Love Renewed (Entwined Hearts #3) (9 page)

“Mr. Matthews, where would you like to go?” Ted the driver asks.

“To my apartment, please Ted.”

“Sir,” he answers and we pull away.

Hearing the distant noise of my phone, I realise I must have fallen asleep. That’s unlike me, even with jetlag. Everything is usually planned and I cover all my bases, falling to sleep unintentionally is sloppy and I curse at my recklessness.

Getting up from the sofa and walking over to the breakfast bar I grab my phone and see it’s Soph.

“Are you okay?” I answer worry curling in my stomach.

She laughs then responds, “Dane, seriously. You need to stop panicking about us all!”

“Not gonna happen, Tink. So this was a social call?”

“Not exactly.” I hear the apprehension in her voice and the worry is back.

“What?” I snap out, more forcefully than I meant to.

My snappiness doesn’t phase Soph though, she just snorts at me down the line. “So Pea and I just had a Skype call with Libby.”

I say nothing, just waiting for her to spit it out.

“It seems she’s split up with her boyfriend.” At her words, I rock back on my heels.

“Why?”

“Well, I don’t think she’s been feeling their relationship for a while. But then she found out today that her
so called
best friend Mel, you know the woman she works with on the reception of that accounts firm…well, she’s been shagging him for four months. So it’s a double hit.”

“Fuck, what a dick. Still I can’t lie and say I’m upset about her and that prick ending,” I reply, then add, “Thanks for letting me know, I’m going to see her tomorrow.”

“You’re not going to call first?” she questions.

“No, this needs a personal touch, Tink. I need to look into her eyes.”

“Love you, Dane,” she whispers.

“Same. Go look after my arse of a brother,” I tell her and she laughs hanging up.

So, Nova is single again.

She may need time and I’ll be there every step to help her, in whatever way she needs.

The next morning at nine I make my way into Douglas, Kirk and Sully. As I approach Nova, I feel the animosity rolling off the reception desk in waves. Nova has her head down and is concentrating on something, but her friend—or ex-friend Mel—is staring at me, her mouth open like she’s never seen a man before. I take her in as I approach, blonde hair, blue eyes, she has the whole cheerleader thing going on. Her lips are bright red and I can see her fake tits from here. She’s sizing me up like she wants to eat me and I want to laugh at her, but I refrain.

As I take the last step to meet the desk, Nova looks up. The second she does recognition and hunger pass through her eyes. It’s a sight to behold, I didn’t know if I’d ever see hunger from her. At least she still likes what she sees. Her eyes are dazzling. Bright blue and they glitter. I know there’s another side to her. I can see beneath the good girl surface.

“Nova,” I murmur. I wait for her to correct me, but she doesn’t.

“Dane, what…what are you doing here?” she replies in a hushed tone.

“I thought we could travel to the wedding together tomorrow,” I explain.

She says nothing and I glance at her ex-friend who still has her mouth hanging open.

“Listen, I’ll pick you up from work tonight. What time do you finish?” I ask.

“Five.” She blinks a few times like she’s trying to see if I’ll disappear and it makes hope start burning in my chest again.

“Five it is.” I walk away then stop. Turning around I walk back to her.

“Just to say, Nova, you and her,” I point at the other woman, “there’s no comparison. Not even close. He’s a dick. Still, his loss is my gain.” I wink and walk away.

Game on Nova. Game fucking on.

“Hi,” Nova breathes as she stops in front of me.

“Nova,” I say in answer and run the back of my fingers down her cheek. Her breath hitches and my chest burns. “Let’s get in the car, I’ll take you for some food.” She nods but says nothing, instead showing her agreement by slipping into the car. “Can you take us to Per Se please Ted, we have reservations.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Dane, I haven’t had a chance to change out of my work clothes,” Nova complains.

