Page 208 of Lovers' Dance

He was right, but maybe I should start taping my mouth shut before sleeping.

“Why didn’t you wake me like I asked you to?” I grumbled my accusation, still feeling tired.

Matt’s eyebrows jumped up as he stretched his arms over his head with a groan. “I did wake you numerous times and, every time I did, you told me to get lost.”

I wiped my mouth again. “Did I?”

Matt nodded. “Quite aggressively, too.”

I shrugged. Oh, crap. We were on the ground. I was home. “We’re here.”

Matt nodded with an amused smirk on his face. “Yes, we are.”

“Did I sleep on you the whole trip?” I asked.

“Not the whole trip, Madi. I managed to get some work—ah, check emails when you curled up against the interior wall, then you wriggled around some more and ended up with your bum in the air.”

“Shut up,” I said, rubbing a hand over my face. “What time is it, hon?”

Matt checked his watch. It was a new watch. A Chopard watch. “It’s one back home, so that makes it eight am here.”

“Shit,” I muttered. “I won’t make it in time for church.”

“I beg your pardon?” Matt’s face reflected pure astonishment. “Church?”

I nodded, frowning at nothing in particular. If I hadn’t delayed our departure from England with last minute packing, we would’ve left at five am. The flight took six hours. Damn it. We would’ve arrive at six am New York time, loads of time to spare, and I would have been able to go to Sunday service with my family.

“Poppet,” Matt’s shocked voice broke me from my musings. “What do you mean church? You don’t go to church. I’ve never seen you—”

“When I’m home, I go to church, Matt. It’s a requirement that must be adhered to. Aunt Cleo will bust my ass if I don’t.” I sighed and rubbed my face. “It doesn’t matter now—”

Matt’s hand latched on to my shoulder. “Stop for one second, Madison. Church?” The look he gave me was an eloquent one. I had to grin at his disbelief.

“I am a spiritual person,” I said smoothly. “Have you not noticed this about me?”

Matt snorted something under his breath. It sounded similar to heathen and fraud. I chuckled and stretched, noticing that I was unbuckled. Huh?

“Urgh,” I grumbled. “I am not looking forward to rushing through arrivals. JFK is always heaving, and it’s the Sunday before Thanksgiving—”

“Poppet.” Matt arched his eyebrow at me, a condescending expression gracing his face. “We’re not at JFK airport.”

“LaGuardia?” I asked. He shook his head.

“Newark?” I queried. Matt shook his head.

“Matt.” I was unsure now, that condescending look of his made me quite unsure of what was going on. Had he decided against Thanksgiving with my family and kidnapped me? Hiding us out somewhere my aunt couldn’t find us? “We’re in New York, right? In the United States of America, right?”

“Of course we’re in the States,” he confirmed smoothly, running a hand through his hair. “We’re at Teterboro airport. The car is waiting for us.” Matt chuckled under his breath, muttering, “As if I would go through those airports. Absolute mayhem.”

I shook my head. He was filthy rich, and Teterboro airport was known as a transit line for the uber-rich. Matt stood up, holding a hand out to me which I took without hesitation. I noticed the burly man standing a little way off to the side. Oh, my.

“Matt.” I gripped his hand tightly. The stranger looked mean. “Who is that?” I whispered, trying to hide behind Matt’s large frame. If the plane had been hijacked, I doubted Matt would be calm. But the man looked like he was a mercenary, never mind the expensive suit covering his freaking had-to-be-steroid-induced muscular body.

Matt glanced over at the hulk and patted my hand. “That’s Ryan, part of our security detail while we’re here, poppet. Do you want to get something to eat before we arrive at your aunt’s place?”

Wait, what? Security detail?Part of a security detail?How many parts were there? Wait a minute…our security detail? I didn’t need to have a security detail. The anxiousness I suddenly felt was overwhelming. Did I really know my Matt? I guess Matt was getting impatient over my lack of response, because he tugged on my hand gently to get my attention. When I turned my gaze away from Hulk to Matt’s face, he immediately stiffened and arched an enquiring eyebrow at me, silently asking what was wrong. I opened my mouth, then closed it.

“Ryan, take the rest of our bags to the car. We’ll be out in a minute,” Matt ordered the man without taking his gaze off my face.

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