Page 68 of Taming a Heartbreaker

Carmen looked over at him and plastered a smile on her lips. “No, because he knows he has nothing to worry about.” She knew that comment irked him. Back in the day when he’d been a movie star, Matthew and Bruno had been rivals as Hollywood heartbreakers. The two never developed a close friendship and even now merely tolerated each other for appearance’s sake.

“Good. I wouldn’t want to cause friction between the two of you.”

“You won’t.” Seeing she would not be able to drink her coffee in peace while he was around, she stood and announced, “I’m going to the pool.”

Matthew watched her leave, irritated by what she’d said about Bruno knowing he had nothing to worry about. The very thought that the man was that confident about their relationship didn’t sit well with him. A sudden picture of her in Bruno’s arms flashed through his mind and he felt anger gathering in his body, all the way to his fingertips.

He drew in a deep breath and then let it out slowly, wondering what Bruno would think if he knew his girl had gotten pleasured by her ex last night. Although they hadn’t made love, Matthew knew her well enough to know that that orgasm had been real and potent. In fact, if he didn’t know any better, he’d think it was the first she’d had in a while, which meant Bruno wasn’t taking care of business like he should.

But the thought of that man taking care of business at all where Carmen was concerned had steam coming out of his ears and a tic working in his jaw. Deciding it was time to rev up his plans of seduction a notch, he left the kitchen to go upstairs to change.

Carmen opened her eyes when she heard footsteps on the brick pavers. She took one look at Matthew and wished she’d kept them closed. He was walking toward her wearing a pair of swim trunks that would probably be outlawed if worn in public.

Her gaze settled on his face and the intense expression she saw there, before lowering her eyes to the sculpted muscles of his bare chest and then sliding down to his midsection. The waistband of his trunks hung low and fully outlined a purely masculine male.

She stiffened slightly when she felt a deep stirring in the middle of her stomach and fought to keep perspective. She sat up on the chaise longue and held his stare, wishing her heart would stop beating so rapidly.

And wishing she still didn’t love him like she knew she still did.

That stark realization had her moving quickly, jumping out of her seat, nearly knocking over a small table in her haste. “What are you doing here, Matthew?”

He came to a stop in front of her. “Why do you always ask me that like I’m out of place or something?”

Silence hung heavy between them. Then she lifted her chin and said, “Probably because I feel like you are. I’m not exactly used to having you around.” She then moved toward the pool.

Matthew didn’t say anything, mainly because he was focused on the pain in her voice—as well as the realization that she was right. This was the longest they had been together in the same place in a long time—including when they were married.

Suddenly, he couldn’t even fortify himself with the excuse that all those hours he’d been away working had been for her. Because in the end, he’d still failed to give her the one thing she’d wanted and needed the most: his time.

He had missed this—her presence, the connection they’d shared in the beginning but had somehow lost in the end. How could he have been so wrong about what he thought she truly wanted and needed? He had wanted them both to find happiness, but they sure as hell weren’t happy now. At least, he wasn’t. His stomach clenched at the thought of just how unhappy he was. His plan for revenge didn’t taste as sweet as it had yesterday, and he had no idea what to do.

He watched as she stood by the pool, untying the sarong from around her waist and dropping it to the ground. And then she dove in, hitting the water with a splash. He stood watching her, remembering when all he’d wanted was to make her his wife and to have children together one day. He had loved and wanted her so much.

And I still love her and want her.

The admission was like a sharp punch to his gut. Nothing mattered at that moment—not the humiliation he’d felt when she left, nor the anger or frustration he’d suffered when she chose to file for a divorce. What he was sure about more than anything was that he wanted her and if given the chance to repair the damage, he would handle things differently. What he was unsure about was whether or not she wanted another go with him. There was one way to find out.

It was time he was driven by a different motivation, not of revenge but of resolution. He moved toward the pool and dived in after her.

It was time to get his wife back.

Chapter Nine

Carmen surfaced when she heard a big splash behind her. Seeing Matthew in the water, she decided it was time to get out of the pool and began swimming toward the other side.

She eased herself out to sit on the edge and watch him, studying his strokes, meticulous and defined, and the way he was fluidly gliding through the water. He was an excellent swimmer, of course—after all, he had attended UCLA on a swimming scholarship.

He swam toward her until he was right there, treading water between her legs. And before she could catch her next breath, he reached up and pulled her into the water.

“Matthew!”

Carmen wrapped her arms around his neck so she wouldn’t go under, but that ended up being the least of her worries as he tightened his hold on her and pressed his mouth to hers. She whimpered when his tongue grabbed hold of hers, stroking it hungrily. And when he deepened the kiss, she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling the strength of his thighs and his hard erection through his wet swim trunks.

She returned the kiss, realizing that she was powerless to resist this intense interaction, this outburst of sexual chemistry and reckless behavior. Heat and pressure were building up inside her. The feel of the water encompassing them captivated her, making her all too aware of the way he knew exactly what to do to her.

He began licking and nibbling around her lips, and she knew instinctively that this was a man with outright seduction on his mind. The only thing wrong was that she was supposed to be seducing him, not the other way around.

She couldn’t resist the urge to clamp her mouth down on his, needing the feel of his tongue tangling with hers. She could truthfully say she’d never enjoyed kissing a man more—she had missed this intimate foreplay tremendously. Though she hated to admit it, being here with him was long overdue and she needed it like she needed to breathe.

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