Love on the Outskirts of Town Read online

  “I want to do a lot more than make out,” she whispered, and he ground his cock against the apex of her thighs.

  Hell yeah. “Tell me what you want.”

  “I want to feel your skin against mine.” She ran her fingers over the tendons in his neck. “Feel your weight on top of me.”

  Jesus. Yes. “Soon, baby.”

  “I needed this tonight.”

  “Me too.” He stole a kiss, sucking on her tongue, her lips, the corner of her mouth. Worth the drive for this kiss, this conversation, another step forward into the unknown territory of a complicated, adult relationship.

  He kissed her hard enough to push away the remaining weirdness about her history, his track record, and any problems that might stand in their way.

  Right now, there was only this. Two bodies and zero space in between.

  “I want to get you off,” he murmured, and she stiffened. “Not here, I know.”

  She tipped her head back and rocked her hips against him.

  So tempting. He gave in and ground against her, showing her just how much he wanted every inch of her.

  But when she pulled back, he dropped his head to her shoulder and counted to ten.

  She dragged in a deep breath. “Soon. I’m moving in two weeks.”

  He nodded.

  “Holy crap,” she said breathlessly. “I’m moving in two weeks. It doesn’t feel real.”

  “I can help. I’m pretty strong.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t—” She cut herself off. “That wasn’t why I said it.”

  He held her gaze. “Friends, remember? Friends help on moving day. That’s a rule.”

  But it probably wasn’t one she’d had a lot of benefit from over the years. He knew she wouldn’t want to rely on him in any way, because she’d been burnt, over and over again—and at least once by his own flesh and blood.

  “I want to help,” he gently added. “Tell me where to be when, and what to bring.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Even before moving day arrived, Matt made good on his word that he wanted to help. Two days later, he met Natasha and Emily for lunch when she had back-to-back appointments with the bank and the lawyer. It was an unseasonably warm day so he took Emily to the park so Tasha could focus.

  After she finished her meetings, she went to find them at the park.

  Emily was running around the climbers and Matt was chasing her, letting her stay just ahead of him as she giggled with glee. Just as he closed in to “catch” her, she leapt onto the first rung of the climber and screamed that she was safe.

  Tasha slowed her approach and watched them repeat the game again, and this time, when Emily leapt onto the climber, she kept going up the vertical ladder, all the way to the top. Her mom instincts freaked out, but Matt was watching closely—and worrying, too, from the sounds of it.

  “You’re seriously going to give me a heart attack, Miss Monkey,” he said as Emily laughed hysterically and scampered faster across the horizontal bars. Beneath the climber, he spotted her the entire way, and when she carefully wiggled between the bars and dropped into his arms, he gave her a tight squeeze before setting her down.

  He squatted down to her level, and Natasha’s heart just about exploded with happiness.

  “That was a fun game,” he said. “Thank you for teaching it to me.”

  “My Daddy taught me,” she said, and Tasha’s heart careened wildly in a different direction. “He’s coming to visit tomorrow.”

  Maybe, Natasha thought. She pulled out her phone and took a picture of Emily climbing. She sent it to David.

  Natasha: She’s looking forward to your visit tomorrow.

  She shoved her phone away and went to join them, trying hard not to worry when so much was going right for them all.

  It took David ages to reply. Not until after they got home and Matt had headed back to Pine Harbour did he send a message back.

  David: So are we.

  Tasha exhaled roughly. Great, she thought. But it wasn’t great that she’d worried for a while. Or at all. Or had three years of history behind her to justify that worry.

  It occurred to her while she was at work that night that if Emily was talking to Matt freely about David, it would probably be true the other way around as well. And she’d made a point to her ex about knowing Sable’s name before she spent time with Emily, so she should probably reciprocate the information sharing.

  But what would she say about Matt? She had a friend Emily was getting to know?

  Yes, that’s exactly what you say.

