His gaze surveyed her appreciatively, from the low-cut bodice down to the knee-length hem of the dress. "You look gorgeous."
She felt her cheeks flush, but had to admit she liked feeling so beautiful. So pampered and spoiled by him. "Thank you."
He pretended a frown and tapped a finger against his lips. "Something's missing."
She glanced down at herself, unable to imagine what she'd forgotten. "And what's that?"
"Accessories." He produced a flat velvet box, opened it, and showed her what he had in mind.
She gasped, her heart stuttering in her chest as she caught sight of the pearl-and-diamond choker and earrings she'd tried on at the boutique. "Matthew." She shook her head, in disbelief and denial. "I can't accept those!"
"Sure you can." A confident man, he merely smiled, undaunted by her refusal. "How about you consider it a memento of our special night together?"
That's one hell of an expensive memento, as was the dress!" She laughed, the sound strained, certain she'd never have another reason to wear such a lavish gift. I'd be just as happy with a key chain souvenir from the gift shop downstairs."
He chuckled and stepped behind her, securing the choker around her neck before she could object. "But that wouldn't go nearly as well with your outfit."
He coaxed her to put on the earrings, too, and she did so while telling herself that she couldn't, wouldn't, keep the jewelry. She'd wear it for now, for the night because it was all part of the fantasy, but she'd leave in the morning with only the items she'd come here with… and her heart intact.
Seemingly satisfied with himself, Matthew bowed gallantly and swept his hand toward the formal dining room. "Dinner awaits us," he announced, and escorted her to her table.
Sitting beside him, Faith positively glowed. Matthew loved the way she looked in that sexy black dress, and the way the necklace she'd been so reluctant to accept from him sparkled in the candlelight. As they dined on beef tenderloin, he enjoyed the way her eyes shone and her expression turned animated as she talked about her third-grade class of eight-year-olds as if they were her own.
He understood her dedication to her job and the kids she taught, because he felt the same way with his young patients. Those sick children all became a part of his life in some way, even if only for a brief time, leaving a lasting impression that never completely faded.
Just as Faith was leaving a lasting impression on his heart and emotions. On his soul. It was as though he'd found his other half, a woman who accepted him for who he was on the inside, not what he presented on the outside. She was meant for him, of this he had no doubts.
Now it was a matter of making her realize that, too.
They fed each other dessert, a rich, delicious chocolate souffle they washed down with sips of fine champagne while he regaled her with amusing stories about his childhood and siblings, hoping she'd see just what an ordinary guy he was, despite his medical degree and the old family money he'd been born into. He also made sure Faith knew he took nothing for granted, that his parents had taught him to work hard and earn his way in life, and he was doing that quite well.
But for as much as they'd shared during dinner, there was still one important issue they needed to discuss tonight, before they went any further. And he had a feeling if he wasn't careful in his approach, their night together might end before it truly had a chance to begin.
He scooted out his chair, stood, and held his hand toward Faith. "Care to dance?"
"Ahh, dancing," she said on a soft wistful sigh as she placed her fingers in his palm and allowed him to help her up. "Now there's something I haven't done in a long while."
He guided her to the middle of the spacious dining room, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her close. The area was dimly lit, the music drifting from the stereo speakers light and instrumental. "It's not something I do often either… usually just at the occasional social function, but tonight it gives me the perfect excuse to hold you in my arms."
She slid her arms around his neck, her fingers playing through his hair, her breasts warm and firm against his chest. "Ulterior motives, hmm?"
He caressed her spine, aligning their lower bodies, their thighs. "Guilty as charged."
She smiled up at him as they swayed together, her earlier caution with him completely gone. Her damp lips parted, and he knew she wanted him to kiss her, that she was more than willing to let things progress from there. He wanted that too. Soon.
He took the hand he was holding and pressed her palm over his beating heart, needing that intimate connection between them before he shattered the tranquillity of the moment. "Faith… what happened between you and the last guy you were dating?"
