One Day Like This, page 16
Stryker had told them there had been some lingering dates that hadn’t sold out until the Sad Fridays had been added to the line-up. In the days since the announcement, the tickets had been snapped up. And here they were, an opening act, playing to a sold-out crowd.
In a big arena. And Cardiff had given them a royal Welsh welcome.
He glanced over to the side of the stage where Chaya was dancing and watching them. Matt wished it was as easy as calling Izabel and telling her to get on the train and come to him. She was the missing piece in his happiness puzzle, the one person who made everything else fall into place. Because despite all the success, he was still unsettled.
Matt jumped down off the drum platform, walking to the edge of the stage as his fingers played the last few notes of their final song. It never got old, looking out at a full arena. The energy of it crawled beneath his skin. Another reason he wished Izabel was here. He wanted her to see it.
He raised his hand in thanks and followed Ben off the stage.
“You were amazing as always,” Chaya said, throwing her hands around Ben’s neck in a purely platonic gesture.
Ben put his hands around her waist and carried her, her legs dangling, as he walked off the stage.
“You ever wonder if those two will get together?” Luke asked pointing the neck of the beer bottle in his hand in Ben and Chaya’s direction. His words a little slurred. His footsteps unsteady.
“If it was going to happen, you think it would have by now? Plus, her dad isn’t going to let her marry Ben.”
Luke shook his head. “Can’t imagine what that feels like.” He took two towels from a stack at the side of stage and handed one to Matt who wiped his face and dropped the towel around his neck.
The difference with this show was Stryker’s road crew were helping them with their equipment. Given they’d join the tour so quickly, they’d not had time to find a crew of their own.
“I’m feeling kinda shitty I’m not around for Izabel’s birthday tomorrow. Think I’m going to invite her to the Liverpool gigs. Do you think Jase will be a dick about it? I don’t want Izabel feeling shitty on her birthday. She deserves to be here.”
Matt’s stomach tripped at the idea of seeing her. He calmed himself before he spoke and tried not to let his excitement at the idea bubble over. “Jase has been on a bit more of an even keel since all this took off. I think a bit of financial stability is good for all of us. I can try and have a word if you like. Or maybe Alex would be better. He seems to get through to Jase when I can’t.”
Luke nodded. “Alright. I’m gonna ask her. She shouldn’t get to miss out on this just because your brother was a dick.”
The excitement he’d felt at seeing Izabel was drowned by the cold water of Luke’s words. Mention of Jase and Izabel still made his stomach curdle, and the frustration in Luke’s voice, even after all the time had passed, made him think Luke would never take the news of their relationship well.
“Yeah. It would be a shame for her to not experience this.” Matt turned and looked back at the stage. “I still can’t believe we get to do this, to be honest.”
“You think this is going to last?”
Matt watched Alex and Jase talking to three girls backstage. His brother glanced in his direction and flipped him the bird, but the grin on his face reminded Matt of when their nan had given them a PlayStation for Christmas the year Matt turned thirteen. They’d played each other for ten hours straight, breaking for turkey and the Queen’s speech Nan had insisted on watching. “I don’t know. I hope so. I know everyone is hoping for a big payday at the end of the month, but I think we should be cautious. Thought it might be good to hire someone to take over our social media. Hire a better producer. Invest to level up rather than pay out.”
“We need a band meeting then, to sort shit out, but I’m too pissed to talk business right now. Do you see the red-head I was talking to before the gig?”
“Talking to?” Matt laughed and shook his head. “Not since you removed your tongue from down her throat to go on stage.”
Luke grinned. “Hoping I’ll have something else down her throat later.”
Matt rolled his eyes. “For fucks’ sake. That’s too much info.”
“Says the guy who’s suddenly taken on the role of monk. What’s up with that?”
Well, Luke, I’m fucking your sister and her pussy is so tight and warm that the idea of fucking any of the groupies hanging around just pales into insignificance.
