Give Up On Me (12 page)

Matt grasped her hips and drove her toward his mouth. He ate her out, relishing her flavor and loving her juices. She whimpered and moaned above him, pleading with him. He had never felt so good pleasuring a woman. Standing to his feet he raised her up and tossed her on the bed before following her down. He clamped onto her clit and sucked hard. She screamed and squirmed, and he felt her wetness on his chin.

“Mm, honey, you’re going to feed me some more?” He stuck two fingers inside her and worked them in and out as he flicked his tongue over her clit.

“Yes, Matt, yes! Don’t stop.”

He added a third finger and thrust them in and out of her at clipped pace. While he tormented her bud, he reached up to squeeze her breast. Plucking at the nipple and playing with her clit with fingers inside her drove her wild. Matt knew her body. He knew how to bring her to the edge, ease up, and then take her to great heights again. By the time he brought her fully to orgasm, she was shaking and calling out his name.

He climbed off the bed and shed the rest of his clothing. When he was poised over her again, he raised her knees. Matt leaned back a little so he could watch as her pussy opened to him. Come dripped down from her channel, and he wrestled between licking it up and getting his cock inside her. His twitching shaft won the toss up, and he thrust deep into her heat.

“Janae, what are you doing to me, honey?” He fell over her, catching himself with a hand beside her head. If he didn’t hold still, he’d release too soon. He waited, his shaft throbbing. This was where he belonged, buried inside the woman he loved.

Matt arched his hips and thrust deeper. The tip of his cock touched her cervix. He was careful not to hurt her, but he took with full force what belonged to him. She dug her fingernails into his sides and raised her knees higher. He stared into her face, mesmerized by the ecstasy he saw there.

Matt preferred her to look at him while he took her, but Janae had always closed her eyes without realizing it. She raised her chin, her teeth clenched. He leaned down to lick the pulse at her throat and then nipped the skin gently.

“Matt, it feels so good. You always fill me so good.”

He kissed every inch of her graceful neck and moved to an earlobe to nibble there. “My cock was made for your pussy. This is where it belongs, taking you, making you come. You’re going to come for me, aren’t you, honey?”

She whimpered again, and Matt almost let go. He’d wanted to give her another orgasm before his first, but he couldn’t hold it.

“Oh, hell, honey, I’m going to—”

His dick pulsed as he pumped come into her heat. She reached a hand between them and massaged her clit. He took in the sight with relish as the last of his orgasm faded away. When she screamed through the second orgasm, he trapped her hand between them to claim her lips. The day was young. They had lots more catching up to do—all in bed.

J
anae lay
in bed next to Matt and watched him sleep. He lay on his back naked because the covers had fallen on the floor at some point. She hadn’t felt like reaching down to get them, and Matt seemed not to care. He had thrown his heavy arm over her waist and dragged her back to his chest, but she managed to wiggle out of his grasp.

Get up, and get out of here, Janae. You did what you came to do.

She bit her lip, unable to take her gaze off him. In the moonlight shining through the window, she made out the scars, a few on his chest, and a bad one on his side. Her fingers itched to trace the marks just to touch him. She’d told herself she would sleep with him once, and then it was over. Getting Matt to let her go of his own free will and to forget about her was a dismal failure.

Janae started to rise, but she delayed again. One small kiss, not enough to wake him up. She leaned over and touched her lips to his warm skin. Breathing in his scent, she recalled how they’d made love for a few hours. They’d rested a bit, recovered, and went at it. Every muscle in her body ached, but it was a good, satisfying ache. He’d looked at her like he didn’t even see her stretch marks and how she had gained two dress sizes, the slender figure long gone.

Go
, she thought, and tears sprang to her eyes. Did she have to give him up again? Of course. She didn’t need to ask herself the question. Sniffing, she rose and tiptoed around to Matt’s side of the bed. She made sure she gathered all of her clothes and left his room, pulling the door shut behind her.

Dressed, she started down the steps only to have her cell phone ring. She almost dropped the thing over the railing as she fumbled to silence it before it woke Matt. Now that she thought of it, she recalled the phone ringing at least twice while she and Matt were hot and heavy.

She checked the time. Crap, two in the morning. The display on her cell phone said Kyler, and her stomach dropped. One day back in the states, and he had pushed for her to get a cell phone again so he could “stay in touch regarding Matt.”

“Why is he calling so late?” she grumbled as she reached the first floor. She knew why. “Hello?”

“I’m wondering why you’re not at your apartment right now.”

“And I’m wondering why the hell you’re calling me at two in the morning.”

“The agreement was for you not to sleep with my brother. You couldn’t keep your legs shut, could you?”

“Fuck you,” she snapped and winced as her voice rose too loud. She looked toward Matt’s closed door and moved away from the stairs. “Last time I checked, I was grown, and I don’t have to answer to you regarding my personal life.”

“You do when it comes to my brother.”