  Why was it so hard? She didn’t know what she was balking at, but she didn’t text David in the end.

  She waited until they arrived the next day, and while Sable—still nice, still annoyingly young—was helping Emily into her coat and gloves, Natasha pointed outside. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  David stepped onto the front porch with her, and she took a deep breath. “First of all, I’m really glad that you guys are coming up to see Emily.”

  He rubbed his hands together. “Good. I know this is a change in, uh, how we were doing things…”

  “Yeah. We should talk about that sometime.” Wow, her voice sounded so distant to her own ear. This was a man she’d once been intimate with on every level, thought she might even love, and now it was like she’d never truly known him at all.

  And maybe she hadn’t, because she couldn’t read him right now. Hadn’t been able to ever since he’d started expressing more of an interest in parenting.

  She’d gotten so used to parenting entirely on her own, but now here he was, on her sister’s porch, and she needed to open up to him.

  It was terrifying.

  “I’m moving,” she blurted out. “Not far.” Was forty-five minutes north not far? “To Wiarton. It’s closer to your family cottage, actually.”

  “Oh.” He frowned. “So…not closer to the city?”

  “I have a limited budget.” And big plans. Those two did not mesh anywhere near the city.

  “I understand.”

  “Good.”

  “Was there anything else?”

  “Emily might mention a guy. Matt. He’s a friend of mine. We met in cooking class. He decorated cupcakes with Em.”

  David smirked, and that was the end of her goodwill toward him for the day. Sure, if he wanted to judge where she met a man, that was his prerogative, but she’d shared everything she needed to and now had a clear conscience.

  “That’s it,” she said brightly. “Have a great day. Text me if you need anything, I’ll just be packing.”

  When all your earthly possessions fit in eight boxes, plus two beds, three dressers, and a few garbage bags of precious pink toys, it didn’t take long to get ready on moving day. Tasha was up at six and had her bed dismantled before seven, when Matt showed up.

  He brought coffee and donuts, and barely had a chance to hand them over before Emily flew into his arms.

  “Hi, Miss Monkey,” he said, giving her a soft smile.

  “Hi, Matt. I get a new bedroom today,” she told him, pressing her hands on either side of his face to hold his attention.

  “I know,” he said. His eyes were bright with amusement. “Can I help you carry your bed into your new room?”

  “I can’t carry it. I’ll be the boss, though.”

  “That sounds fair.” He cleared his throat. “Hey, can you introduce me to your aunt and uncle?”

  Emily twisted in his arms and pointed to Meredith and Dan. “This is Auntie Mer and this is Uncle Dan. They’re moving far away.”

  Tasha groaned and pressed her hand to her chest. “The ruthless honesty of children, eh?”

  Meredith brushed a knuckle beneath her eye.

  “Sorry,” Matt said, holding out his arm and giving Mer his most charming smile. “But I brought you donuts.”

  She laughed and took the box from him. “Apology accepted. Nice to meet you for real this time.”

  Matt winked at her and then offered his
hand to Dan. “I may have flirted with your wife from a distance a while back. It was all a ruse to impress Natasha, I promise.”

  Dan chuckled. “I appreciate the honesty. And the use of your truck today.”

  “Wouldn’t miss moving day for the world.” Matt finally turned his attention to Tasha, and even though they were surrounded by people, the room felt suddenly hot and the way he was looking at her purely indecent.

  “I’ll be sure to order beer and pizza later,” she said softly. “Or something.”

  His eyebrows twitched just enough to make it clear he’d be up for something.

  “Donuts, eh?” She spun on her heel and opened the box Meredith had set on the table. “Yum.”

  Everyone else gathered around, and once she’d snagged an apple fritter, she moved out of the way.

  Matt followed. His hand landed on her hip briefly, just long enough to give a reassuring squeeze, then he crossed his arms over his chest. “Okay, so what’s the plan today?”

