Page 243 of A Matter of Time

“See? So why would you want to⁠—”

“Only you give me this much crap. You’re the only one who fights with me.”

“We’re not fighting.”

“But you’re trying to, and you’re the only one I know who does.”

I scoffed; couldn’t help myself.

He laughed, deep and rumbling. “I don’t scare you at all, huh, J?”

“Are you kidding?”

There was his big lopsided grin then, his eyes twinkling as he stared at me. “I scare a lot of people, J.”

“Okay.” I indulged him.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“You cut your hair.”

“Yeah.” I smiled at him. “Long time ago.” My hair, which used to hit my shoulders, was now short like everyone else’s. It was still longer on top, strands fell into my eyes, got tangled in my lashes occasionally, but it wasn’t the mane it had been.

He made a noise in the back of his throat, and I looked at him.

“Sam?”

“It’s just good to see you,” he said, his voice deep and low, his eyes so very dark. I couldn’t speak around the lump in my throat.

He chuckled softly. “Nothing to say?”

“It’s good to see you too.”

He reached out and ran the backs of his fingers up and down my throat, stroking over my skin so lightly. “Eat your food so I can take you home.”

“You don’t know where I live,” I teased him, trying to steady my pounding heart. The familiar response to Sam Kage flared through me.

“No, baby.” He exhaled. “You’re coming home with me.”

“Sam—”

“J—”

“I’m not your baby.” I brushed his hand away. “I’m nobody’s⁠—”

“You belong to me,” he said flatly. “Always have, always will. Deal with it.”

I was silent.

“Speak. You look like you’ve got⁠—”

“Listen,” I began patiently, turning to him. “You left me. You left, period, and I haven’t heard from you in three years. And it’s fine, because I understand why you did what you did, but make no mistake, I will never ever step back into that shit with you again. I am done with you.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. It took a long time to heal, physically, mentally, emotionally, all of it. And I know to you that’s probably nothing and––”