by M. Malone
He walked into the kitchen and stopped short at the sight of Penny wiping down the counters.
“Here, let me do that.” Matt placed his hand over hers on the sponge, secretly gratified when she sucked in a sudden, shocked breath. He wiped the counter quickly and put the sponge back on the sink.
“It’s nothing. I just spilled a little ice cream.” She smiled brightly and picked up one of the ice cream containers. The ice cream was so thick it took her several tries before she was able to dig out a scoop and stick it in her mouth.
“Are you sure you don’t want any of my mixed up, totally delicious ice cream?” She teased him, scooping up another bite and waving it in front of his face. Then she popped it in her mouth, her lashes lowering as she savored the taste.
A second later her eyes opened and she stilled. Matt gripped the edge of the counter as he leaned closer. “I need you to do me a favor, Penelope.”
She gulped. “Sure. What is it?”
He looked down at the ice cream, then leaned a little closer. Her pupils dilated as he got closer still, until their mouths were only a breath apart. Her blue eyes went soft. “Let me choose the first movie.” Then he pushed back and walked into the living room.
If he was going to be horny as hell and suffering the whole time, he might as well give her something to think about, too.
The living room couch was nice and deep, so Matt put on the movie and then settled himself into the corner. Penny poked her head in from the kitchen. “You want ice cream now?”
He nodded. She came over and sat next to him on the couch and handed him the pint of ice cream and a spoon. “Where’s yours?” he asked.
She didn’t look at him as she replied, “I already had a few spoonfuls of mine, so I figured I’d share some of yours.”
Matt’s body tightened when she looked up at him and then snuggled against his side. It was going to be really hard to keep his “hands-off” promise when she was rubbing up against his chest like that. After a few more minutes, she finally settled down and they watched the first movie. He’d chosen an action flick that he hadn’t seen yet, hoping it would force him to pay attention. Instead, he spent half the movie staring down at the top of Penny’s head. At one point he was sure she fell asleep because her hand dropped into his lap and she didn’t move it. He’d finally picked up her hand and shifted it to his thigh.
The last thing he wanted was for her to wake up with her hand on his massive boner and think he’d done it on purpose.
She woke a little while later during a particularly loud fight sequence. He could tell she was awake because she went stiff. She glanced up at him sheepishly. “Sorry. I have a horrible time staying awake during movies.”
“I’m glad you feel comfortable enough with me to sleep. That’s a compliment.”
“It is. I don’t trust that easily.”
Matt picked up the remote and lowered the sound on the movie. “I’ve noticed. I’ve been trying to figure out why that is.”
“It’s really hard to put your faith in someone, you know? When you spend a lot of time with a person and then they’re suddenly just gone from your life, it leaves a hole. It hurts.”
It sounded like she’d experienced true heartbreak.
“Who broke your heart? Let me at him. I’ll beat him up for you,” he said, only half joking. It was startling to realize that he’d do things for Penny that he wouldn’t do for anyone else.
He was in a lot deeper with this girl than he’d realized.
“It wasn’t a guy.”
Matt’s head swung toward her so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. Penny scowled at him.
“It’s not what you’re thinking either. You’re so predictable.”
Matt shrugged. “Most guys are. So who was it?”
She looked down at her hands. She did that a lot, he’d noticed. When the conversation turned to something personal, she’d either brush it off or give him only half an answer. Matt figured she was still deciding whether she could trust him. Finally, she glanced up at him.
“It was Rachel. It wasn’t a romantic relationship but my heart was broken. I didn’t see her again until I was an adult.”
Matt sank back into the cushions of the couch, pulling Penny with him. With a soft sigh, she relaxed into his chest, her head nestling in the cradle of his arm. ”You lost your best friend.”
“I’d never had a friend like her before. Rachel and I just connected. I could talk to her about anything. I adore my sisters, but they’re very different from me. Luckily they didn’t tease me for being the geeky one, but they still didn’t share any of my interests. Rachel did.”
Matt pulled back slightly so he could see her face. “I remember how close you two were that summer. It was rare to see one of you without the other.”
Penny’s eyes danced as she remembered. “We spent more time at each other’s houses than we did alone. She’d read all the same books and she was fluent in several languages. She seemed so worldly and sophisticated, but she liked me. She didn’t think I was geeky at all. Rachel made being smart seem cool. I’d never had a friend that I loved like a sister before.”
“What happened to her?”
“Nothing. My dad got reassigned after that year. I cried until I had nothing left. We wrote letters for a while, but like all things, it wasn’t the same. After that, I was too afraid to get close to anyone again. I spent more and more time studying. Then I was in college, then graduate school, and then I came here. Georgia is the only person I’ve let in since. And that’s mainly because she didn’t really leave me much choice.”
They laughed together. Matt decided he owed a debt to Georgia not just for pushing him to come back and apologize that day, but also for being such a good friend to Penny.
“Thank you, Matt.”
“For what?”
She shrugged, not meeting his eyes. “For asking. For actually wanting to know the answer. It’s been a while since I had someone I could confide in.” She pushed her hair back self-consciously and picked up the ice cream melting on the coffee table. “I’d better go put this away.”
