Welcome To Redemption: Series Collection (Books 1-6)

by Donna Marie Rogers

  Matt managed to disentangle her feet first, then his own. Once they were both standing, he took her back into his arms. “Hard to flip, huh?”

  Carrie laughed softly, her eyes closed as she inhaled his wonderful scent. “I said hard, not impossible. Be thankful I use fertilizer; the grass is as soft as a pillow-top mattress.

  “And do you own a pillow-top mattress?” His breath whispered across her ear, turning her knees to Jell-O.

  Carrie’s heart was so full she thought she might float away like a helium balloon. For the first time in so long she couldn’t remember, her guard was down and her mind open. She’d lumped most men into the same despicable category for years, but thanks to Matt she’d finally started to believe in the opposite sex again. That maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t wind up as some bitter old cat lady. “You may very well find out, but it won’t be tonight. I’m not that easy.”

  He pulled back and cupped her cheeks, his thumbs stroking gently under her chin, his gorgeous face illuminated by the moonlight. “I’d have been disappointed had you invited me in to find out.”

  Liar. She grinned. “Yeah, right. You’re just saying what you think I want to hear.”

  He reached up and caressed her face, traced his thumb across her bottom lip. “I’m a hundred percent serious. As much as I want you—and Carrie, I’ve never wanted a woman more—the first time we make love is going to be perfect. And, no, I’m not just saying what I think you want to hear.”

  Carrie could hear the humor in his voice, but also the sincerity. Somehow, she knew he meant every word, and the thought excited her like nothing else. She slid her arms up around his neck and pulled him down for a second kiss. Matt slanted his mouth across hers and crushed her to him. As their lips and tongues meshed with hungry need, Carrie couldn’t stop thinking about her comfy pillow-top mattress.

  By the time Matt tore his lips from hers, she could barely think straight. He gave her one last kiss on the forehead. “This night has been incredible. I haven’t been so happy in…I don’t know how long. But if I don’t leave now, I can’t promise my good intentions will hold out.”

  “And I can’t promise I wouldn’t change my mind about being easy,” she admitted, only half joking, as she grasped his hand and led him back into the house. They rode to Matt’s house in comfortable silence. Carrie had plenty on her mind to keep her thoughts occupied, and she supposed Matt did as well. She decided to walk him to his back door, which got a chuckle out of him.

  “I can honestly say this is a first; a woman walking me to the door.”

  She backed him up against the vinyl siding, then smoothed her hands up his chest and around his neck. “You know, I’ve never really been the jealous type, but I’m very glad to be your first.”

  Matt slid his hands into her back pockets and pulled her flush against him. Carrie gasped as the proof of his desire burned against her belly. “I’m going to be your first for a lot of things, Carrie. Most importantly, I’m going to be the first man to not let you down. You can trust me, sweetheart. I swear it.”

  Carrie’s heart did a funny little flip. More than anything she wanted to believe him. Believe in him. But she had to be realistic. They’d barely known each other, really known each other, a week. “I get that you mean what you say, but—”

  Matt stopped her words with a searing kiss. When he lifted his head, he said, “No buts. Have a little faith, Carrie. Believe in us.”

  All she had the strength to do was nod, floored by his choice of words. More than anything she wanted to trust him. And darn it, that’s exactly what she planned to do. She’d suffered enough at her ex-husband’s hands; no way would she let him rob her of a possible future with a wonderful, honest man like Matt Jacobs.

  “I do,” she said, and meant it. “I trust you.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his chest. The beat of his heart was comforting, reassuring. “So, should I plan to see you bright and early tomorrow, or do you plan to sleep in?” she teased.

  “Actually, I have to drive Lindy into Green Bay tomorrow. She wants to hit the YMCA for an hour or so, then have lunch in town. And to finish the day off, she’ll probably drag me to the nearest mall.”

  Carrie mumbled an “Oh, okay,” against his chest, but truthfully, her throat was thick with disappointment. She’d imagined they’d spend the morning working side by side, and since Matt didn’t work weekends at the library, she figured he’d probably stay and close the shop with her for the first time. Maybe discuss the new menu they had in the works.

