Chapter Twenty-Six
Matt stood in the group at the Motorsport Charity Ball with his triplet cousins and their wives, Quade and Cheyenne, Pam and Dillon, Maverick Outlaw and his wife, and Dominic and Taylor.
He heard the conversation around him, but he wasn’t listening.
His thoughts were on Iris. He had hoped, up until the last minute, that she would change her mind about coming here with him. But she hadn’t.
He had talked to her last night and intended to talk to her later tonight. Since he couldn’t have her here with him in the flesh, he was discovering that phone sex wasn’t so bad. In fact, he’d taken a cold shower afterward.
He and the other sponsor drivers spent three hours in a full-motion racing simulator yesterday.
Then this morning, he’d done a test run of the vehicle he would drive.
Although he much preferred sitting in the stands and cheering on his car rather than being behind the wheel, he would have to admit the vehicle was beautiful and fast. And he was ready for tomorrow.
He took a sip of his drink as he glanced around the room.
Bronson had said it would be a star-studded affair, and it definitely was.
Not only were there well-known athletes, notable authors and television personalities in attendance, but also several Hollywood stars, including producers and directors.
Earlier, he had spoken with Brandon Birmingham and his actress wife, Carmen.
Now that Matt had agreed to the Sid Roberts movie, he and Birmingham were officially business associates.
Matt took another sip of his drink and noticed that several photographers had Shauna pinned up while taking photos.
He figured Alisdare and Deena were around here somewhere, and so were Charm and Dylan.
Checking his watch, he saw it wasn’t even ten o’clock yet, but he was ready to leave…
to engage in some naughty talk with Iris.
“You’re acting anxious again.”
It was then that he noticed the others had dwindled off toward the buffet table or the dance floor, leaving him and Cole alone. His cousin had said the same thing to him last month at the Westmoreland Charity Ball. Too bad tonight wouldn’t end the same way. “I’m not anxious. Just ready to leave.”
“Why? Is this party boring you?”
“To a certain degree,” he said. No need to state he was somewhat bored because he’d rather be with a certain woman.
“Well, things might start getting lively for you. Don’t look now, but a woman is heading your way. And with that said, I think I’ll go find my wife for a dance.”
Matt saw Candy Sumlar cross the room toward him, a smile on her face. He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with the woman tonight or any night. Suddenly, he felt a pull in the pit of his stomach followed by a tightening in his chest. He glanced beyond Candy and saw Iris entering the ballroom.
His breath caught in his lungs. She had come! And she looked gorgeous, radiant, totally captivating. He watched as she gazed around the room, and when she saw him, their eyes held. A wide smile touched his lips, and she smiled back. His lady was here.
Candy obviously assumed his broad smile was for her since she beamed even more.
Boy, was she wrong. His smile had been for Iris.
Candy finally reached him. “Hello, Matt. We meet again, and I’m glad you’re as happy to see me as I am to see you.
” She then leaned in closer and added, “I’m also glad that this time, you’re alone. ”
She was wrong about that as well. “Hello, Candy. Sorry, but I’m not alone. In fact, my date just arrived. Now, if you will excuse me.” After placing his glass on the high-top table next to him, he crossed the room to Iris.
* * *
From the look of things, Iris figured she had arrived just in the nick of time.
Candy had crossed the room to get in Matt’s face, but not for long, since he was now headed toward Iris.
It had taken her several days to think about what he’d said.
She did want quality over quantity, and she wanted it with him.
Being away from him this weekend, when he’d been so understanding about her fears, had proven it to her.
Now her most ardent wish was that he wanted quality with her, too.
One thing in her favor was that he’d already said he wasn’t opposed to something permanent. In fact, he had forewarned her of the possibility of pushing for more. She hoped he still wanted that now that she was on board. Heck, she was more than on board since she had fallen in love with him.
As she saw him moving toward her, on legs that had wrapped around her while they’d made love, and a body she now knew as intimately as her own, she couldn’t help but move toward him as well.
They met in the center of the room, and he extended his hand to her. “Please dance with me, Iris.”
He hadn’t asked why she was there or why she had decided to come. As if he could read her thoughts, he said, “I need to hold you in my arms.”
And she needed to hold him in hers as well. The only person who knew she had changed her mind about coming was Pam. They had talked that morning when Iris was rushing to the airport. Two connecting flights later, she arrived in time to check into her hotel room and get dressed.
She placed her hand in his, and he led her onto the dance floor. When she’d entered the ballroom, several people had been on the dance floor doing the electric slide. Now a slow song played. When Matt pulled her closer to him, their bodies swayed to the music and to each other.
“Thanks for changing your mind and coming, Iris,” he said, leaning in. His voice was soft, husky against her ear.
Her arms rested on his chest, and his on her back. “Thanks for giving me a reason to change my mind, Matt. I decided on quality instead of quantity. Thanks for reiterating the difference. I want to make every day I spend with you count. I want them to always be special.”
He stared at her for a moment and then asked, “You know what that means, right?”
“Yes. The nature of our relationship will change.”
He nodded. “I want us to continue to get to know each other, enjoy being together and let things develop at a steady yet gradual pace. I have no problem being in this for the long haul.”
