One Night Forever (The Cinderella Chronicles) (19 page)

“
It’s
beautiful,” Lauren said, holding Gina’s hand in hers as she sat
down next to her. “White gold settings are lovely.”

“
Yes.” Gina
beamed. “He did great, didn’t he?”

“
He did,”
Lauren said with a smile and a glance at Matt. “When’s the
wedding?”

“
We don’t know
yet,” Gina said. “We’re thinking spring.”

Matt listened to the two
women talk for half an hour. He even left for a bit and made more
coffee only to find them still chattering upon his return. Finally,
he decided it was time to reclaim Lauren.

Matt cleared his throat.
“How much girl talk must a man endure?”

Both women laughed and
Gina gave Matt a knowing look. “Fine. I’ll leave.” She pushed to
her feet. “I really enjoyed talking with you, Lauren. Maybe we
could go shopping or something one day.”

A flash of indiscernible
emotion crossed Lauren’s face before she tucked it behind a mask.
Matt’s brows dipped. What was that all about? Matt stood and hugged
Gina before walking her to the door. Gina leaned close. “She’s a
sweetie. You better be good to her.”

“
Go home,” he
told her and then shut the door. But not before he heard Gina’s
laugher.

Matt returned to the
living room to find Lauren on the couch. “She liked you,” he said,
joining her.

Lauren smiled and let him
pull her close. “She’s a character. Definitely easy to
like.”

“
Yes, I know.”
Matt couldn’t believe how right it felt sitting here on a weekend,
talking to Lauren. “She’s a piece of work, that one.”

Her hand settled on his
chest, and her voice softened. “You love her very much.”

“
Yes, I love
her.” He nuzzled her neck. “Spend the day with me. Hell, spend the
weekend with me.”

Lauren pulled back from
him and gave him a wide-eyed look. “I don’t think that’s a good
idea.”

“
Why?” Her
resistance was expected.

Her jaw tensed. “You know
why.”

“
No,” he said.
“Tell me.” If she was going to push the issues he wanted them
spoken out loud. They needed all the cards on the table.

“
You’re my
boss.” She paused. “And you already knew that was my answer. I
don’t know why you wanted me to say it. This is getting out of
control.”

“
Pretend I’m
not.”

“
My boss?” she
asked as if he was crazed.

He nodded.

“
I can’t
anymore.” She drew a breath. “Being here with you makes this…very
real.”

“
This?” he
asked wanting to know what she had almost said but didn’t. “What is
‘this’?”

“
Stop Matt.”
Her hand went to his chest and she pushed, trying to distance
herself. “Why are you pressing me?”

Matt held her close, not
willing to let her run. “We don’t need a hotel for fantasy,
Lauren.”

Frustration etched her
tone. “Yes, we do. Or did. We can’t keep doing this.”

“
That’s my
point.” He reached for her hand and enclosed it in his. “We’re
here. Alone. Let’s enjoy the time and stop putting limitations on
what our time involves.”

Leaning forward he
nuzzled her neck. “Just forget everything for now.” Her hand went
to his cheek and he covered it with his own. Matt looked into her
eyes. “Just be with me.” And then he kissed her, pulling her down
with him as he lay on the couch.

Prepared to use whatever
means necessary to convince her to stay. For the weekend. And maybe
for a lifetime.

Chapter Twenty-Two

It was official. Lauren
was losing her mind. Not only had she agreed to spend the weekend
with Matt, she had allowed him to accompany her on a trip to her
apartment. Of course, he’d insisted. She’d never met a man so
difficult to say no to. He could go back and forth about a subject
for endless lengths. His question had changed with each delivery
but held the basic, same concept. Why did she care what he thought
of her apartment? What did it matter if he saw her apartment? Why
did she want to go alone when he could drive her?

Somehow, taking him with
her had seemed easier than answering directly.

