by Bird, Peggy
Amanda’s face softened. “She really cares about you, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. Sometimes it’s just exasperating.”
Amanda tilted her face up at him and laughed. It was a charming sound that made him smile back at her. “My mother does the same stuff. There was this family dinner. It was just supposed to be family, my brother and sister and their spouses. She asked if I had a date. The answer was no. I mean, I was dating, just no one that I wanted to subject to the family dinner yet. Mother couldn’t stand that I was going to show up solo and ruin the symmetry of her table, so she called up my uncle’s cardiologist and invited him to dinner. She had never spoken to this man, not even once, and she invites him to eat with our family. He didn’t know the first thing about us other than my uncle has a bad heart. Can you imagine?”
She was laughing throughout the story, and it was contagious. Matt laughed too. “Unfortunately, I can.”
Amanda shook her head. “I can’t imagine why he agreed to it.”
“If your mother is anything like mine, she can probably be very … persuasive.”
Amanda nodded. “I just didn’t want you to think that I was part of your mother’s plotting. I’m just here because I enjoy your company.”
Matt returned the compliment. “Likewise.”
Amanda gave him a seductive smile, heavy on the seducing. “A lot.” She played her fingers lightly along his collar, occasionally brushing them against his neck. Her message was loud and clear. Now, the question was, what was he going to do about it?
Chapter 22
“Okay Miss Sawyer, can you step a little closer to your father? Great. Now smile.” The flash blinded Jade for a moment. She hoped her eyes were open for that one. “That was great. Let’s get a few with Dean Cline and President Palmer, and then we’re done.”
Jade and her mother moved to the side while the photographers got their shots.
Kiki Sawyer sent her daughter a sidelong glance. “So … you and Riley McLaughlin … ”
“He goes by Matt.”
“And?”
Jade sighed. “I wish I knew. I like him. We like each other.” She smiled at herself, at the gross understatement. She was head over heels in love, in over her head, out of her league, and about a hundred other clichéd phrases. She wasn’t going to share any of that with her mother.
Kiki smiled. “That’s nice. I understand he was looking at some of your father’s papers.”
Jade nodded. “Yes, the Cartwright stuff.”
Kiki looked surprised. “Is he looking for the treasure?”
Jade shrugged. “Sort of. He’s not all that serious about it. I mean, look at him, it’s not like he needs the money.” Jade gestured to where he was dancing with the brunette. She stuffed the sharp and sudden pang of jealousy down. Jade took a deep breath and turned back to her mother. “I really think it’s more just research.”
A small crowd had gathered around the photo op. Some were reporters waiting for their chance at an interview, others were faculty and spouses waiting for a chance to congratulate her father. One of the women standing close to Kiki and Jade smiled at them. “You must be so proud of your husband, Mrs. Sawyer.” Jade had been so intent on Matt and his dance partner that she hadn’t noticed the other woman.
Kiki nodded. “I am. Not just because of tonight either. Not just his career.”
The woman nodded. “I understand. He must be quite a husband.”
Kiki beamed. “I can’t complain.”
The woman turned to Jade. “I saw you dancing with Riley McLaughlin earlier. Are you close?”
Jade shrugged. “Just friends.”
The woman smiled. “Too bad. Did I hear you say he’s been doing some research while he’s here?”
Jade narrowed her eyes. “I’m sorry, who did you say you were?”
The woman stuck out her hand. “Mackenzie Whitman. I’m with the Times.”
Jade took her hand and shook it. “I’m sorry; I’m not really authorized to say anything about Mr. McLaughlin.”
Mackenzie nodded. “I completely understand. It’s not really for a story actually. I’m just a big fan of his.” The embarrassment showed in her smile. “It would be completely off the record.”
Jade bit her lip and thought for a moment.
Mackenzie’s eyes gleamed conspiratorially. “Did you read his last book? It was so amazing! I think I read the whole thing in two days, and that was while I was working. I just couldn’t put it down. He’s a remarkable writer.”
