Page 102 of Lovers' Dance

“Try,” I said coolly. I needed to know where things stood between them.

“She was the expected choice, the one who would fit perfectly in my life. We grew up together, our families have known each other for years. At one point, marriage seemed like the next step with us,” he said in an empty voice.

My mouth turned down at the edges. “I see.”

Matt cupped my chin, tilting my head so he could stare into my eyes. “But, I don’t want her, and I don’t love her. I think, in some strange way, I was waiting.”

“Waiting?” I asked. “For what?”

Matt lowered his head, lips millimetres away from mine. “For you, poppet.”

I finally got my kiss and it was abso-fucking-lutely fantastic. When he pulled away, we were both breathless.

I had forgiven him. I hoped it wasn’t something I would later regret. That didn’t stop me from socking him in the eye though.

“Bloody hell! Why did you do that?” Matt exclaimed, a hand covering his left eye as he stumbled back.

“You let Aphrodite mess with your junk, Matt. Consider yourself lucky,” I said, grinning ear to ear. “What’s for breakfast?”

He tentatively touched around his eye, wincing a few times. “Crepes with bacon and eggs. Come on, let’s go eat. I need to explain exactly what I expect from you now we’re going to date and put a bag of frozen peas on my eye.”

I took his outstretched hand and we walked to the kitchen. My stomach grumbled loudly.

“Am I forgiven, poppet?” Matt asked as I took a seat at the table and he went over to the fridge.

“Yep,” I said, immediately tucking into my breakfast. “Just don’t let it happen again.”

“I won’t,” he promised, as he pulled out a bag of frozen peas and held it against his face. “You’re keeping the Porsche, by the way. You need a bigger vehicle.”

“No, I’m not. It’ll drive my insurance premium up and it’s a gas guzzler,” I said between mouthfuls.

Matt came over to take his seat and start eating with one hand, while the other kept the frozen peas to his face. “You’re keeping it, poppet. Our first official date is on Sunday. There’s this charity ball I have to attend, and I want you with me.”

I sighed and reached for the pot of tea positioned neatly in the middle of the plates.

“You’re bossy, Matt.” I said as I poured the steaming liquid into my cup.

He put the bag down and winked at me. “And you love me.”

“And I love you,” I agreed. I did. “Now, about this dating crap, we are going to have sex…right?”

Matt’s piercing grey eyes glinted mischievously as he picked up his cup. “Do you mind pouring me tea, poppet? My vision is slightly impaired at the moment.”

“Asshole,” I mumbled under my breath, but I didn’t mean it, not anymore. In fact, I was planning on jumping his bones once breakfast was over. It had been a long, frustrating week, and a bare-chested Matt was irresistible. Yes, as soon as breakfast was over I would get my swirl on…

THIRTEEN

I LOVED LONDON on Saturdays. People thought I was crazy, but I loved the frenzy. It reminded me of home—of New York City— on a smaller scale. I loved it even more when I wasn’t fighting through traffic in my car, and the fact there were no congestion charges on weekends was a major plus. But, today, I was head-over-heels in love, and being ferried around London at the hands of Matt’s driver, who got a stern telling off by Matt when he caught him checking out my ass on the sly, was fun.

Matt was grinning at me. I was trying my best not to smile back, instead, going for a haughty demeanour. The reason: he was dead serious about this dating crap. After breakfast this morning, he had politely refused my amorous advances. Oh, we made out, we made out a lot. But, when the steamy make-out session was on the cusp of turning into a sex-fuelled volcanic eruption of cataclysmic proportions, Matt had firmly lifted me off his lap—we had ended up on the couch—and said in an unyielding voice, “Poppet, your knickers are staying on.”

I thought he was messing about, so I told him it was a thong and it didn’t have to come off. He could pull it to one side if needs be.

He laughed at me, kissed my forehead, then dumped me on the couch before saying he was going to get changed and call his driver.

I was shocked, so shocked I did nothing but stare open-mouthed as he sauntered up the stairs, whistling softly.

He was serious and completely crazy if he thought I was going to allow this shit. A girl has needs. I raced after him, tackled him in the bedroom and had another intense moment of tonguing. Then he said with the widest smile on his face that, “No means no, poppet.”

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