  She swiped a bit of icing off her apple fritter. “Well, first we put all my stuff in as many vehicles as it takes…and then we unload it all into a big, old, empty house that I’m going to start demolishing tomorrow.”

  He choked on a laugh. “Excellent.”

  “I’m terrified,” she whispered. “I know you already know that, but…”

  “Hey, you aren’t alone today.” He lowered his voice. “And you don’t need to be alone tonight, either.”

  Her cheeks heated up and she shoved a bite of donut into her mouth to keep from babbling about how much she liked that offer. Liked it, couldn’t take him up on it, and was already thinking about when she could.

  They loaded up Matt’s truck, and her Jeep. Dan and Meredith ended up only having to put Emily’s toys in their van, which left lots of room for the kids, Emily riding along with her cousins so she could guard her toys. And off they went in a caravan of three vehicles.

  Once they were on the highway, her phone rang, and she told the hands-free device to answer the call.

  “Now that we’re all alone,” Matt said over his own speakerphone. “I thought I’d be more specific about my earlier offer.”

  Tasha glanced in her rearview mirror. She could just barely make him out behind the sun-glare on his windscreen. “I liked the idea of you hanging around after we finish unloading. I don’t have that much stuff.” She smiled. “But my sister and brother-in-law know that. They’ll probably leave after lunch.”

  “They have their own packing to do, right?” Matt was so smooth, so slick, he followed the narrative she needed.

  “Yeah. It would be a great help if we could send them off pretty quickly.”

  “I can definitely help with that.” He made a warm, welcoming sound, like a cross between a sigh and hum. “But seriously, I’ll stay all night if you want. On the couch.”

  “I don’t have a couch.”

  “Right. I knew that. Didn’t load one into the back of my truck.”

  Her pulse jumped a gear. She had a big bed. And once upon a time, she’d have happily pulled anyone into it.

  A part of her really missed that easy sexuality. She wanted to get back there, but she just wasn’t quite there yet. “Company into the evening is good,” she whispered. “But I think tonight, overnight, it should just be me and Emily.” For the first time since Emily had been born, it would just be the two of them in their very own house. It was a big milestone. She wanted to forever remember this night, and tomorrow morning, as her and Emily’s. Just the two of them. There was something sacred and special about that.

  And her first night with Matt was worthy of its own time and space, too. They’d have that soon enough.

  “Then I’ll stay and help unpack as long as you need me to, and then we can have a celebratory nightcap before a good night kiss.”

  She sighed happily. “That sounds amazing.”

  “Damn straight. Now drive safe. I’m right behind you.”

  When they arrived, the realtor was waiting out front to give her the keys. She parked in the drive, right close to the house so someone could pull in behind her, then hopped out.

  Matt parked on the street, leaving the space in the drive for Meredith’s minivan. She waved to the realtor, then went to the van to get Emily first.

  “Ready?” she asked her daughter.

  Emily craned her head to the side and gasped. “Oh, this house! Mommy, I love it!”

  Yeah, they were both ready for this.

  Each step she took up the walk toward the front door felt huge, momentous—and filled with emotion. By the time she was standing in front of the realtor, her eyes were wet and she tried to make an excuse.

  “Congratulations,” he said. “And it’s okay to cry.”

  “I don’t want to,” she whispered. “I’m happy.”

  “That’s a legitimate reason to cry, I’m afraid to break it to you.” He handed over the keys. “Here you go. Welcome home.”

  Her hands shook as she unlocked the door. Emily helped her push it open, then they stepped together into their first house as a family of two.

  Behind her, everyone else filed in. Heavy footsteps, little footsteps, and a flurry of excited noises.

  She wasn’t really absorbing any of it.

  The house was empty, exactly as it had been when she’d looked at it before. But today, even though it was cold and grey out, a typically gross early November day, it glowed for her.

  All she could see was the potential.

  And when she turned around, she saw the same enthusiasm for it reflected in the faces of Meredith and Dan. She held her breath as she glanced past them to Matt, who was standing in the doorway.

