By for Aife Bisclaveret.
Matt Honeycutt could hold his liquor.
Having Stefan Salvatore as a friend had afforded him many valuable lessons over the past seven years, not the least of which was how to knock back the better part of a bottle of Johnnie Walker and still be able to walk home without staggering.
Quiet and proper though he may be, Stefan could drink. Of course, the fact that he was a vampire probably had something to do with that.
Still, Matt could hold his own. Even before the name Salvatore entered his life, one might have called him a competent drinker. He'd done his fair share of partying in high school. Well, he had before his senior year. That's when keg stands had taken a back seat to surviving an onslaught of vengeful. . .well, monsters.
At the time, his buddies couldn't understand what the hell he had to be so worried about. Sure, things in Fell's Church were sort of weird, but when you were captain of the football team and almost every girl in school wanted you in their bed, what in the world could really be that bad? They didn't know that Matt, their All-American star quarterback had become caught up in what seemed like the plot of a teen science-fiction novel.
Because that's the only place things like vampires, ghosts and werewolves were supposed to exist. In books. Or television and the movies. Not in the real world.
Even liking Stefan as much as he did and despite the quiet respect he'd come to have for Stefan's brother Damon, it had taken him a long time to really be okay with what they were.
With what Elena was consenting to become again.
"Another one over here, Tom." He motioned to the tall, burly man busy wiping out glasses down at the other end of the bar.
The bartender approached him slowly, bottle in hand and an apprehensive look on his face. "Really, Matt? Don't you think you've had enough?"
"Pretty please?" Matt batted his eyelashes coquettishly, but there was steel behind his voice. "I'm fine. Pour the damn shot."
Tom sighed, but obliged him. "Meredith's going to kill me," he muttered as he walked away again.
Matt's stomach clenched. "Meredith is not my keeper."
He picked up the shot sitting in front of him and killed it in one swift gulp. He blew out a breath as the whisky burned a trail down to his stomach. The edges of his vision were just starting to become pleasantly blurry, so he knew he was testing his remarkable tolerance.
*Fuck it,* he thought. *Haven't been drunk in awhile. Tonight's as good a time as any.*
He heard the bell jingle behind him, signaling that someone had entered the bar, but didn't bother to turn around to see who it was. Probably Willie, the town's clichéd drunk. Fell's Church didn't exactly have a lot of places that stayed open past 10:00 PM. Didn't have a lot of people who wanted to stay out past that time either.
"You should be grateful, Tom." He jerked a thumb in the direction behind him. "Willie and I keep you in business."
"Yes, I would imagine that's true."
The silky voice was irritatingly familiar. A ghost of a smile crossed Matt's face as Meredith slid onto a barstool next to him. "You're not Willie."
"Nope. Not tonight anyway." She grinned at him, but her dark eyes looked weary. "Tonight I'm your designated driver."
"How 'After-School Special' of you. Did you have some sort of premonition about me being here?"
Her grin faded a bit at his tone. "No, premonitions are Bonnie's thing." She glanced quickly over at Tom.
"Ah." The dig about Bonnie stung. She knew it would. He glared at the bartender, who was trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. "Et tu Bruté? I thought we were friends, Tom. You owe me a shot on the house now."
Meredith snorted. "He called me because he doesn't want to be liable if you end up in a ditch somewhere." She waved off the indignant look on the bartender's face as she stood back up. "Save the contradiction and the shot for another night, Tom. I'm tired."
"Then by all means, go home." Matt raised his shot glass and sent a pointed look to the other end of the bar. "I wouldn't want to cause you the loss of any beauty sleep."
Her gaze was cold. "Cute." She looked down at her watch then rolled her eyes as Tom refilled the glass Matt was holding out. "Why do I even bother?" she asked.
Tom had the decency to look sheepish. "Oh come on, Meredith. One more can't hurt. Since you're going to take him home anyway."
"Yeah Meredith," Matt echoed, amused by the impatience she was barely restraining. "Don't be such a spoilsport."
