My phone buzzes in my pocket with a text. I grin and dig it out, excited to see it’s from Matt.
How was your day?
I miss him. I haven’t seen him since he left my apartment Sunday night. Four whole days, which really isn’t that long, for crying out loud. He’s been busy working and sleeping and little else this week. But he’s managed to find time to send me messages, just checking in, and called me last night just after I’d climbed in bed to say good night.
I’ve already gotten used to having him in my world, and it’s only been a couple of weeks.
Slow. Closing up early. How was yours?
God, I’m such a… girl.
It’s been a long four days without you. Can you please come unlock the front door?
What? He’s at the front door! I race through the kitchen to see Matt leaning against the door, grinning at me. I run over and let him in.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you today.” I lock the door and then launch myself into his arms.
He catches me easily, wraps my legs around his waist and kisses me long and hard as he carries me back into the kitchen. His body is tight. Energy is coming off him in waves. He’s edgy. Rough.
“Are you almost done here?” he asks.
“Yeah, I just have to get stuff ready for tomorrow. Shouldn’t take long.”
He sets me on my feet and kisses me once more, his hands fisted in my hair, before reluctantly letting me go and leaning his hips on the countertop.
I quickly clean the counters, stack my trays and take a quick inventory to make a mental list of what will be on tomorrow’s menu.
“Don’t take your apron off,” he commands quietly. His voice has that edge to it, the one he uses in the bedroom, and a chill moves through me as I look at him over my shoulder.
“Ever?”
“Four days without you, Nic. It’s been a motherfucker of a week, and I’m a bit on edge today.”
It’s a warning. He’s in full bossy dominant mode, and it’s such a damn turn-on I don’t know what to do with myself. I bite my lip and nod then turn back to the task at hand, if a bit off-kilter and shaky. Finally, when I’m finished, I face him, standing across the room, my hands at my sides, waiting for him to tell me what comes next.
It’s as natural as breathing, which is something I might want to ponder later, but all I can think about right now is that I’m happy to see him, and he needs me for this.
Whatever it is he’s about to do to me, do with me, I’ll give him freely.
“Come here,” he commands.
I obey, walking to stand just a few feet in front of him, my eyes trained on his.
“Undress but leave that apron on.”
“Can I lower it off my neck long enough to take my shirt off?” I ask, no sarcasm in my voice.
His eyes soften, but he doesn’t smile. “You may.”
I pull the loop of the apron over my neck, letting it hang at my waist so I can pull my shirt and bra off, then pull my pants and panties over my hips and down my legs. Just as I move to replace the apron around my neck, he interrupts me with, “You can leave it down.”
It falls out of my hands, and I’m standing before him, naked except for the apron wrapped around my waist.
His sea-blue eyes travel over me, hot and full of lust. His hands are clenching in and out of fists, itching to touch me, but he waits.
How he ever learned to be this patient, I have no idea. I’ve never been patient.
So this is slow torture.
Finally, he steps to me and drags his knuckles down my cheek before bending to kiss my lips. “This isn’t going to be soft or gentle, Nic. I don’t have that in me right now.”
“Okay.” Oh God, yes, please.
He takes both of my wrists in his hands, yanks me against him and kisses me again, the way he wants to. The way he needs to. With fire and control and need.
Suddenly, he turns me away from him and bends me over the stainless steel counter top. It’s cold against my breasts and torso, and I gasp when my flesh meets it. There’s no time to brace myself with my hands because Matt pulls them behind my back and ties them with my apron strings, making me immobile.
“I’ve wanted to play with this apron since I first saw you wearing it.” His voice is hard and excited, and he turns me back to him and lifts me onto the countertop, keeping my hips at the edge, and off balance. He steps between my legs, his arms wrapped around my back, keeping me from falling back. “I won’t let you fall.”
“I know,” I whisper, watching him, waiting to see where this goes, the excitement coursing through me. “Although, this is really unsanitary. If the health department walked in, they’d shut me down.”
He grins. “This may not be the answer you want to hear, but right now I don’t give a fuck.”
With one arm bracing me, he unleashes his hard cock and pulls a condom out of his pocket, rips it open with his teeth and guides it down his length. He pushes a finger through my folds, testing me.
“So wet.” His eyes meet mine, and he pushes inside me in one quick thrust, filling me completely.
My head falls back, but he grips my hair in his fist and holds me there, hands tied behind me, in his firm grip, as he begins to pound in and out of me, fucking me harder than I’ve ever been fucked before. My legs clamp around his hips as he rides me, his molten blue eyes pinned to mine, mouth open as he pants and murmurs incoherently.
Fuck, he’s so damn sexy I can hardly stand it.
He pushes all the way in and pauses, grinding his pubis against my clit, and the friction, the fullness of his cock inside me, pushes me into an orgasm that makes my toes curl.
“Eyes!” he barks when my eyes close with the force of the energy moving through me.
I open them and watch him as he continues to push and grind against me, joining me as he comes inside me, jerking and yelling my name.
As he settles, he wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me against him, kissing my forehead, rocking back and forth, soothing us both while he’s still inside me.
