by Addison Cole
It took her a moment to realize they were on the move. He carried her to the couch and carefully laid her on the cushions, then came down over her. Oh, he felt good! She’d forgotten how the weight of a man changed the feel of her own body. She felt feminine and sexy as he smiled down at her and shifted his weight, lying beside her with his leg and arm over her, so his body blocked the view from the hall.
“Don’t worry, baby.” With one finger he moved a lock of her hair away from her face and kissed her softly. “We aren’t going to get caught naked on the couch.”
Do I look worried? How could she worry with him taking care of her? She knew he would never put her or her son in an uncomfortable position.
“I just had to be closer to you. I’ve spent so many months repressing my feelings just to make it through the day. Now that I’m here, now that we have time to explore what’s between us, I don’t want to hold back.”
She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Her heart soared knowing he’d been holding back, too.
With a feathery touch, his fingertips brushed her knee, moved up her thigh, over her hip, and along her torso. Even through her clothing his touch gave her shivers. He cupped her cheek and kissed her again, deep and sensual. The strength of his hand on her cheek, the feel of his whiskers against her skin, and the strong strokes of his tongue exploring her mouth consumed her. Her hand wound around his neck, and her entire body reached for him.
He lowered her to her back, never breaking the kiss. Oh, this kiss! She could live inside this kiss! But a kiss was nowhere near enough. Her hand pushed beneath the back of his shirt, claiming his hot skin. She couldn’t stop a greedy moan from escaping and felt him smile against her lips.
“Guys like you only exist in magazines and fantasies,” she whispered.
Her hand moved over his soft skin and the hard ridges of his back, his muscles flexing as he leaned further into her and his hand snuck beneath her shirt. Thank goodness Serena had convinced her to go full-on sexy with her lingerie.
“I assure you, sunshine, I definitely exist.” He lifted her shirt and pressed a kiss between her breasts.
She’d dreamed about sharing this intimacy with him for so long her stomach dipped.
“You have been my only fantasy night after night,” he said between each kiss.
Her nails dug into his skin as she arched against him, craving so much more. More she knew she couldn’t have, not here, not with Hagen sleeping just down the hall. But this tantalizing persuasion? Oh yes, she would allow herself this. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to once again drift away as he teased and sucked and turned her into a writhing bundle of bones. His fingers trailed down her stomach, and habit had her trying to suck in the belly that she hadn’t been able to lose since having Hagen.
He lifted his lips from her skin, and her eyes opened at the loss.
He gazed down at her with passion brimming in his dark eyes. “Please don’t. You’re gorgeous. All of you. Breathe, baby. Relax. Let me love you.”
His words stole her breath, and he must have noticed, because his lips curved up in a sinful smile, and he brushed them over hers. “Breathe, baby, or I’ll breathe for you.”
And he did, slanting his mouth over hers and breathing air into her lungs, love into her heart, and lust into every crevice of her body. His hand moved down the front of her shorts, and she had a moment of worry—about Hagen and about what Serena had said. Would he recoil when he felt hair down there?
“My back’s to the hallway. I’m listening for Hagen. If he steps out of his bed, I’ll move before he even gets to the hall.”
Relief swept through her. He was just as aware as she was. Thank goodness, because she was certain that if he touched her there—where she hadn’t been touched by anyone in years—she might detonate.
“Or we can stop,” he offered, and began withdrawing his hand.
“No. If you don’t touch me I might die right here on this couch.”
He laughed, and she tugged him into a kiss to escape the embarrassment over having admitted such a thing. He kissed like he spoke, confident and in control, like she could let go of all her worries and he’d take care of everything.
And take care of everything he did.
WITH HIS MIND on the beautiful, trusting woman coming apart beneath him and his ears on high alert listening for Hagen, Matt drank in all the sweetness Mira was willing to give. Her softness, the sexy sounds coming from her luscious lips. As exquisite as it was, none of it was enough. He’d never been a greedy man, but when it came to Mira, he wanted it all. Her body, her heart, her future.