“I’m not a monk. Just not feeling banging some chick for the sake of it.”
“Fuck. Wait. Forgot about that dinner thing I walked in on Monday. Looked pretty damn domestic. Candle girl. Screamed high romance expectations.”
“Yeah, candle girl. Anyway, someone has to take care of all our shit while you guys shove your dicks into anything warm.”
Luke shrugged. “Not everything warm. I mean, I have standards.”
“Standards that seem to change with the more pints you’ve had.”
“Whatever. Oh, shit. There she is. Gotta go.”
“I’ll be in the bus.” Matt watched Luke has he jogged over to the woman who threw her arms around his neck. He was pretty sure Luke didn’t hear him or give a shit either way.
Once on board, he made his way to his bunk. The bus was the most basic tour bus version. Jase had been pissed off when he’d seen it, having envisioned they’d go from Luke’s van to something plush and luxurious. The bunks were narrow. There was no fancy bedroom at the back. And there was a toilet and sink but no shower, not that he’d ever want to take one while traveling down the motorway. You’d been one crash away from the world seeing your naked soaped up goods on the M6.
He climbed on board, glad he’d made the decision to bring his own pillow from home, the one Izabel slept on when they’d been able to steal a moment or night in his bed. He climbed into his bunk and pulled the privacy curtain shut before he pulled out his phone.
Izabel answered after the second ring. “How did you know I was thinking about you?”
“Cosmic all-knowingness. How was your day, sweetheart? And tell me why you were thinking about me.”
“I think I’m going to do it.”
“If it involves anything remotely sexual, I’m in.”
“Matt,” she teased. “Don’t say stuff like that when you’re too far away to do anything about it.”
“Hey, you want to get naked with me over video, I’m game.”
“Stop. I need to talk to you about something else.”
“What are you going to do, babe?”
“The gig. I spent the day pretending I was writing content for Gemma, but I researched all the venues in the city big enough to making this happen and fired off an email to all of their booking people. I outright said it would need to be a donation. They are all going to say no, I know it. But at least I did it.”
“Don’t think negative. Think positive and will it into being.”
“I’m going to propose it to Luke, so it doesn’t look like I went around him to you. But I’d love if you could support it if he suggests it to the band. You guys are riding high right now, and like you said, I think we could get local bands, maybe even some bigger bands to lend a hand. The Albert Hall seats two thousand two hundred. The O2 Apollo seats three and a half thousand. And if we think really big, the Central Convention Complex seats nearly eleven thousand. My basic maths says we could raise a quarter of a million for the shelter.”
“That’s amazing!”
“I thought about what you said. I’m good at persuading people to pitch in.”
“I have faith in you, Iz. You’re ready for the leap from some dried goods to an arena.”
Izabel grinned. “Yes, but with you already on board, I already have an anchor.”
His heart squeezed at just how fucking good of a human being she was. “Speak to Luke. Tell him we tossed the idea around at the wedding if you like. Say we could be the draw rather than the support or something.”
“Okay. I’m going to call him.”
“Hate to say it, but he might be a bit busy.”
Izabel groaned. “Well, I’m just going to keep ringing until he gets his dick back in his pants and answers. Speak to you later. Love you.”
“Love you too, sweetheart.”
He hung up the phone.
Fuck.
He’s just told Iz he loved her. Casually. Without any big fuss. Without either of them even acknowledging it. His phone buzzed.
Did you just tell me you love me? Or was that an accident?
Matt grinned.
I just told you I loved you.
He got a GIF of a fist bump in return, and he looked at it at least twelve times, grinning each time, before the rest of the band got on the bus.
12
Izabel watched as the landscape whizzed by. In ten minutes, she’d be pulling into Liverpool Lime Street.
She was early, way earlier than anyone expected her to be. When she’d finally gotten hold of Luke and floated her concert idea, it had been after midnight, and he’d been on the tour bus headed for Liverpool. On the bunk above Matt.
Matt, who’d told her he loved her.
