Black Hills Angel (Black Hills Series) (13 page)

She began to pile up the plates and utensils not casting a glance in Garrett's direction. After a few seconds, he got up and started to help her clear the table. He was eerily similar to Matt, but the scar he wore added a definition. He was also six foot and heavier than his younger brother. All in all you knew they were brothers without a doubt!

"Has Matt told you much about our family?" Garrett asked conversationally as they carried dishes into the kitchen. She found the plastic wrap and covered the casserole dish before finding a space for it in the fridge.

"Something about your sister and her son. I hear she is getting married soon." Andy said, applauding the steadiness in her voice. She certainly didn't feel steady.

"Yeah, poor Randy! Nora has led him on a wild goose chase for years now. I honestly never thought she would marry him." Garrett grinned as he scraped the plates clear of leftovers in the trash. She smiled at hearing the love for his sister in his voice. Matt thought a great deal of his older sister too.

"Some people are just meant to be together, I guess." Andy added as she covered the salad and it followed the lasagna into the fridge as well. Garrett straightened and nodded.

"Yes, I think so. My parents were definitely meant to be together. I don't think anyone else could have put up with them, but each other!" He laughed. It was rich and deep. It was contagious.

"Lucky them." Andy blushed and continued putting the food away. Garrett looked at her thoughtfully. She could feel his blue eyes resting on her. Measuring her in his own way.

"Matt is a great deal like my father, Andy. Once he sets his heart on something, he stays his course until he has it. For my little brother, he has set his heart on you." Andy's gaze slid to his. She felt uncomfortably stripped of all her normal places to hide. Garrett could see her; very much like his brother could. He continued on. "I can see it in his eyes, Andy. There is no changing his mind." Garrett's voice conveyed a wealth of meanings. She just wasn't sure if she was catching them all. She was still stuck on Matt's heart being set on her. Her mouth felt dry and she swallowed hard.

"Why are you telling me this, Garrett?" Her pulse throbbed in her head. Was he warning her away? He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the counter. He tilted his head.

"You need to know that whatever you are scared to tell him that it will not turn him away from you. If you care for him, you do need to be honest with him." He uncrossed his arms and shrugged. "I do know that is better said than done sometimes."

Andy felt shaken, but in a good way. Garrett's words had pierced the many shields she had erected over the last year. Even Matt had found it difficult to peel back the armor plating. She nodded, still holding Garrett's gaze.

"Thank you." It was all she could say. Andy tried to strengthen her defenses once more. A part of her wanted to run upstairs as fast as she could to tell Matt everything.
Everything!
Another part cautioned her on doing so when she felt so raw. If she shared all her secrets at this moment, they would be a mad mess on the floor with no coherent pieces. It would all have to be discussed again and again.
I will tell Matt, but not tonight.

"Ah, Andy," Garrett said as he was leaving the kitchen, turning around to meet her startled look. "If Matt ever gets out of line let me know. I will be more than happy to set him straight." He grinned, continuing out of the room. Andy couldn't help but giggle at his big brother act. An act, that's all it was. Garrett fiercely loved his brother and she admired that greatly about him. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad living here and getting to know both brothers better.
Maybe this is the family you have been waiting for.

Andy loaded the dishwasher, making sure all the dishes were in before she closed the door and switched it on to run. Taking a dish rag from the sink, she wiped down the counters and the stove. Those quiet moments relaxed her and allowed her mind to rummage through all of the advice she had been offered. Secrets needed to be shared and she was more than certain of it now. She wasn't as sure as Garrett that they wouldn't tarnish Matt's view of her. It caused her more than a little worry, but it was something she owed him. Andy sighed, looking around the clean kitchen. Flipping the light off, she made her way upstairs to Matt and Harper.

Chapter Fourteen

Andy's heart did a painful backflip when she peeked around the upstairs bathroom door to find Matt just as wet as her daughter, Harper. She should have wanted to laugh. It was cute. Matt's dark hair was spiked from his wet fingers, his shirt front damp in places, and the goofiest look on his handsome face. Harper's eyes were magnetized to his face, a half smile frozen on her pink lips. The whole picture presented something enchanting, but it was the shock of the scene that was a fist to her gut.

She eased back around the door into the hallway and leaned heavily against the wall. She tipped her head to look up at the ceiling, drawing deep breaths before she fell completely apart. The image from only moments ago was forever burned in her mind, quite possibly on her heart too. In her ideal world, Andy wanted Harper to have a father. Andy wanted a partner who could help take on the duties of being a parent and enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime moments as they came. Andy had been blessed by Harper's first smile, first recognitions of the world, first laugh or giggle, and there would be many more to come throughout her little life.

Her heart banged against her ribs, loud and strong. Tears gathered in her eyes and she willed the lump in her throat to ease. Matt had been a Godsend, whether he knew that or not. He had walked in at the exact moment she felt everything slipping. Granted things had continued to fall apart, but with him there, she wasn't scared by it. In some respects it was liberating. There was a freedom that came from chaos and Lord knew, she had enough chaos for a lifetime. Andy slid to the floor resting on the plush carpet. She closed her eyes and wondered if she would always be plagued by what should be instead of what was.