Matt watched as she shuffled to the kitchen, but she couldn’t hide the slight redness to her eyes. The sight made him feel unsettled. He wasn’t surprised that he was so protective of her already. They were friends, at the least, although that felt like a monumental understatement considering how stirred up he always was around her. But he was surprised at the longing that had taken root lately. The desire to give her everything she needed.
Everyone thought she was so no-nonsense, but he was starting to see through the mask. She was a secret romantic. Deep down, she wanted to believe in the magic.
And he wanted to be the one to give it to her.
* * * * *
THE NEXT WEEK was a lesson in patience for Penny. It was important to her that when Matt came to the center, he was her patient only. She wouldn’t jeopardize his recovery by going easy on him. She had to treat him just like anyone else. She’d thought it would keep the situation under control if she only agreed to see Matt after work.
Except all she could think of during the day was how considerate he’d been by looking up local seafood restaurants. Then there was the movie marathon. He’d obviously been listening closely when he’d asked her what she liked to do in her spare time. A man who listened was surprisingly hard to resist. Especially one who listened while you spilled your guts. She hadn’t told any of her boyfriends about Rachel. None of them had ever asked the right questions or cared enough to wonder about her past.
Wednesday afternoon, Matt sat in her office. They’d finished early, so he’d made himself completely at home in the chair in front of her desk while she updated the notes in his file. He looked good. Really good, she admitted.
“Aren’t you going to get that?” Matt asked.
It was difficult to keep her mind on what she was supposed to be doing when he was sitting in front of her desk looking like chocolate-dipped temptation. His brown hair had grow
n out some so the ends were just starting to curl over. He seemed to have stopped bothering with shaving lately, too, so there was an appealing layer of masculine scruff on his cheeks.
Simply put, he looked hot.
“Get what?” Penny asked absently, trying to keep her attention on her notes.
Matt picked up the cell phone sitting on the desk between them. “Your phone. The screen just flashed.”
“Oh, yes. Thanks. I had the ringer off earlier because I was in a staff meeting.” When she took the phone, Scott’s picture and the words “missed call” were displayed. She looked up to meet Matt’s eyes.
“I’m not going to ask,” he muttered.
“It’s just my ex-boyfriend. He probably lost something and wants to know if he left it at my house.”
“Yes. The suit. I remember. Is he trying to get you to come back to him?”
“The suit is in Atlanta with his dream job, so I doubt he much cares what I’m doing anymore.” It was a small triumph that she could think of Scott without any bitterness over the way things had ended.
“He moved to Atlanta? Why didn’t you go with him?” Matt leaned forward, resting his elbows on the edge of her desk.
“Because I have a life here.”
“You wouldn’t change your life for the right guy?” He wasn’t looking at her, but there was a muscle in his jaw that seemed to be going crazy.
“I don’t think he was the right guy.” That one statement summed up their entire relationship. It was nice to be able to look back and see things clearly now. As hard as it had been to admit it, things had never been right with her and Scott. Kind of like two puzzle pieces that almost fit together.
Almost but not quite.
“So, what are we doing tonight?” Matt must have been satisfied with her answer because he was looking at her now.
“Um, I actually have a couple of things to do after work.” They needed to take some time apart. If she was ever going to get this obsession with him under control, she had to stop spending so much time with him.
“Things?” Judging by the incredulous look on his face, he didn’t believe her. The fact that she was a horrible liar probably didn’t help her case. But still, why was it so hard for him to believe that she had other things to do with her time? Did everyone think she had no life?
“Yes, things. I have a life, you know?”
“Okay, fine. I was just thinking that we’ll both be at home and bored. We might as well be bored together.”
“As tempting as that sounds, it’s probably not a good idea.”
Matt sat back in his seat casually. “I guess I can understand your position. You’re a respected medical professional. It wouldn’t be good for your career if word got out that you couldn’t keep your hands off me.”
The papers she was holding slipped from her fingers and dropped to the desk. “Excuse me? You think I would have trouble keeping my hands to myself?”
“Yes. I can understand you wanting to keep your distance.”
Penny knew he was goading her, but it was still a struggle to keep the grin from her face. “You are unbelievable. Well, I should say your ego is unbelievable.”
“At least let me take you to lunch.” Matt flipped his wrist to look at his watch. “Since we finished early, you should have time, right?”
Penny shook her head. “No need. I’ll just grab something really quickly before my next appointment.”
“When is your lunch break usually?”
Penny froze and then turned, pretending to rearrange something on one of the shelves behind her. “In about ten minutes, actually. Come on, I’ll walk you out.”
Matt followed her down the hallway. A hand brushed against her backside and she jumped. Matt appeared at her side, looking forward innocently.
“No funny business, remember?” Penny glanced around, worried that someone else in the hallway might have seen. Luckily, no one else was walking behind them. It would be just her luck for Charles to be right behind them.
