As the cabbie let him out, he made his way to her apartment. No matter how many times he told Maggie to lock the door, she never did. She lived in a one-bedroom apartment not far from his. He bought it for her several years ago. Matt owned a small security company, and even though he wasn’t rich, he had been able to buy his mom a nice little place of her own. He made enough to live very comfortably, and didn’t complain. It was the least he could do after all she had done for him over the years. She worked for Colin’s mother, the horrible Mrs. Withers, just so Matt could be there with Colin. Matt and Colin were about nine years old when Maggie first began working for Mrs. Withers. The boys quickly become best friends. She would have left that job a lot sooner, if it wasn’t for the two of them. She just couldn’t split up the boys.
“Mom, it’s me,” he called, as he walked in and headed toward the kitchen. He found her standing at the stove taking cookies out of the oven.
Setting the pan on the stove, she wiped her hands on the white apron that she sported, and with a big smile on her face said, “Matty, I didn’t expect to see you this evening.” She pulled him in for a hug. His mom was big on hugs.
“I know, Mom; I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Her health hadn’t been the best lately, and she seemed to feel bad most of the time.
“Oh, Matty, I’m fine. You shouldn’t worry so much.” She kissed his cheek, but he could see the fatigue in her eyes. He had tried and tried to get her to agree to see a doctor, but she refused.
“I can’t help it, Mom. I’m concerned.” He took a seat on a stool at the bar. Popping a chocolate chip cookie into his mouth, he said, “You’ll never believe whose getting married.” He saw her eyes light up and he immediately regretted stating it in that way. All she’d ever wanted was for him to get married and give her some grandbabies. “I’m sorry, Mom, it’s not me. Colin is getting married.”
She grinned as her eyes lit up again with happiness. “That’s wonderful!” she said. “I’ve always worried about him. That mother of his is a piece of work.” She busied herself around the kitchen.
“I agree.” Matt popped another cookie into his mouth.
“Have you heard from Carly?” He looked up, only to find his mother watching him guardedly.
“No, I haven’t called her, nor has she tried to call me,” he said, not meeting her eyes. He knew his mother was disappointed, but there was nothing he could do. His dad had passed away several years ago, and Matt was their only child. He knew she worried that if anything happened to her, he would be alone; she had said as much many times before.
“Colin’s fiancée mentioned her maid of honor. She wants to introduce us. Who knows, Mom, maybe she’ll be the one.” He chuckled when she grinned.
“I hope so, Matty. I still can’t believe that boy is getting married. His fiancée must be something.”
“She is. I still can’t get over how much he’s changed because of his fiancée, Carlana.”
“Carlana,” she mused, “That’s a very unusual name, and she must be a very unusual girl too, to change a man like Colin.”
“I’ve met her, and she’s not what you’d expect; she’s not from here. Colin was badly hurt during New Years, and she cared for him without even knowing who he was. Colin brought her to the club once, and she showed up wearing jeans and a baggy shirt.”
Maggie laughed, and said, “Maybe I’ll get to meet this woman someday.”
Matt stayed a little while before heading home. He needed to go over some papers that Derick, his right-hand man, had forwarded to him. His company kept growing every day, and he welcomed the work.
Chapter 2
Two months later
Matt couldn’t believe he was running so late. He knew he’d already missed the wedding rehearsal, but how hard could it be to stand up beside Colin. At least he would make it to the rehearsal dinner, which was at Carlana’s house.
As he turned down the two-lane country road, he began to worry. It was dusk outside and the pavement…which was unmarked…blended with its surroundings. He now understood why Colin had warned him to drive carefully. After a few miles…maybe four or five…he turned onto a graveled road, carefully following the GPS directions. After hitting a few potholes, he slowed down. Shit! Where the hell does she live? Pulling into the drive, he noticed several cars, so this had to be the place. Before he even got a chance to knock, the front door swung open, and Colin gave him a huge smile. Matt had never seen him look so happy.
