A Film Star, A Baby, And A Proposal (9 page)

Her voice wobbled.
"Matt, you walked away. My future and my child's future is not about the person who walks away. My future and my child's future is about the person who stays for the ride. Your choice."

By the way she was trembling h
e saw how much it cost her to find the courage to articulate what was in her heart.

The words she'd spoken with such bravery made his heart ache for her.

Matt couldn't take his eyes from her clear skin, those too-bright eyes, the ski-slope pixie nose and that fabulous mouth. The delicate white musk floral scent she wore seemed to surround him.

"There's nothing tremen
dously unique about me," he admitted now. "I'm a successful actor. Success is a double-edged sword. I work in an industry that wants to manipulate me, pamper me and break me. It's a rollercoaster existence. I wasn't looking for you to enter my life. And for a while my feelings for you scared me so much that I walked away." His gloved hand stroked her cheek, as he stared deep into those golden eyes. "I'm not walking away now, Eve. Because I've realised you centre me. Having a baby with you means more to me than I could ever have dreamed of. And the child will give me more than I can give it. Our child will anchor me to help me remain rooted in the real world. Being with you will keep me grounded. That's what family does. I realise that taking care of you, giving you and our child everything I have in my heart is the balance I need. I need you, Eve. I need the life we can build together. I love you so very much. Please give me a chance."

He loved her?

Eve
's battered heart soared wanting so badly to believe him.

But h
er head was quite a different matter.

She just couldn't get over the fact that he'd
willingly walked away from something very special.

The flash of hope in her eyes drained away to leave a wary
uncertainty that drove him mad.

She shook her head.

Frustration with her but most of all with himself for causing her to doubt him made his voice harsh. "You haven't a clue, do you?"

"I don't believe you." She pulled out of his arms and backed away.

He moved closer. "You haven't the foggiest about how I feel about you."

Now those whisky eyes snapped. "I'm not a mind reader."

"I'm crazy in love with you."

Her perfect brows
shot into her hairline. "Ignoring my messages and my calls is not the act of a man who loves a woman." Her tone was one of utter disbelief and it killed him.

Frustration
made Matt want to tear his hair out.

"It is if the man couldn't cope with his
feelings. They were too much. I couldn't handle them."

"But you can handle them now?"

"Oh yeah."

She stood absolutely still, the wind whipping around her as she stared up into his face.

For an unremitting moment, she didn't speak.

Then she shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"You don't want to believe me," he shot back.

"I don't trust your feelings. H
ow can I?"

She was right and God, i
t destroyed him.

He took a shaky breath. Then a stubborn self-belief that had got him through the worst life had to throw at him rose again.
"Okay. I deserve that. I'm just going to have to prove myself to you."

"Might take a while, like every day for the next thirty to forty years."

His mouth twitched. "You're a hard woman, Eve."

"Better believe it."

Another gust of wind slapped his cheek.

His groin ached so bad he nearly swore with the frustration of it.

He needed to get her inside to kiss her senseless and get her naked.

If there was one place they'd always managed to communicate it was the bedroom.

"It's freezing out here, let's go in."

Grabbing her hand
, he tugged her towards the entrance of Ludlow Hall.

The
way he was pulling her through the doors of the hotel didn't feel very lover like to Eve.

But he was right, it was freezing.

They stamped the snow off their boots. And she pulled the hat off her head as they entered the heat of the building. It smelled of Christmas. Well-heeled guests were milling around the wide reception desk of polished oak. A stupendous Christmas tree decorated in cream and gold took centre stage. But she didn't have much time to appreciate it since Matt was hauling her into the elevator. She sank back against the wall as he pressed the button to the top floor and dragged off his beanie.

Tension gripped his jaw and around his eyes.

He badly needed a haircut and a shave.

And now she saw the dark circles of exhaustion under his eyes.

Guilt gave her a sharp little poke.

After her sudden arrival and
surprising news he probably hadn't slept much last night. She hadn't exactly been giving him an easy time, had she? The lift dinged as the doors opened. The way his hand pressed possessively into the small of her back to guide her to their suite had her nerves dance a little jig in her belly.

He slid a
key card and opened the door.

The Ludlow Hall fairies had been in
to clean the rooms. And she noticed that a small white china dish had appeared on the serving table containing his key and coins, the candy wrappers had vanished.

They toed off their welli
ngtons, shrugged off their coats.

Eve roll
ed her eyes when Matt threw his in the general direction of the couch.

It missed.

With a huff of breath, she picked up his coat and hung it with hers in a small closet then yelped when strong arms spun her round and backed her against the door.

"Put your arms around my neck."

His big body was pressed against hers and she shivered. Desire was a living breathing thing in his blue eyes. Another living part of him was pressed hard against her still flat tummy. She took a breath inhaling the scent of him deep into her lungs and she loved it. Her arms wound around his neck. She pressed her breasts into his strong chest as her eyes stayed on his.

"This is not a solution to our problems."

Blue eyes narrowed into hers as his teeth nipped her full bottom lip. "Maybe not." He sucked her lip into his mouth and she trembled in reaction as the liquid ache burning deep in her belly began to beat in time with her heart. "Maybe not, but it's a good place to start."

He pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth and then just as lightly to the other
side. His hands were stroking her back then slid down to cup her bottom, pressing her close.

