Dark Bites

“Hi, Mom,” he said coolly as he left the kitchen, then went to his bedroom, and closed the door while Sam straightened her own clothes.

“Adrian, where have you been? I’ve been calling for an hour.”

Sam went over to his answering machine to turn it off so that she wouldn’t overhear their conversation, but it had so many unmarked buttons, she didn’t know which one to press.

“I was at work.”

“I wish you’d give me your work number. I need to be able to get a hold of you when something comes up.”

“What do you need now, Mom?”

“I need you to come over and salt my driveway, so that I won’t get stuck here tomorrow.”

“Jesus, Mom, it’s a forty-minute drive and the roads are iced over.”

“I know, that’s why I need you to come over, right now.”

Sam frowned at his mother’s insistence.

“Mom, I can’t. I’m busy.”

His mother gave a dramatic sigh. “Busy doing what? Playing with your stupid computers again? All I ask is a little, tiny favor and this is the thanks I get. Do you know, I was in labor for thirty-six hours with you? I almost died giving birth.”

“Yes, Mom, I know.”

“Don’t you take that tone with me, young man. I gave my life to you kids, and the least you can do is take care of me in my old age.”

“You’re only forty-seven.”

“Don’t you dare get smart with me. It’s not like you have anything better to do. God forbid you should actually date and marry someone, and give me a grandchild.”

“Would you please lay off me, Mom? I’m not in the mood.”

“Fine,” she said in a sarcastic tone that made Sam want to choke her. “You just stay there, and let me fend for myself. You’re just like your worthless father.”

“Would you leave Dad out of this?”

“You’re just like him, you know. Selfish and worthless. It’s a good thing you don’t have a girlfriend. You’d probably just knock her up, and leave her, too.”

Sam’s heart lurched. Poor Adrian. It was a good thing he didn’t have another phone or she’d pick it up and give his mother a piece of her mind.

“Just my luck,” his mother continued. “To get stuck with an ungrateful son. I knew you should have been a girl. That’s fine, though. I’ll just call Heather and get her to do it.”

“Jeez, Mom, Heather can hardly drive when the weather’s clear and she lives farther away than I do.”

“What do you care? At least I can depend on her.”

“All right,” Adrian snapped. “I’m coming, okay? Don’t get her killed because you need your driveway salted.”

“Oh, good.”

Sam gaped at the sudden change in the woman’s voice. Now that she was getting her way, she actually sounded nice.

“Love you, sweetie.”

“Me, too.” By his tone, Sam knew he had his teeth gritted.

The answering machine clicked off. Sam shook her head. She’d never heard anything like that in her life.

Adrian came out of the bedroom with his jaw ticking. “I have to go out for a little bit.”

“Adrian, you can’t do that. What if you have a wreck and get killed?”

“Trust me, I’m not that lucky.”

“You’re not funny.”

He shrugged his heavy ski jacket on. Sam zipped it while he fixed the collar. “You be careful,” she said, standing up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Adrian nibbled her lips as warmth spread through him. Only Sam had ever said that to him. “I will. Lock the door behind me.”

As soon as he was gone, Sam sighed. Adrian reminded her of a tolerant lion with cubs hanging off him while they nipped his skin. How could he stand it?

Shaking her head, Sam went to get herself a Coke. She opened the fridge and stared in disbelief. It was bare except for an almost-empty gallon of soured milk and a six-pack of beer.

Frowning, she opened his kitchen cabinets, taking inventory. One plate, two mismatched bowls, a cookie sheet, one medium-sized pot, three glasses, two coffee cups, coffee, and two half-empty boxes of cereal. That was it.

Unbelievable. She’d had no idea he lived like this. And now that she thought about it, she realized he didn’t even have a Christmas tree in his apartment.

The phone rang again.

Sam ignored it until the answering machine picked up.

“Adrian?” Heather said. “Hey, I need you to call me back as soon as you hear this, okay? Um, I need you, big brother. And please don’t yell at me. I had to write a check out for tuition today or else they’d cancel my classes. And I don’t have the money to cover it. I’m also two weeks overdue on my rent again. I really need twelve hundred dollars by tomorrow. I swear, I won’t ever again ask you for money. I know I said that last time, but I mean it this time. Anyway, please call me tonight. Love you.”