“Matt, glad you made it, man. Did you have any trouble?” Collin asked with humor dancing in his eyes.
“A little more warning would have been nice, asshole,” Matt grumbled as Colin laughed.
“And ruin the surprise?” He laughed even more. “Come on in, we were just about to sit down and eat.”
He nodded to Carlana and Austin, and then Colin proceeded to introduce Matt to Carlana’s parents and the rest of her family. Matt was too busy staring at the blonde woman sitting at the table. She was talking to someone, and the smile she wore on her face drew him in like a magnet. She had long, naturally wavy blonde hair that fell to the middle of her back. She wore light make-up on her fair skin. Matt took a seat across from her, and even though he knew he was staring, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.
He glanced away for a second, and when his eyes darted back to the blonde, she was checking him out. He couldn’t help the cocky grin he sported, hoping she enjoyed the view. When her eyes met his, she turned red. Busted, sweetheart!
“Megan, I’d like for you to meet Matt, Matt, this is my friend, Megan.” Carlana said with a hopeful expression, probably from noticing how much he was staring at her friend.
Megan stood up and offered him her hand. He didn’t hesitate, nor did he release it. He looked at her hand as he held it, liking how soft and delicate it felt compared to his. As she stood there, he noticed her very simple maroon colored dress that she wore with black cowboy boots. Sexy!
During dinner, he talked with Colin about everything, and nothing, just enjoying causal conversation. He kept sneaking glances at Megan, and occasionally he caught her staring back at him.
They had a nice dinner, and after they finished, he headed for the coffee pot. Carlana was standing in the kitchen getting her own.
“Mind if I have some coffee?” Matt asked, startling Carlana.
“Matt, I didn’t hear you. Of course, you can have some coffee. Make yourself at home,” she said, smiling.
“Your friend seems nice.” He was trying to sound casual.
“Megan? Yeah, she is.” Carlana said grinning. “She’s also single,” she said, almost singing the words.
“Hmm,” he said, pouring himself a cup, trying not to laugh at Carlana. She was less than subtle.
“Megan likes her coffee with creamer,” she offered with a knowing look.
He smiled, “Thanks, I think I’ll take her a cup.”
Matt found Megan and gave her the coffee then followed her to the back porch where they each took a seat. They made idle chitchat, but his mind wasn’t focused on the conversation. He stole glances, even though he tried not to let her catch him looking. She was beautiful, and just looking at her made him hard. His mind kept wandering to all the things he’d like to do to her, do with her.
He could tell she was nervous, even though she was doing a good job of masking it. Wait, what did she just ask him? Did she offer him a tour? “That would be great! Maybe you can show me around tomorrow, after the wedding?” he asked, excited about spending more time with her.
“Then after the wedding it is,” she said, and he couldn’t wait. She stood up to leave. “It’s been nice talking with you, Matt, but I think I’ll head home. It’s been a long day and I’m beat.”
He stood up with her and said, “It’s been really nice talking to you too, Megan. Until tomorrow then.” He leaned down her kissed her on the cheek. Matt wanted to laugh when he saw the blush that stained her cheeks, but he held in inside. He couldn’t wait unt
il tomorrow!
****
Sitting around the table at the rehearsal dinner, which was at Lana’s house, Megan stared at the sexiest man she had ever laid eyes on. He had dark brown wavy hair that was just long enough to grab while in the throes of passion. His eyes were endless pools of creamy chocolate that you could fall into. She could see the outline of his hard muscles underneath his white button-up shirt, which made his skin look even darker. When Megan glanced up, her eyes connected with his and his cocky grin. Busted!
“Megan, this is Matt, Matt, meet my best friend, Megan.” Megan held out her hand in greeting as Lana continued, “Matt missed the actual rehearsal, he got caught up with some last minute work.” She just nodded, not trusting her voice to speak just yet.
