by Amanda Ashby
“Right,” she said, a bemused expression dancing in her eyes as she continued to fold. “So, tell me how you even found this place.”
“It’s a long sordid story of a misspent youth,” Matt said, forcing himself to stop staring at the way her long fingers deftly worked on the paper before finally producing a tiny origami swan. Suddenly he understood that Kate didn’t just like art, she was art. From the clutter of brushes in her studio through to the way she dragged her hair back into a ponytail, using only a pencil to secure it in place. Then he realized she was looking at him expectantly, waiting for more of an answer. “Okay, not really. Keith called me one night while he was on a date. He’d done a magic trick that I’d taught him but it hadn’t worked, and he insisted that the only way the date would be saved was if I came down and showed her how it was really done.”
“You do magic?” Kate settled the swan onto the side of his plate and blinked, much like he’d told her that he had a part-time job as Santa. Then she flushed, as if realizing what she’d just said. “Sorry, that came out wrong.”
“It’s okay. Part of the magician’s skill is to disguise his appearance. Besides, you’re not the only one who can do tricks,” Matt assured her with a straight face as he picked up the origami swan before reaching over to her ear. The trick was to then slide it down his sleeve and replace it with the dollar bill that he’d taken out of his pocket. But as his thumb grazed the side of her lobe a rush of desire hurtled through his body. He clamped down on his mouth to stop himself from leaning forward and kissing her and instead somehow managed to jerkily finish the trick as he presented her with the dollar bill.
“That’s amazing.” Kate held the dollar up into the air, seemingly oblivious to just what an effect her presence was having on him. “Where did you learn to do that?”
“My uncle taught me,” Matt said before wincing. Why had he just said that? He never talked about his uncle, not to anyone, and suddenly busied himself with letting the origami swan slip back down his sleeve so that he could put into his pocket.
“Is everything okay?” Kate put down the dollar bill, her eyes wide with concern. “Did I say something wrong?”
“It’s fine.” Matt sucked in his breath and shook his head. “He died five years ago.”
“I’m so sorry.” Kate’s face immediately softened. “Were you close?”
“Not really.” Matt gave an adamant shake of his head, not sure who he was trying to convince. “I’m named after him and, according to my dad, we were the spitting image of each other. But he moved to New York when he was in his twenties with just a dream and a few bucks in his pocket, and by the time Emma and I were small, he was so caught up in his business that he hardly ever got back to Seattle. In fact for years all we really knew about him was that he’d get his housekeeper to send us an expensive gift basket every holiday. My father would sometimes call and beg him to come back for a visit, but he never did.”
“So, where does the magic fit in?” Kate wrinkled her nose and Matt tried not to be distracted by what a cute nose it was.
“Well, when I did a summer internship in New York, he invited me to stay. Most of the time we just left notes on the fridge, but one night we got talking about magic, and that’s when he showed me some tricks. I left the next day and after that, things went back to normal. No phone calls, no letters, just back to an annual gift basket right up until he died.”
“That’s so sad.” Kate leaned forward, her dark eyes sparkling with sympathy.
“I guess, though my father always said that my uncle was happy with his choice.”
“No.” She shook her head, sending one of her curls tumbling down her alabaster neck. “Not just for him, but for you. It sounds like you had a real connection that one summer. You must’ve felt abandoned. Your whole family must’ve. I mean, your uncle made a decision to move and follow his dreams but it sounds like he did so at the expense of having a relationship with the people who loved him.”
“Oh.” Matt paused to consider it. Most of the time when he thought about his uncle Mathew, it was with determination to not follow in his footsteps rather than considering that his rejection of them as a family might’ve left another kind of scar. “I’d never thought of it like that before, but I guess you’re right. How did you even know?”
“Nothing. No reason.” Kate quickly shook her head, but it was impossible for him to miss the flash of darkness that flickered across her face. He silently swore under his breath. She knew because Harry had walked out on her and stepped straight into a new life with a new family. Please, could someone just hand him his Insensitive Bastard award right now?
“Kate, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you think of what happened.”
“You didn’t,” she said in a firm voice, which, while not exactly convincing, did let him know that she didn’t want to discuss it further. “S-so, tell me more about this magic. Do you still do it?”
“Not very often,” he admitted while longing to reach across the table and smooth away the frown. Instead he contented himself with passing her a juice box since that was all that the restaurant sold by way of drinks. “Though I must admit that it comes in handy when I want to impress the ladies,” he quipped, and was rewarded with another one of Kate’s throaty laughs as she accepted the juice box. Suddenly all of his business achievements paled in comparison to putting the smile back on her face.
“Is that why you keep your apartment so neat? In case a stray lady wanders by?” she teased.
“Actually, that’s more of an occupational hazard,” Matt admitted. “I don’t like a lot of clutter because it doesn’t just build physical barriers, it builds mental barriers. It stops people getting in.”
“So, considering how neat you are you must be an open book,” she said, her voice suddenly husky, and Matt felt another sense of longing burn in him.
