Chapter 46
Chapter forty-six
Matty woke to find Sloan still asleep and frowned. Something didn’t feel right.
She felt as though she’d slept properly—the kind of sleep that came after seven or eight solid hours. But that couldn’t be right if Sloan was still out cold beside her.
She sat up and took in the fact it was light outside—proper daylight and bright sunlight.
A clock sat on Sloan’s bedside table, just out of view unless Matty leaned over her. The movement jostled the bed and Sloan murmured, “One more minute.”
Matty giggled. “You’re lucky you got so many minutes.”
Sloan stirred, smiling as she heard Matty’s voice, then her eyes opened wide, sudden horror at the realisation. “Oh, God, I fell asleep?”
“That you did.” Matty smiled, forgetting about the time for a moment.
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Oh, I tried, but you were dead to the world, and honestly, you needed it.”
“I’m sorry, that wasn’t...” Sloan paused as Matty slid her naked thigh over Sloan’s legs, pressing in close enough to make the apology falter, “my plan.”
“No? What was the plan?” Matty asked, her voice softer now as she settled against Sloan’s hip.
“Much more like this.” Sloan grinned and drew her closer, her mouth finding Matty’s in a kiss that was slow for all of a second before it deepened.
Below the covers, her hand moved and landed on Matty’s thigh, her palm warm and possessive as it slid higher, over her hip and around to capture a nipple.
“God, yes,” Matty mumbled as her hips rocked. “I need you so badly.” She wrapped her hand around Sloan’s, and without another word, she pushed it back lower, raising her leg to make room.
Sloan’s fingers slid easily between slick folds, and when they pressed against Matty’s clit for the first time, it drew a sound from her throat so helpless and lovely, Sloan felt it low in her own body.
“Yes, right there...” Matty pleaded and rolled onto her back, Sloan following. “So...good.”
Sloan tensed as Matty’s fingers dug into her skin, and she replied in kind with a gentle nip of teeth around a swollen nipple.
Matty arched into it. “Again,” she said. “Do...that again.”
Sloan smiled against the softness of her breast before her lips wrapped around the nipple and gently sucked, teeth nibbling.
She moved until Matty’s thigh rested between her own legs, and the firm drag of her clit against it made her breath catch.
Every sound Matty made left Sloan slicker, her body answering before she could think about anything coherently. All she had was muscle memory and that innate desire to keep doing whatever she was doing that kept Matty writhing and moaning under her touch.
When Matty began to tense and jerk, Sloan slid her fingers lower, leaving Matty’s clit aching with the loss of contact, but filling her with two, then three fingers. They curled with intent, stroking faster now.
“Hold off,” Sloan demanded.
Matty’s head shook back and forth. “I can’t...I need to...”
“Not yet. Just a little longer.” Sloan changed the angle of her fingers, her palm bumping against Matty’s clit with every steady stroke.
“Sloan...please...I need…”
Sloan caught her nipple between teeth. The sting and heat of it scattered every rational thought Matty had.
When Matty thought she might never finally be allowed release, Sloan slid up her body a bit, her hips still moving against Matty’s thigh, mouth close enough Matty could feel her breath before she said, “Come.”
The word undid her.
Matty came with a broken sound, her whole body tightening and then jolting beneath Sloan as the force of it hit. Sloan kept her there, hand steady, mouth against her skin, letting her ride it out properly, not rushing her through a second of it.
By the time Matty stopped shaking, Sloan was barely holding on herself. One more drag of her body against Matty's and she came too, breath catching hard, control finally giving way as she pressed in close and let herself fall.
Afterwards, neither of them moved, not properly. Sloan stayed half over her, breathing hard against her skin, and Matty’s hand slid up into Sloan’s hair, fingers catching there as if she didn’t quite want to let her go yet.
The room felt different now—quieter, heavier somehow—full of the fact of what had finally happened.
Sloan lifted her head just enough to look at Matty. Her mouth was swollen, her face flushed, and her chest still rising too fast. Beautiful. Thoroughly fucked and looking at Sloan like she knew exactly who’d done it.
