Page 281 of A Matter of Time

He bit me, and it stung a bit before he swirled his tongue over it, sucking and bathing it at the same time. He would leave a huge mark.

“Feel good?”

Of course it did. “No.”

“Liar,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice before he rolled me onto my side, spooning quickly around me, his lips on my nape.

“Your bed is gonna be a mess. You should have let me shower.”

He grunted. “Who the fuck have you been in bed with that cares about having to change sheets? Since when is walking around with dried cum on you a bad thing?”

“Ohmygod, just stop.”

He grumbled something into my hair as he hugged me tight.

“I can’t breathe.”

“You don’t like to breathe.”

It was a ridiculous statement, but he was absolutely correct. I couldn’t have cared less about breathing. In the past, he’d always slept with me tucked in tight against him, and I loved it because for me, smothered was best.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered.

So I did.

I was so hot, straining to reach him, and slowly, as I came awake, I realized he was kissing me everywhere and sliding his hands up my legs from ankle to thigh, holding me down, allowing the writhing but no escape.

“Sam,” I mewled, reaching for him, wanting him closer.

“Baby, you’re never gonna leave me.”

I could only look at him through narrowed eyes as he leaned over to his nightstand and pulled another condom out of the top drawer. He used his teeth to rip the wrapper open.

“You realize that’s unnecessary.”

“Yes, but I want you to know I care about you,” he murmured. “Now put your legs over my arms.”

We moved slower than we had earlier, taking our time, and it was as gentle and loving as the first time had been rough and mauling. Afterward, I went from consciousness to sleep so seamlessly I didn’t remember making the transition until my phone woke me in the middle of the night.

I heard it from inside a dream, and woke to the reality of it going off in the living room of Sam’s apartment. With him plastered to my back, holding me tight even in sleep, it was hard to get untangled. After several moments, I managed to get free of both him and the covers on the bed. I staggered through rooms that were familiar and alien at the same time and found my phone where I’d left it. My jeans hadn’t moved; they were still crumpled up by the front door. They were like a neon light pointing to my surrender.

“Crap,” I grumbled before I answered, raking my hands through my hair, trying to wake up. “Hello?”

“Jory,” Chris said. “It’s Chris.”

“I know.” I yawned. “What’s wrong?”

“Dylan.”

“Dylan what?”

“She’s in the bathroom, and she won’t come out. We need to go to the hospital—I think maybe she’s in labor, but she won’t… Her mom and dad are here, my folks are here, her sister… I—she won’t come out, and, Jory, I need you now. Right now!”

“Okay.” I rubbed my eyes. “Okay, I’m coming. I’m coming. Hold tight.”

I was putting on my boots, pulling up the first one, when the light came on. Sam shuffled over to the couch and leaned on it. He was naked, clearly not fully awake, and his hair was sticking up in tufts. He looked adorable, all sleep tousled and bleary eyed.

“What are you doing?”