Chapter Six
Six
Alistair
I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day.
—James Joyce
“Pam,” I whispered when I heard a knock at the door. “Pam, I have to move you. The food is here.” In the thirty minutes we’d been waiting for our takeout order she’d fallen asleep on my chest, and I hadn’t had the heart to wake her. She was so peaceful. It was adorable.
“Okay.” She sighed, rolling off me and onto the couch.
I gave her leg a tiny caress before getting up to answer the door.
A lanky college-aged kid greeted me when I opened it. “Delivery for Alistair.”
“Yep, that’s me.”
He passed me the food. “Thanks for the tip. Have a great day, man.”
“You, too.”
Pam was still on the couch where I’d left her, so I made my way to the kitchen. Her place was so cozy. Family photos covered the hallway walls, and I stopped to get a better look at them.
There were tons of pictures of her kids: Reece standing tall with a trophy from a lacrosse tournament, Tegan riding a pony, both kids enjoying ice cream cones that dripped down their hands.
There were also some photos of him with the kids.
Her late husband, Don.
In most of the pictures, he had an ugly scowl on his face.
He wasn’t an unattractive guy—he was actually pretty handsome—but I got a sense from the photos that he had an ugly personality.
It made me sad all over again that Pam had spent so many years of her life with him when the short period of time I had with her was slipping away.
All I knew was if I’d had a woman like that as my wife, I would have treated her how she deserved to be treated. I would have let her know every day how lucky I was to have her in my life. Pam Rollins was really something else.
Remi rubbed against my leg.
“Hey there, little buddy. Wanna come with me to the kitchen?” I knew some people thought talking to animals like they were people and asking them questions was silly. But I’d always found them to be understanding and responsive in their own way.
Remi proved my point, weaving through my legs and following me down the hall to the kitchen.
“That’s a smart boy,” I said, scratching him under the chin.
Gods, maybe if I had a cat, my life wouldn’t be so lonely.
I set the food on the kitchen table, then searched through the cabinets and drawers. When I had our places set and the food laid out, I went to wake up Pam.
She looked beautiful as she slept there on the couch.
The warm glow of the late-afternoon sun slipped through the blinds, highlighting her hair a brilliant ruby red.
I thought about taking a picture but decided against it.
It was sort of creepy to do something like that, especially on the first date.
Instead, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, committing the way she looked to memory, vowing I’d never forget.
“Pam,” I whispered. “Pam, the food is here.” I ran my hand over her leg, giving it a gentle shake.
Her eyes fluttered open, vibrant emeralds peeking up at me from beneath heavy eyelids. “Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I was just really comfortable. You’re so warm.”
She had nothing to apologize for. I loved that she felt comfortable enough with me to fall asleep in my lap.
It had been such a long time since I’d shared a moment like that with someone.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, sweetheart.
” I extended my hand out to her. “Come on, let’s eat. Remi is in the kitchen waiting for us.”
Pam shook her head and took my hand. “That cat is such a mooch.”
“He’s cute, so he can get away with it.”
She laughed as we walked down the hall to the kitchen. “Don’t tell me he’s already got you wrapped around his little hairless paw.”
I shrugged, my wide frame rubbing against Pam’s arm in the narrow hallway. “What can I say? I can’t resist good pussy.”
Pam snorted, her cheeks beet red and her mouth hanging open. “Alistair!” She nudged my hip playfully, and I roared with laughter.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself. It was just too good.”
The moment we entered the kitchen, she stopped dead in her tracks and gripped my arm.
“You set the table for us?” I could have sworn her eyes twinkled as she stared up at me.
It was the bare minimum I could do, but she acted like it was some grand gesture. Her late husband had really done a number on her. That guy had no idea how lucky he’d been to have her as a partner. If I were ten years younger…If I didn’t live halfway across the country…
I ran my palm over Pam’s cheek and gave her a small smile, willing all the sadness I felt away. “I did. Have a seat, hon.” I pulled out the chair in front of her place setting and motioned for her to sit.
