by Raquel Lyon
Oh, God. How did he expect her to react to such a pretty speech? His words had totally melted her insides. He’d better have meant every word, because now she was lost, and there was no going back.
“Could you?” he repeated.
“I never stopped,” she whispered.
His lips were on hers before she had chance to say another word. Caressing her face in his hands, he devoured her mouth as if he’d been starved of the taste for a lifetime, and her response was just as urgent. She placed her hands tentatively on his hips, fighting the urge to close the gap between them, acutely aware of her still sodden state. Time stood still as they lost themselves in each other until Matt’s hands moved to her shoulders and he drew back.
“Are you sure?” he asked, staring deep into her eyes.
Nessie nodded. “I love you, Matt.”
“I’ve waited so long to hear that.”
“Would you like me to say it again?”
“Every day, but what I’d like you to do, right now, is come closer.” He hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her to him.
She resisted, gently pushing him back. “Careful. You’ll get all dirty and wet again.”
His eyes twinkled. “I sort of like the sound of that.”
“Oh, you do, do you?”
His lips curled into a lopsided grin. “Ah-huh.”
“I’m not sure you’re up to it.”
Matt took her hand and placed it over his crotch. “Does that feel up to you.”
Nessie bit her lip and nodded. “But I meant your injury. You should take it easy.”
“If I get dizzy, I’ll let you know. Now, let’s get you out of that dress, shall we?”
“How, when the damn thing is determined to stay put?” she asked, before getting a sudden idea. “Do you think if I phone down to reception the hotel would loan me a pair of scissors?”
“No need.” Nessie’s breath caught as Matt turned her around, grasped the edge of the fabric, and ripped the zip apart. “See,” he said, letting the dress fall to the floor as he spun her back to face him. His eyes skimmed her body. “Fuck me. What’s this?” he asked, smoothing his hands up hard satin covered lines.
“A basque.” She giggled, enjoying the hungry gleam in his eyes.
He licked his lips. “I can see that. Are you trying to drive me insane?”
“Not intentionally.”
“Well, you are, and our appearance downstairs is definitely going on hold, because there’s no way my hard-on’s going to go down anytime soon after seeing you in that.”
“Then let me take a shower and maybe we can do something about it.”
“Oh, no. Come here woman.” He scooped her around her waist, dipped his head into her shoulder, and trailed kisses down from her neck to the swell of her breasts.
Nessie sank her face into his hair and breathed in his sweet aroma. He smelled so good, and here she was stinking like an old seashell. She stifled a rush of pleasure and tried to release herself from his hold. “Matt, stop. I need to take a shower.”
“You need to relax,” he said, lowering to his knees, “and I’m going to take care of that.”
“But I’m all smelly and wet.”
“Not wet enough.”
Matt slowly peeled down her panties just enough to gain access, causing her nipples to pull tight. She threaded her fingers into his hair as he eased her legs apart and buried his head between them, gripping her ass to hold her firm.
Her breath came fast and heavy and her pulse flickered as his tongue worked magic and the tension built into unspeakable ecstasy. She gasped. “Oh, God, that feels good.”
“Tastes good too,” he said, looking up and licking his lips. “Sweet and salty at the same time. A delicious combination.” He gave her one final lap and rolled her underwear back up.
“Don’t stop. Why are you stopping?”
“Because I don’t want you to finish yet.”
“But you said I needed to relax. Working me up and leaving me hanging is not the way to do it,” she said, no longer self-conscious.
“Patience, babe.” He lifted her onto his hips and kissed her again before placing her onto the edge of the bed and standing back to unbutton his shirt. Nessie leaned forward to grip his buttocks and kiss his newly exposed stomach. A thin strip of hair had begun to sprout, starting under his belly button and finishing somewhere underneath his pants. She followed the trail with her mouth and reached around the front of his waistband to locate the fastening, impatient to see where the line ended, but she couldn’t find a clasp or button anywhere.
“These are your stage pants, aren’t they?” she said, sitting back with frustration.
He lifted her face. “So you do know?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“That part of my life is over.”
“Then why are you wearing the pants?”
“Apart from the hire suit, they’re the only smart ones I brought. I didn’t think your mother would appreciate me returning to her wedding party in jeans.”
Nessie ran the back of her fingers along the hard length constrained beneath the tight fabric and felt the tiny ridges of veins pulsate at her touch.
“Careful, babe. Keep doing that and he’s likely to blow.”
“You’re going commando,” she noted.
“I do that sometimes.”
Realising Matt would need to initiate the pants removal himself, Nessie leaned back on her arms. “Did you enjoy stripping?”
“Most of the time.”
“For Mum?”