Matt didn’t readily let go, and as she looked at their clasped hands, she noticed how big, dark, and strong his hand was as he held her small pale one. Images of what he could do with those fingers flashed through her mind, and she blushed. Looking back up and found him grinning. “It’s very nice to meet you, Matt.” She prayed he couldn’t tell what she’d been thinking.
“Thank you. I wish I could have made it here sooner, but what can you do?” He shrugged, and immediately, she liked his nonchalant attitude.
“What kind of work do you do?” she asked, noticing he still had not let go of her hand.
“I own a small security company.”
“Wow, so you provide security for businesses or is it more like bodyguards for famous people?” Working in security sounded fascinating to her.
“We provide security for businesses. We’re small, but we’re steadily growing,” he replied with pride in this voice.
“Okay, everyone, let’s eat,” Lana said, drawing their attention to her.
Through the entire meal, Megan couldn’t help but steal glances of Matt, as he engaged Colin in conversation. He seemed easy to be around, except for the nervousness she felt in his presence. How could anyone be that good looking and still be single? She ate her meal in silence, only answering when asked direct questions. She didn’t trust herself to speak without sounding like a stuttering idiot.
The food was delicious, and when everyone had finished eating, Matt brought her a cup of coffee.
“Lana said you liked it with creamer.” He held out a cup in offering.
She smiled and politely took it from his hand and gestured toward the back door. She sipped her coffee, and then said, “So how do you like Virginia so far?”
“It’s very…umm…quiet,” he replied and they both laughed. “It’s beautiful though.”
“Yes, it is.” Megan couldn’t believe how nervous she still felt just talking to him. He’s just a man! She tried to tell herself. Okay, a strong, gorgeous, sexy man who makes her heart pound, but still, he’s just a man. “Have you seen much of the area?” she asked, trying to keep the conversation light and easy. She didn’t want him to suspect how nervous he made her. Unlike Lana, Megan had had bad experiences with men and didn’t want to show her hand to early.
“No, this is my first visit and I got here just before dinner.” He sipped his coffee as he continued to stare at her, making her more nervous, but in a good way.
“Would you like a tour of the area?” she asked, trying to sound and act casual. Oh, shit! Did I really just ask him that?
“That would be great! Maybe you can show me around tomorrow, after the wedding?” he asked, sounding excited.
“Then after the wedding it is.” She let out a slow deep breath, thankful that he said yes, and hoping he wouldn’t notice how much it affected her.
When she stood to leave, he stood as well. When he kissed her on the cheek, Megan couldn’t stop the blush that raced to her face. How embarrassing! She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this nervous around a man, or anyone for that matter. She felt the tingles from his touch alone, and the desire that pooled between her legs.
It had been too long since she’d had sex, but in a small town you just didn’t have random sex without starting rumors. Not that she cared very much, but lately, she hadn’t found anyone that interesting, let alone the chemistry that had to be there. With Matt, though, the chemistry was definitely there! Whew!
Megan found Lana and Collin sitting on the couch talking with her parents. She waited for a break in the conversation, not wanting to interrupt.
“Lana, I’m heading home,” she stated as Lana stood.
“So soon?”
Laughing, she said, “It’s not soon, it’s after 9 and it’s been a long day. Thanks for a great evening though.” She pulled her in for a hug.
“Okay, be careful going home. The deer are out tonight.” Lana gave the warning that is so common here. Living in such a mountainous area, it was important to drive carefully so as not to hit deer.
“I will. I’ll be back in the morning so we’ll have plenty of time to get ready.”
“Okay, bye, Megan.”
Megan headed toward her car, and tried not to look back. She wanted one last glance at Matt, and to see if maybe he was watching her, but she didn’t. She didn’t want to seem too interested, so she left knowing she’d see him tomorrow at the wedding. The wedding was at Lana’s house, in a gazebo they had purchased for the occasion.
Pulling into the drive, Megan noticed something on the porch but couldn’t tell what it was. She had left the porch light on and noticed a dark bundle. She scanned the surrounding area as best as she could, to make sure no one was lurking around in the shadows. With key in hand, she slowly walked toward the front door.
