“Hey, what are you thinking about?” that same voice says now, bringing me back to reality.
A peaceful sigh tumbles from my mouth, landing on Matt’s sculpted chest. “I was just thinking about how happy I am right now.”
“Yeah, me too,” he says softly, kissing my hair while I inhale his masculine scent, making my skin prickle.
“You cold?” he asks, and even though I say no, he still pulls the covers up so he can make sure I’m not.
“So can I ask you something? It may seem like a strange time for me to ask, but….” He hesitates, if only for a second. “What happened to that special person you told me about on the beach?”
“It’s fine,” I tell him, and surprisingly it is. “Kyle and I…we went away to Hawaii for a week and we’d gone swimming.” I pause and take a deep breath. “Most of my memory is hazy from there, but I remember being pulled under and when I woke up on the shore…he was gone. He drowned…they never did find his body.”
“Oh, Fran.” He holds me tighter in his arms. “I don’t think it’s enough, but I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay now.” I curl into his side, pressing my cheek against his warmth. “He didn’t really love the beach, oddly enough, but I did, and I know this is going to sound bizarre, but he’s at peace in my favorite place. It took me a while to get to this point, but now I can finally stand in front of the ocean and smile because I know he’s out there.”
Matt lifts my chin, restraining me with a sincere gaze. “And in the end you know he was happy, because he died loving you.”
My words are gone, as is my breath, the brevity of his words making my heart stutter as I try to decipher the code, the true meaning behind them.
His lips seek out mine and it’s not crazed and frantic, but soft and gentle as if a butterfly landed on my lips. A teardrop cascades down my cheek, mixing the salt with the sweetness of our kiss, my favorite combination.
The kiss fades to a simple brush of our lips and into a smile from Matt, and I smile, too, before my eyelids feel heavy and I drift off into a peaceful sleep.
“I know we barely got any sleep last night, but I’m planning on taking you to Long Beach today. It’s such an eclectic place and I really want to share it with you.”
“Oh you think so, do you?” I joke, skimming my nose down the curve of his jaw.
“Oh, I know so,” he replies, before flipping me over and pinning me underneath him, his morning arousal awake and ready to start the day.
“Hmmm,” I whimper, “I like the way you say good morning.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” he says, before his voice becomes muffled and his lips leave a burning trail over every inch of my skin, until I’m writhing underneath him.
“Matt,” I murmur breathless, clutching his hair, trying to get his attention. “I need you inside me….”
His head lifts with a sexy, lopsided grin, and he lunges for his wallet on the table to pull out another condom. He rolls it on, sliding inside me effortlessly, the only noise a tiny gasp when he enters me. His hands reach for mine and he pushes them above my head, lacing our fingers together as he rocks into me. There are no loud moans, no strained whimpers, and no heavy breaths. Only our eyes are communicating, saying things that our lips and our hearts can’t.
It’s during this one moment, in the stillness, in this intimate bubble we’ve created, that I realize I’ve fallen for Matt. I don’t know what it means from here on out or where we’re going, but one look in his intense blue eyes tells me that wherever we’re going, we’re going together.
“Fran,” he finally groans, thrusting into me at a languid pace, my body climbing higher and higher toward ecstasy, “I’m gonna come.”
He plunges into me a few more times before his lashes drop against his cheeks and his head falls against my breast. He doesn’t stop though, continuing to drive me toward my own release, wanting me to feel the same pleasure, and a minute later, I do.
“Matt,” I breathe out, wrapping my legs around him and clinging to him, never wanting to let go.
With a subtle lift of his head, he scatters kisses across my skin, brushing his lips over my cheeks, my chin, my lashes, and my temple, a contented smile turning up my lips. He pulls out of me, but only to remove and tie the condom, tossing it on the carpet before settling between my legs again. “You tired, baby? We didn’t get a whole lot of sleep.”
I shake my head and grin. “It was worth every second of it.”
“We could just stay in bed all day and have room service deliver all of our meals,” he says, rolling his hips against mine.
I thread my fingers through his hair and bring him in for a kiss. “It’s a tempting offer, Dixon, but I believe you promised to show me Long Beach.”
“Did I? I can’t seem to remember that, I’m experiencing a sudden onset of temporary amnesia.”
His tongue slides down the bend of my neck, the warmth of his lips sending me into a tailspin of pleasure and I squirm beneath him, desire once again exploding between my legs.
“Matt.” I barely manage to speak his name while he continues his descent, reaching my breast, flicking my nipple, sucking hard on the tip.
“Oh no you don’t!” I place my palms flat against his chest and gather some strength to resist his advances, pushing him off of me while he groans in protest. “We’ve got a date and I want to get ready. But I promise I’ll make it up to you later.”
His head falls back against the pillow and he lets out a frustrated sigh. “I’ll hold you to that.”
“I’m going to take a shower. Do you want to join me?” I ask, folding the sheet around me before getting up from the bed.
“Actually,” he replies, “I’ll go up to my room and take one there since I need to get some fresh clothes. I’ll come down and pick you up when I’m done.”
“Oh.” I manage a smile and try not to act too disappointed, but I’m definitely not winning any awards for my performance. Matt senses it and scoots off the bed, engulfing me in his arms.
“It felt really good being with you like that,” he says, laying a gentle kiss on my forehead and I nod in response. Tears sting my eyes but I fight them off. I’m not even sure why I’m about to cry. Maybe because the sand is running thin.
He gives me a quick kiss before he lets me go. The door closes behind him and I shiver, feeling a sudden chill that I can’t shake, so I head for the shower to warm myself up.
I’ve barely made it out of the shower and bundled myself in a towel when there’s a knock on the door. I wrap a smaller towel around my head and venture over to see who it is. I’m happy to see Peyton’s smiling face when I look through the peephole.
“Hey,” she says brightly when I hold the door open, “long time, no see.”
“I’ve been a little busy,” I tease, sashaying my way back into the bathroom to dry my hair.
She follows behind me and takes a seat on the toilet, a knowing grin painted on her face. “Busy doing what? And with whom?” she asks, tapping a thoughtful finger against her mouth, her chestnut brow rising in the air.
I sigh and sag back against the counter, my lips relaxing into a dreamy smile. “Matt, of course. We were together last night and it was amazing.” I spin around and turn the blow dryer on, essentially muffling Peyton’s next words.
“That’s it!” she shouts over the noise. “I need more than that!”
With a quick flip of the switch, I shut the dryer off and lean back, bracing my hands against the sink. “I’m not going into the size of his cock or how skilled he was…I don’t kiss and tell anymore.”