Love By Accident

by Michelle Beattie

  "I have a surprise for you," he said into her ear.

  Holding onto his arm, she shuffled blindly into the house. The door closed and locked. He kissed her temple, removed his hand from her face. She opened her eyes.

  "Oh, Matt," she said. "It's...Oh, wow."

  Floating candles bobbed in glass bowls that seemed to cover every surface: her table, her counter, the stove top. The house smelled of hot wax, a hint of vanilla, and the lingering smell of paint. The curtains were closed, which accounted for why the house had been so dark from the outside.

  "This is just the beginning," he said, his lips teasing her ear. He helped her with her jacket and hung his own next to hers. He must have had another shirt hidden in his toolbox because the Barbie shirt had been replaced with a black t-shirt.

  Looking over his shoulder, his gaze zeroed in on her. Her belly jumped, knowing what was coming next. Knowing it and wanting it. She didn't wait for him to come to her, she went to him.

  "So the beer was just a ruse to get me out of the house?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.

  "Guilty as charged," he said. "Although I may have a beer later."

  "Later?"

  "Hmm. Much later."

  In one swoop he lifted her into his arms and carried her through the kitchen.

  Cradled in his arms, Lauren felt treasured. She rested her head on his chest, smiling at his familiar scent. Unable to resist, she leaned forward and scraped her teeth over his ear lobe. Matt's grip tightened and he increased his pace.

  In her bedroom, he set her down and turned her so she could see the bed.

  He'd worked magic here too. More candles. Flames reflected in the water they floated on and cast the room in a soft glow. On the small night stand next to her bed was a sweating bottle of wine and two wine glasses. He'd turned down her bed, but not before spreading rose petals over the entire surface. The sight took her breath away. The effort he'd put into everything filled her heart until it felt too full to remain behind her rib cage.

  "I know it's all one big cliché, but I didn't know how else to make this special for you."

  Lauren took his hands in hers. Nobody had ever gone to such lengths for her and she was deeply touched. "It's beautiful, Matt. And it would have been special anyway, because it's with you."

  Matt's heart tripped over itself. How many times over the years had he wished for those words? Had he envisioned making love to her? Even though he'd planned it tonight, so much had gotten in his way over the years he'd been afraid it wouldn't happen. Still, if it was to go further, there couldn't be any doubts.

  "I'm not pushing you too fast, am I? Even though I did all this," he gestured to the room, "I'd be okay if you weren't ready."

  Her lips on his was her answer and when her tongue slipped into his mouth, he knew she had no doubt. His whole body tuned into her scent, her sound, her touch until he was immersed in Lauren. He kissed her until he forgot where they were, forgot the past and forgot everything else but the way she felt in his arms.

  Tonight, finally, reality would replace fantasy.

  Because his fantasies always included Lauren wearing her hair down, he slid off her elastic until the cascade of golden silk fell past her shoulders. He sifted his fingers through the cool mass, pictured it spread across the pillow. Liking the visual, Matt once again scooped her up.

  When he set her down on the mattress, her legs wrapped around his waist and her mouth once again fused to his. Matt's dick went rock hard.

  "You keep that up, Lauren, this'll be over before we can get started."

  "We can be slower next time."

  Every man's fantasy.

  Fighting the desperation her touch inspired, he pushed himself up. Gold fired in her hair and her eyes shone in the candlelight. She had changed out of her painting clothes before she'd gone out for beer and the long-sleeved t-shirt fit snugly over her breasts.

  Still slightly amazed this was actually happening, Matt filled his hands with her curves. The shape, weight was perfect. He fondled and teased until the shirt became an annoyance. He needed skin.

  Guiding her up, he slid off her top. With it fisted in one hand, he lowered his mouth and tasted her bare shoulder, skimmed his tongue over her until he reached the base of her neck. Lauren dipped her head to the side, allowing him freer access.

  She was sweeter than honey, hotter than blue flames.

  Lauren positioned her arms over her head. Beautiful, round breasts pushed against her bra.

  "I love yellow," he said, referring to the two thin triangles joined by a silver ribbon.

