Page 365 of A Matter of Time

“Your heart has nothing to⁠—”

“Lemme go,” I pleaded.

“I don’t wanna hurt you, so don’t fight me, all right?”

I nodded, and he let my arm go but didn’t move back, still holding my cheek to the wall.

“Blond hair and brown eyes, Jory, that’s real nice.”

“Can you let go?”

“I don’t think so,” he said, working my belt and the button of my jeans open. “You ever bareback, Jory? I think you’ll like it.”

“Never happen,” I promised him.

“No?”

“No.”

“Okay, baby, don’t worry. I’ve got a condom right here.”

And I should have panicked; I really should have…but I didn’t. Being raped was not something I had ever even considered. I figured I might be beat up, maybe even shot at, but never raped. It didn’t figure into my plans.

“You don’t wanna do that.”

“Why not?”

I let my head fall back on his shoulder and just breathed. “Because I’m better seduced and taken to bed.”

“You—”

“The guys you got… Touch my skin, touch my hair, you said I was beautiful and clean—why you wanna make me like all the other guys?”

I felt his breath on the side of my neck before his lips.

“I’m not here to give you trouble.”

“Oh, I know… You’re here for me to⁠—”

“Kiss me first.”

“I don’t kiss anybody.”

“Why not? You’re gorgeous. I bet you could make me come just with a kiss.”

His moan was pained as he pressed his groin against my ass and his hands went to my hips. “Jesus, the mouth on you… Turn around.”

I did as he asked.

“Look at me.”

I lifted my head to meet his gaze and smiled. “You have beautiful eyes. I’ve never seen that color of green before.”

He stared down at me and then slowly eased me into his arms. He hugged me tight, his hands smoothing up and down my back, his face buried in my hair. I let him put his hands up under the T-shirt I had on beneath my shirt, run over my bare skin, and then down over my ass. He leaned forward to kiss me, but I eased back.

“You told me to kiss you.”

“I just needed you to move,” I said gently.