Page 296 of A Matter of Time

“Sam—”

“My dad is crazy about you. Everyone is.”

I let out a deep breath.

“You’re the only one everybody likes, in fact.”

He sounded odd, so I turned my head to look at him.

“Huh.” He was really thinking about what he’d just said. “That’s really interesting. Everybody else has a problem with at least one other person in the family.”

I smiled at him as he looked down into my eyes.

“Except you.”

I arched a brow for him.

“Funny.”

But I was likable. Dane always said so.

I had never been in Sam’s childhood room before, and I had no idea why. Maybe because I’d never been invited, and to go without being asked seemed like an intrusion. But he had offered, so I was there, alone, looking at his bookshelves, at the pictures tacked to the cork board, at the trophies and a letterman jacket hanging by itself on a hook behind the door.

“In case you missed it,” he said from behind me, “I wanted to come up here with you.”

I hadn’t even heard him open the door. “I know. I just wanted to see what you were like when you were younger. Where’d you keep your porn?”

He chuckled and walked up behind me. I felt him there like a wall of heat, and when he kissed the crook of my neck, I tilted my head so he could reach more. Instantly, his arms wrapped me up, holding me tight against his chest.

“We should’ve stayed home.”

“Why?”

“Because all I can think about is last night.”

“And?”

“I wanna go back to bed.”

I felt my heart flutter and I trembled hard. I couldn’t help it; my body reacted to the sound of his voice, to the low, throaty quality of it that just dripped sex.

“Your body was always beautiful, but now…” He put a hand in my hair. “Damn, baby.”

I couldn’t take it. “Sam—” I barely got it out.

He turned me in his arms, bent, and kissed me in one fluid motion. His mouth was sealed over mine, his tongue sliding between my lips as I opened them for him. One of his hands was on the small of my back, the other one lower, on my ass, kneading, caressing me through my jeans. My hands were in his hair, holding him close to me, as I kissed back with every drop of need in me. I was hungry for him, and he wanted me just as bad.

“Ohmygod, that’s disgusting.”

We broke the kiss, flying apart, both of us turning to face the source of the voice at the door.

“Are you kidding?” Rachel grumbled, shaking her head first at me, and then turning to her brother. “Our parents live here you freak. Could you be more gross?”

“Aww,” Jen said from beside her. “I think you guys are adorable even though, yeah, Rachel’ right. It is a bit stomach-churning considering where you are.”

“Uh,” Sam groaned. “Talk about a buzzkill.”

Rachel’s arched eyebrow, Jen’s clasped hands held to her heart, and Sam’s scowl—it was all too much. I dissolved into laughter. I loved Sam’s family.