Amazing Love Story (NG1)

37 - Normal

Matthew felt his heart dance when she told him she loved him. It was all he needed to hear. His need for her pulsed in his shorts. Once he started kissing her, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to sleep with her in his bed if he didn't find release. He had no thoughts of anything or anyone except Victoria as he worshipped and explored her beautiful body.

He held her still inside of her. Even after he exploded in the condom, he was firm enough. Slowly, his breathing evened out, and he slipped out. He bit back words, but he wanted to tell her they fit. It felt like it to him. Maybe it was because he had never wanted a girl as long as he wanted Victoria before he finally had her. He had wanted her when she sat next to him in first class, when he was still wounded.

Victoria sighed and snuggled against him with her head on his chest. Almost instantaneously, her breathing grew deep. Slightly disappointed by the lack of pillow talk, he understood she was exhausted. He stroked her back gently and thought of how different she was from Penelope. Pen didn't cuddle. Instead, she took over the bed. Victoria curled up against him. Sleeping peacefully was something he wanted for a very long time.

Matthew woke and wondered if he could slip out of bed without disturbing her. He had slept for three hours, but knew she would need to sleep longer. She turned over when he gently lowered her head to the pillow. When he left the room, Bear followed him.

He would like to be there when she woke, but he couldn't lie in bed for hours. He had worked all night on rewrites, but had to start on an outline for his next Astara and Roman adventure. His friends were easier to write than the romance, and he had missed them. As much as he was glad he wrote his novel and wanted it published, he didn't think he would change genres again. He wasn't lazy, but he had a job he did well, so there was no reason to quit. Matthew could challenge himself in other ways. Eventually, his teens would run out of adventures and he would need to create a new adventure with new characters. Rick Riordan had multiple series, so he could too.

Outlining could be difficult, especially for a tenth adventure. He hated to duplicate scenarios. Perhaps he should introduce a new character into the mix. He was friends with Victoria as well as Brady. It could cause some tension and even jealousy. Matthew had heard the word bromance used for him and Brady, but he didn't agree. He had bumped into Sophie the other day, as she was walking her little sister to her friend's house. The teen talked, forcing him to listen. She mentioned the three boys and how it was unusual they were good friends because three could be a problem. She had to balance her time with her two friends.

If Sophie struggled, lots of other kids her age must, too. It would be good to write about a situation that was real to his readers. The one idea was as far as he got, because he had trouble keeping his thoughts on task. Twice he stood to peek at Victoria. He considered taking Bear for a walk or just climbing back into bed with her. When Bear followed him and settled down on the floor beside her, he gently stretched out on his side. The first time he watched her sleep, she had been a stranger.

Matthew smiled when she opened her eyes. It took a moment before she smiled. He said, "Did you forget where you were?"

Her face lit up. "I dreamed of you. Did you sleep?"

He nodded. "And worked. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah."

The sheet had slipped off, so most of her wasn't covered. He had only begun to explore her exquisite body. He liked how she wasn't shy. Matthew lifted the sheet to cover her to stop from ogling.

Her cheeks tinted. "You're overdressed, at least compared to me."

He chuckled. "I thought you were hungry."

"I can wait a little while. Are you buying?"

He leaned over and kissed behind her ear. "I'll buy you anything."