The look she gave him was venomous. "Back in high school I wouldn't have thought I'd ever say this, but you can be a real jackass sometimes, Matt Honeycutt." And in a series of fluid motions, she drank his shot, slammed the glass back on the counter, turned and headed for the entrance. She paused, one hand on the door. "If you're not outside and in my car in the next 60 seconds, I'm leaving. And I don't care how you get home."
When the door slammed shut behind her, Tom gave a low whistle. "Damn. Tell me again why you're not tapping that?"
Matt gave the bartender a withering look as he pulled a few bills out of his wallet and tossed them on the counter. "One does not 'tap' Meredith Sulez," he replied. "Also? Fuck off, Tom."
Not offended in the least, Tom picked up the money Matt dropped and began counting it. "It's a shame, she's hot. Gotta love that Latin flavor." He glanced up, realization dawning on his face. "Hey didn't you used to be engaged or something to her fr-"
"I said fuck off." Matt's icy glare warned against any further comments. Without another word, he turned and was out the door. Once outside, the breezy late September air hit him and took the edge off his buzz. He didn't know whether to be annoyed by that or not. Looking up, he spotted Meredith's blue Toyota Corolla. Seeing her expression through the windshield, he decided to be annoyed. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he started across the parking lot.
"Fifty-six seconds," Meredith murmured as he slid into the passenger seat. "I'm impressed."
"I live to serve."
She glanced at him while shifting the car into gear. "Sarcasm has never looked good on you, Matthew."
"So it's 'Matthew' now, is it?" He snapped his seat belt into place. "And here I thought everything looked good on me, Meredith."
That got a faint smile from her. "You're in rare form tonight. This wouldn't have anything to do with Elena's phone call yesterday, would it?"
Straight to the point. That was Meredith. Stomach clenching again, Matt rolled his window down a couple of inches. His annoyance at the chilly temperature faded as the cool air rushed over his face.
"Matt?" Pausing at a four-way stop in the middle of town, Meredith poked him in the arm.
"Why does it have to be about her?" he asked, his gaze fixed on the small shops they were passing, all closed for the night.
"It doesn't have to be." She snapped on the car radio, but kept the volume low. "It just usually is. About her. Or Bonnie."
Matt grimaced. Was he that predictable? He thought about it. He was. Not that he'd admit that to her.
"I know you're not crazy about her decision to go through the change again-"
"The change?" Matt laughed, finally turning to look at her. "You make it sound like menopause. She wants to become a vampire. Again. After everything we went through!"
Meredith rolled her eyes. "First of all, the fact that you just brought up menopause to me is vastly more disturbing than any talk of vampirism could ever be. And secondly, she's married to Stefan! Who is a vampire. And also happens to be one of your best friends."
"I know that! I get it. They have a love for the ages and all that crap. Of course they want to be together forever."
"Wow." Meredith shot him a quick glare before making a left-hand turn. "Do you want to try that again? I think you could manage to work in a tad more scorn and derision."
He sighed. "I'm serious. I understand her reasoning. It all makes sense on paper."
"But?"
Frustrated, Matt ran his fingers through his short blond hair, causing it to stand up wildly. "I don't even know for sure what the 'but' is," he answered. "I guess I just wish-" He broke off, cocking his head to the side and directing his gaze at the stereo. "Wait, what the hell are you listening to? Is that George Michael?! Sweet Jesus, have you no taste?"
"Shut up. It's Wham, actually. And just for that. . ." She reached down and increased the volume.
He winced as the sounds of an overused saxophone filled the car. "Ugh. 'Careless Whisper' no less. Really, Meredith?"
She smiled sweetly at him as she came to a stop at a red light. "I'm beginning to question what I know about you, Mr. Honeycutt. First it was the menopause mention, and now you know the name of a Wham song. Tell me, do you have any wigs in your closet at home?"
"Ha ha, you're a riot." The light changed and for the first time he paid attention to where she was taking them. "White Hall Road? Meredith this is your neighborhood. Not mine."