I look her over. Slowly perusing from her toes, which are encased in a pair of black patent heels, up her sheer stockings—I know they’re stockings, I’ve had experience with them on many occasions—to her knee length black skirt that hugs every inch of her thighs and it continues right up to her waist. There I find a white satin blouse, loose and feminine. It’s sleeveless showing off her beautiful blemish free shoulders. My eyes take their final journey, along the curve of her throat, ending on her face. She looks the same as she always did, it’s like time has stood still for her. The only thing I see is age in her eyes. They are wiser, worldly, and not as innocent as they once were. But they’re still brilliantly blue. Her mouth is as enticing as it once was, making me want to kiss the shit out of it. The smooth skin with the pink tinge on her cheeks is porcelain and flawless. All this beauty is surrounded by long wavy chestnut hair, sleek, thick and vibrant.

“You’ll do,” I tell her with a smirk. Her lips twitch, but she says nothing. I turn back in the seat and look forward watching where we’re going. After a few moments of silence, she suddenly starts fidgeting. “What are you doing?” I ask, turning back to face her. I don’t need to ask, though because as soon as I look at her it all becomes clear. She’s undoing her blouse and is on the last button. I’d like to say she’s going to continue until I have her naked in my lap, but I see the effort is all to take her top layer off, revealing the tight white tank which, much like the skirt, clings to her showcasing her perfect full round breasts.

Fuck, it’s been years since I’ve wanted a woman so badly that I’m hard just looking at her. The last time…the last time was Nova.

I look back at her face and she smirks, she’s well aware of the effect she has on me.

When we arrive at the restaurant, I open the door and take her jacket. I want her to be comfortable with me, to get to know me, to experience me. I need to make her see that I'm already hers…if she wants me.

As we walk to the
maître d's
station, I can see the sleek woman standing waiting for us and her eyes eat me up.

Not a chance.

“We have a reservation. Name of Matthews,” I tell the cosmetically enhanced woman standing before me.

“Of course sir, right this way,” she says, smiling and batting her eyelashes. Walking in front of me sashaying as she goes, I want to laugh. I nearly do, but that’s just not my style. Glancing down at Nova, I note that she’s staring at the woman leading us with a frown tainting her beautiful features. Sliding my arm across her shoulders, she jerks looking up at me, her frown gone and instead her eyes are wide, so I squeeze her shoulder with my hand offering a smile. Biting her bottom lip she smirks and I feel my dick twitch.

“Come on, let’s get you fed,” I say while gently guiding her to our table.

Once seated, I take her in again. “You’re still just as beautiful as you once were.” Her eyes widen and focus on me. “You don’t remember, Nova, but I do. I remember every fucking second.”

“Dane,” she whispers but doesn’t continue, instead sitting there with her mouth open and her eyes working their way across my face like I’m a puzzle to be solved.

“Huh hum.” The waiter makes his presence known, and I take him in as he stares down Nova’s top. Five-foot-eleven, short brown hair and brown eyes. Fit but not bulky. Does some kind of sport, cycling maybe, but there’s no fighter in him, his hands are manicured. I look back to his face, but his eyes haven’t moved from her breasts. Looking back at Nova I see her eyes are still on me, trying to work me out. I give her a lazy grin.

“It’s a chef’s choice menu, so take a look over it in case there’s something you’re allergic too,” I offer. She blinks a few times then grabs the menu.

“No, everything sounds great. I mean some of it I’m not sure about, but I’m happy to try.” She smiles.

I look back at the waiter, who still hasn’t moved his fucking eyes. Sitting patiently, after a minute he must realise that we’re waiting on him. He reluctantly moves to look at me. The moment he does my eyes tell him everything he needs to know, and I’m pretty sure his dick has just shrivelled.

“It is all satisfactory,” I state.

“Of course, sir,” he replies swallowing twice. Collecting the menus from us, he walks away without a single glance at Nova. When I look back, she has a twinkle in her eyes. She knows a silent pissing contest has just occurred. But she doesn’t care. Reaching across the table I grab her hand and bring it to my mouth, kissing the pads of each finger then moving back to the first sucking it into my mouth. She gasps but I smile, loving that she hasn’t pulled away. I’m not sure what made me do this, other than it’s my natural way. When I tried to get near her in England, I took the softer approach. Completely unlike me, but I figured she needed that. Maybe I was wrong, maybe she needs the real me and maybe I need to show her. Tonight I’m going to take back what belongs to me.

