Chapter Twenty-One

Karrie

He has bulldozed his way into my life. He has stopped at nothing to make me stay with him. And I have to admit I have never felt as much as I have when we are together. He keeps me safe. He keeps me happy and the only other people ever to do that with me have been my parents. We walk into the hotel room, my hair already half messed up from the assault of his hands the minute we got into the cab. His lips land on mine as soon as we are out of the photographers’ lenses. His mouth is on mine, his tongue mixed with mine, the need too much. I’m about to jump on his lap when we pull up to the hotel.

Once we get into the room, I see it’s dim, candles lit all around the room. “What is all this?” I ask. Red rose petals scatter the whole room. There’s a heart shape on the bed with a single white rose in the middle.

“I never get to do this because we are always with the team.” He shrugs while I hold the white rose up to my nose. Rubbing it on my face, the petals are like a soft velvet.

I notice all the effort he put into this. Champagne and strawberries are on the table in the corner of the room with two chairs beside the table. I walk up, picking up a filled glass, the bubbles popping in my mouth. I grab a strawberry, biting into it, the sweet tart juices making the champagne come more alive. I suck the strawberry juices while I watch Matthew watch me, his lips squeezing tight, the vein in his jaw ticking. I put the champagne glass down while I lick the remaining strawberry off my fingers. I walk to the chair, turning it so it faces the floor-to-ceiling windows.

“All night I kept thinking about what you said.” I reach to the side, zipping the invisible zipper down, letting the dress pool around my feet. His breath intakes as he sees that I’m not wearing anything under my white dress. “I kept picturing you here with me bent over and I couldn’t wait to come back. But now,” I tell him, walking to him, grabbing his hand, and bringing him to the chair, “I have something else in mind.” I reach under his jacket, my hands flat on his chest while I peel his jacket off him. “But you know what I kept thinking about?” My fingers lace with his while I move him to sit in the chair. “I kept thinking about this right here.” I get on my knees in the middle of his legs, my hands rubbing his thighs, moving up to his belt buckle, where I unbuckle it and open up the button. Pulling the zipper down, his cock comes out. My hand fists him from the base, going up to the tip. His head falls back while his chest expands with a heavy breath. “All night,” I say, moving down, “I thought of nothing more than taking you in my mouth.”

It’s the last thing I say before I lick the pre-cum twirling around the tip, my mouth sucking it in. I move higher on my knees while my hair falls over me when I try to take him deep down in my throat. Matthew’s hips thrust up, making me moan out, making me want to bring him to his knees. His fingers move my hair to the side so he can see me take him in my mouth.

“Beauty,” he says to me while I take him more vigorously, up and down. He hits the back of my throat, and each time my hand wraps him and moves with it. “As much as I love you on your knees with my cock in your mouth, I need you to get up here and ride me.”

I rise up, having his cock slide out of my mouth, a smile forming on my lips. I place one foot on each side of his legs, unbuttoning his shirt that’s still buttoned. His chest smooth, my hands run up and down to his shoulders, opening it up even more. Grabbing him in one hand, I hover on him, rubbing him through my folds as I slowly lower myself on him. When he tied me up in bed, we were so caught up in each other that we forgot about the condom. After talking about it and me being on the pill, it was mutually decided we would go without. His hands hold my hips as soon as I’m on him completely. His strength lifts me up and down while I arch my back and he sucks my nipple into his mouth. The only sound in the room is from us, our breaths coming faster and faster. The moans fill the room. I’m about to come when he slams me down and grabs hold of my waist, standing up, his pants around his hips while my legs wrap around his waist. Walking over to the window, he puts my back directly on it. The cold from outside stings me, a hiss coming from between my clenched teeth, but I don’t have time to think because he starts moving in me, slamming into me while the window holds me up. His face goes into my neck while my arms wrap around him. I’m like a spider monkey, wanting to crawl inside of him. “Matthew,” I say because he’s right there. The feel of him in me is too much. The feel of his hands on me make me lose my mind each and every single time.

“Get there, babe.” Is all he says in between thrusts.

Glancing down, watching him disappear in me is more than I can take and I come hard, my head rolling side to side on the window while I feel myself leak onto him. I’m almost down when he slams forward one more time and follows me into oblivion.

We go another three rounds before falling asleep intertwined with each other. The alarm rings way too early the next day. He reaches over, turning it off.

“Baby, you need to get up.” He kisses my shoulder while I press deeper into the pillow. “Babe.”

“No, go away.” I try to move away from him, my eyes still closed. “I’m on vacation.” I hear him get off the bed and peek open one eye. He walks to the window, opening the shades, the sun from outside coming straight inside. He walks back to the bed, whipping the sheet off me. “Let’s go, sleepyhead, we have to meet my parents in thirty minutes. He smacks my ass and then walks toward the bathroom where I hear him start the shower. “Babe, I would love nothing more than for you to stay in bed all day naked while I fuck you silly, but—”

“Matthew, the walls may be soundproof but the door isn’t.” I hear his mother’s voice from outside the hallway.