“I like to think I am,” he said as he realized how far forward she was leaning across the Formica table. Without thinking he mirrored her until his face was just inches from hers, their uneaten food still covering the table. “You can ask me anything you like and I’ll give you an honest answer.”
“Really?” Her mouth parted and Matt found himself fascinated by her small white teeth. What would they be like pressed against his skin?
“Really,” he agreed as his hand reached across the table and found her fingers. She immediately shuddered and let out a soft sigh.
“What about kissing?” she asked, her voice low. “What are your thoughts on kissing?”
“I’m a fan. Definitely.” Matt’s heart pounded as he realized she was giving him an open invitation. He didn’t need to be asked twice, and he leaned forward so that his mouth could find hers. All he’d planned to do was give her a soft peck, at least while they were in such a public space, but the moment their lips met, something exploded in his chest. Her mouth was soft and inviting and tiny waves of pleasure raced through him as he kissed her a second time, a third. Kate tasted of juice box and sushi and something indescribable and as her mouth opened for his, he let out a soft moan.
His fingers tightened around hers as he moved farther across the table, desperate to be closer, and it wasn’t until he heard someone coughing in the distance that the bubble they were both in shattered and he pulled back. His mouth felt bereft without hers and he blinked as he slowly looked around and realized that all eyes were on them.
“Kate, not that I’m complaining, but I just realized we’re making out in a sushi restaurant.”
“Oh.” She slowly pulled away from him and followed his gaze, a small gasp escaping from her delicately wide mouth. “I—I guess we should stop.”
“Or.” He stood to his feet and reached for her hand, trying to maintain his self-control as best he could. “Or we could go home and not stop.”
“Yes.” Her words were little more than a muffle as she tightened her grip. “I lik
e your idea much better. Let’s go.”
“Are you sure?” he said as he helped slip his dinner jacket back over her exposed shoulders.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
Chapter Ten
By the time they made it back to Matt’s neat bedroom and as she sat on his bed waiting for him, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Okay, she told herself, if he comes back naked then it’s a mistake. A big, crazy lust-induced mistake.
“Do you want a drink?” He suddenly reappeared, but Kate shook her head. She was relieved to see that Matt was still in his clothes. Well, some of them. His bow tie had disappeared and his top collar was loosened, but his shirt and pants were firmly in place, and she still felt like she had an out clause.
“Some music?”
She shook her head again, wondering what was going to happen next.
When she’d first gone to bed with Harry there had been too much red wine and Fleetwood Mac involved for her to really remember the details. But now she wished she had a bit more understanding of how these things worked. The etiquette of how to get from point to A to B without completely humiliating yourself.
In the restaurant it had been easy. Maybe because they’d been surrounded by people and she knew it was safe. Not that she’d planned to kiss him. But somehow, while he was talking about his uncle and how they’d been left behind, she’d been overcome with all the same feelings she’d had when her grandmother had turned up on the doorstep to take Kate away until Julia was better. Kate hadn’t even known that Julia was sick and so for the next year had struggled to come to terms with her new life.
The sense of loneliness and abandonment and loss.
Except normally when those emotions tried to consume her, Kate tended to reach for her paintbrushes, but without them she’d done the next best thing. She’d kissed him. But it was one thing to do so in a busy restaurant and another thing to be in his bedroom with him. If she did this, it might lead to heartbreak. Then again, if she didn’t do it, it might lead to her being the most sexually frustrated artist in Seattle.
As if sensing her internal battle, Matt joined her on the edge of the bed.
“I’d understand, you know.”
“Understand what?” she said, careful not to look at him since that seemed to be the fastest way for her brain to malfunction. “Do you think that I’m going to change my mind?”
“I hope not,” he confessed as he picked up her arm and began to trace delicate lines on it with the tip of his finger, sending a shudder of desire through her. “But yes, if you do, I’d understand.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a nice guy?”
“I try,” Matt said before running his hand through his caramel-colored hair, his voice suddenly husky. “You once told me that you sometimes made questionable decisions when it came to men. Kate, I don’t want to be one of those decisions.”
She moistened her lips. Ironically, the idea that he was willing to let her go back to her own bed just made her want to stay even more, and she slowly lifted her hand up to his cheek. The feel of the faint stubble under her fingertips sent a thrill through her body.
Was she really going to do this?
She knew that Jenny believed if Kate met the right person she’d change her mind on having a family. However, Kate knew that wasn’t true. Her brother, her mom, Harry. They’d all left, and even if she tried to have a future with Matt, he would eventually leave. It was just the way the world worked. But what if she could do this short-term? What if instead of seeing everything as black and white, she looked for the shades? After all, she made her living from looking for the unseen colors in things and coaxing them out into the open.
Could she do that with Matt?
Just spend time with him and enjoy it while it was there and then stop before anyone got hurt? Stay detached and when the time came to move on, be able to let go with no regrets? As Matt’s dark eyes glinted in the soft light of the room she sucked in her breath as she realized that for this guy, she could be that person, for a night, a week, a month. She could be that person.