A different waiter arrives with the first course and she pulls her fingers away from my mouth. However, I notice that she doesn’t seem embarrassed.

Good to know.

I love that we’ve spent time together tonight. After England, I wasn’t sure if he would ever try with me again. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted him to. But now? Now I want to coat my body with his, I want to breathe him in and know I’ll always have that pleasure. Some kind of switch has been flipped in my brain and I want to soak him into my pores.

When we arrived the
maître d
was undressing him with her eyes, and the thought of ripping the silicone lips off her botox face was at the forefront of my mind. I was shocked at my reaction and it took a while for me to process. I still don’t know exactly what this is, but I know it’s something.

The restaurant isn’t one I’ve ever had the pleasure to dine at. The idea that the menu is chosen by the chef threw me in the beginning. The food though has been exquisite, and as it’s taken hours to get through nine courses, we’ve had plenty of time to chat. What we haven’t done though is re-acquaint ourselves with one another. After Dane’s earlier comment about not forgetting a thing, he’s been extremely tight-lipped regarding our previous life. I haven’t asked him anything. Yet. At the moment, I’m just enjoying him. It’s like a date with someone new. Someone who could have any woman in this restaurant, and most of the Hollywood stars if he wanted to, but instead he’s here
with me.
And what’s more is he acts like he’d rather be here with me than anywhere else in this world.

“Are you ready to leave?” Dane asks and once again when I look at him I’m trapped inside his brown eyes.

Nodding my reply, we both get up. He grabs my hand and leads me through the restaurant and outside into the cool crisp air without even glancing at anyone else. We get back into our car from earlier and a fleeting thought enters my brain, wondering where the driver went all night.

The car moves away from the curb without even asking us where to. I say nothing, not really sure what I should say.

Where are we going?

I’m not sure I want to ask that question if I do then I’ll have to face the reality of the situation. Dane slides his arm around my shoulders once again and the comforting feeling I felt earlier comes back. He tugs me gently until I fall on his side. Laying my head on his shoulder, I close my eyes.

Bliss.

“Nova, Nova wake up.” Blinking at the voice I often hear in my dreams, I look up at Dane’s mesmerising face and smile.

“I fell asleep?” I question.

Dane chuckles and I feel it bounce across my whole body. “You did.”

“How long for?”

“Only thirty minutes.”

“Where are we?”

At my question, his face loses his grin. “My place.” He doesn’t say anything else, and I know this is him giving me a nonverbal out. I can ask to be taken home and he’ll see that it’s done. Swallowing, I gaze into his eyes.

“Get me into the warm, Dane,” I rasp out.

“Yes ma’am,” he says winking.

He pulls me out of the car and into him, my body plastered to his. And right there on the sidewalk he kisses me, wrapping his arms around my back. He licks along my lips and I automatically open, he immediately takes the opportunity to enter and caress me from the inside out. Groaning into my mouth, his arms tighten around my back and he gently lifts me off the floor so my legs hang in the air. He walks toward the entrance of his building still kissing me, taking me, owning me.

I drop softly next to the elevator as he pulls away, placing his arms on the wall each side of my head, caging me. I catch my breath and he just stares.

“I’d almost forgotten how good you taste,” he says, wiping a stray hair off my face.

“Almost?” I ask looking up at him with hooded eyes.

He moves his face to mine, our breaths mingling, I could lick my own lips right now and I know I’d touch his too.

“Yes, almost, but you never truly forget your first love. Your only love. Now though, I’d like to taste the rest of you.”

His words are my undoing and knowing what’s likely to happen I make the choice to lick my lips. As I do and my tongue grazes him and the doors to the elevator ping. He hauls me inside, pushing me against the wall and pressing the button to his floor. I look up to him and the fire that blazes in his eyes makes my tummy dip. I’ve never felt someone want me so much.