A small smile tugged at Sloan’s mouth.
“Worth the wait?” she murmured.
Matty’s fingers tightened slightly in her hair. “It’s a start.”
That got a proper laugh out of Sloan, brief and low, and for a second, she looked younger again. Lighter. Then her eyes shifted past Matty’s shoulder towards the bedside table.
She went still.
“Oh, shit.”
The words were quiet, but all warmth had gone out of them. Sloan pushed herself upright, so fast the mattress jolted beneath them both, and reached for the clock.
“It’s gone eleven.”
Matty blinked, still dazed enough the number didn’t mean much at first. Then she saw Sloan’s face properly. Not annoyance. Not embarrassment. Something tighter. Immediate. Focused.
Gloria.
***
They both scrambled out of bed. Whatever was left of their moment vanished as Sloan grabbed for her dressing gown and pulled it on.
“I’ll go check on her. You get dressed.”
Matty stood by the bed, naked, hair tousled, one nipple flushed and tender, lips bruised.
“Jesus, you look...perfect,” Sloan said before she opened the door and left the room.
Matty caught sight of herself in the mirror and grinned, her fingers lifting to touch the sore nipple, startled by the quick, filthy jolt doing that caused, and by how much she liked a little pain with her pleasure.
“Something to explore,” she murmured, before bending to pick up the discarded clothes from the previous night. Then she remembered her bag, and the change of underwear and clean T-shirt she had packed.
She wrapped the towel around herself, ready to dash downstairs and retrieve it, but the door opened and Sloan stood in the hall, face drained of colour.
“What’s wrong?” Matty asked.
“She’s not here… She’s not bloody here.”
“What do you mean?”
Sloan entered the room. “I mean exactly what I said. She’s not here. Her room is empty, and she’s not in the loo or downstairs.”
“Okay, let’s take a breath.” Matty kept her voice steady. “It’s a nice day. Could she have gone into the garden?”
“I didn’t look there.” Sloan turned and left the room, running down the stairs. Matty followed, clutching the towel to herself as she went.
She was only halfway down the stairs when she heard Sloan stomping back inside.
“Is she there?”
“Nope.” Sloan slumped against the wall. Then she straightened, walked quickly towards the front door and yanked it open, going outside. “I don’t bloody believe it.”
She stormed back in and slammed the door shut.
“She’s taken the scooter, hasn’t she?” Matty said, picking up her bag.
“Yes. I can’t believe you talked me into letting her have it.” Sloan barged past and headed up the stairs. “Of all the stupid...”
“Hey, don’t do that,” Matty shouted back, chasing after her. “Sloan?”
“What, Matty? I don’t have time for this right now.”
“Make time,” Matty said, dropping the bag and putting her hands on her hips, forgetting the towel was barely holding on. It dropped to the floor. “She’s fine.”
“You don’t know that.” Sloan bent to pick up the towel and handed it to her. “She could be anywhere.”
Matty took the towel, pulling it around herself again. “She’s taken herself off to the shops or for a coffee. She’s trying to prove a point.” She stepped closer. “And I’m going to make one too.” She gripped the lapels of Sloan’s dressing gown. “Don’t shout at me when you can use your words.”
Sloan swallowed. “Okay, that’s a little bit hot, which is not remotely appropriate right now, because I need to panic.”
Matty smiled. “We’re not going to panic. We’re going to get dressed, and then we’re going to drive into town and look for her, if that’s what you need to do.”
“Or what? Just sit here waiting for her to return?”
“Yep.” Matty walked past her towards the bathroom. “So, I’m going to grab a shower. Joining me?”
Sloan’s arms wrapped around herself. “No, I’m going to make coffee.”
“Okay. I’ll be down in a moment.” She paused with her hand on the bathroom door. “And Sloan?”
Sloan paused on the top step and turned back. “Yes, Matty?”
“This morning was...worth the wait.”
A slow smile touched Sloan’s mouth. “Yes...it was.”