  Then she’d invite him back to her place, cook him supper again...something healthier this time. Wait, what the heck was she doing? She may not follow some strict diet, but she ate plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, drank tons of water, took vitamins religiously. Probably why she was always so frustrated by those extra fifteen pounds she couldn’t seem to shed no matter what she tried. Okay, true, she’d never been much for working out. Maybe it was time she started jogging or something.

  Yeah, right, she thought with a mental snort. There wasn’t a bra made that could hold her boobs down so she could run comfortably.

  Matt kissed her on the top of the head and unhooked her arms from around his neck. “I’d better get inside while I still can. It’s hard to think straight when you’re this close.”

  “I know the feeling.”

  He grinned. “Any chance we can get together Sunday?”

  “I’d like that. Supper again, my place? You bring the movie?”

  “Deal.”

  * * *

  “I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven,” Matt declared, as he forked up a huge bit of lasagna. “You’re a fantastic cook.”

  Carrie tipped her wineglass at him. “And you can lie with a straight face. Good to know.” She gave him a cheeky grin. “Seriously, thanks. I’ve learned a lot living next to Lauren. She can make a something like Coq au Vin one night, and tater tot casserole the next. So I have quite a mix of recipes saved up.”

  Matt gazed across the table, unable to take his eyes off of her. Corny as it sounded, she became more and more beautiful to him every day. She’d sleeked her gorgeous, shiny, long hair back in a ponytail, emerald teardrop earrings hung from her ears, and a matching necklace nestled in her cleavage. She wore a powder blue baby-doll T-shirt tonight, the light shade really making the deeper blue of her eyes stand out. “I like tater tot casserole,” he said, having no clue what it was. Somehow he knew he’d like it.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  They ate in silence for awhile. Matt couldn’t remember the last time he’d wolfed down so much food. Since they planned to veg out in front of the TV, he really wasn’t concerned with physical activity for the next few hours. Heck, maybe she’d offer to rub his belly. The thought brought a smile to his face.

  “What’s so funny?”

  He almost laughed out loud. “Nothing. Just thinking about Lindy.”

  Carrie popped the last of her breadstick into her mouth and washed it down with a mouthful of wine.

  “That’s right, I forgot to ask. How was your trip into Green Bay? Did Lindy enjoy herself?” She refilled her glass and gazed at him with those mesmerizing blue eyes.

  Matt watched her, wanting nothing more than to leap across the table and kiss her soundly. He managed to control himself, but it was a near thing. “She did. Thought the city was magnificent. Wanted to cruise around the older sections of town and check out the homes. Practically bounced in her seat when we discovered a beautiful old church on the east side of town. She even took pictures of it…which was a little out of character, but fun to watch.” He took a quick sip of his wine. “Let’s see…Oh, we rode past Lambeau Field, even though Lindy can’t stand football. Just seemed sacrilegious not to.”

  “It really is,” Carrie confirmed in all seriousness. Then she grinned and took another sip of her wine. “Bounced in her seat? I don’t know. Somehow I can’t picture that.”

  “Nonetheless, it’s true.
Can’t remember the last time I saw her so excited.”

  She giggled. “‘Nonetheless’. Who even uses that word?”

  “I just did. And it’s a perfectly good word, smartass.” God, how she enchanted him. He needed to keep his thoughts PG, or things could get incredibly uncomfortable on the sofa.

  She shot him a saucy look before getting up to clear the table. Matt jumped to his feet to help. By the time he escorted her into the living room, she could barely keep her hands to herself. She tried to pull him down on the sofa with her, but Matt needed to pop the movie into the DVD player—thankfully, because he also needed to cool the hell down or he’d never make it through the movie.

  But he did need her to sleep soundly tonight. If she woke up too early in the morning, it would ruin the surprise he had planned.

  “I could use a refill before I start the movie. You?”

  She tipped her glass back and drained it. “Yep. Just bring the bottle. You know, believe it or not, I haven’t had anything to drink in almost two years.”