Iris wished she could say the same. “I’ll be encroaching into new territory, Matt.”
“And I’ll be there to help you along the way, sweetheart. You’ve taken your first steps. Now let’s continue the rest of those steps together.”
Together… She nodded, liking the sound of that.
* * *
“Thanks for handling the switching of the hotel rooms, Matt.”
He smiled as he pulled her closer to him in bed. “There was no way we would have separate rooms in the same hotel.” When she told him she had checked into the same hotel as him, he had the front desk cancel her reservation. It didn’t take her long to repack her belongings and move into his suite.
Once Iris arrived at the ball, he was no longer bored.
They had shared dances, hung out with friends and eaten the good food the hotel staff had prepared.
Everyone had been glad to see her, especially Deena and Shauna.
And just like she had the last time, Candy Sumlar had disappeared for the rest of the night.
All in all, he would have to say it was a great night, and he could not think of any other way to end it than by making love to Iris.
Tomorrow was a big day with the car races beginning at noon. The Sponsors’ Lap would be first, followed by celebrity races. Afterward, there was a dinner party planned for six o’clock. He liked Charlotte and always enjoyed his visits.
“I was looking forward to more sex talk with you tonight,” he said when Iris snuggled even closer to him and ran her fingers through the hair on his chest.
She laughed. “We can still do it, but in person.” Iris then got quiet and said, “So many people are rooting for things to work between us, Matt. They think we look good together and make a nice couple. All the Westmorelands, Deena, Shauna…”
“We do make a nice couple and look good together. And as far as them rooting for us, we won’t disappoint them. We should continue to do what we’re doing now, and when we’re ready for the next move, you and I will both know it and we’ll take it.”
She nodded. “Are you nervous about tomorrow’s race?”
He shook his head. “No. Are you worried about tomorrow’s race?”
“Yes. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t. But I’ll be there to cheer you on.” She paused. “Maybe, I shouldn’t admit this but…”
“But what?” he asked, staring down at her due to her serious tone.
“But because we’ve always been honest with each other, I think you should know that I’ve fallen in love with you, Matt.”
A huge smile touched his face. “Thanks for telling me, but I already knew.”
She frowned. “What do you mean you already knew?”
“The other night, when you told me you couldn’t go to the car race with me, you said you couldn’t handle it if another man you love died in a car crash. I figured that meant you loved me.”
“Oops. I hadn’t known I’d let it slip.”
“You were upset and it came out,” he said.
“Yes, I was upset. But now you know.”
“Now it’s time to let you know something as well, Iris.
I’ve fallen in love with you, too. I was smitten the moment I saw you at Cheyenne’s birthday party.
There was just something about you, and when I spent time with you later, I knew.
” He paused before adding, “What I hadn’t counted on was you being involved with someone else. ”
“Oh, Matt, but in the end, things did work out for us, didn’t they?”
“Yes, sweetheart, they did.”
“Now I’m with the guy I was meant to be with.”
“I believe that as well, just like I believe you were meant for me.”
Then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, giving her one hell of a Matt Caulder kiss.
* * *
“You’re okay, Iris?”
She glanced over at Pam, who was seated beside her in the stands.
They were at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the place was packed for this annual celebrity charity event.
For Iris, it really was no surprise that the one person who had always been there with her through some of her most difficult times in life sat beside her now as she fought another challenge—the fear of losing another man she loved in a race car.
She grabbed Pam’s hand, tightened the hold, smiled and said, “Yes, I’m fine. Matt and I talked about my fears again last night and this morning. We truly believe I’ll be okay.”
“I believe that as well. You’ve always been a fighter. Now you have someone by your side to help with those battles.”
“Matt is a special person.”
“He thinks the same about you.” Pam leaned over and whispered, “In fact, I overheard him tell Dillon that very thing this morning at breakfast.”
Iris smiled at that. “We will continue to do as we’re doing now, which is to spend more time together. And when we’re ready for more, we will know it.”
“Smart move.”
She glanced around. “By the way, where’s Dillon?”
Pam grinned. “Blue Ridge Land Management is also sponsoring a car today, and Canyon is the sponsor driver. Dillon is somewhere down below providing his brother with on-track support.”
Iris nodded. Blue Ridge Land Management was the Fortune 500 company the Denver Westmoreland family owned. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is,” Pam agreed. They stopped talking when it was announced that the race was about to begin.
* * *
“Congratulations on your third-place win, Matt,” Iris said, when he and Dillon joined her and Pam in the stands a short while later. Together, they would enjoy the rest of the races.
“Thanks. I didn’t mind losing to Donovan Steele and Canyon. It was a nice race. Thank you for attending. I know it was hard for you,” he said, taking her hand in his.
“I was fine. I had my bestie sitting beside me the entire time.”
“I’m glad. And you know what else I’m glad about, Iris?”
“No, what?”
“That I have you in my life.”
A smile touched her lips. “And I’m glad I have you in mine.”
At that moment, their images were captured on the huge jumbotron. When the crowd began cheering, encouraging them to kiss, Matt had no problem obliging everyone for the kiss cam, and he pulled Iris into his arms.