"Brilliant deduction, Watson."
He looked over at her as she navigated them through her apartment complex. She looked slightly amused. He found himself grinning in spite of his mood. "So," he began as she pulled into a parking space in front of her building.
"So what?"
"So did you forget the part where you were taking me home? To my home?" He paused and then grinned again. "Or was this the plan the whole time?"
Meredith got out of the car without answering and Matt rushed to follow. He fell into step with her as they moved onto the sidewalk. "Are you planning to seduce me, Ms. Sulez?"
"And if I was," she replied in a dry voice. "What exactly would you do about it?"
Caught off guard, Matt stopped walking. "What?"
Meredith kept going, starting up the stairs that led to her third floor apartment. She threw him a look back over her shoulder. "I guess you'll have to come upstairs to find out."
It took a full ten seconds for his brain to kick back into gear. He didn't know what to think about that. But his apartment was clear on the other side of town. It was late and he wasn't walking there now. Besides, Meredith wasn't serious. She was just messing with him. They pretended to flirt with each other all the time. It never meant anything. Even so, he was filled with apprehension as he began climbing the stairs.
When he reached her floor, he saw Meredith had left the door open for him. He walked in and was immediately greeted by her cat, Othello, who was sitting on the back of the sofa. "Hey, O." He scratched the cat behind his ears. "How's tricks?" Othello purred loudly in response.
Matt took a moment to look around the living room. It had been awhile since he'd last been here. Dark walnut furniture filled the room, accented by bright, saturated colors on the fabrics and the walls. Bookshelves were everywhere, all completely full, with some books spilling out onto the hardwood floor. An eclectic assortment of dimly-lit lamps were scattered around as well, one of them a replica of the leg lamp from "A Christmas Story". There was no television, no computer, just a small boom box sitting on one of the window sills, a small stack of CDs next to it. It was all so very Meredith.
She wandered back into the room just then, having already shed her jacket and in the process of taking her hair out of some sort of intricate braid. She noted the blissful sounds her cat was making for Matt. "He's such a whore."
"Come on, don't you like being scratched behind your ears too?"
She laughed. "Sometimes."
He shrugged out of his jacket, threw it over the back of a chair. She picked it up and hung it in the hall closet. "Seriously Meredith, what's with the impromptu sleepover?"
She made her way into the small kitchenette just off the living room and began opening cabinets, pulling out various items. "Would you like some tea?"
"No thanks. Just an answer."
Her brow furrowed slightly. "Fine. If I'd taken you to your house, you probably would have just continued drinking and brooding." He started to object but she continued. "Don't deny it. I'm right and you know it."
He watched her fill a kettle with water and then place it on the stovetop. She was right. Again. Damnit. He hated that. He cleared his throat. "I guess I'll have some tea then."
She smiled without looking up and he noticed that she already had two mugs out on the counter and was measuring loose tea into both of them.
"Fuck. I really am predictable."
"Sheets are in the linen closet next to the bathroom if you want to make up the couch," was all she said in reply.
An hour later, Meredith had changed into her pajamas, and had managed to rustle him up a pair of old sweatpants he assumed once belonged to Alaric. Now they were both sprawled on the sofa, her legs stretched out across his lap. Othello was curled up in his cat bed underneath the coffee table, snoring happily.
With the tea and the brunette's body heat warming him considerably, Matt was beginning to feel the edges of sleep pulling at him.
"New Kids on the Block," Meredith announced, breaking him out of a slight doze.
After he'd razzed her again about her music selection in the car, they'd been going back and forth, confessing the most embarrassing CDs in their respective music collections. His last admission of owning a C&C Music Factory album had almost made Meredith fall off the couch with laughter. But apparently she had a soft spot for cheesy pop groups.
Matt chuckled. "I knew it! Elena and Bonnie were crazy about those hacks. I remember. You always looked down your nose at them for it, but I had my suspicions. . ."
