Page 38 of Lovers' Dance

Matt moved further into the living room as I listened to my aunt complain about her kids and husband. Then came the expected: money.

“Aunt Cleo.” I tried for firm. “I can’t right now.”

I could feel Matt pacing my living room. The urge to turn around and watch him was great, but I didn’t want to see the distance in his eyes. Our relationship had seemingly run its course. It was hard, had been so hard to fight my growing feelings for him. Spotting pictures of him in magazines, tabloids, most of the times with a beautiful woman on his arm…it had been so fucking hard to not say, “Matt, it hurts.” I had swallowed my pain because I knew what I was getting myself into from the get-go.

“Please, don’t. Aunt Cleo, I can’t—of course, I love you. Fine. Jesus Christ.” She shouted at me so loud for taking the Lord’s name in vain I had to take the phone away from my ear for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, cradling the phone between my shoulder and ear as I unconsciously fiddled with my hands. Not wanting Matt to overhear any more, I walked into the kitchen.

Matt watched her as he paced the floor. She was upset. He always knew when she got stressed. She would scratch her little finger without being aware she was doing it. He watched her disappear into the kitchen, then followed her.

“I don’t have that much spare, Aunt Cleo.” My voice was a low hiss. Why did she do this to me? Ask me for money, then remind me of all the years she had cared for me like her own. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to help her, it was financially impossible to get her the amount she wanted when she wanted.

“How can you owe so much in back tax? Doesn’t Reggie do your taxes anymore?”

I watched Matt uneasily as he came into the kitchen and pulled a chair. This was embarrassing. The issue of money hardly ever came up between us. We both tried to avoid it like the plague.

“Look, I’ll sort it. I need a few days. I’ve got to go. Bye.” I hung up before she could find another one of my weak points and exploit it.

“Sorry about that.” I attempted to smile at him as he sat on the chair and stretched his legs out. With a deep breath I said, “You wanted to talk?”

Here it comes. The: ‘Listen, poppet, we’ve had fun, a few laughs. Let’s call it quits now.’

Matt stared at me for a long moment, then held his arms out. “Come here, poppet.”

Shoulders drooping, I made my way over to where he pulled me into his lap and eased the phone out of my hand. Was this the last cuddle from him? When he ended it, I would put on a brave face and agree with him. Why did he have to touch me? The soothing stroke of his hand over my back was heaven; any time he touched me it felt like heaven. Maybe he wanted to have sex one more time before he kicked me to the curb. Well, no. I would say…yes. Who was I trying to kid? Matt was an experienced lover, and being with him the past couple of months had been bliss. He did things, things that turned my body into one big puddle of pleasure. All my virginal nervousness had long gone. All that remained was my eagerness to please him between the sheets, to see his eyes darken with delight when I followed his lead and gave myself over to his expert tutelage. I’d surprised him a few times by my behaviour. He was addictive, so damned addictive, and he wasn’t mine. Not really. We were only fooling around with each other.

“Did you hear me, poppet?” he murmured, lips nibbling my sensitive neck. I’d been so engrossed in my depressed musings his words had gone unnoticed.

“Ah, no.” Hands curled into fists to stop myself from grabbing him. “What did you say?”

Matt chuckled against my skin, his warm breath tickling my ear. “I’m going to presume your lack of focus is due to me touching you and not my boring you.”

I squirmed in his lap as he nibbled my ear and chuckled. A low, seductive sound. I enjoyed it when he laughed like that, knowing he was thinking dirty thoughts and wanting those thoughts to be put into actions.

“What did you say, Matt?”

“I said, let’s go on a short holiday. Anywhere you want, as long as it’s somewhere hot.”

I leaned back, eyes wide with surprise.A vacation?He wanted to go on a vacation with me? Not break up like I’d assumed?

“Are you serious?”

Matt nodded, then manoeuvred me around so I straddled him on the chair. “I’m a very serious man, poppet. Have you been to Italy before?”

I shook my head while his hands began to edge my dress up my thighs. His head was bent as he pushed my dress up completely, revealing the blue silk panties I wore. Matt let out a satisfied sigh, fingers stroking lightly over my upper thighs, creeping higher. Another sigh left his lips when he felt the slight dampness of the material.

“I own a few properties around Italy.” His fingers became more demanding as he rubbed me through the material. “All nicely private. With a little luck, I should be able to clear up my schedule for a few days.” He slipped the panties to one side, baring me for his perusal, and the sound he made this time was quite gratifying. “What do you think, poppet? Mmm?”

I was distracted, to say the least. Matt’s erotic stroking over my flesh had my brain stuttering.

“I’ve got a lot going on at the studio,” I managed to get out. Matt lifted his gaze to mine the exact moment he slid a finger inside me. I gasped in pleasure at the intrusion and a smug smile tugged his lips.

“Take some time off,” he ordered, two fingers moving in and out my body. I was wet, soaking wet, and Matt was obviously enjoying his ability to make my body respond quickly to his touch. “Let’s go to bed,” he said huskily. I shuddered as he pulled his fingers away, then blushed furiously when he stuck his fingers into his mouth and licked them clean, eyes trained on me the whole time he did so.

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