He kissed her softly as she came down from the clouds, smiling like she’d never felt anything so good, and that filled him with so many sensations—pride, lust, happiness. He kissed her lips, which were swollen from their kisses, her cheeks, her forehead, and then her mouth again.
She held on to him like he was her anchor—and man did he want to be.
Eyes closed, she whispered, “Matt.”
He couldn’t hold back from whispering all the naughty, loving things he wanted to do to her.
Her eyes flew open, blush splashing across her cheeks. He kissed her again. “Get used to it, sunshine. I want all of you.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “What else?” she asked shakily.
“Baby, when I get you alone, when we don’t have to worry about your sweet little boy, I’m going to pleasure you every way you’ll let me.” He laced his fingers with hers and pressed them beside her head, kissing her neck and feeling her erratic heartbeat against his.
“Tell me your fantasies, sunshine. I want to make them all come true.”
“I…can’t.” She closed her eyes, and he kissed her again.
“The brain is a powerful thing,” he reassured her. “When you’re ready. When you trust me wholly and completely, which you will one day very soon, then you can tell me.”
“I forgot you’re a psych and econ guy. It’s so not fair. You have the upper hand.” She let out a long breath as he moved beside her and they both sat up. Matt had a double major in psychology and economics, but his advanced degrees were in economics, and that’s what he taught at Princeton.
“I don’t want the upper hand,” he assured her. He ran his fingers along her jaw and whispered, “I want to be one with you, sunshine, and soon I’m going to have my hands all over you.”
Chapter Nine
MIRA STOOD IN the kitchen staring at the couch during breakfast the next morning. She’d never thought much about that couch, but now it made her smile, and her stomach went all sorts of crazy just looking at it. Matt’s words whispered in her head, as they had all night after he’d left. When you’re ready. When you trust me wholly and completely, which you will one day very soon, then you can tell me.
“Can I bring my robot to camp?” Hagen asked. “I want to show it to my friends.”
She shook her head to clear her thoughts, but all it did was rattle more of Matt’s words free. And make me want everything he mentioned.
She carried her plate from the table, forcing those tempting thoughts away to focus on her son. “Sure, but we have to hurry. I want to stop by and see Serena for a few minutes before we leave.” Mira bent to smell the pretty gloxinias.
“Yay!” Hagen carried his plate to the sink, then ran down the hall to his bedroom.
Mira’s phone vibrated. Her pulse quickened at the sight of Matt’s picture on the screen. She’d made the selfie he’d taken of the two of them at the cemetery his profile picture. She quickly read the text. Good morning, sunshine. I’d call, but I don’t want to throw off your schedule with Hagen. Can I see you guys this week and take you out on a real date this weekend? She smiled at his inclusion of Hagen and warmed at the thought of going out with him this weekend.
She sent off a quick reply. Hi. Thank you for being mindful of our morning madness. Of course you can see us, and I’ll check on getting a sitter for this weekend.
Hagen came o
ut of his bedroom carrying his backpack. “I got it, Mom. Ready.”
Doing a quick sweep of her little boy’s freshly combed hair and clothing, she asked, “Did you brush your teeth?”
“Uh-huh.” He smiled, revealing his teeth.
“Good boy.” She grabbed her purse and keys as her phone vibrated again. She read the text quickly—If you can’t find a sitter, I don’t mind taking Hagen with us. Smiling, she shoved her phone in her pocket and followed Hagen out the door. She’d respond to the text after talking to Serena.
“Mom! There’s a package!”
As she locked the door, Hagen said, “It has my name on it.” He opened the bag and pulled out a package of batteries, dropping the bag to the porch.
Mira picked it up and found a note inside. “‘Hagen,’” she read aloud, smiling at Matt’s careful print and the thoughtful note. “‘I thought you might need a few extra batteries for the robot. Remember to be careful when you open the battery compartment. The latch can be tricky. Have fun at camp. Matt.’”
