Chapter 30

Bethany

"He didn't do it on purpose." Matt wrapped an arm around Bethany's shoulders as they walked down the long terminal to the baggage claim. Somehow Matt couldn't fit everything in a carry-on, so she hadn't even tried. He was being a bit of a diva, which opened the door for her to follow suit.

"No? He told me to be at his house last night at ten, and I fell asleep like I have for the last few nights, sitting on my couch, completely exhausted. I didn't even mean not to go over there." She huffed and stopped beside the turnstile as bags started to drop from the large opening at the other end.

"It's going to be fine, Sis. Stop worrying, okay?" He pressed his shoulder to hers and moved up to get their bags when they showed up.

"You're right." She popped the handle on her bag and followed behind him as a feeling of trepidation tried to pull her back down. "I need a drink."

"Well, let's get to the hotel and then we can unpack and grab something to drink while we wait for Damon."

"Sounds good." She rubbed his back as they stopped beside a stretch limo, the guy waving around a sign for McKenzie and Bryant on it. "You nervous about the showing tonight?"

"Not really. It will happen, or it won't." Matt moved to the back of the car and shook hands with the driver while Bethany glanced around. It was beautiful, and the air was clean. There was something to be said about getting away from Texas humidity in late summer.

"See something you like?" Matt turned to look across the horizon.

"Just glad to get away with you." She got in and buckled up before laying back and letting out a long sigh. She pulled her phone from her purse and decided she was done being the difficult one. Texting Damon even when it was the last thing she wanted to do seemed most appropriate.

Bethany: Sad to see that you missed the flight. I hope everything is okay. I miss you something horrible.

Damon: I'm boarding now. I'll be there just before we need to leave. I had breakfast with an old mentor from college, so it wasn't a total waste. I missed you last night. To say I wasn't upset would be a fucking lie, but I assume you had a reason for standing me up.

"We never agreed." She clenched her teeth as Matt turned to face her.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing." She let out a slow sigh and let go of the rising emotion inside of her. Were all relationships so fucking intense? She couldn't remember dating much, so not having a comparison, she had to assume they were.

Bethany: I was so tired that I fell asleep with a bowl of soup on my lap on the couch back at my apartment. It was ugly.

Damon: Ha. That's not good. You need to look at your schedule and see what's going to go. I'm not an option. You're stuck, baby.

Warmth filled her as tears blurred her vision.

Bethany: Hurry up and get to Seattle. I need you. I feel like we're being pulled apart before we even start.

Damon: We're not. We just have a lot going on. It's going to be fine. We just need to figure out how to communicate better. We'll work on it this weekend. Keep Matt in a good frame of mind, and I'll come find you the minute I get into town.

Bethany: Did you get our room together?

Damon: Do you have to ask that?

Bethany: Good. I was getting worried.

Damon: Well, stop.

"Everything okay?" Matt turned his head toward her and smiled.

"I think so. We just have so much shit flying at us, and trying to keep two dominant people from killing each other is hard on a good day." She laid her phone down in the seat beside her and wiped at her eyes. "He wants me to give something up, but everything I'm doing has to stay. It's not that easy."

"Then maybe you stop working at the firm. Dad is going to support your college goals no matter what. He wouldn't deny you." Matt reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Maybe. I'll think about it." She turned her hand over and clasped his hand. "So tell me what happens tonight. Are we the only ones with the dealer?"

"Sounds so nefarious. I love it." Matt's lips lifted in a beautiful smile. Bethany had no doubt at all why Erica was in love with him. He was the complete opposite of Damon and yet still the full-package deal himself.

"You know we're having dinner with Erica tonight. Damon set it up earlier this week, I think."

"What? Fuck." Matt released her hand and pressed his hands to his face as he groaned out loud. "Call and tell her we got delayed."

"You're so ridiculous. She's perfect for you." Bethany forced herself not to laugh at how childish Matt was being.

"You don't understand. I'm childish and try hard to have fun so I don't have to face the fact that I'm... Never mind. It's TMI." He turned to look out the far window and huffed again.

"You're what? Afraid of commitment? Worried that she's too much for you? Intimidated by her?"