“What? If you don’t want me noticing your ass, you need to wear different pants. Something baggy. Actually that probably won’t help since I’ll know what you’re hiding under there. The memory alone will be enough to drive me crazy.”
Face burning, Penny pushed him through the doors into the waiting room. “It’s definitely time for you to go.”
“So, you’re not really brushing me off tonight, are you?” Matt leaned on the doorframe, blocking her from closing the door.
“Can we discuss this later?” Penny whispered.
“Tell me you’re coming and I’ll go away.” His eyes glittered as he leaned closer, his dark eyes fixed on her mouth. There was something about the way he looked at her. His eyes didn’t hide anything that he was thinking, so she could see his every dirty thought written all over his face.
“Oh geez, you have to get out of here. You can’t look at me like that in public.”
Heat rushed to her face again as his trademark smirk appeared. “You’re blushing, Miss Lewis.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll be there,” Penny muttered, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed them. “Now I need to go before my next patient gets here.”
“See you tonight.” Then with a wink, he was gone.
* * * * *
THAT NIGHT, MATT thought Penny should direct their date. He’d strong-armed his way into seeing her, but he needed her to come the rest of the way on her own. He’d let her choose the restaurant. It soon became clear it was the right decision because everything she suggested was loud and crazy. She clearly wasn’t angling for an intimate dinner where they could talk.
She needed distance.
“I could go for Italian food again. What do you think?” Penny smiled at him and he thought he’d be willing to eat almost anything if it kept that look on her face.
“Okay by me.”
They walked from the parking lot of the center down the street to the restaurant. Matt held the door open for her, and Penny walked up to the platinum-blond girl at the hostess stand.
“Two for nonsmoking please.”
“Sure, but it’s at least an hour wait. Is that okay?” The girl looked over at Matt and wet her lips. “You could wait at the bar. I’m sure we can provide something to distract you.”
Matt groaned internally as Penny turned to look at him. He really didn’t want to get caught at the bar, fending off advances from this barracuda.
“Actually, I think we’ll try the place next door. Thanks.” He grabbed Penny’s hand and pulled her outside into the cool air.
“Everywhere we go is probably going to be crowded,” Penny said finally.
“Probably, but at least they might not be staffed with man-eaters. She was looking at me like I was a steak and it was time for her last meal. No thanks.”
Penny shook her head but at least she smiled, finally. “You don’t have to pretend not to look. I’m not one of those insecure girls who expects you to develop temporary blindness just because we’re together. She was stunning.”
Matt pulled her against him. “She was obvious. Hair color from a bottle, boobs from a surgeon, and a face covered in paint. There wasn’t a real thing about her. Considering how hot I am for you, you should know by now that’s not my type.”
“What is your type, then?”
“Stern, bossy blondes who yell at me when I slack off.”
“Shut up. I’m encouraging you.”
“I know,” Matt replied. “It’s a little scary sometimes, but always hot. I keep having these fantasies of you hitting me with a ruler.”
Penny giggled. The sound did funny things to his chest. What he wouldn’t give for her to be this happy all the time. “That’s a hot-for-teacher fantasy. I think you’re confused.”
“It’s your fault. You’ve warped me so now I can only get hot for female authority figures. In fact, you might need to take me home and spank me right now.”
“Oh, no you don’t, buster. I’m starving and I need
food. Come on.” Penny dragged him into two more places. They were all crowded.
“Let’s try this one.” Penny pulled open the door to the fourth restaurant they’d tried. It was almost eight o’clock and they hadn’t found a place yet with anything less than a forty-five-minute wait. He hung back near the doors while Penny walked up to the hostess stand. When the dark-haired girl shook her head, he groaned. By the time Penny walked back over to him, he couldn’t take it anymore.
“You know what? Why don’t we just keep it simple? Let’s go to the grocery store. I can cook. Some stuff, anyway.” Matt hoped he could find the ingredients to make either spaghetti or pizza since those were the only two things he knew how to make.
“You want to go to the grocery store with me?”
“Yeah. It’ll be fun. I can’t guarantee the results will be edible though.”
Penny didn’t say anything, just stood watching him with those impossibly blue eyes. He had a feeling she was coming to a decision about something. Courting her was like teasing a skittish animal out when it had been backed into a corner. He was scared to say anything or make any moves that would send her scampering in the other direction.
“We could go to my house. I mean, I have food.” Penny glanced down at her hands, then back up at him.
Matt recognized the gesture for what it was. An offering of trust. She was letting him into her life as more than just a temporary, casual thing. She was allowing him into her personal space.
“Sounds good to me.”
As soon as her back was turned, he pumped his fist in the air. Finally. Now he just had to show her how good things could be between them.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE RIDE TO Penny’s house was made in silence. In fact, she hadn’t said much since she’d extended the invitation. As much as he hated to do it, Matt had to give her an out. He wasn’t exactly a ladies’ man, but he’d never had to force a woman to spend time with him.
He wasn’t going to start now.
“We don’t have to do this, Penny. We can just grab some burgers or something and then head home. I’m sure you’re tired. You don’t have to entertain me.”