  "You hated it a few minutes ago," she laughed, reminding him of his comment about her living room.

  "That was paint." His eyes devoured her. "This is completely different."

  Pearly skin curved out of the cups, creating a shadow of temptation in between the strips of yellow. Matt took a moment to stare and appreciate. His fingers traced the skin which pebbled instantly with goose bumps. Her nipples poked against the silky fabric.

  She moved to the clasp, but his hands stopped her. "No, let me."

  He'd never had a problem with bras before, but he didn't remember his hands ever shaking so badly. After the third attempt, Lauren muttered something and she pushed his fingers aside. With a tearing sound that was almost the end of him, she ripped off the garment.

  His palms covered her nipples and her moan was right out of his best fantasy. Blood hammered in his veins but he wasn't ready to bring down the curtain, not when the show was just starting. He nestled himself in the vee of her jeans, groaning when she arced into him.

  She scraped her teeth over his earlobe. Her hands clawed down his back, cupped his ass and jerked. Using him, not that he was complaining, she rubbed herself against his erection.

  Matt crushed his mouth to hers as she continued to grind against him. He felt the cool air on his back and realized she was taking off his shirt. He lifted himself up so he could help her get it off.

  Before he knew what she was up to, her hands slipped into his pants and her fingers slid into his boxer briefs. Matt forgot to breathe. His dick was throbbing and he was starting to sweat. Lauren looked far too put together. He flipped them over so she was on top and then thought he'd give her a taste of her own medicine.

  His plan went to shit when his hands slid into her pants and he felt bare ass cheeks.

  "You wear a thong?"

  "Why, do you like it?"

  "Hell yeah," he answered.

  She dipped her head and whispered, "it's even black. Never underestimate the power of black."

  Then he felt the hot, wet slide of her tongue running its way up his ear and he damn near exploded. Reluctantly he removed his hands from her pants.

  "Don't," she contested.

  "Oh, don't worry, I'm not anywhere near finished."

  He flipped her onto her back. Her breasts jiggled with the movement, drawing his eyes to their perfect pink peaks. He had another moment where he feared he was dreaming then, knowing he wasn't, took a moment to appreciate just what he was about to do.

  Leaning down, he cupped her breasts with his hands. The hard nipples stood up like cherries on an ice cream cone. He'd always loved cherries.

  With a slight breath, he blew over the buds. He watched, thrilled, when they puckered even more. With only the tip of his tongue, he touched her. Lauren arced off the bed, once again ground herself against him. Knowing he was reaching the limit himself, he sucked her deep into his mouth.

  Lauren's hands became a flurry of activity. They held his head, then tried to get to his zipper, and--his personal favorite--reached back and clasped the rails of her headboard. Her hips ground against his, her mouth laid claim to his.

  "We've got too many clothes, here, honey," he said.

  "Finally," she answered.

  Matt's grin came from his soul. God, he loved her.

  With harried movements the rest of their clothes were shed and tossed onto the floor. Matt finally had what h
e'd once never thought possible. Lauren naked. Beautiful, naked, aroused, and all his.

  Yes. Yes. Yes, was all Lauren could think. Look at him. Long, lean muscle, arms that bulged when he braced himself over her. His chest hair teased her nipples, his skin seared hers. Even better, he knew where to touch her and how and with which part of his body.

  She skimmed her fingers over his pecs, deliberately scraping the flat nipples which lay like hidden treasures in his chest hair. His penis flexed.

  Empowered by his reaction, Lauren slid down his body. Muscles twitched in his belly as she licked her way down his abdomen. He moaned and his arousal pressed hard into her chest. She felt the moisture slip into her cleavage.

  His hands dropped from her hair to the sheets and he filled his fists with cotton, arching his hips when her hand closed around him.

  She stroked the velvety length, squeezed the firm muscle and flicked her tongue over the moisture spilling from him.

  "Lauren."

  He guided her back to his lips and rocked his mouth against hers. Suddenly neither of them seemed able to get enough. His back was firm and hot, his belly taught. His hands moved from her breasts which felt heavy with want and slipped between her legs.