“A bit embarrassing, but it helped that she’s hot.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said Cora’s hot.”
“Yeah, a diet of gin and sex works every time,” Nessie swung her legs onto the mattress and scooched towards the pillow, readying herself for the show, “but you’d better not be fancying my mother.”
“I don’t. I’ve told you there’s only one woman for me, and I’m looking at her, but I’d rather be inside her.”
“Then tear off those pants and get over here.”
Matt didn’t need telling twice. The sound of ripping Velcro preceded Nessie’s giggling. Wow. Would she ever get used to his amazing body?
“Do I get a lap dance now?” she asked cheekily.
Matt crawled onto the bed, ran his hands down her hips—taking her panties with him—and smoothed his hands back up the inside of her thighs. “Baby, you get anything you want.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
A slow song was drifting from the speakers when Nessie and Matt entered the conference room, hand in hand. Under the multi-coloured spotlights, the bride and groom were in the middle of their solo dance, happily smiling into each other’s eyes.
“Nice to see they’ve made up,” Matt said.
Nessie’s lips curved to meet the sparkles in her eyes as she gazed up at her gorgeous man. “There’s a lot of it about.”
The music changed, and Grandad Bishop took over as Cora’s dance partner. Johnny bowed out and walked over. “You two look a darn sight better than you did an hour ago. Everything okay?”
“Everything’s great,” Matt said. “I see you managed to calm her down?” He nodded towards the dance floor.
“Yeah, yeah. Took a while. But after I explained the situation and showed her how much she meant to me,” he raised his eyebrows suggestively, “she got rid of some tension,” he nudged Matt’s arm and winked, “if you know what I mean. It’s all good.”
Amy sidled up to them, beaming brighter than the spotlight over the dance floor. “Hey, there, Sis. Where’ve you been?”
“Getting changed,” Nessie answered.
“I heard about your little adventure. Are you both okay?”
“Couldn’t be better.” Nessie gripped Matt’s hand a little tighter than necessary.
Amy nodded at their interlocked fingers. “Looks like clothes aren’t the only thing that’s changed around here. You two finally worked it out, huh?”
>
Matt raised Nessie’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “We’re very happy.”
“About bloody time,” Amy said, placing the fingers of her left hand on her cheek and wiggling them to gain attention. “Must be the day for happy unions.”
Nessie gasped. “Oh my God, is that what I think it is?”
“Sure is. Josh just asked me. It was such a surprise. I’m so excited. I want to tell everyone, but Josh says we should keep it all hush-hush for a while.”
“What on earth for? This is great news,” Johnny said.
Amy flicked a nervous glance at her mother. “He doesn’t want to upset Mum.”
“Upset her?”
“Steal her limelight.”
“Bollocks. She’ll be stoked.” Johnny caught his wife’s attention and waved her over.
Cora sported a hesitant smile as she thanked her father and came to join her husband, who reached out to place a loving arm around her waist. She bypassed it and took hold of Nessie, hugging her tightly before taking a step back to say, “Vanessa, I’m sorry if I was harsh with you earlier. You should have told me what was going on with Garrett.”
“It’s fine, Mum,” Nessie said, slightly flustered by her mother’s unusual show of affection. “I handled it.”
“But still, if I’d have known…”
“Things wouldn’t have turned out any differently.”
“Maybe if you hadn’t felt so alienated, you wouldn’t have put yourself in danger?”
“I didn’t plan for the tide to come in, and I know that was stupid, but then I didn’t plan to faint either. I’m just so grateful Matt found me.”
“As are we all.” Cora turned her attention to Matt. “Matthew, thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost Vanessa.”
“Me neither,” he said. “That’s why I’m never letting her out of my sight again, and someday, I hope to present her with a rock as impressive as the one Amy’s sporting.”
Cora looked stunned, her mouth slightly open, as she digested Matt's words before meeting her eldest daughter’s eye. “Amy, do you have something to tell me?”
Amy lips curved into a tight-lipped smile as she fought to contain her excitement and lost. Holding her hand out, she jumped up and down, making it difficult for her mother to get a good look at the ring.
Matt steered Nessie away from the action and over to the drinks table. “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” he said, handing her a glass of champagne.
“Yes, but you can say it again, if you like.”
“Sweetheart, I’m going to tell you every day for the rest of your life.”
“Even when I’m old and grey?”
“Even then.”
Nessie sipped her champagne and thought about her future self. Whatever had happened in the past was over. The future was what counted, and whatever it held, she knew Matt would be with her sharing every moment with her, and that was all she needed.
THE END
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Other books in the Parkside Avenue series:
Kiss the Tiger
Boy Next Door
Keep me Safe
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