Page 96 of A Matter of Time

We made it to his hastily made bed the second time, and he stared into my eyes the entire time we made love. That had never happened to me before. I had never had anyone care enough to watch me, to make sure I was sated along with them. He was a ravenous lover, and I was more than willing to be devoured.

Later, as I trailed my fingers up and down the deep groove of his back, I heard his breathing even out. If I stayed there, I wouldn’t be able to keep from touching him and kissing him, and he needed his rest, so I got up and went out into the living room to watch TV. I must have dozed off because the room was dark when I felt the warm hand on my back and then lips right behind my ear.

“Love the purring.” His voice was soft. “Get up and come to bed.”

“Why are you up?” I whispered, not really awake, shivering in the cold, barely able to see him in the darkness of the room.

“’Cause I couldn’t find you,” he murmured, lightly kissing the side of my neck. “And I woke up and needed you.”

I smiled, because I liked the attention I was getting, his hand on my ass, kneading and squeezing before he gently slapped it.

“So is it me you want or my ass?”

He chuckled close to my ear, which put goose bumps all over my body. “Both. Come to bed.”

“Can’t sleep without me, huh?” I teased him, groggy as I got up and staggered to the bedroom with his hands on my shoulders, steering me there.

“No, I can’t,” he told me before he shoved me down on the bed.

“You’re getting used to having me around.”

“Just shut up,” he grumbled, “and lie down.”

But I was right—no matter what he said, I was habit-forming.

“God, you’re freezing,” he muttered, getting into bed beside me, covering us both with the sheet and blanket.

I snuggled in tight against him. “And you’re so warm.”

He groaned loudly, tucking my head under his chin as I wrapped my arms around his chest, slipping my leg between his.

“You need me.”

“Apparently,” he grumbled, rubbing his face in my hair. “Now go to sleep already.” And I felt like it, so I did.

TWELVE

We parked around the block because there was no room on the street anywhere near his parents’ house. He put a hand on my shoulder and led me down the alley that ran behind the two-story, redbrick, A-frame home. When we went through the back door into the kitchen, I heard my name called.

“Jory!”

Regina was on me instantly, her arms open to receive me, and as we hugged each other tight, I heard Sam’s grunt of approval from behind me.

“I brought Jory, Mom, if that’s okay,” he teased her, laughing softly.

She pulled back to smile into my face. “Since I called you this morning and demanded you bring him with you…yes, Sammy, it’s okay. How are you, my darling?”

“I’m good.” I smiled back.

We stared a few seconds before she let me go and grabbed my hand, dragging me over to where she was chopping potatoes and onions.

“I’m going to teach you how to make Hungarian goulash.”

It sounded scary, but I was game. “Okay.”

Sam left me, and I heard the shouts of his name as the swinging door closed behind him.

I stayed in the kitchen and helped his mother with dinner, alternating between preparations, dishwashing, and listening to her talk. When Sam’s sisters showed up with their husbands and kids, I was introduced to everyone. Jen came with her husband, Mitch, and gave me a big hug when she pretended to meet me for the first time.