Why did the woman ooze so much damn sex appeal? Why was the chemistry that flowed nonstop between them so damn strong? And why had he fallen so hopelessly in love with her when he swore after Rhonda that no other woman would ever dominate his heart?
Those were questions with answers he wasn’t ready to dwell on. All he wanted to do now was make love to Iris. His body was hard and ready, his mind was all in and…
The sound of the doorbell brought Matt awake, and he snapped his eyes open. Damn! Who on earth would be visiting him at this hour? He glanced at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it really wasn’t a ridiculous time. It was a little after two in the afternoon. He then recalled he had arrived from the airport around nine, showered and gotten into bed without bothering to unpack.
The doorbell sounded again. It wasn’t Deena since he had left her in Paris, so it had to be his neighbor, Jack Moreno. He recalled Jack telling him that he would be staying home this Thanksgiving, but that his wife and son would be visiting the in-laws. He refused to go because his on-and-off feud with his mother-in-law was on again. Wiping sleep from his eyes, he eased out of bed, slid into his pj’s bottoms, and headed down the stairs. Without bothering to ask who was at the door, he snatched it open and then sucked in a startled breath at seeing the vision standing there.
“Iris?” An unexpected visit from her was not on his bingo card for today.
“Hi,” she said, all smiles. “I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”
He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of that. Yeah, it had definitely been a bad time when he was making love to the very woman standing before him in his dream.
“No,” he said, stepping aside and noticing the overnight bag she carried. Did this mean what he thought it meant? She had never just invited herself to his place for the weekend. Could he hope that things were finally looking up for him? For them? His gaze roamed over her. Damn, she looked good in her short skirt, pullover blouse, and knee-high boots.
“I guess you’re wondering why I’m here,” she said, dropping the overnight bag on the floor by her feet.
No, he wasn’t wondering that at all. The important thing was that she was here, looking as beautiful and sexy as any woman had a right to. Closing the door, he strolled over to her. “Doesn’t matter.” He then swung her into his arms and carried her up the stairs.
* * *
Iris sat at the counter and sipped her tea while watching Matt prepare them a morning meal of what she was beginning to consider his specialty—chicken and waffles. She liked seeing him move around in his huge kitchen with such precision and sexiness while dressed in just pj bottoms.
After an entire day of tumbling between the sheets making love, he had ordered dinner from a Thai restaurant. Then they had watched a movie. Before returning to bed, she had given him a private piano recital. At the end he had stood, seemingly amazed at how well she had performed.
After making love again that night, she had told him how things had gone with Garlan. Matt told her he was glad things had worked out for them. He agreed with Dillon that there was a chance that within two years, Garlan’s desire to become a stuntman would change, and if it didn’t, she would have that time to prepare.
She appreciated his thoughtful comments and said he could understand why she would be afraid for her son’s safety, given the tragic loss of her husband. However, he had agreed with Pam and Dillon. Garlan’s choice of a career was his to make.
Wanting to change the subject, she said, “You and Deena flew out late Tuesday night, so I’m not sure if you’re aware that a photo of us was in theWagging Tongueagain.”
He glanced up from seasoning the chicken wings. “And what photo was that?”
“One of us kissing at the football game.”
He nodded, as if the thought of being captured on camera kissing her was no big deal. “I don’t recall seeing us being photographed.”
“I don’t recall it either.”
“What did the article say?”
“It was mainly a dig at Candy for thinking she had a chance with you. The headlines said something about our kiss looking like the real thing, and not fake like Candy said it was when she gave that rebuttal interview.”
Matt chuckled. “That kisswasthe real thing. I just don’t understand some of the people working in Hollywood who feel they have to stay in the public eye to remain relevant. Bad publicity or good publicity, some of them don’t seem to care.”
She shrugged. “PR stunts do serve some purposes. That’s how some stars grow their careers. However, there are some actresses and actors who will do just about anything to get attention. Unfortunately, Candy Sumlar is one of those people.”
“Hopefully, one day she will learn. When you know better, you do better,” he said, placing a plate in front of her.
She inhaled. “Everything smells good and looks good, too.”
“I’m glad you think so. Dig in,” he said, taking the chair across from her.
Over breakfast, he told her how the anniversary dinner had gone for Marcello and Megan.
“It sounds like everything was wonderful.”
“It was. I know you’re spending Christmas in Westmoreland Country,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee.
