Page 132 of The Daddy’s Girl

With that, she and Elizabeth leave, closing the door behind them. The moment they’re gone, I turn toward Matis.

“I’m so proud of you, mon trésor.”

Rushing into his arms, I let him engulf me in a tight hug. “Thank you.”

He touches my chin and tilts my face up to see his. Then he places a warm, slow kiss on my lips. It’s been nearly five weeks of this now, having sex and being intimate in private, and it feels like heaven.

But heaven has an expiration date.

He doesn’t want to talk about London, so I’ve stopped pestering him about it, but I’m carrying this guilt instead. Now it’s like we’re just waiting to have the rug pulled out from under us. We have to either come out as a couple or wait until we’re found out.

I know in some ways he wants to come forward and get it over with, but at the same time, our future is so uncertain that it seems like such a big risk for something we’ve yet to truly define.

I love Matis, but then again…I’ve always loved him. There wasn’t a zenith moment in which I realized my heart belonged to him. He’s always had it in one way or another.

I want a future with him. I see no other path in my life.

But what about what he wants? Because I see how restless he’s feeling. I can’t be the only thing that gives him purpose and gratitude. He needs something, and I fear that something is in London.

And he’s avoiding it for me.

Matis as a boyfriend, if that’s even what I can call him, is far better than the Matis in my fantasy. In reality, he is genuine and attentive. He boosts my confidence and inspires me to be my best. He’s a generous lover and a passionate partner.

It’s a miracle he’s stayed single this long, but I won’t lie…I’m glad he did.

Because he’s all mine.

Running my hands down his chest, I smile up at him. “What do you say we go downstairs and celebrate? It’s masquerade night.”

“What do you have in mind?”

Giving a cheeky smile, I shrug my shoulders. “Let me watch you flirt with someone only to come to a room with me.”

He chuckles at my response. “That is maniacal.”

“I know,” I reply before kissing him again.

He shakes his head before reaching down and lifting me up to deposit me on the table. Positioning himself between my legs, he grinds himself against me while devouring my mouth.

“How about I take you back to my apartment and spank you for your naughty mouth?”

My core lights up with arousal. “Later.” Then I grab his hand and drag him toward the hall. “Let’s go have some fun first.”

When we reach the lower level of the club, we each grab a mask from the bowl. As Matis slips his on, I smile up at him. The crowd is dense tonight, giving me even more reason to stay close to his side.

Even if people could recognize us in these masks, no one can see us through this throng anyway. With pride, I slip my fingers between his, and he grins down at me.

It feels incredible to be in public like this. I barely register the things that once made me feel overstimulated and erratic. His presence has nothing on the noise or crowd. My heart soars as we make our way toward the dance floor. It’s packed, spilling over with moving, writhing bodies off the designated dance floor and into the seating area.

I press my chest against Matis’s, and he lets his hands slide down my body. With a hum of delight, I let my head hang back. His lips work their way up the column of my throat while his fingers explore the backs of my thighs, moving upward until he reaches my center.

Then he’s toying with me over my underwear, and I squirm against him, our bodies moving to the rhythm of the music.

He’s touching me in public, and it’s the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever felt.

“Focus on my fingers,” he mumbles into my ear.

Just like the night I watched alone, I let the physical touch of his fingers and the effect it has on my core drown out the noise and music and people around me. It’s just us.