and
kind, and you wouldn’t have wanted to hurt my feelings. But that’s not the way
I wanted it to be.” His eyes gripped hers, analyzing her reaction. “I wanted
you to be proud to be with me, like you were tonight.”
She couldn’t deny she loved walking through
his crowded bar while holding his hand and watching every head turn. Women had
been envious that she was the one lucky enough to leave with him.
“I won’t pretend I had this planned, seeing
you again. I didn’t. But feeling the way I did about myself and the way I felt
about you made me realize that wasn’t the man I wanted to be. So I changed, and
I liked my reflection more and more every day. Not just because of the way I
looked, but because of the way I felt. I was proud of myself, proud of my
accomplishments, and that made me walk a little taller.”
Kristen knew that confession couldn’t be
easy for him, but she was glad he’d told her that. It gave her more insight
into the man she was falling in love with. That realization should have
startled her, but it didn’t. It felt too right to be wrong.
“Eventually I got to a place where I
realized other people’s opinions didn’t matter anymore. The only person I had to
impress was myself,” he said.
“For what it’s worth, you’ve impressed me
too. A lot.” Tilting her head, she hoped he would take the hint and kiss her.
“It’s worth a lot.” His body barely touched
hers, yet she felt the connection from the crown of her head to her toes. “More
than you know.”
“I said before that I wanted to take things
slow,” she said, still wondering if putting herself out there would be as
traumatic as she feared. “Maybe I was wrong about that.” His expression didn’t
change or give her a hint about his thoughts, so she forced herself to
continue. “Maybe overthinking things, being too cautious, is the mistake I’ve
always made. Maybe just this once, I should act on impulse.”
“What’s your gut telling you?”
He seemed determined to torture her, to
make her spell it out for him. “It’s telling me to take what I want for once
without thinking about tomorrow.”
Before he could ask her what she wanted,
she decided to show him. Curling her hand around the back of his neck, she
brought his head down, pausing only a brief second before their mouths
collided.
***
Matt couldn’t remember a time when he’d
been more turned on or more desperate to find a bed. Hell, any flat surface
would do. He and Kristen were already tearing at each other’s clothes, kissing deeply
as she walked him backward down the hall to her bedroom. A thousand times in
his fantasies, he’d lived that moment. He almost feared the real event could
never live up to those dreams, but somehow he knew it would.
He kicked the door closed, barely noticing
the small, feminine bedroom. Pink was the only color he saw because it covered
the queen-sized bed dominating the room. If he’d had his way, he would have
taken her back to his place so they could make love in his big antique bed, but
anywhere would do as long as she had no regrets in the morning. He didn’t know
where that thought came from. It forced him to pull back, drawing his lips from
hers.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, barely able to
force her eyes open.
“You’re sure this is what you want?” He gripped
her shoulders, desperate for her to see him , to acknowledge that their
night together was more than just a moment of abandon. “Because once we make
love, there’s no going back, and I don’t want to.” He was trying to tell her
that it was the start of a relationship he hoped would last for a long time,
maybe forever.
“I know that.” She gave him a reassuring
smile. “I love that you care enough to ask whether I’m having second thoughts.
Most men wouldn’t.”
“I’m not most men.” When he was in, he was
all in. No reservations. No holding back.
“I can see that.” Her eyes toured his
chest, settling on his
kind, and you wouldn’t have wanted to hurt my feelings. But that’s not the way
I wanted it to be.” His eyes gripped hers, analyzing her reaction. “I wanted
you to be proud to be with me, like you were tonight.”
She couldn’t deny she loved walking through
his crowded bar while holding his hand and watching every head turn. Women had
been envious that she was the one lucky enough to leave with him.
“I won’t pretend I had this planned, seeing
you again. I didn’t. But feeling the way I did about myself and the way I felt
about you made me realize that wasn’t the man I wanted to be. So I changed, and
I liked my reflection more and more every day. Not just because of the way I
looked, but because of the way I felt. I was proud of myself, proud of my
accomplishments, and that made me walk a little taller.”
Kristen knew that confession couldn’t be
easy for him, but she was glad he’d told her that. It gave her more insight
into the man she was falling in love with. That realization should have
startled her, but it didn’t. It felt too right to be wrong.
“Eventually I got to a place where I
realized other people’s opinions didn’t matter anymore. The only person I had to
impress was myself,” he said.
“For what it’s worth, you’ve impressed me
too. A lot.” Tilting her head, she hoped he would take the hint and kiss her.
“It’s worth a lot.” His body barely touched
hers, yet she felt the connection from the crown of her head to her toes. “More
than you know.”
“I said before that I wanted to take things
slow,” she said, still wondering if putting herself out there would be as
traumatic as she feared. “Maybe I was wrong about that.” His expression didn’t
change or give her a hint about his thoughts, so she forced herself to
continue. “Maybe overthinking things, being too cautious, is the mistake I’ve
always made. Maybe just this once, I should act on impulse.”
“What’s your gut telling you?”
He seemed determined to torture her, to
make her spell it out for him. “It’s telling me to take what I want for once
without thinking about tomorrow.”
Before he could ask her what she wanted,
she decided to show him. Curling her hand around the back of his neck, she
brought his head down, pausing only a brief second before their mouths
collided.
***
Matt couldn’t remember a time when he’d
been more turned on or more desperate to find a bed. Hell, any flat surface
would do. He and Kristen were already tearing at each other’s clothes, kissing deeply
as she walked him backward down the hall to her bedroom. A thousand times in
his fantasies, he’d lived that moment. He almost feared the real event could
never live up to those dreams, but somehow he knew it would.
He kicked the door closed, barely noticing
the small, feminine bedroom. Pink was the only color he saw because it covered
the queen-sized bed dominating the room. If he’d had his way, he would have
taken her back to his place so they could make love in his big antique bed, but
anywhere would do as long as she had no regrets in the morning. He didn’t know
where that thought came from. It forced him to pull back, drawing his lips from
hers.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, barely able to
force her eyes open.
“You’re sure this is what you want?” He gripped
her shoulders, desperate for her to see him , to acknowledge that their
night together was more than just a moment of abandon. “Because once we make
love, there’s no going back, and I don’t want to.” He was trying to tell her
that it was the start of a relationship he hoped would last for a long time,
maybe forever.
“I know that.” She gave him a reassuring
smile. “I love that you care enough to ask whether I’m having second thoughts.
Most men wouldn’t.”
“I’m not most men.” When he was in, he was
all in. No reservations. No holding back.
“I can see that.” Her eyes toured his
chest, settling on his
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