  “Oh, I believe it,” he teased, wondering why she felt the need for such fortification tonight. He retrieved the bottle, grabbed the remote off the coffee table, and plopped down next to her on the sofa. Carrie leaned into him and snuggled against his side.

  Matt was a happy camper, no doubt about it. He hit play. “Hope you like what I picked out.”

  “I’m sure I will. I love movies.” She craned her neck to peer up at him. “Unless it’s a Kung Fu movie. Hate those.”

  Matt chuckled. He could stare into those big blue eyes all night long. “No Kung Fu. It’s a comedy. And I’m glad you like movies, I’m a bit of a buff myself.” She smiled and snuggled into his lap. Matt prayed for strength as he took the wineglass from her hands and set it on the table. “So, how was your day yesterday? Did the Whitman order finally arrive?”

  She let out a delicate yawn, nodding as she did. Surprising since it was barely six thirty in the evening. And if she passed out now, she’d never sleep late in the morning.

  He tried to get her to sit up a little. “Come on, sweetheart, you don’t plan to fall asleep on me, do you? The movie’s about to start.”

  “No, sorry, I’m good. I stayed up late reading last night. It’s been awhile since I read a book so good I couldn’t put it down.”

  “You know, for all the reading you do, I think I’ve seen you in the library once.”

  A sheepish grin pursed her lips. “I buy a new book every week at the grocery store. A habit I picked up from my mother.”

  “I can think of a lot worse habits.”

  The previews finally ended, and Carrie let out an adorable squeal when she realized what movie he’d rented. “I love Night at the Museum.” She sat up a little straighter, wrapping both her arms around one of his. “Ben Stiller’s a riot.”

  Matt gave her a peck on the forehead. “Glad you like it. It’s not exactly a new release, but I was hoping you hadn’t seen it yet.”

  “I’ve watched it with Lauren and the kids several times. “She looked up at him and said in a deep voice, “Hey, Dum-Dum, you got gum-gum?”

  Matt burst out laughing and Carrie did, too. Her face grew pink, and he wasn’t sure if it was embarrassment, the wine, or both.

  Although he cursed the circumstances that had brought him to Redemption, in an odd way he almost wished it’d happened years ago so he could’ve met Carrie sooner. Maybe they’d be married by now, have a couple of kids.

  Whoa…holy shit. Married with kids? Matt took a healthy gulp of his wine.

  “Carrie?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Tell me about your ex-husband.”

  Chapter Seven

  Slowly, she sat up and stared at him. “Buzz kill. I don’t wanna talk about him. Ever.” Matt reached out and traced his finger down her cheek, but she pulled back and scooched into the corner. “Carrie, we have to talk about him. I mean, look how just the mention of him sets you off.”

  She stared at the TV, stubbornly silent. Just when he’d decided to drop the subject, she said, “Not much to tell, really. We met in high school, he was a bad boy, I fell hard and fast. Before I knew it, we were married and miserable. He, uh, wasn’t a very nice guy.”

  Matt stilled, afraid of the answer to his next question. “Did he hurt you?”

  She gave a bitter laugh. “You could say that.”

  He gently coaxed her back into his arms. She resisted for all of two seconds. “You can tell me, Carrie. You can trust me, I swear.”

  She gazed up at him, and her face fell; tears filled her eyes. She angrily swiped them away. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be a baby. I just try not to think about that time in my life. It’s over and done with. He moved down to Madison, opened his own coffee shop. I’ll never have to look at his face again, and that’s good enough for me.”

  “Sweetheart, what did the bastard do to you?”

  “What didn’t he do? He was evil. Well, supposedly he had a chemical imbalance, which his mother decided to share with me after I’d married the nut. They moved to town when we were in tenth grade. Charlie and Drew were in a couple of classes with him, and I was friends with Drew’s girlfriend, so we all hung out together.

  “I know this is going to seem hard to believe, but he never laid a hand on me until after we were married. And once he started...well, it just got worse and worse.”

  Matt had to take deep breaths to keep his anger in check. He massaged her neck with gentle pressure.