Jade nodded. “When I found out who he was, I started reading some of his stuff that I hadn’t read. He really knows how to keep your attention.” In more ways than one.
Mackenzie laughed. “When you found out who he was! You mean you didn’t recognize him at first?”
Jade blushed. “Yeah, I guess I don’t read the society pages much.”
“Or watch the entertainment shows.”
Jade nodded. “That either.”
Mackenzie smiled at Jade. “So, was he here long before you recognized him?”
Jade blushed. “Long enough.”
Mackenzie grinned. “He must be hard at work on his next novel by now. I can’t imagine what brought him out here. I guess there’s a lot of history in the area. He loves to include a lot of history in his works; he’s a bit of a history buff.”
Jade smiled. “My dad, too.”
Kiki piped in. “I remember the first summer your dad started looking into the Cartwright treasure. He was gone to the library for days at a time. He was obsessed.”
Jade smiled at her mom. “I remember that, too. Matt reminds me of him.”
Mackenzie raised an eyebrow. “Matt. You must be good friends.”
Jade blushed again. “I don’t know. We’ve talked a lot and his enthusiasm for the myth of the Cartwright treasure is kind of contagious. We’ve taken it on as a pet project together.”
Mackenzie pursed her lips. “Do you think he’ll use any of that in his next book?”
Jade shrugged. “It’s possible.”
Mackenzie smiled. “Well, I don’t mean to keep you from the party. I guess I’d better go get some interviews, if I want to keep my job.”
Kiki shook her hand, followed by Jade. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you,” Mackenzie spoke over her shoulder as she made her way toward the crowd of VIPs.
• • •
“Thank you for the dance.”
The music had stopped and Amanda pulled back out of Matt’s arms. Matt was surprised. “Are you stranding me up out here on the dance floor?”
Amanda laughed. “You know what they say, ‘leave them wanting more.’ Besides, I’m sure someone else will come along and rescue you.”
Matt glanced around, dubious. “With my luck, a reporter will corner me and grill me about my latest project. He slipped his hand behind her elbow and led her back toward their table.
“You seem to handle them pretty well.”
He shrugged. “A lot of practice, I guess.”
Amanda nodded. “It’s definitely gotten easier for me the more I do it.”
There was a pause in the conversation. Matt looked down at Amanda and she smiled up at him. “Well, I’ve really got to get back to the city. I’m hanging a new artist and … I’d love to—” They stood by their table, and she took a moment to reach into her clutch and pull out a business card. She flipped it over; on the back was a phone number, handwritten. “Here’s my home number. If you ever want to get together, I’d love to spend some time with you.”
Matt took the outstretched business card and slid it into his pocket.
Amanda bowed her head. “Good night, Mr. McLaughlin.”
Matthew mock saluted her. “Good night, Miss Carmichael.”
• • •
Jade went to the bar for her second martini. There was a bar inside, but they had also left the one set up on the patio. She went out there for the cool air and crickets’ song as much as for th
e drink. As the bartender mixed her martini, Jade heard a voice behind her.
“Scotch on the rocks.”
His voice slid over her like velvet, thick and deep. He was right behind her, and she could almost feel his warm breath on her. She wanted to lean back into him right then and there but held herself still.
The bartender turned his back to them, and Matt took the opportunity to slide his hand across the small of her back. It was an intimate touch, whispered across her sensitive skin, and it echoed other intimate moments they had shared.
Matt took his drink off the bar and slipped his arm around her shoulder as if to lead her away. They had been interrupted earlier, and Jade could sense that Matt wanted to continue their conversation, if not their dance. She had left a lot unsaid between them. Maybe it was time to remedy that.
They moved away from the bar, but rather than lead her back into the ballroom, Matt turned toward the lawn. He stopped at a table toward the edge of the patio and pulled out a chair for her.
“Thank you for coming to support my dad.”
Matt smiled. “I was worried you might be mad at me.”
