Page 39 of Lovers' Dance

“Blushing, poppet?”

I shoved him in the chest as I jumped off him. “Black girls don’t blush,” I answered, my embarrassment making my tone terse. Matt laughed, then stood up adjusting his pants as he did. The thick bulge in there had my mouth watering with anticipation.

“Whatever you say, Madi. Now, I want to talk to you about those candles. Remember what I warned you I would do if you—”

I was shrieking and running out the kitchen, planning to lock myself into the bedroom. Matt gave chase, his legs were longer but I was smaller and, in this instance, faster. He caught me though, right inside the bedroom door.

“Don’t you dare,” I said, giggling as he wagged his eyebrows at me in a lecherous manner.

“Promise you’ll stop harping on about it,” he said with a touch of exasperation. “Your constant reminders only serve to cement the fact I am an advantageous old coot corrupting your innocence.”

“I’ll stop,” I promised, tugging his shirt out of his trousers. “Do you want your present now?”

Matt licked his lips, erroneously assuming it had something to do with my body. He nodded, undoing his belt and unzipping his pants. I grinned at him, then headed for the dresser where the gift-wrapped rectangular box lay.

“Poppet,” he said, as I walked back with it in my hands. “I didn’t expect a gift.”

“Open it.” I held it out to him. With an embarrassed frown on his face, he shrugged off his pants before taking the box. Matt in his shirt and silk boxers was an incredible sight.

“It’s light,” he said, shaking it. I grinned and he started to grin as a speculative gleam lit his eyes. “Mmm, I’m hoping it’s something lacy that fits you perfectly.”

I shook my head, my grin one of nervousness now. I hoped he liked it. The gift was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek.

Matt tore off the wrapping and opened the box. He shot me a quizzical look as he took out a bunch of clothes hangers.

“The past few weeks you’ve been leaving your clothes behind,” I began to explain. “I thought maybe you could hang them up in the closet instead of on the chair. I mean, I keep reminding you to take them when you go, even washing and folding them for you…and you know I don’t normally fold clothes.”

A myriad of emotions flew across Matt’s face, finally settling to one of tenderness as he tossed the hangers over to the dresser, along with the empty box and wrapping paper.

“About bloody time you figured it out,” he said as dry as dust, before grabbing me and tossing me onto the bed. “So stop removing my aftershave from the bathroom cabinet and bagging it up. Your dress is amazing, by the way. Take it off.”

My mouth curled down at his domineering tone, but the dress did come off. He crawled into bed with me, laughing at my frown and knowing exactly why there was one on my face.

“Seriously, Matt, you can’t order me around like one of your employees,” I groused, while he tugged my panties off, then spread my legs. He looked up at me, a devious smile on his face.

“The only sounds I want from you are moans of pleasure, so be quiet until then, poppet.”

My mouth fell open, outraged and shamefully turned on. “Why you arrogant—ah. Oh, Matt.”

“Shush.” His voice was muffled from between my trembling legs, but carrying an edge of sternness. Damn, even going down on me he was bossy.

“I’ll shush you,” I gasped out, winding my hands into his silky black hair. Matt focused on flicking his tongue over me, tormenting me until I was indeed only capable of moaning with pleasure.

It was half-five and he was exhausted. He’d only had about an hour’s sleep and those reports that he should’ve gone over last night were untouched downstairs. Matt finished buttoning up his shirt, watching her roll over and reach out for him in her sleep. A pleased smile graced his face. He needed a proper night’s sleep, but he couldn’t stop himself around her. Matt tucked his shirt into his creased trousers. The mounting urge to tell her how he felt last night had been suppressed after the call from her aunt. She had been scratching her pinkie finger during the call, an unconscious gesture of stress he had noticed over their time together. He knew she was worried, and not wanting to add to her worry by admitting his desire to make their relationship public, he had bit his tongue. The opportunity would present itself soon enough.

Matt made a mental note to get Rachel, his secretary, to clear a full week for him. He would take Madison to Italy, then convince her to agree to his demands. Being in the public eye was daunting if one wasn’t used to it. And Matt knew that once news broke of him being in a relationship with a black woman ten years his junior…he pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He would get his PR team to launch a charm offensive. Maybe take her out to a few charity functions first.

He’d also been toying with the idea of investing funds in her dance company. From what she’d told him, finding sufficient backing to launch a major production like the one they were planning was difficult. Matt made another mental note to speak to the division in his company that dealt with charitable donations. In fact, he was going to make it the first course of action. It would deal with any questions over his public interaction with her. Hell, he’d been forced over the years to attend numerous charity balls for the worthy causes his family donated money to. Yes, this could work. After a few publicity events, which would help improve the company’s image and bring the art of dance altruistically to the underprivileged, they could start being seen as a couple in public.

Matt rubbed his chin, deep in thought. There were things he would need to keep out of the media, of course. Certain things about her parents could be misconstrued, and that bloody man, Kincaid. Matt felt frustration over her links to a man who was secretly being investigated by Serious Organised Crime Agency. After reading the file Nathan had procured, Matt had done his own investigation. He wasn’t happy with what he’d found. All these things he kept to himself. Admitting his knowledge of it would lead to her finding out about the background check, and he knew she would be furious. A smile curled his lips.

Feisty. His feisty, dark beauty who he loved. Matt’s breath caught in his throat. God. Was he truly in love with her or obsessed with the pleasure she brought him? His heart said ‘yes’, while his logical mind scoffed. Matt decided that, for once, he would listen to his heart…

“Matt?” I murmured, reaching out and finding only pillows.

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