Finally, he pulls out and unties my hands while kissing me, as though he just can’t get enough of me. When I’m free, I push my hands into his hair and hold on to him, enjoying the soft strands between my fingers, then caress down to his neck and over his shoulders.
“Are you okay?” I whisper against his lips.
He sighs and nuzzles my nose with his before leaning back. “I’m much better now.”
He tugs the condom off and wraps it in a paper towel before shoving it in his pocket. “I’ll throw it away somewhere that food isn’t made.”
I giggle as I put my clothes back on. “Who knew that a simple apron could be used in kinky sex?” I examine the apron before tossing it in the hamper.
“You’d be surprised what we’ll end up using as restraints,” Matt replies with a grin. “I can tie you up with just about anything.”
“Good.”
“Good?” he asks.
I nod and then shrug. “I seem to have a newfound affection for being tied up.”
He growls and yanks me to him again. “Say shit like that and we’ll go upstairs now where I can tie you up for the night, little one.” He nuzzles my temple. “I love that you’ve come to trust me this much so soon.”
“Let’s go upstairs.” Did I just say that?
He chuckles and shakes his head. “I promised I’d have dinner with Will and Meg tonight, and I want you to go with me. That’s what I came over here for.”
“Oh,” I reply with a frown. “Are you sure you want me to go? It’s okay if you want to go and I’ll see you another time…”
“Stop.”
My eyes find his in surprise.
“Why wouldn’t I want you to come have dinner with me and my brother?”
I frown and fidget. “Well, I guess I’m confused.”
“About?”
I swallow and look down, but he tips my chin back with his finger. “What are you confused about
?”
“What are we doing, Matt? Is this just a sex thing? Because taking me to spend time with your family kind of pushes whatever we have going on into a different area.”
“This is not a just a sex thing.” He frowns deeply, watching my face. “I’m sorry if that’s what you thought. The sex is amazing, but I want to pursue a relationship with you, Nic. Wherever that takes us. I thought that’s what you wanted, too.”
I nod, feeling foolish. “I do.”
“So, are we on the same page here?” He looks sincerely concerned, and it softens me even more. I lean in and kiss his chest before smiling up at him.
“Same page.” I pull away and stack my boxes of cupcakes. “You carry these out to the car while I wipe down the countertop and run up and change.”
“Where are we taking them?” Matt asks with a laugh. “Meg and Will can’t eat all these. Well, yeah, Will probably could.”
“We will take one box to them and the rest to the homeless shelter down the street. That’s where I take all the leftovers every day.”
His jaw drops as I pass him the last box.
“What?”
“You continue to surprise me, that’s all.”
“Giving cake to the homeless is surprising?”
“Most people wouldn’t think of it. They’d just toss them out.”
I shake my head adamantly. “I don’t waste food. It’s too expensive. Besides, I worked hard on those. Someone should enjoy them.”
“Okay, let’s go make someone’s day and then go to dinner.”
“It’s a date.”
Chapter Seven
~Matt~
“Why are you nervous?” I ask as we pull up to Will’s house.
“I thought we were going out to eat.” She fidgets in her seat, looking out at the big, stone house.
“Meg likes to cook,” I reply and take her hand in mine, holding it firmly. “Look at me.”
She turns those wide green eyes on mine, and my heart stutters. How can she have this effect on me after just a few weeks of knowing her?
“You’ve already met these people.”
She nods and bites her lip. “I’m being stupid. I’m just not great with people.”
I laugh loudly and shake my head. “Are you kidding me?”
“No.”
“You’re awesome with people. You talk to every customer who walks into your shop without hesitation.”
“That’s different,” she whispers. “That’s work. I’m kind of shy.”
My eyes narrow on her. I never would have guessed that she’s shy, based on how outgoing and talkative she is when she’s in work mode.
“You’ll be great. Meg and Will are fun, and you’ll be Will’s newest favorite person, thanks to the cupcakes.” I wink at her and step out of the car, open her door and take her hand, pulling her up next to me. “Trust me.”
“I do,” she replies softly and gazes up to me. “And that surprises me, too.”
“We’re going to talk about this later,” I whisper to her, my stomach still in knots from hearing her say that she trusts me.
This relationship won’t work unless we trust each other implicitly.
“You brought me cupcakes!” Will exclaims when he opens the door for us.
My brother is a cocky pain in the ass much of the time, but I can’t help but love the douche bag.
“Cupcakes?!” Samantha squeals from inside.
“Sam and Leo are here?” I ask as I lead Nic inside Will’s house.
“Yeah, Meg figured we’d have them over, too, since they’re in town.” He eyes me over the white cupcake box in his hands before leaning in and whispering in my ear, “You and I will talk about this later.”
I shrug and grin and take Nic’s hand in my own, lacing our fingers.
“You know Nic,” I gesture to the small dark-haired woman at my side.
Will nods and grins. “Thanks for bringing these.”
“My pleasure. It was either bring them here or take them to the homeless.”
“We still dropped three more boxes that size at the shelter,” I add with a laugh.
“Thank God,” Sam exclaims as she runs into the room, her blue eyes shining.
“Uh, we already had some today, sunshine,” Leo reminds her as he joins us. “Hi, Nic.”