"I wondered if you were still out here." Matt's voice was low and soft. Andy lifted her chin to see him leaning around the door, her daughter freshly washed, diapered and put in jammies. "Let me lay Harper down with her mobile. Be right back." The promise in his voice melted through her and she welcomed the warmth. It was amazing how just his voice did that to her. His touch was decidedly something else entirely! Andy heard the "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" mobile start to sing. The light in Harper's room dimmed considerably and she saw Matt step out into the hallway again.

"She really likes her room, I think. She isn't fussing like she normally does before bedtime." Andy half whispered from her place still on the floor. Matt grinned and he walked towards her.

"She was always a princess. She just wanted to be treated like one." He chuckled, staring down at her. Andy took in his bare feet, Wrangler jeans encasing strong, muscular legs, and up to his narrow waist. Her cheeks flushed as she shook herself for staring too long. The dancing heat in his eyes told her he had noticed and was now thinking the same thing.
Oh dear.
Andy raised her hand for him to pull her to her feet. In an effortless stroke, Matt lifted her from the floor to rest against his body.

"Do you want to have a sleepover tonight?" Matt's childish question made her cheeks flame and he chuckled close to her ear. "I might even be able to find some snacks and drinks. Anything else you want?" His lips brushed her neck, drifting over the thin skin and sending shivers down her spine. Instantly she felt her body lift into his and beg for his touch. It was impossible not to
want
him with every fiber of her being.

"I want so much, Matt." She let out the breath she had been holding. "I'm afraid to ask for more." The rapidly blooming desire between them slowly withered into a wavering flame. She swallowed hard and rested her forehead against his chest. His t-shirt was still damp from the bath water. The insecurity squeezed her heart again. There was no waiting. Matt wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. His large, work roughened hands rubbed circles across her back.
Why can't being a single parent be just a dream? Why can't Matt be my "real life"?
The words churned in her head.

"There is only one thing you could ask of me that would be too much." Matt whispered in her ear. Her brow furrowed as she raised her eyes to his.

"What's that?" Andy hardly recognized the voice that asked her question. It was too low and scratchy. Matt kissed the tip of her nose and then pressed a soft kiss on her lips.

"If you asked me to leave. It's the one thing I cannot do for you, Andy. I would give you all that I have and all that I am, but do not ask me to walk away." Matt held her tighter, pressing her body against his. Andy felt every breath he took. It matched every one breath that she breathed.

"I don't deserve you, Matt, but I want to try." The catch in her voice halted her ramblings. If she kept talking, she would likely say something that couldn't be taken back. She didn't know when the right time would be to tell him about Harper's father and the rest of that great mess, but she didn't feel secure enough to tell him now. He was so close to his family. A brother so wonderfully protective. Parents who loved their kids no matter what. How could Matt not think she was keeping Harper in the dark by not sharing?

"Andy." He growled in her ear, her name rumbling in his chest. "Someday you will know just how valuable you are to me." Lifting her into his arms, Matt retreated across the hallway and into his bedroom.

***

The bedside lamp had been left on, spreading a soft glow about the otherwise dark room. His huge King four poster bed loomed like an island adrift on a gray sea. Making his way to the bed, he looked down into deep green eyes. They pooled, reflecting his image. His heart shifted, hammered, and leaped with a multitude of emotions. There was also a hauntingly familiar scene playing out tonight. Andy laying on his comforter, arms out stretched and her face flush with desire. His Wranglers seemed suddenly too tight for his peace of mind. The soft, warm pliancy of her skin mixed with the intoxicating scent of woman nearly cindered all, but primal thoughts from his mind.

"Deja vu." Andy whispered huskily into the quiet of the bedroom. The depth of her voice made the short hairs on the nape of his neck rise and a shiver zipped down his spine. He slid his palm up from her thigh to her waist, slipping his hand under her shirt hem, and continuing his climb up her ribs to the full curve of her breast. His fingers traced the outline of her bra. He couldn't help the wicked grin that spread across his face when she inhaled, pushing her breast into his hand. He molded his palm to her breast and lightly squeezed, testing the soft pliancy and teasing her nipple through the cotton cloth with the flick of his thumb.

Andy's eyes fluttered, her chin tipping up as she pushed further into his hand. Matt felt desire rip hot and fluid through him. The fire was more than cindering his control. It was also trafficking electricity along every nerve in his body. There was an intense need to lose their clothes, strip away every barrier and fuse them together until there was no telling where she started and he ended. Swiping his tongue over his lower lip, Matt leaned over her body, lifting her t-shirt away, and touching his lips to the delicate skin just below her breasts. Sleek velvet skin stretched over her ribs and stomach.

Her warm, womanly scent flowed through his nostrils, fueling his already disconnected thoughts with siren distractions. Slipping his hand beneath her back, Matt hooked one finger through her bra and fiddled with the clasp until it finally gave way. An appreciative growl resonated from his throat as he continued to kiss her warm skin. Tugging the meddling fabric from across her chest, Matt kissed every inch of her breasts, leaving her straining peaks until he knew she could stand no more. Her breathing was ragged, unhappy groans as he would stray closer to her expectation, but not give her exactly what she wanted. He felt fingers spear through his hair at the back of his skull and he grinned. Andy tried hinting, guiding and then tugging his head to her desires.

