Chapter Fourteen
Twitter was up to over two hundred notifications now. Pippa had glanced at them earlier.
@Abby454 tweeted: Nice to have you back @pippastamor #sayitlikeitis #askpippawhatshesaid #justiceforpippa
She should check the others but Pippa had hit a snag in her preparations for her date with Matt. The dresses lay on her bed waiting for her to decide. You couldn’t go wrong with your basic little black number, short and clingy and oozing classy sex appeal. The thinking man’s sex bomb, and Matt kept a keen brain behind his Bob the Builder exterior. Then again, he wasn’t one for subtleties and nothing said “take me” like the red one. Also short, because he was clearly a leg man, with a hint of cleavage and a rebel yell packed into each stitch. Or blue. Not the obvious choice, but then again, neither was Matt her obvious choice of a date. This was your shimmer and sparkle dress, the subtle come-on showing enough skin to tip opinion in favor of “Yes, she really does want me.”
She’d never taken this long to get dressed before. There was a perfect dress for every occasion and she owned every one. A lot of them gifted to her by grateful stores and designers during her show.
The deathly silence from her contact list screamed there would be no help there for Pippa St. Amor. Well, she’d done it without them before, and she’d do it again. The idea of Ray getting away with what he’d done to her and Allie was getting tougher to swallow with each passing day. She was glad she’d tweeted that message. It had given her an idea; a sneaky, Ray-worthy idea. Ray had opened Allie and her up to public ridicule. Maybe it was time to use that little tactic against him.
Back to tonight. Red. She was not in the mood for subtle or sophisticated, and after that stunt he’d pulled with Jo, Matt deserved a full helping of sit up and beg. She slipped into a white lace push-up bra and matching thong. Never match your underwear to your dress, total overkill. The combination of virgin white underneath the devil red dress was perfect. Now you see the bad girl, now you don’t.
The doorbell gonged through the house in the imitation of Big Ben’s chimes. Right on time.
“I’ll get it,” Phi sang out. Of course she would because Phi was even more excited about tonight than Pippa. Her grandmother took personal responsibility for having set the entire thing up. This date was years in the making for Phi. Pippa wasn’t sure whether it would disappoint or delight Phi that this was only a hookup between old sort-of flames.
Pippa wriggled into the red dress and adjusted the cup of her breasts. Five-inch nude sandals added the final touch.
The murmur of Matt’s baritone drifted up the stairs as he spoke to Phi.
Pippa took her time coming down the stairs.
Her leg man did not disappoint. His gaze ate her up from top to toe and lingered in between, not missing an inch of skin as she descended toward him. “Holy shit.”
“Succinct, and lacking finesse, but I’m certain Pippa understood.” Phi patted him on the cheek.
Pippa did some staring of her own, much more subtle, but he was hard to miss all dressed up in a black jacket and pants with a deep blue dress shirt. He leaned in to kiss her cheek and she sucked in a breath of Calvin Klein’s Eternity as his cheek pressed hers. “You ready?” he murmured against her ear.
Uh-huh, Pippa was ready and she nodded.
Phi clapped her hands to her bosom. “I won’t wait up.”
Matt led her out to a sleek, black Jaguar parked on the circular drive outside Phi’s house. He’d even used the main entrance for the occasion.
“This is yours?” She eyed the car with appreciation.
He gave her his country boy grin. “I don’t always rattle around in a truck. Tonight I’m taking my lady out, and she’s a classy sort of girl.”
Pippa laughed as he helped her into the low-slung seat. The inside of the car was pristine and filled with the smell of leather and Matt. He folded into the driver’s seat, big and hot, and looking like he belonged there.
“Where are we going?” Pippa clicked her seatbelt in.
“We have a bit of a drive.” Gravel crunched beneath the tires as they glided away from the house. “The best Ghost Falls has to offer is The Crank, and while they do make the best burger around, I thought I could do a bit better.” Wincing, he glanced over at her. “After leaving you with Jo yesterday.”
“Yeah.” Pippa turned to glare at him. “About that?”
“I tell you what.” He took her hand in a warm, strong clasp. “You can bitch at me all you like, and I deserve it. But let’s make tonight about you and me. Not Phi, my mother, my sister, or even my dipshit brother. Just you and me.”
