All Your Loving (Bachelors & Bridesmaids) (16 page)

"Yes."

"Robert Hudson."

He shook hands with Robert. "You're doing some amazing work here."

"Thank you. I must admit I did not expect to see you here. I hope there isn't a problem with your participation in the cook-off."

"Nope, I'm all set."

"Matt helped stuff the swag bags," Julie interjected.

Robert raised an eyebrow at that piece of information. "You asked him to do that?"

"I volunteered," Matt put in. "It was fun. I enjoyed meeting the volunteers."

"Well, thank you again," Robert said, obviously a little confused by everything. He turned to Julie. "I just stopped in to see if you needed anything."

"We're all done. We were just about to close up," she replied.

"Can I have a word before you go?" Robert asked.

"Of course. I'll just walk Matt out and then I'll be right with you."

"Thanks again for your help, Mr. Kingsley," Robert said.

"No problem." He followed Julie out to the front door. "I guess it was a good thing your boss didn't walk in a few minutes earlier."

Her cheeks turned pink. "That would have been embarrassing and unprofessional."

"So, tomorrow…will six-thirty work?"

She nodded. "I should be able to get away by then. Where are we going? What should I wear?"

"Whatever you want. You'd look beautiful in anything."

She shook her head and gave him a smile. "You do have a way with words, but that's not a very practical answer."

"Okay, then how's this? Wear something sexy."

"In that case, I might have to go shopping."

He laughed and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You know, seeing each other this often means you're going to get sick of me pretty soon," she said lightly.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

Chapter Eleven

Julie dashed home after work on Friday, managing to get out of the office a little after five, which was quite the feat considering the cook-off was the next day. All afternoon, she'd thought about cancelling on Matt, but in the end she couldn't do that. Not just because she'd said she would go, but also because she wanted to go. She wanted to spend time with him, and even though she knew she was getting way too attached, she didn't care. She'd told herself it would all be over in a week when he left for spring training. So it wasn't like she had to end things now. They were going to end on their own in a few days anyway.

She spent the next half hour trying on outfits and discarding them just as quickly, Matt's request to wear something sexy ringing through her head. In the end, she settled on a short clingy black dress and heels that should work for just about anything. She brushed out her hair, leaving it long, applied a little makeup and tried to calm her nerves.

She'd spent a lot of time with Matt already. There was no reason to get worked up now.

Ending her nervous pacing, she sat down on her couch only to have her gaze fall on the envelope her mom had given her earlier in the week. She really should put it away, but for some reason she hadn't been able to touch it since she'd set it down.

Well, she certainly wasn't going to open it now. Tonight was about the present, not about the past.

A moment later her buzzer rang, and she jumped to her feet. At Matt's sexy "hello", she told him she'd be right down and then headed out the door.

He was waiting at her front door dressed in gray slacks and a button-down shirt under a black sports coat. He looked so good her mouth watered.

"Hello, beautiful," he said as she came through the door.

"Hi, Matt," she said with a smile. "You look good. I guess we clean up pretty well."

"That we do."

He took her hand as they walked out to the sidewalk, and she liked the way he wrapped his fingers around hers in a gesture that was both possessive and protective. Instead of Matt's sports car, she was surprised to see a black limousine double parked in front of her building and even more surprised when Matt headed straight for it. "What's this?"

"I hired us a car," he said, opening the door for her. "That way I can you all my attention."

He was definitely putting on the charm tonight, and she couldn't help but respond to it. There hadn't been anyone else who made her feel so special.

"Fancy," she said lightly as she got into the back, sliding along the luxurious bench seat to give Matt room to sit next to her.

A moment later, the car pulled away from the curb.

Matt reached for the bottle of champagne that was chilling in a nearby ice bucket. "Champagne?"

"You're pulling out all the stops."

He grinned. "Just trying to show you a good time."

"Then I'll have some champagne."

Matt poured them both a glass, then made a toast. "To tonight, to the beginning."

"The beginning of what?"

His eyes sparkled. "That's what we're going to find out, Julie."

She took a sip of champagne and the bubbles made her feel giddy. She needed to get a grip. She was a grown woman going on a date, not Cinderella on her way to the ball with a handsome prince, although it felt a little like that.

She cleared her throat. "You've really gone to a lot of trouble, Matt. You didn't have to. I'd have been happy with a cheeseburger."

"I know, which is exactly why I want you to have more. I've been thinking a lot about my life the past few days. Before I met you, being famous never bothered me. The women I've dated in the past have been thrilled to be part of the spotlight. But you're different. You don't want to be the center of attention, and you don't really want a man who is, either. I can't change who I am, or how people react to me, or the fact that nine times out of ten a fan will interrupt any date I'm on. But there is a flip side."

"There is?" she asked doubtfully.

"Yes. And I'm going to show it to you. I want you to forget about the past and not worry about the future. Let's just have tonight. What do you think?"

"I can't think of anything I'd rather do," she said, his words wrapping around her like a warm blanket.

"Then sit back and relax."

She sipped her champagne as the limo moved swiftly through the city. Dusk had settled over the city and the sky was a beautiful dark purple. A few minutes later, they crossed over the Golden Gate Bridge and drove through the hilly streets of Sausalito, finally stopping at the harbor.

Matt took her empty glass and helped her out of the car. Then he led her down a pier and onto an enormously large and luxurious yacht. An older man in uniform welcomed them aboard.

