to be renewed. But if I came back up here, they would happily pay for my rent."
Matt dried his hands on a towel and turned to face Jess. "I don't understand, you said they had cut off your allowance."
"Yes, they have. What Mum failed to mention was that if I moved back up here, there were conditions." She held up a finger and carried on. "Like one, I couldn't work." She held up another finger. "Two, I needed to get married, preferably to who Mum chose, and I have a feeling she's still harbouring thoughts of me and Miles getting back together."
"You're kidding?"
"Nope. Do you not remember what Mum said after I broke off the engagement? It wasn't just Miles's heart I'd broken but hers, as well as Miles's mother's. Please, he'd need a heart before it could be broken."
He should have known; wasn't it the same move their mum was trying to pull on him? The woman was obsessed with marrying them off. "I'm sorry, Jess. She told me I needed to get married soon or women would start to think there was something wrong with me." He glared at her as she snorted at his words.
"For once, I agree with her. You're what, thirty-two now? Leave it much longer and you'll be a confirmed bachelor. But you've got Emma now, and she's a keeper. Do you want me to put in a good word with her for you?"
Matt threw his towel in her face as she started to laugh at his expense. He didn't really mind, though, because he hated seeing her upset. "Don't you bloody dare say a word to her." He followed Jess into the living room where Emma was looking relaxed, a glass of wine in her hand.
Jess had insisted on picking a movie to watch, yet halfway through had promptly fallen asleep. As the credits rolled, he glanced in Emma's direction, smiling as their eyes met.
"I guess I better take her home. At least I won't have to do that for much longer."
Emma leaned into him. "No, and I'll just leave her asleep on the sofa. You going to be okay?"
"What, getting her home?"
"No, just generally. You look tired. I'm worried about you."
He smiled, quite liking the idea that she was worried about him. "I'll be fine."
"It's just, well, I care about you."
His smile widened and, apart from the fact, his sister was asleep on the sofa, he thought this was the perfect opportunity. Cupping his palm around her jaw, he wrapped the other around the back of her head, threading his fingers through her hair. When she leaned in to his palm, he pulled her closer. Their lips met, soft and warm, gently at first. She leaned further in to him, and gasped as his hand grazed the side of her breast. He took full advantage, and his tongue stroked hers.
"Get a room, you two."
Matt repressed a groan at his sister's timing as he pulled back from Emma. The flush on her cheeks made him smile, glad that he wasn't the one blushing for once. But the smile quickly faded as he realised Jess would always be there soon. He couldn't repress his groan at the thought.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
"Night, Jess."
"Goodnight, Matt. And it's about time you and Emma sorted yourselves out. I thought you were never going to make a move."
Matt watched open-mouthed as she headed for his spare bedroom. Shaking his head after her, he made his way to the kitchen. His thoughts were racing, mainly over Emma and where things might be headed. Much as he loved his sister, he had a feeling she was about to make his life a lot more difficult.
He pulled a beer from the fridge, knowing he wouldn't be sleeping any time soon. Leaning against the sink, he twisted the top off the bottle and took a large swig before a shadow across the window caught his attention. It wasn't unusual for people to walk past his kitchen window but the shadow was small, unusual for this time of night as most kids would be in bed already. He turned to face the window, head raised. The bottom was at street level so it was only a few inches above his head, but with the brightness of the kitchen compared to the darkness of the night
Matt dried his hands on a towel and turned to face Jess. "I don't understand, you said they had cut off your allowance."
"Yes, they have. What Mum failed to mention was that if I moved back up here, there were conditions." She held up a finger and carried on. "Like one, I couldn't work." She held up another finger. "Two, I needed to get married, preferably to who Mum chose, and I have a feeling she's still harbouring thoughts of me and Miles getting back together."
"You're kidding?"
"Nope. Do you not remember what Mum said after I broke off the engagement? It wasn't just Miles's heart I'd broken but hers, as well as Miles's mother's. Please, he'd need a heart before it could be broken."
He should have known; wasn't it the same move their mum was trying to pull on him? The woman was obsessed with marrying them off. "I'm sorry, Jess. She told me I needed to get married soon or women would start to think there was something wrong with me." He glared at her as she snorted at his words.
"For once, I agree with her. You're what, thirty-two now? Leave it much longer and you'll be a confirmed bachelor. But you've got Emma now, and she's a keeper. Do you want me to put in a good word with her for you?"
Matt threw his towel in her face as she started to laugh at his expense. He didn't really mind, though, because he hated seeing her upset. "Don't you bloody dare say a word to her." He followed Jess into the living room where Emma was looking relaxed, a glass of wine in her hand.
Jess had insisted on picking a movie to watch, yet halfway through had promptly fallen asleep. As the credits rolled, he glanced in Emma's direction, smiling as their eyes met.
"I guess I better take her home. At least I won't have to do that for much longer."
Emma leaned into him. "No, and I'll just leave her asleep on the sofa. You going to be okay?"
"What, getting her home?"
"No, just generally. You look tired. I'm worried about you."
He smiled, quite liking the idea that she was worried about him. "I'll be fine."
"It's just, well, I care about you."
His smile widened and, apart from the fact, his sister was asleep on the sofa, he thought this was the perfect opportunity. Cupping his palm around her jaw, he wrapped the other around the back of her head, threading his fingers through her hair. When she leaned in to his palm, he pulled her closer. Their lips met, soft and warm, gently at first. She leaned further in to him, and gasped as his hand grazed the side of her breast. He took full advantage, and his tongue stroked hers.
"Get a room, you two."
Matt repressed a groan at his sister's timing as he pulled back from Emma. The flush on her cheeks made him smile, glad that he wasn't the one blushing for once. But the smile quickly faded as he realised Jess would always be there soon. He couldn't repress his groan at the thought.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
"Night, Jess."
"Goodnight, Matt. And it's about time you and Emma sorted yourselves out. I thought you were never going to make a move."
Matt watched open-mouthed as she headed for his spare bedroom. Shaking his head after her, he made his way to the kitchen. His thoughts were racing, mainly over Emma and where things might be headed. Much as he loved his sister, he had a feeling she was about to make his life a lot more difficult.
He pulled a beer from the fridge, knowing he wouldn't be sleeping any time soon. Leaning against the sink, he twisted the top off the bottle and took a large swig before a shadow across the window caught his attention. It wasn't unusual for people to walk past his kitchen window but the shadow was small, unusual for this time of night as most kids would be in bed already. He turned to face the window, head raised. The bottom was at street level so it was only a few inches above his head, but with the brightness of the kitchen compared to the darkness of the night
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