Ruthless: Contemporary Military Romance (19 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

San Francisco was every bit as vibrant as Holly had ever imagined it. There was just
something
to it. The air itself seemed alive with that very same energy that pervaded the city, as if the whole place was constantly involved in a dance.

It didn’t take very long for Matt and herself to decide this was where they wanted to stay. There was something peaceful about the ocean and the fogs that just seeped into their skin and soothed their aching nerves. Ever since they had arrived, Matt had been more relaxed than Holly had ever seen him.

They had the conversation three weeks after coming into town, one evening as they sat at a table in what had rapidly become one of their favorite dining places in the city.
In the Mood for Sushi
was a cozy little place hidden away in a secondary street. It was quaint and yet modern, with white wooden furniture, sleek dish plates, and enormous windows overlooking a luscious green park.

The owner, strangely enough, was Italian, but the chef was Japanese…and he made the best sushi Holly had ever tasted.

Presently, she was halfway through her spicy tuna roll when something overcame her—an urge to finally voice her growing love for the Golden City.

“I think we should stay.”

Matt looked up from his Philadelphia roll and watched her curiously. “Huh?” he said, eloquently.

Holly swallowed hard past the increased pace of her heartbeat. It always happened when she looked into Matt’s green eyes, and tonight was no exception. The soft light of the candle shining between them on the table made those emerald irises all the more alluring.

“In San Francisco,” she clarified. “I think we should stay here.”

Matt blinked. He clearly had not been expecting her to blurt out such an important thought in between a plate of
maki
and a tray of
onigiri
. “Oh,” he said.

“What do you think?” Holly bit her lip nervously. She really wanted them to take their shot at happiness in this city, but she had pretty much no clue what Matt thought about it. Although… “I mean, three weeks is the longest we’ve ever stopped anywhere,” she added, and she realized she was just now being hit with that particular realization. This city really
was
the place where they had stayed the longest since they had met and begun their journey together.

“I think it’s a great idea.”

Holly stared at Matt. He was smiling from ear to ear in that goofy way he did whenever he was truly happy about something. “Really?” she said.

“Really. It seems like the perfect place for us.”

Holly relaxed instantly. “It really is.”

“Are there any good art schools here?” Matt asked.

He was hell-bent on Holly following her dreams. He always said that wherever they ended up stopping, it would have to be a place that could offer her the means to pursue her art.

“Some of the best,” Holly said.

Matt relaxed instantly. “Good.”

Holly felt a renewed rush of warmth. She had never met anyone who believed in her the way Matt did. It was as if he strived to allow her talent to emerge. It felt as though Holly’s dream was
his
dream. Sometimes, it even felt like Matt’s dream was for Holly to achieve hers. She had never known that kind of support, and it blew her mind every time.

“Tomorrow we’ll start looking for a place,” Matt said. At Holly’s surprised look, he added, “It makes no sense to stay at the motel much longer.”

“I guess not,” Holly conceded. “I just didn’t expect you to be so enthusiastic about it.”

“We’ve been looking for our place for quite some time now, Holly,” Matt said. “Now that we’ve found it, I think we should get to it right away.”

Holly’s heart was beating loud and fast in her chest. They were really doing this. It was scary and exciting all at the same time.

“Are you scared?” Matt asked, as if reading her mind.

Holly swallowed hard. “Yes,” she admitted.

Matt took her hand on the cool surface of the table and entwined their fingers together. “Good,” he said.

Holly blinked. “Good?”

“Well, it’s a good kind of fear.”

Holly knew if there was one thing Matt was an expert about, it was fear, so she trusted his judgment. She gave his hand one final squeeze and gently disentangled her fingers.

The rest of the meal had a richer taste to it. Every morsel seemed enriched with the flavor of a new life coming their way. By the time they walked out of the restaurant, Holly still felt dizzy with anticipation.

It was a cool, chilly night in San Francisco. Matt was wearing the gray hoodie that Holly loved so much, the one that seemed to take away a few of his years and make him look much younger. Holly zipped up her faux leather jacket against the cold breeze blowing in from the ocean. The cold didn’t bother her; in fact, she found it invigorating. Everything about this city seemed to speak her language, and the chilly nights were no exception.

Over the past three weeks, Holly had come to relish these nightly walks. In fact, on the rare occasions where they had not taken them, she had been left feeling unsatisfied, like the day wasn’t really complete. There was something magical about walking hand in hand with the man you loved in the ocean fogs under the Golden Gate Bridge.

“I think we’re going to be very happy here, Holly,” Matt said as he looked up at the dazzling landmark. His green eyes were sparkling.

Holly’s heart swelled. She tugged at his hand and pulled him in for a kiss. As always, Matt responded readily. He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her impossibly close, until not even a breath of air could pass between their bodies. His other hand instantly found the back of her head, his fingers losing themselves in her long blonde locks. Matt’s tongue was warm, and he tasted like the mint tea they had at the end of their meal.

