Page 32 of Worth the Chase

“I’ll take a Pepsi and the double bacon burger with extra fries.” He rattled off his order without even taking a peek at the menu.

“Love a man who knows what he wants. Don’t we, Isabella?” She grinned at me before sauntering away to hand off the order to her husband in the kitchen.

Matthew gave me an inquisitive look, but I refused to entertain it.

“So,” I said.

He mimicked my tone as he replied, “So.”

“The sellers finally accepted the offer. They also agreed to a fifteen-day close, barring any issues with the inspections.”

“Right down to business.” He folded his hands on top of the table and leaned toward me.

“That is why we’re here,” I reminded him, and he gave me a smirk.

“First things first,” he said right as Mrs. Baker appeared with his soda and a straw. “Thanks, Mrs. B.”

He pounded the straw on the table to get the wrapper to open. I watched as he put it up to his lips and blew, the paper flying right at my face.

“What? Why?” I stuttered as I tried to stop it from hitting me. It landed on my chest instead, and I plucked it off with two fingers before crumpling it into a little ball.

Matthew sat there, laughing. “Sorry.”

“No, you’re not,” I argued because he wasn’t sorry in the slightest.

“You’re right,” he actually agreed. “Thank you for helping me with the house. I really do appreciate it.”

“I appreciate the commission.” The words slipped off of my tongue before I could stop them. Not that I’d needed to keep that thought in necessarily. It just sounded kind of shitty, saying it out loud.

“I’m glad.” He wasn’t the least bit fazed. “Business is done.” He clapped his hands together like that was all that needed to be said on the matter. “Now, on to the personal side of things.”

I coughed. Reaching for my water, I took a long drink and avoided looking into his sea of blue. “The personal side?”

“We can keep playing this game until I wear you down, or we can cut to the chase, Bells.”

I closed my eyes, took a breath, and counted to three before letting it out slowly. “Honestly, Matthew, what do you want?”

“I want you to give me a chance.” He sounded so sincere.

“Why?”

A long breath escaped from between his lips. “I already told you, Bells. You feel like home. No one else makes me feel that way. You comfort me in a way I can’t explain,” he said, and I couldn’t stop the uncomfortable laugh that bubbled up in my throat and made its way out. “That’s funny to you?”

I shook my head. “No, it’s just like I told you the other day. You do the exact opposite to me.”

“I make youuncomfortable?” he asked in a way that made it seem like I’d offended him somehow.

“Not in a creepy way.” I waved him off, trying to calm him down because he was getting agitated.

“Okay, then why won’t you let me take you out?”

“Because I don’t trust you,” I blurted before slapping a hand across my mouth to hide my embarrassment.

Matthew leaned back slowly until he reached the cushion of the booth. “You don’t trust me…” He repeated my words back to me. “Really?” He looked almost hurt, but I refused to take back what I’d said because they were the truth.

“I just mean…” I started to stumble over my explanation. “I don’t trust that this isn’t some kind of game to you. Even if you don’t realize it.”

Thank God Mrs. Baker appeared, balancing our food in her hands. She placed the plates in front of us. “Need anything else?” she asked, eyeing us like she wanted in on whatever secret we were keeping.

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