Shay’s phone rang, and she wanted to chuck it across her shop. The other times when Shay ignored it she’d felt triumphant and unfettered. Now with each second she didn’t answer, the conversation with her father chipped away at her resolve.
With a heavy sigh, Shay finally answered. “Hi, Mother.”
“Darling, is everything all right? I’ve been worried sick.”
“Everything is fine.”
“Then why haven’t you answered your phone? I could have been dying in some hospital bed. What could have been so important that you couldn’t give your mother five seconds of your time?”
“I’ve been busy.” Shay learned long ago that the shorter the answers the better. It gave her mother less of a chance to latch onto something and manipulate her words to use against her.
“Busy?” her mother said then laughed that fake, pretentious laugh of hers. “In the middle of nowhere? I don’t think you could be busy there if you tried.”
Shay was happy the conversation was taking place over the phone so her mother couldn’t see her facial expressions. “I do own a business, Mother.”
“Of course you do, dear,” she said with the same tone as she would use on Shay as a child and she’d asked if Santa was real.
Shay ignored the total disregard her mother displayed and went right to the point. “What do you want, Mother? What was so important that you felt the need to call me twenty times?”
“It was hardly twenty times. No need to exaggerate.”
Shay was a patient person. She prided herself on being able to handle the most obnoxious of clients back in her corporate days, but for some reason that patience didn’t extend to her mother. The fuse for her was short and only got shorter with each passing moment.
“The reason I called.”
Finally, Shay thought.
“I ran into Robert the other day, and we had lunch.”
Shay froze, every inch of her body completely paralyzed. The air in her lungs sucked out, and she couldn’t breathe. This was a joke. It had to be. But her mother didn’t joke, and she wouldn’t put it past her to betray her in this way.
“Please tell me you didn’t.”
“It was quite lovely.” Her mother continued to talk, but Shay couldn’t hear her past the blood boiling in her ears. The hard, heavy breaths that were coming out in succession.
“I think you should give him another chance.”
Every ounce of control Shay had vanished. It was as if her mother plunged a knife into her back.
“Another chance?” Shay yelled. “Are you out of your damn mind?”
“He made a mistake. People make mistakes all the time.”
“A mistake?” Shay could barely get the words out past the massive lump forming in her throat. Her body shook with anger and rage and more emotions she couldn’t even begin to decipher.
“Yes, a mistake.”
“He stole from me!” she finally managed. She gave Robert three years of her life, agreed to marry him at her parents’ insistence. She wasn’t madly in love with him like she had been with Matt, but she had loved Robert, and he repaid her by milking her dry, completely wiping out her savings account and leaving only ten dollars in her checking.
“He was only trying to fix what he did. He would have paid it all back. You weren’t even supposed to know about it.”
Shay scoffed. Her mother was insane. Certifiable. Robert stole from his clients and when they’d caught on he’d used her hard-earned money to cover his ass without her knowledge. He’d stolen her checkbook out of her bag while she’d been sleeping and cleaned her out. If her credit card payment hadn’t have bounced she may never have known, but that didn’t change the fact that he’d stolen everything but ten dollars from her. And no, he wasn’t ever going to pay her back, because if he was, he would have already. It had been two years, and she hadn’t as much as received a penny from him.
Not even a damn apology.
It went beyond the money, too. Her name was linked to his scheme, and if he went down she could have been dragged down with him. Everything she worked for would have been ripped out from under her. Her name tainted forever.
“You honestly believe that?” Shay demanded.
“Yes. He wants to make amends. He’s doing really well now. Back at the top of his game.”
“If he’s doing so well then why hasn’t he paid me back?”
“He wants to see you.”
“That is never going to happen.”
“Darling, give him another chance. You two were great together.”
The only reason her mother wanted her with him was because of who he was. It didn’t matter that he stole from her, almost got her roped into an illegal scam… All that mattered was his last name.
She always knew her mother was materialistic, but to choose money and prestige over her own daughter’s welfare was downright cold. Matt’s words from the night before echoed in her head. She might have always done what her mother had asked of her, but not anymore. Especially when her request was insulting and insensitive.
“No,” Shay said with unwavering resolve.