She stiffened, and that quickly he could feel her erecting those protective walls around her again. "Why does it matter?"
"Because I don't want to make the same stupid mistake he did and end up losing you." While his tone was teasing to put her at ease, he was totally serious.
She drew a deep breath, which did nothing to dispel the internal pain he saw flash across her features. "Matthew, we agreed on this one night, no more—"
He pressed two fingers against her soft lips to quiet her. "Just humor me and answer my question, okay? And if there's anything you want to ask me in return about my past relationships, I'm an open book."
She arched a brow, a hint of disdain glimmering in the depths of her eyes. "Including your broken engagement?"
He wasn't surprised she knew about that—the gossip among the single women in the hospital was ruthless, and most of the time, inaccurate or overinflated. It was that severed engagement and the dating that followed that had instigated his current reputation as a player, and he'd felt no need to defend himself… until now, when it ultimately mattered.
"I have absolutely nothing to hide from you," he said gently. "I'd like to hope that you feel the same way."
She glanced away for a long, quiet moment, then her gaze returned to his, her reserve firmly back in place. "I met Martin at a mutual friend's party, and he pursued me, until I finally gave in and went out to dinner with him. Once we started dating, things between us seemed to turn serious very quickly."
Matthew remained silent, listening, holding her close in his embrace and offering his caring and support the only way he could.
"Martin was a very successful lawyer, and I was always aware of the differences in our social standing when we were with his friends or colleagues. And when I tried to talk to him about my concerns, he'd dismiss them as inconsequential, promising me that those things didn't matter to him."
Her fingers absently traced the seam at the collar of his shirt, her gaze focused on something over his shoulder. "After nine months of seeing each other, he told me he wanted to get married and have kids. And just when I let my guard down and allowed myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, I could fit into his life and be what he wanted, I discovered that he didn't want those things with me after all. Something better came along for him."
"I can't imagine what that would be," he said in disbelief.
She inhaled a deep breath and looked back at him. "He met a sophisticated, well-bred woman who came from a wealthy family and had political connections that suited his career. And suddenly, he decided that an elementary-school teacher didn't fit his image as a lawyer, and that was the end of that."
Matthew swore, low and succinct, furious at the other man's callous treatment "Martin was a fool to let you go," he said gruffly. But that jerk's loss was definitely Matthew's gain. If he was able to get around the insecurities Faith's ex-boyfriend had instilled in her.
Her lips pursed tightly. "No, I was the fool, for letting him sucker me in with all the right words and for allowing him to use me the way he did."
He hated how disillusioned she'd been, but understood it well and used it to his advantage. "You and I seem to have something in common with our past relationships."
She frowned at him, her disbelief plain. "I can't imagine how, unless yo
ur fiancee was fooled by you, as well?"
That judgmental remark should have stung, but didn't, because Matthew now understood Faith's pain and felt it as his own. "No, I was the one who was almost fooled by Alison."
She stared at him in the flickering candlelight, her expression perplexed by his statement, and he explained while he had the chance.
"I don't deny that I was the one who broke things off with Alison. I overheard her talking to a friend on the phone about how she was finally going to become a surgeon's wife, and just how she planned on spending my money. She's not the first woman who's looked at me and seen dollar signs or the prestige of being a doctor's wife, but Alison hid it better than most. So, just like you, since then, I've been cautious."
She digested that information, seemingly shocked by the revelation. "And what about your reputation for 'playing around,' for being a playboy?" she asked curiously.
"I won't deny that the gossip about me around the hospital has run rampant the past year, but it's pure exaggeration and rumors." It was time to set the record straight, to lay the truth bare, because with Faith it mattered what she thought of him. "I told you, my reputation is highly overrated. Yes, I took a few of the nurses out for a casual date, but none of them got more than a peck on the cheek at the end of the evening."
