He chuckled softly, his lips against the sensitive skin of her neck. ‘Ah, sweetheart. I love it when you order me around.’
Their second attempt at breakfast came much later and Matt refused to let her go downstairs alone, claiming that it would be a degree of separation too many. Together they made toast and fresh coffee, then Matt carried the tray upstairs, smoothing the rumpled duvet so that they could stretch out on the bed together to eat it.
They ate and talked and made love. Even showering was too much time apart and Matt invaded the small shower enclosure with her. Soaping each other’s bodies turned quickly to long, slow caresses before he wrapped her in a towel and hurried her back to the bedroom to finish what they had started, drawing the pleasure out until it seemed that time had chosen one perfect moment to stop in its tracks.
Some time in the middle of the afternoon, they lay together, talking. There were things to consider—when to tell her family, when to tell his, and most importantly how to tell Jack. Matt wanted to do it all right now and even though Beth urged caution, his confidence won her over.
Beth allowed him the concession of calling his mother to say that she should set an extra place for supper this evening, while she went downstairs to raid the fridge again. When she returned, he was propped up against the pillows, his face thoughtful.
‘It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow.’
She plumped herself down on the bed, hugging her knees in front of her. ‘Yes, can’t wait.’
‘Are you busy?’
‘No I’ve got the whole day free.’ Beth put the bowl of winter strawberries on the bedside table and stretched out on the bed, like a cat in front of the fire. ‘I’m going to spend it doing all my favourite things.’ She paused as if thinking for a moment. ‘All but one. I’ll think about that one.’
‘What’s that, then? The favourite thing you’re not going to do.’
‘Guess.’
He chuckled. ‘That’s cruel, Beth. You’re going to hide yourself away and leave me all on my own?’
‘You won’t be on your own. You’ve got plenty to be getting on with.’ Matt needed to spend time with Jack and his family over Christmas, she understood that. She knew he’d be there for her after Christmas and she’d be waiting.
‘No good. I can’t do any of it without you.’ He rolled her over onto her back, suspending his own body over hers on his hands and knees. It’ll be bad enough spending tonight on my own.’
‘We agreed to wait. See what Jack’s reaction was before I stay over with you.’
‘We did. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.’
‘Don’t you ever need any sleep?’ She aimed a play punch at him, but he saw it coming and rolled away.
‘I need it. I just can’t seem to get around to it when I’m with you.’ He sighed. ‘But you’re right. What do you say we both get a good night’s sleep tonight and I’ll come over early tomorrow and pick you up?’
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHRISTMAS EVE. Dusk was falling and Matt had stoked the open fire in the sitting room into a blaze of light and heat. The day had been perfect. Beth’s initial awkwardness the previous evening, when Matt had taken her over to his parents’ house, had been dispelled by a piece of characteristically direct action on his part, when he had grabbed her hand and pressed the back of her fingers to his lips. His mother had responded by hugging her and promptly banishing Matt from her kitchen in favour of talking with Beth while she finished preparing the meal.
Today, it was almost as if she was already a part of the family. Matt’s father stole her away from him to discuss the pointing at the back of the house and tell her how pleased he was that she and Matt were ‘stepping out’. And Jack whirled from his father to Beth like a small tornado, not sure which one of them he wanted to chatter excitedly with the most.
‘They’ll be gone for at least a couple of hours.’ Matt sank down onto the sofa, stretching his legs out in front of him, his arm around Beth’s shoulders as if that had always been its proper place. It had been, really. They fitted together as if they had been fashioned that way, right from the start.
‘Has Jack taken that piece of plastic mistletoe with him?’ Jack had never seemed to tire of pulling the small sprig from his pocket and waving it at Beth every time she came within arm’s reach of Matt. She hadn’t tired of kissing him, though, and Matt certainly hadn’t seemed to mind.
‘Probably. I’ve got him on commission, so he’s hanging onto a good source of income.’
‘What? You didn’t.’
‘No, actually, I didn’t think of it. Wouldn’t have been a bad idea, though. I might suggest it to him next Christmas.’
‘We haven’t made it through this Christmas yet.’
‘That’s just a formality. Do you really have to be at the hospital tomorrow?’
‘Yes, I promised to go carol singing and I can’t let them down.’ She was here alone with Matt on Christmas Eve and that was so much more than she could have dreamed possible. And she could hope for other Christmases with him.
‘You said…’ He jerked upright in his seat to face her. ‘I thought you were going to be there all day. The carol singing’s just for an hour in the morning. What are you doing for the rest of the day?’