Matt chuckled wickedly, finally flicking her nipple with his tongue. The tease only stoked the mindless fire higher and Andy was determined that he should cave to her wishes. It became a battle of wills. One Matt was glad for, because it cleared his head from the clouding haze. He needed to resume some control before he failed them both.
Tonight failure was not an option!

"You are so mean." Andy's voice hitched in her throat, her eyes narrowing as Matt crouched over her. Her chest rising and falling with the exertions of her determination.

"You are enjoying this as much as I am, admit it. You won't forget this night, Andy."

She huffed, reaching for his belt buckle and jerking it until it came undone. She slipped her fingers into the waistband, unbuttoning it, and lowering the zipper with little patience. Matt felt her fingertips inside the band of his underwear and eyes rolled back.
So much for control!
He tried to focus on her eyes, but even they claimed all was fair in love and war.
Shit! Get a hold of yourself!
He had never felt so much the greenhorn as he did now. Andy was going to think he wasn't up to the challenge. Bracing himself, he had to switch the tables again.

"Nah Nah, sweetheart! You are going to end this tale before we can begin it!" Matt grabbed her wrist, pinning it up above her head into the mattress. It was hard to mistake the hiss that filled the room. Green eyes darted him with daggers at the same time as they welcomed him into burning passion. Love and hate really were very close emotions. He chuckled again as he leaned over her, pressing her body down into the mattress as he rested his erection heavy against her lower half. Gently he rocked against her and ran his lips up her neck and along her cheek. Andy joined him in their dance, but trying to quicken the pace. It was clear she was not going to be patient tonight.

Her lips sought his, nipping his bottom lip. He retaliated by sliding his free palm along her collarbone and to her breast, taking it in between his thumb and forefinger and twisting slightly. He heard her groan softly, her mouth crushing against his when he kissed her. Their tongues dueled, their bodies sliding and grinding against each other. Matt let go of Andy's wrist as he dragged her shirt over her head and she pulled his from him too. Andy untangled herself from her bra and sent it off the side of the bed to land beside her shirt. They kissed again, their mouths drinking in each life-giving breath. There was a starving need that had to be filled as Andy forced him into a greater frenzy. She caressed his hips, raking her fingernails across his ribs around to his back. The flames that followed the path of her hands made the need to feel her bare skin against his own that much more imperative.

"I need to feel you, Matt. Please." The rasp in her voice had his senses leaping. She tugged hard on his jeans for emphasis. It wasn't needed, but he enjoyed her desire's dominance. Rolling off the top of her, Matt pushed his jeans from his waist, kicking his legs free. Andy was doing the same. Her brown hair tousled and disarranged. Her lips were kiss-reddened and her cheeks flush with lust. Oh, he wasn't a fool. She didn't love him yet. Contrary to Andy's beliefs and a woman's intuition, he would know when she did. Her over-expressive eyes couldn't hide much from him. Just as those moss green pools begged for him to take her and make her forget all the painful thoughts she had been mourning over in the hallway. He would do that for her, because he did love her. He needed to brand her as his own too.

"Come over here." Matt indicated his side of the bed. Andy's chest rose with a huge indrawn breath and he watched her perfect breasts as she crawled over the king-sized bed and came to rest beside him. His body was throbbing as she sat so close to him that their knees brushed against one another. Using her inexperience to his advantage, he pushed her to lay back on the bed. Kneeling at the side of the bed, his knees cradled in the gray carpet, he took hold of her feet. He rubbed his thumbs over the smooth pads of each foot, pressing harder as he massaged her instep. She moaned, her toes flexing in his grip. Swallowing hard, he continued his massage excursion up her ankles, across her toned calves, and when he reached her knees, he pressed open mouthed kisses to the soft skin behind.

"Matt." His name said in a plea and he grinned, his attention turned back to his fingers and Andy's curious responses. He continued his train of kisses along her inner thighs causing her to gasp and clench her muscles. Matt could hear her rasping breaths and realized his were just as ragged. He was so hard and he couldn't remember wanting a woman as badly as he did Andy. She was perfection with her creamy skin with a hint of freckles here and there. Her untutored responses to his crusades sent him wildly over the edge of reason! She was everything he wanted and more.
So much more!

He pushed her legs wider. He could feel her fighting against her natural response to close herself to him, but he coaxed and cajoled until she relaxed enough. He leaned into the soft cotton comforter and leaned into her luscious body. She was ready for him. Wet and aching with the same need to be possessed as he needed to possess. He leaned forward letting his tongue intimately kiss her. He could have sworn for a minute she quit breathing or hell, maybe they both had!

***

Andy felt her chest seize when Matt's tongue flicked that most secret part of herself. The intimate touch was more erotic than she could ever imagine it being. He licked her once and then he stopped.
Was that it?
She had very little information to go on. They had sex together before, but this was taking things in a whole new direction. She had never been much of a romance reader as her friends had been in college. Now she was wishing she had read a couple of them!