Take Two: An Erotic Romance (Book 1) Read online

  “I’ll take that as a no,” Mathis said simply, and I felt my heart sinking. Stupidly, I felt as if I could cry. I wasn’t exactly celebrating the fact that my uncle was dead, but inheriting something from a loved one should be a good thing, not a chore. So far everyone involved had made me feel like a silly little girl. I had thought that Mathis would be different. My heart felt like a stone as I realized that my schoolgirl hopes of rekindling our friendship were obviously a figment of my imagination.

  “I take it you are familiar with the basics?” Mathis asked, his entire manner expecting me to shake my head.

  “I’m an accountant,” I told him, tilting my chin up proudly. “I think I know at least the basics of how an investment works.”

  “Hardly; an accountant and a hedge fund manager don’t have much in common,” Mathis said, and I felt as if his comment had punctured a hole in my lung. “I suppose we’d better start from the beginning. You at least know the major investments you are now in control of?”

  I found myself reeling off a long list of investments, not daring to look Mathis in the eye – the downturn of his firm mouth was enough to show that he had no interest in someone as ignorant as me.

  “I’m glad you’ve retained at least that much,” said Mathis. “If you can memorize half of what I teach you, this won’t all be uphill work.”

  “I am not an idiot!” I snapped, finally tired of Mathis’s superior manner. There was no reason for him to be acting like a dick. “I know that I’m only an accountant and you’re worth millions of dollars, but I work hard. Uncle Andy knew that, and you know it too. I’ll learn everything you have to teach me, and it will not be uphill work.”

  There was a glimmer of something in Mathis’s eyes as my outburst stuttered to a close. It may have been anger or contempt, but whatever it was, it was more like the Mathis I remembered than this cold, arrogant businessman in front of me.

  “The first lesson, Amanda, is that actions speak louder than words,” he said. I blushed, embarrassed at my show of emotion. “You work as an accountant? Are you planning to continue your work? Your uncle left you no small amount of money.”

  “For the time being, yes, I’ll be continuing my work,” I said. Once again my mind flashed to writing – but Mathis was right. Actions did speak louder than words. Even though I fantasized about being a great writer, the truth was, I didn’t know if I had it in me. What if I failed? What if I simply couldn’t do it? Then I’d just be a rich, silly woman with nothing better to do than go out to lunches and boast about the novel that I had been writing for the last decade that still wasn’t close to being finished.

  “Very well,” Mathis said, showing no surprise at my decision. “I’ve created a schedule which won’t interfere with your working hours. Make sure you don’t miss an appointment – my time is valuable and these tutoring sessions will be taking up a good deal of it over the next few weeks.”

  “I’m not the sort of person who shows up late,” I said, with a little more emphasis on the words than was perhaps polite.

  “Excellent. We’ll begin in two days’ time.”

  Rising from his chair, Mathis went to his desk and picked up a plain manila folder. He held it out to me, and I reached my hand out to take it. For a moment, our hands touched. A bolt of lightning ripped through me at the familiarity. We both tore our hands away, and I looked up at Mathis in amazement, but he was looking away from me, his expression unreadable.

  “That’s everything for today,” he said. “Goodbye, Miss Taylor.”

  “Bye,” I said timidly. “Mathis,” I added under my breath as I closed the door.

  Chapter 5

  I was 15 years old the summer I met Mathis. It was the first time that I had gone to stay at Uncle Andy’s mansion for a whole summer, and I was anticipating it gleefully. It was well away from the city, an enormous ranch surrounded by acres and acres of land, thick with woods and perfect for a young girl to explore and run wild after being cooped up too long in the city.

  I was practically bouncing up and down in my seat as the trees gave way to a view of the stone mansion, its elegant exterior promising a change of scene and a summer full of exploration and freedom. Excitement was building up inside me as we pulled up the long gravel driveway in front of the house. It had been over a year since I had been here, and I was dying to get out of the car and greet my favorite uncle.

  As soon as the car had rolled to a stop in front of the spiraling stone steps leading to the heavy oak front door I was racing across the gravel towards the house. It didn’t take me long to navigate the long, stone-flagged corridor and find the door of my uncle’s office. I purposely slowed my pace as I approached the door, my face flushed from my boisterous activity. I tried to calm down my heavy breathing, tiptoeing to the door and opening it quietly, hoping to surprise my uncle.

  Instead, it was I who was surprised as I saw a young man sitting at my uncle’s desk, his back to me, concentrating hard on whatever was on the computer screen in front of him. I came to a complete stop, taking in this stranger’s back. His shoulders were broad, his arms bare and his light brown hair was tousled, as if he had been running his hands through it.

  I didn’t know why, but the image of this young man sitting at the desk stirred a strange feeling in me. I felt suddenly very shy, aware of my own body, the messiness of my hair, the size of my hands and my feet, the way I walked. I wondered what his face looked like. Would it be gentle and kind, or tan and open? Although I could only see his back, I imagined his eyes as an intense electric blue, full of laughter and energy. His mouth would curve upwards, and his teeth would be just the tiniest bit crooked. I made an internal bet with myself that he was handsome, and I just had to see for myself.

