Chapter 21
HGTV Views…
Sometimes I forgot how overwhelming my family could be because I was so used to it, like how you stop noticing the smell of your own perfume after five minutes.
Davina's first visit to my parents' house had been her last. She'd told my dad to go fuck himself and swore she'd never go back after he'd referred to her as "the hot friend" and told her she was using me as her "fat friend" to make herself feel better.
I was mortified, but honestly? Also, a little impressed.
Davina had the backbone of a steel beam while I had the confrontational skills of a wet noodle.
I'd always envied that kind of courage. Why couldn't I just walk away from my toxic father the same way I did my marriage?
Because I still had hope that he’d change and love me for who I am. That someday he'd see past my dress size and maybe, just maybe, notice I had a personality.
I really thought tonight would be different. For some reason, I thought bringing Matt would show him I didn't need him to bribe someone to date or marry me. Regardless of his opinion of me, there was a man who liked me, and I really thought he'd like Matt.
Matt was just one of those people that everyone liked; puppies probably wagged their tails harder when he walked by. But not my dad. Apparently, Matt's fatal flaw was finding me attractive. The audacity.
The drive from Denny's to Matt's was mostly silent. He was probably still processing everything that happened at dinner with my parents, and I was processing my embarrassment, again.
The front door swung inward, and light flooded down from a tiered crystal chandelier that probably cost more than my car. Everything was immaculate, from the pale marble floors to the elegant granite counters. It looked more like a museum than a home.
My shoes clicked against the floors, then hushed against the plush carpet as we moved from the entryway to the living room.
The space flowed like water, each room spilling naturally into the next until we reached the kitchen, all sleek lines and polished surfaces that screamed I have money and a cleaning lady.
Matt tossed his truck keys onto the granite countertop. "Do you want a glass of wine or something stronger?"
The answer to the question died on my lips as my gaze caught on the wall of glass that made up the kitchen's far side.
Moonlight poured in through floor-to-ceiling windows like something out of a home decorating magazine.
"Oh my God," I whispered. I knew he lived on the bay, but the view from his kitchen was stunning.
"Did you steal this house from a movie set? "
Matt smiled as he slid open the massive floor-to-ceiling glass door, the ocean breeze rushing in. "Do you want to go outside?"
"Yes!" I practically bounced on my toes.
The wind swept in from the bay, carrying the scent of salt and seaweed.
It lifted the hair from my neck and cooled the flush in my cheeks.
Each breath filled my lungs with that distinctive mix of saltwater and freedom that made my city apartment feel like a shoebox with a window.
"How about I grab a bottle of wine?" He was already moving toward what I assumed was his wine fridge, and I'll meet you out there."
I nodded, a slow smile spreading across my face before stepping out into the cool, clear night. My gaze lifted, taking in the thousands of little stars filling the sky and a full moon.
I strolled down the concrete path around the pool and hot tub to the edge.
The salt-heavy air filled my lungs, and the knots in my shoulders loosened with each exhale.
To my left was a covered patio area with a table and chairs, and to my right were steps that led down to a small area of grass before a short drop-off into the bay and a view of nothing but endless ocean.
"This view is breathtaking." The words caught in my throat, barely a whisper against the rhythmic lap of waves.
"Yeah." Matt stood there, moonlight catching the angles of his face. "It is." His eyes weren't on the moon and stars or the water and waves. I knew we were talking about two different views.
His gaze traced over me like a physical touch, lingering at my collarbone and the curve of my waist. Heat bloomed beneath my skin.
When his eyes finally met mine, they held such intensity that my breath caught.
The corner of his mouth lifted in that slow half-smile that made my knees weak, and I knew I'd never get enough of him looking at me like that, like I was the answer to a question he'd been asking his whole life.
God, he was gorgeous. His dark hair was pulled back, and his dark eyes reflected in the moonlight, but it was his smile that made my insides melt. "Wine?" He held up the bottle in one hand and two glasses in the other. I nodded, and he poured a glass for each of us.
"I can't believe this is the view from your backyard." My fingers curled around the stem of the glass as I sipped the wine.
Matt moved closer, his presence warm against my back. "You have a view of the bay from your apartment."
"Yeah." I tilted my face into the breeze, letting it tangle through my hair. "But it's not like this. I can feel the ocean breeze and smell the salty air." I laughed. "I don't think I'd ever go inside."
"I'm hardly here." He wrapped his arms around me. His chest pressed against my back, solid and warm, and my muscles unwound one by one. I let my head fall back against his chest, his heartbeat steady against my spine. "If you can't tell. The house looks like it's hardly lived in."
"Why aren't you ever here?"
His arms tightened around me, lips brushing my ear. "I was traveling a lot for work." The heat of his breath fanned across my cheek. "But, now I have a really big reason to be here a lot more."
Our conversation about his contract rushed forward, and I wiggled out of his arms, already missing his warmth. "I wanted to talk to you about something."
"About what?" He brought the wine glass to his lips, taking a sip as he moved toward a two-person chaise lounge chair.
"About your contract."
He sank onto the large wooden lounge chair. "What about it?" He patted the teal cushion beside him, gesturing for me to sit with him.
"I've been thinking about it since you said something." I dropped onto the chair beside him. "And I don't want you to break your contract if it means you have to pay back the money." My gaze dropped to my wine glass. "I trust you."
Matt went still, his dark eyes searching mine. "You trust me?"
The words rose up from somewhere deep inside me. "I do." My pulse drummed in my ears, each beat seeming to echo: trust him, trust him, trust him. My fingers trembled around the stem of my wine glass, but my voice remained steady.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Good. But… you don't have to worry about the contract.
My manager looked into it a little more.
I'm required to attend a minimum of three events a year with their models, and I've already attended three this year.
The contract states that they provide all my dates to all public events during the contracted time, but my contract is over in four weeks. "
"And you have one event in that time, right?"
He nodded. "I do have a public fundraiser, but since I haven't RSVP'd for it yet, I will not be attending."
"Are you sure because…"
"I'm sure, Brooke." His fingers traced lazy patterns on my arm. "I wouldn't want you to go out with anyone else on your arm, even for business reasons, so I'm not going to do that to you."
I chewed my bottom lip. "Are you sure…"
"I'm positive." His thumb brushed across my cheek, stopping at my lips. "There's no one else I would want to go with me. I have an event in six weeks, and I was hoping you would be my date on the red carpet. I want to show off my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" My heart did a little happy dance. "I'm your girlfriend?"
His brows pulled together. "I thought we'd established girlfriend, boyfriend status when I said you were mine and I am yours."
I thought about it for a minute. "Well, yeah, but, I mean, you never officially asked, so…"
He laughed. "You're right." He twisted his body to mine. "Brooke, will you be my girlfriend? You and me, exclusively dating, officially together?"
I grinned, feeling giddy. "Yes, but…" The fear crept in. What if this was too good to be true?
"I promise I will not hurt you." He pressed a soft kiss to my lips as if reading my thoughts. "I promise I will not lie to you," another kiss to my forehead, "and I promise I will never leave you guessing about where we stand. If I do, just ask me."
Heat bloomed in my chest as I leaned into his touch. "I would love to be your date and your girlfriend." The words came easily, naturally, like they'd been waiting to be said.
We both shifted on the lounger, settling side by side.
Beyond the dock, moonlight painted a path across the water, stretching toward the horizon where the bay met the stars.
The gentle lap of waves against the pilings said enough, a quiet rhythm that matched his chest's steady rise and fall against my back.
I finally felt like I was where I belonged.