by Candi Heart
“It’s great to see you,” he said with a smile. “Of course, I guess you can already tell that I feel that way.”
“Well, you did just literally sweep me off my feet. Feel free to miss me that much anytime,” I said with a sheepish grin of my own.
“What did you ask me a second ago?” he questioned.
“The meeting...”
“Oh, that. Well, it didn’t take that long, and I went straight to LAX,” he said, beaming from the inside out, just like I was. His eyes sparkled like the stars that had loomed above us while we lay on the picnic blanket, and the hint of a California tan brought new color to his perfect skin. “I just couldn’t wait to get home... to thank you.”
“Thank me?” I asked, playing dumb.
“Yes. The whole thing could have been a huge disaster, and I was sure I was going to have to improvise to get through it, but a little bird told me that someone took a midnight walk to Fed-Ex to send over my editor’s notes.”
I dropped my eyes to the concrete below us, blushing and wishing like hell that Louisa would have obeyed my wishes and left that little detail out. “Yeah, I just... I didn’t want to bother you with a phone call on such an important day, and I didn’t know your agenda or really where you were, so I kind of just—”
“You just called every hotel in SoCal, then bribed some nightshift Fed-Ex employee with what I can only assume was the promise of your firstborn, all to get it there on time.” His eyes twinkled mischievously as he leaned up against the doorframe.
“Uh, basically... yeah.”
At that point, I seriously had no idea what was going on. He made no move to come inside, but it didn’t seem he had any intention of leaving either. He simply hovered playfully between those two options, backlit with a golden halo, courtesy of the setting sun.
“On the plane, I started to ask myself why you’d go to such trouble,” he continued, not letting go of that air of mischief. “Why you would go through all that to find an address? You could have just walked next door and asked Steph.”
Every muscle in my body froze as a wave of guilt crashed over me. “You know why I couldn’t ask Steph,” I answered quietly.
That should have been enough to stop him; he knew full well that there was a rivalry between us, and none of our meetings had been pleasant. I was also relatively confident that he was aware of her misbehaving. On that note, I was blown away that he even said her name. Nevertheless, he just kept staring at me with that same twinkling smile on his face and some hidden secret dancing behind his eyes.
“Actually, I do understand why you wouldn’t ask her,” he countered playfully, “but you could have. I mean, I’m sure it would have made you uncomfortable, but you knew I needed those notes. We both know you’re the type of person who always puts others’ needs above her own. That’s one of the greatest things about you. When Louisa told me you practically killed yourself in some last-ditch attempt to help me, I wondered why you made it more complicated than you had to.”
Oh. Maybe he doesn’t know about the other guy. My back stiffened, and my mouth went dry. So where is he going with this anyway? And why do I feel like this is the calm before the storm?
“I could only conclude that you did go next door, but for some reason, you didn’t get the help you needed. Steph was either unable or unwilling, and neither of those makes any sense.” His eyes tightened, and for the first time, that inexplicable playfulness melted away. Matt was a deep thinker, and I saw the wheels turning once again as he put two and two—or at least those two—together. “So I came home early and... met Jeff.”
Jeff? But wait... He just got back in town. He must have met him just now!
I resisted the urge to glance over at his house, half-expecting to see a bloodied man racing to his car. Given the circumstances, I thought his “met” was a kind way of describing it. I wondered what state of undress Jeff was in when that uncomfortable meeting had occurred. I hoped, for Matt’s sake, that the man was more clothed than he was when I almost met him.
“Matt, I...” My voice trailed off, and I shook my head. “I’m so sorry.”
I really, truly was sorry. As thrilled as I was that the responsibility of breaking the news wasn’t going to fall on me, my heart went out to him. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to walk inside and see the person he was dating rolling around with someone else in bed. No matter how bad things were between them, I knew that had to be devastating.
Or... not? I thought, furrowing my brow in confusion when I dared to look back at him.
Far from upset, Matt looked like he had been set free. An indescribable glow had settled over him, making his already impossible beauty that much more absurd. That almost imperceptible layer of tension that always hid just below the surface was completely gone, and despite what he had just walked in on, he couldn’t seem to stop grinning.
For a second, I could only stare in awe, stunned, breathless, and completely lost. Finally, I demanded, “I don’t... Why are you smiling like that?” I demanded, forgetting to be sympathetic for a moment as I looked him incredulously up and down. “Matt, that must have been terrible. I can’t even—”
In an instant, he was right in front of me, leaving practically no space between us, staring down at me and blinding me with that impossible glowing aura of his. “Alana...” he uttered, more of a sexy exhale than an actual word.
My heart froze in my chest as he took another step forward, reached out one hand, and gently trailed a finger down the side of my cheek.
“Steph and I are done. It turns out she was planning to leave me anyway. She got her job back in California, some big-time gig for some major perfume label. Apparently, they told her she’s going to be their ‘new face.’ It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and she’s not going to pass it up. Jeff is a model as well, and he’s going with her. In fact, as luck would have it, she met him at her modeling agency on Fifth Street. I guess he understands her better than I do, or at least that’s what she told me.”