But now, walking up the
concrete stair on the outside of her apartment building, her gut
twisted with anxiety. The differences in their worlds were night
and day. Her lobby consisted of a two-foot walkway and mailboxes.
No doorman. No fancy tile and elevators. The only positive she
could find in this little visit was that it might just open his
eyes to the craziness of their relationship. It wasn’t just their
work scenario that made them a poor fit. They were as different as
black and white. Hot and cold.

Not that she kidded
herself into thinking Matt wanted anything permanent with her. She
frowned at the thought and turned to face him. “Why is this so
important to you?”

He rolled his eyes.
“We’ve been through this. Don’t you ever stop asking
questions?”

“
What?” His
reply was absurd. “You’re the one—” Matt kissed her.

“
That’s not
fair play.”

He patted her ass. “Let’s
go inside.”

“
Don’t do
that. My mom lives here.”

“
I’m sorry,”
he said, but he wasn’t. The twinkle in his too-blue eyes said he
was amused.

With one last
reprimanding look, she turned back to the building. Moments later,
she unlocked her apartment door but she couldn’t bring herself to
open it. Facing Matt, she guarded the entrance with her body. “I
really don’t want to let you in.”

His eyes locked with
hers, his expression unreadable. Then slowly, he leaned forward and
rested one palm on the door beside her head. “Why?”

She bit her bottom lip.
He’d asked this so many times and she’d avoided the answer. “Please
just wait here.”

“
No.”

Lauren let her head drop
against the door. “In case you didn’t notice, I don’t exactly live
in your neighborhood.”

“
Which means
what?” His tone was soft, not intimidating or angry. For that she
was thankful.

She sighed heavily and
looked at him. “You know ‘fantasy’ only works with no reality mixed
in. We are crossing lines here left and right.”

His other hand
settled beside her head, and he stepped so close they were almost
touching. “The best fantasies
are
real.” A short
pause. “We aren’t living in a fantasy world anymore. We’re creating
one. Our own.”

She didn’t know how to
respond. It was such an amazing thing for him to say. He touched
her cheek with his fingertips and goose bumps pebbled on her skin.
“Material things mean nothing. My adopted parents just happened to
have money. “

Lauren swallowed and
nodded. She knew he was right but there were so many reasons to
stop this here and now. Work and…work. That was reason
enough.

“
Invite me in,
Lauren.”

Emotion made her heart
swell. She wanted to open up to Matt yet she knew she shouldn’t.
Still, his acceptance, his willingness to take her for what she
was, felt good. Warm and secure. She pushed up onto her tiptoes and
slid her hands to frame his face. “Thank you,” she whispered before
brushing her lips across his.

“
Sweetheart,
there is nothing to thank me for.” He brushed her lips with his.
“But feel free to kiss me at will.”

Lauren laughed and,
feeling a tad bit more accepting of her apartment, turned and
opened the door. Still, she couldn’t help studying him as he
entered and looked around. “Well?” Her eyes went to her ugly brown
couch and scuffed tables and they suddenly looked ten times worse
than usual.

He pushed the door shut,
and grabbed her hand. “Your place is fine, and you know it. Go get
your things. I’m a starving man. I need food.”

Lauren led him toward the
kitchen. “You can raid my fridge while I pack.”

They stood between the
stove and fridge in a space barely big enough for two. Matt lifted
her up and sat her on a counter. Inching her knees apart, her
already wrinkled skirt rode high up her thighs. “I want to eat
you,” he purred. “Got any toppings?”

She wrapped her arms
around his neck. “Depends. What do you have in mind?”

“
Whipped
cream?”

She shook her
head.

“
Hmmm. There
are other acceptable choices.”

She smiled, and ran her
finger over his full bottom lip. His playful nature really made her
happy. Troubles seemed to disappear when she was with Matt. “Like
what?”

“
Did I mention
I really like Hershey’s chocolate?”

Her brow lifted. “Do
you?”

“
I do. I put
it in my cereal. On my pancakes. On…everything.”

