in ten years Jenn allowed herself to feel something other than anger and antipathy towards Matt. She looked at him and saw a proud, confused man who needed guidance and, yes, a friend. If someone had told her a month ago that she would be standing in her kitchen with Matt Roberts, contemplating being his friend , she would have told them they were crazy.
His hand tightened around hers, and Jenn did something even crazier than thinking of him as a friend—she wrapped her arms around his waist and settled her head against his chest.
Matt stood frozen for a few seconds, and then tentatively hugged her back. It was kind of awkward, a little sweet and a lot confusing.
Jenn wasn’t sure what this meant going forward, but she did know that they couldn’t go back to the anger-filled place they’d been in for the past ten years. Could she be friends with Matt, or was that playing with fire?
The feel of his thumbs brushing against the small of her back in a slow, relaxing pattern pushed through the swirl of thoughts in her head. Like the first flowers of spring, her body slowly woke up nerve ending by nerve ending.
This stupid attraction was so inconvenient.
She pulled away, tugged her camisole down and grabbed the Whataburger bag on the countertop. Before she could move away completely, Matt reached out and cupped her face with his hand. She wanted to arch into his palm like a cat.
Instead, she stood there, still, watching him watching her. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down and he inhaled a quick, shaky breath. Her heart pounded in her chest and dammit, she wanted this man.
He hadn’t even kissed her, and she wanted to climb inside of him.
Matt stepped closer, crowding her body with his own, and Jenn’s pulse thickened in her veins like some crazy voodoo drumbeat. Her fingers itched. Her skin tingled. Her lips wanted nothing more than to press against his.
That Matt Roberts scent wrapped around her nose and her brain, making her thoughts fuzzy at the edges.
She was having a hard time remembering why kissing him would be a bad idea.
His thumb stroked her cheek while his other hand rested on her hip. His fingers flexed against the cotton of her boxers and she kind of wished his fingers were flexing against nothing but bare skin.
Matt’s eyes darkened to that mossy green color she remembered from all those years ago, and she licked her lips. He moved closer, nuzzled his nose against her temple and then her cheek.
Her eyelids fluttered shut, anticipating what was next no matter how wrong it was. Matt’s lips were soft and he kissed her cheek, the tip of her nose and then her other cheek, taking his time. Jenn’s breath caught at the unexpected affection, and the slow heat building in her belly.
He kissed the corner of her mouth, her chin, the curve of her jaw.
How was it that big, masculine Matt Roberts could be so gentle?
Jenn sighed as Matt pulled away from her. Her body swayed forward of its own volition, and his grip on her hip tightened.
“I think someone’s at the door.” His voice was hoarse, like he’d just run a marathon through the Sahara.
“Hmmm?”
He chuckled. “Someone just rang your doorbell.”
Oh, did you ever.
Wait, what? Jenn’s eyes blinked open and Matt slowly came into focus. His beautiful mouth was twisted into a wry grin, his hazel eyes burned with something that looked a lot like lust and his breathing was just the slightest bit uneven.
Oh. Shit.
What the hell had she just done?
#
Matt knew the moment Jenn returned to the present. Her green eyes sharpened, the flush on her cheeks deepened and her body tensed. Not two seconds later she’d taken two steps away from him and couldn’t seem to look him in the eye.
One step forward, two steps back. Wasn’t that just the way of it?
She set the Whataburger bag back on the counter and cleared her throat. “I, uh, should probably get that.”
She walked around him—making sure not to touch him—and towards the front
His hand tightened around hers, and Jenn did something even crazier than thinking of him as a friend—she wrapped her arms around his waist and settled her head against his chest.
Matt stood frozen for a few seconds, and then tentatively hugged her back. It was kind of awkward, a little sweet and a lot confusing.
Jenn wasn’t sure what this meant going forward, but she did know that they couldn’t go back to the anger-filled place they’d been in for the past ten years. Could she be friends with Matt, or was that playing with fire?
The feel of his thumbs brushing against the small of her back in a slow, relaxing pattern pushed through the swirl of thoughts in her head. Like the first flowers of spring, her body slowly woke up nerve ending by nerve ending.
This stupid attraction was so inconvenient.
She pulled away, tugged her camisole down and grabbed the Whataburger bag on the countertop. Before she could move away completely, Matt reached out and cupped her face with his hand. She wanted to arch into his palm like a cat.
Instead, she stood there, still, watching him watching her. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down and he inhaled a quick, shaky breath. Her heart pounded in her chest and dammit, she wanted this man.
He hadn’t even kissed her, and she wanted to climb inside of him.
Matt stepped closer, crowding her body with his own, and Jenn’s pulse thickened in her veins like some crazy voodoo drumbeat. Her fingers itched. Her skin tingled. Her lips wanted nothing more than to press against his.
That Matt Roberts scent wrapped around her nose and her brain, making her thoughts fuzzy at the edges.
She was having a hard time remembering why kissing him would be a bad idea.
His thumb stroked her cheek while his other hand rested on her hip. His fingers flexed against the cotton of her boxers and she kind of wished his fingers were flexing against nothing but bare skin.
Matt’s eyes darkened to that mossy green color she remembered from all those years ago, and she licked her lips. He moved closer, nuzzled his nose against her temple and then her cheek.
Her eyelids fluttered shut, anticipating what was next no matter how wrong it was. Matt’s lips were soft and he kissed her cheek, the tip of her nose and then her other cheek, taking his time. Jenn’s breath caught at the unexpected affection, and the slow heat building in her belly.
He kissed the corner of her mouth, her chin, the curve of her jaw.
How was it that big, masculine Matt Roberts could be so gentle?
Jenn sighed as Matt pulled away from her. Her body swayed forward of its own volition, and his grip on her hip tightened.
“I think someone’s at the door.” His voice was hoarse, like he’d just run a marathon through the Sahara.
“Hmmm?”
He chuckled. “Someone just rang your doorbell.”
Oh, did you ever.
Wait, what? Jenn’s eyes blinked open and Matt slowly came into focus. His beautiful mouth was twisted into a wry grin, his hazel eyes burned with something that looked a lot like lust and his breathing was just the slightest bit uneven.
Oh. Shit.
What the hell had she just done?
#
Matt knew the moment Jenn returned to the present. Her green eyes sharpened, the flush on her cheeks deepened and her body tensed. Not two seconds later she’d taken two steps away from him and couldn’t seem to look him in the eye.
One step forward, two steps back. Wasn’t that just the way of it?
She set the Whataburger bag back on the counter and cleared her throat. “I, uh, should probably get that.”
She walked around him—making sure not to touch him—and towards the front
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