“Okay.” She didn’t get all dressed up in a killer red dress and heels to spend the night talking about a man’s family. They’d certainly taken their time getting around to this date and tomorrow could bring a whole raft of nasty surprises. Maybe they only had tonight. This beautiful man was hers for one night, to do with what she liked. The hot look in his eyes told her he liked a lot. “I can do that.”
“Good.” He watched the road with her hand tucked in his, resting atop his hard thigh as he drove.
The silence in the car was easy but expectant as he headed out of Ghost Falls and over South Mountain. The view of the valley to their left made her catch her breath. A hundred lights twinkled like Christmas beneath them, and disappeared into the low black night all around them.
“Did I tell you how incredible you look?” He gave her hand a small squeeze.
“No.”
His teeth flashed white as he laughed. “You look . . . perfect.”
“You don’t look so bad yourself.”
“Eric got hold of me,” he said. “He didn’t think my T-shirt, jeans combo would cut it.”
“Really?” She played along with a look of amazement.
Matt shook his head slowly. “And they were my best jeans, too. No paint stains on them or anything.”
They headed into the ski hills around Ghost Falls. It made sense the fancier restaurants would be up here. They catered to the out-of-towners, only in for the skiing and snowboarding and with enough money to meet their prices.
Matt drove for about forty minutes before pulling up in front of a low glass-and-wood structure, perched on the edge of a cliff that offered a panoramic view of the mountains all around them. Even at this time of year, the parking lot was full. People came up here to hike in summer, or just enjoy the endless blue skies and clear days.
A valet took the keys as Matt opened the door for her. Matt’s hand pressed warm and intimate in the hollow of her back as he led her into the restaurant.
Pippa looked about her with interest. “This place must be new.”
“Only a year old.” Matt gave his name to the sleek, twentysomething blonde manning the reception. “It’s part of why Eric wants to develop this area. It’s becoming more and more popular as people move farther out. We even get people making the trip from Denver and Las Vegas.”
Her old hometown looked to be heading for the development loop. “It would be a shame to ruin it with hotels and resorts.”
“Eric doesn’t want that to happen. It’s part of his plan.” An edge of tension crept into Matt’s voice. Not anger, but something else.
His face gave nothing away. Pippa followed the hostess through the busy restaurant.
About two-thirds through the dining room, it happened. A woman glanced up from her dinner companions, her eyes widened, and she sucked in a breath. Leaning forward, the woman whispered to her friend across the table. From there, it seemed as if a wave swept the diners. One head after another swung in their direction. Some not sure why, but sensing interest from their fellow diners and wanting to know.
Not tonight. Pippa raised her chin and straightened her shoulders. This was her night, hers and Matt. The first, honest-to-God, get-dressed-up-and-all-excited date she’d had in years. And with a man she’d been circling for long enough to be embarrassing. She’d be damned if she let Ray and his bullshit ruin this for her too.
Matt held out the chair for her, and took the seat opposite. He’d given her the best seat, the one with the view outside and the dining room behind her.
Hundreds of eyeballs burned into her back and Pippa shivered.
“Are you cold?” A brief frown chased across Matt’s handsome face. He stilled and glanced around them. His jaw tensed as he came to the right conclusion. “Damn, I didn’t think of this.”
“Ignore them.” Pippa waved her hand in front of his eyes. “It happens all the time. I’m used to it by now.”
He eyed her skeptically, not at all convinced by her glib explanation. That made two of them. She fidgeted in her chair as he ordered their cocktails. She forced her voice to sound chipper. “So, Eric has plans for the area?”
“Yeah.” Matt dragged his gaze back to her. “He has this plan and he wants me to be a part of it.”
Pippa caught the flicker of excitement deep in his eyes. “That’s great.”
He damped it in a blink. “Not gonna happen, though. I have too many responsibilities here to follow Eric to Denver.”
“You would be based in Denver?”
“For a while.” His eyes shifted back to the restaurant. “We haven’t really hammered out the details.”
As if the heat on her back wasn’t enough, she could see by Matt’s expression the scrutiny hadn’t lessened one bit. Her lovely evening was heading south faster than she could stop it. Pippa ducked behind her menu. This would go away, eventually, and she would become old news. Not tonight, apparently. “I’m starving.”