"Yeah, I was a closet fan. They were just so silly and giggly about it, I didn't want them to know. So I made fun." She poked him in the stomach with one of her feet. "And don't you go telling them about it either! I'll never hear the end of it."
He caught her foot with one hand and crossed his heart with the other. "Your secret is safe with me. Besides," he added, absent-mindedly stroking his fingers up and down the top of her foot and ankle. "It's not like I really talk to Bonnie that much anymore. And Elena has other things on her mind I guess."
She gazed at him, taking a moment to think about the feeling of his hand just barely touching her leg. "What was it you were going to say in the car earlier?" she asked quietly. "You know, before George Michael."
"Hmm?" The sleepy feeling was returning. "About what?"
"Elena. The vampire thing."
"Oh." He frowned as he thought back to their previous conversation. "It's. . .stupid. I'm just being dumb."
"Are you still in love with her?"
He hadn't been expecting that question. "No," he answered incredulously.
Meredith just looked at him.
"I'm not," he reiterated. "Haven't been for years." She still looked skeptical, so he rolled his eyes. "Do you honestly think Bonnie and I would have been together for as long as we were if I had still been in love with Elena?"
She considered that. "I don't know. Probably not. But you carried a torch for Elena throughout our entire childhood, Matt. It's hard to believe the way you're acting now doesn't have something to do with that. That it didn't have anything to do with why Bonnie called off your engagement last year."
Her words were soft, but they felt like a punch to the gut. "Bonnie and I ended for a lot reasons. None of them had anything to do with Elena. I promise." His voice became thick with emotion. "I got over Elena that night in the clearing. When she came back. I saw how she and Stefan looked at each other. . .it was joy. Just pure joy. And I looked at Bonnie. . ."
He trailed off, swallowing against the painful lump forming in his throat. Meredith leaned forward, her hands covering his. When he looked up, he saw her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "Go on," she urged. "You need to get it out."
He let out a laugh that sounded more like a strangled cough. "I hate you, you know. I so didn't want to talk about this." He paused, then plunged right in. "With Bonnie, it was electric." He thought back to that first year after their high school graduation. To the newly discovered passion between himself and the petite redhead he'd only ever considered as a friend before. "And for awhile, I thought I had found it. That joy I saw on Stefan and Elena's faces. I thought I had it with Bonnie. I loved her with everything I had, Meredith. But in the end, we were just too different. She wanted what I couldn't give her."
She squeezed his hands in comfort. "I know. Bonnie's always longed for the great unknown. The next big romantic adventure."
He nodded. "And me? I'm happiest at home. Watching a game or fixing something that's broken. Sounds trite as hell, I know, but it's the truth. She thought my going to law school was an indication that I had lofty dreams of leaving Fell's Church and becoming a big city litigator or something."
"I don't know that's what she thought exactly, but I know she thought you wanted to leave as much as she did. Especially after everything that happened senior year."
He looked over at her, his blue eyes intense. "But that's exactly why I wanted to stay." He entwined one of his hands with hers, lacing their fingers together. "I remembered what it was like when all that was going on. How the adults in this town were so blind, how they ignored all the signs right in front of their faces. And I thought to myself, 'Jesus, what if something like this happens again?' I didn't want to leave it up to the kids here to take care of it. I know how much it fucked with all of our heads. I figured maybe there should be at least one adult around here with experience dealing with the, uh, supernatural."
Meredith smiled at him and with her free hand, ruffled his hair affectionately. "Our hero."
"Shut up."
"Did you explain that to Bonnie?"
"Sort of." He sighed. "She'd already made her mind up to go at that point, so I suppose I didn't try very hard to change her mind. I knew it was over. The joy was gone. So it hurts to think about Stefan, Elena and their happily ever after. Because I don't have mine." He frowned. "I'm a terrible person."
"No, you're not. I know what you mean. I've had that feeling. That realization that the fairy tale you thought you had isn't real. At least you figured it out before getting married." There was more than a hint of bitterness in her voice. "But we all have to make our own mistakes, I suppose."
Now it was his turn to comfort and squeeze her hand. "Do you regret marrying Alaric?"
