Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
MATTHEW
Standing in front of the mirror, I slicked back my wet hair, water dripping onto my fresh shirt. My phone sat on the edge of the counter, a smile plastered across my lips. “Okay, thanks for the update, Thorne. Glad you two worked it out.”
“Thanks for letting me crash there. I appreciate you.” He paused briefly, taking a bite of whatever Oren had made for him. “Now maybe do something for you, yeah? Like call Levander?”
Rolling my eyes, I snatched up my device, cracking the door open as I stepped out. “Anytime. You’re more than welcome here, because you’re family. And… should I? I mean, I—”
“Christ, Matt. You’ve never been so… speechless around another man before.” His chuckle followed, an audible laugh from Oren echoing in the background. “Where’s your confidence? Your balls?”
“Oh, shut up! Fine. I’ll give him a call right now.”
“Yeah? Or are you going to text him because you’re too paranoid you’ll say the wrong thing?”
Biting my lip, I searched through my contacts to pull up his information. “I don’t like you at times. I’m hanging up now to call, okay?”
“Best friend. I’m your best friend. I know you. I live in your fucking walls, Matthew.”
“You… Goodbye.”
With his resounding chuckle flooding the line, I ended the call. Staring at my phone, my finger hovered over his icon. Fuck. Just press the damn thing, or you really don’t have balls. Just—
My finger spasmed, knocking into the phone icon, and a resounding squeal tumbled from me.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I was about to hang up when the ringing died, that familiar, sultry voice flooding through that immediately sent an ache to my cock.
“Matthew Harveil.”
“Y-Yes. I am him—I mean…” Slapping my palm against my face, I blew out a shaky breath. “Are you free? Right now?”
Oh, dear fuck.
“Free?” he crooned, but I could decipher that fucking smile. “As in… you want me to come over?”
Digging my nails into my dresser, I bounced on my heels. Not a pussy. I have balls. I have them…. “Yes.”
“I’ll be there in ten.”
Without giving me a chance to reply, he hung up. Staring at the blank screen, I realized I had ten minutes to prepare. Ten minutes to make my small ass apartment presentable.
Floating around the space, I tossed discarded clothes into the laundry room, dishes into the washer, and sprayed some type of scented Lysol to disinfect the place after drowning Thorne’s sorrows in beer and pizza.
Trash was next as I slammed everything into the bag, shoving it down to make room for the extra shit on the counter.
God, how long had I been cleaning for?
Any minute.
He could show up any minute—
Knuckles drummed against the door as if my thoughts had summoned him. Running to the door, I halted before ramming into it, sucking in a breath before I released it slowly.
Cool. Calm. Calculated.
Wrapping my hand around the knob, I turned it, instantly losing the ability to speak the moment my eyes landed on him. Fuck, was he always this goddamn pretty? “I… You… You look nice.”
He smirked, dipping his chin. Dressed in a simple pair of black slacks and a matching turtleneck, he’d tucked the material beneath the waistline of his pants. The silver buckle of his belt seemed to glow with a beckoning taunt, luring me in with the temptation he always seemed to spark in me.
“Thank you. And you…” Gaze sweeping my frame, he returned his olive stare to my eyes. “Might be the hottest gray sweatpants owner I know.”
The compliment?
Straight to my fucking dick.
“I… T-Thank you.” Heat bloomed across the nape of my neck, and I stepped to the side, opening the door further. “Come in. Please. It’s… It’s not much, but it works.”
“Believe me, I appreciate simplicity.”
Stepping inside, he kicked off his loafers as I shut the door behind him. Shoulders somewhat tense, he tucked his hands into his pockets before turning to face me.
“So… was there something you wanted to talk about?”
“Yeah.” Gesturing to the couch, we walked in silence before sitting next to each other.
Running my finger along the cushion, I glanced back at him, blurting everything in one breath.
“I wanted to apologize for the way things ended last time. That was not how I intended it to end, and I’m sorry for not saying directly how perfect that was for me.
Hell, it was the best fucking sex of my life, and I acted as if it wasn’t.
I wanted to clean you, hold you, cuddle with you, but I left you there as if I didn’t care. Which isn’t… isn’t me—”
His simple reply cut me off. “You’re nervous. Which seems to be frequent… when, uh, when I’m around.”
Squeezing the fabric, I nodded, my confession spilling before my brain could tell me otherwise.
“I… like you. It… It solidified when you got hurt, and I almost told you during the mission. Right before we entered that hallway, because if something had happened to me and I didn’t tell you, I would’ve regretted it in the afterlife. ”
He held my gaze, and his tongue darted out between his lips before he spoke. “I like you too, Matt.”