I jump up, suddenly awake. I cover myself in the off chance he opens the door, but he just laughs from the bathroom.

“See you two in thirty,” she says while I hope she walks away.

Matthew comes back out, looking at me.

“I hate you,” I tell him, getting up and going into the bathroom. The water is set perfect as always. He gets in right behind me where he shows me that I really don’t hate him. Again.

I dress in jeans and a white camisole with a see-through long-sleeved tan shirt. I pair it with brown flip-flops and Ray-Ban aviator glasses. My makeup is only mascara and lip stick. My hair is braided to the side loosely. Matthew is dressed in his dark denim jeans, a white long-sleeved shirt, and a brown V-neck sweater over it. He plays with his hair in the mirror, his brown suede boots already on.

“Let’s go,” he says, walking past me to the door. “Besides, you look like you're ready to drop to your knees and blow me.”

I walk past him, hitting him in the stomach. “You fucking wish.”

He closes the door and walks to me, draping his arm over my shoulders, pulling me close to him. Once he presses the button, he wraps both arms around me. “Give me a kiss.”

“You mean, can you kiss me, please?” I reword it for him, glaring.

“Give me a kiss,” he says again, my eyes glaring more. “Either you give me one or I take it.” My hands are on his hips. “Okay,” he says, leaning down and taking the kiss he wanted. The only time we stop is when the elevator dings. “See,” he says, pulling my hand into his.

“Oaf,” I say under my breath.

When we get to the lobby, I see his mother and Cooper. “Hey, you two,” Parker says, going to Matthew and giving him a hug. She surprises me by coming and giving me one, too. “Karrie, you look beautiful.”

I smile at her while she turns to Matthew. “Clean the shine off your lips. Cooper saw some press outside.”

“Fuck,” Matthew says, wiping his mouth. “Let’s go before they call more.”

I drop his hand and he looks at me. “I’m about done with this,” he says, walking out after Cooper, who just watched the whole thing.

“Oh, ignore him, he was never very good when you told him no.” She smiles at me and grabs my arm to walk out. “He also hates secrets.”

I nod my head, taking it all in. I get into the truck that Cooper has rented, sitting in the back with Matthew, who is already sitting there, staring out the window at the press. His glasses block out his eyes. His hand goes to grab mine the minute I buckle in.

We don’t say anything to each other as we drive to the rink. “I can’t wait to get back on the ice here,” Cooper says while we drive into the parking lot. “It’s been forever.” He parks the car, jumping out, not waiting for us.

Parker laughs in the front seat. “He’s been up since six-thirty,” she says, getting out of the car, following him inside.

“Hey, guys,” she greets everyone as she goes to Cooper’s side. “Who are these guys?” she asks Lauren, looking down at what must be her two kids.

“These are my children,” Lauren says, smiling at her. “This is Gabe, who, believe or not, never stops talking.” She hugs him sideways. “And this is my girl, Rachel.”

“She’s a beauty.” Parker smiles at them.

“We need to talk tonight,” Matthew tells me while his mother and Lauren exchange small talk.

Rachel leaves Lauren’s side to go tap Matthew’s leg. He stops talking to me and smiles at her before squatting down in front of her.

“Hey there, princess.” The way his voice goes soft for her makes my heart burst and my stomach flutter. I’m sure my ovaries just exploded.

“Will you be my boyfriend?” Rachel asks him while Lauren gasps out loud and Austin, who has joined the conversation now, groans beside her.

“Um,” Matthew mumbles.

“Rachel, what are you doing?” Lauren questions, going to her.

“Well, Auntie Kay has Noah as her boyfriend, and you have asshat.”

Cooper bursts out laughing. She looks at Austin and smiles.

“Sorry, Asstin. So I want one, too, and I want him.” Rachel points her thumb at Matthew, who is in stitches.

“I would really, really like to be your boyfriend, but Karrie is my girlfriend, and it wouldn’t be fair to her.” He looks up at me.

“Oh, that’s totally okay. I give him to you,” I tell Rachel. “No take backs, either.”

Cooper and Parker are now laughing even harder.

Matthew stands up and glares at me. “I’ll show you no take backs later.” His tone is fierce, but I look at him and then down at my nails. “Can’t. I’m busy.”

“You’re busy, huh?” he mocks me. “Really? With no phone, no car, no purse, no wallet?” He smiles at me. My hands go into a fist.

“Matthew,” Parker whispers. “You didn’t.”

“He must have lost the handcuffs,” Cooper chimes in. “Okay, why don’t we go get ready to skate?”

“How about the girls go out for cupcakes and coffee?” Lauren asks us.

“Is Noah coming?” Cooper asks about their other friend while walking to the rooms in the back.

