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  He met her eye, and his lips curved into a half smile. “Which finger?”

  Nessie lifted her left hand and stuck out her little finger. “This one.”

  Matt took her hand in his and searched for the small scar. “You never told me about that before.”

  “It never came up,” she said, suddenly aware of how connected they were.

  Locking his eyes to hers, he raised her finger to his mouth and kissed the tiny bite mark. His lips were full and soft and made her fingertip tingle. She sucked in a lungful of dry air, and a hot flush filled her chest as his other hand found the small of her back and pulled her to him. Then he drew her finger into his mouth and ran his tongue over the spongy tip.

  Nessie’s eyes drifted closed as she allowed waves of desire to take over her mind and body, and before she knew it, Matt’s lips had moved to her neck. She knew she should stop him. They were in a public place, after all, and her mother could walk around the corner at any second, but she didn’t want the delicious feeling to end. Her head leaned to the side to allow him better access, and she couldn’t stop a small hum from vibrating in the back of her throat. He kissed along the line of her jaw, and when he reached her chin, she dipped her head and brushed her lips over his.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Matt pulled back to search her eyes and found what he was looking for. Needing no further encouragement, he let her hand drop, wove his fingers into her hair, and bent to kiss her. He was tentative at first, but when she didn’t object, his confidence grew, and he ran a warm tongue along her lip line. Instinct made her mouth open, and when their tongues met, he moaned, hungry for more, and his heart raced against her hand.

  Leaving no part of her mouth unexplored, their tongues danced in perfect harmony. Nessie’s blood heated and her head swam, as she allowed herself to be swept away in Matt’s kiss. She hadn’t meant to, but all the old feelings came surging back, only this time, they were joined by knee-knocking, core clenching pleasure. He hadn’t been joking when he’d said he’d improved. Their kisses had never been like this before—no kiss had ever been like this before.

  She lost herself in his embrace, forgetting where she was for a moment, until the sound of a child giggling brought her back to reality. She pushed Matt away and looked down, embarrassed.

  “I’m sorry,” Matt said. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Don’t apologise. It was my fault.”

  “No, Ness, it wasn’t. It was all me. The good guy in me wants to respect you and give you time to get to know me again. The bad guy in me just wants to get you alone and make up for that night. I promise I’ll try harder to beat the bad guy next time.”

  Nessie wanted to tell him it didn’t matter, that she wanted to do it again, but Kendrick had appeared and was walking through the exhibit.

  “Hi, peeps, having fun? Look at me, I’m a giant,” he said, plodding along a miniature road like the Incredible Hulk.

  “Get off the display before someone sees you, mate,” Matt shouted.

  “Fucking spoilsport. It’s not like I trod on anything,” he said, stepping back onto the pathway.

  “Where’s Molly?” Nessie asked.

  “With your sister getting a drink.”

  Nessie’s mouth couldn’t be drier if she’d stuffed it with cotton wool. “I’d love a drink.”

  “They went to a stand down that way.” Kendrick pointed to a path that disappeared into a wall of bushes.

  Matt took hold of Nessie’s hand and began walking. “What the lady wants, she shall have.”

  Kendrick followed them to the end of the path, which opened out into an area filled with a large pond. Another path wound around the circumference and the water’s surface was dotted with small boats.

  “Cool,” Kendrick said, noticing the coin operated remote controls. “I’ve got to have a go at these babies.” He rooted in his pocket. “Fuck. Hey, dude, have you got any change?”

  “If I’m paying, I’m sailing,” Matt said, pulling out his wallet and handing Kendrick some cash.

  “Fine by me, but you’re gonna get sunk.”

  Matt turned to Nessie. “You don’t mind, do you? I haven’t driven a motorised boat since I was about ten.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll be fine when I’ve got my drink.”

  “Oh, Christ, I’m sorry. Here.” He handed her his wallet. “Buy whatever you want.”