  Incredibly hesitantly, I took a few silent steps forward and tapped the stranger on the shoulder, like a mischievous child playing peekaboo. He turned around suddenly, startled by the unexpected contact, and I jumped back too, alarmed at having surprised him.

  Strange electricity seemed to surround us as he took in my face and my stance. I was enraptured by the way his light blue eyes softened after his initial surprise, taking in every aspect of my face, from my wide green eyes and unruly hair to my petal pink lips, open in a little ‘o’ of wonder. Time seemed to slow as we both took each other in, taking our time to explore each other’s faces. He was handsome – incredibly so, even more so than I had imagined. His face was delicately tanned and smooth – he couldn’t be more than a few years older than me. His mouth was currently set in a look of concentration, but the slight quirk of his lip showed that he could be self-deprecating, humorous, even comical. His nose was a perfectly straight line, and his eyes… his eyes drew me in.

  Slowly, as we looked at each other, he reached a hand towards my face, using his fingers to gently tuck a wayward strand of dark brown hair behind my ear. It was a small gesture, perhaps meaningless, but it sent a jolt of electricity through me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. From any other stranger it would have been intimidating, invasive. From him, it felt… natural.

  “I see you two have met,” a dry, pleasant voice interrupted us, making us both start horribly. We pulled away from each other, and the strange boy rose from his chair.

  “Hi Andy – I was just –” he began in a pleasantly deep, warming voice.

  “I hope you gave my niece a proper introduction, Mathis,” Andy said, a note of warning in his voice.

  “Y-yeah.” Mathis shook his head a little as if trying to clear water, and then turned to me with a charming smile which made my heart flip over. “My name is Mathis Côté. I’m your uncle’s apprentice. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He held out his hand. I was reminded of the time Uncle Andy also taught me how to give a proper greeting.

  I took his hand, my heart thudding to the rhythm of a runaway train as his warm hand enveloped mine. “H-hi. I’m A-Amanda Taylor,” I stuttered.

  “Amanda.” Mathis savored the word in his mouth. “It’s goo
d to finally meet you.”

  ***

  It was two weeks before I saw Mathis again for more than a few minutes at a time without my uncle’s presence. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he described himself as Uncle Andy’s apprentice; all of his time was devoted to his work with Uncle Andy, whether it was studying books, helping Uncle Andy with his investments or poring over pages and pages of information on the computer. I spent most of my time reading outside in the grounds or lying in the grass, thinking about what they were doing shut away in the office, what Uncle Andy was saying to Mathis and vice versa. What was he like? I knew that he was polite, hard-working and extremely studious, but aside from that, I was deeply curious. Did he like to run? Did he laugh at the same jokes as me? Did he have hopes and dreams and interests like mine?

  “What are you thinking about? You look so serious!”

  My eyes flashed open and I scrambled up from the very unladylike position I was in, sprawled over the railing in front of the house, my legs waving in the air, my chin in my hands.

  “Mathis! I thought you were inside with my uncle.”

  “I was. He’s decided to give me a break for today – he has to make some phone calls and I’m ahead with my studies, so…” he trailed off, shrugging his broad shoulders. “So, what were you thinking about?”

  “It was nothing,” I said quickly. “I’m pretty bored, actually. Uncle Andy’s been more busy than I thought he was going to be.”

  “Do you want to hang out, then? I’ve been staying here for weeks and I’ve barely been able to step outside the office,” Mathis said.

  I nodded eagerly; my heart beating faster. “How about a walk in the woods?” I suggested. “It’s cooler in the trees, and it’s more fun going in there with someone else.”

  “Why’s that? Are you scared?” Mathis teased.

  “No!” I retorted. “I’ve been in there loads of times.”

  “Even right to the middle? I hear the woods around here are enchanted. If you stray off the path, you’ll never find your way out again,” Mathis said. His tone was serious, but his eyes were dancing with mischief.

  “I have magical powers, though,” I replied with a mischievous grin of my own. “I can call on the wood fairies to guide me away from harm.”

  “Oh, can you now?” Mathis asked, his face showing every sign of being greatly impressed, in the same way you would be if a five year old showed you her first real tooth.

  “Yep,” I said proudly, “Ever since I was a child the wood fairies have protected me from all the bad spirits and dangerous creatures in the wood.”

  “What about me? Do you think I’ll be alright?” Mathis asked, looking concerned.

  “Well,” I said, pretending to toy with the idea, “you should ask for permission first. Just in case.”

  “Permission?” Mathis looked uncertain.

  “You know. From the Queen of the wood fairies.”

  “Oh, right. Good idea,” said Mathis hastily.

