Maybe Matt's Miracle by Tammy Falkner Page B

things well, did you?”
    I shake my head, pretending to be really engrossed in my sandwich. But I really don’t want to talk about Phillip.
    “ Are you sad?” he asks.
    “ Only that you’re talking about it,” I toss back.
    He grins. “Point taken.” His voice drops to a sultry growl. “When I finally get in your bed, I promise not to be selfish,” I say.
    My heart stalls. “You have been talking to Seth,” I say. “I’m going to have to have a chat with him about privacy.”
    Matt stills. “Sorry. I was just teasing. I won’t do it anymore. Seth very offhandedly told me about your breakup. He wasn’t ratting you out or anything.”
    “ That’s good to know.”
    “ You’re mad at me.”
    “ Embarrassed that you have intimate knowledge of my sex life.” I finish off my pickle and dust my hands together. “I do have to get back to work,” I say.
    “ Fuck, I messed it up,” he says, tossing his napkin onto his plate. He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his wallet. He peels off enough cash to cover the bill and a generous tip and leaves it on the table.
    “ Let me pay for half,” I protest.
    “ I invited. I pay.” His hand lands at the small of my back again.
    “ So if I invite you, I get to pay?”
    “ Nope,” he says. “I’m the guy. I pay.”
    Phillip watches us closely as we walk by him toward the door.
    We walk quietly toward my office building. Matt doesn’t reach for my hand, and he doesn’t say anything. I turn to him when we get to the steps of my office. “Thank you for lunch,” I say.
    “ I’m sorry I ruined it.”
    “ You didn’t ruin it. I’m just not comfortable talking about it. Not now.”
    “ I crossed the line. Forgive me. Please?” He’s not touching me, and I can feel the divide between us.
    “ Nothing to forgive.” I step onto my tiptoes, and he leans down toward me. I kiss his cheek, and he straightens up and smiles at me.
    “ Thanks,” he says.
    “ Thank you. I mean it.”
    I leave him standing on the steps.
    My heart has already sunk all the way down to my toes.
     
    ###
     
    I drop heavily into my desk chair. My phone buzzes, and I press the “speaker” button. “Yes?”
    “ Um…” the receptionist says.
    “ What is it?” I bark.
    But then my office door opens, and Matt steps through.
    “ He’s on his way to you,” the receptionist says.
    “ Thanks for the warning,” I mutter.
    Matt closes my office door behind him and approaches me. I stand, and he tips my chin up toward his face. “I forgot something,” he says. He’s breathless, and his eyes search mine. “I forgot to tell you that I want your heart more than I want your body,” he says. His eyes are still flitting all over my face. “I fucked that up, but I’m not done yet. And I know how to say I’m sorry.”
    “ Matt,” I start.
    But he cuts me off. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything, and it’s difficult to even walk when I’m around you because my dick gets so hard I could pound nails with it.”
    Heat creeps up my cheeks, but he doesn’t stop.
    “ I shouldn’t have gone there with you yet, but I can’t help it. I’m fucking dying to be inside you. I’m fucking dying to hold you close to me, hopefully when we’re both naked.” He grins.  “But even more than that, I want you to love me. I want you to love me a lot, and I went the wrong way about it. Please forgive me.” He finally stops and draws in a deep breath. “Please.”
    “ Matt,” I say.
    “ When I saw your boyfriend, all I could think was that I could satisfy you so much more, mainly because I was jealous as hell that he’s been close to you. Maybe I was trying to get him off your mind and put myself there. Or maybe I’m just an idiot. It’s probably the latter. I admit it. I’m an idiot when it comes to you. But that’s okay with me. I hope it’s okay with you, too.”
    “ Matt,” I say again.
    “ Forgive me,” he urges. “I won’t ever do it again.”
    I