MattThe weather was a little bit more biting in Seattle than Texas, but it was good for me. I pushed myself hard, forcing my jog into more of a run as I moved down the harbor with the other joggers. Erica was constantly on my mind, driving me mad with the need to have reconciliation. My family thought so much of her, and I was right behind them, but she wasn't having anything from me. My indecision to call left me not even friend-zoned, but put into the category of a new employee that she'd never seen a day in her life."Tonight," I mumbled and turned to head downtown. Traffic was crazy, but it would keep me alert and aware of my surroundings and not let me dive too far into the hamster-wheel conversation in my head. Should have called. Told her you loved her. Asked her to be yours. Should have called. Told her you- "Fuck!"I jerked back as a car honked and skidded to a stop beside my thigh. A second later and the guy would have hit me. I glanced up to see the sign across the street
Matt"Yeah. I'm fine, and I met the old coot on Wednesday when I went up to the office to tell Erica I was in town. He brought her a large vase thing full of flowers. Seems like he's got his eye on a much younger woman. Mine.""Oh shit. Seriously?" Damon chuckled."It's not funny. He's the kind of man she deserves." I sat back and held in a sigh."How do you know the type of man she deserves? You're being a presumptuous cock, by the way.""Thanks. That's almost a compliment coming from you." I got up and wiped my hands down the front of my shirt."Fix this shit with Erica or I'm going to fix it for you. There's only room for one asshole in the family, and I'm the older brother. I get first dibs."I smiled. "This is true. I'm working on it. It's not as easy as you think.""Oh, I'm well aware. You and Kendal have been all over me to fix my problems with Beth, but it's a little more complicated than a 'sorry’, right?"Kendal was Damon's best friend from college, and just happened to be t
Erica"Dammit," I muttered as I walked into the darkness of my apartment. I'd promised myself I wouldn’t let him sweep me off my feet, and he hadn't yet, but it was a matter of time. "Yeah, minutes."If he wasn't everything I'd dreamt he could be over the last few years it would be different, but he was. Just because he had tucked tail and run the weekend before didn't mean he wasn't still that man underneath the fear.I pulled my dress over my head and changed into a pair of jeans, a nice blouse and black flats. A quick brush through my hair and touch up on my lipstick and I was jogging back downstairs. Annoyance at the fluttering of my heart rose up sharply in my chest. How could I so quickly forgive him?Because he was earnestly sorry. He wasn't a dick, he was lost but searching, just like I was.He watched me like a hawk as I walked toward the car. It's the way I'd wanted him to look at me since meeting me.What about Mitch?"What about Mitch?" I snorted and reached for the car do
Erica"Paint." He moved away and turned down the paint aisle. "I know we're not really back to where we were, but I'm going back to Dallas next weekend. I'd love for you to come with me. Bethany and Damon are planning their wedding, and Bethany mentioned a few times how well you did on my father's wedding with the decorations. You think you might be-""Of course I'll help." I pulled out my phone and flipped to my calendar. "I need to be in Dallas next Saturday anyway for a meeting with your father and your brother.""Excellent." He stopped in front of the paints and bounced on his toes. His energy was contagious, and I found myself feeling lighter, happy. "You still doing yoga with Lanie on Sunday nights?""Yeah. Why?" I smiled as I leaned against the cart. No way was he wanting to come to my yoga class. He almost died the last time we were there. I lamented over not getting to see him suffer for the days that followed."I want to come with you." He handed me a few tubes of paint and
MattTaking her home the night before was like stabbing myself in the chest. It was my fault that she wasn't staying, and not that I blamed her one bit, but it didn't deaden the pain of watching her walk into her apartment alone. She didn't even look back. I spent Saturday working on the portrait just to keep myself from slipping into depression or eating everything in the house, which wasn't much. I was grateful for Sunday showing up fast. It gave me a chance to at least see her."And today is a new day." I mumbled in my car as I sat in the parking lot of the yoga place. I pulled down the mirror above my head and lifted my eyebrow playfully before smiling. I could do this. I could win her back, and I would."You coming?" A knock at my window caused me to stiffen.Lanie. Erica's best friend.I got out and smiled. "I am. Did she tell you that I was up for an afternoon of torture and couldn't imagine letting anyone else share it with me besides you?"She laughed and ran her fingers thro
Matt"Are you sure you're okay, Matt?" Lanie stood beside my car, her arm wrapped around Erica's narrow shoulders."Yeah. I'm good." I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Last time I try to impress a woman by turning myself into a human pretzel. I'm way too big to do that kind of stuff.""I think you did great." Erica shrugged, a smile playing on the side of her mouth."Lies. All lies." I glanced around the parking lot. "Is your rental car here?""No. I got an Uber. You want to give me a ride home?" She turned and hugged Lanie as I nodded my response. Of course I wanted to take her home. I wanted to spend the night with her, which she was more than aware of."You guys be careful and have fun, okay?" Lanie glanced over at me."Absolutely, and I'll be on the lookout for a guy you might be interested in." I wagged my eyebrows. I didn't know anyone, but I'd meet people. I always did."Awesome. Make sure he's hot, rich as hell and has a huge-""Okay. That's good." Erica walked around to the
Erica"You want a salad?" I leaned into the living room an hour later to find Matt cuddled up on the couch with Zek. How I had gone from not being sure that I was going to let him back into my life to agreeing (non-verbally) to let him stay the night was a mystery to me."I'd love one. You want my help?" He glanced up and smiled.He so belonged right there on my couch, in the middle of my living room. Much like he belonged in the center of my world. Scary enough, if I wasn't careful, that world would quickly come to rotate around him. That was never a good place to be, especially not with a 'runner' on my hands."No. You stay there. I'll get it." I worked to chop up a few things and made both of us big chef salads before setting the table and calling him over.He moved up behind me and ran his hands over my shoulders and down my arms. "You still haven't accepted my apology.""I'm trying to work through all of that." I stifled a moan as he leaned down and pressed his mouth to the side
EricaI pressed my face to the bed and cried out as pleasure raced through my center, stealing my breath. "So good.""Yeah, you are." He flicked his tongue over my clit before sucking it in his mouth. The painful press of his fingers gripping my ass was more than enough to throw me clear over the edge of ecstasy. "I can taste you. You're getting close.""Harder," I mumbled and closed my eyes, diving into what he must look like kneeling behind me, his arms wrapped around my legs, his hands clamped down on my flesh as he worshiped me with his mouth.My orgasm slammed into me full force, and I arched my back and cried out before pressing back on him and rocking my hips hard."That's it." He rolled his thumb around the entrance of my body, dipping it in as I continued to cry out over and over. "Come for me again.""No. I need a-""You need to listen." He pressed his finger into my body, jack-hammering it as I writhed with pleasure. "Come again."I worked myself against him until the world