Across the table, Matt tensed and his eyes narrowed to a point behind her shoulder.
“You’re Pippa St. Amor, aren’t you?” Pippa swung round to catch a middle-aged brunette beside her. The woman’s mouth screwed up into a tight ball of dislike.
Pippa’s heart hit her sexy shoes and stayed there. “Yes, I am.”
“I can’t believe you would—”
“Lady.” Matt’s deep rumble cut her off. “Do you know either of us?”
“I know she’s Pippa St. Amor.” The woman paled as her gaze flickered to Matt.
He radiated pissed off from every stiff line of him. “But that’s her name and that’s all you know.”
Pippa tried to motion Matt to stop. It never did any good anyway.
He shook his head at her. “You saw something on TV or the Internet and now you’re over here to share your opinion.”
“She had no right—”
“And you know for a fact that everything you ever see on TV or online is the God’s honest truth.”
“No, but—”
“Exactly.” Matt leaned forward, his gold eyes smoking holes in the woman. “You go back and look at that clip again. And while you’re getting your panties in a wad about it, ask yourself if you’ve ever seen Pippa do anything like that before. When you come up with the answer that you haven’t, then ask yourself if you’re so sure what you’re seeing is the truth.”
The woman shifted and frowned. “She said awful things to that poor woman.”
“I’ve seen it,” Matt said. “And I’ll give you this, it’s bad and it makes Pippa look like the worst kind of bitch. But I know Pippa, so maybe I have the advantage over you, and I know she would never, ever say that to another woman.”
“But I . . .” The woman opened her mouth and shut it again.
“You still here?” Matt’s voice was quiet but lethal.
The woman backed away from the table and returned to her companions.
Back at her table, the woman dug out her smartphone. Likely doing exactly what Matt had told her to do.
“Right.” Matt’s jaw was set so tight it was a wonder it didn’t crack. “What will you have?”
His defense of her had come straight from the heart. However pointless against the flood of condemnation, he’d still done it. Pippa went all warm and gooey inside. “Matt Evans, you really are the best kind of man.”
Matt blushed, and it was kind of adorable. The lack of a snappy comeback indicated more than anything how much the incident had gotten to him. Pippa motioned the waiter over. “We’ll have the crab cakes and the bruschetta to start. Followed by your filet mignon.” She glanced up at Matt. “And make it to go.”
“Pippa?” His brows lowered over his eyes. “Don’t let this crap disturb our evening.”
“I have no intention of letting it.” She got to her feet. “I hope you have wine at home.”
A big smile spread across his face. “I have wine. Bets’s finest.”
“Then we’re good.”
The waiter’s eyes jumped about like a panic-stricken squirrel. “Madam, we don’t—”
Matt tucked a folded bill in his hand. “I’m sure you do.”
The waiter glanced down and his head snapped up again. “You’re quite correct, sir. We do, indeed.”
They waited for their food in the restaurant bar. Glances still slid her way, but Pippa washed them down with an excellent dirty martini.
It took a little longer to get to Matt’s home. A modest ranch style a few blocks away from his mother’s house. Still too close in Pippa’s opinion.
A delicious tension had filled the car from the restaurant, and mingled with the mouth-watering aromas coming from the bag the restaurant put together.
“I have a confession.” Matt opened her car door and helped her out.
Pippa braced for impact.
“It’s not my car.” He pressed the fob to activate the alarm. The Jag gave a subtle wink and a blip to let them know it was locked.
Beautiful as it was, the Jag was not Matt. “Eric?”
“Got it in one.” He took her hand in one of his, the other carrying the takeout bag, and led her onto a lit porch.
Her belly fluttered as he put the key in the lock. How long had it been since she’d been on a proper date? Gotten naked for anyone but Ray? Gotten naked for Ray, for that matter. Maybe the white underwear didn’t send the right message. Exactly what was the right message?
She followed him into a central hallway and through the right-hand door into a sitting room. You didn’t need to be an interior designer to recognize bachelor minimalist. A large leather sofa, big-ass TV, and an ugly-as-sin tree branch coffee table. The carpet sank beneath her heels in an indiscriminate blur of beige. No-nonsense blinds closed off the windows from the street.