She went weak, closed her eyes. And heard his soft laugh
, then wondered why it sounded victorious. It took every single particle of willpower to take a breath. "Matt..." Tiny whispering kisses ran down over her cheek, her chin, before returning to the corner of her mouth, driving her crazy with need. "You're killing me."

"No, darling. I'm making love to you." Again he nibbled on her willing mouth, then ignoring her sigh of irritation moved to the heat of her neck. "Hmm, you smell amazing and I want to taste that
jerky little pulse just here." His teeth nipped her neck and she shuddered in his arms. "You have no idea what you do to me, Eve."

Actually, she was getting a pretty good idea if he was experiencing anything like the ache he was bringing to her.

"Stop." She slid her hands from his neck to press against his strong chest to push him away. It had as much effect as pushing a brick wall. So she gave up let her hands slide back up around his neck. "This is not a good idea."

Matt closed his eyes and prayed for patience as another flare of need roared through his overheated system. "Feels like a great idea to me. You want me, admit it." Now his hands slid up her back to her neck and his fingers combed through her hair to release her ponytail holding her head exactly where he wanted her.

Then his mouth tortured hers again.

"I want..." Eve struggled to remember where she was, who she was. "I want..."

His mouth smiled against hers before his tongue
slipped silkily in to tease, to tempt, to entice. "You want?"

"You..." Why couldn't she finish a sentence? Why couldn't she think? Surely needs, this horrible ache
, shouldn't hurt so much? He'd always been able to make her legs weak. The bastard. But this was more than weakness, this was powerlessness. Now the room spun. "No." And panic, razor sharp and tremendous broke through. "No. I can't do this. Don't you understand that I want you too much?"

"Good," he said.

Strong arms lifted her as his mouth found hers again.

Then she was laid on his bed and her heart was hammering so hard against her ribs she pressed her hands to the spot.
Lying there all warm and cosy and terribly aroused she watched him.

He whipped the cashmere sweater over his
dark head and tossed it. And her eyes couldn't help but admire the wide, wide shoulders, the sculpted chest, the black line of fine hair running down through his six pack. And then his hands were on the button of his jeans and she couldn't tear her eyes away as he slowly slid down the zip. The jeans and briefs went the way of his sweater.

Oh. My. God.

He was a big man in every possible way.

His thick and strong erection bobbed
as his thigh muscles contracted.

And she knew exactly what he liked and how he liked it.

Her tongue licked her lips.

"Matt..."

The mattress dipped as he lay beside her.

With
infinite care he trailed his hand under her sweater to rest against her belly. "Do you know how often I've dreamed of touching you again?"

She couldn't look away from his eyes as his hand slid up over her ribcage to
gently cup her oversensitive breast and Eve arched into his hand. "No."

"I dream of you every single night. In my dreams I do this."

The pad of his thumb rubbed a too tight nipple and she gasped into his mouth as his lips took hers in a long, drugging kiss.

They broke apart to help her lose her top, her leggings and panties, until she was skin to skin, hip to hip with him.

Matt gripped her knee, pulled it over his waist opening her to him and Eve moaned as the steel of his erection pressed at the slick entrance to her sex.

"Hold me. Touch me," he demanded.

Her arms wound around his neck and her fingers ran through his hair, fingertips rubbing against his scalp just the way he liked it. And all the while his pelvis tipped back and forth bringing joy to the screaming bud of nerve ends between her legs. Oh God, he was so hard and she was so ready she was going to come. Her whole body was shaking. Just as her back bowed he slid his fingertip around her clitoris and as she flew apart his finger entered her.

Her body was so hot and wet and tight and gripped and released his finger again and again.

Telling himself to take care with her, Matt rolled her onto her back eyes studying her flushed cheeks, the full mouth swollen from his kisses and her breath coming too fast. He was going to take it nice and slow and easy.

"I'm going to love you now." His lips were at her ear and he coul
dn't resist taking a little nip of the soft velvety skin of her lobe. "Promise you'll tell me if it's too much."

When she didn't respond, just arched her back he bent to kiss her mouth.

"Promise me," he demanded.

"I promise."

He knelt between endless legs, his hands sliding down to grip her tight bare bottom to spread her wide. The tip of his shaft nudged the glorious slick rosebud of her entrance and he took a shuddering breath as he pushed in one inch. Her cry was not one of pain but one of a woman who wanted more, much more. Her back arched to take him deeper but he held her absolutely still and slid in another inch.

"Matt, don't torture me."

It was the plea in her voice that had his mouth grow greedy on hers as his body plunged. Everywhere he touched her, tasted her and sucked her, her body trembled. This was what they'd always brought to each other. Passion. Right from the very beginning flames of passion had ruled both of them burning, scorching through their system. And it didn't take long before his control was torn to shreds. She was moving fast under him, her hips pistoning against his. With each breath dragged into his lungs he could taste her, salty sex and sensational. The cry she gave as he thrust into her was a woman calling for her mate to give her more, to take her higher. Now with her arms thrown above her head, her body surrendered to the intense pleasure that only he could bring to his woman. Her hips met his thrust for thrust and Matt knew he couldn't hold back a moment longer. The searing heat slid down his back to the base of his spine, speared into his balls and he cried her name out loud as she peaked and he flew over the edge with her.