  She snatched her wineglass off the coffee table for a couple of quick sips. “I’ve never told anyone the whole story before.”

  “You don’t have to…I had no right—”

  “No, I want to.” She set her glass down and leaned back. “It’s just...hard. And embarrassing. He started hitting me about a month into the marriage. For stupid stuff like forgetting to buy bread when I was at the store, or not washing his favorite jeans.”

  “Didn’t anyone realize something was wrong? Your brothers? Charlie and Drew?”

  She gave her head a vehement shake. “I was careful, acted blissfully happy whenever anyone was around. Charlie suspected, but I swore everything was fine. I managed to keep it a secret for over four years.”

  “Jesus.” He crushed her to him, stunned to learn she’d endured four years of abuse—physical and emotional—before anyone figured it out.

  “Sometimes it seems like yesterday,” she admitted against his cheek. “And I’m not proud of some of the thoughts I had back then.” She pulled back and faced him, the desolation in her eyes breaking his heart. “The last time Rob hit me, Charlie showed up. Rob had me by the hair and was slamming my head against the fridge when the back door burst open. Charlie beat the hell out of him, and then got me out of there. Rob decided to press charges and used some...pictures he’d taken of me to force my hand.”

  Matt was afraid he knew exactly what kind of pictures the pig had held over her head. “You don’t have to tell me.”

  Tears welled in her eyes again and she looked away. “We were newlyweds, it was our friggin’ honeymoon. Yes, I let him take some nude pictures of me. I trusted him, he was my husband. It’s not like—”

  “Carrie, you don’t have to justify yourself to me. I’m not judging you. I’ve even developed a little respect for Charlie.”

  “He saved me from major head trauma—maybe saved my life—and for that, I’ll always be grateful. And he knew I didn’t want anyone to know about the abuse, especially my family. They’d always hated Rob. My parents are the ones who bought me Coffee To Chai For. They drew up papers, ironclad papers that stated if Rob and I ever divorced, he wouldn’t have any claim to it, which pissed him off big time.” She took a deep, fortifying breath before continuing.

  “So he threatened to not only put Charlie in jail, but to make those pictures public—in town, on the Internet—if I didn’t give him half the worth of Coffee To Chai For in cash. That’s why I can barely pay my bills. I have a mortgage over my head
on top of my house payment and the costs of running a business. And I would’ve rather died than let anyone find out about those pictures. Especially my mom and dad. They warned me back in high school that Rob was no good, but of course, I didn’t listen.”

  “You wouldn’t be the first teenager to disregard your parents’ warnings.”

  “I know.” She let out a deep sigh. “But if I only had, you know?”

  She grew quiet and curled up in his lap again. He had a feeling the confession had taken as much out of her physically as it had emotionally. Matt stroked her back as they watched the movie. When she didn’t laugh over the ‘Dum-Dum’ line, he wondered if she’d fallen asleep.

  When the credits started rolling, she surprised him by sitting up and twining her arms around his neck. Her gaze hovered on his mouth. “Kiss me, Matt. Please. I need you.”

  Christ, not nearly as much as he needed her. Matt brushed a lock of hair from her eyes and gently cupped the side of her face. Raw emotion tightened his chest as he brought his mouth down on hers. He kissed her reverently, careful not to take more than she was willing to give. This amazing woman had been through so much, had endured such horrific abuse at the hand of her ex that Matt was somewhat fearful of making her feel rushed or uncomfortable. But when she slung one leg over his lap and plastered herself against him, he was lost.

  He slid his tongue past her lips, swallowing her soft sigh as he kissed the beautiful woman in his arms with everything he had. He stroked and caressed her with great care, wanting her to know how extraordinary she was, how much he desired her. He traced the line of her jaw, the column of her throat, following his hand with his lips.

  Carrie arched her neck, allowing him better access as she did a little exploring of her own, running her hands over his shoulders, kneading softly before moving down his arms, driving him crazy with just those soft caresses. She slipped her hands beneath his shirt and pressed her palms against his chest. After a quick nip of his earlobe, she whispered, “Matt, I want you. So much.”