“You’re not one of those decisions, Matt,” she said, her voice little above a whisper as her mouth sought out his.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all night,” he murmured as his hands gently pushed the thin straps of her dress away from her shoulders. Kate arched her neck and was enthralled as his mouth immediately found her throat. She let out a soft gasp as his hands slowly started to circle her arms in a rhythmic motion that turned her breathing to Jell-O. The feel of his fingers on her flesh sent her mind into meltdown. It had been such a long time and even then it had never felt like this. Never felt like she would be lost if he stopped touching her. And as he continued to send shivers of fire racing through her, Kate decided that even if she was making a questionable decision, it was so worth it.
***
Kate opened an eye and tentatively peeked around the room. Matt’s body was spooned into hers and his shallow breath was tickling the back of her neck like a feather. She wanted to stretch out but she didn’t want to ruin the moment, so she continued to lie perfectly still and remember the previous night.
A small blush zapped up into her cheeks as she remembered how wantonly she’d begged him to make love to her last night. And then when he had, she’d been unable to stop moaning his name and biting his skin as he entered her and took her spiraling up into another world.
It had never been like that before. Which she could only assume was the reason she’d found herself not long after, straddling Matt’s body, gently teasing him back to life. Surely it was only to prove it hadn’t been a onetime occurrence. Well, she now knew what she and Matt had shared certainly wasn’t beginner’s luck.
She felt him stir behind her and as his fingers tightened possessively around her waist, she snuggled deeper into his embrace.
“Morning,” he murmured, his warm breath causing the butterflies to start working all over again. “Did you sleep well?”
“Mmmmm.” Kate managed to let out a drowsy sigh. “I sure did. In fact, I can’t remember when I’ve had a better sleep.”
“I’m not sure whether my masculinity should be pleased or offended by that,” he said as he gently turned her over so that she was facing him. Kate marveled at the way his dark eyes could make her stomach swirl just by looking at them.
“It should definitely be pleased,” she assured him.
“In that case, thank you.” A lazy smile spread out across his mouth before he leaned down and kissed her. “And what about you? Did you wake up wishing that you were a million miles away?”
“Definitely not,” she said, touched that he was concerned about how she felt. “But, Matt, I still want to take things slowly. Is that okay?”
“Of course. And that’s the great thing about living next door. There’s no rushing. Whenever you find my neat apartment too annoying you can just wander back home. As for me, when that cat of yours jumps on my lap one too many times, I’ll just disappear out the door and neither of us will have to explain anything.”
“Socrates only jumps on people he likes,” Kate explained before trailing her fingers down his smooth chest. “But thank you for being so understanding.”
“Kate, don’t thank me for acting like a regular person,” Matt lectured as her fingers reached his torso. Suddenly he grinned. “On second thought, you can thank me as much as you want to.”
“Has anyone told you that you talk too much?” Kate murmured as her fingers continued to explore his body. She could feel him straining toward her, but she wriggled her hips forward slightly, keeping him agonizingly at bay while she continued to touch him. Again he tried to move forward and again she inched away from him, enjoying the power that she had over him, all while his fingers continued to slowly explore between her legs.
“Kate,” he moaned in
to her ear, causing small arrows of excitement in her belly, and she finally relented.
Matt didn’t waste a second and pulled her toward him, his lips immediately searching hers out. Kate squirmed with desire as his tongue darted in and out of her mouth before hungrily tracing a trail down along her jawline until he found her neck.
She tried to keep herself perfectly still to enjoy the moment as Matt not only continued to kiss her neck, but also drew her body so close to his that for a moment she felt like they were blended.
“I need you,” he whispered as he reached for a condom. Her legs automatically parted to let him show her how much, and she almost cried with relief as she finally felt him enter her. Her body instinctively arched up to meet each of his thrusts, the impact sending the first wave of pleasure coursing through her as they moved together. Then his passion-filled eyes met hers, she knew they were both ready, and she suddenly felt like she was flying a million miles above the earth. Matt’s reaction to her enjoyment was instantaneous, and she could feel his whole body tense and release before he was joining her in her flight.
Kate wasn’t sure how long their lovemaking went on for or even which body parts belonged to whom. All she knew was that some time later the pair of them lay in a sated tangle of limbs.
“Wow,” she managed to croak, her heavy eyelids still fluttering with the effort of anything other than just being.
“Wow,” he agreed, his grip possessively tightening around her as she once again shut her eyes.
***
As the September sun peeked in through his curtains Matt managed to execute a difficult yoga move in order to glance at his wristwatch and check the time, all the while not disturbing the sleeping Kate. He flexed his fingers slightly so that his arm wouldn’t go dead, and tried to drift back off to sleep. But, an early riser by nature, sleep wouldn’t come to him. And after another ten minutes of watching the exquisite sight of Kate’s chest rising and falling, he decided if he didn’t get out of bed soon, it would be more than looking at his watch that would disturb her.