“He’s changed. He just needed to grow up. He’s learned from his mistakes. Just come down and see him.”
“No!”
“You’re being dramatic.”
Shay’s jaw tightened, her teeth clenched, and her hand curled into a fist. She knew the game. Her mother had been playing it for years. Make Shay feel like a child who was incapable of making a decision so she could make all of her decisions for her. Not anymore. She wasn’t that girl anymore. That girl disappeared the day her money did. The day the person her mother swore was the best thing for her destroyed her trust and her bank account.
“I said no, Mother. And you are not to ask me again. Stay out of it.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Don’t act like you didn’t hear me. I have moved on and I am never coming back to New York. Not for you and definitely not for some dirt bag who hides behind his family’s name and connections.”
“How dare you! I’m your mother, and you will not speak to me that way.”
“Fine, then I have nothing left to say to you. Goodbye.”
Shay hung up and slumped against the wall. Her body was weak and fatigued as if she just put in an intense workout at the gym.
A part of her couldn’t believe she’d said those things, but the other part of her that was sick and tired of being manipulated was high-fiving herself for finally standing up to her mother.
The bell above the door rang, and Shay pushed herself back up, running a hand down her apron and putting on a smile.
Kate walked in, her strawberry blonde hair trailing behind her. She was in a navy-blue t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans that were cuffed at the bottom, revealing a pair of white Keds.
“Hey,” she said with sunshine in her voice until she caught a good glimpse of Shay. Her bluish green eyes narrowed in concern. “Are you okay?”
Shay nodded to the phone in her hand. “I just hung up with my mother.”
“How is Cruella today?” Kate asked, using her given nickname for Shay’s mother.
“Trying to meddle in my life like always.”
Kate didn’t know about what happened back in New York. No one did. Shay was too embarrassed by the whole thing. She didn’t want people to know how naïve she was. How she’d let her parents—especially her mother—push her toward an engagement that she knew in her heart wasn’t right. But like her mother said, it didn’t have to be right, just convenient.
“You should tell her to screw off,” Kate said which was exactly why Shay loved her so much. While Shay found it hard to say the things that were on her mind, Kate never had a problem blurting them out. She was blunt, but not malicious. It was refreshing and endearing.
“I did in not so many words.”
Kate’s eyes widened, and a smile spread wide across her face. “Good for you! No, really, I’m proud of you. It’s about time. How do you feel?”
“Like I need a drink.”
“I think I can arrange that,” Kate said with a wink.
Calhoun’s was one of the few bars in town and frequented by many of the locals. It sat on the town border and close enough to bring in people from other towns. It was the one place in Red Maple Falls where you could go and actually see people you didn’t know most of your life.
Not that Shay had that problem in the beginning, but as her time in Red Maple Falls prolonged all the faces became more and more familiar. It was nice to hide away for a while and disappear into a crowd. It was one of the few things she missed about being in New York. Some days she just wanted to shut the world out, but that was impossible in Red Maple Falls.
Shay parked her car on the side of the building and waved to Kate as she got out. Both had gone home to freshen up. Shay had changed into a pair of designer jeans with a tight burgundy long sleeve shirt with a plunging neckline that showed off her assets. She was also wearing her favorite pair of nude platform Christian Louboutin’s with a stiletto heel and round toe that luckily Robert didn’t hock. Though, he probably wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near what she had paid for them.
They were expensive and impractical for country life, but they made her feel sexy and sophisticated and sometimes a girl needed to feel those things.
“You look amazing,” Kate said, giving her a sassy wink.
“You too.” Shay admired the easy care-free beauty that was Kate. Her face was practically free of makeup yet she looked like she could walk any runway. She was naturally beautiful with little effort. Shay hated and envied her because of it.
“Oh, this old thing?” Kate said with a laugh, pulling at the hem of her shirt.
The light pink of Kate’s baby doll tank top should have drowned her out, but instead it complimented her porcelain complexion and gave a nice view of Kate’s curves. She stood at least six inches taller than Shay, but carried herself with as much grace and poise as a delicate ballerina.
“Ready to get drunk?” Kate asked.
Shay shook her head. “I can’t get drunk. I have to drive home and be up early tomorrow.”
“You always have to be up early.”