Holly all but melted against him, as she always did. No matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn’t resist this man—not that she was trying
that
hard; in fact, she didn’t try at all. Why would she? This was the man who had swept her off her feet and had turned her world upside down in quite the literal sense. In the six months since they had met, Matt had managed to overturn all that Holly had ever thought of knowing. Up was down and left was right, and the rules she had abided by all her life suddenly did not matter anymore. Matt had freed her from herself and allowed her to discover what she really was all about.

Holly wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders. Matt’s body spoke of love and passion, and it filled Holly with emotions and excitement. She could feel his erection pressing against her thigh through his jeans, and her brain responded by sending an electric jolt down the whole length of her body. God, the things this man did to her…

She felt him stiffen all of a sudden, and she smirked. He was probably trying to find his composure again and rein in his lust—at least, for as long as they were in a public place.

She pulled back to look at him, but the witty remark died on her lips when she took in the expression on Matt’s face. He had gone very pale, and he was staring past her with wide eyes. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.

“What?” Holly asked. “What is it?” She turned around to follow his gaze, but she saw nothing but a few passersby—mostly couples.

Matt’s arms freed her from their embrace and fell limply at his sides.

“Matt?” Holly called, worried. “Are you okay?”

Matt didn’t reply.

Holly was growing alarmed now. She grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously. “Matt!” she called again, more sharply this time.

He jumped. His wide eyes finally focused on her, and he seemed as to wake up from a state of trance. “Yeah,” he said. He cleared his throat; his voice had gone very hoarse. “Yes, I…I’m here.” He kept glancing past her, as if he was seeing something that only existed in his mind.

Holly turned around again, just in case, but again, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. She turned back to face him, scanning his face thoroughly. “What is it?” she asked again.

“I…I thought I saw someone…” He shook his head. “Never mind,” he said, and he visibly pulled himself together. “Let’s go back to the motel.”

When he took her hand, Holly could feel that his was cold and slightly clammy. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked as they started to retrace their steps.

“I’m fine,” Matt said. “Just my mind playing tricks, that’s all.”

Holly frowned. It didn’t sound like something worth dismissing so easily, but she refrained from asking questions; she knew by now that pushing Matt into talking about something unfailingly had counterproductive effects. It was best to let him come on his own to the decision of opening up.

They walked past other kissing couples, and then past a lone man standing by the shore, looking out into the horizon. He wore a black overcoat, and his dark blond hair was currently being tousled by the wind.

Matt froze. He stared long and hard at the man’s profile—it was a sharp profile, as if someone had carved the man’s features with a hatchet.

“No way,” Matt muttered to himself.

Holly watched him curiously. “What?” she asked for what felt like the hundredth time in the span of a few minutes.

Matt ignored her. “No fucking way,” he muttered again. He let go of her hand. “Erik Schneider!”

Who?

Holly barely had the chance to ask herself the question when the man in the black overcoat turned around. His features were haggard but still handsome, and he wore a beard that made him look like a dark dream out of a European midnight street.

The man stared at Matt with the sharpest blue eyes Holly had ever seen. “Matt?” he said. “Matt Ramirez?”

He walked briskly up to them, but Matt seemed frozen in place, unable to move. The stranger covered their distance between them in a couple long strides, and next thing Holly knew, he was wrapping Matt up in a fierce hug.

“You son of a bitch!” the man cried, laughing heartily. He had a deep, powerful voice. His laugh boomed. “What on Earth are you doing in San Francisco?”

Matt did not reply. In fact, he did not move for a few more seconds. Finally, he seemed to snap out of it. He wrapped his arms strongly around the man and held on. He didn’t say anything, just held on to the man as if he were a drowning man and the stranger were a rock.

It felt like an eternity before the two finally pulled apart. Even then, they held each other at arm’s length and stared into each other’s features as if they weren’t quite sure that what they were seeing was real.

“What are you doing here?” the man finally asked again, breaking the spell of stunned silence that had fallen upon them.

“Me?” Matt retorted. His voice was rough with barely contained emotion, a fact which intrigued Holly to no end. “What are
you
doing here? I thought…” He trailed off, unable to go on.

Holly stared between them. Just who was this man who was able to elicit such an emotional response from Matt, who was usually so guarded with his emotions?

“I know,” the man said. “It’s a long story.”

“Well, tell it, for fuck’s sake!”

A small smirk appeared on the stranger’s thin lips. “Not here.”

“Shit, name the place, I’ll be there.”

Holly arched an eyebrow. She had never heard Matt swear this much in such a short span of time.

The man laughed. “Why don’t you come with me to my house? I’ll explain everything then. Your girl is invited too, of course,” he added when Matt cast an uncertain look at Holly.