  “You don’t need to pay—” Nessie began. But Matt was already feeding coins into the slot. She looked down at the wallet in her hand and opened it slowly as she walked towards the stand. The shiny edge of a condom packet peeked out from one of the slots. Hmm. Should she be offended? Did it mean he thought she was a sure thing, or was it always there just in case he bagged any old girl for the night? Whatever. She had no right to judge him. It wasn’t as if they were a couple, and it wasn’t the condom that most interested her.

  Unfurling the tatty edges of the photograph, she snuck a peek at Matt, busy joking with Kendrick, and slid it from its slot. Her younger self, happy in Matt’s arms, smiled back at her from the photo booth image.

  He’d kept it, all this time.

  She ordered her drink and paid for it, still staring at the photo and Matt’s magic lips.

  “What’s got your interest there, Sis?” Amy snatched the photo from her hand.

  “Give it back before he sees,” Nessie said.

  “Ah, look.” Amy passed the photo to Molly. “Isn’t that sweet?” Molly nodded, and handed it back to Nessie, who returned it to its hiding place before Matt noticed the kerfuffle. “I guess this proves he’s serious. I clearly had him all wrong,” Amy continued. “The boy’s got it bad. Are you going to put him out of his misery?”

  “I was thinking about it.”

  “Ah, you were, were you? Well, you’re a free woman now. You might as well go for it. What have you got to lose?”

  Nessie waved the wallet. “Memories.”

  “Right. Because they were all so good,” Amy said, as they all took a seat on a wooden bench.

  “I bet an ass like that could make some damn fine new memories,” Molly said with her eyes fixed on Matt, who was leaning over the safety railings at the water’s edge, control in hand.

  Nessie smacked her arm playfully. “Hey, keep your eyes on the other guy.”

  “Ooo, I sense some jealousy.”

  “How would you like it if I said the same about Rick?”

  Molly grinned. “I’d say you knew him too well.”

  Matt jogged over to retrieve his wallet. “Hubble bubble…” he said.

  Nessie made a face. “Pardon me?”

  “You three look as if you’re plotting something.”

  “Molly was just talking about how talented Rick is.”

  “What a coincidence. He said the same thing about her.”

  Molly frowned. “What’s he been saying?”

  “That you have a beautiful singing voice. He’s very proud of you, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Matt wiggled onto the end of the bench, next to Molly, causing the girls to bottom shuffle closer together. “Listen, I have a huge favour to ask of you.”

  “Something tells me I’m not going to like the sound of this,” Molly said.

  “Will you sing at the wedding? Please?”

  “Why? Steel Misfits have the gig.”

  “They backed out.”

  “Backed out? They can’t have. They’re here.”

  “Not anymore.”

  “What happened?”

  “Long story. Say you’ll do it, please?”

  “I’m not a wedding singer.”

  “Neither were Steel Misfits. Come on, Moll, you can sing anything.”

  “I haven’t got any of my gear with me.”

  “We’ll hire some… and download some backing tracks. Please.” He stuck out his bottom lip and pleaded with puppy dog eyes, as he watched Molly chew on her cheek.

  Nessie held her breath for Molly’s answer
. Matt was a genius as well as a sweetie. He didn’t need to solve her problems, but he was doing it anyway. Why hadn’t she thought of this solution herself? Molly would be perfect. Since a college video of her singing in the rain had gone viral, her career had really taken off. She had to say yes.

  Gaining no immediate response, Matt tried a different tactic. “If you marry Rick, Cora will become your sister. You’d do it to make a sister happy on her wedding day, wouldn’t you?”

  “That’s emotional blackmail.”

  Matt shrugged. “I know. So you’ll do it?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “Nope.”

  Molly sighed. “Fine. But just one set, and it’s gonna cost you.”

  “Name your price.”

  “I’ll get back to you.”

  Matt immediately stood, pulled his phone from his pocket, and began tapping away on the keypad. He walked to the edge of the pond and leaned against the safety railing with his phone to his ear.

