Erica"You sore already?" I moved up behind Matt as he stood at the stove, working on dinner later that night."Yeah. Damn, that was a serious workout, Erica. How often do you girls do that?"I reached up and pressed my fingers into his shoulders, massaging him as he groaned in delight."Every Sunday night. I love it. I feel like I got a detox and a workout.""No wonder you look so damn good. That was far more intense than I thought it would be." He reached up and gripped my hands but kept his back to me. "I'm gonna pass out if you keep that up.""Then I can do it later for you.""Sounds good. Go take a load off. Dinner is almost done." He released me and went back to cooking as I walked into the living room. I hadn't checked my e-mails for the last few days, which wasn't me at all. It was funny how quickly my desire to be needed by the office dissipated when I had something else to focus on.I sat down at the small desk on the far end of my living room and pulled up my laptop, workin
MattI knew she wanted to talk about us, but I just couldn't. I wasn't ready to talk about anything regarding my future. I needed some time to myself to really think through things. I couldn't let a passionate weekend change the trajectory of my future without me having a say in it.She worked on her computer and I flipped through the pictures of her on my phone, sharpening the image of her in my head until I finally had down exactly what I wanted to see on the canvas. The fax came in from Jonathan and she reviewed the agreement while I went out on the patio to start working on the sketch. We would be perfect for each other, but something was holding me back.I worked on the sketch until early the next morning and walked back into the condo sore as hell, but thrilled with what I'd put together so far. It was going to be my most stunning piece yet.After putting it in my portfolio and drinking a large glass of milk, I stood in the hall and let indecision pull me from walking into the d
Matt"So? How was it?" Bethany worked on a ham sandwich in the kitchen at my father's house as I leaned against the counter beside her and watched."It was great. Erica was a load of fun, and Seattle is insanely beautiful.""And?""And I signed the contract with Jonathan after Erica looked it over. We'll be doing the showing in November, I think. I get a few extra tickets to it, and I'd love for you to be there with me.""You know I will." She picked up the two halves of the sandwich and offered me one of them. "What about you and her, Matt? You're being so fucking cryptic.""I know." I took a big bite and shrugged before turning and walking to the backyard. The flight home had been miserable because I couldn't stop working through a million ways to see her again. Like that night."So stop acting like Damon and give me my brother back, please." She moved up behind me and walked out to join me on the patio. It was still a little warm for what most people would consider fall weather, bu
EricaOne Week Later"Boss?" Lewis stuck his head in my office and gave me a tight smile. "Were you wanting to-""No. Tell everyone to e-mail me their reports and close my door please." I didn't even look up from my computer.A week. A whole fucking week had gone by and nothing. Not a single word from Matt Bryant. I'd spoken with Kent and Damon a million times on our new advisory project, but nothing from the one man I wanted to hear something from. Anything from."Why?" I whispered as the door clicked shut. I got up as the familiar burn of rejection swelled inside of me. Was he expecting me to call? I would have believed that before spending the weekend with him, but now, I knew there was a different side of him.He could play docile and sweet in front of the world, but he was an alpha male that liked to dominate women in the bedroom and lead them through a thick crowd of people. He was a protector, a strong man's man. Why did he act like he was anything but that?I'd come up with a
EricaWhy was I holding myself out for a guy that didn't even have the common courtesy to call me? I wasn't asking for much, but after sharing my body with him, and supporting him with his situation with Jonathan, the least I deserved was a fucking goodbye.My phone buzzed and I picked it up. "What? It's not four yet, is it?""No, Miss Hall. I'm sorry, but Mr. Bryant's on hold for you.""Fine. Put him through." I pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose, half expecting to hear Kent's voice fill up the other end. To hear Damon instead was no big surprise though."Erica? This a good time?""Sure. I just met Mitch. He seems like a nice guy." I leaned back and crossed my free arm over my chest."Yeah. I think he's going to be good for the advisory practice we're setting up. The man has a resume that impressed my father. I'm thinking we're going to do well to have him on our side.""Awesome. What can I do for you?" I forced myself to sit up a little and lose the attitude. Never before h
MattThere should have been peace, sitting outside on the patio of my dad's house, working on the sketch of Erica, but there was none to be found. Everything inside of me screamed for me to call her, but fear held me at bay. No, it locked me up, tied me down, forced me into a place of numbness. Where logically I could point to all of it being a bullshit scheme to keep myself from getting hurt, I hated it. Hated myself.Erica belonged to me, and yet she would become someone else's if I let my fears over not being enough 'man' for her stop me from moving forward, and fast. She was my brother, Damon, in female form. Perfect. Smart and strong, educated and successful. She was everything anyone could want and beyond anything I expected to have, but I was fucking it up completely.I reached down and brushed my thumb along the sketch, catching the side of her face and smearing the line a little to soften her."Much better," I whispered softly as the sun warmed my chilled skin. The weather in
Matt"Agreed." She sat up and pulled her knees towards her, wrapping her arms around them. "I'm glad Damon and Bethany worked everything out.""Me too." I slipped my hands into my pockets. "I'm looking forward to the wedding. I'm just not sure if I'm expected to be the best man or the bridesmaid."She laughed and shook her head. "Not sure your father would agree to you wearing one of those slinky blue dresses that Bethany is looking at.""I can rock slinky. Hello." I lifted my eyebrow as she laughed again."I have no doubt." Her eyes moved toward the table beside me. "That picture is by far the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Has Erica seen it?"I glanced down at it before gathering my things. "Um... no. I went up there and had a great weekend with her and then tucked tail and ran.""Then go back and show her."I turned my attention back to my stepmother. "I'm not sure she's going to want to see me.""Maybe not right now, but she's definitely going to want to see the way you see
EricaI had to breathe. Just breathe.My job, my life, everything was built around my career at M&B. I loved working for Kent and Damon, and both of them had been beyond good to me. To be the director of anything at twenty-eight was huge. I'd worked my ass off to get it, but they'd been more than generous in bestowing the title, the salary and the freedom that went with being in charge.I refused to let something as stupid as another failed, almost-happened relationship mess that up. Matt wasn't suffering from the sound of things. Why should I be?"Because I love him." I glanced up from staring at my hands and let my eyes move around the small park where I sat on a lone bench. The weather had turned cold, and damn if I'd forgotten my coat when I ran out of the office like a scalded child.Damon wanted to talk about all the reasons why I shouldn't be upset with Matt, why we were so good together, but he was bias. His little brother had a shot at love, a sustaining, serious, abiding lov