He drew small soothing circles with his thumb against the base of her spine, and felt some of the tension in her body drain away. "With the women at the hospital, it's worse than a men's locker room when it comes to gossiping about the opposite sex. And after my broken engagement, I guess I became fair game. After I took one of the women out for a cup of coffee, the next day I heard through the grapevine that the two of us made out in her car before I took her home. Then I went out with another nurse, just to a movie, and the next thing you know gossip was circulating that she'd spent the night at my place." He shook his head, still unable to believe how the stories about him had snowballed. "It was as though everyone was trying to one up each other, and no one wanted to look like they'd been rejected by me when every woman had already reported how good I was sexually." He rolled his eyes at that.
She laughed, clearly humored by it all, and he was glad that she was able to find levity in the situation. "That must have done wonders for your ego."
He shrugged, knowing that his ego was firmly intact. "I'll admit, it became a huge source of amusement, but it never occurred to me that the rumors and gossip would hurt my chances with a woman who truly meant something to me." He tenderly stroked his knuckles down her cheek. "You're that woman, Faith."
Her eyes widened, but despite all that he'd revealed, her uncertainties were still a tangible thing, lingering in those guarded eyes of hers. "Matthew—"
Again, he pressed his fingers to her lips, silencing her. "I don't want to talk anymore, Faith." He'd given her enough to think about, and now he wanted to show her that what was between them was different than what they'd each experienced in their past relationships. That he was different than the man who'd used her, then destroyed her trust.
Grasping his wrist, she pulled his hand away, the insecurities in her gaze giving way to the same desire and hunger racing through him. "Then what do you want to do?"
"I want to make love to you… all night long." He dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder and trailed his lips up to her ear. "What do you say we take this up to the bedroom where I can love you properly on a big soft bed?"
Chapter Six
Faith's stomach tumbled as Matthew's choice of words flitted through her mind and her heart, adding to the conflicting feelings swirling within her—especially the need to trust him and all he'd told her, but his warm damp mouth and the slow slide of his hands along her back to her bottom were wreaking havoc with her thought process. At the moment, the only thing she knew for absolute certainty was that she ached to make love with him, too. And, in the morning, she hoped she'd be better able to sort through her emotions and put everything back into perspective before they went their separate ways.
With that decision made, she took his big hand in her smaller one and led the way into the bedroom. He turned on the lamp next to the bed, casting a soft glow in the room, and she caught sight of the condoms he'd left on the nightstand. When he stood in front of her again, his eyes adoring and filled with breath-taking emotion, she felt yet another chink in her armor fall away. This time, though, she didn't have the will to fight her surrender to this man who made her feel new and exciting things.
He lowered his head, and she met him halfway, her lips parting eagerly for his. The kiss they shared was slow and sensual, his mouth soft yet firm, his tongue lazily seducing her mind and senses.
Moaning, she arched closer to his hard muscular body. She twined her arms around his neck and felt his hands lift to her hair. He pulled out the clip holding up the heavy strands, and then the silky mass was tumbling around her shoulders and he was sifting the tresses through his fingers, tugging on them gently, adding to all the other deliriously arousing sensations rippling through her.
Kicking off her shoes, she dragged her flattened palms across his shoulders and down his chest. She found the buttons on his shirt and started unfastening them, wanting him naked. Wanting to feel his strong powerful body beneath her fingertips, against her lips—just as his lips were skimming down her neck, his tongue tasting, his mouth open, his breath damp and hot. She pulled the hem of his shirt from his trousers and shoved it off his broad shoulders at the same time he lowered the zipper on her dress and gently pushed the outfit in the same direction. She felt the fabric slither down her body, along with her strapless bra, leaving her dressed in a very scanty lingerie ensemble.
She shivered as the cool air hit her bared skin, and her nipples puckered tightly. She laughed, sounding more nervous than she intended. "It's chilly in here."