And then he’d messaged to confirm he meant it.
Now, thanks to Luke’s invitation to join them for her birthday, she was twenty minutes away from Matt’s orbit, if you included the cab she intended to take to the hotel.
She’d told Luke, and Matt, she’d be there by three, but her plan to meet Gemma had been cancelled when Gemma had called her with an upset stomach. Instead of the bottomless Prosecco brunch, she’d grabbed a baguette at Victoria station for the train ride. She glanced down at her phone and saw it wasn’t even noon. Nerves got the better of her and she called Matt.
“Hey, sweetheart.” His voice sounded rough, filled with gravel and a splash of Jack Daniels. It was ridiculous how much it made her melt.
“Hey. I…couldn’t wait. My train gets there in like ten minutes. Can we see each other somehow?”
“Babe. I’ll come get you at the station. Wait. No. Luke’ll think that weird. Hang on, what time is it?”
“About fifteen minutes to twelve.”
“We’re meant to meet for lunch at twelve. Why don’t I make like I’m heading out with the guys, then, as they leave the building, I’ll say something came up I have to go deal with? I’ll message you when they’ve gone and send you my room number.”
“Perfect. I’ll tell you once I’m here.”
There was a pause. “I can’t fuckin’ wait to hold you, Iz.”
His words chased away the flicker of guilt she felt, sneaking around behind her brother. After all, it was his stupid archaic and eternally patriarchal rule that had them hiding from him. “I can’t wait for you to hold me, either.”
It was eight minutes before Matt called her to tell them he’d gone up to his room to wait for her. She’d travelled light, a small overnight bag with a couple of changes of clothes. The band were playing two nights in Liverpool, Stryker’s hometown, before moving onto Manchester. And Iz planned to see both gigs and travel home with them on the bus.
She carried her tote and bag up to room 943 and knocked on the door.
When Matt opened it, shirtless, joggers sitting so deliciously low on his hips she knew he wasn’t wearing underwear, he didn’t even bother to greet her. He simply cupped her face and kissed her like he needed her to stay alive, and her body lit up like a firework in response. She dropped her bags as Matt tried to kick the door shut. Her coat dropped to the floor.
“I missed you,” Matt groaned in-between kisses and thrusts of his tongue. His hands were everywhere, it was impossible to keep up. Gripping her hip, cupping her breast so firmly her core clenched in response as she let out a gasp.
“Sorry, did I hurt you?” he asked.
“No. The opposite. Keep going. Please.”
Matt grinned. “My pleasure. I want you naked, and then I’m going to take my fill of you.”
Izabel pulled her black blouse over her head revealing new underwear she’d bought specially for him. “You said black lace, right.”
Matt stepped back to look at her, his gazed focused on her breasts, his own chest revealing he was breathing hard. “Fuck me, Iz. Your tits look so fucking good.”
Izabel bit down on her lip at the hunger in his eyes.
“Lose everything except the underwear.”
She followed his instructions as Matt pulled the elastic of his joggers out a little. The head of his thick erection was visible. “I had thoughts of how I was going to seduce you, Matt. But they’ve gone straight out of the window. I just need you in me.”
“Thank fuck,” Matt growled and dived on her, pushing her down onto the bed with a whoosh. “Every night I’ve jerked off in some hotel bed to thoughts of you and me together. The way you feel beneath me, on top of me. The way you ride me. And now I get to do it.”
Ruthlessly, he tugged the cup of her bra down and sucked her nipple into his mouth. It stung, a good pain she felt right between her legs. “Ah,” she cried out, threading her fingers into her hands, tugging it hard.
“Yeah, sweetheart. Pull it.”
She did as he asked, and his mouth popped off her nipple. He repeated the action with her other breast, only this time, he slid his fingers down her stomach to her clit.
“Have I ever told you I love how wet you get for me?”
Izabel wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth back down onto hers.
