Eight
Matt gritted his teeth and hung on to his control.
As soon as he felt Lauren’s release, however, his mind shut down and primal instinct took over.
His release came hard and fast. Dimly, he was aware of Lauren’s moans mingling with his own sounds of pleasure.
Afterward, they lay spent, side by side.
He looked over at her, sweat still slicking his skin.
Her eyes were closed, her lips still puffy.
“So,” he said, after his heart had resumed its normal rhythm, “any areas I need to improve?”
Her eyes fluttered open, and she fixed him with those incredible sea-green eyes of hers.
“None I can think of,” she said, her voice husky.
“How were the kisses?” he asked.
She cleared her throat. “Er—excellent.”
He rolled onto his side to face her, and she turned to face him.
He let the back of one hand caress her leisurely but kept pushing. “Massage?”
“Expert.”
“Caresses?” he probed.
“Wonderful.”
“Pacing?”
She searched his face. “Experienced.”
“Orgasm?”
She wet her lips. “Registered high on the Richter scale.”
“Good.” A powerful shot of possessiveness went through him.
“It’s never…registered before,” she said. “With, umm, Parker.”
She cleared her throat. “There was no one else.”
“Ah.” Understanding dawned, and with it, a primal possessiveness.
So, he’d guessed right. Not only had Lauren been celibate for a long time, but things with Parker had been nothing to brag about.
Yet, she was the one with the angst, while Parker—wherever he was—was probably walking around with his usual bravado.
He leashed his anger and gathered Lauren close.
“Well, for the record, the sex tonight was mind- blowing.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
The earnest expression on her face almost killed him. “Yes, really.”
“I didn’t know it could be so good.” She stopped and bit her lip in an endearing way. “I mean I knew it could be that good. I’ve read about it. I just didn’t know it could be so good for me.”
“Sometimes unbridled passion overcomes our inhibitions.”
“I doubt I have any inhibitions left.”
He grinned. “Who knows how these things work? Maybe sex with Parker would have been better if you’d felt more comfortable.”
She sighed. “Yes.”
“I’m glad the massage worked.”
She raised her head to look at him. “I can’t believe you skimmed a massage book!”
He grinned again. “Are you kidding? A visit to the sex toys shop was going to be the next step.”
She laughed.
He pretended to be offended. “What’s so funny?”
“You, staid and intimidating Matthew Whittaker, in a sex toys shop.”
He nodded. “The Pink Kitten. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.” Then he frowned. “And what do you mean staid?”
For effect, he let his hand trail over her breast and down to the sensitive hollow of her hip.
She flushed. “Well…except now I know you’re not at all staid—”
He moved quickly, not giving her time to react, and flipped her over him.
She gasped. “What are you doing?”
He gave her a wicked look. “Well, we haven’t scored stamina yet.”
She glanced over at the bedside clock. “You need to go to work in the morning.”
“I have a shower at my office, and I always keep an extra suit lying around.”
At her raised eyebrows, he added, “Not to worry, sweetheart. It’s not because I’m such a Casanova, but for those days when I go straight to the office off the red-eye from Silicon Valley.”
Then he made sure neither of them were talking for a very long time.
Lauren hummed.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” Candace said, entering her office with a package.
Lauren smiled. “It’s a beautiful day.”
It had been two weeks since Matt’s visit to her apartment, and things had only gotten better between them. Both in bed and out. They could barely be in the same room together without fogging up windows.
She grew hot just thinking about all the times and all the places they’d been intimate.
In a desperate effort to get to work on time, they’d showered together, but even then things had often taken an unexpected turn.
No doubt about it. She was a new Lauren Fletcher—more sure of herself sexually with every passing day. And she had Matt Whittaker to thank for it. He’d broken down her barriers. Just a couple of months ago, she’d never have guessed her new path.
Since Parker had been her first lover, she hadn’t known how much more to expect because she hadn’t known how much she’d been missing.
Candace eyed her. “Mmm-hmm. Well, just for the record, remember I argued you should have given in to that man a long time ago.”
“Remind me to get you a gift.”
She’d spilled the beans to Candace that she and Matt were really a couple. Her receptionist would have figured it out for herself soon enough anyway, because Ideal Match was no longer making finding dates for Matt a priority.
Yes, she’d given up Ideal Match’s prime candidate, but she’d gain so much more besides. She was willing to jump in with both feet and see where things between her and Matt led, because she was no longer afraid.
“Here.” Candace handed her the box she was holding and pretended to look perplexed. “It just arrived by messenger. I wonder who it’s from.”
She felt giddy. “Let’s see.”
She opened the box and pushed aside the tissue paper inside. Her heart skipped a beat as she pulled out a beautiful gown of green satin.
Holding it up, she noticed it had rhinestone straps and starburst pleats that fanned out from the bust, where a rhinestone clasp nestled.
“He’s getting good, really good,” Candace said.
Lauren picked up and scanned the accompanying note. Wear this for me. Matt had signed his name and written a day and time. It was the night of the Grosvenor Gala Dinner in support of Boston’s art museums that they had talked about.
Candace handed her a jewelry box. “Here, you missed this.”
She opened it gingerly, and gasped. A simple diamond necklace, along with diamond stud earrings, nestled inside the box.