Chapter Three

 

 

 

His shoulders had filled out a bit. He still had that lean look to him. Back then, it had been undefined and whip-thin. Now it was clear he was a man who worked, physically, for a living. His hands were scarred, and she could see a slight twist to his upper lip from another wound she remembered hearing about on one of his ‘check in’ phone calls. His hair hadn’t been cut for a while and was getting shaggy in length. His clothes were presentable, though nothing special. When he got up to get them more to drink, another poor excuse for wine for her and a domestic ‘good ole boy’ beer for him, she noted the way people deferred to him. He was the hometown hero, the big fish in this small, algae-infested pond.

She wanted him.

Claire watched him stroll back, a drink in each hand, pausing to trade pleasantries with people he passed. She recognized some of them—the quarterback turned military then lawyer, the cheerleader turned housewife, the nerds who still held up the wall at social functions. She turned, her legs extended to her best advantage to draw his eye.

She accepted the glass, surprised that he remained standing. “You’ve changed, Matty.”

“You, too,” he replied. “You cut your hair.”

Claire chuckled. “Yeah, people do that sometimes. I needed to try out something new, you know?” She tipped her head at what she knew was an alluring angle. “Haven’t you done any…experimenting, Matty?” She saw and felt the reaction, the sudden heat that seemed to roll off him. She sipped her wine, feeling it wet and shiny on her lips. “What do you say we get out of here? Talk about old times?”

He was quiet, but nodded. Ever the gentleman, he offered his hand to assist her to her feet. Claire took it, grateful that someone in this town had some idea of how to behave well. He walked her to his truck, pausing behind where it was parked.

“Where do you want to go? The lookout? Max’s?”

Claire’s laughter was loud in the night air. “Max’s? He’s still serving the grease-on-a-bun burgers?” She loved the idea but shuddered at the idea of dripping oil on to her silk or getting grass stuck to the famous red soles of her shoes. Sidling up to Matt, she purred, “How about my hotel?”

His forehead wrinkled as his brows raised then furrowed, but he nodded. He moved to open the passenger side of the truck, bringing another laugh from Claire. “How about you follow me?” she asked, clicking the key fob that disarmed the Beemer’s alarm system.

Matt looked at her rental, then at his mud-spattered pickup. With another silent nod, he waited for her to start her car then he climbed into his, starting the truck with a roar.

 

* * * *

 

Claire slid the key into the electronic lock on her door. The elevator ride had been filled with tense silence that continued into the room. The door closed behind Matt with a soft click. A single lamp gave the room mysterious shadows. Claire placed her purse carefully on the desk and turned to him.

“What happened to you, Claire?” Matt’s brow was furrowed again, like he was trying to figure out a math problem.

Claire shrugged, an offhand raise of one shoulder. “I grew up, Matty, just like you did.”

“Matt,” he corrected sharply. “Just Matt. And you didn’t just grow up, Claire. You’re different now.”

Stepping closer, her feet placed in calculated steps to move her body sinuously, Claire stopped a breath short of touching her body to his. “So are you.” She stretched up, her lips brushing his. That long-ago night flashed in her mind.

They’d just graduated the month prior. She and Matt lay in the bed of his pickup, their outfits nearly matching—denim cutoffs and white T-shirts. They laughed at the shenanigans that had been pulled by their fellow graduates before they fell quiet. Side by side, they contemplated the stars.

Claire ached to open her mouth, to tell the secrets, to warn one of her best friends about what she had to do. She’d accepted a prestigious employment offer in Chicago, but had agreed to a confidentiality clause until she completed the training. Her excitement had seemed contagious for weeks, rubbing off on everyone around her. Today, though, it seemed bittersweet. She would leave soon. Instead, she deferred, distracting herself from the desire to tell him.

“What did you decide to do?” Claire asked the sky and the empty air above them.

“I think I’m going to stay,” Matt replied with a sigh. “Go to Haven U for a while. Mom needs my help. You know? It’s getting tougher for her to get around. I’ll be the miracle child a little longer, until Dad retires and can be home with her.”

“Yeah, I know.” Claire smiled. “You’re such a good guy, Matty.”