Matt shrugged out of his jacket. “Fire?”
“Lovely.” It came out of her mouth on an enthusiastic burst of noise. Damn, she was skittish. So much for her woman-of-the-world exterior when inside she was quaking like a sixteen-year-old virgin.
Matt raised a brow at her.
Pippa’s face heated. He had so busted her.
He tugged his shirt out of his pants and knelt to light a fire. His dress pants tightened over the bulge of his thighs. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable?”
Pippa perched on the edge of the couch. Then scooted her butt back to look more relaxed. A match caught and she jumped a bit. All this big talk and underwear planning and she was getting ready to hoof it.
“Pippa.” He leaned his elbows on his knees and stared at her. “I’m not going to jump you.”
A stupid titter got away from her and she jabbed her nails in her palms.
“I’ll get some wine and plates. Why don’t you open the bag?” He stood and walked to the shadowed end of the room. A light snapped on in an open-plan kitchen. Again, very basic from what she could see from here. Plain, serviceable appliances, standard countertops—neat, but a little dated. The entire place gave off a temporary vibe, like a long-term rental.
“Have you lived here long?” Her fingers fumbled with the tie on the bag. Dammit, why did they have to tie it so tight?
“About ten years.” He opened and shut cupboard doors. “My mom wasn’t keen on me moving out, so I stood it for as long as I could.”
He’d done well to last that long. Pippa took containers out of the bag and arranged them on the coffee table. Flames flickered and caught in the fireplace.
Matt prowled closer, plates and glasses in his hands, a bottle tucked under his arm. He placed it all on the coffee table and straightened. His warm lion eyes searched hers for a moment and he cocked his head. “You’re nervous.”
“No. Yes. I—” Pippa forced breath into her lungs. “Scared shitless.”
He took hold of her hands and tugged her up. “Nothing is going to happen here that you don’t want. You know that, right?”
The nice-guy thing got her every time. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a hot, Matt-scented hug.
“I know that.” Her words were muffled by his shirt.
“This doesn’t have to be a big deal, Pippa. You, me, whatever happens or doesn’t happen, I’m okay with it,” he said.
“I haven’t done this in a while.”
“Dated?”
She nodded.
“Messed around?”
“That, too.”
“More?”
“Definitely a little short on practice with the more.”
His laugh rumbled through his chest against her ear. “They say you never forget. Just like—”
“Don’t say riding a bike.”
“Pippa.” He brushed her neck with his nose. “I’ve had a thing for you since you left town at eighteen. For damn sure, I’m gonna make a move on you.”
“And this is supposed to relax me?”
“More like fair warning. A kind of statement of intent. And when I make that move, then you get to make a choice.” He put her at arm’s length. “But for now, I’m hungry, so can we eat?”
“We can eat.” The knot in her gut unraveled and she returned his smile. “Any ETA on that move you plan on making?”
“Nah.” He shrugged. “I’m a go-with-the-moment kind of guy.” He let her go and dropped onto the carpet between the table and the fire.
No way that was happening in this dress. “You got something comfortable I could borrow?”
“Sure.” He moved to get up.
Pippa waved him down again. “Laundry this way?” She pointed at the kitchen. “My best bet at something clean, right?”
“Damn, you’re smart.”
Pippa held her arms out to her sides and did a slow turn. “Get a good look. See Pippa all dressed up.” She strolled over to the kitchen, feeling relaxed enough to put a little extra swing in her step. “Now she’s gone.”
“I have the picture burned in the back of my brain,” he called.
The laundry was off the kitchen, as per her guess. A neat pile of folded clothes sat on top of the dryer. She grabbed a tee and a pair of sweats from the pile. Getting out of the dress went much faster than wriggling in. Her toes gave a grateful throb as she eased her heels off and slipped on a pair of sports socks. His clothes drowned her, and her ex-producers would have a shit fit if they caught sight of her outfit. Shapeless chic. She rolled up the waistband to clear her feet and grabbed her dress and shoes.
Matt was pouring the wine when she padded back into the sitting room. This felt more like her and Matt, relaxed and easy with no expectations and no tension.