Lauren smiled.
“Everything?”

Matt lowered his head,
his mouth hovering over hers. “Got any?”

“
I have
strawberry.”

He laughed, soft and
sexy, and she felt it from head to toe. His mouth slanted over
hers, and his tongue did a slow slide past her lips. With slow,
sultry movements, he tasted her. This was a kiss of
passion.

A knock sounded on the
door. “Lauren honey, are you home?”

Lauren pulled away, hands
going to Matt’s arms. “I really wasn’t prepared for this much
reality in one day.”

The knocking started
again. “Lauren, honey, open up. I’ve been worried.”

Lauren leaned around
Matt. “Coming, Mother!”

Matt smiled as he pushed
a piece of hair behind her ear. “You met Gina. Now, I’ll meet your
mother.”

Despite an effort at
smiling, she failed. Matt’s hands settled on her waist, and he
lifted her to the ground. Her outfit was a wreck and obviously the
prior day’s work clothes. She ran her hand over her skirt, and then
looked at Matt.

He shrugged. “At least we
have clothes on this time.”

“
There is
that,” Lauren said with a heavy sigh. “If we’d gotten the syrup out
it would have been trouble.”

Matt tapped her nose and
chuckled. “Think how much fun we would have had though.”

Lauren gave him a look.
“You won’t be laughing when she finishes with us. The woman is as
nosy as they get. I love her, but she’s difficult.”

“
It’ll be
fine.” He leaned against the counter and inclined his chin toward
the door. “Go let your mother in.”

There was no sense
putting off the inevitable so Lauren did as he said. The instant
the door opened, her mother flung her arms around Lauren. “Oh, my
God, sweetie. I have been so worried. You didn’t come home last
night and your phone went straight to voice mail.”

It was a miracle this was
the first time she’d been missed. And yes, her phone had gone dead.
Lauren hadn’t planned on all night at Matt’s so she’d been without
her charger. “I’m fine, Mom.” Lauren motioned for her to come
inside.

She started forward, her
eyes sweeping Lauren’s clothes. “You don’t look fine. You look…”
Her eyes went to Matt. “Well, hello. I’m Helen, Lauren’s
mom.”

Lauren shut the door and
turned to look at Matt, seeing what her mother must be seeing.
Looking quite breathtaking in black slacks and a blue pullover, he
presented the picture-perfect image of tall, dark and
handsome.

“
Mom, this is
Matt Monroe.”

“
Hi,” Matt
said offering her his hand and a charming smile.

Helen accepted, and to
Lauren’s surprise, looked a bit shy under Matt’s scrutiny. “I have
to say I’m shocked. Lauren never brings men around.”

Inwardly, Lauren cringed.
Great. Just what she needed. Her mother’s mouth running to
Matt.

“
Well,” Matt
said. “That’s encouraging news.”

“
Thanks for
the insight, Mom.”

Helen’s gaze traveled
from Lauren to Matt as her eyes narrowed on him. “Come sit down,
and talk to me, Matt.”

Lauren rolled her eyes.
“Mom, please. I don’t need you telling Matt all about
my—”

Matt looked at her with a
brow raised. “About your what?” Amusement filled his
eyes.

“
About me.”
Lauren pinned Matt in a stare. “Anything you need to know, I’ll
tell you.”

Settling onto the couch,
Helen eyed them both. “I’m not planning on divulging your secrets
especially since I don’t even know what they are. I simply wanted
to visit.”

Matt grinned at Lauren.
“Go pack. I’d enjoy visiting with your mother.”

Oh crap, Lauren thought.
The man had a big mouth.

Helen perked up.
“Pack?”

“
She’s
spending the weekend with me,” Matt said as if there was absolutely
nothing wrong with the words coming out of his mouth.

Helen looked
at Lauren but her expression was curiously indiscernible.
“Go
pack
, dear. Matt and I will be just
fine.”