"I like strong women, Bethany, but only so I can break them down."

"What? That doesn't-" She studied his expression understanding all too clearly what he meant. "Oh. In the bedroom? You like to-"

"Good enough. Thanks. The conversation took a turn for the worst. I'm good when I'm single, but being with someone like Erica will just bring it out of me. I hate it."

"Why? Women love a strong man." She reached out, but he moved away.

"Because I wanna be loving, but it's hard. I don't even know why."

"You objectify them?"

"A little, yeah. Let's change the subject. I haven't dated since college, and things have honestly been great. I don't plan on starting soon."

"You're making yourself out to be a monster." Bethany chuckled, but the sound fell flat as Matt waved her off and left her stewing in her thoughts. Whatever was going on with him, she'd have to talk with Damon about it later.

***

She glanced up from reading a magazine on the bed in the room as the door opened. Damon walked in, looking like he'd been up for three days straight.

"Hey." He gave her a tight smile and dropped his bag just inside the door before pulling off his suit jacket.

"Hi, baby." She got up and moved toward him, pulling him down for a long sweet kiss. There was no fire to it, but it was almost a good thing. They were dancing around each other as if they were both waiting for the other to strike, to pull back and deny the other.

"Your flight go okay?" He kissed her again and ran his hands over her hips to squeeze the top curve of her ass.

"Yeah. It would have been better with you being with me, but I was still pretty pissy toward you, so maybe not." She smiled and pulled from him, turning and walking toward the bed. "Come lay down with me until we have to go."

"Sounds like a plan to me." He pulled off his tie and undid his shirt before letting it drop to the ground behind him. "Why were you pissy? You stood me up."

She opened her arms to him and cradled his head against her chest as he snuggled up beside her and let out a long sigh.

"You refuse to call or text me. We've had two or three days since getting back from Jamaica where we haven't talked." She kissed the side of his head and groaned as he rolled her onto her back and moved to lay on top of her.

"You have fingers and a phone too. Why do I have to be the one calling all the time? This is the twenty-first century." He licked his lips and tugged her blouse down as he sucked one of her nipples into his mouth. The soft lace covering her breasts was little protection against his assault.

"You wanna be in control here, but nowhere else? Is that what I'm hearing?" She pushed at his shoulders.

He moved back to his knees and ran his hands up her legs, squeezing softly. "I'm in control everywhere, Beth. If you wanna try and tug it from my tight grip, go for it baby. I'd love to see you own it."

"Own you?" She reached up and brushed her fingers over his lips as he tugged her shorts down her legs.

"You already own me; you've just denied yourself the opportunity to flaunt that." He brushed his knuckles over her mouth and licked his lips. "How long do we have?"

"Forty minutes until we need to meet Matt downstairs." She bit her tongue on his comment about flaunting anything. He'd denied her that opportunity when he left the note about hiding her fucking ring.

"That's just enough time to lose myself in you." He moved back off the bed and worked his slacks off his hips.

She sucked in a sharp breath as he climbed back on the bed naked, hard and hungry. He leaned down and bit the edge of her panties before pulling them down her legs with his teeth.

"Damon. Do we really-"

"Shhh." He moved back up her body and forced her legs open. "You and I need this more than anything else we might get this weekend."

"Each other?"

"Yes, baby. Hold on tight." He pressed his hands beside her head and smiled as he dipped his hips and impaled her.

A long cry left her as she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his narrow hips. "You could have warned me."

He leaned down and licked at her ear. "I'm gonna fuck you now. That all right?"

"Yeah," she whispered before giving in to the carnality that lay between the two of them. Passion was fueled by many different emotions, but at the moment it was neediness. Both of them searching for the other and yet missing the mark over and over again.

"Good. Give yourself over to me and stop thinking. Work me hard from below, Beth. Bring me over the edge, and I'll do the same to you."

She nodded and cried out his name as he crashed into her and lifted her legs, trapping them against his chest as he brought her to the edge with intense efficiency. His lips pressed tightly to hers as she felt the world explode, and oddly enough, for a moment, nothing mattered.

Nothing but him.