One Happy Family 

Marcy and Matthew took two hours to get the kids ready. While they did that, I organized the living room and had the fireplace ready for a photo shoot. I'm still against the idea, but seeing Marcy smile when I told her what Matthew asked for made it hard to stay mad.

The kids came down first, both dressed in their Sunday's finest. Marcy followed behind them in a simple purple dress and wearing the same house slippers she had on earlier.

"Can you shoot from the waist up?" Marcy asks, fixing her hair in the mirror that's located in the hallway.

The two kids begin arguing over something random, which has Marcy yelling at them to settle down. Marcy calls out for Matthew but he doesn't respond.

"Do you mind getting him dear?" Marcy says, looking at me with tired eyes.

I simply nod and keep my head down as I go up the stairs. I arrive at his door and knock, but when there is still no answer, I gently turn the handle and peek my way inside. The room is empty, but a light is shining behind one of the doors, making me think he might be behind it.

"Hello? We're ready and waiting downstairs," I call out.

When there is still no answer, I tip-toe to the door to gently knock on it. As soon as my knuckles touch the door, it flings open, letting out all the steam inside. Mattew stands in front of me, slightly wet and with the bottom half of his body wrapped in a towel. He finishes drying his hair with a smaller towel and then throws it off to the side in his hamper.

"You know, just because you're a guest here doesn't mean you can just walk into other people's room. Even my kids know that," Matthew teases.

Matthew uses one of his hands to clutch the knot on his towel while his other hand tucks underneath and closes my mouth, which I hadn't realized I had opened. He walks past me to the dresser and begins taking out some clothes.

"I came up to get you," I stutter.

"Get me?" Matthew whispers so low I could barely hear him. 

He slams the drawer shut and turns to me with lust filled in his eyes. My heart flutters and my knees feel like they are going to buckle as he continues to stare at me. It seems like he's about to lunge at me, take me in his arms, and push me up against the wall to hold me in place as he rips off my clothes so he can put his mouth on my bare skin. 

"Hurry up already! There's no way I can keep these kids from getting dirty any longer," Marcy yells from downstairs. 

With the distraction, I tuck my hair behind my ear and run out of the room, closing the door behind me. I lean against the wall and use my hands to fan my face in the hopes that it will cool me down. I walk back downstairs, and Marcy comes to me with a worried look.

"Are you okay, dear?" Marcy asks, fanning my face, "You're all so red."

"Yes," I clear my voice. "I just thought I broke a lense, and there would have been no way I could have replaced it way out here."

I lead her into the living room and start placing her and the kids in front and take a few test shots while we wait for Matthew to finish getting dressed. After a few minutes he finally arrives and is dressed in a nice blue suit that brings out his eyes. 

"Where do you want me?" he asks.

In my bedroom, undressed. Who knew he could look this sexy out of his normal lumberjack look?

"Right on the other side, the kids in the middle with Luke next to you," I direct him.

I take a whole bunch of pictures and have them move into several poses over the next forty-five minutes before finishing up. Marcy leaves first and makes us some late-night dinner while I take some of Matthew and his kids. 

When Marcy lets us know the food will be ready in fifteen, Mattew tells the kids to get out of their nice clothes and excuses himself to do the same. I head upstairs as well and plug in my camera, deciding I'll look at them after I eat and go back downstairs to see if I can help Marcy with anything. 

"The food smells great," I say, coming into the kitchen.

"It was the catch from yesterday. Luke and Matt are the best fishermen I know, and they always come back with something big. It's almost ready. Can you take those plates and set the table for me, please?"

I take the dishes and set the plates in front of the empty chairs when the kids coming down the stairs like a hurricane full of energy, even this late in the evening. 

After we all eat, Marcy heads to bed first with Mattew putting the kids to bed even though they really didn't want to. I head back to my room and take out my laptop to look over the photos and pick out the best ones when there's a knock on the door.

"Come in," I say, turning around to see who it is.

Matthew appears, holding a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Are you in the mood for a nightcap?" he asks.

Before I can answer, he notices the pictures on my laptop, which makes him let himself in. He sets the drinks and glasses on my bed. 

"Sure," I say sarcastically as he's already made himself comfortable on the bed so he can look through the pictures. 

"These are amazing. Ma's really going to love them," he leans back on the bed.

I notice his hand move the pillow, exposing the vile I put there and forgotten about. He catches my gaze and notices it as well taking it in his hands to observe it.

"What's this?"

"Perfume," I say, blurting out the first answer I can think of.

He opens the vile, making me want to lunge and take it from him before he can sniff it, but he beats me to it.

"Are you sure? I don't smell anything," he says, taking in a few more sniffs before closing it and setting it on the desk.

"Really?" I ask, mentally setting a reminder to check that later. Changing the subject, I look at the bottle of wine. "So, nightcap?"

Matthew smiles, grabbing the bottle and glasses pours us each a drink. We start off with tame conversations, getting to know each other a little better before moving to the more intense topics.

"Are you really here to take pictures? Not that you're bad at it. I mean, after seeing these photos, I definitely know you have talent," he chuckles, taking another drink of his third glass.

"You must be drunk because that seems like a genuine compliment," I tease. 

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean you can't answer."

"I came to learn more about my parents," I say, pouring me another glass. 

My words have him shrinking, which makes me think he regrets asking me the question.

"I'm sorry about what happened to them. Not a day goes by that I don't think about that day," he says, looking down in his glass.

"I know it's hard to talk about, but is there anything you can tell me about them?"

"I was just a kid when they were here, I wanted to play outside and hang with my friends at the time. The only thing I can really remember about them was the love they shared. The way they looked at each other stayed with me. I remember thinking I wanted something like that myself,"

"I remember that look," I drift off, thinking about it.

Before they left, they kissed me goodbye and shared a longing look with each other before turning back to me and taking me in their arms to give me a big hug. It was something they had done plenty of times before, but that time, it was like they knew it was going to be the last from the way they didn't want to let me go. 

Until now, I had forgotten about that look, especially after spending all that time with Jackson. My heart swells, and when I look back at Matthew, I notice he shares the same look they once had.

Before I can blink, he pounces on top of me, taking me in his arms. He wraps me up and lays me on the bed. Our hands search each other's bodies, and just before we start taking off each other's clothes, we pause and gaze at each other for a moment as if we're both debating if we should move forward.

He looks at me with kind, gentle eyes, and without hesitation, I pull him close and continue kissing him, giving him the go-ahead we were both wanting, and begin ripping each other's clothes off.