractions.
I wrapped my legs on his, getting as close as I could to his hardness. I needed it. I needed him as close as he could be, to fill the emptiness that lingered there. His fingers were swift and adept, undoing the button and zipper of my blue jeans with lightning speed. I felt him slide his hands to the back seam of my pants waist, and tugged it down to my hips. I used my hands for support behind me and tilted my hip off the counter so he could get it off me completely. By then, I could see a wildness in his darkening eyes. He undid his shirt and slid out of his pants and boxers, tempting me with every motion.
“I want you inside me so bad, Matt,” I sighed in a raspy, seductive voice.
He charged forward and ripped the buttons of my shirt to get it off. We were both past our sensual tipping points. All that was left was primal, pure and untainted lust. Heat pooled between my legs as I grabbed onto his hips and guided his raging erection into me. His hands met my shoulders and he jerked his manhood into me, then cupped my ass. I thrust my hips forward into him, feeling his heat snake up through my belly, wanting more of him.
His eyes grew darker with desire and arousal. I felt him pull back and slam his cock inside me, right to the root, with a brute force that made me gasp with pleasure. His thrusts became rhythmic, slamming deeper into me with every movement. He leaned forward slightly without breaking the pattern, and groaned as his tongue met my left nipple. The sensation drove me insane with a wild need to feel him deeper. I fisted his hair with both my hands, feeling my climax rising up from deep within my stomach.
“Come for me, Kate,” he moaned. I couldn’t hold back any longer. I exploded on his hardness with a long, seething moan, and felt my channel flooding with a welcome burst of pleasure. He continued to pump back and forth, cradling my limp body as it quivered involuntarily. He tucked his head into my neck, supporting my back as the energy drained from me. I didn’t want him to stop, so I gently rocked my hips at the same pace that he moved, still pleasured by his hardness hitting against my deepest, most sensitive spot.
I began to nibble on his ear and the sensation must have put him over the edge. His massive hands gripped my hips firmly, and his hot raging erection sank deeper and faster into me. He groaned aloud in a feral, ancient howl, and jerked forward inside me with one sharp, punishing move. I felt his hot release deep inside me and held him around his broad chest. Unable to think or hold up my own body weight, I slumped onto his strong, majestic chest. We both continued to pant for air and strength. It took some time before we could speak again, but no words were needed. It was simply bliss.
Matt began to catch his breath. “Wow,” he whispered. “You are… amazing. You know, I may never let you leave me after that.”
I couldn’t find a reply to it. I was at the point where I didn’t want to ever leave.
“In fact, I’m not,” he continued. “You’re staying here with me. And don’t even object. There is no way I’m letting you pack anything up in the new year to be anywhere else. Even if they catch that dirt bag who attacked you, you’re staying here with me. You don’t have to answer now. But I want you to know, you have a home here with me. Always.
I wasn’t sure if it was Matt speaking, or his enjoyment of our spontaneous sensual encounter. I also couldn’t tell if he was saying it out of pity for what I shared with him earlier about leaving home. I didn’t respond because I needed it to sink in.
“Believe it or not,” he said a few minutes later as he caught his breath, “What I was planning to do tonight was show you the tasty Chinese food dinner I got on the way home.” He pointed to the boxes of takeout on the counter near the sink.
“Matt! Why didn’t you tell me?” I grinned, feeling slightly embarrassed for my seductive outburst.
“Well I thought I’d show you, but you had other plans for Matt,” he joked. “What I really wanted was to take a very special woman out to dinner to celebrate. But it was hard finding a restaurant with romantic seating for 22 on such short notice. And now that I think about it, your plan was way better.”
I looked at him and could only laugh.
“I’m starving,” he announced. Let’s freshen up and eat.”
I smiled as we gathered up our clothes and went upstairs to our respective rooms to change. I was loving every moment with Matt. I loved the conversations; my ability to tell him everything without reservation; his fun-loving side; the mind-blowing love-making. There was no denying that his kindness to my neighbors melted all the hate and sadness that had clamped itself around my heart like a vice. There was no denying I had fallen hard for Matt. As I dressed, I could only hope he felt the same for me. I let out a sigh, not sure there was any way to avoid the possibility of the best of times, or another heartbreak.
Chapter 10
It was finally the day of the fundraising event at the radio station. The housing commitment from Matt’s foundation had been a phenomenal help. It took care of the shelter needs for the families, and was a mini miracle in itself. Still, more help was needed to provide food, supplies, clothing and basic household furniture and equipment. I was happy to help play a part in taking care of some of these needs.
I woke up early, excited to be back at work, and back on the radio, albeit for under an hour
of the afternoon show. With my having been off work, George had to assign two of the full-time DJs to lead the show programming. They managed to squeeze me in for a short segment. George had no qualms admitting my inclusion had to do with what he called my new found celebrity. It didn’t matter why. I was glad to be there to help out.
Matt had left for an early day at the fire station, so Ross drove me over to work. I wasn’t too impressed that I had to be accompanied by the 2 police officers and Matt’s entire security detail. I learned first-hand that coordinating for such a large group to go anywhere was interesting at best. Four of the private security team, along with 2 NYPD officers did an assessment and sweep of the radio station and surrounding buildings. They had reported back to Matt by phone the night before.
According to them, it was a moderate risk site, because of the mediocre building security controls and public access. I told Matt and the 2 officers there was nothing that would keep me from the fundraiser, so they conceded and made the preparations for me to attend. It was George who had the not-so-exciting task of figuring out where to fit them all during the event.
I knew there was little progress in the case to find my attacker. It was understandable. The attack at the hotel had only happened a few days before. I had not yet visited the police station to give my formal statement, or to look through suspect photos. As I would be out that day for the fundraiser, the plan was for me to head to the station after the event, while the tan coat team was already deployed.
George was the first to see me when I walked off the elevator at work. He walked up with his arms outstretched; giving me the warmest hug he’s probably ever given a woman.
“How are you feeling, honey?” he asked, looking me up and down with concern. Before I could answer he noticed what I was wearing. “Is this all Alexander Wang? Richard would kill for some of his pieces. So luxurious. Such great lines.”
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