Staking His Claim (Line of Duty 5)

Matt fell back into the nearest seat, taking her with him. “Don’t remind me. Ever again, please.”

Lucy held him tighter. “I love you, too. Let’s just focus on that.”

“You love me.” His breath shuddered out at her ear. “You love me?”

She nodded into his neck, inhaling his scent like a drug. How had she thought for one second that living without him was an option?

Matt shook her a little. “Baby, sometimes what I’m thinking doesn’t translate into words. You’re going to have to badger them out of me until I get better at this, okay?”

“I can badger.”

He tipped her face up for another slow kiss, then stood, lifting her in his arms. “I love you. I’ll never keep that to myself again. That’s a promise, Lucy.”

She swallowed a fresh wave of happy tears as he walked them toward the exit. “Give me a ride home for old time’s sake?”

Matt’s laughter rumbled through her, before he turned serious. “This time, every time from here on out, we go home together.”

Epilogue

Matt sat in the back of the stretch limousine, arm draped over the black leather seat, waiting for the door of his building to open and Lucy to emerge. She’d been asking for weeks what he wanted for his birthday and he knew she’d been frustrated by his vagueness. He didn’t like seeing her irritated, but appeased himself with the knowledge that she’d find out soon enough.

Matt’s mouth lifted into a smile, as it had been doing more and more frequently lately. Specifically, the last four months. Since Lucy. She’d taken the position they’d offered her at the Met and promptly been promoted when they saw how competent and dedicated she was to the job. His favorite part of the day had become picking her up from work. Watching her practically float down the endless steps, brimming with news about her day. He still felt the urge to pinch himself every time, in disbelief that this girl could be walking toward him. Then she would throw her arms around his neck and everything in his world righted itself.

She’d made a pretense of moving into her childhood home in Queens, but after spending one too many restless nights away from him, he’d gained her agreement to move into his apartment in Tribeca. It had baffled him, at first, that he’d ever been so comfortable in his solitude. Until he realized he’d just been waiting for Lucy. Then it made perfect sense.

Drumming his fingertips impatiently on the armrest, he thought back to their first week living together. She’d still been acting like a guest, refusing to touch or move his things. One morning after she’d left for work, he’d stood in the middle of the space, looked around and realized it had all the character of a morgue. White walls, gray furniture, black…everywhere. Sort of like his life before she’d come into it. At a total loss, he’d called Daniel’s girlfriend, Story, and asked for her help. His apartment was now painted bright-ass pink.

He loved it.

Lucy walked out of the building, effectively putting an end to his concentration. She wore a tight blue sweater-dress and knee-high leather boots in deference to the cooler October temperature. Her strawberry-blond curls had grown out, swaying at her shoulders as she searched for him on the sidewalk. When she caught sight of him sitting in the limousine, her gaze narrowed, but he saw the hint of mischief in her expression. Lucy loved surprises, yet another thing he’d learned about her. Not enough, Matt thought, as she sauntered forward. He wanted to know every single thing about her. If she gave him what he wanted for his birthday, he’d have all the time in the world to do it.

Matt stepped out of the limousine and held the door open for Lucy. God, she looked beautiful. Color in her cheeks, eyes sparkling. Please let me have something to do with that.

“You rented a limo on your own birthday? I’m officially the worst girlfriend ever.”

He shrugged. “I can’t drive and keep you distracted at the same time.”

The bloom in her cheeks spread, her lips parted. “That sounds promising.”

Matt crooked his finger at her and she pushed up on her toes to kiss him softly, but it wasn’t enough. He wrapped an arm around her waist and took a deep pull off her mouth, keeping her against him until that sense of rightness slipped into place, as it always did for him when they were together.

There it is. Matt pulled back, holding her hand as she ducked through the door. He followed her in, signaling the driver to go. He hadn’t been lying that one of the reasons he’d rented the limo was to keep her distracted. From their destination.

With a flick of his wrist, he closed the panel separating them from the driver. The second reason didn’t need an explanation. Every opportunity to touch her, hold her, would be taken. If that made him selfish, so be it. It was his birthday, after all.

As they pulled away from the curb, he opened his arms and Lucy climbed onto his lap. The way her head tucked under his chin with such perfection caused his eyes to close, even as his heart rate kicked up at having her close.

“Where are we going?”

“You think I’ve kept you in the dark this long to tell you now?”

“Not even a hint?”

“No.” Matt cleared his throat. “Lucy?”

He didn’t have to say anything else. His girl knew what he needed to hear. “I love you, Matt. So much. Always.” She rubbed a hand down his chest. “I still want a hint.”

This is why he’d needed to distract her. If she kept talking to him in her husky voice, touching him at every opportunity, he’d screw this up. With a hand on her chin, he tipped her face up for a kiss. It started sweet, but as usual, the taste of her, the weight of her on his lap, made him hard. His body didn’t care that they would be arriving at their destination in ten minutes, it wanted to be tucked snugly between her legs. Lucy’s ass circled in his lap and they groaned into each other’s mouth. All it would take was a few shifts of their clothing and he’d be seated in her tight heat.

No, that’s not what today was about. Later.

He’d have to wait until later. Even if it killed him. Matt pulled away, but pressed light kisses to her lips until her breathing evened.

“What did you get me for my birthday?”

Her jaw dropped. “You told me not to get you anything.”

“Since when do you listen to me?”

She looked up at him from underneath her eyelashes. “I listen to you all the time.”

Yes, she certainly did. The reminder made him want to press her back onto the leather seat and reward her for just how well. “Outside the bedroom, Lucy.”

“You got me there.”

Matt waited, frowning at the way her fingers fidgeted with her skirt.

“Don’t overreact. I booked us flights to Florida to meet my parents. They’re for next month. But they’re refundable.”

He grabbed her hand to stop the distracting movements, but he didn’t say anything. Couldn’t with the lump in his throat. She wanted to introduce him to her parents. Apart from what he hoped to gain from her today, that faith in him was the best present she could have given him. He leaned in and kissed her, long and hard, until he found his voice. “Don’t cancel them. I want to go.”

Her smile made his chest hurt, so he tucked her head back under his chin. They stayed that way, Matt stroking her hair, until they were a few blocks from their destination. Thankfully, Lucy looked too lost in her own thoughts to determine where exactly they were in the city. Just to be on the safe side, he pulled the blindfold out of his pocket. She didn’t flinch or question him when he tied it over her eyes. Her trust in him was so absolute, he wanted to crush her against his chest and never let go. Soon. Later.

When the driver opened the door, Matt took Lucy’s hand and helped her out. He nodded at the man to wait, then led her down the path. A curious smile curled her lips at the end, but the frown between her eyebrows told her she didn’t know their location. Finally, they reached the spot he’d been leading her to and removed the blindfold…to reveal her grandparents’ bench.