“You own a shop. You should know how it is. The business always comes first.”
“A good time should always come first.”
“It should, but unfortunately, I can’t have a good time without money, and I can’t make money if I don’t work.”
“Basically, what you’re saying is life isn’t fair?”
“Something like that,” Shay said with a smile. She opened the door and turned back to Kate. “Only one drink. Two at the most.”
“You got it.” But the devilish grin on Kate’s face said otherwise.
***
Matt walked into Calhoun’s and instantly spotted Sam. He gave him a quick wave as he headed toward him. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of burgundy then familiar dark hair. He turned to see Shay swaying with a drink in her hand to music that had stopped playing.
Her shirt was cut dangerously low, revealing two beautiful mounds, and those jeans molded to her body like they were painted on, highlighting all her sexy curves. She was the most beautiful woman in the bar, not that he noticed anyone else.
Her hips rocked back and forth as the music kicked back on to a slow song. Just like last night, he wanted to grab her by the waist and pull her up against him, hold her tight as they swayed to the music together, losing themselves in the movements and the moment.
She lost her balance and her drink spilled over the top. “Whoopsie,” she called out, getting a few chuckles from the guys in her vicinity. They better not make any moves on her because there would be hell to pay if they did. She was out having a good time and didn’t need to be harassed. Or maybe she wanted to be. Maybe she was here to meet someone.
The thought caused the veins in Matt’s arm to bulge, tension in his neck to pull tight. She wasn’t his, no matter how desperately he wanted her to be, so he needed to rein in his jealous thoughts. It wasn’t his place. He swallowed down his desires to take her in his arms and headed in the opposite direction toward Sam.
Sam lounged back on a bar stool, tipping a brown bottle to his lips. As Matt approached, Sam handed him a bottle of Dogfish Head 60, a good IPA that Matt defaulted to when he didn’t know what he wanted.
“Any news on what started the fire?” Matt asked.
“Cigarette. The boy insisted it was his even though there was lip gloss on the filter.”
“He’s taking the blame for her.”
“Wouldn’t you?” Sam asked, but Matt didn’t respond because they both already knew what his answer would be. He looked across the bar to where Shay was. In order to protect the girl he loved, of course he would.
Matt’s eyes moved over to the beer taps, and he wondered if one day Mason’s beer would be available at local bars across the state.
It was hard to imagine, but at the same time, Mason never disappointed. He was driven and if he wanted to be a success, it was only a matter of time.
“What you thinking about?” Sam asked as his eyes lingered on a blonde in the corner.
“Did I tell you Mason is opening his own brewery?”
“Get the hell out of here.”
“Bought the place and everything. Just has to get it up and running.”
“No shit. He better give me free beer.”
“I’m sure he will.”
Matt’s attention drifted back to Shay. She was there with his sister, and they looked like they were having a good time. He only hoped Shay didn’t drive here. She looked like she’d already had one too many.
Sam said something, but Matt completely missed it.
“Is anyone in there?” Sam said, and Matt held up his hand.
“Kate’s here. I’m going to go say hi.”
“Sure, it’s Kate you’re going to go say hi to,” he said with a knowing smirk.
“Shut up,” Matt said. “I’ll be right back.”
Sam made eyes at the blonde, and she offered a sexy glance back. “Take your time,” Sam said. “I have someone to say hi to myself.”
No matter where they were Sam always managed to find a chick. It was like he was a magnet to the single ladies of New Hampshire. They flocked to him in droves, especially if he was wearing any indication that he was a fireman.
Matt laughed off Sam’s luck and made his way through the Friday crowd until he was standing beside his sister and behind Shay who was currently talking to some guy.
“Hey,” Matt said to Kate, his eyes narrowing on the guy.
Kate smacked a hand against his chest. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Having a drink with Sam.” He nodded over his shoulder to where Sam had made his way to the blonde.
“AKA, watching Sam snag a hookup.”
Being only two years younger than them, Kate knew all about Sam and his Playboy ways. He was bagging chicks since ninth grade and more than once they happened to be friends of Kate. She looked at Sam the same way she looked at Matt though, as a brother, and thank god for that. Matt wouldn’t know what to do if Sam and Kate ever hooked up. His sister was simply off-limits.