Jade sighed. “No.” She was playing with the stem of her martini glass with one hand, fishing for the olive with the other. She stopped to look up at him. “I’m actually glad.”
He raised his eyebrows. “How glad?”
She smiled tentatively. “Pretty glad.”
“I’m glad you’re glad.”
Jade laughed.
Matt grinned. “I guess there were a lot of surprise appearances tonight. My mom was here.”
Jade nodded. “Sitting at your table, next to the brunette.”
“I didn’t know either of them was coming.”
“Who is she?”
Matt shook his head. “Not anyone I know well. She moves in my mother’s circle, and my mother just thought … ”
“You two looked good dancing together.” There was no accusation in her tone, just a question.
“Not as good as you and I feel dancing together.” Matt’s eyes met Jade’s and held her there. In his gaze was every moment she had spent in his arms or wrapped around his body. She felt a blush creep up her face.
He slid his hand across the table, running his thumb in little circles on the back of her hand. It reminded her of his hands on more intimate parts of her body. She shivered. This time, he didn’t ask if she was cold. “Come home with me tonight, Jade.”
“No.” She shook her head and paused for a moment, gathering her courage. “You come home with me.”
• • •
Her smile, her laugh, her body in that amazing dress, her wit, and her angel face had all bewitched him. The only thing registering in his brain was where and how soon could he get himself inside her. His eyes landed on her furniture. His brain, or parts lower, took in the vertical surfaces. The couch was ahead of him and looked incredibly soft. He considered it for a moment, but it was too short for his long frame. The coffee table was even shorter and lower. It was also cluttered with a pile of books, including, he noticed, one of his. There was a fairly good-sized dining table to the left strewn with the most beautiful pieces of jewelry.
Jade paused at the threshold to put her purse down. He rested his hands on her shoulders. He wanted to jump her then and there and struggled to keep himself reigned in. A part of him thought about the table. It was big enough to seat her up there, slide off her underwear, and if he bent his knees a bit …
Jade stepped away and headed for the bedroom. She was in front of him, so again, he could appreciate that amazing view of her back. His hand reached for her instinctively, and he finally did what he had longed to do all evening. A single finger started at her nape, just barely making contact with the silkiest skin on the planet. He drew the moment out, the pad of his finger skimming along her neck, down between the elegant sweep of her shoulder blades. Still, he drifted lower to where her back dipped into her waist and lower yet, to where she curved back out to the most graceful backside he had ever seen. With steely control, he stopped there. Or he meant to, but she shivered. Just the slightest tremor ran through her, and it tempted him further. He ran his fingers down, no longer on her back, but just a bit lower. His finger played along the edge of that very naughty dress. That dress was an invitation in and of itself, and he dipped the slightest bit lower, under the dress. There was a bit of a lace underthing, and still his finger moved lower, just tracing the very top of the cleft of her bottom. She sighed and arched her back. Matt froze for a moment, fighting himself and his incredible urge to just upend her and take her. He wanted her fast and hard on the floor or against the wall, with no finesse or grace. He wanted that with her, but not tonight. Not tonight.
Tonight he wanted to make love to her, to say everything he felt for her, if not in words then at least with touches and kisses and tenderness. He pressed his hand to her back, palm flat, gently moving it north into only slightly less dangerous territory.
He pulled her back up against his front so he couldn’t see all that beautiful exposed skin, and rested his chin on the top of her head while he took a few deep breaths. She leaned back into him and sighed. When he felt like he could trust himself again, he turned her in his arms. One arm held her to him, all of that softness pressed into him. With his other hand, he brought her hand to his mouth. He had meant to kiss her there but by the time he brought her hand to his mouth, he found himself running his tongue along the tender inside of her wrist. It was as if kisses weren’t enough. He just needed to taste her. He licked along the inside of her arm until he reached her bracelet, the same gold weave design as the pieces on the table. He slid it off and steered them both closer to the dining table where he deposited the cuff.