The silence grew prickly then, the tension settling around them as they turned their heads to allow their gazes to meet. Claire’s smile faded as Matt inched closer to her, but returned slightly when his lips met hers.

The kiss had only gone on a few moments then Matt rolled over her, tucking her body under his. She lifted her arms, putting her hands at the back of his neck as she opened her lips to his tongue. Matty made a helpless-sounding noise, the weight of his lower body sinking onto hers.

Claire’s mind had gone fuzzy. New experiences had a habit of doing that—creating a dreamy space around her. She would remember the expression in his deep brown eyes as they both struggled to get her out of her shirt and bra. Matt had bent his head to her, flicking his tongue at her nipples. Claire’s surprised laughter at the intense sensation had spurred them both into carefree giggles and guffaws. When the silly feeling passed, she skated her hands over his back while he again found her sensitive places.

As he braced above her, both of them finally naked, their gazes had met again. “Are you sure, Claire?” he asked.

She nodded silently, not trusting her voice, and her body tensed. Matty smiled gently at her again and kissed her softly. He didn’t stop, and she relaxed and gave herself to the tangling of lips and tongues. She felt him, thicker than his fingers, begin to press inside her. Her pussy stretched around him, but she winced at the slight pain that came with it. She tensed again and Matt pulled away from her lips.

“It’s okay, Claire. I’ve got you. Just you and me.” Claire stared into his eyes as his cock slid in and out of her slowly. He was tense, and she watched his face as the speed he fucked her increased. He moved his hand from beside her ear, landing on her breast where he squeezed and flicked at her nipple. “Claire, baby, I can’t—”

She shook her head and kissed him softly. “It’s okay. It’s good.”

Matt’s eyes and jaw were clenched closed as she watched him and reveled in the feeling of his dick pounding into her. He pulled away quickly then wrapped his hand around his cock for his finish. When he came, she was surprised at the heat as it splashed across her belly.

They were both breathing hard, Claire laying on her back and Matt kneeling between her spread legs. As her mind resumed function, she became aware of the exposed position and slowly pressed her knees together to hide that intimate view from him.

As they pulled their clothes back on, Matt scrambling to find her bra out in the grass, Claire panicked. The next day she left the sleepy town for grand adventures in the big city. She was sure she would return someday.

Ten years later found her back with the person who’d so carefully taken her virginity in the bed of that truck.

Matt’s hold was so different in strength from the shaky hesitation all those years ago when he wrapped his arms around her waist. He bent his head to press his lips to hers again, now firm and possessive. She tilted her head to him and let him deepen the kiss.

As he lifted his head, a soft smile on his lips, Claire sighed in contentment. “Isn’t this so much better than that banquet room back there, surrounded by the past?”

Matt’s smile disappeared. He pulled away from her and ran a hand through the hair he had let get unkempt. “Claire, I—” His gaze pinned her. “Why did you come back, if you don’t want to be here?”

Claire took a surprised step back at the blunt question. “Well, you asked me to. I was weak for a minute and said I would, so here I am.” She peered at the expression on his face, growing concerned at the thunder she saw there. “Matty, what?”

“God, Claire. It’s Matt!”

She stared at him. Eager puppy Matty was glaring at her like he’d never seen her before. “Fine. Matt. What’s wrong with you?”

“I guess I was just hoping you were back because—I don’t know—you actually wanted to be. You wanted to see everyone. Wanted to see… Maybe wanted to see if we could have been something. You know, before…” Matt’s shoulders dropped in dejection.

Claire let out a chuckle. “Oh. Oh, Matty. Always such a good guy. You’re still a good kisser. I’m glad some things never change.” She reached out for him, ready to stroke his ego and try to soothe the pain of her leaving so long ago. She wanted to hold him close and assure him he wasn’t to blame for it, but she also wanted to feel the changes in his body, held against hers. Matt had grown into a man, one she now knew could hold all her pieces together, if only for the week.

He stepped back, a hand up to ward her off. “Yeah. Well. Some things do.”

Once again, the door closed behind him with a soft click, this time leaving her in the room alone.