“You’re cute,” Shay said to the guy she was talking to, and Matt’s lip curled.
Kate instantly took notice and draped her arm over Shay’s. “Shay, sweetie, over here.”
“Oh,” Shay said with a squeak of surprise. “Okay, we’re spinning now. Bye.” She waved to the guy and turned with Kate until Matt could see her hazel eyes that were more brown than green tonight.
“Matt!” Shay exclaimed, surrounding him in the scent of cinnamon and not her usual vanilla. She tossed her arms in the air, wrapping them around his neck. He wanted to enjoy the moment and the feel of Shay’s body pressed against his, but a cold wet stream poured down his back. He pulled away, and she pouted which was slightly satisfying.
“You spilled your drink,” he said, pulling at his shirt to see the damage.
Shay looked down at the hand holding the glass, and her eyes widened as if she forgot it was there. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s all right. It’ll dry. What are you drinking anyway?” he asked, taking the glass from her hand and bringing it to his nose. The scent burned his nostrils and he had to quickly put it down.
“Fireball and Coke. More Fireball, less Coke.”
That explained the cinnamon scent. “I can tell.”
“She had a rough day,” Kate chimed in.
“Everything okay?” Matt asked. “Was it the shop? Did somebody break in again?”
She held her hand up, cutting him off. Her eyes slipped shut then opened. “Slow your roll, buddy.”
“If someone broke in again, you need to take this seriously.”
She shook her head, dark waves of brown hair falling in front of her face. “Nobody broke in.”
“She had a call with Cruella,” Kate said.
“With who?”
“My mother, the evil wench,” Shay announced proudly, throwing her hand in the air and sloshing more Fireball and Coke onto the floor.
Matt never liked Shay’s mother. He actually despised her. He tried to give her the benefit of the doubt even though Shay had told him some unfavorable stories about her. Even with that advantage, she rubbed him the wrong way. She was pretentious and self-involved with no regard for what Shay wanted. If it didn’t please her or feed into her ridiculous views on the world, she wanted no part of it. Matt had wondered how a woman like that could have raised someone as sweet and kind as Shay.
“Guessing it didn’t go well,” Matt said.
“About as well as a root canal.”
“Sorry.” Matt didn’t know what else to say. There were no words to justify a mother’s insolence.
“Don’t be!” Shay exclaimed, smacking her hand against Matt’s chest. “I finally told her to go screw herself!”
Matt was stunned and apparently through her drunken haze Shay picked up on it.
“Okay, maybe not those words, but I stood up to her. I told her to leave me alone. To stop meddling in my life. I don’t need her.” Shay held her finger up like the most insightful thought just popped into her head. “I never needed her.”
“No, you didn’t,” Matt agreed and Shay’s eyes met his. They were bloodshot and glossy, but still beautiful. She looked at him like she was seeing him for the first time and maybe she was. It had been so long since they had been together, they were different people now, but Matt wholeheartedly believed that both their past and present selves were perfect for each other.
Shay broke their gaze and turned to the bar, flinging her hand up in victory. “We should drunk! I mean drink!”
“I think you’ve had enough,” Matt said.
Shay shook her head. “I’m just getting started.”
“Oh you started, and now you’re done.”
She stabbed a finger into his chest. “Nobody bosses me around anymore, buddy. You got that?”
Matt had to stifle a laugh. Drunk or not, she was quite entertaining. Besides, Shay was always her own boss. The only time she wasn’t was when her parents were involved. Matt knew Shay didn’t need them. They were like a cancer eating away at everything that was good about her, turning her into someone he didn’t even recognize.
Shay leaned against the bar. “Billy! I’ll have another.”
The bartender turned toward Shay, and Matt shook his head. “No, she won’t.”
“If you won’t buy the lady another drink then I will,” the asshole from earlier sidled up next to Shay and gave her a wink like he was her knight in shining armor.
“At least someone knows how to celebrate,” Shay said, flashing her sexy smile at him.
Matt knew his type. He sat around at a bar, waited for a girl to get too drunk, and then he would strike. Matt would be damned if he let Shay be his prey.
“Billy, she’s done,” Matt said.
