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attracted to her
.
    “What can I get you, love?” The girl behind the bar catches him off guard, snapping him back to reality. He turns his attention toward the young blonde who is chewing her gum impatiently, waiting for his reply.
    “A pint of Guinness, please,” he responds, giving her a dazzling smile. Turning his head to the left, he focuses his attention on the beautiful woman inches from his fingertips. Her head has turned slightly in his direction, and for a second he wonders if she can feel it, too.
    As if on cue, she tilts her head toward him, allowing him to study her face, which has only slightly matured with the passing of time. Her blue eyes shimmer in the lights and search his, her expression ambivalent. She is still as stunning as ever.
    “Hello, Kate.” He acknowledges her coolly.

CHAPTER 6
    Catch Up
    Hello Kate. Hello Kate. Hello Kate. I hear his words over and over in my head. Matthew’s composure emits confidence as he casually leans against the bar, his body turned toward me, arms crossed against his chest, a ridiculously gorgeous grin plastered across his face.
    He’s wearing black dress pants that match his jacket, but no tie. A little formal for Di’s party, but I can’t complain because he looks strikingly handsome. A few dark chest hairs peek out from his unbuttoned neckline, and I spot the glimmer of a gold chain around his neck. His skin is dark, not only from the sun, but also from his mixed heritage, a combination of English and Persian. His long face looks slightly tired and older, possibly wiser, but hiseyes are the same—deep and rich, framed in beautiful long lashes and perfectly manicured brows that would make any girl envious. His slender nose leads down to his full lips, where I am greeted by his beautiful smile and perfect white teeth. All this beauty is framed by his hair, which is gloriously thick and full, dark brown, not much shorter than mine, brushed away from his face in calm, natural curls. He always kept his hair cut short when we were young, as he hated his curls when we were growing up. It’s great to see he has grown to love them like I always did. What I would give to run my fingers through them, to touch the soft, delicate waves and wrap them around my fingertips … my mind wanders, and I pray to God I haven’t spoken out loud. The nervous energy in me is electrifying, and I need to ground myself and expel some of it. My God, he looks amazing; I could stare at him for a lifetime.
    Uncrossing my legs, I bravely stand up to face him. I’m about six inches shorter than him in my heels.
    “Hello, Matthew,” I say in barely a whisper. Our eyes seem to exchange a million conversations in a split second, and I feel an intense sensation of relief at the sight of him. He leans in to kiss my cheek, but then his arm reaches around my waist, catching me off guard, pulling me into him. His firm grip holds me against his solid, athletic body, squeezing me tightly against him, forcing all air from my lungs and all thoughts from my brain.
    “It's been forever, Kate. It’s good to see you.” His words caress my ear while his arms crush my body into him. I am paralyzed, breathless; theelectricity crawling over my skin is overwhelming. My arms instinctively go to his shoulders; my skin is on fire as his voice ignites something inside of me that I thought had died long ago. This can’t be happening, this is crazy! Logic comes to my rescue. The closeness is too much for someone I haven’t seen in two decades, a man who is practically a stranger to me. I pull back, raising my invisible protective shield as I try to regain my composure.
    “It's been a very long time.”
    His smile fades at my reply as I attempt to put some distance between us. For a moment, I see his eyes dim, revealing a hint of something, but it's gone as quickly as it came.
    I continue nervously, “I had no idea you would be here, Matthew. This is such a huge surprise, but it’s so lovely to see you.”