She'd spent a lot of time with Matt already. There was no reason to get worked up now.
Ending her nervous pacing, she sat down on her couch only to have her gaze fall on the envelope her mom had given her earlier in the week. She really should put it away, but for some reason she hadn't been able to touch it since she'd set it down.
Well, she certainly wasn't going to open it now. Tonight was about the present, not about the past.
A moment later her buzzer rang, and she jumped to her feet. At Matt's sexy "hello", she told him she'd be right down and then headed out the door.
He was waiting at her front door dressed in gray slacks and a button-down shirt under a black sports coat. He looked so good her mouth watered.
"Hello, beautiful," he said as she came through the door.
"Hi, Matt," she said with a smile. "You look good. I guess we clean up pretty well."
"That we do."
He took her hand as they walked out to the sidewalk, and she liked the way he wrapped his fingers around hers in a gesture that was both possessive and protective. Instead of Matt's sports car, she was surprised to see a black limousine double parked in front of her building and even more surprised when Matt headed straight for it. "What's this?"
"I hired us a car," he said, opening the door for her. "That way I can you all my attention."
He was definitely putting on the charm tonight, and she couldn't help but respond to it. There hadn't been anyone else who made her feel so special.
"Fancy," she said lightly as she got into the back, sliding along the luxurious bench seat to give Matt room to sit next to her.
A moment later, the car pulled away from the curb.
Matt reached for the bottle of champagne that was chilling in a nearby ice bucket. "Champagne?"
"You're pulling out all the stops."
He grinned. "Just trying to show you a good time."
"Then I'll have some champagne."
Matt poured them both a glass, then made a toast. "To tonight, to the beginning."
"The beginning of what?"
His eyes sparkled. "That's what we're going to find out, Julie."
She took a sip of champagne and the bubbles made her feel giddy. She needed to get a grip. She was a grown woman going on a date, not Cinderella on her way to the ball with a handsome prince, although it felt a little like that.
She cleared her throat. "You've really gone to a lot of trouble, Matt. You didn't have to. I'd have been happy with a cheeseburger."
"I know, which is exactly why I want you to have more. I've been thinking a lot about my life the past few days. Before I met you, being famous never bothered me. The women I've dated in the past have been thrilled to be part of the spotlight. But you're different. You don't want to be the center of attention, and you don't really want a man who is, either. I can't change who I am, or how people react to me, or the fact that nine times out of ten a fan will interrupt any date I'm on. But there is a flip side."
"There is?" she asked doubtfully.
"Yes. And I'm going to show it to you. I want you to forget about the past and not worry about the future. Let's just have tonight. What do you think?"
"I can't think of anything I'd rather do," she said, his words wrapping around her like a warm blanket.
"Then sit back and relax."
She sipped her champagne as the limo moved swiftly through the city. Dusk had settled over the city and the sky was a beautiful dark purple. A few minutes later, they crossed over the Golden Gate Bridge and drove through the hilly streets of Sausalito, finally stopping at the harbor.
Matt took her empty glass and helped her out of the car. Then he led her down a pier and onto an enormously large and luxurious yacht. An older man in uniform welcomed them aboard.
"Captain Donovan," Matt said, shaking the man's hand. "This is Julie Michaels."
"Hello," he said. "It's a pleasure to have you both aboard."
"Thank you," she replied.
"Is everything ready?" Matt asked.
Captain Donovan nodded. "Yes, sir. Please go inside, make yourselves comfortable. We'll be leaving in a few moments."
"Great." Matt took her hand, and they walked down the stairs into a large, lovely salon. She had never been on a yacht before and was astonished by the spaciousness of the room. There were two long couches set under several portholes, and in one corner of the room there was an intimate table for two complete with silverware and flowers. The entire room was lighted with candles and there was a soft background of music.
"Wow," she said. "This is amazing."
"I'm glad you like it."
"I have to say I'm very impressed. You're batting .1000 so far."
"I'll try to keep it up," he said with a grin. "We'll eat in a little while. But in the meantime, why don't we go up on the deck and enjoy the cruise?"
"That sounds good to me."
They walked back up the stairs and over to the rail. Within minutes, the yacht moved effortlessly into the San Francisco Bay. The moon had risen and the stars were making their appearance in a bright, clear sky. The lights of the city and the bridge added to the incredible landscape. "It all looks so magical from here," she murmured. "You can only see the pretty parts."
"Have you ever sailed on the bay before?"
"Once but that was in the daytime. I've never seen this view at night. It feels a little spooky, heading towards the dark ocean though."
"Don't worry. We're not going far."
"I'm not worried," she said, giving him a happy smile.
He smiled back at her. "Good, because I would never let anything happen to you."
She knew he meant every word. Matt was the kind of man who took care of people. He was a protector by nature. She'd seen that when he was with his brother and also with his friends. And she was seeing it now, too.
Matt moved behind her, placed his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest as they watched the city go by.
"I can't believe I finally have you alone," he said.
"Isn't there a crew?"
