Page 148 of Lovers' Dance

“Your granddad had a little talk with me the night of the charity ball,” she blurted out, eyes locked on his belt with trepidation. “He thinks we won’t last. That’s all. I thought you should know, Matt.”

“Is that it?” Matt asked, fixing his belt and beckoning her over. She shook her head vehemently and he finally allowed a smile to escape. “Poppet, come here. You know I’ll never do anything you don’t want me to.”

She stared at him for a few apprehensive moments before walking around the bed to his waiting arms. Matt hugged her tightly for a bit before sitting them both down on the bed.

“Grumps is just being Grumps, poppet. He’ll come around, they all will. What did he say to you?”

She shrugged and blinked. “Nothing really, just that we’re two very different people.”

Matt’s gaze fell to her dainty hands and alarm grew inside him. She was scratching her pinkie finger so fiercely he was surprised she hadn’t drawn blood. He waited for a moment before casually resting his large hand over hers. As if a light switch had been flicked off, the self-inflicted attack on her finger stopped and she smiled brightly at him.

“But I’m fine with it, Matt. I didn’t want to not tell you.”

Matt nodded, running his thumb over her knuckles. “Was that all Grumps said, poppet?” he asked gently. “He didn’t say anything else?”

“Nope,” she said in a cheery voice. “That was it.”

Matt’s heart sank as he returned her bright smile. She was lying to him. His dark beauty had looked him straight in the eye and lied. Why would she do that after he had unequivocally warned her about his abhorrence of lies between them?

What was she hiding and why didn’t she want to confide in him? What had Grumps said to her?

Matt gripped her chin with his free hand and pressed his mouth over hers, teasing her lips with his tongue until she opened for him and he deepened the kiss. Before he lost his head, Matt pulled away tenderly stroking her lower lip.

“You know you can tell me anything, right? You do know that, don’t you, poppet?”

“Of course, hon,” she said. “It’s your turn. Do you have secrets that need to be spilled?”

Matt shook his head. He looked her in the eye and said, “Not a single one. Oh, wait, I’m planning on going through your purse sometime tonight to get McGregor’s card.”

She laughed and reached for her purse that lay forgotten behind them. “Here you go,” she said after plucking the offending piece of paper out.

Matt crumpled it between his hands and tossed it over to the bin. “I feel much better now, poppet.”

She laughed and stroked her hand across his jaw. “Matt, about earlier, at the auction—” She looked away for a second before slipping her soft hand to his nape and running her fingers through his hair. “I know you think we should talk about the fact I’m black and you’re white—”

“Not tonight, poppet.” Matt cut her off with a brief smile. “Honestly, I don’t want to address the issue, but we need to. I won’t have this becoming a problem between us, but—” He paused, seeing a range of emotion flooding her face. “Be patient with me. I need to get my head around it.”

“Does it bug you?” Madi asked quietly. Matt could see she was trying to appear nonchalant about it. He sighed and shook his head slowly.

“It bothers me that it bothers you so much. I told you the first night we met, poppet. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve seen. I don’t give a toss what colour your skin is. You could be fluorescent green and I’d love you.”

She smiled at that and Matt forged on, wanting to reassure her that this would only be a problem if they allowed it. “I know you were brought up with certain preconceptions and whatnot, poppet. As was I. But none of that matters between us.”

“Because we’re magic?” she asked tentatively.

Matt thought about it for a second, liking her description immensely. “Yes, poppet. You and I, we’re magic.”

She chewed her lower lip, running her fingers absent-mindedly through his hair. “Okay, then I’ll stop worrying about it.”

“We still need to discuss it though,” Matt warned. “Only then will you truly get past this ridiculous notion that we shouldn’t be together. Oh, yes, poppet, I know you harbour those thoughts.”

“How do you do that?” she asked, doe eyes peering into his. “Read my mind like that? It’s unnerving.”

“Your eyes give you away,” he murmured, leaning forward to kiss the corner of her delectable mouth. “Don’t change. Let’s go topside. We wouldn’t want Nathan and Bella thinking we’re getting up to anything.”

“Huh,” she muttered under her breath. “I wish.”

Matt chuckled lightly and stood up, pulling her up with him. “A month isn’t that long, poppet. I’m going to enjoy courting you.”

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