  "You're so sweet," he murmured, sliding his fingers into her.

  Lauren nearly shattered. Her hips bolted off the bed. She met his eyes. They sizzled, gazing at her as though she was the only woman in the world. She felt him slide his hand under the pillow and heard the foil crinkle. She helped him roll the protection into place, their gaze never wavering from each other.

  "I love you," he said, knowing the timing was suspect but not able to hold back the words another moment. She was his, had always been his, at least as far as he was concerned. And he couldn't take this next step without telling her.

  "Matt--"

  "No, you don't have to say anything, I just had to tell you."

  Then, positioning himself over her, he drew her arms up by her head and clasped his hands with hers, lacing their fingers. This wasn't just sex, this was so much more.

  She was snug and wet around him and despite his will, he couldn't hold back. Slick with sweat, his thrusts increased with each mew coming from her mouth. Faster, harder he drove on, until her breath caught and her feminine muscles squeezed him. Tightening his grip on her hands, he kissed her mouth, told her again how much he loved her and then, blessedly, let himself go.

  ***

  "You forgot your beer," Lauren said, limbs entwined with Matt's.

  "No, I didn't," he answered, kissing her forehead. "I said I'd get one later."

  "And this is later."

  "Yes, but it's not 'much later'."

  She giggled and he pulled her tighter, loving the way she fit into him.

  "We finished the wine hours ago," she said.

  "And your point is?"

  "I'm thirsty. If you get up and get a beer, then you can get me a pop."

  He propped himself on his elbow, smiled at how she looked. Her hair was a mass of gold spread across her pillow. The duvet rested above her breasts, but low enough to tease him with a hint of cleavage. One arm was curled enticingly over her head. He never wanted to move.

  "Is there anything else I can do you for, honey?"

  She grinned. "Well, since you're offering..."

  Blood thickened and he hoped he knew what she was going to say because suddenly he was back in the game.

  "Honey, I can do whatever you want."

  She licked her lips and he began to throb.

  "Because what I'd really like is a grilled cheese."

  Lauren burst out laughing and despite the shot to his ego, not to mention his libido, he couldn't help but get even.

  "Think you're funny, do you, McKinnon? Well let's see how funny you think this is."

  He pounced on her, fingers digging into the sensitive spot behind her knees. She squealed and squirmed, hands grasping his to no avail. He didn't let up, but continued to torture her until she was laughing so hard she couldn't yell anymore.

  "Say uncle!"

  She thrashed her head, no words came from her mouth.

  He let up enough for her to catch her breath. "Say uncle."

  "Uncle, uncle," she gasped.

  He released her and she sprawled onto the bed, the blankets draped too low for cover. With her chest heaving from the wrestling match, he drew her nipple into his mouth. Lauren threw back her head.

  Sliding his hands under the duvet, he found her surprisingly ready. He played with her, torturing her with his fingers until she raised her hips in invitation.

  "Still want a grilled cheese?" he asked, nuzzling her breast.

  "If you leave now," she said, fingers scraping his back, "I'll never forgive you."

  He grinned as he lowered his mouth to her.

  "Well, we can't have that."

  ***

  Daylight savings allowed them an extra hour of sleep but it didn't compensate for being awake most of the night. And yet, despite the lack of slumber, Lauren couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so animated. Driven by the burst of energy, she bustled around her kitchen, preparing breakfast. Though dawn was just breaking over the Rockies, the clock insisted it was eight o'clock and her stomach corroborated.

  The bacon was crisp and keeping warm in the oven, and she was cracking eggs into a bowl when Matt strode into the kitchen, hair shiny from his shower.

  "You should have waited for me. I'd have helped you."

  Lauren shrugged. "I wanted to surprise you."

  Smiling, he took her into his arms.

  "You surprised me last night."

  She pushed onto her toes and kissed him. "I could say the same thing about you."

  "Oh yeah," he said. "Why? What were you expecting?"

  She added another egg to her bowl. "Oh, I don't know. I thought maybe you'd keep your socks on, last two minutes and fall asleep drooling."

