Page 73 of Lovers' Dance

“Just so you know, I’m a complete bastard and, if you break my heart, I’ll make you regret it. I expect you to love me back, always.”

Now I was frowning. “You sound like a psycho, Matt.”

He chuckled and shrugged. “You’ve been warned, poppet. See you downstairs.” He left me staring wide-eyed and nervously wondering if he was, in fact, a crazy billionaire. I shook it off and exited the ensuite. Seeing as it was only us here, I put on a t-shirt and my cartoon panties before heading downstairs. I found my way to the kitchen and started dinner. Chilli and garlic prawns. Matt’s taste buds were in store for another dose of gradual desensitization. The kitchen was a lot larger than mine, filled with sleek, expensive appliances that had me seeing green. Ah well, at least I could enjoy cooking here. Chopping up shallots and chillies, I ran over the day’s events in my head.

Adam Bradley turned the key and opened the door of his brother’s Kensington house. He was furious with Matt, and their parents for allocating some of the blame on Adam’s doorstep. How was he to know Matt was shagging a black woman? He closed the door with a sigh and shrugged off his coat. Matt’s car hadn’t been out front, but the lights were on. George was most likely around. Adam would wait for Matt, however long it took. He walked through the foyer, going over in his head the chewing out he’d planned to give his younger brother. They were close, Matt and him. The news of his current conquest came as a surprise to Adam. He was certain Matt hadn’t mention it due to embarrassment. A Bradley shagging a lower class bird, a black one on top of that. Unheard of. He’d endured numerous calls from friends, ribbing him about his younger brother’s antics. Adam made a sound of extreme frustration. Matt needed his head sorting out, and Adam needed a stiff drink. He made his way to the kitchen, pausing when he heard a woman’s off-key singing as he drew nearer. Who the hell was that?

Slowly he entered the kitchen to encounter the sight ofher. There she was, the woman whom Matt was shagging, the woman’s whose face had been plastered all over the gossip rags next to his brother’s. The woman who was now bending over and flashing a very pert arse and shapely legs. Adam felt his cheeks warm as he watched her search the lower cupboards.

“Fancy kitchen with no saucepans,” she muttered, before straightening up and resting her hands on her hips. With her back to him, she began opening the top cupboards. She was tiny in comparison to him, needing to go on tiptoes to see above the first few shelves, and flashing her arse as her t-shirt rose up. Adam, enjoying the view despite his better judgement, didn’t hear Matt’s barefoot approach.

“What in the bloody hell are you doing here?” Matt’s low, terse question had him yelping in surprise. The woman spun around at the sound and screamed before grabbing the first thing to hand and launching it in his direction. It was a dainty mug that fell short and smashed a few feet in front of him.

“Intruder!” she yelled at the top of her voice. “Matt!” Another mug was thrown and she grabbed a roll of kitchen towels, waving it at him like a sword. “Matt!”

Matt shoved his brother aside, appearing in the doorway. “It’s okay, poppet. He’s not an intruder.”

Matt sidestepped the broken ceramic and hurried over to Madi, who was clutching the roll of towels to her heaving chest with frightened eyes.

“He’s my brother.” Matt glanced over his shoulder with an annoyed grunt before adding, “Who needs to return my house keys.”

She let out a shaky sigh of relief while shooting embarrassed looks at Adam. Matt gave her a reassuring smile and pulled her into a quick hug. “You okay?”

She nodded against his chest, then pushed away to observe his brother shyly.

“Um, sorry about throwing that mug at you.”

Matt snorted in derision. “He should be apologizing to you, poppet. Not the other way around.”

Adam’s gaze jumped between them as he came further into the kitchen. “Apologies for startling you. I’m Adam, by the way, Matt’s older brother. You must be Madison.”

Matt watched as they shook hands, eyeing his brother in warning. He was under no illusions as to why his brother had turned up unannounced. Adam was here to discuss his relationship with Madi, and Matt wasn’t in the mood for the expected tirade.

“I’ll tidy that mess up,” Madi said as soon as Adam let go off her hand. She walked towards the broken mugs, then paused, a sheepish look on her face. “I don’t know where the broom is, Matt.”

A slow smile graced his face as she fidgeted in embarrassment. She was cute when she blushed, even though she would say black girls don’t blush. Matt noticed his brother’s open appraisal of her, and a surge of possessiveness filled him as Adam’s eyes travelled over her t-shirt clad body.

“Adam can get it,” Matt said, shooting daggers at his brother for eyeing Madi. Adam’s face flushed and he nodded before exiting the kitchen.

Madi groaned. “Your brother will think I’m a crazy black chick.”

“Serves him right for scaring you—watch those shards.”

She sidestepped the splinters, then made her way to where he stood. “I need a saucepan, Matt.”

Matt surveyed the prep she’d done for their meal and lowered his eyebrows a fraction. “I’ll get one on the condition that you bin half those chopped chillies, poppet.”

She grinned impishly at him, and he couldn’t stop his answering smile. Matt pulled her into his arms and stole a deep kiss, hands slipping over her arse as he pressed her lower body against his. The seemingly constant urge to make love to her never ceased to surprise him.

“Stop,” she murmured in protest as he gently pushed her against the island. “Your brother is going to come back.”

“I’m already here,” Adam called from the doorway, with a censorious expression on his face, and a dustpan and accompanying broom in his hands.

Madi shoved him back, tugging her t-shirt down and studiously staring at the floor. Matt narrowed his eyes at Adam before flashing a smile at Madi.

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