Kiss Me Goodbye

Chapter 12

When Christiana was escorted to the front desk where Matt was waiting she gave him a big smile and made a show of trying to snatch her elbow out of Dean's grasp. She ran towards him hugging him by the neck and shouting: "You came!" Seeming surprised and happy.

Matt placed his hands on her waist and held her suspended in the air.

"Of course I came. I said I will, didn't I?" He said placing her on the floor again and snatching her against his front and giving her a peck on the lips.

Dean was as surprised as she was when she looked into Matt's eyes, and as she separated her body from his slowly she gave him a huge smile like none of the smiles she had ever given Dean as if pleased with his gesture. Matt just looked over his shoulder to where Dean was still standing as if to prove a point, and Dean's hands curled behind his back but he knew how to hide his reaction not to jeopardize his case.

He had a huge itch, a craving to smash his fists into Matt's face. How dare he kiss her. How dare she enjoy it, and smile so broadly at him. In the rational part of his mind he knew that she was only acting and that was the only reaction she was supposed to have but jealousy was eating at him like acid.

He was craving to even be able to touch her as intimately as Matt was at the moment since he had first laid eyes on her and he had to deny his urge every step of the way, every d*** second near her or away from her side.

He was mad at Matt. Heck he was mad at her although she was just playing the role he had given her, but mostly he was mad at himself for wanting her this much and for having so much difficulty restraining himself and hiding his feelings.

Julia came to stand by his side while Matt finished with the papers keeping his arm curled at Christy's waist.

"Relax she's just acting." She whispered scoldingly, not looking his way. She was the only one who could read him like an open book. After his family she was the one who raised him. She was his family now. She was always there by his side like she was now. She encouraged him to go into police force. Even when he became a detective and got ahead of her in her job she was still there, still supportive. He loved her so much. If he could have his pick, he would have chosen her all over again to be his mother, he would have chosen her again in a blink of an eye. She was his mother, friend, sister and partner here at work. She was even his advisor whenever he needed one.

He immediately relaxed and gave her a warm smile. "Thanks" he whispered. "I needed that."

Dean knew what Matt was doing. He was stating a claim over Christy but he was trying not to overstep his limits with her since she was still hesitant. The testosterone levels in the room were sky high and it was an instinctive competition to prove a claim and to mark a territory, and Dean was playing right into Matt's hand.

Christiana was so shocked and surprised by the simple peck on the lips she knew Matt saw it, that is why she had to concentrate and smile so broadly at him. She wanted him to believe that she was pleasantly surprised and not the other way around. For her the simple contact with his hands was revolting as if coming into contact with puke. The kiss - if it could be qualified as such - was so much worse. She barely could retain her gag reflex and with all her acting skills she knew that she had lost all her color but she hoped to God that the smile she gave him would compensate and not make him even more suspicious and ruin what she had worked so hard to accomplish.

Dean came into mind after the kiss. What would he think of her? Would he understand that she hated even the sight of Matt or would he think her an opportunist? Will he hate her? She stopped herself in her tracks. Why would she care? She had made a decision and she had to stick to it. She didn't care. She wouldn't care. She shouldn't care. But she knew she was lying to herself.