“Guy stuff, Mom. Matt says part of being a man is always being prepared.”
Hagen shoved the batteries in his backpack and climbed into the car while Mira tried to fit her ever-expanding heart back inside her chest.
She drove over to the Bayside Resort office thinking about yesterday. She’d heard Matt doling out life lessons in small enough doses for Hagen to listen to each and every one, but that didn’t mean her son would retain them. She was glad to see that the excitement of the robot hadn’t superseded the lessons. And even more touched that Matt cared enough about Hagen’s happiness to have dropped off the batteries. She imagined most guys who had just started dating a woman would have focused on her—and most fathers wouldn’t have thought that far ahead.
Dean was working in the gardens in front of the office when they arrived. He raised a hand above his eyes, shielding his tanned face from the sun’s bright rays. His hair was cropped so short, that together with his broad, muscular frame, it made him look like a marine.
“Hey, little buddy,” he said to Hagen as he darted by.
“Hi, Dean!” Hagen ran up the steps toward the office door. “I made a robot and Mom has a boyfriend.”
Mira stopped cold as he disappeared into the building.
“You look like that’s news to you.” Dean rose to his feet, wiping his hands on a rag he’d had stuffed in his back pocket.
“New to me maybe but not news. I’m wondering how he put the pieces of the puzzle together. We never even kissed around him, but he did have his arm around me yesterday.”
“Kids are perceptive. I remember when my mom introduced me to her new ‘friends.’ I knew every single time they were making their way into her bedroom. I was twelve. I’m sure Hagen’s not putting those pieces together yet, but he’s a smart kid.”
“You can say that again.” Mira mentally planned out the talk they’d have on the way to camp.
“So…Matt Lacroux? I wondered when you guys would turn your occasional dates into something more.”
“Occasional dates?”
Dean squinted against the bright sun. “I don’t know what you call them, but I think taking Hagen out counts as a date. Every time the guy’s in town he makes a point of seeing you. That’s a good thing. And I heard he brought you gloxinias, which shows he’s a man who knows what he’s doing.”
Thinking of last night, she agreed. Matt definitely knew what he was doing. “How did you hear about the flowers? He just brought them yesterday.”
“Lizzie, up at P-Town Petals. I picked up a few things this morning and she mentioned it. You know how tight she is with Matt’s sister.”
She’d forgotten that Sky’s best friend owned a flower shop. “I guess Hagen figuring it out is a blessing in disguise. I’d rather he heard about it from me than anyone else. Is Serena inside?”
“Yeah, she, Drake, and Rick were going head-to-head when I got here.”
“Someone’s got to keep them in line.” She drew in a deep breath, hoping she missed the three of them going at it.
“Hey, Mira?”
She pulled the door open and glanced over her shoulder at Dean. “Yeah?”
“I don’t want to make something out of nothing, but you know what gloxinias stand for, don’t you?”
She shook her head.
“Love at first sight.”
Her jaw gaped, but before she could even begin to process that information, Serena called to her. “Mira, thank goodness you’re here.”
Mira stepped inside. Drake glanced up from where he was peering over Serena’s shoulder at the computer monitor. She saw Hagen through the open door to Drake’s office, playing with the toy cars they kept for him.
“Mornin’,” Drake said.
“Sis,” Rick grumbled, staring at Drake. He stood in front of the desk, arms crossed, his jaw working overtime.
“Hi.” Love at first sight? How would Matt know that? It couldn’t have been why he chose them. Dismissing the idea that he knew what the flowers signified, she focused on the mounting tension in the room. “What’s going on?”
Serena gave Mira a deadpan stare. “We need a surf instructor, and Thing One and Thing Two are trying to decide who to hire. It seems to be a battle of wills.”
“Seriously?” Mira asked. “Just pick a good-looking guy. That’s all the girls care about anyway.”
“See?” Rick huffed. “Hot guy, hot girl. Winning situation on all accounts.”
“We have a reputation to build,” Drake reminded them. “We don’t want to be known as a sex resort. ‘Come to Bayside and Get Lucky’ won’t get us very far.”
