After All - Part Thirty Nine

Chapter Thirty Nine

Dylan watched Matilda haul herself out of the pool, water running in rivers over her barely clad body and had to avert his eyes. He could deal with the Major, he SHOULD have dealt with the Major, he was no stranger to difficult and awkward situations, so why was he here begging her to help?

He shook his head not wanting to think about that.

Stood in front of him she dried her hair with a towel but didn’t cover her body...he couldn’t look at her.

                “What is it?”

He looked up to the ceiling, anywhere but at her, “there’s a problem on the green - an infestation, Tony has had incessant abuse from the Major since. I tried...but he’s furious that you changed the date of the club competition...”

                “So this is all my fault? That bloody man! Let me find a robe, I’ll be there in a moment.”

Nodding Dylan watched her storm off, then realised that he was poolside in his suit, and shoes, and struggling to forget the body he’d just seen too much of. With a shake of the head, he turned and left.

Mattie left the room feeling a little flushed, but knowing she wasn’t as puce faced as the unreasonable Major that she’d left in Tony’s office.

                “How was it?”

Tony was stood there looking anxious; Mattie shook her head, “you and Dylan! How the hell did you get through life without a woman to deal with things? Of course it’s ok. There’s no other option, clearly. The competition will go on when it can, and the pest problem WILL be dealt with...ok?” When Tony nodded she added, “but not by me...I am busy, ok?”

Tony nodded again as she stomped off in her robe in the direction of the reception.

Hermione was behind reception and it wasn’t until the woman’s eyes flared with surprise that she realised that she looked a little out of place there in just a white robe from the spa.

                “You ok Mattie?”

Mattie nodded, “oh yes. Though apparently the worked can’t turn without me. Is Dylan in his office?”  Hermione nodded that yes he was, then Mattie gave a very sarcastic smile and continued her angry stomp in his direction.

She threw the door open, no knock, no warning. Instead she marched in hands on hips, “what the hell was that all about?”

Dylan had just finished a call to one of his allies back in the US, there was no obvious danger since the break in to the office block, but Dylan didn’t believe in coincidences or accidents. Someone was after something, and he only hoped that they’d checked everything to ensure their offices were secure.

Then the door burst open and Mattie stood there, hands on hips, angry, snarling, wet hair tied back, the chunky robe not enough to detract from his visions of her earlier in that vividly black and white bikini.

                “What...” he stood to face her advancing body and was rewarded with a thump to the chest.  “What was that for?”

She groaned, “YOU. You are the boss; YOU should have given him the talking to that I just did. There’s no fault here, it’s an accident, and I don’t understand why I was dragged in from my own time to deal with him.”

Dylan was barely listening, he was staring at her, hating that he was so mesmerised by her, but also enjoying her anger, the sparkle in her eyes.

When he didn’t answer she punched him in the chest again, and that was all the provocation he needed, “I told you sometimes I need you...get used to it.”

Then he planted his lips firmly on hers. And as he hoped her protests died with her anger. As his lips persuaded his, she took over, devouring him with a hunger that surprised him, surprised but pleased. Not that he was any calmer himself; he felt the heat rise in his body at every flick of her tongue, every nip of her teeth.

                “Matilda,” he finally gasped against her lips as his hand started to reach for the tie of her robe. It yielded easily and the thick towelling parted. She gasped as his hand touched her bare stomach, smooth, soft skin, still chilled from her dip in the pool, and Dylan felt his stomach lurch in desire. The murmur of pleasure against his lips was as intoxicating as her skin, as the smell of her. But a voice in his head was trying to remind him that he had wanted the next move to be hers, he needed to know this was what she wanted, that he wasn’t coercing her. Because he now knew that he wanted everything, not today, not tomorrow...forever.

Lifting his head, he separated their lips, then reached to close her robe, the temptation to flick it off her shoulders, to devour all of her, but he had to keep thinking of the bigger picture.

Seeing her dazed and confused face, he ran his thumb over her lips, “you need to go back.”

Dylan knew the moment that everything came into focus for her, that relaxed look of pleasure turned to a frown and she pushed him away in anger.

                “Matilda,” he called out as she tried to run away. “Don’t think I don’t want this...don’t want you...I just don’t know if it’s what you want.”

She stared at him with a scowl and he laughed, “what I wouldn’t give to...” He let that comment hang between them, because he didn’t think he could vocalise exactly what he did want. “I need you to want this...I need to know you want this.”

Her response was the door slamming behind her.

Hours later as they paraded around the room dealing in tokens to both buy drinks and play roulette at the casino tables, Mattie couldn’t get Dylan out of her mind, she was aware that she was bringing the mood down with her, and she was trying desperately to not be affected by him, but that was always a battle she would lose.

                “You ok?” Sarah sidled up to her at the black jack table, “you’ve been quiet this afternoon.”

Mattie rolled her eyes then readjusted the floor length dress that she’d selected for the night. She’d presumed she’d feel a million dollars in it, instead, she felt awkward. But she knew that was her mood not the fineries she was dressed in.

                “Fine, sorry, am I dragging the mood down?”