Billy knew Matt rather well. Matt had made a few trips down here over the years to break up a bar fight or two. Billy also called when someone was too drunk and insisted on driving home. There was no way in hell Billy would give Shay another drink now that Matt had stepped in.
“I think that’s the lady’s decision,” the asshole said, stepping in front of Shay.
Anger surged through Matt’s veins. If he had a different profession, he would lay this guy out in a heartbeat.
“I think you need to mind your own business.”
“Make me.”
Matt laughed, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sam walking toward them. Sam always had Matt’s back. Ever since fourth grade when Jimmy Littleton sucker-punched Matt and Sam stepped in and laid Jimmy out. They’d been best friends ever since.
The guy shoved Matt’s shoulder. “Let’s go, tough guy.”
Matt shook his head. “I don’t need to prove my dominance to some jerk in a bar who can’t get a chick unless she’s wasted.”
Matt anticipated the guy’s move before he even made it, so when his fist came at him, Matt ducked and then grabbed his hand and yanked it behind his back. Matt shoved his knee up until the guy dropped to the floor.
Shay shrieked, turning into Kate and the bar fell silent.
Sam came over and rested a tight hand on the guy’s shoulder while Matt dug in his pocket. The guy twisted and turned, trying his hardest to break free.
“Let me go, asshole.”
Matt grabbed his badge and dropped it down in front of his face. “I suggest you stop resisting.”
The guy froze then his head fell forward.
“Looks like you have things under control,” Sam said with a smirk then glanced over Matt’s shoulder. “Hi Shay.”
“Uh, hi.”
“Kind of like old times, huh?”
“I guess.” She dropped her head and looked down at her fidgeting hands. Sam laughed before heading back to the blonde.
“Tell me,” Matt said to the guy beneath him. “How did you plan on getting home tonight? And I’ll give you a hint. If you say driving we’re going to have a problem.”
The guy stuttered a few incoherent sounds before forming a sentence. “Walking?”
“Are you asking me or telling me?”
“Telling?”
Matt took his wallet and checked his ID. “According to this, you live a good seven miles away. That’s a pretty long walk.”
Matt turned to the bartender. “Billy, call the station. Tell Graham to get down here.”
“You can’t arrest me! I didn’t do anything wrong.” Sweat beaded on his forehead. Matt was getting a little too much pleasure watching this guy panic. Maybe it’ll teach him to keep his nose out of places where it didn’t belong.
“I could. You did after all shove a police officer.” Matt let that sit between them for a moment before adding, “But I’m not arresting you. I’m getting you a ride home. You’re welcome.” The guy might have been an asshole, but he was still a human being, and it was Matt’s job to protect him and anyone else on the road tonight. “But I’m telling you right now. If I ever catch you drinking and driving in my town I will have you in cuffs faster than you can blink. You got that?”
The guy nodded. Matt looked at Shay. Her back was pressed against the bar, eyes widened in shock like she was still processing everything that was happening.
Did she even realize the danger she put herself into tonight? Forget the drinking and driving portion. She was wasted, completely out of control, and vulnerable. It might be a small town, but that didn’t mean bad things didn’t happen.
As a city girl, one would think she’d be a little more careful about shit like this. He thought of all the worst-case scenarios and anger pumped through his veins. His eyes narrowed on her.
Once he was done dealing with this guy, she was next.
***
The intensity of Matt’s stare had Shay grabbing for the bar. Her lips parted to say something—a thank you or an apology—anything, but she still didn’t understand what just happened. One minute she was bickering with Matt and the next he was taking down some drunk guy.
“Let’s get you some water,” Kate said, wrapping her arm around Shay’s shoulder and turning her to face the bar.
“Billy, a water.”
“With lemon,” Shay added. It was a natural way to rid her body of the toxins she’d just consumed. Maybe, if she was lucky, she wouldn’t feel like hell in the morning. Doubtful since she felt like she was on the Tilt-A-Whirl.
If she only didn’t down so many Fireball and Coke’s in the first place. It’s just her mother made her crazy, and even though she acted like it was a celebration, she was really trying to forget the entire conversation completely. If she knew her mother, which she did, she knew this wasn’t the end. When her mother wanted something, she didn’t give up.
