Page 42 of Blindsided

I frown at him while amusement curls at my mouth. “Okay.” I follow his instructions and find a white box in the middle of his bed.

When I open it, I gasp. A beautiful navy blue dress is on top. The material is slinky. It’s going to feel amazing against my skin. Underneath the dress is a pair of silver sling-back Jimmy Choos, and I can’t help the squeal that pops out of my mouth.

“Will you wear that for me tonight? I want to take you out on an actual date.” Matthew is standing in the doorway of his room.

“Matty,” I whisper. “This is too much.”

“No, it’s not enough. You deserve the best of everything life has to offer, and I want to be the one to give it to you.”

“You’re going to spoil me.”

“Dammit, you figured out my plan.” He winks. Then he’s stalking across the room and pulling me into his body for a drugging kiss. My head turns fuzzy, the dress forgotten as Matthew’s lips demand every ounce of my attention.

He pulls away from me to allow us both space to breathe. I think I’m a puddle on the floor. If Matty’s hands weren’t holding me up, I would’ve melted.

“There’s another little something under the tissue paper. You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to, but I would love it if you did.” The way Matthew’s eyes heat gives me a hint at what it is. Unless it doesn’t fit, I will absolutely be wearing it.

He grabs some clothes from his closet and tells me I have an hour to get ready. It’s only five, which feels early, but I’m not going to question him. Before I shower, I pull the tissue paper out of the box. My jaw drops at the beautiful blue lingerie that matches my dress. The lacy fabric on the half corset will show my skin underneath, not to mention how little the thong will cover. It’s also just as soft as the dress, and I can’t wait to put them on.

I quickly shower in Matthew’s bathroom. After dinner with his family last week, I tried to sleep in my room in order to give Matthew space. He promptly carried me out of my bed and into his. Two days later, he told me to move my stuff into his room because he didn’t want to wake up without me in his bed. I felt the same way and moved my stuff over yesterday while he was at work.

Despite having an hour, I’m coming down to the wire as I slip on the dress. I spent entirely too much time blow-drying my hair into soft, silky waves. I also went for a more natural look for my makeup. I wanted to be myself, just a little fancier.

The lingerie fits perfectly, and as I get the dress settled around my hips, it slides against my skin exactly how I thought it would. The spaghetti straps sit delicately on my shoulders, and the cowl neck flutters around my chest, giving a small tease of cleavage. Finally, I slip my feet into the heels to complete the look. I have no idea how Matthew knew exactly what sizes to buy, but the man has incredible taste.

That shouldn’t be a surprise, though. The suits he wears to work are always well put together. The other day, he paired a baby blue suit with a navy-patterned button-down I would have never styled together. It looked phenomenal on him.

I walk downstairs to find him standing in the living room. His dark hair has been pushed back with his fingers, and he’s wearing a light grey suit with navy blue accents to match my dress. He looks like a walking wet dream. I’m having a hard time accepting the fact that he’s mine to touch now. I don’t have to hold myself back anymore.

“Damn, woman. You’re fucking heart-stopping.” Matthew slaps his hand across his chest as if he’s making sure his heart is still beating. It makes me laugh, which makes him smile.

“You sir, are delectable. In fact, I’m having a hard time keeping my tongue in my mouth right now.” I slide my hands down the lapels of his jacket.

“Who said you needed to do that?” He winks.

I stick my tongue out at him, and he laughs. He presses a quick kiss to my lips and then leads me to the garage.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“You’ll find out. I’m hoping we don’t get too wrinkled, though.”

“Wrinkled?”

“Never mind.” He opens the door to his car. “Settle in, pretty girl.”

After he gets in, he drives toward the highway. It only takes a few minutes for me to realize we’re heading to Greensboro. That explains getting ready early. It also opens up the options tenfold.

The drive goes quickly. Our conversation makes it feel like we arrive in ten minutes instead of almost an hour. The Italian restaurant he parks in front of looks very fancy. Excitement and a good dose of nerves settle in my stomach. It’s been a couple of years since someone took me out on a date. But then Matthew squeezes my hand on the way into the restaurant, and I relax. This is the man who’s been around almost my whole life. I know him better than any other man I’ve dated before.

At the same time, I’m realizing I know very little about him. All the things you learn about someone when you’re dating, we haven’t learned yet. I’m grateful he surprised me with a night out. This will give me a chance to get to know him as something other than my brother’s best friend.

* * *

“How did I not know you took dance classes?” I ask Matthew. Our empty plates have just been taken away. I might explode with how full I am, and I’m hoping the rule about always having room for dessert is true. We both ordered a slice of tiramisu.

“It’s not something I share with people that frequently. It was a blast doing it with Sara, but it was a onetime thing.”

“What kind of dance? All I can picture is you in those little slippers.” I grin. Matthew’s cheeks pink up, and my smile widens. “You so wore ballet slippers, didn’t you?”

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