Page 196 of Lovers' Dance

They shared a knowing look before chatting about inconsequential things. Only a few more days before they could both return home. Matt was counting down each and every hour.

Something was scratching my face, dragging me from my slumber. I fought the tendrils of consciousness trying to coax me from my dreams. There was something soft amidst the scratchiness. My brain slowing started waking up. Then I shrieked, instinctively smacking at the scratchiness. Didn’t spiders creep into your mouth when you slept? An urban myth, maybe, but I wasn’t taking the chance. A low grunt came from above me. Spiders didn’t grunt, unless it was some new mutated species that—I opened my eyes, squinting in confusion. Why were the lights on?

“Matt.” I blinked the last hold of sleep away and flung my arms around his neck, yanking him into my sleep-warmed body. His face scratched my neck. The hell? I pulled back against the pillows and peered at him.

“You have a beard,” I said in disbelief.

Matt grimaced and rubbed his cheeks. “I haven’t had time to shave the past couple of days, poppet. It’s just a bit of stubble.”

I ran my hand over his stubble-covered cheeks with wide eyes. He grinned at me. Matt with stubble was a whole new level of sexiness, lending a rakish air to his unbelievably handsome face. Matt with stubble was extremely hot.

“Did you just get home, hon?” I asked, stroking his face, getting used to this new texture. The Matt I knew, my Matt, was clean-shaven. Polished to perfection. This Matt was rugged, kind of wild…hot.

“The car dropped me off fifteen minutes ago. I didn’t want to wake you.” He leaned in to press a kiss to my lips. I giggled at the raspiness against my skin. “But I couldn’t help myself. You looked so inviting, sprawled naked on my bed. Why do you always kick the covers off?” he asked, while kissing along my cheek and venturing down my neck. I giggled and tried to squirm away from his bristles. Matt nuzzled his face in my neck, and I squirmed harder, grabbing his face and trying to hold him off. He laughed at my antics.

“I’ve missed you, poppet.”

“I’ve missed you too, knight,” I replied, and the desire on his face softened at my rarely voiced title for him. I cupped his face and offered my lips for his ravishment, and he wasted no time in doing so. It was different. Stubble kisses were different, but still made my skin tingle.

“Mmm,” He groaned moments later, pulling away slowly. “I’m going to get a shower, shave this mess off my face, then join you in bed.”

I chewed my lower lip. “Do you have to shave?”

He arched an eyebrow at me and I blushed.

“It’s just that, it feels…different,” I explained with a heated face.

Matt’s mouth quirked up at the corners.

“And I doubt I’ll have the chance at—arghahaha.” I squealed as he rubbed his jaw line over my shoulders, then on to my boobs, then my stomach. I got a good grip of his hair and tugged his head upwards before he could venture lower. I wasn’tthatused to his facial hair.

Matt winked at me, then slid off the bed as I started pulling the covers back over me.

“I won’t be long, poppet. Don’t fall asleep,” he warned and headed for the ensuite.

Fall asleep? He couldn’t be serious. I hadn’t seen him in the flesh for ten days. I sat up against the numerous pillows, feeling like a fan who was about to be granted an audience with her favourite idol. The dry mouth, sweaty palms, racing heart. Yep, I was in fan mode. I started undoing the braid my hair was in, fluffing my curls out and thankful I had washed it earlier that night. A quick glance at the alarm clock confirmed it was a little before midnight. I chewed my lips, trying to plump them up and rubbed my eyes in case I had sleep goo in them. A necessary check to make sure my breath was fresh and I was ready.

Ready and waiting.

When Matt walked back into the bedroom, he caught me trying out various sexy poses on the bed.

“What are you doing?” he teased, towel precariously low on his hips.

“Getting ready for a long overdue shag,” I explained, eyeing the firmness of his chest and the dark line of hair running down his muscled abdomen, disappearing under the towel. “I am going to break you, Mr Matthew Bradley.” My warning had him licking his lips as he approached his huge bed.

“Are you now?” he drawled, fingering the spot where his towel was tucked in.

“Mhmm,” I confirmed, deciding on a sideways pose with the satin sheets covering the important bits but still showing an enticing amount of my bare dark skin. Matt’s gaze lingered on my bare skin while I ate him up with my eyes.

He licked his lips. “That sounds like a challenge to me. Is that what you’re doing, poppet?” His voice had dropped to a husky whisper. “Are you challenging me?”

I was feeling that stubble look on him and would need to take a picture with my phone once we were done.

“Yes,” I whispered back. “I am.”

Matt smiled. It was the smile I had dubbed ‘panty soaker’. Good thing I wasn’t wearing any at the moment.

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