Read Online The Fragile Line: Part One (The Fine Line #2) by Alicia Kobishop - Free Book Online
Authors: Alicia Kobishop
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As for the rest? He washed; I dried. It took an hour to finish.
And during all of it, I felt okay. Kind of good, even. Still exhausted, but at least I forgot everything else for a while.
“You look like hell, Pink. I should go so you can get some rest,” he said, as he dried his hands on a dishtowel.
My mouth dropped open. “Oh, that’s nice. Thanks for the lovely flattery. It’s really too bad we can’t all be as pretty as you, Matthew.”
His face scrunched up when I said it. “Please don’t ever call me Matthew.”
My eyes lit up, “Oh! So, what you’re saying is…you don’t like being called Matthew? ”
“I didn’t say that. It just sounds wrong coming from you. My mother is the only one who calls me that and—“
“What? What is it, Matthew? ”
He hung the dishtowel on the oven handle and shook his head, smiling slightly, but not because he thought it was funny. “Nothin’.”
“No, really, Matthew, I’d love to hear why—”
He took a step toward me and gripped my arms, looking me dead in the eye, “Stop. I don’t want you to call me that because I don’t want to think of my mother—when I’m with you.”
“Oh.” It was all I could think to say.
His hands remained on my arms, strong and warm, but not too tight. He looked down at my body, and for the first time today, I realized that the only thing that stood between me and him was the thin cotton of my t-shirt. His grip loosened, and his hands slowly traveled up my arms and behind my neck, his eyes exploring my face and his thumbs tracing my jawline with one of them landing on my bottom lip, gently pulling it down, forcing them to part ever so slightly.
He wanted me. It hadn’t occurred to me before this moment. And the fact that he did stirred something in me. The warmth of his touch traveled from my lips to my toes, causing an almost imperceptible gasp to cross my lips.
Then, just as quickly as he grabbed me, he let me go and took a step back, shaking himself out of whatever it was that just took hold of him.
He didn’t stop staring at me, though. “Like I said, I should go. Where’s your men’s room?”
I pointed. “It’s over there. But it’s a woman’s room.”
He didn’t laugh. He always laughed when I tried to be funny. But he didn’t laugh this time. He just walked away.
“But—”
He turned around, “Yeah?”
“Um—I know that you’ve already done a lot by coming here, but—uh—I’m just wondering—“
“Spit it out, Sunshine.”
And, he’s back.
“The thing is, I can’t sleep. And I really, really need to sleep. You said it yourself, I look like hell. I feel that way too. Would you mind just staying here until I fall asleep? I promise I’ll repay you somehow.”
What the hell was wrong with me? I don’t ask people for things. Never. Why was I doing it now? With him? Must be the exhaustion setting in.
His shoulders slouched but only a little. “I’m sorry I said that. You do not look like hell, Chloe.” He said my name again. “You look the opposite of hell right now. You look fucking incredible. And yeah, I’ll stay, but only on one condition.”
“What’s your condition?”
One corner of his mouth turned up in a sly grin as he slowly looked my entire body down and back up. “You need to put a sweatshirt on.”
CHAPTER TEN
~Matt~
Present Day
I sure as hell hoped she was putting a sweatshirt on. Seeing her in that t-shirt damn near destroyed me. Not that I didn’t enjoy a pair of beautiful nipples hard as top hats staring in my direction; it’s just difficult to control impulses when it’s happening. And that was one impulse I refused to act upon. Especially with someone who was with my friend hours before.
Supposedly.
God, those lips, though. So full and soft. What I wouldn’t give to have those lips on mine. And that body? So
And during all of it, I felt okay. Kind of good, even. Still exhausted, but at least I forgot everything else for a while.
“You look like hell, Pink. I should go so you can get some rest,” he said, as he dried his hands on a dishtowel.
My mouth dropped open. “Oh, that’s nice. Thanks for the lovely flattery. It’s really too bad we can’t all be as pretty as you, Matthew.”
His face scrunched up when I said it. “Please don’t ever call me Matthew.”
My eyes lit up, “Oh! So, what you’re saying is…you don’t like being called Matthew? ”
“I didn’t say that. It just sounds wrong coming from you. My mother is the only one who calls me that and—“
“What? What is it, Matthew? ”
He hung the dishtowel on the oven handle and shook his head, smiling slightly, but not because he thought it was funny. “Nothin’.”
“No, really, Matthew, I’d love to hear why—”
He took a step toward me and gripped my arms, looking me dead in the eye, “Stop. I don’t want you to call me that because I don’t want to think of my mother—when I’m with you.”
“Oh.” It was all I could think to say.
His hands remained on my arms, strong and warm, but not too tight. He looked down at my body, and for the first time today, I realized that the only thing that stood between me and him was the thin cotton of my t-shirt. His grip loosened, and his hands slowly traveled up my arms and behind my neck, his eyes exploring my face and his thumbs tracing my jawline with one of them landing on my bottom lip, gently pulling it down, forcing them to part ever so slightly.
He wanted me. It hadn’t occurred to me before this moment. And the fact that he did stirred something in me. The warmth of his touch traveled from my lips to my toes, causing an almost imperceptible gasp to cross my lips.
Then, just as quickly as he grabbed me, he let me go and took a step back, shaking himself out of whatever it was that just took hold of him.
He didn’t stop staring at me, though. “Like I said, I should go. Where’s your men’s room?”
I pointed. “It’s over there. But it’s a woman’s room.”
He didn’t laugh. He always laughed when I tried to be funny. But he didn’t laugh this time. He just walked away.
“But—”
He turned around, “Yeah?”
“Um—I know that you’ve already done a lot by coming here, but—uh—I’m just wondering—“
“Spit it out, Sunshine.”
And, he’s back.
“The thing is, I can’t sleep. And I really, really need to sleep. You said it yourself, I look like hell. I feel that way too. Would you mind just staying here until I fall asleep? I promise I’ll repay you somehow.”
What the hell was wrong with me? I don’t ask people for things. Never. Why was I doing it now? With him? Must be the exhaustion setting in.
His shoulders slouched but only a little. “I’m sorry I said that. You do not look like hell, Chloe.” He said my name again. “You look the opposite of hell right now. You look fucking incredible. And yeah, I’ll stay, but only on one condition.”
“What’s your condition?”
One corner of his mouth turned up in a sly grin as he slowly looked my entire body down and back up. “You need to put a sweatshirt on.”
CHAPTER TEN
~Matt~
Present Day
I sure as hell hoped she was putting a sweatshirt on. Seeing her in that t-shirt damn near destroyed me. Not that I didn’t enjoy a pair of beautiful nipples hard as top hats staring in my direction; it’s just difficult to control impulses when it’s happening. And that was one impulse I refused to act upon. Especially with someone who was with my friend hours before.
Supposedly.
God, those lips, though. So full and soft. What I wouldn’t give to have those lips on mine. And that body? So
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