The next comic was full of rants, ripping on everything from die-hard New England sports fans to politics. Matty loved hearing her laughter. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so much, certainly not since before the blast. He raised an arm to put it around Jenna before he remembered this wasn’t a real date.
The real reason why he was with her returned like a raging bull when he walked her back to her apartment. The sky had darkened, and clouds obscured the waxing moon. The streets were lit by the streetlights, but casted shadows along the sidewalks. Matty scanned them for Jenna’s ex. Matty had to remain vigilant and keep up the pretense that they were together. When he took Jenna’s hand, she glanced at him with surprise at first, but then appeared to understand.
Her hand had felt strangely right in his. The warmth of their connection simmered with an underlying electric buzz.
While they walked, they talked about their favorite jokes from the show. Walking with Jenna under the moonlight was romantic. Neither let go of each other’s hands until they neared her place, and when they did, the temperature of his hand dropped from the unwanted coolness. In front of her apartment, one of the units in a restored Colonial painted a sunny yellow with black shutters, he glanced around once more to see if they’d been followed.
Jenna turned to face him. “I had fun tonight.”
“Me too.” Those weren’t just polite words. It was the first time he’d enjoyed himself that much in a long time.
He glanced into her dark blue eyes and his breath caught. The sudden urge to kiss her welled up. He swallowed and shoved it away before he did something stupid. What kind of favor would he be doing Derek by shoving his tongue down his sister’s throat?
She leaned forward and whispered, “What should we do? Hug goodbye? Kiss? You know, to sell it better in case he’s watching.”
Hearing her suggestions as well as the warmth of her breath on his neck did nothing to help him ignore the growing yearning. What her lips would feel like was a curiosity that grew all consuming.
When she stared up at him, he struggled to find an answer as the yearning grew again. She looked so pretty under the moonlight, her shiny hair like satin and her eyes bright. If they were on a real date, he’d kiss her goodnight and tell her how he wanted to see her again.
How he yearned to do that now. All he wanted to do was kiss those pouty lips. And if things went really well, she’d invite him inside.
“Just go with it,” he whispered and cupped her cheek. It was as soft as crushed velvet. As he leaned forward, his heartbeat fired up, and it felt like he was moving in slow motion.
When his lips brushed hers, a barely audible sound escaped her. He fought the ache to wrap his arms around her and deepen the kiss and instead pulled back. It was only supposed to be an act.
That didn’t explain the sudden lightness inside his body, making him almost giddy.
Maybe it had been too long since he kissed anyone. He forced his mask back into place with a grin. “Good night, Jenna.”
Her wide-eyed expression appeared a bit dreamy. She blinked. “Ah, good night, Matty.”
She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out her keys. Only once she had opened the door and closed it behind her did his breath come more easily. He waited for her light to turn on and then stood by a couple more minutes. Once assured she was safely home, he turned and walked away, fighting against all the instincts to go back and ring the bell.
It’s only an act, he reminded himself. None of this is real.
Right, a favor to Derek. And he would kill Matty if he thought he was taking advantage of the situation to hook up with his sister.
Matty repeated the four words like a chant, ignoring his body urging him to go back to Jenna. It’s only an act. It’s only an act.
Chapter 6
Jenna
“Thanks for taking me out last night,” Jenna said when Matty picked her up on Friday morning. “I wasn’t just saying it, I really had fun.”
She loved hearing him laugh. He still had an infectious one, and it likely had more to do with her enjoyment last night more so than the comics. It was deeper now than when they were younger, and it affected her some place deep within.
Laughing with Matty had always been easy, but she’d spent more of the night thinking about the kiss and how it had made her tingle. She let a few harmless fantasies play out of what could have happened if it hadn’t just been a ruse and he’d spent the night at her place.
He nodded and grinned at her. “Of course you did—you kicked my butt in Uno and declared yourself the Queen of Mean!”