“Thanks,” she said as she scooched in. “I take it you found everything okay?”
“I did.” I nodded, sitting across from her.
“What did you get?” Pam asked as she scooped her shrimp fried rice onto her plate.
“General Tso’s tofu. It had a ton of five-star reviews.”
“Huh. Never tried it.”
“Would you like to?” I asked, spearing a piece of tofu on my fork.
She peered across the table at my plate for a moment. “Actually, yeah. I’d love to. Maybe it’ll be my new favorite.”
The table was small enough that I could hold my fork out and place it into her mouth. My eyes widened as I watched the food slip inside, her soft lips closing over the fork as I pulled it away.
I was reminded of how pretty she looked with her lips wrapped around my cock like that. How eager she was to taste me, to please me.
“Oh wow,” she said through a mouthful of food. “This is really good. I’ve been missing out.”
I took a bite, the spicy-sweet flavor coating my tongue. “Damn. That is good. Here.” I grabbed the container and scooped some onto Pam’s plate.
“Thank you for sharing with me.”
I smiled at her. “You’re always welcome to anything that’s mine.”
We talked while we ate, our late-afternoon lunch continuing into the early evening. The food was so delicious that I overindulged.
“Ugh,” I said, sliding my chair back from the table. “I ate too much.”
Pam looked at my empty plate and chuckled. “The next time you’re in town, you’ll know where to order from.”
Her comment seemed to ground us both. I was just a visitor here, not a permanent fixture in this town or her life.
It hurt more than it should, at least this early on.
I mean, shit, we were on our first date.
Chai was wrong. It wasn’t Pam who was catching feelings and having her heart broken. It was me.
Pam’s phone chimed from the other room.
“Ope,” she said as she rose from the table. “That’s probably Tegan. I told her I would call and let her know how the date went. She’s probably concerned that she hasn’t heard from me. I’ll be right back.” Without another word, she bustled down the hall in search of her phone.
Her daughter likely didn’t expect our date to be an all-day affair. Honestly, I hadn’t, either, but now that we were here, I didn’t want it to end.
Remi rubbed against the leg of my pants before jumping onto my lap.
“Hey, buddy.” I ran my hand over his sweater-covered back, eliciting a deep purr. “You take care of your mama when I’m gone, okay? She’s a special lady.”
He stuck his tail straight up and started to make biscuits on my lap. It wasn’t a direct yes, but it was good enough for me.
Pam turned the corner and smiled when she caught sight of me loving on Remi. “I am so sorry about that. I didn’t want her to worry.”
“No reason to be sorry. Did you tell her how it was going?”
“Yep. I told her you were the most handsome minotaur I’d ever seen.” She paused for a moment. “And I told her about the kiss. I thought it was better that she heard it from me instead of Javier.”
That was right. Javier worked for her son. Reece was probably already aware of our little PDA session. I just hoped he wouldn’t give Pam a hard time over it. She was a grown woman. She deserved affection.
“Oh?” I looked at her with my brows raised. “What did she have to say about that?”
“She was excited. She thought it might be a little fast, but I reminded her about Atlas mating her within a few months of knowing her. It drove home the point pretty quick.”
It made me wish minotaurs had fated mates like wolven. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a thing for our kind.
“Is everything okay?” She stood next to my chair, her hands tousling my curls as she massaged the base of my ears.
“Mmm,” I groaned. “That feels good.”
“I was thinking we could watch a movie together. Maybe cuddle a little bit. Unless you have somewhere to be, that is.”
I closed my eyes and leaned into her touch. “Pam Rollins, for today, I am all yours.”
“Good. Let’s get in my bed.”
My eyes darted open, and Remi jumped from my lap. “Y-your bed?” I stammered in disbelief.
She wanted me to get in her bed with her?
“I am so sorry. I thought you’d be more comfortable there.” Her cheeks were bright red as she awkwardly backed away.
