Page 213 of Lovers' Dance

“Matt, I’m not going to have sex under this roof. Aunt Cleo would know—”

“How in the bloody hell would she know, Madison?” Matt groused, cutting me off mid-sentence. “We’re consenting adults—”

“It’s disrespectful, and kind of icky. Did you have sex under your parents’ roof when you lived there?”

Matt’s face said it all. He boinked under his parents’ roof. Did no one respect that unspoken, but totally understood, rule?

“Well, this is—” He stepped away and folded his arms across his broad chest. “Completely unexpected, Madison.”

I flashed white teeth, and said with a sweetness that was laced with guilty revenge, “Why don’t you look at it as if we’re dating, Matt?”

His eyes widened, then narrowed into grey slits of dawning understanding. Payback was a bitch. I wasn’t doing it deliberately. Seriously, the thought of having sex anywhere in this house freaked me out. But I’d admit to feeling some measure of satisfaction at the frustration on his features.

Matt grimaced as he towered over me. “Low blow, poppet,” he begrudgingly said, then his face brightened. “Never mind, you’ll be spending time at the condo with me. I can have my way with you there.”

I gently pushed him away, fixed my jeans and turned back to the food. If I hustled, I could have everything on the stove and in the oven by the time Aunt Cleo came home.

“Matt, the limo isn’t still out front, is it?”

He chewed his lower lip, knowing full well where I was heading with this. “Do you want me to send it away?”

“Please,” I said with a nod, focused on prepping vegetables.

Matt turned on his heels and walked out of the kitchen, leaving me to start lunch while he got rid of that over the top limo parked out front. I wondered if he would send the Escalade away with its terrifying occupants. Shit. Matt had bodyguards. Now he wanted me to have one, too. That was the silliest thing I’d ever heard, but his words on the drive over here echoed in my head.Would someone try to hurt me to get at him?The world was full of crazies. I had assumed the people in Matt’s world had too much to lose by acting that way. They were in the spotlight, piquing the media’s interest, the public’s fascination with their extravagant lifestyles. They couldn’t not act right.

But, with enough money, a person could about do anything…get away with anything. It was messed up, truly messed up. Unfortunately, money greased the wheels of our world.

No way. I was not getting a bodyguard. I snorted in derision and continued peeling carrots. When Matt returned a short while later, I was humming to myself. He came over to lounge against the edge of the counter next to me, observing me work without any further attempts to jump my bones. We spent the next few hours in the kitchen, me cooking and Matt stealing kisses as we discussed my job and Nathan’s upcoming wedding. Matt wanted me to accompany him on this ski trip malarkey in Switzerland at the end of January. I wasn’t sure about that. I explained my lack of knowledge when it came to these types of sport and Matt waved it away, stating in a firm voice that he would take care of me. I relented after he agreed to accept liability for any bodily injury I might incur. He seemed more than eager to accept those terms, his exact words were: “I’d actually enjoy waiting on you hand and foot, poppet. Keeping you under bed arrest is a secret dream of mine.”

We heard the front door opening. Matt straightened up as I dried my hands, with a flood of apprehension replacing the relaxed vibe I’d been enjoying the past few hours.

“Are you ready?” I asked holding a hand out for him.

Matt flashed me a confident smile and nodded. “Of course, poppet.”

I could hear my family coming through the front door. I took a deep breath and we walked out the kitchen towards the sitting room.

“Hi!” I said, and all their heads swivelled in our direction.

“I knew I didn’t leave the front door unlocked,” Jamal said with a wide grin.

I dropped Matt’s hand and flew towards the nearest person, arms outstretched. Jenny was the first one to get mauled by kisses. “Missed you, cuz.”

Jamal was the recipient of a deliberately sloppy kiss and a punch on the arm. “Did you miss me, Jamal?”

He snorted and tweaked my ear, hard. I landed another punch.

I hugged Uncle David. He patted me across the back and stepped back to let his eyes run up and down my frame.

“Still too skinny,” he said with reproach before looking over at his wife. “We need to feed this girl up, Cleo.”

“Auntie Cleo,” I breathed out, stepping into her outstretched arms. I was home. We hugged tightly for what seemed like forever, then she pulled away, gaze going behind me to where Matt stood. I held a hand out to him and he made his way over.

“Everyone, this is Matthew,” I said brightly. There was no need to add the ‘my boyfriend’ part. I nudged him forward. “Matthew, this is my Aunt Cleo and Uncle David.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Matt said, with a warm smile on his face as he shook my uncle’s hand first, then he turned to my aunt. “Madi’s told me so much about you, and please call me Matt.”

I checked the urge to choke. Slick, he was slick, and stretching the truth a bit. I was less than forthcoming when talking about my family.

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