  His eyes were cast upward, checking out the ceiling. But when her gaze settled on him, he immediately gave her his attention.

  And he beamed.

  “Wow,” he said. “It’s even better than you described. What amazing bones.”

  “Exactly.” Her voice came out all whispery and weak, and she tried again. “I mean, right? I’m…” She shook her head. Damn it. She was totally going to cry, and this was not a crying situation. “I’m so glad everyone likes it.”

  She whirled around and walked briskly through the front room to the kitchen in the back corner. Definitely the ugliest room in the house, she was looking forward to taking a sledgehammer to the ancient cupboards and the awful bulkheads that ruined the lines of the twelve-foot ceilings.

  “Hey.”

  Natasha waved her hand at the sound of her sister’s voice. “Hi.”

  “Overwhelming, eh?”

  “Little bit.”

  “The guys took the kids into the backyard.” Meredith came closer, and when Natasha turned around, she saw her sister was holding a gift bag. “Here. Happy New Home Day.”

  “What is this?” And how had she missed her sister carrying it inside?

  “A little housewarming present.”

  Natasha took the bag and pulled out the tissue paper on top. Inside were three things. A brand-new kettle, shiny and red, a box of instant oatmeal, and a tin of English Breakfast tea.

  “Oh, Mer…”

  “There are going to be times when you need tea,” her sister said. “Like now, for example.”

  “I need to unpack the mugs first.”

  “Yeah.”

  She set down the bag and gave her sister a tight squeeze. “I’m going to miss you.”

  “Me too. But you’re also going to have an amazing adventure here. And whenever you need me, you pick up the phone and we’ll make tea together from a distance.”

  The side door slammed open, and Emily came sprinting in. “Mommy, can I have a swing?”

  “Uh…yes. Of course. We’ll keep our eyes out for a good deal on one, okay?”

  Matt appeared in the door behind her. “That’s my fault. I said to Dan that the big oak tree would be perfect for a tire swing, and…”

  “Little ears.” She nodded and smiled. “Story of my life.”

 
She made a mental note to search online for a used tire.

  “Should we start bringing stuff in?” Meredith asked.

  “First I want to do a quick scrub down of Emily’s room.”

  “I can help with that,” her sister said. “I’ll grab the box of cleaning supplies from your car.”

  Emily raced away right behind her aunt, heading upstairs to see her room.

  Which left Tasha alone with Matt, who took a quick look around before he pulled her close.

  “You haven’t had enough kisses today,” he whispered. He tugged on her braids, tipping her face up so he could lean in and remedy that.

  She gave herself to him willingly. They didn’t have a lot of time and he wasn’t wrong—it was the worst kind of torture to be this close and not be able to touch him, taste him, hold him.

  “More kisses tonight,” he promised.

  Yes, yes, yes.

  That was exactly what she needed. Matt was exactly what she needed.

  Once Emily’s room was scrubbed down, Matt carried in the pieces of her bed. It was pink, of course, and impossibly small.

  “Is it just me, or is her bed half the size of a regular bed?” he asked Natasha after they set it up.

  She grinned. “It’s called a toddler bed. That’s her crib mattress.”

  “Right. I could have figured that out myself.”

  “You’re cute when you don’t know things, though. You get this little frown line between your eyes, like you’re really surprised that something is outside your grasp.”

  He could feel that little frown line deepening. “I do not.”

  She nodded her head happily. “You do. And it’s cute.”

  Before he could respond, Emily’s cousins came parading in with the bags of toys, with the three-year-old bossily telling them to wait for her to open them.

  “Guys, we’re not ready for those just yet,” Natasha said, but it was too late. Dolls and stuffed animals exploded in all directions.

  She waved her hand at the bare mini-mattress. “Fine, let’s let them play while we get the other furniture up here. And if you want, I’ll give you the rest of the tour.”