“Luck?” I questioned, finding that statement odd. “She’s leaving with this Jeff?”
“Yep, packing her things as we speak... and yes, I consider it luck.”
Luck? I questioned again in my head, wondering if I had anything to do with his idea that it was some kind of good fortune. Suddenly, it felt as if everything was moving too fast, much too fast for me to wrap my head around it.
“It’s a good thing. No more squeegeeing the shower door... never, ever again!”
My lips parted, and I dropped my eyes to the welcome mat, trying desperately to get a handle on things as my head spun around at the speed of light.
That’s it? They’re over, really broken up? What exactly does that mean for him? Will he stay in New York? Is he officially single again, available? What about us? Is there even an us? the questions spun. Can we even start an us on the heels of such a terrible breakup? We were both so reluctant before, and—
“Aly?”
A pair of warm fingers lifted my chin, and I stared up into those sparkling eyes and found all the answers I needed, right there in his gaze and his one simple question: “Can I come in?”
Chapter 34
WE MADE IT INSIDE AND ended up kissing.
“Are you sure?” I gasped. “If you want to wait a little while, I totally understand. You could need months to recover, and I’ll patiently wait for you. You need time to heal.”
He didn’t answer and just kept kissing me.
“I’m serious, Matt. You’ve just... I know it was terrible for you to see that, and you just ended a rather long relationship. I know you’re on the rebound, and I-I can wait if...” I found it difficult to get the words out, even more difficult when he lovingly stroked my face.
“It didn’t come as a surprise to me,” he said. “It was toxic, and we should have put an end to it long ago. I never want to date somebody that vain and bossy ever again. She hates animals and is a control freak. I’m glad she’s out of my life. And I never l
aughed with her the way I laughed with you. You made me feel alive. Aly, I really can’t wait. You’re all I think about.”
The other irony was that he was almost shy, inexplicably nervous under the weight of my staring. A self-conscious blush tinted the tops of his cheekbones, and as he placed his forehead against mine.
“I can’t believe I found you,” he murmured, tilting his head to the side as he gazed at me in the golden light. “I had to move all the way across the country, but it was worth it.”
I reached up, smiled at him, and brushed back a lock of his dark hair. “I am so glad you did.” He kissed, teased, and caressed with painstaking care, like a troop on weekend leave after a long deployment, like a man on parole, desperate to make up for lost time, to catch up on everything he’d missed. In some way, it made sense, because I was sure that living with Steph had felt like a battle, if not a prison sentence.
At first, it was a little daunting. As much as I enjoyed it, I was also hyper-aware of the fact that I was kissing some sort of golden god. Not only that, but until quite recently, he’d been with a girl who was as beautiful as he was, a goddess in her own right. Sure, I’d taken some rather bold steps into the world of fitness and exercise, but I still wasn’t exactly at my best, and even my best wouldn’t have put me within even 1,000 miles of his league. I should have felt undeserving, except he made it impossible to feel that way.
I couldn’t possibly feel that way while Matt looked at me like that. I couldn’t deny the security he built up in me with the way his lips curved into a little smile every time he pressed them tenderly against my skin. He didn’t see me as less; he saw me as his equal, as a pearl to be valued and cherished. In spite of my flaws, he saw me as someone beautiful on the inside as well as the outside. That sort of unconditional affection was irresistible, not to mention rather catching.
“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do this?” he asked. “How many times I’ve thought about it?”
Little electric sparks shot up my spine as he leaned down and gave me a soft kiss.
“No. How many?” I answered breathlessly.
His hands wrapped around my hips, anchoring me, as his lips curled again in another smile. “Take a guess.”
“Lots.”
“Yep.” He kissed me softly on the lips. “Just as I thought, that was... worth the wait.”
“I hope you mean that,” I said.
Instead, he simply opened his eyes and offered me a tender smile and three words I never thought I’d hear from him: “I love you.”
Wait. He loves me?
As I thought about it, I realized it was not news to me. Somehow, as hard as it was to believe, I had always known. It was impossible to even imagine that such a beautiful, talented, charming man loved me, but it was impossibly easy to admit to myself that I definitely loved him, and that I had for quite a while.
A sudden sense of calm rushed over me, and I strained gently against his grip, leaning back a few inches so I could look him in the face. “I love you, too.”
An indescribable smile settled in his eyes as he took my face deliberately in his hands. He kissed one cheek, then the other, then tilted his head to kiss me gently on the lips. “And I love you, too.”
A breathless giggle burst out of me, and I pulled away to look at him once more. “Yeah, you said that already. Avoid redundancy, Mr. Writer.”
He grinned and tugged me back against his chest. “It’s not redundant if it’s true over and over again. I’ve decided to keep saying it.” He kissed me again. “A lot.” Again, there was another kiss. “I’ve decided to keep saying it for a really long time, as often as I can.”
Chapter 35
WE SPENT THE ENTIRE day walking the dogs, watching movies, and making a fantastic dinner. Around eight, I lay on my side, with my cheek resting against his chest. The window was open, and the warm breeze and one another’s company lulled us into a quiet contentment.
