Chapter 12
TWELVE
IT WAS GONE midnight when I pulled up across the street from my house. That frigging SUV was still there. I was too tired to care, until I spotted Matt’s Rolls-Royce parked behind it and noticed the light shining through the curtains.
Son of a bastard.
I was taking back my keys. The moment I walked in, I was going to knee him in the nuts and take my keys back. Which part of giving me time did he not understand? I grabbed my stuff from the back seat, locked my car and stomped across the street to my house. Well…not exactly stomping, more akin to an angry limp that tore a soft moan from me with every step.
When I opened the front door, my anger disappeared on a wave of silly mushiness. Matt was sprawled on the couch, fast asleep with papers strewn across his chest. I quietly locked up and put my bag down before limping over to the couch. My eyes devoured the sight of him. He was wearing his work clothes, the tie half undone like the buttons on his shirt. There were a few sheets of paper on the floor. I started carefully plucking the sheets off his chest. It was a report that made no sense to me. I was an artistic being and definitely not a numbers person. When I had tidied up the papers, I took a moment to observe the sleeping man. Matt was more than handsome, he was a fucking masterpiece. It was easy to see why women threw themselves at him. That particular thought made me uncomfortable. I didn’t know how I was supposed to act in a relationship, especially with someone like Matthew Bradley. Our last conversation hadn’t been pleasant, and I wondered if I was being a bitch. An unreasonable bitch. I sighed softly. It was too damned late and I was too damned tired to think about it. Tomorrow I would decide if any kneeing of nuts took place. Right now, I wanted to sleep. I eased my sneakers off and crept onto the couch, snuggling up to Matt. He made a sleepy noise of content and his arm unconsciously tightened around me. I should’ve gone to my bed, but I missed being in his arms. Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow, I would wake up early and have a serious talk with him. God. He smelt nice. I snuggled closer into the lines of his body, eyes slipping closed.
“Poppet,” he murmured in his sleep. A tiny smile curled my lips as I drifted off. I was his poppet, he was my knight. Tomorrow I would ask him if he had feelings for his stunning ex…
>>>
When my eyes cracked open, I was alone on the couch, with a moist line of drool from the corner of my mouth to my arm. Eww, and embarrassing. I sat up wiping my mouth, then rubbing my eyes. There were sounds coming from the kitchen. Breakfast sounds. I stood up with a groan, stretching the kinks out my body before sniffing my t-shirt. I smelt funky. No way was I going to have ‘the talk’ with Matt smelling like this. I hurried upstairs and had a shower, changed into fresh clothes, then took a deep breath before making my way back downstairs.
Matt was walking out of the kitchen when he saw me. “Morning, poppet. I was coming to get you. Did you have a nice shower?”
My nipples were misbehaving. Who could blame them? Matt’s impressive chest was on show, a pair of slacks the only clothing he had on. I knew he didn’t have any underwear on. The apparent hardness of his lower anatomy was a dead giveaway.
“Asshole,” I said in greeting, even though I wanted to fling myself into his arms. A girl’s gotta be strong in situations like these.
The smile on his face dimmed for a moment. “I know. I’ve made breakfast, poppet. Let’s eat, then you can shout at me all you want.”
I arched a sceptical eyebrow at that, and Matt’s smile disappeared completely as he walked up to me.
“I had every intention of telling you to stop this childish behaviour of yours when I got here last night, but you weren’t at home and it gave me time to think.” He sighed and reached out for me. I backed up against the wall. No telling what I might end up doing if he touched me. Probably rip my clothes off and beg him for an orgasm. That would be undignified…but oh so worth it.
“You were right, Madi. I was wrong to let things get out of control last Saturday at my parents’ dinner party. There’s no excuse for my behaviour,” he continued with remorseful grey eyes. “My apologies weren’t that sincere since I believed the fault wasn’t mine. It was, poppet. I’m an arsehole and I should’ve—”
“Smacked the bitch?” I offered.
A wide grin appeared on his face, one which softened into a sweet, tender smile. “No, I don’t condone violence against women, but I should’ve made it explicitly clear to Louisa her behaviour was wholly unacceptable. I should’ve moved seats the instant she touched me.”
I nodded vigorously, trying to keep my gaze on his face instead of his chest.
“And I shouldn’t have tried to buy my way out of trouble,” he added.
“What are we going to do, Matt?” I asked, wondering if he would try to kiss me soon. I would sock him in the eye, of course, but damn, I wanted a kiss.
Matt took a step towards me that brought us within kissing distance. The silent countdown in my head had started. Any second he would lean in and claim my mouth, it would be a-fucking-mazing. My tongue traced my lips slowly. Matt’s eyes tracked the movement and he inhaled sharply before stepping back. What the hell? Where was my kiss?