Sam ached for him. When he had told her he watched out for his sister and mother, she’d had no idea just what a challenge the two of them were.

“That’s it,” she muttered as she grabbed her coat out of the closet. “It’s time someone did something for you.”

It was almost three hours later when Adrian finally got home. His head throbbed from his mother’s incessant criticism. And the woman wondered why no man would ever stay with her for more than a few months.

If he had any sense, he’d take off, too. But he refused to do that to Heather. His sister could barely look after herself, let alone watch after their mother.

Pushing the thoughts out of his mind, he opened the door. He frowned as he caught a whiff of something really good.

Must be his neighbor’s dinner again, he thought as he closed and locked the door. He hung up his coat.

“Sam?” he called, not seeing her in the living room.

“I’m right here,” she said from the kitchen.

Adrian turned, then froze as his breath left his body. Sam was standing at the sink wearing nothing but one of his flannel shirts. It was huge on her, reaching all the way to her knees.

The sight floored him.

“I hope you don’t mind,” she said as she pulled at the collar. “I fell on my way back and got mud all over my clothes.”

“Fell?” It was then he realized the warm, delicious aroma was coming from his stove. Damn, the thing actually worked. Who knew?

He frowned. “What did you do?”

She moved toward him with a coffee cup in her hands. “Here,” she said, handing him hot chocolate. “I’m sure you’re frozen.”

He had been until he saw her half-dressed. Now, he felt as if he were on fire. “Where did this come from?”

She smiled. “I walked down to the market on the corner.”

He was stunned. He’d never in his life come home to such a warm welcome.

And in that moment, he knew he loved her.

Setting the cup down on his breakfast counter, he pulled her into his arms and held her close.

Sam trembled at the contact. He ran his hands down her back, then to her bare hips.

“Oh, God,” he breathed. “You’re naked under there.”

Sam laughed. “I know.”

Adrian’s thoughts scattered as he touched her bare buttocks. Her skin was so incredibly soft while he was harder than he’d ever been before.

Bending down, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

Sam wrapped her arms around his neck, amazed he was able to carry her so easily. And when he laid her on the bed, she smiled, knowing this was what she’d wanted since the first time she’d seen him greeting her in the lobby for her interview last year.

She got up on her knees and pulled his shirt over his head. Her gaze feasted on the sight of all that strong, tawny skin as she ran her hands over his delectable flesh.

Good gracious, the man had a gorgeous body, and she couldn’t wait to taste every inch of it.

The way he watched her with his eyes dark and hungry, his breathing ragged, made her burn even more for him. How could a man like this want her?

Sam hesitated as she placed her hands on the top button of his jeans. “I want you to know that I’m not easy,” she whispered.

“It never crossed my mind,” he said as he cupped her face in his hands. He moved to kiss her, but she pulled back.

She met his confused gaze. “I’ve only been with one other guy. My college boyfriend.”

“Okay,” he said, dipping his head toward hers.

She laughed as she dodged his lips again. “Would you listen for a second?”

He arched a brow at her.

“I wanted to let you know that I’m not on the pill or anything.”

Adrian went rigid. Cursing, he took a step back from the bed. “Well, since we’re confessing things, I have to tell you, I haven’t been with a woman since college, either. And I threw out my condoms last year after it occurred to me that they were older than I was.” Adrian retrieved his shirt from the floor.

Damn it, he was so hard it hurt. And all he could think of was taking her, consequences be damned.

But he couldn’t do that. He wasn’t about to take a chance on getting her pregnant. In spite of what his mother thought, he wasn’t his father.

It figures. Whatever made you think you could have a woman like her, anyway?

Sam frowned as he stalked out of the room. She started to call him back, then reconsidered. He needed to eat first.

She went after him. “You hungry?”

Adrian nodded, but by his face she could tell food was the last thing he wanted.

Sam served him a bowl of chili.

Adrian stood at the counter while he ate it.

Bemused, Sam watched as he refused to look at her. And the only words he uttered were a very brief compliment on how good her chili tasted and a simple thank-you.

As soon as he was finished, Adrian placed the bowl in the sink, then went to sit in his recliner.

Picking up his remote for the stereo, he clicked on his CD player. He had to do something to distract himself from those luscious legs peeking out from under her shirt. He rotated the discs to Matchbox 20.