Page 32 of His Puppet

“Matt,” he says, extending his hand. I take it and nod, running my fingertips lightly over his palm as I pull away.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Anna.”

“Anna,” he says, nodding with approval. “Pretty name.” He gestures inside, and I step around him into the house, resisting the urge to look back at Blade’s car.

Matt steps in after me and closes the door. “Kitchen’s right down the hall,” he says, pointing.

I bite my lip and slowly walk down the hall of the charming home, stopping and leaning in to peer at a photo of Mark with a woman on a ski slope. It’s among a collection of photos hanging neatly on the wall.

Shit.

“Is this your wife?” I ask, looking over my shoulder at Matt.

His face flushes, but he recovers with a nod. “Yes. Cherry.”

“She’s beautiful,” I say, turning back to the frame. I’m lying. She’s skinny, arguably too skinny. Her face is plain. “You’re quite the hunk here.” I point to the photo.

He blushes and laughs. “That was ten years ago.” His hand waves over his graying hair. “If you can’t tell.”

Instead of checking out his hair, I run my eyes over his large shoulders and chest. “I’ve always thought older men were attractive.”

“Really?” he asks, sounding unconvinced.

I lift my brows and give a curt nod, then I turn and continue down the hallway, swaying my hips a little more than necessary. I don’t want to push too hard. Married men like to flirt, but cheating on their wives is a bit harder for them. So far, so good.

I enter a kitchen that looks like it came straight from a magazine, with chic decor and a vase of lilacs on the breakfast nook. The wife has good taste.

I hop onto a stool at the breakfast nook and look around while Matt retrieves a glass of water for me. A smile lifts my lips when I take it, grazing his fingertips.

“Thanks.” I bring the glass to my lips and take a long gulp.

“No problem.” He stands on the other side of the nook and props himself against it, leaning toward me casually. “So, what were you doing running at this time of day? It’s blistering out there.” His eyes move to my shoulders. “It looks like you’ve had more than enough sun lately.”

I tilt my head to take in the skin peeling on my shoulders. Looking back up at Matt, I chuckle. “Not exactly attractive, is it?”

I bite my lip like I’m self-conscious, and Matt’s eyes zero in on my teeth. “You don’t need any help in that department. You could be covered in mud and still be beautiful.”

I giggle and lean on the counter toward him, pushing my cleavage out. “You’re a really sweet guy, Matt.”

When his eyes dip again, I give him a few seconds before pushing away and taking another drink of water. “I missed my run this morning, and I hate going a day without one. I’m training for the half marathon coming up.”

“Wow,” he says, his eyebrows raising. “Impressive.”

I shrug. “Gotta stay young, right?”

Matt clears his throat and looks down at my glass. “How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Old enough.” I wink, then laugh when he blushes. “I’m kidding. I’m twenty-one. I’m a junior at UNLV.”

“Ah, well I’d say you’re plenty young then.”

“Too young?” I ask, raising a brow. Matt’s Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows. Poor guy.

“Sorry,” I say with a shake of my head. “It’s just not every day I meet such a gentleman. You wouldn’t believe the kind of men I’ve run across lately.”

God, now I’m telling inside jokes to myself.

“Oh, I can believe it,” he says in a relaxed tone. “I put away those guys every day.”

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