She pulls the check for seventy-five thousand dollars out of her purse and I quickly snatch it from her hand. It’s not the entire amount DeMarco is asking for, but it will have to do. “No need to go to all that trouble. I’ll take care of it.”
Penny gives me a strange look and I don’t blame her. I’ve never taken care of anything in my career. Andy made sure I had people who did that for me. But I’m pretty sure whoever has Andy isn’t going to want to wait for this check to clear before they get their money.
“I’ve got a bunch more jobs lined up for you, so make sure to keep your schedule open. I’m so glad you’re back,” Penny tells me.
“Penny, I’m not back. This was a onetime thing. I have another job now.”
Seriously, how many times do we have to go over this?
“Oh, sweetie, you were blessed with a gorgeous face and an equally stunning body. Let’s not fool ourselves into believing you’ll be successful at anything else. I would hate to see you sad when it all comes crashing down. This is what you are meant to do.”
I feel the familiar ache of despair in the pit of my stomach at her words. This woman, who has been by my side for more than ten years, thinks I’m only good for one thing. Before I can tell her where she can shove her opinions, Matt takes a step forward.
“I think it would be in your best interest to stop talking and walk away,” Matt tells Penny with a scowl on his face.
Penny looks up at him in shock. “I’m just being honest.”
“No, what you’re doing is being a bitch. This woman right here is amazing, and she can do whatever she puts her mind to. The last person who put her down like that received a punch to the face, so you might want to quit while you’re ahead.”
I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. Penny quietly apologizes to me and scurries away without another word.
“I don’t know whether to be flattered or horrified that you would punch a woman for me.”
Matt shrugs. “I would never hit a woman. But it was fun making her think that I would. I know you can take care of yourself, and you probably would have done a better job telling that woman off, but I couldn’t let her talk to you like that.”
Suddenly, nothing else matters right now but getting this man naked. Immediately.
Grabbing his hand, I pull him out of the studio and down the hall. “Where’s your dad?”
“He asked one of the assistants to pray with him. When she told him she didn’t believe in God, he threw his ginger ale at her. I sent him back out to the truck with firm instructions not to leave unless it caught on fire.”
Pulling open the first door I come to, I flip the switch right inside and see that it’s a supply closet filled with camera equipment. Glancing around to make sure no one sees us, I pull Matt inside and close the door behind us.
“What are we doing in here?” Matt asks.
His eyes go wide as I pull the zipper down on the side of my dress and let it fall from my shoulders. I’m standing in front of him in nothing but a black lace thong and four-inch black stilettos.
“Take your pants off,” I order him.
Matt doesn’t waste a second. His pants are pulled down in record time, and as he struggles to get his shoes off with his pants wrapped around his ankles, I reach my thumbs into my thong and slide them down my legs.
When I start to pull one of my shoes off, Matt’s hand comes out and grabs my wrist. “Nope. The shoes stay on. Those shoes are fucking hot.”
Is this guy for real? He likes me better without makeup and he loves shoes? Am I dreaming?
Before I can tell him how awesome I think he is, his hands are on my ass and he’s lifting me up, pushing my back against a shelf. My legs automatically wrap around his waist.
He attacks me with his mouth while his hands are everywhere, touching me, stroking me, and making me burn with need for him. My arms move above my head to grasp onto the shelf while one of his hands slides between my legs. Two of his fingers slide through me achingly slow, circling my clit before plunging inside of me. My hips thrust forward to pull him in deeper; his tongue pushes into my mouth, matching the rhythm of his fingers moving in and out of me, and it’s all I can do to hold on to the shelf when I feel my orgasm quickly approaching.
“Fuck, Paige. I love the way you feel,” Matt whispers against my mouth.
My hips move faster while his fingers pump harder, his thumb circling me and driving me wild. I squeeze my thighs tighter around his hips as I tumble over the edge, my release exploding around his fingers with his name on my lips.
“Matt, Matt, oh, God!”