“You’ve never watched The Bachelor? Ever? It’s, like, the best show.”
“I’ve never even heard of it,” he laughs. “It sounds kinda weird.”
“If weird means awesome, then hells yeah it’s weird!” In the past seven hours that we’ve been attached at the hip, I’ve relaxed a lot around Matthew. Well, the beer is helping too. “You’ve gotta see it. This season there’s a crazy billionaire, Chuck something or other, and he’s looking for love after he lost some girl and walked away from his company and everything. It’s sooo good. Do you know him by the way? I bet all you billionaires have a book club or something, don’t you?”
“Yeah, we’re all friends on the secret Facebook for the rich. Our version is all in 3D holograms,” he teases.
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” I laugh. “Anyway, you have to watch the Bachelor sometime. We’ll watch it together! I’m telling you, if I don’t have you hooked after the first show, then I’ll eat a goat.”
“What if I’m already hooked now?” he lowers his voice, and his smile disappears. I don’t think we’re talking about reality television anymore. My breath catches in my throat, and my heart starts humming in my chest.
I force myself to look away from his earnest eyes, frowning at my hands in silence. “What’s wrong, Kendra?” He touches my arm lightly, and it sends a shiver of electricity up my arm. I want him to make my whole body feel like that.
“It’s nothing,” I mumble to the table. “You just shouldn’t toy with people.”
He scoops my chin up until my eyes are locked back on his, held captive in his gaze. “I don’t say things that I don’t mean.” His tone is unwavering. He doesn’t blink, it’s like we’re having a contest to see who will break eye contact first, and I lose when I search his face for some trace of dishonesty. I find none.
“I think we should probably get going, don’t you? It’s getting kind of late.” My voice is full of waves of desire that I’ve held locked inside of me until Matthew showed up in my life with the key. He nods, finally looking away from me only to pull money out of his wallet which he leaves on the table in a pile. As we make our way out the door, he wraps his arm around me, and it feels like it was created for this very purpose. The night air is much cooler than it was when we walked into the bar a few hours back, and Matthew protectively rubs his hand down over my arm to fend off the cold. The electricity I feel shoot through me every time he touches my skin is enough to keep me from freezing.
He stops abruptly, pulling me in tight against his toned chest and leans over me. The heat of his breath caresses my lips for an instant before his soft lips meet mine in a kiss that tells the story of our longing. “I have a little apartment about five blocks from here. Would you like to come up for a nightcap?”
I’m torn. If I go to his place, I don’t think I’ll be able to walk out on his advances twice. What’s more, I’m not sure that I’d want to. “Yes,” I whisper.
The city blocks feel longer and harder to walk than ever before. With every step, my mind and body clash in a battle of wills, but as we reach his building, it’s my heart that makes the final call. I glide across the lobby in the crook of his arm to the gold, shiny doors of the elevator. As soon as we’re safely nestled inside the metal box, Matthew leans into me, gently pushing my back against the cool wall and kisses me hungrily. My body arches to meet the heat of his, begging him for attention.
When the doors open, it looks like we’ve walked out into another lobby, with a magnificent sparkling wall that appears to extend up three floors and polished marble floors. I blink looking for the hallway to the condos. As Matthew tugs my hand, leading me across the glossy floor into a sprawling den overlooking the twinkling cityscape it finally clicks that we’re in his condo. I sit on the rather uncomfortable love seat while he mixes us a couple drinks. My eyes don’t even know where to focus, the twisted metal sculptures and intricate oil paintings decorating the seemingly limitless walls, the adjacent kitchen that appears to be bigger than my entire apartment, or the stunning billionaire topping up our glasses with a half-cocked smile. My priorities come back into focus when my eyes rest upon him. Normally, I would never feel comfortable in such an extravagant space, but something about Matthew’s easy nature makes me feel at home as soon as he sits with me.
“Thank you.” I take the drink he’s holding for me. “So, this is your little apartment, huh?” I say mockingly. “Do you stay here often?”