"Not completely." She dropped her gaze and played with a string fraying off of her t-shirt. She looked endearingly young. Matt found himself wanting to tuck her dark wavy hair behind her ears. When she looked up again, he gave in to the urge and was rewarded with a gentle smile. "It was a lesson to learn," she continued, still gazing at him. "He was my first love. I can't really regret that. But we were too young. Naïve. And, not to steal your thunder, but we also wanted different things. I wanted a family. He wanted his career more, and thought it wasn't possible to balance the two."
"Why did you move back here after the divorce?"
She shrugged slightly. "Durham didn't feel right without Alaric. Fell's Church is home. My parents still lived here then. You and Bonnie were here. It seemed like a no-brainer."
"And now you're stuck with just me. Sorry."
She smiled at him again. "Do you miss her?"
"Who? Bonnie?"
"No, Mother Teresa. Yes, Bonnie!"
He thought about it, the thumb on his right hand tracing light circles on her calf. "I miss the friendship we used to have, all the fun. But I don't miss our relationship. It's not really. . ." He glanced up and lost his train of thought as he took in the look on Meredith's face.
Her gaze was fixed firmly on his hand as it moved up and down her leg. Her expression was one of complete concentration. And longing. Her lips were slightly parted and Matt felt his throat dry up as the very edge of her tongue darted out to wet them. One slightly ragged indrawn breath followed and Matt's heart started beating triple-time in response. He was suddenly and painfully conscious of how close they were right now. All he had to do was lean forward a little bit and they'd be kissing. At that thought, the fact that she was one of his oldest and dearest friends was a distant second in his mind to the far more interesting fact that she was an incredibly beautiful woman half-draped across his lap. One who was apparently very affected by the way he was touching her.
"Um, I should probably. . .um, go. . .away." She started to withdraw her legs, not daring to meet his gaze.
He gripped one of her ankles. "Meredith."
"It's late, we should get some sleep." She tugged, but he didn't loosen his hold. She fussed with the hem of her shirt again, clearly uncomfortable.
"Meredith." Nothing. "For fucks' sake, Meredith. Look at me."
Finally, her eyes met his. "What?" She sounded belligerent. It was sexy. Holy shit. His stomach tightened again.
"How long?" he asked. His voice was like gravel. He gestured back and forth between them so there would be no confusion.
Her gaze turned mutinous. "Let go of my ankle."
"Answer my question," he countered. "How long have you felt this?"
"I don't know what you're talking-"
He pulled suddenly on her legs, causing her to slide back across the sofa and almost completely on to his lap. "Don't pretend that I didn't just see what I saw on your face. And don't pretend that we're not currently experiencing sexual tension so thick, no knife on this earth could cut it."
"You were drinking-" Her breathing was definitely shallow.
"Bullshit. I'm ridiculously sober. Answer me, Meredith. How long?"
He saw her relent. She licked her lips again and gave him a resigned look. "Since I moved back. But-"
He was kissing her before his brain even processed the desire to do so. When he realized what was actually happening, he was surprised that it wasn't weird. It felt good. Really good.
He pulled back slightly, partly to catch his breath and partly to gauge her reaction. She opened her eyes slowly and gazed at him with a mixture of excitement and disbelief.
"What was that?" she whispered.
"I believe it's called a kiss. It's when two people who are attracted to each other put their lips together, and do you really want me to keep going? The explanation gets a little technical from here on out. I'd rather demonstrate." He caught her lips again, this time sliding his tongue across them and eliciting the sexiest moan from her. "I didn't know you could make sound sounds like that," he murmured against her jaw.
"Matt." Her voice sounded strangled. "This is not a good idea."
"Agreed." He trailed his mouth down her neck. How had he never noticed how amazing she smelled? "It's not a good idea. It's a great idea."
"Smart ass. You know what I mean." Her breath caught and she arched against him when he gently bit down on her earlobe. "Oh my God, I can't think straight when you do that."