"They'll stay out of the way. I thought about taking you to a really exclusive restaurant, but it seemed too public. I was afraid someone would want to take a picture or ask for an autograph, and I didn't want us to be interrupted. I wanted to have time with you that was both extraordinary and also private."
"This was a good choice." She was touched that he'd spent time thinking about the perfect date. "Is the yacht yours?"
"No. It belongs to a friend of mine."
"A rich friend."
"Yes, he does very well," Matt agreed.
His arms tightened around her waist, and she leaned back against him, reveling in the warm strength of his arms and the solid chest supporting her. When he lowered his head, his lips touched the corner of her ear and the brief caress sent another tingle through her nerves.
"Matt," she said, turning around in his arms.
"Yes?"
"Kiss me."
His eyes turned jade at her request. He brushed her mouth lightly, teasingly, before settling in for a long, deep kiss. The tension that had been building between them flared like a match to dry tinder. There was no slow buildup of passion but rather an explosive blast of heat.
Julie slipped her hands under his coat and pushed her body provocatively against his, enjoying the press of her breasts against his muscular chest, and the feel of his long lean legs intermingling with hers. She loved his taste, his touch, his smell—everything about him, and she wanted to get a lot closer than they were.
The yacht suddenly bounced over some bigger waves, and she stumbled.
Matt wrapped his arms around her and murmured in her ear. "It's getting a little wild out here."
"In more ways than one," she said with a helpless laugh.
"Maybe we should go inside," Matt suggested. "It's getting cold."
"Good idea."
When they entered the salon, a waiter greeted them and told them dinner
was ready. He seated Julie and asked if she would like wine or a cocktail. Julie decided to stick with champagne while Matt ordered a beer.
After getting their drinks, the waiter served them a chilled seafood salad that looked absolutely amazing. It was the beginning of the most delicious meal she had ever consumed with steak, lobster, vegetables, potatoes and an exquisite dessert made up of chocolate and raspberries.
During dinner, they talked about San Francisco, movies, the last book they'd read, friends and family. With Matt, it was always a give and take. He didn't try to dominate the conversation and he was interested in her life. She liked that a lot.
After dinner, they went back out to the deck. Matt draped his jacket around her for warmth, and she loved the feel of his coat around her almost as much as she loved the way his arm hugged her against his waist. The bay was quieter now, the waves less restless, and the yacht made its way gracefully through the water.
Standing under the moon and the stars, Julie felt the tension begin to build once again, and by mutual accord, they turned into each other's arms.
She took the lead this time, her need driving her to start the kiss, to slide her tongue into his mouth, to take whatever she could get. She tilted her head, seeking to get closer, and Matt did the same. It just wasn't enough…
Her fingers flew down the front of his shirt, unbuttoning and pulling the material out of his pants. She wanted to touch him more intimately, and she sighed with satisfaction when her fingers found bare skin. His abs stiffened beneath her caress, and she reveled for a moment in her own power.
Then Matt pulled the shoulder of her dress down, his fingers slipping inside to cup her breasts. Her breath caught in her chest as he kissed the side of her neck, sliding his tongue along her collarbone and down to the swell of her breasts. He was driving her crazy.
"Matt," she whispered.
He lifted his head and gave her a long look. "Do you want to go inside, Julie?"
Yes, yes, yes…her tingling nerves replied, but while her body was ready for more, her brain was a little more cautious. Her heart was beating fast, too fast. She felt as if she were standing on the edge of cliff. She wanted to jump but she was suddenly paralyzed. What the hell was wrong with her? She wanted him. He wanted her. It should be so simple.
"Julie?"
"I do want to, but…" But what was the end of that sentence?
The air crackled between them at her hesitation.
Why couldn't she just say yes? Why couldn't she just leap without looking? Why couldn't she stop being so afraid to take a chance?
After a long moment, Matt pulled her dress back into place and stepped back. "It's fine, Julie. I get it."
She wasn't sure he did get it. "I'm sorry. I do want to be with you. Everything is happening really fast."
"You don't have to explain," he said, his words calm, but a dozen emotions running through his eyes. "I'll tell the captain we're ready to go back."
He disappeared so quickly she didn't have time to stop him. Not that she probably would have stopped him. She needed a minute alone to catch her breath.
She let out a long sigh. Was she being stupid? Being with Matt would probably be wonderful and amazing, and her body was literally humming just from kissing him.
But what about afterward? What about tomorrow? Or next week? Or next month?
If she slept with him, it was going to hurt even more when he left.
Another sigh passed through her lips as reality hit her in the face. Even if she didn't sleep with him, it was going to hurt when he left. She should never have let things get this far. But she had, and now she had to deal with it.
* * *
Julie woke up Saturday morning with a pounding headache and a fierce desire to kick something—maybe herself. After Matt's decision to abruptly end their cruise, they hadn't spoken much. Every time she tried to say something, he cut her off, telling her it was all fine. But clearly everything wasn't fine.
Matt had walked her to her door to say goodnight, but there'd been a distance in his eyes when he kissed her—a kiss that had chilled her to the bone, because it hadn't felt like goodnight but rather goodbye.