“Works for Club Med,” Rick said with a laugh. “What are you going to do? Hire Tony Black, a world-renowned surfer, to teach a couple of kids on vacation? We’re not building competitors. We’re teaching the basics, offering a fun vacation, which should include lots of eye candy.”
“Tony? Now, there’s a thought,” Drake answered.
“I have to get Hagen to camp so I can get to work. Can I just ask Serena a quick question? I swear it’s so stressful getting caught between you two. I don’t know how she stands it.”
“You got me this job, remember?” Serena said with a smirk. She patted Drake’s six-pack abs and winked at Rick. “Besides, this is nothing. Child’s play. In the end, I’ll get to choose who we hire. They just don’t know it yet.”
Rick scoffed. Drake remained silent.
“Is your offer to babysit still open?” Mira asked.
“Absofrigginglutely. When?”
“This weekend.”
“Yes. Definitely,” Serena said. “Want me to keep him overnight?”
“No. Just a few hours. Maybe put him to bed? I’m not really sure.”
“Going out with Matt?” Rick asked a little less gruffly.
“Yes.” Rick had wanted to kill Larry when he’d found out he was married, and it had taken Drake stepping in to get him to realize it would do no good to hurt the guy. He’d always been extra protective of Mira and Hagen. To this day she still couldn’t be sure Rick wasn’t secretly behind the check that came in the mail shortly after Hagen was born.
Rick’s eyes shot to Hagen. “You know Matt’s only here temporarily, right?”
“Yes, but how do you know that?”
Serena raised her hand and winced. “Sorry. I might have said something.”
Mira rolled her eyes.
“Wait, did you say this weekend?” Drake asked. “Rick and I are supposed to take Hagen camping. We promised him last month, remember? Or did you and Matt want to make plans with him instead?”
“I think she’d like to make plans with Matt instead,” Serena said under her breath.
“TMI, Serena.” Rick patted Mira’s shoulder supportively as he passed and went into Drake’s office. He ruffled Hagen’s hair and crouched beside him, saying something Mira couldn’t hear.
“I forgot the no-mom-allowed camping trip was this weekend. Yes, of course
he can still go. Sorry, Serena. Can I take a rain check?” Her fingers itched to text Matt and tell him they had a weekend alone to look forward to.
“Absolutely. Anytime.”
“Thanks. I’ll remind Hagen today. It’ll be all he thinks about until you leave.”
And a weekend alone with Matt will be all I’ll think about until you leave, too.
MATT GOT UP early and spent hours researching and writing on the deck of the cottage, his two favorite aspects of his teaching position. Even in the short time since he’d left Princeton—including the two weeks of research and writing he’d done in New Jersey before coming to the Cape—he already felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. There was no one to block his progress, no red tape to wade through.
In addition to feeling free of administrative restraints, he’d forgotten how nice it was to wake up to something other than the sounds of the city and to breathe air that tasted of the sea. He’d even forgotten what it was like to have breakfast with friends and family, as he had this morning on Pete’s deck. It was such a simple thing, and it felt like a luxury. Back home, his mornings consisted of a quick cup of coffee in a to-go cup, dealing with student issues, and sitting in the oppressive office he’d worked so hard to obtain. It was only eleven thirty and he’d already gotten more work done on his book than he could have by midnight if he were still teaching. His only distractions were thoughts of a weekend alone with Mira, which was the best distraction of all, the warm sun’s rays on his skin, and the sounds of his niece and the other kids playing down at the pool. Even Kurt Remington, a bestselling thriller author who was once so set in his ways he had a hard time pulling away from his computer for more than a few minutes, had been down at the pool.
Matt hadn’t been sure he could leave teaching behind and just write. But he was quickly learning that writing a book was very different from writing a research paper. There was no just about it. It was as exhilarating as it was challenging and offered an entirely different type of intellectual stimulation. And best of all, he had time with Mira and Hagen.
