The Science of Loving (38 page)

“Now sweetness,” he said, ensnaring me. “You and I have some unfinished business. What did I do to deserve the silent treatment?”

“You didn’t do anything. This isn’t about you.”

“Oh, hell no. You are not going with the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ defense.” Shrugging, I couldn't look him in the eye. Because actually, that was exactly what I’d planned to do. A perverse thrill ran through me when he added, “Don’t make me whip out the power tools.” God, I was a sick, sick girl.

“Mat, I just can’t—the last few days have been hard and we’ve only known each other for a couple of weeks. I can’t fall anymore in love with you; I won’t be able to survive when you’re ready to move on.”

“Move on? I’m not going anywhere, unless you know something I don’t… Oh, God, am I dying?” He grinned down at me, and although I fought it, I couldn't help but grin back.

“Talk to me, babe.” Shit, I hated that I loved what his voice did to me.

“I don’t think we’ve been going out long enough for the ‘where do you see us in the future’ talk.”

“It’s also too soon for a funeral. Normally, you wait for the patient to die. Besides, I can tell you exactly what I see in our future: You here in my house, in my bed every night and every morning.” He wanted me to move in with him? No, I had to have misheard. His grey eyes searched my face. “Talk to me.”

The opening bars of Peer Gynt’s “Hall of the Mountain King” saved me—for someone who claimed to be at war with technology, Les was surprisingly proficient at reprogramming my cell. “That’s my boss, I have to take that.”

Mat pinned me in place with his hips, and snaked my phone off the counter, unlocking it with a swipe of his thumb. “Hey Bob, it’s Mat… Yeah, she’s banged up pretty good… Uh huh…” Mat stretched to his full height, batting my hand away. “Uh huh… Yeah, I plan to… Hold on…” He finally handed me my phone.

“Morning Bob.” I guess my death glare needed some work because he just smirked, totally unfazed.
Over-sized jerk
. “So I guess you heard about last night?”

“Jack and I spoke, and we agreed it would be best for you to telecommute until we know a little more about what’s going on.”
Oh, good gravy.

“Everyone’s over reacting. I’m fine, and I’m sure my attacker’s long gone, looking for easier prey.”

“Still, you’re not to come into the lab for the time being.”

“For how long? What if they never find him?”

“We can always re-evaluate, but for now, I don’t want you anywhere near the campus. I mean it, Angie.” I’d just about had it with everyone trying to control my life.

“Fine, but just so you know, this high handed approach you guys are taking, is really starting to piss me off.” I hung up in a huff, wanting to smack that unrepentant look off Mat’s face
—so he wants me here every night and morning, let’s see how smug he is when I call his bluff.
“Okay.”

“Okay, what?”

“I’ll move in with you.”
The panic should hit anytime now… anytime now there will be panic—
wow, this is the calmest panic I'd ever seen.

His face loomed larger. Then I was lost in a kiss that began slowly, softly coaxing my lips apart before turning thorough. When he pulled away, I could only stare dumbly into his grinning grey eyes.

“Great. We’ll grab some breakfast then get your stuff.”

What? “No, I wasn’t serious. You’re supposed to panic and back down.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because…” Now I was starting to panic.

“I’m really not a panicky kind of guy, babe.”

“But you don’t really want me to move in with you.”

“Yeah, I really do.”

“Why?”

“Let’s see: You’re sweet, smart, beautiful, have that sexy alter ego, Nympho Girl and dig tools. Look at it this way, if you move in then I won’t have to keep swiping your things.”

“But… but—”

He silenced my sputtering by kissing me stupid, his muscles bunching as he lifted me onto the counter. I didn’t realize my boxers were gone until I felt cold stone against my bare skin. “Now, you know how cranky I get when my breakfast is late.”

He kissed me again, unbuttoning my shirt and brushing it off my shoulders. I was completely befuddled. I could only gape as he snaked an arm around my waist, sliding his other hand up my ribcage to bow me over, serving my breasts up as my shoulders came to rest on cold stone.

