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“Sophie…”
A hand brushed my chin when I wouldn’t look up, gently tilting my head. Matthew had sat on the couch with me, surprisingly close and emitting so much warmth that I wanted to lean into him. But his eyes… they were hard chips of blue and boring into me with an intensity that demanded answers.
“What happened?” he asked.
Anxiety hit me hard, rendering me speechless. Then I shot up as panic returned in full-force.
“I’m sorry about this. I know you said I shouldn’t apologize, but I just—maybe I should just go.”
And go where?
“No. You’re staying here.”
The warm voice went hard, a tone I hadn’t heard before. Then, a body blocked the doorway before I could reach for the knob. I looked up, startled that he could move so fast.
“What?”
Matthew crossed his arms, not budging. This close, I noticed the fine hair on his arms, then the veins on his wrist crawling up to his knuckles—things I shouldnotbe noticing.
“You wouldn’t have called me if you had someone else to call,” he said. “You’re already here, so it doesn’t make sense for you to travel again after carrying all those bags.”
“Matthew—”
“And it’s late. You’re crazy if you think I’m going to let you go out alone looking for somewhere else to sleep.”
My mouth shut, sensing one thing: he was already stacked with answers if I did argue back, ready to battle me word-for-word. I could tell it from the way he braced himself, prepared for my comeback. Oddly enough, the sternness did wonders to calm my nerves until the panic was slowly, surely ebbing away. I raised my brow, latching on to one word.
“Did you just call me crazy?”
“Maybe. You were a pretty hyperactive kid.” His hard look softened. “Look, Sophie, just stay here for a while. Let my home be your reprieve until you get back on your feet. No rent, free food, and kickass advice from a worldly old man whenever you need it.”
I scoffed. “You’re hardly old.”
He smirked ruefully. “It feels like it with how grown up you’ve become.”
“Oh.” I raised another brow. “So now you’re calling me old?”
“Older,” he corrected, studying me. “So, stay?”
I shouldn’t. I should find other means and look elsewhere, even though I was pretty sure the affair between my boss and my boyfriend would be all over the grapevine if I so much as asked a coworker for a place to stay. Besides, Brett might find me there and I just didn’t want to face him yet. What other choice did I have?
“Stay,” I whispered.
Matthew nodded, relieved. The calmness of his presence had me stepping forward before I could think about it—and he was right there, understanding what I needed as he opened his arms and let me in. I sank into the embrace, my doubts melting away as the warmth he emitted doubled and made me feel so safe. I sighed against him. I buried my head tighter against his chest, greedy for the human blanket he offered so freely.
“Sorry about—”
“Don’t you dare say sorry for needing a hug.”
I chuckled, amused that he could read my mind. I sighed again, relieved that he wouldn’t be asking questions for now. That was enough. How could someone so hard be so warm? How could someone still be so kind after all these years? I basked in it, unable to get enough.
I didn’t know how long we were standing there, drawn like magnets to each other. I didn’t know at what point the warmth changed. Maybe it was when I was so content that my mind began to reconnect, noticing things again, like the hardness of his chest. Maybe it was the feel of his stomach against mine, brushing just enough for me to feel the ridges of muscles in them.
Maybe it was when I sniffed and the scent of masculine earthiness and clean soap hit my nostrils and descended straight to my belly. It tightened involuntarily, sending a jolt of heat. It distracted me, but not enough to not feel his hot breath against my ear.
“Sophie? Are we good?”
His voice was quizzical, snapping me out of my strange feelings. I disentangled from the embrace first, stepping back and offering a shaky smile.
