by Aurora Rey
Mat smiled at her. “Right? Winter will be here before we know it.”
Graham lifted a hand. “Please. I’m not ready to go there. I am, however, ready to go home and get naked and toasty under the covers with you.”
The vague sense of anxiety from earlier hadn’t fully dissipated. Graham’s reference to “home” didn’t help. Mat kind of wanted to go home and sit on the sofa and watch sports and not have to think about it. “I’m kind of beat.”
Graham nodded. “Same. I promise I won’t try to seduce you. Mostly, I want to cuddle up and steal your body heat.”
She could decline, but doing so would probably hurt Graham’s feelings. Worse, it might provoke her to ask the dreaded, “What’s wrong?” It wasn’t like she didn’t want to spend the night with Graham. If anything, it might save her from having to think or talk about the weird jumble of things that had taken root in her brain. “I guess I could share a little of my heat.”
“You do have plenty to spare.” Graham stuck her arm through Mat’s, then used the proximity to elbow her gently in the side. “Being as you’re so hot and all.”
“Cute. You’re cute.”
Graham shrugged playfully. “I know.”
Despite telling herself she wouldn’t, Mat spent the time walking back to her apartment thinking about the evening she’d just spent on what essentially amounted to a second double date in a month. Only this one was with Graham’s best friend and aunt. The fact that the aunt and the best friend were a couple in the first place struck her as odd, but spending time with them had softened that. Sure, the age difference between them remained obvious, but it no longer seemed jarring. Will and Nora fit together, complemented one another, perfectly. And the two of them together made the age difference between herself and Graham feel negligible.
On top of that, Nora didn’t seem to have a problem with her at all. Either that or she was exceptionally gracious and faked it really well. Mat wondered what she might say to Graham the next day, if it was just the two of them. Will seemed to like her enough, too. Not that she really cared about making a good impression.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
The sound of Graham’s voice yanked Mat back to the present. “I was just savoring our victory.”
Graham sighed. She resisted the urge to stop walking, but she did turn her head to study Mat’s profile. “You’re a terrible liar.”
“Stop. I’m telling the truth.”
Should she pry? She’d gotten the feeling all night that Mat felt out of her element. No, that wasn’t accurate. Mat seemed to oscillate between being perfectly at ease and visibly uncomfortable. Graham sensed it had more to do with Mat’s own thoughts than the dinner or the company or the rousing game of Trivial Pursuit. She didn’t want to obsess—or to be a nag—but she couldn’t shake the feeling something was up. “People savoring victories don’t usually look so serious.”
Mat looked to her, raised a brow. “Maybe I’m plotting my next conquest.”
They turned onto Mat’s street. Graham chuckled. “I can’t believe I have such a stubborn girlfriend.”
She’d meant it playfully, mostly, but Mat stopped walking and frowned. “I’m not stubborn.”
Graham angled her head. “What’s the number one trait of stubborn people?”
Mat furrowed her brow. “What?”
She tipped her head to one side. “Declaring adamantly they’re not stubborn.”
“Is that so?” Mat narrowed her eyes and looked, for all intents and purposes, mad. Or at least irritated.
Graham swallowed. She didn’t actually want to pick a fight. She just wanted Mat to open up, confide in her. She couldn’t tell if she was nudging things to the former, or the latter. She decided not to push too hard, but not to backpedal either. “That’s been my experience.”
“I’ll show you what stubborn people do.”
Mat came at her and Graham thought for a second they were going to wrestle, right there in the middle of the street. But instead of throwing her to the ground, Mat scooped her up. Like, literally scooped her up and threw Graham over her shoulder, then started walking up the driveway. Graham squealed. Mat swatted at her rear end. Not hard, more a playful spank than anything that actually hurt, but it made Graham squirm and squeal again.
“Keep that up and all the neighbors will hear and start peering out their windows.”
Graham looked around. She couldn’t see anyone watching them, through the windows or otherwise, but the comment had her biting her lip to keep quiet. “What are you doing?”
“I’m carrying you to my bed so I can devour you.”