It was wet, messy, their teeth banged into one another. His hands slipped into her underwear, his finger seeking her centre. On a gasp, she opened her legs wider to let him in.
Unable to grasp how she was only seconds away from coming all over his hands, she grabbed his wrist.
“No,’ he said, shaking his hand free. “Let me finish you. Let me watch you get off, because once I get in you, I’m not going to be able to wait for you.”
He slid his hand back between her legs, kissing her as he thrust into her, until she was a mass of sensation.
“Give it to me, Iz.”
“Matt,” she cried out on a gasp, letting go and coming around him.
“Jesus Christ, you’re fucking beautiful,” he growled against her ear.
He reached for one of the condoms she hadn’t noticed were on the bed and pushed his joggers low enough to pull it on. “Flip for me, sweetheart,” he said, tugging her toward the end of the bed as she did as he asked. Her legs dangled off the edge. Matt ran his hand down her spine, over her arse.
“Can’t believe I get to do this,” he muttered sweetly as he slid into her.
His body pressed down over her, pinning her to the blanket. She grinned into the bed covers. This was what turned Matt Palmer on. Having her trapped beneath him. First against the shower wall, and here on the bed.
“Jesus, Iz.”
He thrusts quickly gained traction. Faster and harder. There was no escaping the feeling of Matt all over and in her body. When he slid a hand beneath her, seeking her clit, she gasped.
She’d no idea if she would come again, but she loved him for thinking she might.
Matt pulled out of her and slammed home, his action jerking her clit against Matt’s fingers, the pressure almost unbearable.
“Keep doing that,” she cried out.
“This,” he said, exaggerating the action. “You going to come for me again. Soak me like you did my fingers. I love when you squeeze me, Iz. Feels like nothing else on the planet. Come on, sweetheart. I’m. Really. Close.”
His breath was uncoordinated, like her own. Gasping for oxygen.
“Ah,” Matt groaned as he lifted off her, giving him the freedom to simply take her. “Izabel. Yeah.”
He let out a loud groan. She could feel him pulsing deep inside her. The contractions and the pressure on her clit sending her over the edge to join him.
Matt slumped back down over her. “Fucking hell, Bryson. I think I just passed out from an orgasm.”
Izabel began to chuckle beneath him. It was such a stupid thing to say after something so mind-blowing, but maybe that was the point.
He began to kiss her. Innocent pecks along her shoulder, her neck, behind her ear. His hand edged out from beneath her and he gripped the edge of the condom as he slid out of her. “Couldn’t even wait to get my joggers off,” he muttered, before flopping on the bed.
He pulled the condom off, put a knot in it, and placed it with the wrapper. “Come here,” he said.
Izabel crawled up the bed into Matt’s arms. They lay in silence, the frenetic energy of a few minutes ago dissipating as his heartbeat slowed. “I really missed you,” Matt said quietly, kissing the top of her head.
“Yeah, I missed you too.”
Matt leaned up on one elbow and brushed her hair behind her ear. “I thought it would be good between us. But every time it gets better.”
He kissed her, this time lazily, one of those kisses you see in movies, and Izabel closed her eyes and allowed herself to simply enjoy it.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart.”
Izabel grinned. “What a great birthday present.”
Matt jumped up and went to the bedside table and pulled out a bag. “Here’s your real one.”
Izabel’s heart squeezed at the thought he’d actually bought her something. In the bag was a small black jewellery box, and in the box was a beautiful pendant. Suspended inside a thick ring of rose gold it was a glass bead. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Watch this.” Matt closed the curtains and reached for his phone and the necklace. Once near the wall, he turned the flashlight on and held it to the glass bead. Words appeared on the wall in different languages, but the three she noticed in English made her heart soar.
I love you.
“You do?” she asked, needing to hear him say it for real.
He turned the flashlight off and opened the heavy drapes. “Yeah, Izabel. I do. And while we figure this out, I wanted you to have something to remind you of it every day, without anyone knowing what it meant.”
