Page 38 of Surviving Slater

He was a workaholic and didn't seem to find time for anything else. But he wasn't a robot. He was human like the rest of us and needed some sort of companionship.

"How's the dating going?" I teased, knowing he didn't.

He laughed.

"Same as usual," he said, brushing it off. He wasn't revealing anything. I heard what sounded like another phone start ringing in the background.

"I have to go. Call me if you need anything." And then he ended the call.

"Have I told you how much I appreciate you taking some of his concentration off me? Now he has two of us to worry about," Taylor teased as I handed her phone back to her.

I smiled and shook my head at her.

It was late by the time we finished packing her stuff. I was tired and stiff when I made it into my bed, but for some reason I didn't fall asleep right away. I lay in bed for a while thinking about Slater. He would probably be at the new place tomorrow and I wondered what I was going to say to him.

Just the thought of him sent a range of flutters through my stomach, then it burned when I thought of his lips against mine, his hands caressing my body. With those warm and lustful thoughts, I finally drifted off to sleep, determined to sort everything out with Slater the next day.

Chapter Ten

IknewMatthew was going to be harder to convince than Taylor when I decided to broach the subject of Slater.

"Really?" Matthew asked, sitting at the kitchen table across from me with a hot, steaming cup of coffee in his hands.

"Yes." I nodded my head.

He studied me for a moment.

"He's hurt you before," he began his lecture. "And the odds are it will happen again."

Yeah, but knowing it was a very real possibility did nothing to deter me from my plan to have hot sex with Slater.

"Try not to let that happen this time around."

I nodded. "I know what I'm getting myself into."

"I hope so." He looked skeptical.

I was kind of relieved he hadn't been harder on me. The fact was I didn't need his approval but it made things easier if I wasn't in for disapproving looks when Slater was around.

Taylor smothered a yawn as she entered the kitchen.

"Good morning," I said to her, feeling chirpy despite getting to bed late and feeling like I hadn't slept enough.

"Coffee," she commanded, and Matthew smiled as he got up to make her a cup.

She took his seat and watched.

"This is officially your last cup of coffee from me," he told her when he placed it in front of her.

She took a deep sip and savored it. "I'm going to miss your coffee, boy."

Matthew laughed. "Is that all I am to you?" he asked, indignant.

She smiled as she stood up and hugged him.

"I'm going to miss your cooking as well," she teased, and Matthew pulled away from her to give her a playful glare.

Her grin widened. "And who is going to buy me ice cream when I need it?" she asked.