"Captain Donovan," Matt said, shaking the man's hand. "This is Julie Michaels."

"Hello," he said. "It's a pleasure to have you both aboard."

"Thank you," she replied.

"Is everything ready?" Matt asked.

Captain Donovan nodded. "Yes, sir. Please go inside, make yourselves comfortable. We'll be leaving in a few moments."

"Great." Matt took her hand, and they walked down the stairs into a large, lovely salon. She had never been on a yacht before and was astonished by the spaciousness of the room. There were two long couches set under several portholes, and in one corner of the room there was an intimate table for two complete with silverware and flowers. The entire room was lighted with candles and there was a soft background of music.

"Wow," she said. "This is amazing."

"I'm glad you like it."

"I have to say I'm very impressed. You're batting .1000 so far."

"I'll try to keep it up," he said with a grin. "We'll eat in a little while. But in the meantime, why don't we go up on the deck and enjoy the cruise?"

"That sounds good to me."

They walked back up the stairs and over to the rail. Within minutes, the yacht moved effortlessly into the San Francisco Bay. The moon had risen and the stars were making their appearance in a bright, clear sky. The lights of the city and the bridge added to the incredible landscape. "It all looks so magical from here," she murmured. "You can only see the pretty parts."

"Have you ever sailed on the bay before?"

"Once but that was in the daytime. I've never seen this view at night. It feels a little spooky, heading towards the dark ocean though."

"Don't worry. We're not going far."

"I'm not worried," she said, giving him a happy smile.

He smiled back at her. "Good, because I would never let anything happen to you."

She knew he meant every word. Matt was the kind of man who took care of people. He was a protector by nature. She'd seen that when he was with his brother and also with his friends. And she was seeing it now, too.

Matt moved behind her, placed his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest as they watched the city go by.

"I can't believe I finally have you alone," he said.

"Isn't there a crew?"

"They'll stay out of the way. I thought about taking you to a really exclusive restaurant, but it seemed too public. I was afraid someone would want to take a picture or ask for an autograph, and I didn't want us to be interrupted. I wanted to have time with you that was both extraordinary and also private."

"This was a good choice." She was touched that he'd spent time thinking about the perfect date. "Is the yacht yours?"

"No. It belongs to a friend of mine."

"A rich friend."

"Yes, he does very well," Matt agreed.

His arms tightened around her waist, and she leaned back against him, reveling in the warm strength of his arms and the solid chest supporting her. When he lowered his head, his lips touched the corner of her ear and the brief caress sent another tingle through her nerves.

"Matt," she said, turning around in his arms.

"Yes?"

"Kiss me."

His eyes turned jade at her request. He brushed her mouth lightly, teasingly, before settling in for a long, deep kiss.
The tension that had been building between them flared like a match to dry tinder. There was no slow buildup of passion but rather an explosive blast of heat.

Julie slipped her hands under his coat and pushed her body provocatively against his, enjoying the press of her breasts against his muscular chest, and the feel of his long lean legs intermingling with hers. She loved his taste, his touch, his smell—everything about him, and she wanted to get a lot closer than they were.

The yacht suddenly bounced over some bigger waves, and she stumbled.

Matt wrapped his arms around her and murmured in her ear. "It's getting a little wild out here."

"In more ways than one," she said with a helpless laugh.

"Maybe we should go inside," Matt suggested. "It's getting cold."

"Good idea."

When they entered the salon, a waiter greeted them and told them dinner was ready. He seated Julie and asked if she would like wine or a cocktail. Julie decided to stick with champagne while Matt ordered a beer.

After getting their drinks, the waiter served them a chilled seafood salad that looked absolutely amazing.
It was the beginning of the most delicious meal she had ever consumed with steak, lobster, vegetables, potatoes and an exquisite dessert made up of chocolate and raspberries.

During dinner, they talked about San Francisco, movies, the last book they'd read, friends and family. With Matt, it was always a give and take. He didn't try to dominate the conversation and he was interested in her life. She liked that a lot.

After dinner, they went back out to the deck. Matt draped his jacket around her for warmth, and she loved the feel of his coat around her almost as much as she loved the way his arm hugged her against his waist. The bay was quieter now, the waves less restless, and the yacht made its way gracefully through the water.

Standing under the moon and the stars, Julie felt the tension begin to build once again, and by mutual accord, they turned into each other's arms.

She took the lead this time, her need driving her to start the kiss, to slide her tongue into his mouth, to take whatever she could get. She tilted her head, seeking to get closer, and Matt did the same. It just wasn't enough…

Her fingers flew down the front of his shirt, unbuttoning and pulling the material out of his pants. She wanted to touch him more intimately, and she sighed with satisfaction when her fingers found bare skin. His abs stiffened beneath her caress, and she reveled for a moment in her own power.

Then Matt pulled the shoulder of her dress down, his fingers slipping inside to cup her breasts. Her breath caught in her chest as he kissed the side of her neck, sliding his tongue along her collarbone and down to the swell of her breasts. He was driving her crazy.

"Matt," she whispered.

He lifted his head and gave her a long look. "Do you want to go inside, Julie?"

Yes, yes, yes…her tingling nerves replied, but while her body was ready for more, her brain was a little more cautious. Her heart was beating fast, too fast. She felt as if she were standing on the edge of cliff. She wanted to jump but she was suddenly paralyzed. What the hell was wrong with her? She wanted him. He wanted her. It should be so simple.