Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Wiping the last trace of what had been the best tiramisu of her entire life, from her lips, Rachel had a thought. Who is going to make the first move? She was hoping it would be Matthew, but considering the state her sex-starved body was in, she was more than prepared to do it herself.
Matthew set down his own napkin with a sated sigh. “That was amazing. Lemon tart might be a simple dessert but so many places just can’t get it right.” He nodded at Rachel’s empty bowl. “And from the look of it they also know how to make a traditional tiramisu. Though my Italian cousins might beg to differ.”
“You have Italian cousins?”
A strange look crossed his face, almost as if he’d regretted having mentioned his family. “Distant cousins,” he half mumbled.
He’d almost tripped himself up and said his family name. Damn . That would have been awkward. A cocktail and two glasses of wine, and his lips were beginning to loosen. Matthew would never forgive himself if he let slip who he really was, especially with Rachel.
The last thing he wanted was for her to think he’d been feeding her some kind of line, and at the end of the evening decide he wasn’t worth the risk and go book herself an Uber.
He caught the distinct glint of promise in Rachel’s eyes. Or at least he hoped that was what he was catching. Women had always been a bit of a mystery to Matthew. The only thing he was certain of was that any man who got to spend the night with the blonde temptress had to consider himself lucky.
Dear, Lord, don’t let me mess this up. Rachel is a special girl.
Matthew cleared his throat. “We could order coffee if you like. Or we could, um …”
He’d never been one for smooth talk. It was a gift which had been passed on to his brothers but had missed him almost entirely. He could only pray that she was of the same mindset as him as to where and when tonight ended.
Rachel shifted her empty dessert plate to one side and rested her hands on the table in front of her. “How far is your apartment from here? I mean could we walk?”
Thank you, Lord. I’ll take it from here.
“Actually, I live in the complex. And I do have a coffee machine if you would like a late-night espresso.”
A soft smile crept to her lips, making the crotch of his pants tighten. His breathing grew shallow. His cock was throbbing with unsated need.
Down, boy. I know it’s been a long time since you got to play, but patience.
His gaze remained on her lips, his heart kicking up a notch when she all but purred. “It’s probably a little late for coffee but I’m sure you have some spreadsheets you’d like to show me.”
“I’d rather see you spread out on the other type of sheets.”
Her gentle laugh at his terrible attempt at a pun, had Matthew swallowing deep.
“I’ll get the check.”
She reached for her purse, but he shook his head. “Don’t even think about offering to split the bill.”
The hotel had a separate bank of elevators for the serviced apartment wing which Rachel took as a bonus. It meant she and Matthew were the only ones waiting for the car when it arrived. Her pulse raced as he took her by the hand and pulled her in after him. He tapped his security card on the panel and hit the button for the fourteenth floor.
Hunger coursed through Rachel’s veins. The urgent need for Matthew to strip her naked and take his pleasure.
Impatient and horny, she made the first move. Slipping her hand around the back of his neck, Rachel drew Matthew’s head down toward hers. Their gazes locked. His eyes held all the promise in the world, along with a delightful hint of dark chocolate mischief. “Kiss me,” she whispered.
“Your wish is my command.”
Fingers speared into her hair, gripping tight. The nerve ends of her roots lit up like a Christmas tree. She craved to be claimed by this man. To be taken.
His lips touched hers, and as his tongue swept into her mouth, Rachel’s mind scattered to the winds. He was a gentleman all the rest of the time, but when it came to kissing, Matthew was the perfect beast.
He backed her up against the wall of the elevator as he plundered her mouth. She met him thrust for thrust. Yes. This was what she’d been aching for all night. Yes. A complete lack of restraint. Carnal lust running out of control. Fuck yes.
She couldn’t wait to get to his apartment and slide the zipper of his pants all the way down. If the bulge against her stomach was any indication, he was more than ready to take all she wanted to give.
The ding of the elevator doors opening gave the barest of respites to their fevered encounter. Matthew tore his mouth from hers. He pushed his foot against the door, stopping it from closing. “If you come with me, Rachel, then I want you to know I intend to make you scream my name over and over again before tonight is through.”
Grabbing a hold of the front of his jacket she pushed him back a step, forcing Matthew out into the hallway. She didn’t let go. As the elevator doors closed behind them, Rachel offered him her lips once more. She’d never been one for talk in the bedroom, preferring to let her actions speak for themselves.
He matched her hunger. In one deft move, Matthew spun her round and Rachel was pinned against the wall. Clever. His hands were up her skirt in a second. The risk she’d taken in venturing out into the Aspen night without pantyhose now paid handsome dividends.
He broke free of the kiss once more. “You came prepared for me. Those lace and silk panties are not the sort of thing you wear unless you are looking for trouble. Is that what you’re wanting, Rachel, a night of being wicked?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Well then, let’s see how much trouble you can handle.”
She wanted to be so very bad for him. To throw her well- behaved Atlanta society manners out the window and get down and dirty.
Matthew’s apartment was a few doors along the hallway. He repeated his smooth swipe of the security card, and kicked the door open with his foot. She barely held back a growl of heated desire as he towed her over the threshold.
Rachel dropped her snow boots and purse onto the floor. In an attempt to mirror his suave move, she went to kick them out of the way. But just to prove that life wasn’t really like the movies, they didn’t budge an inch. Grinning, he bent and picked them up. “Let me put these somewhere safe. We don’t want a repeat of the last time you got caught up in your stuff.”
“Aww, and here was me hoping you’d save me again,” she teased. Though if the glint in Matthew’s eyes was anything to go by, there was every chance she’d be going home with a new set of bruises come morning. This time she’d welcome getting each and every one of them.
He carried her things over to a nearby side table, giving Rachel the opportunity to check out her surroundings. His apartment was disappointingly hotel corporate. Why she’d thought it might look something different she wasn’t entirely sure. Then she recalled this was just a temporary home for him, and he was an accountant.
“I take it your decorator got the beige and cream memo?”
He snorted. “Yeah, they did. It’s not the most exciting place I’ve ever lived in, but it’s clean and has plenty of room.”
Plenty of room. The place was minimalist in the extreme. There was barely any furniture. There was a dining table which had been shoved up against the wall, with a closed laptop on it. The two seater couch had also been pushed into a corner. All Rachel could see were miles and miles of bare beige and cream striped carpet. It was like standing in the middle of a desert .
Matthew waved his hand over the empty floor. “Sorry for the sparse horizon. I like to do yoga and some of the Peloton stretching classes in the morning, so I asked the hotel to move most of the furniture out. I’ve never been one for gyms filled with sweaty jocks all trying to out muscle each other. I like to exercise in private.”
She could understand his logic, but still had to ask the obvious question. “You do have a bed, don’t you? Please, tell me you have a bed.”
Matthew took her into his arms. “How does a California King bed sound? Lots of new pillows, and a duvet so soft it would make the angels weep. I might be minimalist in the living space, but I worship my sleep.” Her feet shifted in the direction of a closed door, but he gently pulled her back. “Not that way, come with me.”
She liked the way he took control, she couldn’t wait to do everything he commanded.