Page 22 of Their Sugar Baby

“If you’re not distracted while at our house, I’d like that.”

“You’re welcome to do the distracting.” I bump his hip. “Considering you distracted the hell out of me the first day.”

“Did I?”

I tug him towards me and kiss the corner of his mouth. “I was ready to follow wherever you led. Even the basement, the stairwell without a camera, maybe even those dangerous dark alleys I hear about. I’d trust you to protect me anywhere.”

Matthew groans and when I stand on my toes to kiss him this time, he really kisses me. He’s hesitant at first. His lips move against mine, mold to mine. His hands are gentle though. He touches me like I’m fragile and the last thing he wants to do is break me.

I jerk him tighter against me and claw at him, trying to show him he doesn’t have to be gentle. But Matthew just ignores it. He pets my hair, slowly licks across my tongue, explores my mouth with tentative strokes, then draws back.

Even though he was gentle, slow, and almost lazy with his kisses, I still feel breathless. There’s a low heat filling me, kind of like a sizzle rather than the blood-boiling insanity that Roman and Miles stir in me.

Matthew pets my hair back into shape and shakes his head at me. “You’re something, Bella.”

“Hopefully something good.”

He grins. “We’ll see, won’t we?”

“That sounds like a challenge,” I say as he walks away.

He turns and flashes a smile that makes my knees weak. It’s so honest and genuine. “I have faith in you.”

He’s going to knock me out with that smile and the way he treats me. No. Just a fling. That’s all. It’s all about the physical stuff. That’s it. I just have to remind myself of that whenever I get confused and it will be fine.

MATTHEW

Itouch my lips as I get into my car. I didn’t want to kiss her in front of Roman, just because he was telling us to. I’m not about that dom and sub stuff. I want her towantto kiss me because of me. Not just because I’m an option. Not just because I’m hot.

If that’s what I wanted, I could get on Tinder. On some level, even the smallest level, we have to like each other for me to be into it. That last comment she made did it. I don’t know why, but I feel like I got to see the real Bella.

She’s sexy without trying and that bit of genuine connection was enough. And that one, long, delicious kiss gets me through Friday until I’m at home. Gunner must have brought Bella home early because I recognize her giggle from the couch.

“Gunner!” She squeaks. “Can’t you behave for five minutes?”

“Behave like what? Like I’m not absolutely into you?” He snorts. “Why pretend? We should let our bodies do the talking.”

I hear a thud and Bella laughs. “Did you do that for me to play nurse?”

“Maybe I did. Maybe I even have a costume in the closet.”

Bella pops up, sees me, and gives me a huge smile. She helps Gunner up and tells him to stay on the couch while she gets him some ice. She kisses my cheek and squeezes my hand. “Welcome home, Matthew.”

And what a welcome. I’d love to hear her say that regularly. But she grabs an ice pack out of the freezer and prances back to the kitchen, putting it against the back of Gunner’s head.

“It’s sweet that you get so excited over me, but why don’t we try to keep it on the couch.”

“So the floor is where you draw the line?”

She laughs again. Gunner sighs and looks over at me. “Matthew, you want to come canoodle?”

Sharing is still new to me. I’m not quite sure how to do it and until I’m convinced Bella likes it for more than pleasing others, I’m not going to get involved. “No, but I’ll go get Holden.”

“Thank you!” Bella calls. “I have to be on my best – Gunner! No, leave that on.”

I shake my head. Gunner wouldn’t know the meaning of patience if he read it in the dictionary. I knock on Holden’s door and he comes out wearing only jeans. He sighs. “Is it finally time for wine?”

“Bella came over.”

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