MattSpending the night in Erica's arms almost had me convinced that nothing was wrong. I woke up next to her and turned on my side to watch her sleep for a little while. She jerked and cried out several times, something haunting her in her dreams."What's going on with you, baby?" I reached out and brushed her hair from her face.She shot up in the bed and yelped. "Matt?""Hey. I'm right here." I pulled her down and wrapped my arms around her as she snuggled against my chest. She was the toughest woman I knew and yet something had her spooked. "You okay?""Yeah. Just a bad dream." She wrapped her arm around my chest and nestled my neck. "I'm just glad you're here.""See? One more reason for us to move in together. I'd be beside you every night and in the morning." I kissed the side of her face. "I need to get moving right now, though. Jonathan is stopping by the house in about an hour, and I wanted to finish working on some highlights for a piece I'd like him to put in the studio.""
Matt"We're looking at opening another art gallery in New York City this spring. It's a huge undertaking, and I'm not quite sure we're ready, but my wife thinks differently. She says it's time to open another storefront." He shrugged. "What the wife wants, she usually gets one way or another."I smiled. "I'm going to ask Erica to marry me sometime next year. Probably early spring. It just depends on how everything goes.""And things are going well now?" He ran his finger around the edge of his mug but kept his eyes locked on me.Everything was great, other than the fact that she had something going on that I wasn't privy to. It had to be something to do with work. Had to be."Oh yeah. She's a dream.""And a beautiful one at that." Jonathan leaned over and pulled out a folder. "I have the contract here for the special project if you want to give it a look.""I'll do that." I took the folder from him and tried to relax. It was a good next step for me, and maybe having a contract in plac
EricaThe last thing I wanted to do was go into the office, but until I figured out what to do with my life, it was my only option. It was almost laughable to think that I was grumbling about Lanie needing to find herself, when I too, was lost."Erica. You've got Mr. Bryant on line one," Joan said as she stuck her hand in the open doorway of my office."Which one?" I reached for the phone. I had a much more laid back relationship with Damon than his father."Damon." She closed the door behind her."Hello, Sir. To what do I owe this phone call?" I leaned back in my seat and crossed my arm over my midsection."Hi, Erica. I was calling to check on the new ads for our Advisory launch in a month. Mitch isn't answering his phone, and I have a partner call later this afternoon. Just trying to get all of my ducks in a row." He was all business, which is why I liked him so much. He had an uncanny ability to separate business from pleasure."It's coming along nicely. I gave Mitch the files on T
Erica"So I think if I just quit this spring at the elementary school that I'll go to the high school." Lanie leaned back from her plate and took a sip of her wine. We'd decided to go out to dinner instead of cooking, seeing that both of us were bone tired."And you really think high school is somewhere you want to be? I heard the kids get mean at that age.""They're mean at every age." She downed the rest of her wine. "Call me an Uber if I get too drunk.""Will do." I picked up my fork and pushed my pasta around the plate. I needed to tell Lanie about Mitch, but I couldn't force myself to do it. Where I knew she wouldn't judge me, she sure as hell would try and fix it."Hey. What's going on with you? Leon and your mom giving you hell again?" She reached across the table and brushed her fingers over my hand."No." I let out a soft sigh and shrugged. "Matt wants me to move in with him soon.""Oh. Wow." She smiled. "Wait. Why do you look so sad about this? This is great news, right?""Y
Matt"Good morning, Sir." A bright-eyed guy with a big smile greeted me as I walked into a flower shop around the corner from Erica's apartment. She'd spent the night at her place after going out with Lanie the night before, and I wanted to see her. Like now."Morning." I pointed to some red and yellow tulips. "I'll take a dozen of each of those in some of that pretty paper you guys have."There was a box of pastries sitting on the counter beside him. My stomach growled as I eyeballed them."You bet." He chuckled as my stomach protested loudly. "You want one of those? My mother bought too many as usual.""I'd love one." I walked over and glanced back over my shoulder. "Any of them off limits?""I love the cinnamon rolls, but I'm sure she included several in there.""Yeah. There's four." I took one of the apple fritters and flipped the lid to the box over. Tina's Bakery. A groan left me as I let the sugar and apples melt over my tongue. "Wow. That's fantastic.""Right? Tina is a great
Matt"I wish I could." She walked to the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge, tossing one to me. "I have an art event I have to go to tomorrow night with a few people from the office. Nothing big, but I have to be there.""Can't I just call Joan and sweet talk her into canceling for you?" I smiled at her."Nope, but good try." She popped my butt as she walked to the door. "Come on. Let's go have some fun while we can.""Consider me all in." I grabbed the box of treats and took the bag she had in her hand. "I'll drive. You just relax and try to enjoy yourself, alright?""I like the sound of that. Should we take Zek with us?"“No. I’ll text Lanie to come over tonight and hang out with him for a little while. He’ll be good until the morning. We’ll come back early.”“Sounds good, baby.”I had a million questions I wanted to ask her, but all of them were prying. I knew something was going on with her, but the mature thing to do was to back the fuck off and wait until s
EricaMatt was completely out of it by the time we reached the cabin. I'd offered ten times to take the wheel and let him get a nap, but he wouldn't let me. We walked into the cabin, and he motioned that he was going to check out the bedroom.When he didn't come back twenty minutes later, I realized where he was. Sound asleep on the bed. Poor thing.A smile lifted my lips as I stood beside the bed and watched him sleep. He had no idea how handsome he was. I knelt and kissed his forehead before whispering into his ear."I'm going to town to get groceries. Be right back."He grumbled something and turned over, his tone that of a pissy teenager. It was too cute. How hard it must have been to live in Damon's shadow. I was grateful that I only had an older brother and not a sister to be compared too, though I wasn't too sure Kent was the comparing kind. He seemed to enjoy and appreciate both of his boys for who they were. It was one of the reasons I liked him so much as a boss. He was supp
Erica"I'll send you the address, but please don't forget your place in all of this. You sold your body for a night. I didn't force you to do it. You eagerly said yes.""No, I didn't." Disgust for my action threatened to pull me under. "I'm hanging up. Send me the address.""See you tomorrow."I dropped the call and stood up, my legs a little shaky. After sucking in three or four deep breaths, I turned and walked back into the house. Matt was in a woman's apron, moving around the kitchen, humming something funny.He was only wearing the apron. His cute little pale ass flexed as he turned and looked over his shoulder. "You like?"I laughed, needing his humor more than anything at the moment. "I love it and you.""Good. Come over here and help me tote the stuff outside.""You are not going outside butt-ass naked.""True. There are wild animals out there." He stopped in front of me and ran his strong hands over my shoulders. "But there's a wild woman in here." His smile faded. "Baby... w