“I love it. It’s really thoughtful.” She lifted her hair out of the way so he could put it on. When he was done, she turned to face him. “And I love you, too.”
In a big arena. And Cardiff had given them a royal Welsh welcome.
He glanced over to the side of the stage where Chaya was dancing and watching them. Matt wished it was as easy as calling Izabel and telling her to get on the train and come to him. She was the missing piece in his happiness puzzle, the one person who made everything else fall into place. Because despite all the success, he was still unsettled.
Matt jumped down off the drum platform, walking to the edge of the stage as his fingers played the last few notes of their final song. It never got old, looking out at a full arena. The energy of it crawled beneath his skin. Another reason he wished Izabel was here. He wanted her to see it.
He raised his hand in thanks and followed Ben off the stage.
“You were amazing as always,” Chaya said, throwing her hands around Ben’s neck in a purely platonic gesture.
Ben put his hands around her waist and carried her, her legs dangling, as he walked off the stage.
“You ever wonder if those two will get together?” Luke asked pointing the neck of the beer bottle in his hand in Ben and Chaya’s direction. His words a little slurred. His footsteps unsteady.
“If it was going to happen, you think it would have by now? Plus, her dad isn’t going to let her marry Ben.”
Luke shook his head. “Can’t imagine what that feels like.” He took two towels from a stack at the side of stage and handed one to Matt who wiped his face and dropped the towel around his neck.
The difference with this show was Stryker’s road crew were helping them with their equipment. Given they’d join the tour so quickly, they’d not had time to find a crew of their own.
“I’m feeling kinda shitty I’m not around for Izabel’s birthday tomorrow. Think I’m going to invite her to the Liverpool gigs. Do you think Jase will be a dick about it? I don’t want Izabel feeling shitty on her birthday. She deserves to be here.”
Matt’s stomach tripped at the idea of seeing her. He calmed himself before he spoke and tried not to let his excitement at the idea bubble over. “Jase has been on a bit more of an even keel since all this took off. I think a bit of financial stability is good for all of us. I can try and have a word if you like. Or maybe Alex would be better. He seems to get through to Jase when I can’t.”
Luke nodded. “Alright. I’m gonna ask her. She shouldn’t get to miss out on this just because your brother was a dick.”
The excitement he’d felt at seeing Izabel was drowned by the cold water of Luke’s words. Mention of Jase and Izabel still made his stomach curdle, and the frustration in Luke’s voice, even after all the time had passed, made him think Luke would never take the news of their relationship well.
“Yeah. It would be a shame for her to not experience this.” Matt turned and looked back at the stage. “I still can’t believe we get to do this, to be honest.”
“You think this is going to last?”
Matt watched Alex and Jase talking to three girls backstage. His brother glanced in his direction and flipped him the bird, but the grin on his face reminded Matt of when their nan had given them a PlayStation for Christmas the year Matt turned thirteen. They’d played each other for ten hours straight, breaking for turkey and the Queen’s speech Nan had insisted on watching. “I don’t know. I hope so. I know everyone is hoping for a big payday at the end of the month, but I think we should be cautious. Thought it might be good to hire someone to take over our social media. Hire a better producer. Invest to level up rather than pay out.”
“We need a band meeting then, to sort shit out, but I’m too pissed to talk business right now. Do you see the red-head I was talking to before the gig?”
“Talking to?” Matt laughed and shook his head. “Not since you removed your tongue from down her throat to go on stage.”
Luke grinned. “Hoping I’ll have something else down her throat later.”
Matt rolled his eyes. “For fucks’ sake. That’s too much info.”
“Says the guy who’s suddenly taken on the role of monk. What’s up with that?”
Well, Luke, I’m fucking your sister and her pussy is so tight and warm that the idea of fucking any of the groupies hanging around just pales into insignificance.
“I’m not a monk. Just not feeling banging some chick for the sake of it.”