Her reaction caused a flood of heat to rush over his body. He smiled against her cheek. "I never would have thought I'd be doing it." One hand trailed slowly up her side and eventually into her hair. He leaned in for another heated kiss and gently guided her to lie down. "You've never even hinted. I thought maybe it was just me."
"I used to be better at hiding it, but we spend so much time together now." Suddenly, she froze underneath him. When he pulled back to see what was wrong, she placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away even more. "Wait, what did you just say?"
He sat up. "Did you think I would never notice you?" She looked shocked. "You're beautiful, you're smart and funny. Of course I've thought about it. Have been off and on for awhile now. "
She gazed up at him, blinking owlishly, her mouth repeatedly opening and closing. He leaned down over her again, bracing himself on his elbows. When she kept staring at him, he sighed. "If you don't say something, I'm just going to kiss you again."
"Are you kidding me?" she asked. "Because if you are, it's not funny."
He decided to kiss her again anyway. The next few minutes were spent learning all sorts of enjoyable things about his friend. She was a very thorough kisser. But of course she would be. She was Meredith. Methodical. Anything worth doing was worth doing well and all that. But surprisingly, behind the technique was a wealth of passion and abandon that was very unlike her. It was intriguing.
He also discovered she was ticklish behind her knees and that she made a sort of purring noise when he traced her collarbone with his lips. But when her t-shirt began to ride up a little, he made the most interesting discovery of all.
"Now, exactly when did you get your navel pierced?"
"Crap." She hid her face in the couch cushions. "College. I'd had a few drinks."
"It wasn't Spring Break, was it Meredith?" He grinned at her embarrassment. It was amusing to see her so unsettled. "I'm not going to see you dancing on MTV, am I?"
She gave him a light whack across the head accompanied by a half-hearted glare. "Shut up, jerk. It was a long time ago. A stupid dare from my roommate. Her boyfriend was a tattoo artist. I was too chicken for that, so he mentioned he also did piercings. That's why I tequila and I are no longer on speaking terms."
His eyes drifted back down to the little silver ring resting in the middle of her smooth stomach. A single tiny red bead dangled from it. "But you kept it." He brushed his fingers lightly across the piercing. Her eyes darkened in response. "Why?"
She held his gaze. "I don't know. Even though it's stupid, it reminds me. . .reminds me that sometimes it's okay to let go. That the world won't end if I drop my guard a little bit."
Matt smiled at her. "Plus, it's really hot."
A disbelieving laugh escaped her lips. "Right." She frowned a bit. "Alaric hated it."
"Alaric's a moron." He grazed his knuckles across her abdomen again, then flattened his palm and just rested it on her stomach. "An even bigger moron than I thought previously." He watched her face very carefully as his hand slid slowly up her shirt and came in contact the edge of what felt like a very lacy bra. When she caught her bottom lip between her teeth, he groaned. And kissed her again.
Meredith gasped when he found the front clasp of her bra and flicked it open effortlessly with one quick twist of his fingers. His fingertips barely ghosted over her nipples, but it caused a pleasant ache to start in her core. She moved against him and began tugging at the hem of his shirt. He got the message, pulled it over his head and tossed it across the room. Then moved swiftly back down to nuzzle her neck.
She wrapped her arms around him and spread her palms out over the broad planes of his back. She slid them up and down, delighting in the feeling of his muscles jumping at her touch. One hand ventured even lower and over his butt, pulling him forward and putting their hips in very close contact. Meredith felt a rush of moisture between her legs. During another dizzying kiss, Matt moved against her center, 'causing both of them to moan.
"You feel so good," he whispered in her ear. His voice was like warm honey. She could almost feel it dripping down her body. And she suddenly realized that he had shifted slightly. Where his hips had been, his hand now was, cupping her lightly. His eyes were like blue fire staring at her. "Is this okay?"
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. His hand disappeared underneath the waistband of her pajama pants. And her underwear. She arched up against him as he slid first one, then a second finger inside her. "Oh, god."
