Page 57 of Worth the Chase

“Except for my mom and dad,” I all but groaned, and he started laughing hysterically. “What’s so funny?”

“I didn’t ask your parents for permission to date you, Bells,” he said between labored breaths.

“Yes, you did. You said you did. They said you did,” I argued, thoroughly confused as I tried to remember exactly what he’d said to me the night of the grand opening.

“We were just messing with you,” he said as his laughter finally started to cease.

“You guys didn’t sound like you were messing with me.” I pinned him with a stare.

“Ooh.” He blew out a long breath as his laughter finally died out. “I did go see your parents though. I hadn’t seen them since I’d been back, and I owed them a visit.”

“Tell me exactly what you said to them.” I narrowed my eyes before tucking some stray hair behind my ears.

“I thanked them for everything they had done for me. And then I told them I planned on asking you out and hoped that wouldn’t be an issue.”

There it is!

“And what did they say to that?”

“Your dad wished me luck, and I think your mom started planning our wedding right then and there.” He gave me a cocky grin, and I shook my head because my mom probably had started daydreaming about our potential nuptials. “Any more questions?”

“When are we getting out of here?” I grinned.

Getting out of there had taken over an hour. After the entrée, there were three separate desserts. I couldn’t even eat another bite, but I forced myself to nibble on each thing the fancy chef had sent our way. Now, I was too full to do anything except rub at my stomach and wish I hadn’t eaten so much food.

“Don’t drive fast,” I said as Matthew navigated the winding mountain roads. “I don’t think I’ve ever been fuller in my entire life.” I pulled my hair and twisted it into a bun on top of my head.

Matthew glanced at me for a second before moving his hand and resting it on my thigh. “I want to make love to you so damn bad, Bells, but all I can think about is how uncomfortable I am.”

I shifted in the seat and angled my body toward his. “Uncomfortable?”

He patted his stomach. “Full. Stuffed. I feel like I’m going to burst.”

“Same.”

“Want to come home with me, or would you like me to take you to your place?” he asked.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure that I wouldn’t be sick later.

“I think I should go back to my place.”

We were in my apartment parking lot quicker than I’d anticipated, and Matthew was out of his side and opening my door before I could even unlatch my seat belt. He picked me up again like I weighed nothing and put my feet on the ground.

“I’m going to kiss you,” he said.

I bit my bottom lip. “I sure hope so.”

And that was all it took before his lips were crashing against mine. I forgot all about being too full or that the night air was still crisp and a little cold. The world could have been ending around us, and I wouldn’t have noticed. All I felt was the warmth of his lips and how much better he’d gotten at kissing.

Our mouths opened in unison, and our tongues touched. He moaned into me, and my body melted into his. His arm held me up at the waist, and his other hand cupped my cheek and gripped me in a way that felt like I was being possessed or claimed. I belonged to Matthew O’Grady, but I thought I always had.

“God, Bells,” he said as soon as he pulled away, our lips still almost touching. “I’ve been waiting to do that for so long. I need to do it again,” he warned, and his mouth was right back on mine before I could do a single thing.

This kiss was more frantic. Filled with need. Desire. And lust. Years of wanting one another exploded in this moment of finally giving in. His hand was splayed on my back, his fingers moving, as his other hand still gripped the back of my head, holding me in place. I felt his erection digging into my hip bone, and I loved that I had that kind of effect on him.

I tried to reach for his neck, but only my fingertips grazed, so I dug into his back instead, pulling him closer. He made a sound I could never describe. Before I knew it, both of his hands were on my ass, and I was hopping up to wrap my legs around him.

Oh, good Lord, this man was pressing into me, and I’d never wanted to get naked and straddle someone the way that I wanted to right now. All rational and logical thoughts were gone. There was only desire. I was more turned on than I’d ever been in my whole life. I didn’t even know feeling like this was possible.

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