“I’m going to prove to you that I’m not an arsehole. Things developed so quickly between us we never had a chance to date properly.” He flashed me that sweet smile of his and continued. “So, we’re starting afresh from today.”
My brain was in kissing mode. He wasn’t making sense and my lips were complaining at the lack of ravishment. “I’m sorry, what? You want to date me?”
Matt nodded.
“But we’re already doing that,” I said. What in the hell was wrong with Matt today?
“No, poppet, not really. Think about it for a moment. The way we started our relationship was wrong.” He paused when he saw my expression, hurrying to add, “I love you, Madison DuMont, and I want to do things right. Prior to last week, our relationship was hidden, like a dirty secret. Everyone knows about us now, and I’ve made up my mind on this. I’m going to date you—”
“What about sex?” I blurted, then blushed furiously. Matt burst out laughing, and I slapped my hand in the middle of his chest, intending to shove him away. Things got confused in my head once I felt his warm skin covering that muscular hotness, and I ended up sliding my hand over his chest. The air caught in my throat, and I swore I had a mini-orgasm.
“Oh, poppet,” he murmured, yanking me into his arms, chuckling. “You do make me laugh.”
I inhaled his scent. A face full of Matt’s chest was heaven. He slid one hand up my neck and rubbed it, drawing an embarrassing whimper from me.
“You were a virgin before I made love to you.” He pulled back to peer at me, one eyebrow raised high. “How far did you go on dates? I’m asking so I know exactly how many men I need to hunt down. The thought of someone else enjoying your luscious lips is making me experience violent tendencies.”
“Psycho,” I muttered with a roll of eyes, then remembered the questions I had for him. “Matt, do you have feelings for her? Your ex? Are you still in love with her?”
Matt gave me serious eyes. “No. I’ve never loved Louisa, not the way I love you. She’s…it’s difficult to explain, poppet.”
“Try,” I said coolly. I needed to know where things stood between them.
“She was the expected choice, the one who would fit perfectly in my life. We grew up together, our families have known each other for years. At one point, marriage seemed like the next step with us,” he said in an empty voice.
My mouth turned down at the edges. “I see.”
Matt cupped my chin, tilting my head so he could stare into my eyes. “But, I don’t want her, and I don’t love her. I think, in some strange way, I was waiting.”
“Waiting?” I asked. “For what?”
Matt lowered his head, lips millimetres away from mine. “For you, poppet.”
I finally got my kiss and it was abso-fucking-lutely fantastic. When he pulled away, we were both breathless.
I had forgiven him. I hoped it wasn’t something I would later regret. That didn’t stop me from socking him in the eye though.
“Bloody hell! Why did you do that?” Matt exclaimed, a hand covering his left eye as he stumbled back.
“You let Aphrodite mess with your junk, Matt. Consider yourself lucky,” I said, grinning ear to ear. “What’s for breakfast?”
He tentatively touched around his eye, wincing a few times. “Crepes with bacon and eggs. Come on, let’s go eat. I need to explain exactly what I expect from you now we’re going to date and put a bag of frozen peas on my eye.”
I took his outstretched hand and we walked to the kitchen. My stomach grumbled loudly.
“Am I forgiven, poppet?” Matt asked as I took a seat at the table and he went over to the fridge.
“Yep,” I said, immediately tucking into my breakfast. “Just don’t let it happen again.”
“I won’t,” he promised, as he pulled out a bag of frozen peas and held it against his face. “You’re keeping the Porsche, by the way. You need a bigger vehicle.”
“No, I’m not. It’ll drive my insurance premium up and it’s a gas guzzler,” I said between mouthfuls.
Matt came over to take his seat and start eating with one hand, while the other kept the frozen peas to his face. “You’re keeping it, poppet. Our first official date is on Sunday. There’s this charity ball I have to attend, and I want you with me.”
I sighed and reached for the pot of tea positioned neatly in the middle of the plates.
“You’re bossy, Matt.” I said as I poured the steaming liquid into my cup.
He put the bag down and winked at me. “And you love me.”
“And I love you,” I agreed. I did. “Now, about this dating crap, we are going to have sex…right?”
Matt’s piercing grey eyes glinted mischievously as he picked up his cup. “Do you mind pouring me tea, poppet? My vision is slightly impaired at the moment.”
“Asshole,” I mumbled under my breath, but I didn’t mean it, not anymore. In fact, I was planning on jumping his bones once breakfast was over. It had been a long, frustrating week, and a bare-chested Matt was irresistible. Yes, as soon as breakfast was over I would get my swirl on…