Shay sipped on her water, letting the icy cool goodness work its magic. Matt had escorted the drunk outside, and Shay had felt the loss of his presence the minute he left the bar. She also felt it return the minute he walked back in as if he was somehow connected to her.
“Let’s go,” he barked without so much as a single glance in her direction, treating her like she was a dog that he could command.
“I’m not ready to leave,” she said, bringing the straw back to her mouth even though there was nothing left to sip.
“I don’t care whether you’re ready or not. We’re leaving.”
“Kate can drive me home,” Shay snapped back. “I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you.”
“I pass your place on my way home. Kate’s on the other side of town. You’re coming with me.”
“Shouldn’t that be Kate’s decision?”
Kate held her hands up. “I’m not getting involved.”
The skin on the bridge of his nose creased, his jaw clenching. Sure signs he was losing his patience. Good. That’s what he got for being such a killjoy. If she wanted to get drunk that was her prerogative. It’s not like she invited him out tonight; he just happened to be there.
“Either you come with me—”
Annoyance burned bright and Shay jumped up from her stool. “Or what?” She planted her hands firmly on her hips, showing him he couldn’t make her do anything.
Before she could say another word, Matt bent down and scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder.
“Put me down!” she yelled, slamming her fists into his back, but it was no use. It was like hitting a brick wall, and the only thing she accomplished was hurting herself. She kicked her legs, but he pressed his strong arm over the back of her thighs, making it near impossible to move.
“See you later, Kate,” he said.
“Just like old times,” she heard Sam say as the door opened and closed behind them.
“Put me down, you big ogre!” she demanded.
“I’ll put you down, if you promise to behave.”
“What am I, five?”
“Sure as hell are acting like it.”
“Me? You’re the one taking down some poor guy who was just trying to buy me a drink.”
“The guy swung at me!”
“I would’ve swung at you, too!”
The blood rushed to her head, making the Tilt-A-Whirl feel intensify. Everything she drank turned into a whirlpool in her stomach. Her body heaved and it took all that she had not to spew Fireball and Coke down Matt’s back. Not that he didn’t deserve it.
She slapped one hand over her mouth and tapped him in a rushed panic. He slowly lowered her to the ground just as everything she drank pushed up. She had barely enough time to turn away from Matt so she could at least keep some of her dignity.
This is why she only drank wine. Liquor was the devil, and right now she felt like she had the fiery depths of hell burning her insides. Unable to control her emotions, tears spilled from her eyes, making this night even more of a complete disaster.
A gentle touch landed on her shoulders, massaging the tight tissue before pulling her hair out of her face. It reminded her of the first time she got drunk and how Matt took care of her so her grandparents wouldn’t find out.
“Feel better?” Matt asked. She wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.
Physically she might have felt slightly better, but emotionally she was a wreck. She didn’t know how to do this. How to be friends. The truth was she and Matt were never really friends. There was always something that burned between the two of them that they resisted for so long until neither was strong enough to keep up the fight.
Her walls were cracking, and she was too tired to try and hold them up any longer. But she had to. If he was interested still, he would’ve made another move by now. Clearly, the ongoing attraction was one-sided, and she needed to keep her resolve or lose him forever.
That kiss though. My God. It was toe-curling and mind numbingly good. How could he not want to repeat it? Unless, it wasn’t as good to him as it was to her.
“Stay right here,” Matt said as if the fog in her head would suddenly clear and she’d get in her car and take off.
She managed to right herself even though she was being weighed down by embarrassment.
“Here,” Matt said, walking over to her and handing her a bunch of tissues with the Happy Apple logo on them.
“Go there a lot?” she asked.
“Stop in for breakfast a couple times a week. Terry packs it up for me so I can take it on the go.”
It shouldn’t have bothered Shay, but it did. The Happy Apple was at the other end of Main Street, and yes, they served things like bacon and sausage that her shop didn’t have, but still. Why did he never think to stop by her place to grab a quick breakfast? She would’ve loaded him up with coffee and a few scones… even throw in a chocolate croissant.
“I serve breakfast,” she said, then added, “type foods.”
“I know.”
“So why don’t you ever stop in?”