She laughed. “A vicious victory indeed.”
Matty stared ahead as he drove. “Nah, I’d never seriously say that about you, Jenna. Kind and caring. Never mean.”
That warmed her. She’d sometimes thought she’d lost her way with Roberto and feared his lack of compassion for others might wear off on her. She’d turn into a vapid ornament.
“I promised my mom I’d pick up something for dinner tonight,” Matty said, “But we should go out again tomorrow.”
“Okay. Evening, right? I’m working until three tomorrow and then planned to go to the gym.”
“Sounds good. Just let me know what you want to do.” He gave her an exaggerated bow. “I’m happy to escort you.”
She scrunched up her face. “I feel a bit ridiculous having you escort me around like you’re my chauffeur.”
“Nope. Fake boyfriend,” he clarified. “And it’s only a little while.”
Right, fake boyfriend and a fake kiss. She had to remember that.
The veterinary clinic closed earlier on Saturdays, so she went to a Zumba class at the gym. Matty had said he’d drive her, but she’d turned him down, saying he didn’t need to stick to her like glue.
After she’d finished her class and showered, she grabbed her bag and walked out of the gym. Roberto approached her from the opposite direction as she neared the lobby. What fresh hell now? She bristled and clutched her water bottle in a tight grip. All the tension that clenched her muscles offset the relaxing stretch and hot shower.
Damn it, perhaps she should have accepted Matty’s offer to drive her after all.
Roberto stopped in front of her, his cologne pungent to her nostrils. “Jenna.”
“What are you doing here?”
He stared down at her with a sly grin as if enjoying witnessing her discomfort. “Thought I’d try this gym.”
For the four hundredth time since they’d split up, she questioned what she’d ever seen in him. Good looks, power, money—things that had once seemed to matter until she’d discovered they were only superficial attributes.
“You have your own gym, Roberto.” He belonged to an expensive one with all the extras like a health food café and on-site spa, whereas this one was more mainstream. She’d gone to the other back when they were married, but had canceled her membership a few months ago to find one that was less pretentious, without all the clients parading around in expensive workout clothing.
She ran her hand through her still damp hair. “You don’t need to worm your way into mine with all the ‘regular people’ as you’d called it.” It had been one of the many differences in their outlooks, another of the warning signs that they were incompatible.
“It was time for a change. A new start.” His gaze remained fixed on her. “I told you, I’ve changed.”
Her heart beat more quickly. She attempted to slow it with deep breaths and counting to three as she glanced out the glass doors of the gym entrance to the parking lot before she brought her gaze back to meet his. “You can’t keep showing up in the places where I go. It makes me uncomfortable.”
“Why? We loved each other. Why would my presence make you uncomfortable?” He stepped closer to her and raised his hand as if about to touch her.
Jenna stepped back before he reached her. “Because what we had is gone. It’s over. Mutually.”
“We broke up out of anger. It’s time to
get past that anger and start over.”
She shook her head. “No. We’ve gone over this before.”
He stepped forward and touched her forearm. “Come on, Jenna.”
She pulled her arm back. “Please don’t touch me.”
Her voice rose, and she glanced around the gym to see if they were making a scene. The alternative music and din of cardio machines must have drowned them out as nobody paid them any attention.
“Stop pushing me away. I’ve said I was sorry, and I want to start over.” His syrupy tone didn’t fool her.
“And I said that’s not going to happen. It’s over. You need to move on.”
Roberto’s face contorted with a flash of the anger that was so quick to rise in him. In the next second, it was gone. He forced a smile. “I’ve changed. You have to give me a chance to prove it to you.”
“No, Roberto. We’ve given it several chances. Please drop it.” She walked away from him back toward the locker room at a brisk pace. Hyperawareness gripped her like ants crawling up her spine. She felt his eyes burning her back. Would he grab her?