She sat cross-legged beside him and took her glass. The fire laid a warm glow across her as Matt handed her a plate. Loaded. Good thing she had eating pants on, because it looked incredible. She paused in the middle of the first bite to let the light lemon aftertaste of the crab cake linger. “You’ve been here ten years?”
“Yup.” He went straight for the meat. “I don’t spend a lot of time here.”
“It shows.”
His bark of laughter didn’t even have a tinge of resentment. “My mother is always after me to let her decorate. Even Jo tried to get in here.”
The long fingers of Cressy. She gave him kudos for resisting.
“This is just a place to keep my stuff, eat, sleep.” He shrugged. “One of these days I’m gonna do what Eric’s doing and build my own place. Up from the ground and do everything myself.”
“Is that what Eric’s doing?” She tried to picture Eric in a tool belt and failed.
Matt nodded and put his plate aside. He’d already eaten everything on it. God, he must have been hungry because she was still working away at hers. “Here.” She handed him half her filet. “I’ll never eat all that.”
“Are you sure?” He frowned down at his plate. “Because we didn’t order dessert or anything.”
“I’m not a dessert girl,” she said.
He gaped at her.
“Seriously.” Pippa laughed. “But I’ll swap you for your crab cake.” She nabbed the last one before he could say anything. “Tell me about this thing with Eric.”
He stopped, fork midway to his mouth, as if considering her request.
Pippa finished her dinner while he spoke. The note of excitement was back in his voice. He kept it locked down tight, but it came through every now and again. He’d studied Eric’s plans in detail. A lot of detail for a man who claimed he wasn’t going to do anything about the offer. “Anyway.” He put his plate on the table and grabbed her hand. “It doesn’t matter.”
Ah, but clearly it did. Pippa kept her eyes on his fingers laced through hers. The Matt she remembered from school had been driven, focused, intent on getting out of Ghost Falls and leaving a trail of dust behind him. When Eric dated Laura, she’d gotten to know Matt a bit better, but four years in your teens was a big gap to bridge. Still, his scholarship had been everything to him. He’d worked so hard to make it happen, on and off the football field.
His calm acceptance of the rest of his life bothered her. Sure, part of her got that people could be happy doing exactly what they were doing, but there was that buzz to Matt when he spoke of Eric’s offer. It jibed with what came out of his mouth.
“Hey.” He pressed her hand. “You still with me?”
“I’m still with you.” She nodded and let him tuck her into his side.
He leaned back against the table and lifted her knees to drape her legs over his thighs. Pippa stared into the mesmerizing dance of the flames. Matt gave off a lot of body heat. His thighs beneath her were rock-hard. “This is nice.”
“Yeah.” He tightened his arm around her shoulders.
The niggle about Eric wouldn’t go away. “Matt—”
“Nope.” He dipped his head into the crook of her neck. “No interrupting. I’m getting ready to make my move.”
Her brain emptied as if someone had pulled the plug. Sharp tingles of heat prickled beneath her skin.
He brushed the sensitive skin of her neck with his firm, warm mouth.
Heat radiated from that point, making her boneless, her skin awake to his touch.
He hummed against her neck, making the prickling thing go a bit crazy. “You always smell so good.”
“It’s Dior.”
“No, it’s Pippa.” He stroked up her spine to cup the back of her neck.
His mouth was doing incredible things to her and she tilted her head to give him better access. Her nipples pushed rigid points against the soft cotton of his tee. A pulse beat between her thighs. All he had to do was this and she was ready to get some skin-on-skin action.
He brought her head around, so Pippa had to turn toward him.
Their lips stopped, almost touching but not quite. “How’s my move going?”
“Really well.” Pippa couldn’t wait any longer and dipped in for the kiss.
His grip tightened in her hair. His kiss rocked through Pippa, and took any lingering doubts with it. His mouth was firm and demanding on hers, and lit her from the inside out. He took and she gave in a tangle of teeth and tongues.
He gripped her hips and pulled her to straddle him. He was hot and hard through the fabric of her sweats. The heat in her cranked up another notch and she sank her hands into the silkiness of his hair.
She felt powerful, sexy, desired. Sinking against his erection, his groan rippling through her, letting her know he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. This beautiful man wanted her, and knowing that made her wet and achy at her core.