“Hey.” She smiles and grips my hand in a death grip.
It seems Nic has a crush on Leo.
As long as that’s all it is, we’ll be fine.
“Where did everyone go?” Meg exclaims from the kitchen.
“In here!” Will calls back. “Matt’s here with Nic, and she brought me cupcakes!”
“What?” Meg exclaims and comes running from the kitchen. Her eyes widen when she sees that I’m holding Nic’s hand, and then she grins widely. “Hey! Welcome!”
“Hi again.” Nic grins and reaches out to shake Meg’s hand but is scooped up in a big hug, much to her surprise.
“I’m so glad Matt brought you,” Meg assures her.
“Me, too. Gimme the cupcakes, Montgomery,” Sam demands, her hands outstretched.
“Kiss my ass,” Will replies and holds the box close to him.
“There are a dozen in there,” Nic assures them all. “Plenty for everyone.”
“Are you kidding?” Will laughs. “That’s one serving for me.”
“Seriously, you have to share, babe.” Meg laughs and loops her arm through Sam’s.
“Why did we invite them?” Will pouts, then opens the box. “What kind are they?”
“There are some carrot cake, red velvet and strawberry shortcake.” Nic returns to my side and wraps her arm around my waist, as if we’ve been together for years.
I loop my arm around her shoulders and kiss the top of her head. She needs to be close to me right now to feel secure, and I’m happy to give that to her.
Fuck, I’ll give her anything she wants.
“We haven’t tried those.” Leo grins. “You’ll have to try something new, sunshine.”
“Happily,” Sam responds.
“Well, before you all get high on sugar, let’s have dinner.” Meg shoos us all into the dining room as she takes the pastry box from Will. “I’ll put these in the kitchen until later.”
“What’s for dinner?” I ask loudly. “I’m starving.”
“Chicken Parmesan with pasta,” Meg calls back as we all sit around the table, and Will sets one more plate.
“Lots of carbs,” I comment with a raised brow at Will.
“Fuck off, man, it’s summer.”
“Just saying. You don’t want to ruin your girlish football figure.”
Nic is watching Will move, his shoulders and arms. She appreciates men, and I can’t find any fault in that.
“Will has the hardest body in this family,” Sam mentions casually while sipping a glass of wine. “I don’t think one meal of pasta is going to ruin that.”
“Sam, do you want to run away with me?” Will asks sincerely. “You’re clearly now my favorite.”
“I’d have to kill you, and I can’t make records from prison,” Leo responds with a laugh.
“Sorry, football star,” Meg replies as she returns to the dining room with a big bowl of salad. “You’re stuck with me.”
“No one else I’d want to be stuck with.” Will sweeps Meg into his arms and kisses her soundly. “You sit. I’ll go get the rest.”
Meg sighs and drops down into her chair, a happy smile on her lips. “He’s hot.”
Nic lays her hand on my knee and squeezes. I love that she likes to have her hands on me, always touching me. It makes tying her up that much more fun.
She’s smiling widely, enjoying the banter of my crazy family.
“They’re fun,” she whispers to me.
“Just wait until you’re with all of us. It’s never dull.” I kiss her temple and turn to Leo. “When do you head back out on the road?”
“Not for a few weeks. We’re taking some time off.”
&nbs
p; “Did you bring your guitar?” Meg asks hopefully.
Meg and Leo grew up together in several foster homes and have maintained the sibling relationship throughout the years. They didn’t speak for a while, but they’ve recently been reunited and spend a lot of time together.
“Not tonight.” Leo shakes his head. “I want to go over some lyrics with you after dinner. We just need one guitar for that.”
“You write songs together?” Nic asks and passes me the pasta.
“We have for most of our lives,” Meg confirms. “I’m better at it than he is, though.”
“You wish,” Leo tosses back.
“That’s so cool.”
“Do you play any instruments?” I ask Nic.
She nods and chews on some salad. “I’m classically trained in piano.”
I lower my fork to my plate and stare at her in surprise. “Seriously.”
“Yeah.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal. “My aunt was a concert pianist, and she taught me and my sister.”
“Cool.” Sam grins. “I play, too.”
“I always feel so musically stupid when I’m around them,” Will mutters with a laugh.
“I bet we can’t throw a football sixty yards,” Nic replies.
“And I can’t bake cupcakes to save my life,” Meg adds. “I can cook all day, but ask me to bake, and I’ll end up poisoning everyone.”
“What can Matt do?” Sam asks with a tilt to the head.
“He can…” Nic begins, but I clamp my hand over her mouth and laugh.
“I can arrest you for harassment,” I reply drily.
Nic’s eyes are smiling above my hand.
“Yeah, you scare me, Montgomery.” Sam’s voice is dry as she eats her meal.
“Have you heard from Caleb and Bryn?” Meg asks.
“I got an e-mail from him,” Will responds. “But it was about a week ago. He said they’re having fun.”
“They head back on Friday,” I reply. “I got an e-mail the same day you did. Sounds like Dom’s place is nice.”
“I’d love to take Meg there sometime,” Will replies and grins at his fiancée.
“You won that silent auction for a trip to Italy, remember?” Meg reminds him.