The comment, paired with the feel of Mat’s strong arms and shoulders, shut off any thoughts of fights or serious conversations or anything else. Suddenly, Graham wanted nothing more than exactly what Mat had just described. They got to the door and Mat set her down so she could unlock it. Graham licked her lips in anticipation. “If I’m difficult, does that mean you’ll have to be extra stern with me?”
Mat opened the door, then turned and looked in her eyes. Graham saw heat in them, hunger. “Is that what you want? Me to be extra stern?”
Now equal parts embarrassed and aroused, Graham looked down. “Maybe.”
Mat laughed. Such a seductive sound, it was all Graham could do not to swoon. “Well, now I’ll really have to show you what it means to be stubborn.”
Once again, Graham found herself hefted over Mat’s shoulder. Mat walked into her place, kicked the door shut behind them. Without turning on any lights, she made a beeline for the bedroom. She tossed Graham onto the bed with little ceremony. Before she could put up even a token protest, Mat pulled off Graham’s shoes, unbuttoned her jeans. She worked them down Graham’s hips and thighs, then tossed them to the floor. Graham’s panties went next, followed by her sweater. Mat remained fully clothed.
Graham opened her mouth to comment on that fact, but Mat dropped to the bed. She nudged Graham’s legs apart and settled herself between them. She nipped Graham’s inner thigh with her teeth then, without a word, plunged her tongue into her.
“Oh, God.” Graham nearly came off the bed at the intensity of it, but Mat held her in place. There was no gentle easing into things, no teasing foreplay. Mat’s mouth worked her, demanded that she keep up.
The orgasm ripped through Graham before she realized it was coming. The strength of it, paired with the surprise, left her unbalanced and out of breath. But Mat remained relentless. She got onto her knees, putting her fingers where her mouth had just been. She pressed one, then a second into Graham. Even if her brain couldn’t keep up, Graham’s body responded. She clenched around Mat, wanton and desperate.
“That’s my good girl.” Mat looked into her eyes, fierce and demanding. “Tell me what you want.”
“More.” The word escaped Graham’s lips, again her body seeming to keep a few steps ahead of the rest of her. Mat obliged. Graham groaned. Mat’s other hand grazed her belly, then slid down. Her thumb made slow, deliberate strokes over Graham’s clit, keeping time with her fingers. “Oh, yes.”
Mat smiled—confident and maybe a little smug. “Don’t come yet.”
The command rippled through Graham like its own orgasm. Who knew she liked being told what to do? She resisted the urge to bear down, knowing it would send her tumbling over the edge. “Please.”
She thought Mat might add a fourth finger. She braced herself, caught on a tightrope of anticipation and longing. Instead, Mat pressed her pinkie against Graham’s other opening. She didn’t push in, but rather held it there with just the right amount of pressure. Graham’s vision blurred with pleasure. She closed her eyes and let her head roll from side to side.
“Now.” Mat’s voice held authority, power. “Come for me now.”
Like a floodgate, Graham opened. Heat poured from her and she rode the tide of it. Her muscles quivered, the shock waves ripped through her. She heard a noise—something primal and raw—then realized it had come from her.
/> When her pulse finally slowed, when the roar in her ears subsided, Graham opened her eyes. She found Mat watching her, but Graham couldn’t read her expression. For some reason, it made her feel vulnerable, exposed. “I thought we were just going to cuddle and go to sleep.”
Mat smiled. It was cocky still, but there was something else to it. Tenderness, maybe. It melted Graham, weakening the thin hold she still had on her heart. Mat lifted her chin. “You started it.”
Graham swallowed, told herself to keep the moment light. “Mmm, I’m pretty sure that’s not what happened.”
“But I’m stubborn, remember? You stand no chance of convincing me otherwise.”
“Right. So.” Graham frowned, not sure what to say next.
“But you can have your way now.” Mat stood long enough to shed her clothes. Graham had forgotten she was still dressed. Then she crawled into bed and pulled up the covers.
Graham half sat, propping herself on an elbow. “Wait. Don’t I get a turn?”