“Fuck. Wait. Forgot about that dinner thing I walked in on Monday. Looked pretty damn domestic. Candle girl. Screamed high romance expectations.”
“Yeah, candle girl. Anyway, someone has to take care of all our shit while you guys shove your dicks into anything warm.”
Luke shrugged. “Not everything warm. I mean, I have standards.”
“Standards that seem to change with the more pints you’ve had.”
“Whatever. Oh, shit. There she is. Gotta go.”
“I’ll be in the bus.” Matt watched Luke has he jogged over to the woman who threw her arms around his neck. He was pretty sure Luke didn’t hear him or give a shit either way.
Once on board, he made his way to his bunk. The bus was the most basic tour bus version. Jase had been pissed off when he’d seen it, having envisioned they’d go from Luke’s van to something plush and luxurious. The bunks were narrow. There was no fancy bedroom at the back. And there was a toilet and sink but no shower, not that he’d ever want to take one while traveling down the motorway. You’d been one crash away from the world seeing your naked soaped up goods on the M6.
He climbed on board, glad he’d made the decision to bring his own pillow from home, the one Izabel slept on when they’d been able to steal a moment or night in his bed. He climbed into his bunk and pulled the privacy curtain shut before he pulled out his phone.
Izabel answered after the second ring. “How did you know I was thinking about you?”
“Cosmic all-knowingness. How was your day, sweetheart? And tell me why you were thinking about me.”
“I think I’m going to do it.”
“If it involves anything remotely sexual, I’m in.”
“Matt,” she teased. “Don’t say stuff like that when you’re too far away to do anything about it.”
“Hey, you want to get naked with me over video, I’m game.”
“Stop. I need to talk to you about something else.”
“What are you going to do, babe?”
“The gig. I spent the day pretending I was writing content for Gemma, but I researched all the venues in the city big enough to making this happen and fired off an email to all of their booking people. I outright said it would need to be a donation. They are all going to say no, I know it. But at least I did it.”
“Don’t think negative. Think positive and will it into being.”
“I’m going to propose it to Luke, so it doesn’t look like I went around him to you. But I’d love if you could support it if he suggests it to the band. You guys are riding high right now, and like you said, I think we could get local bands, maybe even some bigger bands to lend a hand. The Albert Hall seats two thousand two hundred. The O2 Apollo seats three and a half thousand. And if we think really big, the Central Convention Complex seats nearly eleven thousand. My basic maths says we could raise a quarter of a million for the shelter.”
“That’s amazing!”
“I thought about what you said. I’m good at persuading people to pitch in.”
“I have faith in you, Iz. You’re ready for the leap from some dried goods to an arena.”
Izabel grinned. “Yes, but with you already on board, I already have an anchor.”
His heart squeezed at just how fucking good of a human being she was. “Speak to Luke. Tell him we tossed the idea around at the wedding if you like. Say we could be the draw rather than the support or something.”
“Okay. I’m going to call him.”
“Hate to say it, but he might be a bit busy.”
Izabel groaned. “Well, I’m just going to keep ringing until he gets his dick back in his pants and answers. Speak to you later. Love you.”
“Love you too, sweetheart.”
He hung up the phone.
Fuck.
He’s just told Iz he loved her. Casually. Without any big fuss. Without either of them even acknowledging it. His phone buzzed.
Did you just tell me you love me? Or was that an accident?
Matt grinned.
I just told you I loved you.
He got a GIF of a fist bump in return, and he looked at it at least twelve times, grinning each time, before the rest of the band got on the bus.
12
Izabel watched as the landscape whizzed by. In ten minutes, she’d be pulling into Liverpool Lime Street.
She was early, way earlier than anyone expected her to be. When she’d finally gotten hold of Luke and floated her concert idea, it had been after midnight, and he’d been on the tour bus headed for Liverpool. On the bunk above Matt.
Matt, who’d told her he loved her.
And then he’d messaged to confirm he meant it.