She quickened her steps until she was in the locker room. He wouldn’t follow her in there. She entered a dressing stall and locked it. Sitting on the bench, she dropped her head into her hands and took several deep breaths. Ugh, why could he still rattle her after all this time?
She pulled out her phone, but wavered. She’d told Derek and Matty she was just fine taking care of herself, but she’d definitely feel less creeped out with Matty around. She texted him.
Can you please pick me up from the gym?
Be right there.
She exhaled and her breathing soon slowed.
A few minutes later, she stepped into the open doorway and glanced into the gym to see if Roberto was still lurking. No sign. She waited in the lobby and kept looking out the glass windows for Matty.
When a blue Subaru pulled up in front of the entrance two minutes later, she exhaled. She bolted to Matty’s car and climbed in, slamming the door with more force than she’d intended.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” His eyes bore into hers.
“He was here. Roberto.” She frowned.
Matty straightened and scanned from the entrance through the parking lot. His body seem to harden from his jawline through his arms clutching the steering wheel. “Did he bother you?”
“Yes. The same shit he’s been pulling for weeks now, trying to convince me to give him another chance.”
“And you told him no, right?”
“Of course I did!” On seeing his furrowed brows, she rubbed her temple. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just—” She shuddered. “Please drive.” Once he did, she rolled her neck, releasing some of the tension that had coiled. “How the hell could I have been so stupid to marry someone like him? I’ve asked myself that question a thousand times. Was he so slick that he fooled me? Or am I that naïve?”
Matty scowled. “You’re not naïve. I’d bet that it was on him.”
She blinked. “I can’t blame it on him. When a marriage ends, each person has their side, right?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never been married.”
“And you haven’t known me for years. I could be a complete mess.”
“I know your character, Jenna. You’re trusting and kind, but that doesn’t make you naïve.”
She swallowed. Those words coming from Matty somewhat offset the discomfort that had slithered underneath her skin since encountering Roberto.
“Has he come to your gym before?” Matty asked.
She pursed her lips. “No. He said he was checking it out. Bull.” She threw her hands into the air. “Now what—I have to find a new gym?”
Matty put the car in drive and they pulled out of the parking lot. “No. Next time you go, you bring your boyfriend with you.”
Her mouth fell open. “What?”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Why?”
“It will show him that you’re getting more serious with your new boyfriend. Force him to see that you’re moving on.”
She blinked a few times waiting to see if Matty would break into a grin and admit he was just kidding. Nothing about his hard expression and white-knuckle grip indicated that would happen.
Jenna turned forward and stared at the road. Now she had a gym date with her fake boyfriend?
* * *
At the end of her shift on Monday, Matty texted to say he was in front of the clinic. It was time for their gym date. Jenna hadn’t seen him since Saturday night when they’d grabbed burgers and then went for a walk along the wharf before he walked her home. He didn’t kiss her on the lips that time, which she’d noted with regret, but had hugged her and kissed her cheek. Having her body pressed against his was enough to send her fantasies soaring once more.
She climbed into his car. He wore black gym shorts, a fitted forest green workout shirt, and black sneakers. She’d already changed into her gym clothes inside—a pair of gray leggings and a fitted lilac hoodie with a tank top underneath.
“How was your family dinner yesterday?” she asked.
“Same as usual. Angelo and Catherine came down.” He grinned. “Lots of food, lots of drink, lots of us being loud. La mia pazza famiglia.” When she raised a brow, he added, “My crazy family.”
“Don’t we all have them?” Funny, that wasn’t one of the Italian phrases she’d ever heard from Roberto. He’d never admit that any part of his life wasn’t perfect.
He drove to the gym.
“You sure you want to do this?” She turned to him. “It feels like you’re now my gym bodyguard.”
“Don’t think of it like that,” he scoffed with wave of his hand. “I need to work out too, and need to check out the gyms around here. It’s the old two birds, one stone trick.”
