No matter how many times she opened her apartment door and found Matt on the other side, the sight of him standing there left her mentally shaking her head and wondering if she was dreaming. The Matt Sherbrookes of the world didn’t spend time with people like her. No, they took gorgeous movie stars and models to charity events and music award ceremonies. They didn’t eat home-cooked meals and then spend the night watching the Red Sox on a 32-inch television. And if they did watch a baseball game with a woman, it was while sitting in luxury seats at a ballpark.
“How’s my girl?” Matt asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close.
The feel of his body against hers sent a wave of heat through her, and despite her brain’s constant reminder that this wouldn’t last, her heart got a little more invested every time he held her close.
“Curious.”
It was a far better answer than telling him the truth—that what she really wanted to know was what she should read into his greeting.
“If you’re ready, we can go.”
“Just need some shoes. But how about a clue? It’s hard to pick the right footwear when you don’t know what you’re doing.”
“Wear something you’ll be comfortable walking in.”
“That’s not much of a clue.”
Matt kissed her cheek, then released her. “It’s all you’re getting for now.”
There was a lot she didn’t know about Matt, but she knew him well enough to know she wasn’t getting anything else from him, at least not until he was ready to share.
Downstairs, the door opened before Liv touched the handle, revealing perhaps the last person she would’ve expected to see standing there.
“Sebastian?”
I’m dreaming.
If she were wide awake, Matt Sherbrooke wouldn’t have greeted her by calling her “his girl,” and her ex-boyfriend wouldn’t be standing in front of her.
“Sebastian,” Liv repeated. “I, uh, it’s nice to see you.”
It wasn’t, but it seemed like the appropriate thing to say.
“I stopped by the restaurant to pick up takeout. Maggie told me you weren’t working today, so I thought maybe you were home.”
Liv glanced down at the plastic bags he held. Sebastian was free to get lunch from anywhere, but that didn’t explain why he’d been about to climb the stairs to her apartment.
She sensed Matt behind her even before his arm brushed against hers.
“Sorry, it looks like you have plans,” Sebastian said, his eyes darting toward Matt before settling on her face again.
“Sebastian, this is, um, my friend Matt.” Calling him a friend seemed a safe way to introduce him. “Matt, Sebastian used to live in town.” Unless Matt asked, she wasn’t sharing any other details today.
“You look familiar. Have we met before?” Sebastian asked, extending his hand.
If she weren’t so confused about her ex’s sudden appearance, she would’ve laughed at Sebastian’s question.
Shaking his head, Matt took Sebastian’s hand. “No, but I get that a lot.”
Liv barely contained a smile at the humor in Matt’s voice. Sebastian wasn’t a fan of Eclipse, but they’d gone to see them in concert once when they were together. Even if they hadn’t, Matt regularly appeared on magazine covers and on the internet. She doubted there were many people in the United States who hadn’t seen his face at least once.
“Are you visiting your sister?” she asked him. It wouldn’t explain why he’d decided to visit her, but it would explain why he was back in town.
“I’m staying with her for the weekend, but I’m moving back to town soon. I closed on a house yesterday. I’m having some renovations done on it before I move in.”
The surprises just kept on coming.
“Congratulations. I’m sure your sister is happy you’ll be close again.”
