Night Owl(34)

My heart fluttered. Okay, add obscenely charming to his assets.

I remembered Matt asking me if I had any plans for the Fourth. Was he worrying about this yesterday?

"Hey," I said, "crazy idea, but you mentioned you didn't have plans. Why don't you come over? My family won't care at all, and I promise they're not as crazy as my sis—"

"Yes, fine."

Matt stared at a wall.

Again, I felt that unexpected, fierce pity.

Matt had been waiting for me to ask, I realized, but he would never have imposed.

I remembered him admitting that he didn't have many friends. If I hadn't invited him, what would he do?

I pictured Matt sitting alone on his balcony.

"Matt, god." I hugged him. He lifted me off my feet and I squeaked. "You should have asked. I don't want to be apart from you, believe me."

"Hannah... there are so many things I want to tell you." He crushed me to his chest. He kissed my temple. I would have given anything for a look at his expression—why did he sound so distraught?—but my feet were dangling and my face was pressed into his neck.

We got lunch in the city. Matt stopped at a florist and bought two lily bouquets. He shoved one at me.

"Flowers," he muttered.

"I see that." I gave him a peck on the cheek. "You're so adorable. So sweet and strange. Thank you, Matt."

"Mm. Do you think I should bring anything? Food? Potato salad? Buns?" I recognized the restless look in his eyes. It was the same look I'd seen when he drove me to dinner in Boulder, the same look I'd seen when I was inspecting his apartment. Matt in anxious mode.

I was starting to learn some things about Matt, even if I didn't understand them. For one, he was most comfortable in his car. Given any remotely social setting, his confidence did a carriage-to-pumpkin level transformation and he became this: endearingly awkward no-eye-contact guy staring at his phone and jangling the keys in his pocket.

I hauled him back to his car.

"No, no buying food, relax. This isn't a formal thing Matt. We'll just chill."

"Chill," he repeated.

"Yeah, chill. If you're uncomfortable, we can hide in my room."

A little smile played on his lips.

"Hide," I repeated, emphasizing the word, "not bang and potentially embarrass me in front of my family."

"I can be quiet."

I tried not to think about the litany of dirty talk that poured out of Matt every time we fooled around.

You're a slut for me, aren't you Hannah?

I love the color of your cunt.

Faster, Hannah.

I'm hard for you.

Fuck. I was not going to arrive home with my thong soaked.

"I'm not so sure about that," I said.

"Then I view today as an opportunity to prove it." Safe in the fortress of his car, Matt was all smirks. "Anyway, I'm capable of exchanging pleasantries. I won't be bunkering in your room. I am relaxed. This is me relaxed."

Relaxed my ass. Matt became increasingly agitated as we neared the house. He sneered and adjusted the rearview mirror. He drummed his long fingers on the wheel.

And he sped past my house.

"My... house is back there," I said, peering at him.

"Mm."

Matt drove like a bat out of hell to the nearest King Soopers and proceeded to buy an embarrassing amount of potato salad and chips.

"Stop buying things!" I wailed as he dragged me down the aisles.

"It makes me feel better," he snapped.

In the end, all I could do was laugh as Matt glared at the various brands of chips and muttered to himself, the pile in his arms growing.

My mother was speechless when we finally arrived. I couldn't blame her. Daisy was barking and making a puddle in her excitement and I had four tubs of potato salad in my arms and a tall handsome stranger at my side with three bags of chips, two jars of salsa, and a bouquet of lilies, which he had the good grace not to thrust into my mom's chest.

I'd never brought home a guy who gave my mom flowers.

Matt just about charmed her pants off. As she thanked him profusely for the flowers and food, she kept shooting these intense, meaningful looks at me.

Ugh, I knew exactly what she was getting at. Mom harangued me and my sister on a regular basis about "not making the same mistakes she made" and being sure to "marry a rich man." Matt reeked of wealth, even in casual clothes. His shorts? Boss Black. I'd snuck a peek during one of our abortive efforts to dress.

Chrissy came bounding into the kitchen. Matt was petting Daisy, who had her head on his knee and was whining and swishing her tail a mile a minute. It was surreal to watch Matt's magnetism work on my family, even the damn dog. At least it wasn't just me.

"Hey kids!" Chrissy grinned at us.

"Hey." I gave her a flat look. "Thanks for texting to check up on me."

"I... didn't text."

"Exactly."

"Aw, come on." She bumped my hip. "I didn't want to interrupt your afternoon delight."

Matt made a choking sound that might have been a laugh.

Mom's eyes lit up.

I dragged Chrissy into the backyard, my face on fire.

"How about let's not make sexual innuendos in front of mom?" I rolled my eyes. "And for the record, that's nighttime delight, morning delight, and afternoon delight."