Sarah shook her head, “he was wrong to drag you from the pool, but we all know what a cantankerous old bastard the Major is...and he will only REALLY take telling from you.” Mattie looked up at Sarah, and as she sighed her friend grinned, “ask yourself WHY he wanted you to help, WHY he’s walking around like a doe eyed puppy, and WHY he can’t deal with mundane everyday things without you. He’s got it bad Mattie, every time he’s in the same room as you he can’t see or hear anything else...cos he’s constantly looking at you. If you don’t like him tell him, let him get on with his life,” she gave a little laugh, “but both me and you know that’s not the case. So what are you waiting for?”

At that moment whoops from the table in front of them indicated that Sarah’s sister Jenna had put all her tokens on number twenty nine and the roulette wheel had delivered.

                “Drinks for EVERYONE on me!” She announced before high-fiving the whole of the party gathered. “Sex on the beach Billy!” She called out in the direction of the young barman, “we’re supposed to be in Barcelona, so let’s have the drink to go with it!”

The poor boy squirmed, “twenty three sex on the beach?”

Jenna nodded then turned to the others, “twenty three sex on the beach? Or twenty three sex on the beaches?”

Everyone, uncaring, dissolved into fits of giggles.

An hour later a handsome man in a dinner suit appeared and led them all down to the ball room, there was a midnight spread out on large trays, and a disco playing music. There was a conference being held in the hotel and the people from that were sharing the buffet with them, so in not very long, more drink and food led to even more dancing.

As Mattie giggled sipping on a glass of lemonade - she had learned from the previous night and hidden behind many a soft drink as the evening progressed, she spotted Dylan glance through the door from the foyer, disappointed, he looked away, then moved out of her sight.

Rushing out of the door, she spotted the door to the veranda drifting shut, so she continued her run in that direction.

A blast of cold air greeted her as she pushed the door, and it took a moment to adjust to the lack of light outside. It was several seconds before she spotted Dylan, stood as far from the building as was possible, looking out over the dark golf course.

                “Running from something?” She stopped a few paces behind him, and at her words saw his shoulders tense. He was wearing a normal suit, not that anything ever looked normal on him, it was still absurdly expensive and fitted him perfectly, but it wasn’t the tux of the previous night, and as he turned, the half loosened tie, the bewildered face, she wasn’t sure she’d seen him look more adorable, desirable.

                “You ok?” She stepped towards him, placed her hands on his arms. “You look...”

He gave a half grin, “tired? Confused?”

Lifting a hand she cupped his cheek, “I thought it was just me.”

                “Just you that can’t function? Matilda, you are doing this to me.”

Standing on tip toes, she placed her lips over his, and whilst he responded to her kiss, he held back. When she eased back he sighed, “I need to know this is what you want, that you’re not about to run away.”

                “This is what I want, I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

He stared at her for a moment, “really? I wanted us to go out to dinner, to talk, to spend time together, and you’re always too busy. I feel like I’m just flogging myself.”

Mattie lifted a hand and ran her thumb over his bottom lip, fascinated by this frank confession and the way he was worrying his bottom lip with his teeth, “welcome to my world.” She finally breathed then once again lifted her lips to his.

This time the kiss bordered on desperate, both of them battling to consume as much of the other as they could.

                “Shit, we’re in work...” he finally managed to breath against her lips. “I’ve got to go to New York...first thing. There’s been a break in at the office in Brooklyn; Brandy is worried that there’s something a foot...”

She leaned back in his arms, “damn...just when things were starting to get exciting!”

He shook his head ruefully, and she knew there was no way he would let things go any further that evening. “I’ll be gone when you wake up, but I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

She sighed, “that’s sad.”

He nodded, “but maybe when I get back you’ll have missed me, maybe?”

She pondered elaborately for a moment, “not sure about that.” 

Rolling his eyes he swatted at her bottom, “I can store all these little issues in my memory until I return, then seek my vengeance!”

Laughing she swung her arms around his neck, “that sounds like a challenge.” 

Smiling he gave her another chaste kiss, just as the door to the veranda opened and a shaft of light preceded a gang of drunken revellers spilling out to join them. They jumped apart as if they’d been burned; whatever was growing between them was just that, between the two of them.

Four days later Mattie was about to explode with frustration, several times a day she had an email or text from Dylan, each one was friendly, flirty and funny, but gave no hint as to when he was coming home, or what would happen when he did. The weekend was a long way past and several times Mattie wondered if she’d imagined that encounter on the veranda. The rest of the hen party had been equally as crazy, and Sarah constantly told her how wonderful it had all been in the days since. The only thing that made it real again.

                “I’m going to the bank, a meeting with an investor.” She peeked her head around Sarah’s door, “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. You ok?”

Sarah had the radiant smile of a prospective bride constantly on her face, “everything’s fine. Go, we’ll survive.”

Four hours of talking money, bonds, investments almost blew Mattie’s head with boredom, but any investment was good for Dylan and she’d like to give him good news when he eventually returned.

There hadn’t been enough of that recently.

As usual there were a dozen emails waiting as she logged in the computer back in her office, and half a dozen post-it notes adorned her screen with various messages that were absurdly urgent. With a groan, she turned to the back of the office and the bottle of whisky she kept for emergencies, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d hit it, but today...it just seemed essential.

                “Now THAT is a serious drink!”

The voice was accompanied by a thud of the office door closing, and a click as it was locked. IN slow motion, her heart about to burst out of her chest, she turned to see Dylan stood there, leaning against the door, that she now knew was locked, with what could only be described as a determined look on his face.