“I would love to go for coffee,” I tell them. “You guys can be my getaway.”

“You can run, but know that I’ll always catch your ass and drag you back,” Matthew warns with a wink, then turns, and jogs into the back.

“That man is a…” I stutter. “He’s a…he’s a…”

“He’s an asshat,” Rachel helps me out, smiling at her mom and then Parker and me, making everyone laugh.

“Okay, babe.” Austin kisses Lauren. “Come back, and for the love of God, whatever you do, make sure you bring Karrie back with you.”

Lauren looks at me. I’m sure I resemble those cartoon characters that are about to blow steam out of their ears. Before I actually yell out my frustration, Parker comes up to me. “Honey, I’m so, so sorry.” With that, we all head out to go have chocolate cupcakes and coffee.

We walk into the little café that looks like you’ve died and gone to heaven. The whole room is filled with cupcakes. There are little tables in baby blue and pink all over the room. It’s almost empty. We walk up to the display case, or at least one of them because there are three other display cases around the store.

“I want sprinkles,” Rachel says to her mother while I look over the different ones.

“I’ll take three lattes with a dozen cupcakes,” Parker says to the girl behind the counter. “Karrie, honey, what flavor do you like?”

“Red velvet with the cream cheese frosting and apple pie crumble cupcake also.” I hear a groan behind me and turn to Lauren.

“I hate you,” she tells me and I put my hand to my chest. “Skinny, young, you can eat what you want and not gain a pound. If I ate two cupcakes, I’d have to diet for about four months before the fat was gone.”

I laugh at her while she decides to get the peanut butter cupcake with banana frosting.

“I’ll just double my spin classes.”

Parker laughs at her and orders a chocolate cupcake with white chocolate frosting. Then she orders two sprinkle ones for Rachel and a big glass of milk.

We carry the cupcakes and the coffee to a table in the corner. I sit in the corner with Rachel sitting next to me on her knees while she claps her hands together in joy of having not one but two cupcakes.

I smile at her and turn back to Parker, who is smiling at me. We sit discussing last night and what a great turnout it was. I find out that Lauren and Austin work together, or did. She quit yesterday so they could date.

“So tell me, Karrie, how did you meet Matthew?” Lauren takes a sip of coffee and asks me.

“We actually met in a hotel gym.” I fold my arms on the table in front of me, leaning in a bit. “Then I found out I was hired to be his chaperone.” I think back at how it started.

“Really?” Lauren says.

“Yes, the day after I met him he moved in with me.” I take a sip of the coffee. “Then proceeded to give me his shopping list.” I laugh while Parker holds her forehead, hiding her eyes while she shakes her head and laughs to herself. “Then he basically bulldozed into every waking moment of my life.”

“Mommy, I got to potty,” Rachel says, getting up, Lauren following her.

“You love him,” Parker says, leaning on the table as well. “I can see it in your eyes when you talk about him.”

I open my mouth and then close it.

“Now don’t get me wrong. I see that he gets on your last nerve, and he can push you to the brink of the edge and you are a second from jumping off, but,” she tilts her head, “you always step back because deep inside you love him.”

“I,” I say, “I,” stutter again.

“He took his father leaving really hard. I could see him struggling with it. He would pretend everything was okay, but deep down I knew it was brewing, it was eating at him.” She wipes a tear from her cheek that slips out. “When Cooper came into the picture, he let go, and slowly, ever so slowly, the weight got lifted off his shoulders and he could be a kid again.”

She takes a big breath. “Then he moved out to LA and it was like he was a kid straight out of his cage.” She shakes her head. “I wanted to drive down there and ring his neck, but Cooper told me he had to fall on his own. So I listened to my husband, for once.” Another tear falls. “He went to rock bottom. Came home with his tail between his legs. I wanted to kill them both. I know he’s a grown man, but he’s still my baby.” She reaches across the table to hold my arm. “Seeing him with you, seeing you with him. Seeing the way you look at him, the way he looks at you. I know he’s good now.”

“I don’t know if I love him,” I whisper.

“Yes, you do. You wouldn’t let him get away with half the shit he does if you didn’t.”

“He found out I was going to Mexico on our five day break and he tied me to the bed,” I tell her. “He took my phone, keys, and purse so I wouldn't leave him.”

She smiles at me. “You are a woman, a smart woman. If you want to get away from him, we both know that you would.” She shrugs. “Well, unless you were tied to the bed, but...” She looks away then back at me. “Don’t hurt him.” She blinks away the tears that are pooling in her eyes.

“I love him,” I tell her, finally telling someone besides myself. “I don’t know when it happened, but he got into my heart and I can’t imagine a time without him.”

“Good. Now.” She points to Lauren and Rachel coming back. “Let’s go back to the hotel and get a massage or something. He owes me big.” She gets up, walking toward Lauren.

We walk out of the shop with her arm intertwined into mine.