by Ali Parker
"Oh yeah?" His voice lightened. "I love dogs. What is he?"
"A mix between a schnauzer and a Yorkshire terrier. He gets to maybe fifteen pounds. I really want someone to greet me at the door when I get home."
"Why not get a butler? A female butler?" He glanced my way and smirked. "At least they can feed themselves and they know how to crap in the toilet."
I chuckled. "They're also capable of giving me attitude, moving things around in my apartment and being moody just because. Dogs are loving no matter what."
"This is true. You wanna go by now and we'll just skip the rest of the evening and go back to your place?" His voice had a hint of hopefulness in it.
"That sounds good, but I'm starving and I know you have your first showing coming up. Let’s go to the art supply store, grab tacos on the way back to your place and get everything set up. If there's still time to get the dog tonight, we can go up there later."
"Perfect. The showing is two weeks from today, which means I gotta get that painting on the canvas and work hard and fast to get it ready."
"Did you finish the sketch?" I turned my head a little to study him. His jaw flexed as if he were nervous with me looking at him. My insides turned to mush as I watched him. It was sickening to know that I was going to give him another chance. A chance that he could use to possibly hurt me, but I was. I had to.
He glanced over at me. "Yeah. It's beautiful, but nothing like the real life inspiration for the piece."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, sir." I turned back to the front as he pulled into the parking lot of the art store.
"No? Damn. I'll have to try something else then." He parked the car and got out, moving to the front as I got out and joined him.
"You got a lot of tools in that arsenal of yours?"
"Yep. Flattery failed, so we're moving to humor and casual touches that look innocent, but they're simply not."
I laughed and reached for the door. "You can show your game plan to the other team."
He pressed his hand to my lower back, the tops of his fingers pressing into my ass. "You're not the other team, Erica. You're my team."
I swallowed hard and walked into the store. "I love this place."
"Me too. It's like automatic hard-on for the artist." He wagged his eyebrows and moved to get a cart. "Help me get all the supplies I need." He pulled a piece of paper from his back pocket and handed it to me. "You want to mark things off or get the stuff?"
"Mark things off." I put my purse in the buggy and bumped his hip. "I'll push too."
"A woman who can multitask. Hot." He moved ahead of me, giving me a great view of his cute little ass in his jeans. The broadness of his shoulders and thick muscle along the top of his back had my thoughts diving into the shallow end of the pool.
We were two consenting adults. Sure, he'd hurt me by not calling, but I'd hurt him with my note that morning too. Why hadn't I thought more about leaving him something so impersonal to wake up to?
Because he chose to sleep on the couch instead of the bed with you. Why?
"You lost in thought?" His breath was warm on the back of my neck.
I stiffened. "I guess so. I didn't even see you move behind me."
"It's a lovely view back here." He ran his nose down the back of my hair, breathing in deeply, and sending chill bumps racing across my skin.
"What's next on the list?" I whispered roughly as my nipples budded.
"Paint." He moved away and turned down the paint aisle. "I know we're not really back to where we were, but I'm going back to Dallas next weekend. I'd love for you to come with me. Bethany and Damon are planning their wedding, and Bethany mentioned a few times how well you did on my father's wedding with the decorations. You think you might be-"
"Of course I'll help." I pulled out my phone and flipped to my calendar. "I need to be in Dallas next Saturday anyway for a meeting with your father and your brother."
"Excellent." He stopped in front of the paints and bounced on his toes. His energy was contagious, and I found myself feeling lighter, happy. "You still doing yoga with Lanie on Sunday nights?"
"Yeah. Why?" I smiled as I leaned against the cart. No way was he wanting to come to my yoga class. He almost died the last time we were there. I lamented over not getting to see him suffer for the days that followed.
"I want to come with you." He handed me a few tubes of paint and knelt down to grab several others.
"You almost died last time." I took the paints and dropped them in the cart. "Matt, you don't have to fit yourself into my life to get my attention."
He stood, dropped a few more tubes of paint into the cart and reached for me. His hands felt so fucking good on my shoulders as he squeezed softly and moved down my arm. The determination in his eyes left me wanting to pant, but I held myself together by a string. There was no way I was going to play the fool again. I'd just have to tread as carefully as I could around him.
"I wanna fit myself in every part of your life," his eyes moved around my face, "your work, your fun, your sexy little body too. I fucked up. I know that, and I'm not promising that I won't fuck up again, but I'm completely into you."
I had no clue what to say, so I kept quiet and nodded, feeling like a stronger personality had finally started to emerge in the man I loved. He leaned down and brushed his lips by mine as his fingers brushed down the side of my neck slowly.
"Friends don't kiss," I murmured against his mouth. "And how do you already have me captivated again? I hate you."
"I know you do, but plan on changing that." He kissed me again, and moved back, his voice changing. "All right. Let's grab a large roll of canvas and the supplies to build a platform and get outta here. I'm starving and I have a beautiful naked woman to paint. Life couldn't be better."
I rolled my eyes and exhaled through my nose as I followed him around the rest of the store. He was going to win the battle with me. No questions asked.