“I kept our agreement when I moved to Spain. You’re the one that asked me to come back and spend time with Matt. If your dumbass plan backfired, that’s your problem not mine.”

“Do you imagine we’re powerless just because it’s been four years, and your father’s company is doing well?”

She pressed a hand to her mouth and struggled not to panic. Kyler was bluffing. She didn’t have to give in to his bullying anymore. Something inside wanted to fight him, hell to kick him in the balls. At the same time, when she thought of his and his grandmother’s money and power, it felt like a crushing weight. Was it so bad if her dad lost his company? Maybe he could take a firmer step in controlling things like sell it and retire.

“Are you there, Janae?” Kyler asked.

“I didn’t plan on staying.”

“You’re saying my brother made you stay?”

“No.” She tried to get dressed while holding the phone between her shoulder and cheek. “I’m saying I was just leaving, but I’m not going away again.”

“Why don’t you come into my office tomorrow so we can talk about it.”

“I’m not doing that either.” She almost choked on her tears. Why was she crying? She’d just stood up to him, but it didn’t mean this was over. The burden renewed and weighed her down. She couldn’t take it. Not too long ago she had told Matt she didn’t love him as much as he loved her, but truthfully she loved him beyond reason. She couldn’t do it again. She couldn’t start over and not see him.

A tiny sob escaped her, and she squeezed a hand over her mouth.

“Janae.”

“Janae.”

She let out a small scream. Both men said her name at the same time, sounding so similar, but it was Matt’s sudden voice that startled her. “Matt, what are you doing awake?”

He stood on the stairs, and he hadn’t bothered to put on anything. The man had no shame. “Who are you talking to at this time of night?”

“Nobody!” She was a wreck. If he came over to her, he’d see her tears, but her voice had come out high-pitched and shaky.

“Tell him it’s your dad,” Kyler said in her ear.

She shook her head.

“No, what?” Matt said. He walked toward her. She backed up. The dim light from the moon illuminated his eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. “Why are you spooked, honey?”

She moaned. Kyler had surely heard the endearment. He swore in her ear. Matt reached her, but she stabbed the disconnect button on the phone. He tugged it from her weakened grip. She thought he would check the call log to see who she’d been talking to, but he set the phone on the hall table.

“What’s going on, Janae? Talk to me.” He drew her closer to him and rubbed her back. “You’re shaking.”

“I’m not.”

“You
are
. Right now you’re scaring me. I want to respect your privacy, but whoever was on that phone made you cry. That’s not acceptable at any time, but at two in the morning, it’s worse.”

She pulled from his arms and started around him. “I have to go.”

“You’re not going anywhere until we talk.”

“Matt, don’t be stubborn.”

“It’s late. You can stay the rest of the night, and in the morning, we’ll talk.”

“No.”

“Janae.”

“Look, we can’t be together, okay? Just let it go. I made a mistake coming here.” She stepped to the side to go around him. He blocked her path.

“You’re not going to stand there and pretend what we shared upstairs didn’t mean anything. You’re not the kind of woman who’s into a one night stand.”

“Maybe I am.”

He stared her down, and she looked away.

“I made a big mistake, Matt.”

“Tell me you don’t love me.”

Her gaze flew to his. She expected to see hurt or even desperation, but his face was cast in shadow.

“You wanted me to be stronger, didn’t you?” He leaned against the table and folded his arms over his chest. “Well, I believe I am. I’m fully prepared to let you go.”

She gasped.

“If you come clean and you convince me that you’re serious about us having no future. We’ll have this conversation now, or we’ll have it in the morning. You don’t have to come back to my bed. I have a couple of furnished guest rooms. You can choose one.”

Where Matt had sounded full of love for her moments ago, now his voice held no emotion. He stated the facts, and he presented her with an ultimatum. If she could lie to him, she could get out of there, and she would have accomplished what Kyler wanted.

If I can lie to him.

The problem was she had reached the end of her rope. She couldn’t take anymore. The burden Margaret and Kyler, and even her dad had placed on her was too heavy. If she didn’t get real relief, she’d end up sick, and where would that leave Nerea?

Janae weighed her options, and she settled on one course to start with. “You’re serious about letting me go, no matter what I say? If I don’t want to have any type of relationship with you, you’ll be okay with that? You’ll go on with your life—safely not recklessly like you were doing?”

He raised a hand. “Scout’s honor. However, make no mistake, I love you just as much now as I did before you left.”

He was too much for her. That was for damn sure. She should consider herself lucky to have a man so devoted to her. Most women couldn’t dream of it. “I…we…have a daughter. Her name is Nerea. She’s three years old.”

“W-what did you say?” The hoarse croak told her the impact her admission had on him. Regret brought bile to her throat, both because she revealed one truth to the past and because she wished she could go back and somehow change it.

“I said—”

“I know what you said, but it’s hard to…I’m shocked. How could you keep this from me, Janae? Why did you leave and not tell me? Did you plan to leave again and keep me in the dark about my own child?”

“No.”

“Pardon me if I don’t believe you.”