  Nessie studied the curve of his bicep and remembered how it felt to be wrapped in his strength. She’d found her kiss and it already seemed too long ago. Now she knew what it felt like, she ached to be in his arms again. Too much time had been wasted already. Too many nights squandered in the bed of a man who gave her everything but the love she craved. She didn’t care that Matt wasn’t rich or famous. All the trinkets in the world couldn’t make up for the love of a good man, and Matt could be that man. Just like her Barbie, he was perfect. A man who represented everything a man should be—kind and considerate, with a body so beautiful as to be untrue—and he still loved her. She was sure of it. And that was all that mattered. She didn’t care about the past. Even the boy who’d hurt her had loved her more than the man she’d given four years of her life to, and that boy was all grown up now. He was gentle and attentive, and strong yet vulnerable, and he could be hers again, if she wanted.

  Matt pushed his phone back into his jean’s pocket and ran his fingers through his hair as he strode towards them. “Right, get your game faces on. I’ve found a hire shop with some equipment available, but we have to get there this afternoon. Hey, Rick, I’ve got a job for you.” Matt waved Rick over and then held out his hand for Nessie to take. “I told you we’d sneak away.” He winked.

  “To the beach, you said, not a hire shop, and we’ll never get back in here before closing time.”

  “That’s why you’re going to phone your Mum when we’re safely in the car. You’ve got about ten minutes to come up with an excuse.”

  “Such as?”

  “I don’t know. She’s your Mum. I’m sure you can muster something she’d believe,” Matt said, as Rick jogged over, panting.

  “What’s the job, dude?”

  “Chauffeur.”

  ***

  It wasn’t hard to sneak out of the village. With a few evasive manoeuvres behind noticeboards and trees, they collapsed into Kendrick’s car in a fit of giggles. When Nessie called Cora, she laid the blame squarely at Molly’s door.

  “A wasp, Mum, yes. No. No. I’m sure she’ll be fine. She just needs a shot of something.” Nessie placed her hand over the mouthpiece and bit her lip to suppress her laughter. “Yes, I’m sorry, but we thought it best to leave straight away. No, I’m not sure. It depends how busy the hospital is. Okay, Mum, we’ll see you later. Bye.”

  “So apparently I’m allergic to wasps?” Molly glanced at Nessie with a questioning brow. “I suppose I can run with that, but what if your mum wants to see the evidence?”

  “That’s a given,” Nessie said, sure in the knowledge that her mother would demand a full rundown. “Just tell her you sat on it.”

  Molly slapped the seat and swivelled towards Nessie. “Wait. I got stung on the ass?”

  “If you make sure you walk a bit funny, you’ll be fine.”

  “I’m starting to regret agreeing to all of this. Remind me again why I’m doing it?”

  “Because I fucked up, and you’re the kindest, sweetest almost-step-auntie-in-law I know.”

  After an extra stop to buy Molly the new outfit she’d requested as payment, they arrived at the hotel with the car full of equipment and spent the next thirty minutes unloading it and smuggling it down to the conference room before the others returned.

  “Phew, we deserve a drink after that,” Matt said. “Bar?”

  Kendrick patted him on the shoulder. “You read my mind, mate.”

  “Not so fast, buster,” Molly said to Kendrick. “You’re staying right here.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I can’t do this on my own. You’re getting a crash course on how to work the mixing desk.”

  Kendrick took a long breath and resigned himself to his fate. “Rain check, mate?”

  “Looks like we’re on our own, Ness,” Matt said.

  “Fine by me.”

  “It is?”

  Nessie smiled and took his hand. “How about room service?”

  Chapter Twenty

  Why did she just say that? Was she trying to make him run again? She had to let him take the lead if it was going to work out this time. But she’d said it now, hadn’t she? There was no going back. It was as if her brain had no control over her mouth, and her mouth had ideas of its own. It knew exactly what it wanted—to feel Matt’s lips against it again. Once was not enough. She needed to know it wasn’t a fluke, and this time, she didn’t want any interruptions.