“What if I promise you a turn tomorrow?”
Graham narrowed her eyes. They hadn’t been together all that long, but she’d never known Mat not to be in the mood. “Are you sure?”
Mat nodded. “I really am beat. I promise it has nothing to do with how sexy you are. You’re off the charts in that department.”
Graham pointed at her. “Don’t try to distract me with flattery.”
“I’m not, I swear.” She lifted three fingers like a scout. “I’m just perfectly content to snuggle and—how did you phrase it?—share warmth.”
Graham wasn’t convinced, but it didn’t feel like the time to press. The evening had been so great on so many levels. She really didn’t want to start picking it apart. Graham curled into Mat’s outstretched arm and Mat pulled the blankets snugly around them. Graham gave in to how perfect it felt. “God, you feel good.”
“Good. Now relax and go to sleep.”
She poked Mat gently in the ribs. “So bossy.”
“Yep.”
In spite of herself, Graham’s eyes grew heavy. She let herself nuzzle deeper into Mat’s embrace. Maybe they hadn’t talked about love yet, but this certainly felt like it. She could be patient. The thought of a thousand nights like this carried her to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-one
Asking Dom to skip their off day again was unfair and Mat knew it. But she couldn’t help that being on the water was the only thing keeping her sane these days. She also knew that, if she asked, Dom would grumble, but he’d say yes.
After pacing in her apartment for twenty minutes, she made up her mind. They had an unspoken rule about going out alone. Okay, so maybe somewhat spoken. But there were plenty of fishermen who did. It made the work slower, but not impossible. And it wasn’t inherently more dangerous. It just meant no one was around to help if something went awry. She was careful. Things didn’t go awry.
She’d give Dom his cut of whatever she hauled. That should be enough to keep him from giving her a hard time. And would assuage any guilt she had about breaking their code. Feeling better about the decision, she changed clothes and headed out.
The sky was overcast, the air cool and damp. The brutal temperatures of November and December remained a few weeks away, but Mat was grateful to have switched over to her winter gear. The layers that would feel like nothing soon enough kept her nice and warm this morning.
With the drop in temperatures, the number of lobsters in each trap grew more consistent. Unlike humans, who tended to hunker down and keep close to home, lobsters seemed liberated by the cold. They wandered out of their caves and found their way to her bait.
She kept her pace slow and methodical. The cost of a careless mistake could be infinitely greater when alone, and really, it wasn’t the number of traps she hauled that mattered. At least not today. The routine of the work, the very fact of being on the water, had its usual effect. Her mind cleared of the nagging voices and doubts, the persistent questions about what the hell she was doing.
Happy with her catch, and the state of her mind, she headed back to shore. On the way, her mind kicked back into gear. It conjured images of being with Graham that included everything from the boat to her bed to family dinners and celebrations. Instead of trying to shut them down, she let herself wonder what it might be like.
Could Dom be right? Had her parents mellowed? Might they be more welcoming now than they were all those years ago? They’d come to accept Dom. And now that he was with Renata, everyone in the family seemed on board.
She imagined sitting them down and essentially coming out all over again. She wasn’t incapable, or really even afraid. She just couldn’t imagine it going well. It didn’t seem worth the grief she’d put them—or herself—through in the process. Or at least it hadn’t.
Graham changed things. Her sweet smile and ridiculous sense of humor, her intelligence and kind heart. And the chemistry. Dear Lord, the chemistry. If she was being honest with herself, she could admit that sex with Graham existed on an entirely different dimension. It was good, yes, but it stirred something in her that she hadn’t even known was there.
With her mind on that tangent, Mat approached the harbor. She kicked into idle to call her uncle and realized she’d missed at least a dozen texts from Dom. They started casual, but morphed through irate to full-on worried. She cringed, feeling bad she’d sneaked off without telling him. As she steered into the unloading zone, she realized he was there, waiting for her.
Since their uncle was there, too, Mat offered a friendly wave and kept her tone light. Dom followed suit. Together, they hoisted the barrel and got it onto his truck. After, Mat moved to their slip and started cleanup. It didn’t take long for him to join her.
