Page 30 of Promise Me, Katie (Bennett Sisters #1)

Katherine and Matthew were sitting at the kitchen table finishing two fingers of bourbon when they heard the faint but charming ring-a-ling of the old Victorian-era doorbell, followed by Suzie Chen’s voice calling out through the screen door.

“Yoo-hoo, anyone home? I’ve got your delicious food!”

“Come on in,” Katherine called back even though she could already hear the hurried shuffle of Suzie’s feet across the floor.

“I told Mr. Chen I’d deliver your order so I could see you. But no offense, I really just wanted to check out your hot—”

Suzie’s words trailed off as she entered the doorway and saw Matthew sitting there. When he smiled and stood up to greet her, Katherine realized that she’d never seen Suzie blush before.

“Suzie Chen… this is Matthew Brandon.”

Suzie’s mouth snapped shut as she hurried to put down the bags of food and shake Matthew’s hand.

“Good to meet you, Officer. I mean Matthew.”

Matthew smiled politely as they shook hands, then thanked her for delivering their dinner.

“Oh sure, anything for Katherine.” Suzie smiled, her long false lashes fluttering as she tucked a loose strand of icy blond hair behind her ear. “You know, Katherine’s a good girl. Mr. Chen and I both think she’ll make a wonderful wife someday. But she’ll need to find a husband.”

“Thanks for coming by,” Katherine said quickly, her face scarlet red. “How about I walk you out?”

But before she could remove Suzie from the kitchen, Matthew pulled out his wallet to pay for dinner.

“Now you put that away. Dinner is on us tonight.” Suzie winked, patting his hand. “Katherine’s such a good customer, and orders so much food, Mr. Chen gives her a free meal every ten orders.”

“Wow, that’s a nice arrangement.”

“It’s a v ery good arrangement,” Suzie said. “Speaking of good arrangements, did you know Katherine owns her own restaurant and this house? She’s also a good cook.”

Burning with embarrassment, Katherine glanced at Matthew, but he didn’t seem phased by Suzie’s blatant persuasion. Instead, he rested a hand on her shoulder and leaned in as if he were about to share a secret.

“You know, something else I like about Katherine is how great she looks, especially what she wears to work. If you know what I mean.”

“Oh! I think I do,” Suzie said, winking at Katherine with an even bigger smile on her face. “Well, I better go. You know what Mr. Chen says… work, work, work!”

Shaking Matthew’s hand, Suzie insisted he come by the restaurant sometime, then hurried out the same way she came. “Bye for now!” she called out. “See you soon!”

When they heard the screen door shut, Katherine turned on Matthew. “I can’t believe you said that.”

But Matthew’s eyes only glimmered with a mischievous charm as he pushed the takeout bags aside, lifted Katherine off her feet, and set her down on the kitchen table.

“But I couldn’t resist,” he said, gripping her thighs and pulling her toward him. As her body tingled with anticipation, he stood between her open legs and leaned in for a kiss. “Just like I can’t resist you.”

After he pressed his lips to Katherine’s, she waited for his mouth to open and his tongue to meet with hers. But it didn’t because these kisses weren’t meant to be deep and consuming. Instead, they were teasing kisses. Tiny, with a deliberate reserve that made her want him even more.

Abruptly pulling away, Matthew studied the fullness of her lips. Smiling in satisfaction when she sat still, just waiting for more.

“Why’d you stop?” she finally asked, gazing up through heavy lids and thick, dark lashes.

“Do you like it when I kiss you?”

“Yes,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

“I wanna kiss you again,” he told her as he studied her mouth. “But I don’t know if I can stop myself.”

“That’s okay. We can kiss.”

“Oh, I know we can kiss. But right now, the way I feel, I might not be able to stop myself from taking more than I should.” As Matthew spoke, his words came out measured and slow, but his stare was smoldering. “Katie, you tempt me even when you’re not trying to.”

“Do you need me to stop?”

“Maybe.” A smile lifted the corners of his lips. “Maybe not.”

Searching his beautiful blue eyes, Katherine could see how the intensity of every encounter had built up just as much anticipation for him as it had for her, and she wondered how much further she could take it. How much more could he endure.

“And if I don’t?”

Intrigued by her boldness, his eyes seemed to brighten.

“Maybe it’s how good you look or maybe it’s how good you smell but I can’t seem to get enough of you.

” Katherine sighed heavily, leaning forward and breathing in his scent.

When a tiny whimper of longing escaped her lips, Matthew looked as if he was about to lose control.

Swallowing, hard he took a moment to respond.