  Matt cocked an eyebrow at her question and allowed her to lead him back to the lobby. She wished she knew what he was thinking. She had always been the kind of girl to go for something she wanted, and in every other aspect of her life, it had generally worked, but Matt was a different matter. She’d tried the direct approach with him before, and it had been a disaster. She was sure it would be different this time. He was different. He wouldn’t leave her again, would he?

  Matt stopped at reception and pressed his key card into her hand. “You go up. There’s something I need to take care of.” Nessie opened her mouth to speak. Had she messed things up already? “I’ll only be a minute. I promise,” he said.

  ***

  When Matt walked up to the bar and placed his order, he had no idea if he was doing the right thing or not. Everything had changed in the past twenty-four hours, and his time window was half closed, but was he moving too fast? Did Nessie need more time to get over the break-up? She didn’t appear to be cut up about it. Still, he hoped he’d read her correctly. The way she had been so concerned when the cannon went off, the desire he’d seen in her eyes, and how easily she’d succumbed to his kiss, were all positive signs she still liked him, but throughout their journey into town, she’d been quiet and had given him nothing more to go on until the room service comment. He didn’t want to lose any of the ground he’d gained and scare her away, but on the other hand, he couldn’t waste an opportunity, and if he got nothing more than the chance to spend more time with her, it would be enough, and he certainly wasn’t giving up when all he could think about was getting her into bed and showing her exactly what they’d both been missing out on.

  He hated the thought of Nessie being in someone else’s bed. All through university, he’d thought of nothing else and hadn’t allowed himself to feel much of anything, let alone consider another woman. Accepting the fact that Nessie had moved on, and that he should too, was never an option. He might have let her go, for a short while, but she was his, always had been, and always would be.

  He slapped his hand on the bar. “Can we hurry it up here?”

  “Big date?” asked an old man, with a Doc-Brown-in-a-wind-tunnel look and ears so big that the light shone through them, perched on a nearby stool.

  “Hopefully.”

  The man nodded and held his pint glass aloft. “Make sure you treat her right, son.”

  “Oh, I intend to.”

  At last, the barman appeared with his order. “Sorry it took so long. Most of the special stuff is on ice for the wedding tomorrow. I had to go down to the kitch
en.”

  “Don’t sweat it,” Matt said, handing over the payment and picking up his purchase as the barman stepped over to the old man.

  “One for the road, Mr Bishop?”

  The old man pushed his empty glass forward and turned to wink at Matt. “Good luck.”

  ***

  Five minutes after she’d slid the card through the slot, he still hadn’t appeared. Nessie paced the floor restlessly, sat on the bed tapping her fingers on her thighs, and then paced some more. What was taking him so long? What the hell was he doing? Maybe men didn’t change, and despite her confidence in the new Matt, he remained a coward? After all, how much did she really know him? Everything about him was different, especially the way he kissed.

  One kiss.

  Why had she allowed one kiss to change everything?

  Because it did.

  Her stomach grumbled, and her head pounded so hard she swore she heard it thudding.

  “Nessie? Ness, are you in there?”

  Shit, the door.

  She let Matt in and threw her arms around his neck. “You came.”

  “Easy, babe. Let me put this down first.”

  Only then did Nessie notice the champagne bucket. “Champagne? Seriously? What’s the occasion?”

  “I thought you might like to celebrate the end of your troubles. You can relax now everything’s been taken care of.”

  “I’m not sure I should drink on an empty stomach,”—or one that’s swirling with nerves—“and I have a blinding headache.”

  “Then it’s a good job I got us these.” Matt reached into the side of the bucket and pulled out two chocolate bars.

  Nessie stared at the foil wrapped temptation and salivated. “I shouldn’t.”

  “Oh, I forgot. You’re on that stupid diet kick aren’t you?”

  “It’s not stupid; it’s necessary.”

  His eyes scanned down her body. “Not from where I’m standing, but if you like, I could call down and order you an apple or something.”

  “God, no. If I have to digest another piece of fruit, I think the acid will dissolve me from the inside out.” She snatched a bar from his hand and tore into it as Matt poured the champagne.