Matt let out a loud exhale and ran a hand through his short brown hair. His lips parted, but then he pressed them shut. He held a hand out to her. “We should get you home.”
Shay’s stomach flopped, but it had nothing to do with the alcohol this time and everything to do with the man in front of her.
Normally, she’d get in the car and let the conversation die, but she wanted to know. “I have really good coffee.”
“I know.”
“Do you not like sweets in the morning, then? Because I have croissants without the chocolate.”
His eyes dropped to her, an intensity so strong it made her suck in a breath.
“I like sweets in the morning,” he said.
“It’s me, isn’t it? You don’t want to see me.” Emotion clogged her throat and tears pricked her eyes. She wanted to blame it on the damn Fireball for lowering her guard and putting cracks in her exterior.
Matt shook his head, but his gaze immediately locked back on hers. There were a million unspoken words hanging between them, and Shay wished she could reach out and grab them. Only so she could know what Matt was thinking because the man was like a steel trap, revealing little and keeping the rest bottled up.
“Yes,” he finally, said and he might as well have reached across the divide and slapped her. A wretched pain twisted her heart, her legs became wobbly, and she wished the night sky would swallow her up and place her among the thousand stars to hide.
“I see,” she said, keeping hold of the little resolve she had left. “Okay, then. We should go.”
He didn’t stop her, and somehow that hurt worse. After debating if she should get into the backseat of his cruiser—because let’s face it, that’s where people on the down belonged—she waited for him to unlock the passenger door.
Matt’s presence was overwhelming so she piled her hands on her lap, sticking as close to the door as possible. She rested her cheek against the cold window, loving how it felt against her heated skin.
She heard Matt turn in his seat, but she refused to look at him. Refused to acknowledge that he was even there for once she did, she didn’t think she’d be able to control her tears.
If it wasn’t for the break-in he never would’ve stopped in. He would’ve continued to avoid her at all costs, and on the slight chance he couldn’t, he would’ve resorted to talking about the weather. Well, at least she knew now.
He didn’t help her out or insist on security cameras and driving by her place every night because he wanted to see her. He was doing his job. Doing what he was paid to do. The kiss was obviously just a fluke fueled by the familiarity of being close to each other in the theater.
Matt pulled up to her place, and she quickly grabbed her purse and flung open the door. “Thank you for the ride and don’t worry about driving by every night. I’ll lock the door. Bye, Matt.”
She shut the passenger door and took off toward the house, just wanting to get inside before she crumpled. As she put the key in the lock, a strong hand latched onto her wrist and spun her around. Matt stared down at her with that intense gaze, and all the tears building in her eyes dried up.
Matt ran the pad of his thumb across her cheek, and her eyes slid shut at his touch, absorbing every second, burning it to memory.
His chest was practically pressed against hers, his breathing heavy as he looked down at her. His lips parted, and it seemed like what he was going to say was going to be important. She wanted to say the hell with it and kiss him, but then she remembered her incident in the parking lot.
She held a finger up to him and looked down. “Can you just give me a minute?” Shay pushed the door open and closed it behind her, running as fast as her drunk self would let her to the bathroom.
She downed a bunch of mouthwash and then quickly brushed her teeth before slipping back out the door and right back to where she was. Luckily Matt was still there.
The skin on the bridge of his nose pinched. “Did you just go brush your teeth?”
She nodded. “You were standing really close and well you know…”
He laughed, and god… did he realize how damn sexy that laugh was? How it made her insides melt and her heart pitter patter in her chest?
“You’re something else, Shay Michaels.”
“I’m not sure if that’s an insult or a compliment.”
“Compliment, definitely. Now can I finish what I was about to say before you disappeared on me?”
“Please.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering. His hands were more rugged, stronger, calloused, bigger than they once were, but his touch was still just as gentle. She wanted to feel those hands move across her body and slip beneath her shirt, pressing his skin against hers.
“You were right. You’re the reason I never came in.”
Her heart sunk in her chest, but then he cupped her cheeks and looked into her eyes.
“Only because seeing you hurts.”
“It does?”
He nodded, resting his forehead against hers, his breath warm on her face. His finger slid beneath her chin, and he urged her to look at him. “So damn much.”
“Why?”