“You do?” Letting go of the couch, my hand plopped into my lap. “I haven’t been able to think properly since that morning, and I’ve wanted nothing more than to touch you again.”
Shifting from where he sat, he leaned forward, brushing his fingers over my thigh. “You are all I’ve been able to think about since that moment.”
“Really?” His admittance was still unbelievable, but I found myself biting back a groan at that simple caress. “I… don’t have much to offer. Hell, I’m really quite obnoxious and easily distracted by dumb shit.”
He stroked up my leg once again. “I think you have more than enough to offer. In all honesty, I think you are absolutely perfect for me just as you are.”
“Mhm… G-God, even that is sending me over the edge, Lev. You’re perfect, truly.”
Lifting a brow, he crawled onto his knees.
With sluggishness, he positioned himself between my legs.
He pressed two fingers into my chest, encouraging me to lie down as he crawled over the top of me.
“I am the furthest thing from perfect. Genuinely, I’m fucked in the head, probably worse than anyone you know.
My trauma carries trauma, so I wouldn’t give me too much credit where credit isn’t due, Matthew. ”
Following his lead, my back rested flush against the cushions as my hands lightly grabbed onto his hips. “I find that hard to believe. You’ve been nothing but genuine, risking everything to help strangers. And so what if you carry weight from your past? It’s not a hindrance to you, beautiful.”
“I don’t know about that. It’s like… a boulder. It’s pretty big. Immovable. Frustrating as fuck.” He shrugged nonchalantly, but I caught the way he nipped against his bottom lip. “I hold my position for a reason. I’m a toxic man, Mr. Harveil. You just haven’t seen it yet.”
“Well, boulders can move with the right equipment. And hell, I am toxic. Might be a perfect match, I’m afraid.”
Brushing a strand of hair from my forehead, he dipped his chin. “Toxic? This golden retriever of a man who was stuttering on the phone with me?”
“Mhm. You just bring the best out of me. Typically, I’m an asshole. I fuck, and then I leave. I obtain what I want, when I want it, and I lean into the Playboy image. But with you? I want nothing more than to be… good.”
“Mmm…” He leaned forward, his breath brushing against my neck. “A good boy?”
Hips bucking, that moan finally slipped. “Fuck. Yes.”
“Hm.” Kissing my neck softly, he grazed his capped canine across my pulse point. “I thought you were the top here.”
“Can’t tops also be good boys?” Craning my head, my fingers tugged at his shirt. Once untucked, I explored the expanse of skin beneath.
Head dropping, he nuzzled into my shoulder, a groan tumbling from him just from my touch. “I suppose… I suppose you have a point.”
Trailing over his back, I ground my erection against him, needing any sort of friction. “And you’re the one above me. Technically, I’m at your mercy.”
“And technically, you could do something about me being over you.”
“Maybe I just want to see you bouncing on my cock while you pleasure yourself. Hm?” Gliding my hands back down, I hooked my thumbs beneath his waistband. “Maybe I’ll be the good boy who allows you to fuck me.”
He chuckled, his lust-filled voice flowing through me. “Yeah? And make me do all the work after you left me hanging to take care of myself last time?”
“Oh? All you have to do is sit on it. I’ll thrust into that delightful, slutty hole until you’re cumming.”
His palm flattened against my chest as he pushed himself upright, straddling my hips.
With one roll forward, he pressed himself against my hardened length, his own erection visible beneath his slacks.
Another followed, far more grueling than the last, the pace sluggish and unhurried as if he were trying to torment me.
“Shit, that’s mean.” Messing with his belt, I hurriedly removed it, focusing my attention on his pants. With one move, I unfastened the button, yanking on the fabric to rid him of the unnecessary material. “I want to fuck you right now, Lev.”
“Then fuck me, Matthew. Properly. Unless you’re planning to take me on a couch again.”
Smirking, I sat up, gently placing him onto the cushion. Once his gaze was locked on mine, I undressed slowly, taunting him with each article removed until nothing remained. Gesturing to his shirt, I bit my lip. “Take it off.”
He curled his fingers around its hem, pulling it up and over his head. “There. Happy?”
“Very.” Grinning, I grabbed his hand, hauling him from the couch into my arms. Interlacing my fingers with his, I pulled him with me to the bedroom. “I’m keeping hold of you in case you try to run away again.”
Laughing, he rolled his eyes. “You’re the one who told me you enjoyed a chase. I was simply giving you what you desired.”