“So beautiful,” he murmured, smoothing his hand down my torso.

He latched onto a nipple and began suckling, probing with his tongue, pulling a moan from the back of my throat. He draped my legs over his shoulders, encircling my thighs with his arms, and my hands scrabbled across the smooth granite when he parted my folds and blew.

I banged my head on the counter when I relaxed back to relieve the strain on my neck. “Ow!”

“Hush now.” He chuckled, giving a patronizing drag of his flattened tongue over the entire length of my bared genitals; then did it again, and again. He brought me to the sharp edge of pleasure—and then held me there.

“Mat…”

“Yeah sweetness?” He breathed on me.
Oh God, he was going to make me ask for it…

“Please… I need more.”

“I know you do, but first, there are a few things we need to get settled.”
What the hell!
“No more running away (
lick.)
No listening to other peoples bullshit (
lick)
or letting them interfere (
lick.)
And you
are
moving in with me.”

My body wept. “This is coercion.”

“No (
lick,)
this is persuasion.”

“Fine, frustration and I are old friends.” I said, preparing to climb off the counter.

“Uh uh, you’re not going anywhere,” he said darkly, tightening his arms, pinning my ass to the cold stone. He teased me with the tip of his tongue, circling where I needed it most.

“Mmmmm… tasty, I can keep this up all day…” I could hear the grin in his voice.

“Dammit, you’re not fighting fair.”

“All’s fair babe. Just agree to move in and I’ll take good care of you. I’ll always take care of you.”

I laid back, fighting tears of frustration. I was no match for his strength. “Okay, fine. You win; now let me go.” I was pissed off, turned on and confused, all at the same time. And I just wanted to crawl away until I had enough distance to think clearly. “I really hate you right now.”

“No you don’t.”

He closed his mouth over me, gently sucking and strumming rapidly with his tongue. Then when my body began to clench with pre-orgasmic spasms, he stopped—
shit, what now
—I all but wailed in frustration.

“You on the pill sweetness?”

“Yeah.”

“Good,” he said, freeing his cock. “I want to fuck you bare… Okay?” Oh God…

“You can fuck me standing on your head if you want. But either get on with it or let me go.”

“Let you go? Oh sweetness, I’m never letting you go. Besides, how can I refuse when you ask so sweetly?” He laughed then jerked me off the counter, and slammed my back against the refrigerator with my head cradled in his palm. “Hold on baby.”

He hooked one forearm after the other under my knees, raising me higher as I gripped the back of his neck. His eyes locked on my face, and I braced, expecting him to shove into me. Instead, he captured my lips in a tender kiss, and began penetrating me slowly, twisting his hips sinuously until our pelvises met. He pressed up, his body straining, grinding into me. “God, I love you so much.”
Oh my God.

Hitching me up, he braced his hands further apart against the refrigerator, and my ass hung lower between his arms. Then he began moving deep within me. And anything I might have said, was driven from my mind as the refrigerator shuddered, bottles clanking in time with his grunts.

He breathed hotly on my bruised neck, quickening his pace. His cock rammed deeply, his pubic hair rasping intimately with each churning thrust.
Oh God…
I clung to him, unable to escape. Gravity had immobilized me as efficiently as zip ties and duct tape. With my weight pinning me to his forearms, I was forced to take every hard thrust without relief.

Oh God, Oh God…
A mantra began pounding in my brain. My teeth found Mat’s shoulder, his skin, salty against my tongue, and my body tightened.

“That’s it sweetness, let me feel you come.”

I shuddered as he pistoned into me. Then he groaned, grinding so hard against me the refrigerator rocked back, thumping into the wall and his cock began to pulse.

Finally he eased down, and the refrigerator rocked forward with a fatal rattle as things crashed inside. He wrapped a painted arm around my waist, slipping from my body as I lowered my feet to the stone floor. I leaned into him, trusting he’d keep me from falling in boneless, battered heap as tears began dampening my cheeks. I ached and there was a growing soreness between my legs.

