Page 58 of Four Times Taken

"Aw, come on, let the people look. We're not all taken like you are," Matt joked, winking at a woman holding a crying toddler, looking at him like she wished she could reverse the clock to a time when she was single, free, and disengaged.

"You better hope her husband isn't around to catch that. Some of these types get defensive," I said, bubbling inside. Why didn't he wink at me like that? Stop those thoughts, right now, I scolded myself.

"I don't know. I think some of them are looking at you." Ryan looked at them and back at me, eyes lingering in appreciation. My pulse drummed, and my voice rasped.

"Why? Do I have something in my hair or on my face?" I asked.

He laughed. "You don't know how perfect you look, do you?"

Letting the compliment settle into my bones and warm my insides, I tried to take the heat off me. "Well, you're talkative today, aren't you?" I grinned.

"What do you mean?" He creased his brows.

"It's just that you've been avoiding me these past few weeks, and it's been making me wonder if I did something to upset you," I said.

"What? Nah. I've just... uh... had a lot on my mind. I'm thirsty." His eyes lit up at the sight of a slushie stand, and he walked toward it like a saving grace. "You want one?" he shouted over his shoulder.

"Sure." I shrugged, reaching into my pocket when we're in line and looking up just as Ryan approached the server who happened to be a beautiful brunette around our age, with those big, gorgeous brown eyes and supple lips, and white teeth. I knew what color all her teeth were because she's smiling from ear to ear at him, and it's not just good customer service either.

She's flushed and stumbling over the order as he smiled back at her. She's giving him 'fuck me eyes,' and he's grinning like a damn fool. I groaned aloud, zipping my waist bag shut and dropping my money on the sparse trampled-down grass.

When I bent down to get it, I regretted my decision on the way back up. A sharp pain sliced up my back, reminding me that despite how young being at this fair made me feel, I still had the functional body of a senior citizen. I couldn't help but yelp in pain.

"You all right?" both men said in unison. Ryan spun to look at me, ignoring the woman completely, and Matt reached down to pick up the money, helping me come up on the way up.

Great, now they both knew I could blow my own back out shifting my body too fast. Wonderful way to shatter the illusion, except, I didn't have any problems in the bedroom. Arousal and desire were wonderful pain relievers.

Oh, why was I thinking this?

"Yeah. Just those old dry bones," I quipped.

I reached for the money to hand to the lady, my face a painting of embarrassment. Matt stepped in front of me.

"Put that away. I got this," he insisted. "Keep the change." He smiled at the lady, making the hell out of her day. I fought the need to roll my eyes.

"Thanks." I took the slushie from his hand and started to walk away, but he brought me to a stop.

"Hold on a minute." He took me by the shoulders. "If you're having back pain, I can help you." He kneaded my shoulders, and I tell you what, I'll never turn down a good massage. He worked his way down toward the middle of my back, his fingers pressing into that pained area, and I shuddered. "Was that too hard?" He pulled back.

"That was perfect," I breathed, grateful that we're the only ones standing underneath this stand. The slushie woman and us, but she didn't count. I even moaned loud enough for her ears mostly, soft enough to remain appropriate. I shouldn't have been moaning at all when I had a boyfriend I'm not just fucking, but who I love very much with wedding bells in our future. But what's new?

When I'm about to feel guilty, he washed it away with deeper pressure, causing an actual moan to escape me in a subtle gasp. My eyes fluttered shut, and my nipples tightened. I'm grateful to be wearing a padded bra.

"Is that better?" he murmured, his breath rustling the strands of my hair. My spine tingled, and a rush of cold and heat spread throughout my body.

Oh, damn. I should have told him to stop. As I opened my mouth in my attempt, another sigh was released.

Next to us, Ryan cleared his throat. "Anyone interested in a gondola ride?"

I looked over at him all tense, my nerves frazzled, and I could think of one other ride I'd love to be on, away from here.

Chapter 38

Matt

I'm a mad man, putting my hands on her body like this. What am I thinking? 'When opportunity strikes?' I haven't touched her like this before, but I don't want to stop. My hands moved from her back and down the length of her arms before I stopped myself. If I kept going, this was going to get a lot more inappropriate.

"That... uh... gondola ride sounds like a good idea." I ran my hand over the back of my head and stepped away from the temptress that was the scent of her hair and skin, the clash of perfume and shampoo making me dizzy. "Kinda tame though, don't you think?"

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