Chapter Twenty-four
Soft snores greeted Matty as her eyes opened.
It took a minute for her to remember why there were snores coming from her bed. She was awake, so it couldn’t be her.
Reese.
At some point in the night, they had rolled in opposite directions.
She turned over carefully. Reese was on her belly, with her arms tucked under her pillow.
The bedding had slipped down, allowing the side of her breast and some of her soft belly to show.
She smiled at the memory of how they had felt against her mouth and hands the night before.
Her eyes drifted to Reese’s face. Pouty lips were slightly parted, the cause of the light snores.
There were no worry lines. No wall up to keep the world out.
Reese was completely relaxed. The view of her lover tugged at her heartstrings.
This woman was everything she never thought she’d have, yet here she was in her bed, vulnerable and trusting.
She rolled over as gently as she could and scooted out of the bed to keep from waking Reese up. Once she stood, she stretched her arms up high and noticed there weren’t as many pops and knots as usual. She chalked it up to having had a good orgasm the night before, which made her smile.
Going around the bed, she found a pile of clothes on the floor.
She put on her T-shirt and boxer briefs but didn’t bother with the jeans before looking around to see if there was anything Reese might be able to wear.
She remembered she had a robe tucked away in her closet.
Since she lived alone, she normally didn’t bother with wearing it, but it would be perfect for Reese.
She was hoping that if Reese saw it, she would slip into it instead of her clothes and stay a little longer. Perhaps have breakfast.
She folded it neatly and placed it on the nightstand beside Reese, along with her other clothes, then left the room, pulling the door but not shutting it all the way.
When she turned around to go into the bathroom, she found Hester sitting in the doorway staring up at her with disdain.
“Don’t give me that look,” she scolded. “You’re just going to have to get used to her. She’s not going anywhere, and she’s not hurting you by being here.”
All she received back was a flick of the tail.
She walked around Hester and proceeded to take care of her bathroom needs, then washed her face and brushed her teeth.
She made sure to leave the extra toothbrush on the counter for Reese to use.
Maybe she should clean out a drawer in her dresser for her to be able to put stuff in?
Was it too soon to think of things like that?
After she was done in the bathroom, she went out into the living room, quietly padding across the floor to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.
Her mornings were always the same. Routine made her feel comfortable.
It was her safety net, but this morning it would be a little different, and she wasn’t sure how she needed to handle it.
Every morning, she would do her workbook exercise while having a cup of coffee.
Should she still do that? What if Reese woke up and came in?
She shook her head. No, she would not go down the slope of skipping steps.
In order for her to maintain the life that she had now, she must put her sobriety first, which meant continuing to work on herself and make choices every day that aided in staying clean.
If Reese woke up while she was doing it, then so be it.
She knew Reese wouldn’t be bothered. Besides, if Reese wanted to be in her life, then she would have to get used to these things.
She decided to go over the workbook while the coffee brewed. It didn’t take her very long to read over that day’s inspirational passage and answer the journal prompt of the day. When she finished, the coffee was ready, and she felt good about her choice.
Padding back to the bedroom, she popped her head in to see Reese still snoozing away. She smiled seeing her in her bed. It was a sight she was sure she wouldn’t tire of.
She didn’t close the door as far this time.
Matty hadn’t planned on Reese staying over, but she was thankfully still decently stocked from her last grocery shop.
Eggs, bacon, potatoes, half a red bell pepper, a quarter of a yellow onion, and hopefully an avocado that hadn’t gone bad yet would work.
She squeezed it lightly. It definitely needed to be used.
With it all laid out on the counter, she nodded to herself. “Breakfast hash it is.”
First, she filled a mug of steaming coffee, savoring its smooth, rich flavor as it slid down her throat to warm her belly. Her eyes closed for a moment. The coffee instantly made her feel more energized. They hadn’t stayed up really late, but it had been a physically and emotionally filled night.
She pulled out a cutting board, then a knife.
As she began to cut the vegetables, her thoughts turned to their night.
She hadn’t expected Reese to stay over or for them to have sex.
It wasn’t bad. Quite the opposite. When Reese showed her vulnerable side, Matty actually felt privileged.
Reese wasn’t the type to show that side of herself.
It didn’t take a genius to see she kept a wall up.
It had taken time for Matty to break through it.
The lovemaking had been great. Even better than she had expected. The awkwardness of a first time, not knowing what the other liked, baring their bodies to each other—it all felt right.
Well, until she cried.
Her cheeks began to heat as the memory of the tears springing forward came to mind.
It came out of nowhere. One minute she was having the best orgasm of her life, and the next she was crying like a baby into Reese’s neck.
She had underestimated how raw her feelings would be.
It hadn’t been so overwhelming when she was pleasuring Reese.
God, had that been amazing. She loved every second of it, but when they traded spots, it changed.
The tender caresses had set her skin on fire.
The kisses on her body. Reese getting on top of her.
Reese treated her like nothing else on earth mattered except making Matty feel fantastic.
