“Can I feel?” he asks.

I nod against his neck. “Yeah,” I whisper again. I take his earlobe between my teeth and give it a gentle nip. Just as I do, his fingers slide through my heat and go straight to my clit. I fall back against the wall. “Matt,” I whisper, reaching for his wrist. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“I know,” he says. “I’ll be quick. I just want to feel you come apart.”

I can’t breathe. “What about you?” I ask.

He chuckles. “This is for me.” His fingers slide through my wetness, pressing hard and insistently, and then he hooks two fingers inside me and strums my clit with his thumb. He doesn’t have a lot of room to work inside my jeans so his movements are quick and jerky. I arch my hips, helping him find a rhythm. I open my eyes and look into his blue ones, which are staring down at me. “Matt,” I protest. But it’s more pleading than protest.

“I’ll make you come, Sky,” he says quietly. “I promise.”

I nod and lay my head back, barely able to catch my breath. “Okay,” I whisper. And then the tremors start. Matt leans into me, pressing his body against mine to hold me up. I turn my head toward him and just as I come, I bite down on the tender skin of his neck. He flinches, but he growls and turns his head to cover my lips with his, drowning my cries of release with his tongue and his lips.

“Shh,” he says against my lips.

I’m whimpering, and I didn’t even realize it. My body shivers as I come and come and come, and I am nearly wrecked when he finally stops. He pulls his hand from my panties, zips my pants, and buttons me up. Then he chuckles and kisses me quickly.

“I need a minute by myself,” he says. His voice is thick and rough and so hot.

“You want me to go?” I ask. “Seriously?”

He kisses me, his mouth lingering. “Why don’t you go check on the kids?” he asks. “I’ll be behind you in a minute.” He turns me around, opens the door, and shoves me out into the hallway. I hear him fall against the door on the other side, and then he pounds it lightly with his fist. He laughs and growls out my name.

Oh crap. I’m still feeling all loose and languid, and he just shoved me into the hallway. Paul rounds the corner and stops suddenly. He puts his hand over his eyes. “I’m not looking,” he says. He walks down the hallway and doesn’t glance at me again. He opens a door, and I hear a bunch of little girl screams. That’s where the girls are, apparently. They were easy to find. I follow on wobbly knees, because really, what else am I going to do?

I stick my head into the room where Paul’s on the floor with three little girls climbing on him like he’s a horse. He doesn’t seem to mind it.

I go sit down on the edge of what must be Hayley’s princess bed. I watch as Paul throws the children around, growling and rolling them. Suddenly, he looks up at me. “Hey, Sky,” he says quietly. He sets the kids to the side and looks at me. I mean really looks at me.

“Yeah?” I ask. I’m still sort of dazed.

“Be careful with him, okay?” he says. His voice is soft but strong, and I can tell he means it.

“What?” I ask. I force myself out of my haze and focus on him. “I don’t know what you mean.”

He starts to clean up toys, throwing them into a nearby toy bin. “He’s been through a lot,” Paul says. “I’m not sure he could survive another heartbreak. Not and stay the same, easygoing guy he is now. Don’t wreck him, okay?” he asks. He sighs out a breath.

“I won’t,” I say. No one ever means to do that, do they?

“He’s special,” Paul says. “Even before he got sick, he was different from the rest of us. He’s good and kind, and he still believes in the goodness of the heart. He needs to stay that way. So, don’t hurt him.” He says the last part quietly, so the kids can’t hear him.

“I won’t,” I whisper. I want to challenge him and ask how dare he. But I can see the vulnerability in his eyes. I can see that it was hard for him to have this conversation with me.

He nods and gets up, then leaves the room. I sit and watch the girls play while I collect my thoughts. I need a basket to put them all in because my head just isn’t big enough.

Matt

When I come out of my room, Sky is in with Paul and the girls in Hayley’s room. I need a minute to collect myself and wash my hands. I throw some cold water on my face, too. It takes a minute to calm myself down, and if I didn’t know that I might be going home with Sky tonight, I would have taken matters into my own hands. But as it stands, the only place I want to come is inside her. Not alone. Not ever again.

I leave the bathroom and go sit down on the couch to see how Seth is doing with my game. He’s playing against Logan, and Logan can’t hear the game so it’s harder for him. But he’s a damn fine opponent anyway. He tackles it the same way he does life, by taking cues from everything around him in the game. And he’s beating Seth, so it’s working for him.

I sit down next to Emily. She scoots closer to me and lays her head on my shoulder. I cuddle up with her for a second, and then scoot to the side. She shoots me a weird look.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, her brow furrowing.

I pull her head to me and kiss her forehead. I love snuggling with Emily. I always have. She’s like the sister I never had or ever wanted. We bonded after my chemo when she helped me out, saving my life by sacrificing her own freedom, when I didn’t want my brothers to know I was sick. She holds a special place in my heart.