Page 258 of A Matter of Time

“This is not something. This is you blowing me off.”

“Then go.”

“No.”

“Sam, you⁠—”

He growled. “Just come talk to me outside for a second. It’s hot in here.”

“It is a little,” I agreed, looking up into his dark eyes.

“C’mon.”

“I can’t do—why are you still here?”

He smiled slowly, and I saw the flash in his eyes. “Because you’re still here.”

“Jory, introduce me to your friend,” Aiden asked, interrupting us.

“I’m not his friend,” Sam corrected him. “I’m way more than that.”

I watched his eyes get huge. “I’m sorry?”

“He’s not,” I told Aiden.

Sam yanked my head back and stared down into my eyes. “The hell I’m not,” he said as he bent to kiss me, his hand tight in my hair.

I shoved him away and, in the process, lost my balance, nearly falling off my barstool. It was perhaps the most uncoordinated, ungraceful thing I’d ever done, but he caught me, crushing me against him and patting my ass before he set me on my feet.

I was sputtering as he laughed at me. “You can’t just⁠—”

“I love it when you get all worked up.” He smiled lazily. “You get all flushed, and your eyes go all dark…it’s really something.”

I glared at him. “You think you can just––”

“But I’m sorry I tried to take a kiss,” he murmured. “I only want the ones happily given.”

I deflated. How was I supposed to remain indignant when he saying good things and was looking at me like that? Like I was the most amazing thing he’d ever laid eyes on.

Gently, he ran the backs of his fingers under my chin. “Put your jacket on. I wanna go.”

“I—”

“C’mon, baby,” he said softly, pleading.

I felt drugged, and when I looked at Aiden, I saw the completely enraptured smile.

“Aid?”

“God, Jory, he’s crazy about you.”

“Yes, I am,” Sam agreed, taking a handful of my dress shirt. “Just come talk to me.”

“No. There’s no point.” I grabbed my jacket and my drink, ready to move again.

“Hey, pretty boy.”

I looked over at the next table, and there was a guy sitting there smiling at me. He was young, covered in tattoos, and his shirt was open, revealing toned pecs and six-pack abs. The only word that described him was hot, and the look he was giving me said that he was more than interested in getting to know me.