Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The sun was setting by the time Matthew pulled into the driveway of the address where Rachel had asked him to pick her up. When the front door of the house opened, he quickly hopped out of the car and came to meet his date.
Rachel who was dressed in a long red woolen coat was slowly making her way down the garden path toward him. “I figured they might not let me through the front door if I tried to get in wearing my snow boots,” she said, nodding at the pair of strappy heels which hung from her left hand. When she reached his side, Matthew slipped his arm around her waist, and planted a kiss on her cheek. “You would look amazing in anything.”
The act felt so natural, so easy to him. Rachel’s skin was soft and warm. When to his delight, she returned the kiss, a frisson of heat shot down his spine. Where had this woman been all his life?
I hope that was the first of many kisses we will share tonight.
He took the high heels from Rachel’s fingers. “And any place that dares to refuse entry to a beautiful woman like you, goes on our banned list. ”
“Banned list?”
“My oldest brother has a thing about places who treat their customers based purely on how they dress. He says you should never judge a book by its cover.”
Matthew knew a lot of billionaires and millionaires, some of whom dressed so down and out that people often tried to give them money when they stopped in the street. As far as the Royal family were concerned, any hotel or restaurant which turned its nose up at a potential guest had no right to be in the hospitality business.
He escorted Rachel around to the passenger side of the Jeep and opened the door for her, still holding her heels while she climbed in and put on her seatbelt. If his mother could see him now, she would be thrilled. One, because he was behaving as the perfect gentleman and two, because he was actually going on a date.
Alice Royal was keen to see all three of her sons happily settled and married. She was going to get her wishes with Jordan, and also with Bryce, but he hoped she was curbing her enthusiasm when it came to him. Marriage was a serious business, and he wasn’t going to rush into a relationship just to please his mother.
Matthew made his way around to the driver’s side and climbed in, closing the door quickly behind him. He wasn’t wearing many layers tonight, and the bitterly cold wind was taking no prisoners.
He rubbed his hands together. “The weather forecast is for a balmy twenty degrees tonight, but fortunately no snow. You’ll be pleased to know that the restaurant has an underground parking garage, so we won’t have to brave the chilly elements when we get out.”
“Yay. I might have a coat on, but I’m freezing. Colorado weather is the natural enemy of a date dress.”
Matthew had kissed her. Again. And she’d kissed him, back. Okay, so it was just a couple of friendly pecks on the cheek, but still …
His lips.
My lips.
Our skin. Bliss.
Rachel was as excited as a hormone fueled sixteen-year-old going to prom. Not that she’d actually attended a prom, but she knew what it was like to be that age and feel all the feels.
Her private ladies academy in Atlanta would never have stooped so low as to conduct such an uncouth event as a prom. A young lady in Georgia society was presented wearing a white gown and gloves at a formal coming out ball. A ball which had nothing to do with keggers and was all about meeting the high standards of social graces and etiquette. Rachel had done some serious catching up once she’d hit college.
She was as horny as hell tonight. If that kiss was a prelude to something more, Rachel was glad she’d gone with the matching lace bra and panty set. Tonight was not a night for sensible underwear. It was a night for taking chances. In her purse lay the packet of condoms she’d picked up earlier in the day in a just in case moment at the drug store. A lack of protection would be the ultimate buzz kill.
On the short drive to the restaurant, Matthew drove with all sensible caution. She bit down on her bottom lip, doing her best to stifle a giggle. He drove exactly like an accountant would, sedately. She had an inkling he was saving his passion for between the sheets .
I hope that’s what he’s doing. I’m like a bitch on heat tonight.
A short while later Matthew pulled into the underground parking garage of a high end hotel in central Aspen. After getting out the car, he came around to Rachel’s side and opened the door. A perfect gentleman.
An old memory of stepping out of her now ex-fiancé Anthony’s latest model Mercedes Benz at a social gala in Atlanta flashed through her mind. He’d been all manner of southern gentleman, right up until the time he’d dumped her. Apparently, his family had been keen to distance themselves from her father and his very public fall from grace. Her ruined future and broken engagement had merely been collateral damage.
Matthew offered her his hand, and Rachel stared at it for a moment before blinking back to the now. This was Matthew, her date.
Forget about Anthony, and his fault-finding mother.
“Are you alright?” he asked, once she was clear of the car.
Her brows knitted in confusion. “Yes. Why?”