Mat’s chuckle rumbled against my ear, his breath stirring my hair. “There’s nothing that beats starting the day with a good breakfast.”

Breathing deeply, I struggled to keep my knees from buckling as I loosened an arm to put away my bits—God, I loved this woman—I noted a growing wetness on my chest. “Angie? Baby? Are you all right?” I pulled back, looking down at her. She looked away. Shit, she was crying.
Fuck, what was I thinking? She’s covered in bruises and I banged her against the refrigerator.
“Baby, did I hurt you?”

She shook her head as more silent tears course down her cheeks. She didn't fight when I scooped her up and carried her to the sofa, concern tying my stomach in knots. “Please baby, please tell me what’s wrong.” She was silent so long I was afraid she wouldn’t to answer.

“I feel used. Manipulated.” Shit…

“Baby, all I wanted was to make love you.”

“That’s your idea of love? Holding me down, tormenting me until I agree to move in with you?” Fuck.

“Shit, Angie… That was never my intent.” The look on her face had me rethinking my answer. “All right, I guess using sex to extract promises is a bit underhanded.”

“That’s just it, you didn’t ask. You demanded. You didn’t listen when I told you to let me go, even after I said I hated you, you just did whatever you wanted.”

Horror took root in my gut. That sounded an awful lot like rape
—what the fuck had I done? What the fuck was wrong with me?
“But I thought you liked me in control,” I whispered.

“I do… sometimes… but there’s a difference between me giving you control, and you just taking it. There’s too much shit going on in my life right now, I’m so confused and I wanted a little distance to figure things out.”

“Bullshit. You weren’t trying to get a little distance to think. You were dumping me because someone fed you a line of crap and you were scared.”

Holding a hand to her nose, she struggled out of my lap and darted to the bathroom. She came out a few minutes later with a roll of toilette paper in her hand
—
at least she wasn’t hiding; we were making progress.

“Angie, I’m sorry. I love you.” I paced, frustrated. “I just want you with me.”

“You don’t know me well enough to love me. What happens when you realize how boring I really am? How many panicked calls from mall parking lots will it take before you’re pulling out your hair in frustration?” I paused, raising an eyebrow. “Figuratively speaking.” She shrugged, grinning reluctantly.

“Aw babe, you don’t think I have those same fears? You’re a bona fide genius for Christ’s sake. Talk about intimidating. What happens when you get tired of
my
stupid ass? Sometimes you just have to take a risk.”

“Stupid, right, Mr. World Renown Architect.”

“So I’m good at one thing…”

“You have groupies. I know there’s nothing you can do about that, but one day—” She motioned between us. “—this isn’t going to be enough. I’m not going to be enough. We’ll fight over something stupid and they’ll be waiting.”

“And what?” I said, starting to get pissed-off. “You think so little of me?” That something stupid was staring me in the face right now.

She looked at me with fresh tears welling in her beautiful brown eyes. “No… I think so little of me.” So that was it, and it broke my heart.

“Well, you’re wrong. So wrong in fact, that until we get you sorted out, you gonna leave all the thinking to me.”

She gave me a watery smile. “You’re going to sort me out?”

“Yep.”

“Paid professionals haven’t been able to sort me out. What makes you so special?”

“You want a list?”

“You really like your lists.” My chest loosened a bit seeing some humor return to her eyes.

“You bet I do. Ready? You love me—” I paused, daring her to deny it. “My family, my bathroom, orgasms—any of your therapists give you orgasms?” She shook her head, rolling her eyes—
oh yeah sweetness, I’ve got your therapy
—I stalked toward her. “Starting now, you have to share something positive about yourself, and for each positive item, I will reward you with an orgasm.”

“What if I can’t think of anything?” She retreated, nervously licking her lips.

“Then I’ll give you an orgasm for every positive thing I can come up with. And you know how much I love making lists.” My phone went off just before I reached her.