“Are you fucking insane?” The edge in Dom’s voice radiated anger.
She’d expected him to give her a token hard time. And then thank her for giving him a pass, for earning him money while he did nothing. But he was none of those things. “Dude, relax.”
“I won’t relax. And don’t dude me.”
Mat lifted both her hands. “Okay, okay. Christ.”
“I’m serious, Mat. You could have gotten yourself killed.”
Mat appreciated his concern, but she bristled at the statement. “Being a little dramatic, aren’t we? I was careful. I went slow. I’m not a fucking moron.”
Dom’s face softened, if only a little. “I didn’t call you a moron.”
Mat raised a brow. “No, just insane.”
“We don’t go out alone.” Dom heaved out a breath. “You’ve heard the stories.”
She had. From the time she could walk, she’d heard stories. Some funny, some heroic, some tragic. She’d been raised to appreciate what the sea could offer those who worked it, but also to respect what it could take away. As a kid, it had filled her with a sense of adventure. As a teen, it felt cheesy and over the top. But she’d settled into adulthood and the reality behind some of those tales kept her centered. With less defiance than she’d felt a moment before, she said, “I was careful.”
Dom’s features softened even more. “I never said you weren’t. But it’s not just you out there. Things can happen.”
“All right, all right. I’m sufficiently shamed.”
“Shamed enough not to do it again?”
She really hadn’t wanted him to worry. “I won’t do it again. Promise.”
“Good.” Dom rolled his eyes, but smiled. “Now tell me, how much did I make?”
Mat folded her arms. “A couple hundred. I told you, I went slow.”
“Eh.” Dom shrugged. “Not bad for an afternoon of making love to my fiancée.”
“Such a—” Mat cut herself off as the second half of the statement registered. “Wait. What?”
Dom grinned a goofy, over the moon kind of grin. “I asked Renata to marry me and she said yes.”
A torrent of emotions whipped through Mat’s brain. Joy, but also worry. And she couldn’t ignore the pang of envy. “When? How? You don’t th
ink it’s a little quick?”
Dom’s smile didn’t waver. “When you know, you know.”
She let his words sink in. Did she believe that? They’d never been true for her. The one time she thought so, she’d been not only wrong, but alone in her feelings. That was one of the reasons she didn’t think she was built for love. Until recently, the idea hadn’t bothered her much. Now? Now she didn’t know what to believe. Except that she didn’t want to saddle Dom with it. She forced a smile. “I’m really happy for you, man. Congratulations.”
He shrugged and seemed to get bashful. “Thanks.”
“I can’t think of anyone who deserves a happily ever after more than you.” As Mat said the words, she realized how much she meant them. She gave him a hard time, but mostly because he felt like a little brother and doing so was both a right and a responsibility. But she loved him and, more, admired him. He’d weathered plenty of storms—the family fallout from his transition, the breakup with his girlfriend at the time—and hadn’t grown bitter. If anything, he kept his heart even more open. He’d earned his current happiness tenfold.
Dom frowned. “You say that like you don’t deserve to be happy.”
They’d finished putting the boat in order. Mat took a final look around before stepping onto the dock. It was her turn to shrug. “It’s not that I don’t. I’m just not sure I’m cut out for domestic bliss.”
Dom followed. He sighed in a way that seemed more worried than annoyed. “How can you possibly say that? You’ve never even tried.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Days passed and turned into weeks. September gave way to October and the number of people in town seemed to dwindle at the same rate as leaves on trees. Graham spent more nights with Mat than not. The routine of work shifted as the seasonal staff left, but Graham didn’t mind. Mat continued to work crazy hours in a seeming race against the arrival of winter.
Her cooking lessons with Aunt Nora seemed to be working and she made dinner at Mat’s at least a couple of times a week. They alternated that with Mat’s cooking and takeout. They went out with Dom and Renata and even had dinner at Renata’s place one night. Nights were spent making love and falling asleep together. In almost every way, it was everything Graham wanted. But even as she reveled in the connection, she sensed that something was off.