Now, thanks to Luke’s invitation to join them for her birthday, she was twenty minutes away from Matt’s orbit, if you included the cab she intended to take to the hotel.
She’d told Luke, and Matt, she’d be there by three, but her plan to meet Gemma had been cancelled when Gemma had called her with an upset stomach. Instead of the bottomless Prosecco brunch, she’d grabbed a baguette at Victoria station for the train ride. She glanced down at her phone and saw it wasn’t even noon. Nerves got the better of her and she called Matt.
“Hey, sweetheart.” His voice sounded rough, filled with gravel and a splash of Jack Daniels. It was ridiculous how much it made her melt.
“Hey. I…couldn’t wait. My train gets there in like ten minutes. Can we see each other somehow?”
“Babe. I’ll come get you at the station. Wait. No. Luke’ll think that weird. Hang on, what time is it?”
“About fifteen minutes to twelve.”
“We’re meant to meet for lunch at twelve. Why don’t I make like I’m heading out with the guys, then, as they leave the building, I’ll say something came up I have to go deal with? I’ll message you when they’ve gone and send you my room number.”
“Perfect. I’ll tell you once I’m here.”
There was a pause. “I can’t fuckin’ wait to hold you, Iz.”
His words chased away the flicker of guilt she felt, sneaking around behind her brother. After all, it was his stupid archaic and eternally patriarchal rule that had them hiding from him. “I can’t wait for you to hold me, either.”
It was eight minutes before Matt called her to tell them he’d gone up to his room to wait for her. She’d travelled light, a small overnight bag with a couple of changes of clothes. The band were playing two nights in Liverpool, Stryker’s hometown, before moving onto Manchester. And Iz planned to see both gigs and travel home with them on the bus.
She carried her tote and bag up to room 943 and knocked on the door.
When Matt opened it, shirtless, joggers sitting so deliciously low on his hips she knew he wasn’t wearing underwear, he didn’t even bother to greet her. He simply cupped her face and kissed her like he needed her to stay alive, and her body lit up like a firework in response. She dropped her bags as Matt tried to kick the door shut. Her coat dropped to the floor.
“I missed you,” Matt groaned in-between kisses and thrusts of his tongue. His hands were everywhere, it was impossible to keep up. Gripping her hip, cupping her breast so firmly her core clenched in response as she let out a gasp.
“Sorry, did I hurt you?” he asked.
“No. The opposite. Keep going. Please.”
Matt grinned. “My pleasure. I want you naked, and then I’m going to take my fill of you.”
Izabel pulled her black blouse over her head revealing new underwear she’d bought specially for him. “You said black lace, right.”
Matt stepped back to look at her, his gazed focused on her breasts, his own chest revealing he was breathing hard. “Fuck me, Iz. Your tits look so fucking good.”
Izabel bit down on her lip at the hunger in his eyes.
“Lose everything except the underwear.”
She followed his instructions as Matt pulled the elastic of his joggers out a little. The head of his thick erection was visible. “I had thoughts of how I was going to seduce you, Matt. But they’ve gone straight out of the window. I just need you in me.”
“Thank fuck,” Matt growled and dived on her, pushing her down onto the bed with a whoosh. “Every night I’ve jerked off in some hotel bed to thoughts of you and me together. The way you feel beneath me, on top of me. The way you ride me. And now I get to do it.”
Ruthlessly, he tugged the cup of her bra down and sucked her nipple into his mouth. It stung, a good pain she felt right between her legs. “Ah,” she cried out, threading her fingers into her hands, tugging it hard.
“Yeah, sweetheart. Pull it.”
She did as he asked, and his mouth popped off her nipple. He repeated the action with her other breast, only this time, he slid his fingers down her stomach to her clit.
“Have I ever told you I love how wet you get for me?”
Izabel wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth back down onto hers.
It was wet, messy, their teeth banged into one another. His hands slipped into her underwear, his finger seeking her centre. On a gasp, she opened her legs wider to let him in.