She shivered at the ice in his tone and then raised her chin. “Well, I guess that solves that, huh? You’ll hate me or at least be disgusted that I deceived you.”

She should have thought about telling him before she slept with him. To think him knowing about Nerea would get him to back off in trying to get with her. A stroke of genius, and yet, the tears were coming. She felt them flooding her eyes, and the lump in her throat was growing.

She walked past him to the door. “I’m going.”

Janae yelped when he grabbed her arm, spun her around, and thumped her against the front door. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“Matt, let me go.”

“You’re going to stay right there until I get my clothes on, and then we’re both going to your place so I can meet my daughter.”

“She’s sleeping. You can wait until tomorrow.”

“And let you escape tonight? Like hell I will. I’m beginning to think that everyone around me does nothing but betray me. It’s enough to make a man question what he should be doing.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

He leaned so close she thought he was about to kiss her. No way that was happening with him being pissed off. “It means an emergency court order to keep Nerea in the country.”

She gasped. “That’s not… That can’t…”

“What? Not possible? Not going to happen? Try me. You think I don’t know you weren’t in America while you were gone? I scoured this country and had at least three private investigators looking for you at any given time. It won’t happen again.”

She clutched her throat, trying to will her stomach to settle down. “Why were you still looking for me? You had the recording.”

He froze, staring at her. She had the feeling she’d said something wrong.

“How did you know about the recording?”

Janae thought fast. “Because Kyler told me after the fact that he’d done it.”

She prayed he’d believe her and think his brother used the recording to let her know she couldn’t change her mind and come back, lying about the money or why she accepted it. Matt seemed to think it over, and he stepped back, giving her space. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Let’s go,” he said.

“Where?”

“Upstairs. I want you in my room where I can see you while I dress.”

“I won’t leave. You don’t have to treat me like a criminal.”

He waited, gesturing toward the stairs.

Janae rolled her eyes. “So now what, you don’t trust me?”

“I have no reason to.”

She preceded him up the stairs and sat on the chair by the window while he dressed. Soon they were on their way to her apartment. When she gave him the address, his mouth tightened.

“Do you know the area?” she wondered.

“Kyler kept a mistress there once or twice. Did he suggest it after he got you to come back?”

“Yes.” That wasn’t a lie, but she didn’t tell him Kyler also paid the bills. She didn’t suppose Matt would think this time around to look into it. He might assume she had enough money left over from what his family gave her to rent the apartment. On the other hand, Kyler must have covered his tracks given Matt still thought Kyler and Margaret offered her money and then washed their hands of her. Why didn’t Matt question how Kyler found her when he couldn’t? She decided not to bring up the question.

When Janae unlocked the door, Maria sprung up from the couch where she had fallen asleep. She scrubbed her eyes. “
Señorita
, I worry.”

Those were the only two words Maria spoke in English. She went off on a long diatribe of how she had called Janae’s dad and how Nerea had been upset because her mommie was late. Janae could only catch every few words because Maria was crying. Her Spanish was close to fluent after living in Spain, but she still needed time to translate in her head. Rapid-fire speaking confused her.

“I’m so sorry, Maria. Please, slow down. I can hardly understand what you’re saying.”

“She said she planned to call the police, but after she fought to get Nerea to calm down and go to sleep, she dropped off herself.” With the lights in her apartment on, she saw the anger in Matt’s face without a problem.

Janae pressed a hand to her mouth, but there was no holding it back this time. She was sick all over herself and the carpet. Both Maria and Matt darted forward to grasp her arm. Maria gave Matt a repressive look and tugged her away from him.

“I'm fine,” Janae said. “Just let me clean up. Again, I’m sorry, Maria. Please, go to bed. I’m not going anywhere.”

Janae left them both in the living room and hurried to her bedroom to shower and brush her teeth. When she had changed into a T-shirt and shorts, she walked back out, prepared to clean up the mess she had made. Maria was on her knees scrubbing the carpet with a scrub brush and carpet cleaner. Where had she even found it, Janae wondered.

“You don’t have to do that, Maria. I’ll get it.” Janae was too weary to think of the Spanish translation, but Maria waved her away.

Seeing that she wouldn’t get anywhere, Janae turned to face Matt, but he wasn’t in the room. Fear gripped her chest, and she hurried down the hall to her daughter’s room. Matt knelt beside the toddler bed, staring at Nerea with an expression of wonder. She didn’t think he knew she stood there until he spoke.

“She’s so small and so beautiful,” he whispered. “I can’t believe she’s mine.”

“We can get a DNA test.”

He frowned at her. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Tell me about her, Janae.” He sat down on the carpet, still close enough to touch Nerea, but he seemed hesitant to go through with it. “What’s she like?”

Janae joined him. “She’s funny and intelligent and sweet. She can go on and on if you let her, telling you whatever pops into her head. Plus, she speaks Spanish, probably better than she speaks English. That’ll change when she goes to school, but I hope she doesn’t lose it.”