He didn’t need to know about her past love life.
“You just seemed a little preoccupied a minute ago. Are you worried about this evening? If so, I want to reassure you that tonight is about you and me spending time together. Hopefully we will enjoy some good food and a couple of drinks. Maybe share a few laughs, but with no set expectations.”
Where had this man been all her life? Matthew was being upfront about tonight, and what he wanted from her. And what he was offering. That was comforting, and rather nice.
But I’m not looking for nice tonight. I want Matthew to show me how much of a bad boy he can be in bed. I need to get laid.
Taking the elevator up to the third floor, they stepped out into the reception area for the restaurant. From the look of the elegant salmon and cream colored décor and the snooty staff at the front door, Rachel guessed this was the sort of place where the bottles of wine started at five hundred dollars and then went up in price. How could Matthew afford to take her here? The guy was just an accountant.
I have money now, so when the check arrives, I’ll insist on paying my half.
She was a modern career woman and could pay her own way. But in the hope that they did make it to a second date, she’d been scoping out the more mid-priced restaurants and bars in town. These days her bank balance was much more in tune with the sort of places that had fries and house wine on the menu.
Old life versus new life. Money versus budgeting.
After checking their coats and winter shoes, Matthew engaged in small talk with the front of house greeter while Rachel slipped into her high heels. She caught his approving smile as he snuck a peek at her black and silver Dior sandals.
“Shall we?” he said, offering her his hand.
Rachel was doing her best to calm her racing pulse as she and Matthew followed the ma?tre d’ through the restaurant. They passed empty tables but kept going.
“I thought we might like some privacy for our first date,” said Matthew, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
Their table was tucked in an out of the way corner. Rachel glanced back over her shoulder at the other diners. It was midweek, and there was only a handful of other guests in the restaurant.
A sudden horrible memory of the night Anthony had dumped her flashed through her mind. He’d done the same thing, put her in the corner, then torn her life to pieces. Tossed aside like she meant nothing to him.
Matthew’s hold on her hand squeezed a little tighter. “You still seem nervous. We can sit somewhere else if it makes you more comfortable. ”
She wanted desperately to say something to lighten her mood, something about ‘no one puts baby in the corner’ but couldn’t find the right words. Rachel forced a tight smile to her lips. “No, it’s fine. It’s just been awhile since I went out to a fancy restaurant.”
The last time was with an asshole whose momma had convinced him I was a liability.
That had been a life altering shock. To discover that Anthony’s family no longer considered her suitable to be his wife. She wasn’t even good enough to be his starter wife. Atlanta high society could be a cruel place when you found yourself on the wrong side of it.
At the table Matthew handled the menu and drinks orders like a man who was comfortable in these sorts of places. Expensive restaurants and high-end bottles of wine didn’t faze him.
“Do you drink wine, and if so, what kind do you prefer? Or would you rather we order something nonalcoholic, I’m open to anything,” he said.
“I like wine. Prosecco or a light red blend works for me. But let’s also get some sparkling water.”
It was good to be able to relax and enjoy a glass of wine without the worry of her family commitments. In the months following the court case her mother had hit the bottle hard, leaving Rachel with no other choice but to remain stone cold sober so that when an inebriated Patricia decided to pick up the phone and start calling all her fair weather friends and give them a piece of her mind, she could talk her mother out of it. Or at least hide her mama’s cell.
Matthew closed the wine list and smiled at Rachel. “How about a cocktail? They have one called Silk and Sin . It’s made with orange and chocolate bitters. It could be something special to remember our first date by. Thoughts?”
The way he said first date had hope stirring in her heart. Asking for her opinion also got him plenty of points. It was refreshing to go out to dinner with a man who wanted to know what she wanted. Her ex had a habit of ordering what he’d decided she’d like to drink—he called it southern gentleman manners, but she suspected it was his way of letting her know who wore the pants in their relationship. That once they were married, she would have to reconsider her ‘little career’ and make time for pandering to his needs.
I have to stop thinking about my ex. Matthew seems to be all the good things he wasn’t.
“ Silk and Sin sounds fab. I’m game to try one if you are.”
Matthew was right. It was time to make some new fun memories. To put her past behind her. Or at least as much of it as she could under the current circumstances.
If he and I become something more, then I’m going to have to tell him about my family, and what my father did.
Rachel had a sudden need for that cocktail.