It had been such a foreign act, to be taken care of, to be the center of someone’s attention, not to mention the epic orgasm that had ripped through her.
It overwhelmed all her senses. There had been no way to hold back.
And thinking over it now, she was happy it had happened.
Reese had supported and encouraged her being vulnerable and had even held her.
No one had ever held her before. It would be something she was unlikely to forget.
As she was heating a little oil in a pan, she heard Hester dash across the room and thump her way under the couch. She looked over her shoulder to see Reese wearing the terrycloth robe with her hair in a sexy mess.
“Morning,” Reese greeted her, a bashful smile on her face. Matty immediately wanted to take her back to bed.
“Good morning, I’ve got coffee ready, and breakfast is going.”
“Oh, great. Um, thank you for the robe. I was happy to see it. I wasn’t ready to put a bra on yet,” she laughed.
“I will always support you going braless,” Matty smirked with a wink.
Reese laughed, twisting her hands together. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’m going to use the bathroom, then I’ll be back for coffee.”
“I laid a toothbrush out.”
“Thanks.”
Matty watched her go. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling.
Hester hissed from under the couch.
“Seriously, though, get over it,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
There was something almost flirty about being domestic together. The brushes of their bodies while they moved around the kitchen. The teamwork to get the meal ready and plated. The light kisses here and there because the feeling of after-sex was still hanging in the air.
“This looks delicious. I should stay over more often.”
“I wouldn’t mind that.”
They locked eyes briefly, both grinning.
“I’m not sure Hester will approve. I woke up to her staring at me on top of the dresser. She doesn’t like me.”
“She just needs a little time to warm up to you.”
“Matty, she’s literally glaring at me now.”
Matty turned from her seat at the table to search for her little feline child. It didn’t take long to see her glowering face peeping out from under the couch. Matty winced as she turned back. “Okay, it may take longer than a little while.”
Reese snorted, shaking her head. “So, do you have any big projects this week?”
Matty stood and reached the short distance over to the counter for the pot of coffee. She topped both their mugs off. “We’re going to do a teardown at the women’s facility and drain and flush all the water heaters on both sites. We do them once a year.”
“Is that something I should do to mine?”
“Yeah, we should add that to the list. I’d be surprised if it had ever been done. Any plans for The Church this week?”
“Actually, I’m thinking of taking that karaoke machine we found in the hoard to do Fun Friday.”
“Really? That’s a lot of fun. We did it when I was in rehab. There was a woman who had a phenomenal voice. She sang Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody.’ She hit all the notes, and by the end, we were all singing and dancing. It was probably the most I smiled the whole time I was there.”
“I love that. That makes me feel better about it then. I know I’ll have to work to get them started, but I’m sure they’ll join along after that.”
“Yeah, you may have to prod them a little.”
“What are you doing Tuesday evening?”
Matty scooped up the last bite of hash onto her fork. “Nothing. I volunteered to take one of the buses for work to the NA meeting on Thursday, and I’ve got one of my own on Friday. Other than that, I’m free.”
“Would you mind riding home with me so I’m not alone when the refrigerator is delivered?”
“Not at all. I’d love to.”
Reese’s eyes lit up. “Awesome, thank you! I’d feel better not being alone with people I don’t know.”
A knock sounded on the door, making both of them jump. They exchanged a look then Matty pushed back her chair to go see who it was. When she opened the door, she cursed.
“Shit, Bette, I’m sorry—”
The shit-eating grin on Bette’s face erased any part of her apologizing. Especially when Bette strained her neck to see Reese behind her, then gave her a pointed look at her boxer briefs. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was interrupting. Hello, Reese.”
“Hi, Bette,” Reese squeaked behind her.
“I’m sorry; I forgot about grocery shopping this morning.”
“Don’t worry about it. It looks like you had a good reason. Do I need to wait, or can you see if you can find another ride?”
“Uh, I’m not—”
“Matty, if you can wait until Tuesday, we can go together. I’ll want to fill the refrigerator anyway.”
She glanced back at Reese. “Are you sure?”
“Totally.”
Matty turned back to Bette. “I’ll just go with Reese. Sorry, again.”
The smirk on Bette’s face was almost devilish. “Don’t worry about it. Well, you two have fun. Or more of it.”
Matty’s face flamed. “Bye, Bette.”
She leaned in quickly. “Just so you know, I’m going to tattle to Kenny that you and Reese were in your underwear.”
Matty groaned and began shutting the door. “Bye, again, Bette.”
When she closed the door, she turned, leaning on it. “Well, I guess everyone will know now.”
“Nothing stays a secret in this house, does it?”
“Nope, but I don’t mind. Nothing embarrassing about sleeping with a hot lady.”
“Matty, you’re too much,” smirked Reese as she rolled her eyes. She grabbed their plates. “I’ll wash and you dry?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Matty watched her move around the kitchen like she lived there. It made her stomach flutter. She could get used to this.