Stepping onto the porch, she noticed a wrapped box with a balloon tied to it sitting at the bottom of her door. Megan looked left, and then right, still trying to spot someone who obviously wasn’t there. She unlocked the door, grabbed the balloon and the package and then headed inside and slid the bolt closed. As nice as it was to receive flowers from time to time, she felt a little spooked right now. Over the last two months, she had received flowers on her doorstep about once a week, but it was always during daylight hours.
She sat her purse and keys down on the table beside the door, and took everything to the kitchen. Still eyeing the package, Megan poured herself some wine before she examined it. Huh, no card. Who is sending these? Unwrapping the gift, it was a box of chocolates. She loved chocolate, so she indulged a little even though she didn’t usually eat sweets before going to bed. At least my admirer has good taste, she thought as she popped a chocolate into her mouth.
The next morning, her alarm woke her at 8 am. Megan jumped in the shower, and then headed to Lana’s without drying her hair or applying make-up. Colin had stayed with Matt at the hotel. Lana was holding him to the wedding tradition of not seeing each other until she walked down the aisle or path in her case. She also wanted time with Austin last night. He would be leaving for college soon, and Lana would be living in New York most of the time. She was still keeping her house in Virginia however.
When Megan arrived at Lana’s she didn’t even get the chance to knock. Lana threw the door open and met her on the porch. “Oh my God, I’m getting married!” she squealed, Megan couldn’t help but laugh. Lana appeared nervous and excited all at the same time. The wedding wasn’t until 1 pm, so they had breakfast together before worrying about their hair and make-up. Colin had offered to hire someone to do it for them, but Lana waved the idea away. She was never big on glamour. It was to be a small ceremony anyway. The wedding party consisted of just Lana and Megan, along with Colin and Matt standing at their side. The guests would be Lana’s family, along with a few friends. Lana had told her that Colin had a falling out with his family so they would not be there.
The wedding was beautiful, simple and elegant. Megan tried to pay attention, but didn’t hear most of what was being said. Matt stood there in his black tuxedo looking so exquisitely sexy that it gave her fantasies of jumping him. Of course, she never would, but fantasies never hurt anyone. She sighed.
Pastor Martin pronounced them Husband and Wi
fe and just like that the wedding was over. Matt and Megan followed the bride and groom back down the red carpet that doubled as the aisle, and she could feel the heat radiating from him as their shoulders almost touched. Her lips quirked a little, as she thought of how foolish she felt. She was a grown woman and this man had her feeling like a teenager.
The catered reception had ended. Everyone threw birdseed at the happy couple as they left, heading to airport, and then off to the Caribbean to start their honeymoon. Megan just stood there, watching the taillights of the limo, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She shivered with excitement, already knowing who it was.
“That was a nice wedding,” Matt said.
Glancing over her shoulder at him, she replied, “It was. She deserves to be happy.”
“So does he. They make a good match.” Megan turned to look at Matt, giving him a little smile. “I’m ready for the tour if you are,” he stated with a glimmer in his eye.
She chuckled as she took his hand and said, “Come on, I’ll show you around. It’s a small town so it won’t take long.” He laughed as they headed toward her Mini-Coupe.
Chapter 3
****
The wedding was very nice, and it made him long for things that he wasn’t sure he’d ever have. Matt was truly happy for Colin, though. After his shitty life with his parents, he deserved to be happy. With everything finished, and the happy couple on their way to the airport, he walked up behind Megan.
Before letting her know he was there, he took at moment to look at her. He could see her side profile, and she was stunning in her sleeveless blue dress. Her pinned-up hair had wisp that was falling out and curling around her neck and face. He couldn’t help himself any longer, he had to touch her. He laid his hand on her shoulder and felt himself tighten. How the hell can one touch make me this hard? He asked himself. He wasn’t twenty-something anymore without control.
Finding Megan (The Kiser Series Book 2) Page 2