“You’re very playful tonight, Miss Bennett.”

“You have no idea, Mr. Brandon,” she whispered, nipping softly at the side of his neck. “Do you like it when we play?”

“Very much.” He inhaled sharply, digging the tips of his fingers into her thighs. “But you know this isn’t exactly fair.”

“Then tell me to stop, and I’ll stop.”

When Matthew laughed, the sound was deep and sexy, and it triggered something inside of Katherine that made her want to be even bolder than before.

“You do it for me,” she said before peppering his skin with hot kisses. “It’s only fair I do the same for you.”

As Matthew inhaled a ragged breath, he seemed to be fighting to maintain what little control he had left, and she could tell that he wanted her more than ever before.

“You have no idea what you’ve started,” he said, his voice wavering from the pressure. “But youshould probably stop.”

“Okay!” Katherine chirped, pushing Matthew to the side and sliding off the table. “Moo shu pork?”

Despite the intense pressure he was feeling, Matthew had to laugh. He couldn’t believe his sweet little Katie was beating him at his own game. And although he hated to admit it, even to himself, he was impressed.

“Sure, I like moo shu pork,” he managed, walking awkwardly around the table to sit across from her. Then suddenly, he was up again and out of his chair.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think I need some air,” he said, hurrying toward the back door and stepping outside. As she watched him leave, Katherine worried that she’d gone too far.

“Matthew!” she called out, dropping the box of Mandarin pancakes on the table to run after him. But when she got near the door, she skid to a stop as he came back inside, closing the door behind him.

“Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” he said, but his voice seemed strained as he walked back to the table and sat down.

“Are you mad?”

“Not at all.”

“Then, what were you doing?”

The worried look on Katherine’s face told Matthew he needed to explain himself. But he didn’t know a polite way to make her understand.“Just working through some pressure.”

“Pressure?”

“You know… pressure.” Matthew glanced down at his lap and then back up at Katherine. He had to repeat the action a second time before she finally got his meaning and burst out laughing. Matthew, on the other hand, turned bright red and got up, heading for the door.

“Don’t go!” Katherine followed him, pleading through way too much giggling.

“It’s not that funny,” he said, fighting back a smirk.

“You’re right,” she said, biting her bottom lip. “And I’m sorry.”

“But you still think it’s funny?”

“Only a little.”

“Maybe for you.”

“You’re right. And I promise to stop laughing.” Katherine said, double swiping a finger over her chest. “Cross my heart.”

Even with Katherine still struggling to hold back a laugh, Matthew returned to his side of the table.

“Got anything to drink?”

“Sorry,” she said as if she’d forgotten her manners. “What can I get you? I have water, soda, or beer.”

“I didn’t know you drink beer.”

“Why wouldn’t I? It’s great with Chinese food.”

Katherine took a quick bite of moo shu pork from the takeout box before grabbing the bottle of bourbon and whisking it away with the empty glass tumblers.

Then Matthew watched as she took two beers from the fridge and used the edge of the counter to open one bottle for him and the other for herself.

“Here,” she said, reaching out to hand him a bottle. “Why do you look so surprised?”

“I don’t know, maybe it’s you eating Chinese food from the box, having cold beer in the fridge, and your merciless teasing.” He shook his head, taking the beer she was offering him. “Somehow, you never cease to amaze me.”

“And that’s okay?”

“It’s more than okay. I just never imagined you were this real.”

“What do you mean by real?”

“Easy-going. Down-to-earth. No pretense.”

“Oh, well that’s because I’m not worried about being myself when I’m with you. It also means that I trust you. And I can’t be with anyone if I don’t trust them.”

“I feel the same way.”

After dinner, they closed the takeout boxes and put the leftovers in the fridge.

Then Matthew tossed out empty beer bottles and dirty napkins while Katherine washed the glasses that they’d used for drinking bourbon.

Each of them went about their tasks with ease and familiarity, working together as a team.

The motions between them were so natural it was as if they’d been doing it for years.

“Can’t those wait until morning?” Matthew asked, wrapping his arms around Katherine’s waist as she reached for a dish towel to dry the two tumblers. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for bed.”

“It’ll just take a minute,” she said, then giggled and squirmed at the sound of a low and menacing growl in her ear. “You can wait for me, can’t you?”

“If I have to,” he said, letting her go. “Just don’t make me wait too long.”

Even though they’d been bantering all night, pushing the invisible boundaries they’d set for themselves, a feeling of uneasiness crept down Katherine’s spine.

“What about watching a movie?” she suggested. “I used to fall asleep on the couch all the time while watching a movie.”