  His laugh bounced off the wall. "Funny, McKinnon. Very funny. Apparently great sex makes you cheeky."

  Using his hip, he shoved her aside and expertly cracked an egg open with one hand. He tossed the empty shell into the carton. While he finished with the eggs, Lauren set the table, poured the coffee and made the toast. The meal itself was spent in easy silence and long stares that needed no words. Under the table, his foot brushed hers and stopped, content simply to touch.

  They did the dishes with only a handful of suds flying and a few snaps of a dishcloth aimed at Lauren's butt. Lauren was envisioning a long day ahead with nothing to do but talk and cuddle. Maybe Matt could help her unpack those Halloween decorations. She put away the last of the dishes with a smile on her face. She could make hot chocolate, they could carve a pumpkin, and after they could go rent a scary movie and snuggle on the couch.

  "Hey," she said, catching his hand. "How about we--"

  His cell phone rang. "Hold that thought, honey." He pulled the phone from his jacket pocket, frowned at the call display and, once again shutting her out, strode into her living room. "This is Matt."

  Lauren had no idea who was on the line but she heard enough to know her plans for the afternoon were toast.

  "No, I'm glad you called. Yeah, I know where that is. I'll meet you there. Right." He looked at Lauren, winced. "As quick as I can. And stay in your car," he added before hanging up.

  "It sounded serious. Is everything all right?"

  Matt slid his phone into the pocket of his denim shirt. His gaze locked onto hers. "Yeah, just need to check out a few things."

  "Is there a bear on the loose? Was a cougar spotted? Who can't get out of their car?"

  Matt frowned. "It's nothing I can talk about, Lauren. I'm sorry."

  "Why?"

  "It's about work."

  "I think I remember enough to understand, Matt."

  He held up his hands. "Then you know some things can't be discussed outside the office. I'm sorry, I have to go."

  "Matt."

  "Lauren." He took her hands. "I l
ove you. I'll see you later, okay. Maybe we can do supper?"

  Her heart fell right along with her shoulders. "Yeah, I guess we can do that."

  TWENTY

  Matt parked the white ranger truck next to Cougar's Crown Vic. He'd stopped by the station after leaving Lauren's to switch vehicles and grab his camera, field kit, and the metal detector. With his hip, he nudged the door closed.

  "Hey, Cougar," Matt said, closing the distance between them.

  "Officer." The older man acknowledged his greeting with a nod of his beret-clad head. "Need any help with your gear?"

  "No, I've got it, thanks. Just lead the way."

  They were up a logging road, in a heavily-treed area. Cougar took Matt through pine and spruce trees, over fallen branches and scattered pine cones. More than once Matt was slapped in the face by a swinging branch. The sting on his cheek was slightly less annoying than the heavy Kevlar vest underneath his shirt. It was mild today and the stupid thing was not only cumbersome, it was making him sweat.

  The irony never failed to instill in him a feeling of frustration. They were required to wear a damn vest to keep them alive, but weren't allowed to carry a weapon. What exactly was he supposed to do when confronting a poacher or some drunk who was armed? Club him to death with his hazing stick?

  Not that he believed the poacher was still around, but if he and Cougar happened upon him, they were both toast. Matt's hands were full and his guide was eighty if he was a day, even if he was making the hike look easy. Matt closed his mouth, tried not to look like he was out of breath. Although in all fairness he was carrying a load.

  "How did you find this place?" Matt asked.

  "I figured after talking with you the other day, it wouldn't hurt to drive up to Hinton and check out the truck stops. Thought I'd ask around some, see if any of the truckers have seen anything." He stopped at the bottom of the hill, turned a wrinkled face to Matt. "I figured if there was anything going on that wasn't on the up and up, those truckers would be the first to see anything out of the ordinary, as they drive these roads so much."

  Matt grinned. "Well, hell, Cougar, you need a full time job?" He had to admit the man had come up with a plan that hadn't even entered Matt's head. It was damn humbling. The older man's eyes shone with Matt's words.