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When she joined him downstairs after getting ready for dinner, Matthew’s concern about the folders Justin had given him fell by the wayside, and all he could do was concentrate on her. He remembered thinking how different she looked from the day he met her, and every Friday night, they sat together at Grief Group.

Gone were the head-to-toe black clothes and somber hairstyles. Tonight, she’d looked bright and beautiful and alive, wearing her hair in the cascading curls she reserved for their time at home and dressed in a lightweight feminine top that clung to her gentle curves, leaving Matthew wanting Katherine from the moment he saw her. Wishing that if he couldn’t make love to her, he could at least lay her down and touch and tease her as he had done before. But watching her touch him was something he’d never expected.

Being together with their families wasn’t what he expected either. The familiarity and ease between them was more than he could’ve hoped for. So much so that it made him think of what it would be like to love her for the rest of his days.

Then, when they came through the front door, and she’d taken control the way she had, Matthew knew he didn’t stand a chance. His mind and body were officially hers as he was swept up in the sensations of being taken by the woman he’d fallen so fast for. He had wanted her, and to see how much she had wanted him made it even more exciting.

Still, before he continued thinking about being with her or having a future together, he had to share what he’d learned about Beth Ann. And as far as he was concerned, the sooner the better. But as his mind started to race, worries about how she would react crushed his hopes.

“Don’t shoot the messenger” was a figure of speech for a reason, and the possibility of Katie responding badly began to weigh on him, as fear made him wonder if he should take the files back to Justin and Jerome and let them do their own dirty work. Because that’s exactly what it felt like: dirty work. And the longer this went on without telling her, the less he wanted anything to do with it.

But could he really do that? Could he hand those files back and stay out of it? Could he distance himself now that he knew the truth? And could he even back out after assuring his partner and her father that he’d take care it?

Even if he could back out of it, wouldtheygo through with it? Almost six years later, and neither of them had the heart to break it to her.

No, it was a risk he couldn’t take. Matthew couldn’t let them keep the truth from Katherine now that he knew. And he also knew he should be there when she was told. He wanted to be there.

Hell, he had to be there to hold her. To remind her that the past was in the past, and even though it might hurt now, there was a happy future for them to look forward to.

Eventually, his mind wandered back to the files in the drawer next door. When he’d come home from work, he wondered if it was safe to leave them there in case someone found them. But since his parents were the only ones around, he knew they’d be safe. Besides, by tomorrow, they’d be gone, and the only thing left to do was to find the right time and the right way to tell her.

“Please, God,” he said softly. “Please show me how to do this.”

Chapter 25

Matthew woke up the moment he realized the other half of the bed was empty. Touches of light from the early morning sky filtered through the sheer curtains covering Katherine’s bedroom windows, while water from a running shower in the next room told him there was no reason to worry why his Katie was no longer next to him.

It wasn’t until Matthew stretched his arms and yawned that he grasped just how tired he was. And it wasn’t about them staying up past their bedtime to tease and touch. No, the exhaustion he felt came from a night of troublesome thoughts racing through his mind and the bad dreams that accompanied them.

Exhausted and distracted, Matthew was lost in his thoughts when he failed to hear the running water shut off or when the door to the bathroom opened, and Katherine entered the room.

Standing there with her body wrapped in a robe and her hair in a towel, she was about to wish him a good morning when she saw the troubled expression on his face.

“You okay?”

Matthew visibly jumped.

“Oh, sweetie pie, I’m so sorry,” she said, hurrying over to his side. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

As soon as Katherine was within arm’s length, Matthew reached up and pulled her down onto the bed next to him. The towel twisted around her head tumbled to the floor, while his hold on her was tight enough to take her breath away.

“What’s wrong?” she managed.

Matthew didn’t respond. Instead, he buried his face in her neck and breathed in her delicately sweet, slightly floral scent. Then he exhaled with a heavy sigh of relief. Just the act of holding her body close made him feel better.

Katherine had been correct in her assessment. Hewasscared. He feared that by what he knew, he could become part of the tangled web wrapped around her greatest heartbreak. More than anything, he didn’t want to be part of her broken heart. And he certainly didn’t want anything to come between them.

“Mmm, you smell good,” he breathed her in again, then pulled back to look into her trusting eyes. “How did you sleep?”

“I always sleep good when I’m sleeping next to you.”

Pulling an arm free, she reached up and touched the side of his face. Studying him, Katherine felt her heartbeat quicken, and without understanding or knowing why, she started to feel a little scared herself.

“Why won’t you tell me what’s wrong? I thought we had a really nice night together, but the look on your face is telling me something different. Are you regetting dinner with our families after all? I know it seems soon, but—”

Matthew stopped her with a kiss. His approach was fast and hard at first, but once their lips touched, he relaxed and kissed her gently, never opening his mouth or allowing their tongues to touch. He wanted to kiss her like the first time they kissed,hoping the memory of it would rekindle the same excitement in both of them.

Then he pressed her to his chest and held her there, rubbing her back. “You shouldn’t worry because nothing’s changed. I had a great time last night, and I don’t regret a single minute of it. I just didn’t sleep well. That’s all.”