He slid his hand beneath her sweats and cupped her bare ass cheek. “Pippa.” He tore his mouth from hers. His breath came fast through parted lips, his eyes bored into her. “Baby, I gotta see what you’ve got on under these. It’s been driving me crazy the whole night.”
“All night?” Man, it was crazy hot to tease him like this.
“All night.” He gripped her ass and dragged her onto his erection. “You in that dress, me getting horny thinking about how little it hid.”
Pippa sat back on his thighs.
His hungry gaze swept down to track the motion of her hands as she tangled them in the hem of her tee. She inched the fabric up. Cooler air hit her belly, her ribs and finally her breasts as she hauled it over her head.
Matt sucked in a breath, his eyes riveted by the swell of flesh over the cups of her bra. Big, hot hands covered her breasts, dark against the pale ivory of her skin.
Her breasts swelled at the touch, desperate for more, and Pippa arched into the caress.
His hands firmed, plumping her, sliding his fingers under the lace to tease her nipples.
“Your turn.” Her voice came out in a breathy rasp. She worked the buttons free on his shirt as he touched her. Pushing the fabric off his shoulders she opened her treat. God, he was beautiful. Sculpted, hard, and made for her to touch. She spread her hands over the swell of his pecs, giving her fingers a happy walk down the corrugated ladder of his abs to his waistband.
Matt shrugged his shirt off.
Pippa needed his hands on her naked flesh and she reached behind her to unclasp her bra.
The cups sagged forward and he brushed the bra away. He jackknifed up, taking her back and down to the floor. Resting his weight on his elbow he watched his hand as it moved over her breasts, taking a little time to pluck her nipple to aching hardness before sliding down her belly. Lower, until his fingers rested just inside the rolled-up waistband of her sweats.
Not close enough. Pippa bucked her hips to move his hand farther.
“Damn, Pippa.” He slid her pants down her legs, coming up on his haunches to yank them off her feet and send them sailing across the room. He crouched there, his eyes so hot on her they almost burned. He dipped his fingers under the edge of her thong.
Pippa held her breath, need pounding between her thighs. She arched into the first dip of his fingers between her soaking wet folds. He slid easily into her, his thumb playing with her clitoris.
She almost went off under his hand.
“I need to see you.” Impatiently he tugged her thong off.
Pippa yanked at his pants. “And these.”
Matt shucked them, and his underwear. Firelight bronzed his skin. The beauty of him made her suck in a breath—a man in his prime, hard muscle, taut skin, and big all over. He crouched beside her, spreading his big hands over her belly and down into her heat. It was so hot, watching him as he watched his fingers drive her crazy. His cock stood thick and hard from the apex of his thighs.
Pippa wrapped her fist around it, and he hissed. Dropping his head forward to watch her stroke him, still touching her, still driving her fucking crazy. Bringing her close and backing off again.
“Now.” She squeezed his girth. “Inside me now.”
Matt moved over her, pushing her legs wide to rest between them and forcing her to relinquish her grip on him. He snatched up his pants and took out a condom. Fisting the base of his cock, he stroked the condom down his length.
Pippa writhed as she watched. She’d no idea seeing a man touch himself would drive her out of her tiny mind.
He opened her wider, spread her legs, and watched as he slid inside her.
Pippa stretched to accommodate him. It had been so long, and he filled her so deliciously.
His gaze flicked up to her as he flexed, driving himself to the hilt.
“More.” Pippa half raised herself, desperate for him.
His jaw clenched, tendons strained in his neck as he withdrew and plunged again.
Pippa sank her nails into his forearms. “I want it all.” She didn’t want slow and careful, she wanted him to take her hard and fast. She was so ready for him, she didn’t know how long she could last.
The control stripped off Matt’s face and he let go. The carpet scratched her hips as he pounded into her, filling her completely. Her orgasm built deep inside her, she clenched around him to keep the tight connection.
Matt brought his thumb to her clitoris. Two, three strokes against the distended bud and she was there, shattering around him, her back arching to take him deeper.
He tensed and came on a guttural shout that she felt all the way through her.
“Jesus.” He let his weight rest on her, his breath rasped in her ear. “That was too fast.”
Pippa shook her head. “That was perfect.”