  “There’s a clearing, just a hundred feet or so into the wood – that’d be a good place,” I suggested, leaning forward ready for my next move. “Come on!” I broke into a run, looking over my shoulder to check that Mathis was running after me. I didn’t let up my pace until we reached the clearing. I was panting slightly, but Mathis, despite spending most of his time indoors, didn’t seem out of breath.

  “Here?” he asked me.

  “Here,” I confirmed.

  “Ok – here goes,” he took a deep breath. “O fairy Queen of the wood, I humbly beg that you grant me permission to walk freely within your realm, protecting me from-” he looked over at me.

  “The bad spirits,” I reminded him. “And werewolves.”

  “I beg that you grant me protection from the black creatures of this wood,” Mathis finished. He looked at me, grinning an irrepressibly wicked grin. “How do I know if it worked?”

  “You’ll just have to walk with me and see if you get attacked,” I shrugged.

  Mathis laughed, a deep, pleasant laugh which made me feel warm to my toes. “I’ll risk it.”

  “We’ll avoid the middle of the forest today,” I said. “That’s where all the wicked things gather. Let’s go to the fairy circle – it’s only a mile or so along this track. That’s where the fairies hold their feasts.”

  “I thought that if you ate fairy food you’d never be able to return to the human world,” Mathis teased.

  “Silly! We won’t see any fairies today. They only come out on Midsummer’s eve, and maybe Thanksgiving.”

  “Of course,” Mathis said, shaking his head. “Silly me.”

  I laughed, and for a moment we were standing there, both laughing at ourselves. We had only been talking a few minutes, but already I was completely at ease, excited to show Mathis the wonders of the woods.

  “Come on,” I said, “Let’s go.”

  ***

  Our walks in the wood became a regular activity whenever Mathis had some free time. The childish fantasy we had created was at the center of our walks, and each day we added some new embellishment to our own little world. We named the trees and each climbed as high as we could on our favorites. We ventured further and further into the dark, thick center of the wood, away from the paths, discovering something new with each new adventure.

  On this particular day it was raining heavily, and we had penetrated further than ever into the thick canopy in order to escape the worst of the rain. As we sheltered under a large branch, Mathis inquisitively peered in the direction of what looked like a small cliff.

  “Hey – is that a cave?” he asked, pointing past the trees and towards the cliff.

  “I don’t know – I’ve never been to this part of the woods before,” I admitted. I was actually too afraid to venture too far away from Uncle Andy’s home.

  “Do you want to go and explore?” he asked.

  “OK – we’d better be careful, though. Who knows what might be lurking in a cave in this part of the forest,” I said seriously.

  “I’ll go first, then, to make sure there aren’t any evil creatures or dark spirits waiting to send you into an eternal sleep,” Mathis teased as he ran off.

  “Wait – don’t leave me here by myself!” I exclaimed, rushing after him.

  Mathis laughed as he let me catch up. “I’ll do my best to protect you from the rain, at least,” he said, putting his arm around me as we ducked through the trees in the direction of the small cliff.

  There was indeed a cave, a small nook in the side of the stony wall which provided just enough space for two people to shelter. Mathis made a show of scoping out every corner of the small cave before holding out his hand and pulling me over the threshold.

  “Do you feel any evil presence?” he asked me.

  “Mmm, not sure yet,” I said nervously. I didn’t want to admit I was a little scared, but I felt better that Mathis was with me.

  “Well, let me know if you start feeling sleepy and I’ll do all I can to keep you awake so you don’t fall under the spell,” Mathis teased unfazed by their new surroundings.

  We sat on a big rock inside the cave for a few minutes, listening to the beating of the rain above us and the quiet sounds of our own breathing. We were sitting close together in the little cave, so close that I could feel the heat radiating off his body and see the fine, golden hairs on the side of his face.

  “Mathis,” I said nervously.

  “What is it?” he asked, and looked at me in concern. “Are you getting wet? Is the cave witch trying to put a spell on you?”

  His eyes were looking intensely into mine, and although his tone was joking, his entire manner was serious – concerned for me, searching deeply in my face for any sign of fear or discomfort. I saw how close his mouth was, and my heart beat a little faster. I licked my lips subtly, wondering if his would be soft if I kissed them, if they would feel damp or smooth, how hard they would press against mine.

  “I – maybe she is putting a spell on me,” I admitted.
“I feel… weird.”

  “Weird? Strange?” Mathis repeated, and his eyes darted down to my lips. I felt the heat rising in my cheeks, and I was suddenly nervous, but excited. “Strangeness is a definite sign of enchantment.”

  “I – if I go into an enchanted sleep,” I began, and then stopped, feeling silly and embarrassed for what I was about to suggest.

  “Don’t worry,” Mathis said, and he leaned in even closer to me, putting his lips to my ear and whispering, “I know what the handsome prince is supposed to do if he finds that the princess has fallen into an enchanted sleep.”

  He pulled back just a little, and hesitated, his lips just a few inches from mine. I held my breath, immobilized. I almost closed my eyes, wanting more than anything for his lips to meet mine, but at the last second, I pulled away, too nervous to go through with it.