“Matt?”
I glanced up to see him leaning against the couch. If not for his gentle finger stroking my cheek, I would have assumed he had fallen asleep. His eyes were closed, his body relaxed, and an incredibly peaceful expression had settled on his face.
“Yeah?”
My teeth clamped down on my lip to hold back a secret grin, a grin he would never see. “I’m really glad you decided to come back early.”
His eyes opened and gazed down at me, reflecting his tender smile. “Me too.”
I paused, absentmindedly tracing my fingers up and down his skin. I loved hanging out with you today.”
A quiet laugh shook his body, and his arms tightened around me to pull me smugly against his chest. “Yeah, I did too, even if you did make me watch all those chick flicks.”
I grinned and rested my head on him. An ear-to-ear smile settled on my face, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to close my mouth.
“Matt?”
His eyes snapped open again, and again, he grinned. “Yeah?”
“I love that we can talk like this.” I hoisted myself up on my elbows and stared at him.
“Me too. I knew you’re like me, with all those long conversations, those late-night discussions.”
“What can I say? We have some kind of magical connection.”
“Of course, you talk a whole lot more than I do,” he said playfully.
“Hey!” I smacked him in the chest, giggling in spite of myself. “For the record, you were an active participant in those talks. Besides, I can always stop if I want!”
He caught me by the wrist, and a devilish smile flashed through his eyes. “I could make you stop.”
It was half-threat, half-invitation, and 100 percent welcome. I stared up in astonishment as he kissed my fingers one by one, waiting for my reply.
Fortunately, he interpreted my silence in his favor. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he said.
In a single movement, he flipped us over, laying me gently on my back. His eyes swept over me, lingering on certain parts, and a heated flush washed over my skin.
“I’ve discovered something,” he said, trailing a finger slowly down my ribcage, glancing up occasionally. “You’re ticklish right about... here!” Then, without a word of warning, he leapt upon me, pinning me down as I twisted, writhed, and shrieked. He tickled without mercy, deaf to my pleas.
“Matt, don’t!” I said between gasps and laughter, finding it difficult to even breathe. “I-I’m allergic!”
He threw his head back to parrot my laughter, his fingers never missing a beat. “You’re allergic?” A wicked sparkle danced through his eyes as he caught me and dragged me back again. “You’ll have to do better than that, Catson!”
I shrieked with laughter and pushed against his chest with all my might, trying desperately to free myself. That wasn’t likely, because the man was impossibly strong and impossibly stubborn. No matter how hard I fought and flailed, he didn’t surrender an inch. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure he even noticed my efforts.
“Please?” I giggled, trying to appeal to his softer side. “Please stop!”
He lowered his lips to my ear, wrapping his long legs around mine. “I can’t,” he said. “I’m... allergic.”
Thus, the battle continued, one side raining total devastation on the other, and I continued laughing so hard that I nearly cried. It might have gone on forever, if not for the sudden knock at the door. We looked up at the same time, our bodies freezing momentarily.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Matt asked curiously, glancing at the clock.
“Yeah.” I hoisted myself up on my elbows to peek through the window. “It’s the police. Tickling is banned in this neighborhood. They’re going to burn you at the stake.”
He opened his mouth, prepared to offer a retort, then closed it immediately upon seeing the look on my face. Instead, he sat up immediately, his entire body on high alert. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I-I don’t believe it.” My face paled with terror and rage as I ga
zed through my curtains at the man standing outside. “It’s Preaker.”
Matt’s face clouded with a frown. “Preaker? That man who sent the letter?”
I nodded silently, glaring metaphorical daggers with my eyes and wishing they were real, that my gaze could somehow turn the infuriating little man into human shish kabob.
“What’s he doing here?”
“He gets off on harassment,” I said quietly, practically in a growl. “He’s shameless, all about unabashed intimidation.” With a frustrated sigh, I dropped the curtains and settled back down on the couch. “He knows my big fundraiser is tomorrow. He wants me to fail.”
Matt’s eyebrows lifted ever so slightly as he glanced back at the window. “Are you going to talk to him?”
I folded my arms stiffly across my chest. “No. I’ll talk to him tomorrow night, when I show him the deed to my new place.”
There was a brief pause before Matt asked, “Do you mind if I talk to him?”
I glanced over in surprise and saw him staring back at me with wide, innocent eyes. I waited for an explanation, but when he gave me none, I glanced back at the door. A wave of confusion washed over me, but as the knocking pounded through the house again, I found myself shrugging and answering, “I guess, if you want.”
Matt swept gracefully toward the door.
“Hi there.” Matt stood boldly in the doorframe, flashing his pearly teeth. “How can I help you this evening?”
Preaker froze, his grubby little sausage-fingers fist hovering in midair from his knocking. His jaw had dropped the second Matt opened the door, and he seemed to have developed an instant case of lockjaw and couldn’t close it. “I, uh... I-I was just... I am looking for Ms. Catson. Is she here?”