*
"All right. What do you think?" He stepped back and lifted his hands toward the blank canvas we'd spent the last hour building in his place.
"I love it. It's perfect." I walked around the five-foot structure and put my hands on my hips. "You sure it's not too big for what you're doing though? I'm not sure anyone wants to see a life-sized picture of a naked woman."
He scoffed. "Are you serious right now? Everyone wants to see a life-sized picture of a beautiful, hot, sexy naked woman."
"Wait. You're still talking about sketching me, right?" I smiled and walked to the kitchen to clean up from our quick dinner.
He followed me and stopped at the doorway. "You like this place?"
I glanced up and wadded the papers from our tacos in my hands. "Yeah. I really do. It's open and there's probably a ton of light during the daytime. Am I right?"
"Yeah." He turned around in a circle, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply before pinning me with a hungry stare. "There's only one thing missing."
"What's that?" I tossed the trash and picked up his keys. I wasn't spending the night. There was no way I was ready for that again. It seemed to be the one thing that had him running for the hills. He and I needed to talk about the why behind his reaction a few weekends back before I opened my body, and subsequently my heart up to him again.
"You." He smiled. "It's missing you, and your little dog too."
His witch voice caused a chuckle to bubble up inside of me. I handed him the keys and pressed my hand to his strong chest. "Well, I don't have the dog yet, so it's just me."
"That's what I said." He reached up to touch my face. "You sure you don't want to stay the night with me?"
"I can't." I glanced down and pressed my forehead to his chest. "The last time I did, you ran away. I'm not sure that wasn't something to do with me."
He pressed his fingers softly under my chin and forced me to look up. The love in his eyes forced me to recognize that my future belonged to him if he wanted any part of it.
"I understand completely. I'll
make it up to you, Erica. I just wanted to become the man you deserved before I stepped into your life fully. Someone like Mitch."
"Mitch?" I shook my head and pulled back, grabbed my purse and walked to the door. "Come on. I'm tired."
"You know what I meant." He moved in behind me and closed the door as we walked into the hallway.
"No, I don't. I've been trying to get your attention for two years. I'm a big girl. If I'm good with you not having all your shit together before we start dating, then that's my decision."
"And are you good with it?"
"I was." I wrapped my arms around myself and walked toward the parking lot.
"And now?" He slipped his strong arm over my shoulders, pulling me against his side and making it hard to walk.
"I'm not so sure."
Chapter 9
Matt
Taking her home the night before was like stabbing myself in the chest. It was my fault that she wasn't staying, and not that I blamed her one bit, but it didn't deaden the pain of watching her walk into her apartment alone. She didn't even look back. I spent Saturday working on the portrait just to keep myself from slipping into depression or eating everything in the house, which wasn't much. I was grateful for Sunday showing up fast. It gave me a chance to at least see her.
"And today is a new day." I mumbled in my car as I sat in the parking lot of the yoga place. I pulled down the mirror above my head and lifted my eyebrow playfully before smiling. I could do this. I could win her back, and I would.
"You coming?" A knock at my window caused me to stiffen.
Lanie. Erica's best friend.
I got out and smiled. "I am. Did she tell you that I was up for an afternoon of torture and couldn't imagine letting anyone else share it with me besides you?"
She laughed and ran her fingers through her hair. She was pretty, petite. Too small in my opinion, but it was irrelevant. She wasn't Erica.
"You're too much. Just try really hard this time not to fall over and topple all of us over with you." She giggled and I smiled.
"Really? I did that on purpose. You just gotta bring that up?" I was a little surprised that she wasn't pissy with me after everything that happened with Erica, but maybe they weren't as close as I was giving them credit for.
"Yeah right." She opened the door and moved in as I paused and glanced back toward the parking lot.
"Is Erica not coming?" Worry swirled in the pit of my stomach. Surely she would have called.
"She's already here. Her car is in the shop." Lanie stopped by the front desk and picked up two towels, tossing one toward me.
I reached up and snagged it out of the air. "What's the matter with her car?"
Erica walked around the corner and stopped. "I got rear-ended yesterday. I'm good, but the car... not so much."
Her tank top and tight yoga pants left very little to the imagination, and even though I'd spent all day the day before staring at a mostly-naked picture of her, the real thing was always so much better.
I closed the distance between us and reached out, grabbing the side of her neck softly and rubbing my thumb over her soft skin.
"You sure you're okay? Why didn't you call me?" I let my eyes move around her face, memorizing everything about her that I hadn't picked up before.
She smirked. "Why would I call you? You have a superman cape hidden somewhere in that big apartment of yours?"
"I might." I took a shaky breath. "Damn, you're gorgeous. How do you walk around without having a million guys trying to get your attention?"
"Who says they aren't?" She reached up and pulled my hand from her as Lanie walked by chuckling.
"This way, guys. We're going to be late, and you know what that means..."
I lifted my eyebrow and watched my girl. "What does that mean? Something tells me it's nothing good."
She wagged her eyebrows. "I dare you to be late and find out."
"Not only no, but hell no." I moved past her, grabbing her hand and pulling her with me. "She makes an example out of the late people, doesn't she?"