She bit her lip. Not only was Matty back in Newport and playing the role of her boyfriend, but he might go to her gym for however long he stuck around. A fluttering sensation rose within, so different from the intrusive one when she’d spotted Roberto there.
After they entered the lobby, signing him up as her guest, she faced him. “We’re not going to work out together too, are we?”
“Nah.” He motioned to the open space. “I’ll be good finding my way around. You do your thing and I’ll do mine.”
She scrunched her nose. “What’s your thing?”
“Some back and core work today. I save my cardio for outdoors.” He motioned at the section on the right with treadmills and other cardio machines. “None of this machine crap.”
“Hey, I like the machine crap,” she protested, planting her hands on her hips.
He gave her a mock bow. “Get to it.”
She entered the cardio area and chose a stair climber, one of her regular starts to her workout. She popped in her ear buds and played an upbeat playlist that shuffled to No Doubt’s Just a Girl. It only took a couple minutes to get into the rhythm and for her to heat up. She removed her hoodie, stripping down to a tank top.
Having Matty workout there was distracting. How many times had her gaze wandered over to him near the free weights? More than she wanted to admit. The muscles in his back and arms bulged and contracted as he did pull-ups. He’d always been lean, but in the Navy, he’d bulked up with more muscle. Impressive.
She wasn’t the only woman to notice. Others gave him long appraisals. Discomfort clenched her ribs. Odd. Matty didn’t seem to notice them, she noted with an exhale. Instead, he often glanced over at her. Sure, it was probably to make sure that Roberto hadn’t slunk in and sidled up to her with more of his creepy come-ons, but still. Aware that he watched her, she strove to work in good form, not slouch or look lazy.
After a few more circuits with the free weights, he strode in her direction. A couple of women on exercise bikes checked him out as he walked by. Jenna scowled.
What for? She had no claims on him, nothing that was real at least.
He reached her. “This ma
chine, huh?”
Jenna kept her pace steady despite her heart jolting into overdrive with him so close, looking even sexier with the sheen of perspiration on his skin. The faint scent of it carried over, stirring an image of another way they could get hot and sweaty together.
After shoving that illicit image aside, she raised her chin and continued to step. “You’ve got a problem with it?”
He cocked his head. “It’s—silly.”
“Silly?” She repeated.
“Yeah. If you want to work out on stairs, work out on actual stairs, not a machine. I’ll take you to the football stadium.”
“Ha. I don’t think so. I doubt I can run stairs.”
“You don’t have to run. Plenty of people walk. Or alternate their pace. I’ve seen all ages and all abilities walking, running, or even doing some weird ass sideways climbing shit.”
“Maybe one day. That day is not today.” Working out at a football stadium with a former Navy SEAL had to equal torture, like the kind she’d seen in those grueling documentaries. Besides, she didn’t need to humiliate herself by passing out in front of him during a workout she couldn’t handle.
Matty leaned closer. “Any sign?” His tone came out lower and more serious.
“No, I haven’t seen him.” She exhaled. Maybe after their last conversation, Roberto had finally accepted that it was over. Wishful thinking? He wasn’t easily persuaded.
“Good. We can just workout then. I’ll leave you to it.” Matty raised his chin toward a kettlebell rack. “I’ll be over there.”
She headed to the weight machines and did a circuit and then met him in the stretching area.
He moved a kettlebell from one side to the other in Russian twists. “Finishing up on core.”
She couldn’t resist trailing her gaze down to his stomach. It had to be as hard and muscular as the rest of him. Too bad he had a shirt on.
He paused and motioned to the free weights. “Grab a weight and join me if you’d like.”
Jenna could keep up with that at a fraction of the weight. She picked a yellow kettlebell and sat down on the blue padded mat next to him. Then she followed suit with moving the kettle bell from right side to left and back again, at times raising her legs in a bicycle movement like he did. She was far too aware of his body moving beside her. Their escalated breaths. Her heated body.
Matty: A Navy SEAL Romance Page 5
