Page 309 of A Matter of Time

“I’m sure that’s true,” he said, letting his voice drop to almost a whisper as he slid his hand down over my groin. He cupped me through my dress pants, and I sucked in a breath. “But you don’t, baby. You like it when I hold you down and do whatever the hell I want.”

“I like it when you’re gentle,” I corrected him, even as I pushed up into his hand and tipped my head so he could reach my neck.

“You like it gentle after, but first you like to be manhandled and wrestled down onto the bed. Being thrown up against walls, pinned there, done hard—you crave that, and I know, ’cause I’m the one who gets off on doing that to you. Any guy who ain’t strong enough to physically force you to do what he wants doesn’t stand a chance of being in your bed for long.”

“No, I⁠—”

“You need a guy that can overpower you, J, plain and simple.”

“You think you know me so well.”

He kissed up the side of my neck to behind my ear. When I shivered, he laughed at me. “I do know you, and Aaron Sutter can kiss my ass. I’m the only one that can give you what you need. Tell me I’m wrong.”

I kept quiet.

“See?” he said, biting the side of my neck before he kissed it hard. “There’s only me for you.”

I wanted to climb into his lap, but we were in the middle of a restaurant. “Take me home.”

“Okay,” he said, his voice husky and deep. “Tell me first… Can I keep you?”

“I already said yes.” I smiled at him as he pulled his wallet from the breast pocket of his leather jacket and took out two twenties. I watched him get up and stand beside the table. He looked really good, and I had told him so when he met me at the bar in the restaurant hours ago. In his black jeans and boots, white T-shirt under a dark brown cashmere sweater, and leather jacket, he was stunning. You saw how big he was; tall, with his broad shoulders, lean hips, and long legs. The sweater was tight, clinging to all the defined muscles in his arms and chest.

“Hey.”

My eyes moved from the bulging biceps back to his face. “What?”

“Focus, willya?”

“I am.”

“I need you to say stuff.”

“Like what?”

“I need you to say that even though it’s fast, it’s okay. Say you’re gonna stick around,” he said, his gaze locked on mine. “Say you’ll wear a ring if I get you one.”

I licked my lips and noticed how his attention was drawn there, to my mouth. The man definitely had it bad for me. “Sam, you⁠—”

“Please, J.” He cleared his throat, his voice dropping lower. “It’s making me sick thinkin’ about you having doubts about us.”

I sighed deeply, standing up beside him. “I don’t have any doubts.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I’ll expect you to be around until you aren’t anymore.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said, draping his arm over my shoulders, pulling me close to him.

“Okay.” I grinned, patting his rock-hard abdomen as I lifted my head to look at him.

“So move in.”

I groaned and tried to pull away.

His arm was suddenly an anchor holding me beside him. I couldn’t move. “You say we’re in this together, I’ve got keys for you at home… Just move in.”

“Sam—”