Unable to grasp how she was only seconds away from coming all over his hands, she grabbed his wrist.
“No,’ he said, shaking his hand free. “Let me finish you. Let me watch you get off, because once I get in you, I’m not going to be able to wait for you.”
He slid his hand back between her legs, kissing her as he thrust into her, until she was a mass of sensation.
“Give it to me, Iz.”
“Matt,” she cried out on a gasp, letting go and coming around him.
“Jesus Christ, you’re fucking beautiful,” he growled against her ear.
He reached for one of the condoms she hadn’t noticed were on the bed and pushed his joggers low enough to pull it on. “Flip for me, sweetheart,” he said, tugging her toward the end of the bed as she did as he asked. Her legs dangled off the edge. Matt ran his hand down her spine, over her arse.
“Can’t believe I get to do this,” he muttered sweetly as he slid into her.
His body pressed down over her, pinning her to the blanket. She grinned into the bed covers. This was what turned Matt Palmer on. Having her trapped beneath him. First against the shower wall, and here on the bed.
“Jesus, Iz.”
He thrusts quickly gained traction. Faster and harder. There was no escaping the feeling of Matt all over and in her body. When he slid a hand beneath her, seeking her clit, she gasped.
She’d no idea if she would come again, but she loved him for thinking she might.
Matt pulled out of her and slammed home, his action jerking her clit against Matt’s fingers, the pressure almost unbearable.
“Keep doing that,” she cried out.
“This,” he said, exaggerating the action. “You going to come for me again. Soak me like you did my fingers. I love when you squeeze me, Iz. Feels like nothing else on the planet. Come on, sweetheart. I’m. Really. Close.”
His breath was uncoordinated, like her own. Gasping for oxygen.
“Ah,” Matt groaned as he lifted off her, giving him the freedom to simply take her. “Izabel. Yeah.”
He let out a loud groan. She could feel him pulsing deep inside her. The contractions and the pressure on her clit sending her over the edge to join him.
Matt slumped back down over her. “Fucking hell, Bryson. I think I just passed out from an orgasm.”
Izabel began to chuckle beneath him. It was such a stupid thing to say after something so mind-blowing, but maybe that was the point.
He began to kiss her. Innocent pecks along her shoulder, her neck, behind her ear. His hand edged out from beneath her and he gripped the edge of the condom as he slid out of her. “Couldn’t even wait to get my joggers off,” he muttered, before flopping on the bed.
He pulled the condom off, put a knot in it, and placed it with the wrapper. “Come here,” he said.
Izabel crawled up the bed into Matt’s arms. They lay in silence, the frenetic energy of a few minutes ago dissipating as his heartbeat slowed. “I really missed you,” Matt said quietly, kissing the top of her head.
“Yeah, I missed you too.”
Matt leaned up on one elbow and brushed her hair behind her ear. “I thought it would be good between us. But every time it gets better.”
He kissed her, this time lazily, one of those kisses you see in movies, and Izabel closed her eyes and allowed herself to simply enjoy it.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart.”
Izabel grinned. “What a great birthday present.”
Matt jumped up and went to the bedside table and pulled out a bag. “Here’s your real one.”
Izabel’s heart squeezed at the thought he’d actually bought her something. In the bag was a small black jewellery box, and in the box was a beautiful pendant. Suspended inside a thick ring of rose gold it was a glass bead. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Watch this.” Matt closed the curtains and reached for his phone and the necklace. Once near the wall, he turned the flashlight on and held it to the glass bead. Words appeared on the wall in different languages, but the three she noticed in English made her heart soar.
I love you.
“You do?” she asked, needing to hear him say it for real.
He turned the flashlight off and opened the heavy drapes. “Yeah, Izabel. I do. And while we figure this out, I wanted you to have something to remind you of it every day, without anyone knowing what it meant.”
“I love it. It’s really thoughtful.” She lifted her hair out of the way so he could put it on. When he was done, she turned to face him. “And I love you, too.”