"Oh, it's way more fun than that." Lanie glanced over her shoulder and giggled again.
"Lanie. You dating anyone?" I couldn't help but ask.
Erica glanced over at me. "Why do you care?"
"I have friends, thank you." I squeezed her hand and released her.
Lanie stopped just inside the door and whispered, "No, but if you have a brother, I'd be interested in meeting him."
Erica and I both laughed loudly only to be reprimanded by the older woman bending in half at the front of the room.
"Silence, please. Come in quickly, quietly and get into downward dog. Find your center, your peace, yourself." She stood up and put her hands on her hips and watched us.
I barked softly under my breath and got the reaction I was after. Both girls beside me laughed. The old woman up front didn't seem to think I was too funny, nor charming.
"I'm just going to get back here." I moved behind Erica and got into position, focusing on the sexy curve of her ass and legs and trying like hell to ignore the burn that ran up the back of my legs. I was sure to make a fool out of myself, but if it scored me points with the woman that captivated every part of me... it was worth it.
"Today we're going to work on an advanced move called the handstand scorpion. Let me show you how it looks and just know that we'll start working on it together. Do not be intimidated by it. Okay?" The instructor glanced around the room as Erica glanced back, her beautiful face contorted into complete terror.
"Uh oh. This can't be good." I turned my attention back to the instructor and tilted my head to the side as she went into a handstand and then contorted herself. "Oh no. Hell no."
Erica turned to face me, put her hands over her mouth and laughed softly until her face turned red.
I moved up and wrapped her in a hug, kissing the top of her head. "If I do this... you spend the night with me tonight."
"What?" She glanced up. "No way. That's not fair."
"Yeah, it is. Someone has to help put the stint along my spine when I break it. That should be you for making me come here." I kissed her forehead and moved back.
"I didn't make you come here. You came because-"
The instructor’s voice was sharp, and scared both of us. "Is there something you guys would like to discuss with the class?"
"Um, no, but thanks for the opportunity. It's all you." I lifted my hands and gave the woman a sweet smile. She didn't seem to necessarily like sweet.
"Well then, why don't you come on up and we'll use you as the example today seeing that your pliable and fully willing to participate."
"Me?" My voice rose three octaves and Erica and Lanie chuckled. "No. I'm good."
"No, really. Come on up." She motioned for me, not giving in. I was stuck.
"All right, yeah, sure." I walked past her and growled at Erica. "You're mine tonight for this shit."
Her response was lost to the blood thundering past my ears as my heart raced. I was in for a world of hurt. I deserved a lot for fucking things up with Erica, but this seemed a little much. Or a lot.
*
"Are you sure you're okay, Matt?" Lanie stood beside my car, her arm wrapped around Erica's narrow shoulders.
"Yeah. I'm good." I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Last time I try to impress a woman by turning myself into a human pretzel. I'm way too big to do that kind of stuff."
"I think you did great." Erica shrugged, a smile playing on the side of her mouth.
"Lies. All lies." I glanced around the parking lot. "Is your rental car here?"
"No. I got an Uber. You want to give me a ride home?" She turned and hugged Lanie as I nodded my response. Of course I wanted to take her home. I wanted to spend the night with her, which she was more than aware of.
"You guys be careful and have fun, okay?" Lanie glanced over at me.
"Absolutely, and I'll be on the lookout for a guy you might be interested in." I wagged my eyebrows. I didn't kn
ow anyone, but I'd meet people. I always did.
"Awesome. Make sure he's hot, rich as hell and has a huge-"
"Okay. That's good." Erica walked around to the other side of the car as I laughed. Lanie might be small, but she was ballsy as hell.
"Age matter?" I stood to my full height, getting ready to get in the car.
"Nope. Well, not like fifty or anything. I'm good with forties at the max and probably twenty-nine at the other end?" She put her hands on her hips. "Are you messing with me?"
"Nope. I'm a great matchmaker. See you later, Lanie."
"You too, Matt."
I got in and glanced over at Erica, who was watching me closely. "What?"
"You're just setting her up to fail. You don't even know anyone." She buckled and shook her head, causing some of her blond hair to loosen from her ponytail.
"I'll find someone for her. You have to be focused on looking or you miss things, you know." I started the car and backed up.
"No, I don't know. Explain." I loved that she wanted to challenge me. I'd spank her eventually for that shit when our relationship got better.
"All right, so take for instance when you got your car. What do you have?"
"A grey Mercedes. You know this."
"Right, but before you got it, you barely noticed anyone driving around in a Mercedes, right?"
"I guess."
"And afterward?"
She smiled and nodded. "Everyone had one. I remember thinking I was an idiot for getting the same car as everyone else in Seattle. Or I wondered if they had a big ass sale on them."
"Exactly. It's about focus. If we're looking for love, we're going to find it. Same goes with looking for love for our friends."
"Our friends?" She smiled. "Are you considering Lanie one of our friends?"
"Yeah. Of course. She's your best friend." I reached over and gripped the top of her hand, ignoring the way she stiffened. "What's yours is mine, and what's mine is mine. You'll get it down soon."
She jerked her hand from me and popped me in the chest. "Ass."