Matt"Fine, but if he's the one that started this with Erica, I'm going to kill him." I got out of the car and walked with purpose toward the office. Never in my life had I wanted to be violent with someone, but the old fucker who stole my woman was at the top of my list."Matt. Maybe we shouldn't do this here." Sophie jogged up next to me, her eyes filled with worry as she slipped her arm into mine and slowed me a little."I have to know, Soph. I need to start moving toward getting over this." I got into the elevator, grateful that we were the only ones in it. "You would want to know too.""I know. I'm just worried about you making a big scene at your dad's office. That's all." She pressed her cheek to my shoulder as she leaned against me. "I wish I could take this from you. I would."I reached out and took her hand. "I know you would. It's my problem to deal with though. I just need to deal with it.""Agreed," Damon grumbled as he stood at the front of the elevator, facing us. "If t
EricaToday is the day. I laid in my hotel bed and chanted the same words over and over again. Today had to be the day. The day where I felt like eating, touring the city, breathing deeply again.I missed Matt so bad that my body hurt, my brain ached, my teeth even felt sore. Forcing myself into the shower, I turned on the hot water and pressed my back against the cold tile wall. I wanted him so fucking bad that I honestly felt as if I were willing to do anything to get him back."Then tell him what happened. Make him listen to you!" I yelled at myself in the shower as a torrent of emotions raced through me, threatening to force me to my knees in anguish.But he wouldn't listen. I knew it for a fact.Memory after memory assaulted me, each one weakening my resolve to leave the hotel room. I cried out and closed my eyes, pressing my palms against my face and trying hard to hold myself together."What am I going to do without you in my life?" I let another sob go as the first time we mad
Erica"Aren't you beautiful, lass, but so melancholy." A middle-aged bartender with a thick Scottish accent leaned toward me as I slid onto a barstool at the pub down the street."Life has kicked me in the gut." I shrugged and pointed to the bottle of Jack he had behind him. "I'll take a Jack and Coke.""Single or double?" He gave me a warm smile."Double, please." I glanced around to find the little place homely, and quite busy for late in the afternoon. Maybe people got off work early on Thursdays?"Here you go, love." He set the liquor down in front of me. "You look a little piqued. Care for something to eat? We have the best Fish and Chips you'll ever put in your mouth."I nodded. "Yeah. That sounds nice, actually.""Excellent!" He bellowed and rubbed his belly as he walked away.The sight of him caused me to smile. Matt would have loved to mimic him later in the night. I pulled out my phone and checked for missed calls and messages. I had a few texts from Lanie and one from Damon
MattI stood in my studio on Friday morning, staring at a blank canvas with a million emotions plummeting through my chest. I missed Erica so bad it fucking hurt to breathe. If I thought I knew what love was before her, I was wrong."Hey. I need to run up to the studio to do a quick shoot. You need anything?" Sophie walked into the room and crossed her arms over her chest."No. But thanks." I turned back to my canvas. “I feel like I could stick my hand inside my shirt and have enough red to paint this whole fucking city.""Matthew." She moved up behind me and wrapped her arms around me. "I wish I could take this from you.""I wouldn't give it to my worst enemy." I patted her arm. "Go do what you need to do. I'll be fine. Seriously."She hugged me again and walked toward the door. "I'll be back in a little while.""Sounds good." I glanced over my shoulder to find her watching me. "What?""You want to come with me in January to Saudi? I would love to have you with me.""I don't know. I'
A knock at the front door pulled me from the reverie. We'd fucked long and hard that night, our bodies melding into one. For the first time in a long time, I'd given myself over to someone.And guilt had followed me into the morning.I got up and walked to the door, thinking about how she forgave me for leaving without a word as if she were some whore in the night. She listened to my reasoning and helped me work through it.Had I given her the same courtesy? Fuck no. I had slammed the door in her face.My father stood on the other side of the door. Damon was on his left and Mitch was on his right. "Matt. We wanted to come over with Mitch. He has something to tell you."I didn't hesitate, but reared back and punched the bastard in the face. He hit the ground, and I was on top of him, beating him senseless.He didn't need to tell me a thing. Everything was falling into place.I could hear Damon and my father yelling for me to calm down, but I simply kept swinging. If Mitch wanted to tak
EricaI felt a little more alive when I opened my eyes the next morning. The hangover was almost a welcomed pain seeing that it demanded my attention over the emotional bullshit I was still suffering from.Kent and Karen's wedding had played in my mind's eye all night, the trip to Jamaica the first time I got to be part of a family. They'd pulled me in and put me to work. I was there to support them, but more than anything else, I wanted Matthew to see me. Really see me.A smile lifted my lips as I rolled onto my side. He'd been a hot mess on that trip, and all the others after it. I intimidated him something horrible, but it was all part of the story, part of my charm."Not anymore." I closed my eyes and pulled the covers up around my throat. He wasn't intimidated by me now that I belonged to him, or used to. He saw me as a woman, as a partner, as someone he could protect and cherish.I had to fight for us. I couldn't just let the shit lie where it was.Rolling over, I reached for my
Erica"I feel the exact same way." I slid down the front of his body and let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding as he moved back. "Mitch was bidding on that fucking painting of me the night of the art show. He wouldn't back down, and I could see how upset you were getting. I freaked out." I lifted my hands in the air. "I didn't know what to do, but as hard as you've worked all your life to figure out who you were, I wasn't going to let the bastard take the moment from you.""So you did what?" He put his hands on his hips and lifted his eyebrow. He had no clue how cute he was copping an attitude in the middle of my hotel room.I was still trying to convince myself that he was actually standing there across from me. My mind wanted to make it a dream, to convince me that I wasn't worthy of a man like him coming after me. But I'd felt him against me. Flesh and blood."He was interested in me, and trying to pursue something with me, but I told him you and I were together and that
MattI made love to my girl all night long, reveling in the feeling of her skin pressed against mine. I'd have sold my soul to hear her cry out in pleasure again, but around five that morning, I finally curled up behind her and let her rest.There was no way in hell I was sleeping and missing a minute of our reunion. It had only been a week since we'd left each other with no hope, but it felt like a fucking year.And all over her trying to protect my pride. My heart burned in my chest as I ran my fingers down her side and nestled the back of her neck."I love you beyond words, Erica Hall," I whispered against her skin. She moaned and rolled her hips, waking up the monster between her thighs.I had to two options. Give her what I wanted to give her, or let her rest up. I'd be taking her home later that day. It was time to start our life together, the way we should have before all the shit with Mitch went down.Open. Honest. Communicating all the damn time.I kissed her again before get