She told herself she should be happy that he was backing away. Wasn't that what she'd wanted? He'd obviously realized she wasn't going to jump into bed with him, and he'd decided she wasn't worth the trouble. All that stuff about liking her and wanting them to get to know each other had probably just been part of his play to get her to sleep with him. But he'd lost and she'd won.
Unfortunately, it didn't feel like much of a victory.
As she got dressed, all she could think about was the fact that she was going to have to see him again tonight at the cook-off. Not just see him, either, she was going to have to take care of him, make sure he spoke to the press, make sure everything was set up in his kitchen, help him if he had problems.
It was going to be a long evening if they weren't speaking to each other.
Her phone rang, and her pulse leapt into her throat, until she realized it was her mother on the line. "Hi," she said a little shortly.
"Did I wake you?" her mom asked.
"No, I'm actually getting ready to head out. The cook-off is tonight, and I have a million things to do before then."
"I won't keep you. I haven't heard from you since our rather intense conversation last Monday, and I've been worried. Are you all right, Julie?"
She wasn't all right, but her emotions had nothing to do with her mom's confession or her father's unopened letters. "I'm fine. I haven't looked in the envelope if that's why you're calling."
"You should do it when it feels right. I just wanted to make sure you and I were okay."
"We are," she said decisively. Whatever her mother had done, she'd done it out of love and to protect her child. Julie wasn't going to fault her for that. "We'll talk soon, okay?"
"Okay. Good luck tonight."
"Thanks." She'd no sooner ended the call when her phone rang again. This time her pulse had a reason to jump. "Matt?"
"Hi Julie," he said quietly. "Listen, I know you're busy getting ready for tonight, but I wanted to apologize."
"I thought we weren't doing apologies."
"Yeah, I know, but I don’t want you to think that I was expecting anything last night. I got caught up in the moment."
"So did I," she admitted. "I'm just more cautious than you are, or maybe I feel like I have more to lose."
"That might be how you feel, but I don't know that it's true."
She gripped the phone more tightly, wanting to believe his emotions were as involved as hers were.
"Anyway," he continued. "We can talk about it later. I'll see you tonight."
"See you then."
She sank down on the couch and stared at the wall for a good minute, not sure how to feel about Matt's call. At least, he'd broken the tension between them, but what happened now or what happened next? She'd thought they were done—but maybe not.
Chapter Twelve
It was half past five when Julie took one last look at the grand ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel. The tables were set with glittering silver, the centerpieces were stunningly beautiful, and the exquisitely decorated celebrity kitchens ran along the walls, each space designed to represent each celebrity chef. She'd seen Matt come in a little while ago, but she'd been too busy running around to do anything more than wave.
Melanie came over to her. "It looks amazing, Julie. You did a great job."
"We did a great job, but no more congratulating ourselves until the night is over. I don't want to jinx us."
"I saw Matt Kingsley a few minutes ago. He asked where you were. I said you were running around like a mad woman."
"I have been doing that, but I think everything is set now. I was just about to head over to his kitchen to see if he needs anything."
"There's something going on between you two, isn't there?" Melanie asked, a curious look in her eyes.
She hadn't had time to fill Melan
ie in. Actually, that wasn't completely true. She just hadn't wanted to talk about her relationship—or whatever it was—until she knew exactly what was going on. "There is something," she admitted. "And I want to talk to you, but not tonight."
"Okay, but I'm going to hold you to that chat. And it's going to be soon."
"It's a deal." Julie left Melanie and headed across the ballroom.
Matt was standing in his kitchen. It had been decorated in Cougar colors with a baseball-themed décor. He'd donned the chef's hat they'd provided for him, but he hadn't started setting up his station yet. Instead, he was reading something on his phone with a perplexed look on his face.
"Something wrong?" she asked as she walked into his space.
"I can't find the recipe. I thought I put it on my phone."
"It's taped inside the cupboard," she said, opening the nearby door. "See."
"You think of everything," he said with relief.
"Part of the job," she said, thinking how good he looked in his black slacks and gray shirt, a dark blue tie around his neck. His green eyes were sparkling, and his brown hair had been tamed by some kind of product. He smelled enticing, as usual. She had it bad—really bad.
While she was looking at him, he was looking back at her, and there was a gleam of appreciation in his eyes. "You look incredibly hot tonight—the lady in red."
Her short red cocktail dress was a little sexier than what she normally wore, but Melanie had convinced her to buy it a few weeks ago, and she'd really had nothing else in her closet that would fit the event.
"Thanks," she said. "I figured a bright color would make it easier for the volunteers to find me."
"You would stand out no matter what you're wearing. You're a beautiful woman, Julie."
Her cheeks warmed at his words.
"I'd really like to kiss you right now," he added.
Her skin grew even warmer. "Matt. Don't say stuff like that." She took a quick look around, but there was no one nearby. "I really thought after the way things ended last night we were done."
"We're not done," he said seriously.
"We should be. This relationship has nowhere to go."
All Your Loving (Bachelors & Bridesmaids) Page 12