He continued to taste his way up the inside of her arm to her elbow. He could feel her pulse beating there. It matched the rhythm of her breathing. She was plastered up against the front of him, and each breath pushed her breasts into him. He hoped he could wait for the bedroom. He slid his hand up her arm to her shoulder, then neck, cupping the back of her head to come in for a kiss. He tried to keep it gentle, but she took the kiss deeper. Her hands had eased into his tux jacket and were up by his shoulders, pushing the garment off of him. She wouldn’t get an argument there.
In fact, the move inspired him to untie the halter of her dress, and just like that, the whole dress slid to a puddle of black on the floor. She stood in heels, stockings, a pair of lace panties, and a soft smile.
In that moment, he felt his world tilt. It wasn’t just how she looked there, naked and tripping about every fantasy in his head that he had ever had. There was anticipation of what was to happen, but it was more than that. There was all the time he had already spent with her, all of the time with her in his arms feeling just right. There was the space between those moments. The time he spent waiting to hold her again. Not just today, but tomorrow and next year and forty years from now. He laughed. It was that or cry.
“God, I love you.” He just barely breathed the words, but he knew she heard him. She gasped, just a small intake of breath. He knew his heart was in his eyes, because she held his gaze with a look of wonder. Her lips parted, but before she could say anything that he might not want to hear, he pulled her back up against his chest and kissed her. He put his heart and soul into that kiss. When he finally came up for air, she was breathless and laughing.
She moved her delicate hands down the front of his shirt, fumbling with buttons, laughing, pushing him backward. She was steering him down the hallway toward her bedroom. Though really, at this point he wasn’t even going to be picky about needing a horizontal surface. Vertical would work. She got the buttons undone on the shirt, slipped it off, and left it on the floor of the hall before moving them through the doorway and moving her hands down to his waistband.
He barely noticed the brief walk down the hall. He was too busy enjoying her hands sliding inside the waistband of his pants, inside his boxer briefs, and along his bottom. He was kissing her
the whole time too, sliding his hands down her arms, along her ribcage, and up over her breasts. He was really enjoying her breasts, the feel of them, perfect and soft except for the nipples, which had pebbled into firm little points. Her bedroom room felt dark and exotic, like some Moroccan love nest. Of course, maybe that was just his mood.
She had backed him up to the bed, where he turned her around and sat her down. He left her there for a moment. He didn’t want to spoil that perfect image: her, the thong, the stockings, the high heels. He wasn’t sure, but he thought he remembered seeing seams up the back of the stockings. The thought made him even harder.
Then she did the perfect thing. The thing that made him hope and wonder for his sanity. She smiled up at him and took two little pins out of her hair. Just two little pins sent the whole artful mess tumbling down around her shoulders. She sent them scattering to the floor, scooted herself back on the bed, and like an X-rated ice tea plunge, fell back into the softness of the satin comforter. Her black hair floated around her pale face. All that pale skin shone against the rich burgundy and plum of the comforter. She was laughing, but he couldn’t even smile. He couldn’t even breathe.
She slid one foot up onto the comforter. She was reaching for the top of the stocking to roll it down, but his hand stopped hers. Instead, he shucked off his clothes, shoes and all, and then climbed up onto the bed. He hovered over her, leaning his head in close to kiss her again. He worked his way down her body, down every curve and inch. When he got to the lace thong, he slipped his thumbs under the waistband and inched it down over her legs and shoes. The stockings and shoes he left right where they were. The lace of the thong made a rasping noise against her stockings as he slowly slid it down her body. His body responded to the noise and he forced himself to pause a moment. He rested his head on her abdomen, breathing her in, struggling for some thread of control.
Not willing to wait, she pulled him back up to kiss her. Her hips lifted up toward him in invitation. One stiletto-clad foot wound around the back of his leg and pulled him closer. Her back arched and he thought about teasing her, moving away, making her wait, making her beg.