"So soft," he said against her lips. "So warm. " Then he was kissing her intensely, his tongue deftly imitating the movements his fingers were making.
Meredith gripped his shoulders tightly. And when he pushed her shirt up and his teeth closed over one of her breasts, she cried out loudly. "Holy shit. Matt." She had no idea he would be like this. . .
*And his hands, Meredith! He's amazing, I swear. I never would have thought it, but oh my god."
Her eyes flew open as a very familiar voice sounded in her head.
Bonnie. Fuck.
"Matt!" Taking her exclamation as encouragement, his fingers increased their pace. For a moment, Meredith thought her skull was going to explode. She wiggled against him, trying to create some distance. "We have to stop, Matt. Matt!" She grabbed the sides of his face and forced him to look at her.
His gaze was glassy. "Gasping my name like that is doing nothing to help me understand what you're saying. It's only making the blood leave my brain faster." But he withdrew his fingers and brought his hand to rest on her hip. "What's wrong?" he asked, trying not to stare at her chest.
She pushed her shirt back down. "We have to stop. Because of Bonnie."
Her words were like cold water. "What does she have to do with this?"
"Everything!" He grimaced and she took the opportunity to slide further away from him. "You were with her for almost six years! And were engaged for two of those six!" She re-hooked her bra, staring at him imploringly, willing him to understand. "She's my best friend, Matt."
He looked away, swiping a hand over his face in frustration. "She's moved on Meredith. Has someone else now. I don't think she really cares what I do anymore."
"That's not the point," Meredith shot back.
Matt glanced back at her. She still looked all tumbled and sexy, but now there was sadness in her expression. "I guess not," he replied. "Is this some kind of girl thing?"
"Guys do it too, right? Isn't there a code? Bros before hos?"
He had to laugh at that. "Yeah." He sighed. "I think I get it. We have this crazy chemistry between us but we can't do anything about it. Because of Bonnie."
She nodded. And then added, "And our friendship. We don't want to jeopardize that."
"Stupid friendship."
Now she laughed. "Yeah." A pause. "I'm sorry, Matt. I didn't intend for this to happen."
"Right. I knew you were trying to seduce me." He reached out and clasped one of her hands lightly to let her know he was joking. "Hey, it was a two-way street. No need to apologize." He squeezed her fingers once then let them go. "Now get out of here, woman. Go to bed."
She stood and moved quickly across the room, almost as though she was trying to get away before changing her mind. "Goodnight, Matt," she said quietly before disappearing into her bedroom.
He flopped back onto the couch and bit back a groan. What, the hell, just happened? And even more importantly, why did it have to stop? Now he had to deal with the painful calming down process and try not to think about the gorgeous brunette lying in bed just a few yards away. Where had all of this come from?
She must have spiked his tea.
No, he knew that wasn't true. He'd always found her attractive. Just never thought too much about it because they'd both been with other people and it was all out of bounds.
But now. . .apparently it was still out of bounds. He rolled over and shoved one of the throw pillows underneath his head. And remembered the sound she made when he bit her earlobe.
Damn. Sleep was not going to come easily.
"Goodnight, Meredith," he whispered.
Stupid friendship.
Author Notes: The title of this fic is the name of a Beatles song, which I feel is sort of oddly relevant to this story. It was a song John Lennon wrote while trying to figure out how to tell his wife he was cheating on her. Of course, if you think about Matt's looks and his probable ancestry, there's an amusing double entendre there as well. Go figure. Hope you enjoyed it!
Fin.
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Disclaimer: the characters, fictional settings, and universes created by L. J. Smith are copyright © Lisa J. Smith, Daniel Weiss Associates, Inc. and their affiliates. This fan-created site, along with the stories it houses, means no infringement upon any trademark, copyright, or other legal binding. This archive claims no rights to any of the stories collected here.
An lj-smith.com and panavatar.net production. LindaMarie came up with the original concept, Red is the nutter who's now running it. 'Project Black Christmas' artwork by the awesome Incanto - without her, the crazy would not have been born.