He glanced down the length of her, taking in her full breasts and the garter, panties, and stockings that encased her long legs. The grin that curved his mouth was pure sin. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I've got enough body heat for the two of us and I promise I'll warm you up."
She believed him, because beneath the hands she'd flattened on his chest, his flesh was hot, feverish. "You can warm me in a minute," she said, and splaying her fingers, she glided her palms down his torso to his belly, which clenched beneath her touch. "I want to have my way with you first."
He groaned as she leaned forward and laved his nipples with her tongue while her fingers unbuckled his belt, undid his slacks, and let them drop to the floor. She slid her hands into the waistband of his briefs, cupped his taut buttocks in her palms, and dragged his underwear down his thighs as her mouth traversed a path lower, tasting his skin and inhaling his scent.
Then she was kneeling before him, his pants and briefs kicked aside and his long thick erection curving upward, nearly reaching his navel. She licked her lips, fascinated by the size of him. Reaching out, she wrapped her fingers around his shaft, squeezing him gently. A drop of precome gathered on the tip, and she used her thumb to spread the silky drop of moisture over the head of his cock.
His fingers slid into her hair and curved against the back of her head, urging her forward. "Take me in your mouth," he rasped.
She did as he asked, enveloping him in the wet heat of her mouth, her tongue swirling and lapping down the rigid length of him. Then she took him as deep as she could and suckled slowly, rhythmically, greedily.
His entire body shuddered, and he exhaled sharply, dragging her mouth back up to his. He kissed her with an intensity that left her reeling and maneuvered her backward, until the back of her knees hit the edge of the mattress and he was pressing her down onto the middle of the bed. She went willingly, gasping as he caressed her breasts and plucked at the stiff peaks with his lips and teeth, then soothed her nipples with his soft tongue. His mouth continued down her ribs, scattering hot damp kisses across her belly, until he was kneeling between her spread legs.
He sat up, reaching for a condom and in seconds sheathed hims
elf. She was still wearing her panties, and she desperately wanted them off, but Matthew had other ideas in mind. His hot hands skimmed up her thighs, widening them even more, and then his fingers were fanning out over her mound and his thumbs were easing beneath the crotch of her underwear, sliding slowly, unerringly along her swollen folds, her aching cleft, teasing her with the promise of an explosive orgasm.
She moaned fretfully, grabbed handfuls of the comforter, and arched into his illicit touch, the word please escaping her throat. She was hot and slippery wet, trembling, her climax building momentum only to ebb when he deliberately changed the rhythm of his caresses.
He lifted his head, staring up at her from between her legs. His dark lashes cast shadows on his cheekbones, and his silky hair fell over his forehead, his eyes hungry, primal. "Come for me while I watch," he murmured.
He stroked again, one thumb gliding purposefully across her clit and the other pushing into her, then slowly withdrawing, again and again, until she was panting, then screaming and climaxing as the dual sensations washed over her.
As she lay there, trying to regain her strength to move, she felt him remove her garter belt and slide her panties down her legs, along with her stockings. She expected him to finally mount her, but she was learning quickly that Matthew wasn't a man who conformed to anyone's expectations but his own.
He settled himself between her thighs again, draping her legs over his broad shoulders. He looked his fill of her, stroked his fingers along her slick folds, increasing the heat where he touched her. On a soft, needy groan, he lowered his head, his breath hot against her overly sensitive flesh.
She grabbed a handful of his hair, certain she couldn't take another orgasm so soon after the first. "Nooo…"
"Oh, yes…"
His tongue touched her first, stealing her breath and stripping her of every last bit of inhibition. His skillful mouth pleasured her, slowly, leisurely, and everything he did to her, every soft, deep, erotic kiss, every lick, every suctioning swirl, felt exquisite. He worshiped her selflessly, leading her to the brink once again, until she was tumbling, tumbling, tumbling over the edge and shamelessly begging him to take her.
Wilde Novellas Page 14