“Because I miss you. Because seventeen years ago, I fell in love with you and never stopped.”
“I’m not even the same person anymore. Neither are you. So much time has passed. We might as well be strangers.”
The rational part of her brain decided to kick in now? Where had it been all night? She wanted to kick herself, but at the same time, she was just protecting her heart. Losing Matt once was hard enough; she couldn’t go through it again.
“Tell me there’s not a single part of you that still loves me, and I’ll walk away right now.”
She swallowed down the words fighting their way to the top. The answer was simple. Yes. A part of her still loved him. More than a part. Every guy she ever dated, she compared to him. Whenever she had a bad day, she would close her eyes and let her mind take her back to that summer they spent together. It was so long ago, but the memories burned bright, making it impossible for her to forget.
She looked at Matt, stronger, more filled out and even sexier than he ever was, and still saw the boy he once was. The boy who loved her unconditionally and showed her what true love felt like.
Her eyes slid shut as she garnered the strength to open her heart to the only guy capable of destroying it. When she opened them, and he was staring down at her with those big green eyes, the words came easy.
“I never stopped loving you, either.”
His lips came down on hers, devouring her heart and soul, refueling the fire that had been simmering for so long, sending chills down her spine and heat to her core. Their lips synced, both giving and taking, making up for all the time lost.
Shay poured herself into each kiss, refusing to hold anything back, wanting Matt to not only know how much she loved and missed him, but to feel it, too.
Matt’s hands slipped down her back, cupping her ass, and hoisting her up. Her legs wrapped around him, the heel of her foot urging him closer until she could feel his hardness pressed against her.
A smile tugged at her lips, but was lost to ecstasy as Matt dragged his lips down her neck. A moan tumbled from her mouth as he continued to kiss and suck the sensitive skin. His strong hand slipped beneath her shirt and spread against her stomach. She arched into him, and his grip tightened.
He dragged his lips to her ears, his breathing fast and warm against her skin. “I’ve been thinking about this from the minute I stepped into your shop that night.”
“I was a mess.”
His mouth stopped moving against her, and he pulled back, staring into her eyes, going past the surface and right to her soul. “You were beautiful.”
She grabbed his face, crushing her lips to his, knowing that no matter how many times she kissed him it would never be enough.
She reached behind her, grabbing the knob and pushing the door open. They stumbled into the house, but Matt managed to keep them from toppling over.
“Bedroom,” she managed before her eyes rolled into the back of her head as his fingers slid across the thin satin of her bra.
“Are you sure?”
She grabbed his face, bringing his eyes to hers. “I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life.”
“I have dreamed about this moment for seventeen years. Where have you been all this time?”
“Waiting for you.”
Matt captured her lips with his, tilting her head back and deepening the kiss. His tongue slid against hers in a beautiful dance as she met him stroke for stroke.
He unhooked her bra, slipping his hand beneath the cup and taking her full breast into his hand. His finger ran across her nipple, and it hardened at his touch. She wanted to feel him take each bead into his mouth and circle it with his tongue.
As if he could hear her thoughts, he dipped his head and did just that. Shay cried out from the intense pleasure, digging her nails into his back, reveling in each flick of his tongue.
“I need you,” she said. “Please don’t make me wait any longer.”
Matt brought his mouth to hers again. “Point me in a direction,” he said against her lips.
“Third door on the right.”
His fingers traced up her back before he grabbed her shirt and pulled it off. She slipped out of her bra and let it fall to the floor beneath them, leaving a trail of clothes as they went.
When they got to her bedroom, he placed her on the middle of the bed and sat back. He removed each of her shoes then her pants. His eyes darkened at the light pink strip of satin that covered her.
She could see the bulge in his pants grow even bigger still. “Matt, please.”
He reached behind him and pulled his shirt over his head, revealing the body of a god—tight and muscular and full of cut lines she wanted to run her tongue along.
His lips quirked at the corner as Shay stared in awe. He watched her with intense eyes as he slid his pants off. She let out a gasp then licked her lips in anticipation.
Matt slid the condom on and kneeled on the bed, hovering over Shay before pushing into her. She cried out as he filled her completely, and after two years in Red Maple Falls, Shay finally felt like she was home.