“Hey.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to me. “I didn’t mean it like that. I was just surprised, that’s all. I’d love to lie in bed with you.”
The blush across her cheeks began to fade, and the corners of her soft lips tilted up into a smile. “Let me get this cleaned up first. I don’t want Remi getting into anything.”
It sounded like her little sphynx cat was quite the rascal. I’d always considered myself a dog person, but he was making me rethink my ways.
“I’ll help.” I closed the Chinese food containers and gathered up the plates and silverware.
“Are you always this helpful?” she asked with a laugh, taking the dishes from me and giving them a quick rinse before placing them in the dishwasher.
I shrugged. “Like I said, my parents were good role models for what a relationship should be. I also live alone, so I’m used to cleaning up after myself. If I don’t do it, who will?”
Granted, I did have a housekeeper, but she took care of the deep cleaning. I was responsible for the day-to-day stuff, like the dishes and wiping down the counters.
“That’s true. I’m just not used to it, that’s all. Even though I worked, Don still expected a lot from me in terms of housework. He was pretty old-fashioned.”
I shook my head in disgust.
Don.
From the sound of things, I’d treated her better in one day than he had their entire marriage.
It was enough to make me see red, but it quickly passed when Pam grabbed my hand and led me toward the stairs.
It had been so long since I’d been in bed with a woman.
Even if this was something as innocent as relaxing and watching a movie.
Was it innocent, though?
Pam had initiated giving me head earlier. Maybe this was her hinting that she wanted more.
She was the one in charge here. I was down for whatever she was comfortable with.
“Here we are,” she said, flipping on her bedroom light. It was only four, but her room was already dim with shadows.
Pam’s room was exactly as I’d expected. A neatly made king-size bed sat in the center of the room.
The wall behind it was painted a muted sage green that worked well with the cream-colored knit bedding.
A shelf sat above the bed and held a philodendron, some photographs, and various romance titles.
A flat-screen hung over a shabby chic dresser directly across from the bed. It was feminine and cozy—just like Pam.
I noticed one of those kitschy suitcase record players on the dresser next to a stack of vinyl with worn paper sleeves. They were mostly new wave titles from bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees and Depeche Mode.
“Are you into music?” I asked. I mean, I hoped most people were into music, but you could never be too sure.
She nodded. “More like I can’t live without it.”
“What genres?”
“Most of my records are from the ’80s, but ’90s alternative and grunge are my favorite. My cassettes and CDs are downstairs. What about you?”
“Everything really. I have a pretty extensive record collection back home.”
“You’ll have to give me some recommendations, then.” She turned on the lamps on either side of the bed, bathing the room in a warm glow. “Much better,” she said with a smile before climbing onto the bed.
I shifted my weight nervously and looked down at my hooves. They were coated in a layer of salt crystals from our walk. There was no way I was getting on Pam’s bed like that. “Do you have a towel I can wipe off my hooves with? I don’t want to get your bed all dirty.”
Pam shot off the bed so fast. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. Let me get you a towel.” She ran into the adjoining bathroom, and I heard the faucet.
“It’s fine. I wouldn’t expect you to consider these sorts of things about minotaurs right away,” I called out to her.
She walked out of the bathroom and over to me, damp towel in hand. “I know…But I want you to feel welcome here.” She handed me the towel. “I want you to be comfortable.”
“Pam, I promise you. I’m very comfortable around you.” I sat down on the bed and, with some difficulty, brought one of my hooves up to my lap. I wasn’t as flexible as I used to be. I made a mental note to add “daily yoga” to my New Year’s resolutions list.
She watched with interest as I wiped one hoof and then the other. It was the first time she’d seemed curious about the monstrous parts of me, the parts that were different from humans. Well, interest in a monstrous part aside from my cock.
“You never wear shoes?” she asked as I passed her the towel.
I made myself comfortable on the bed, propping up on one elbow to stare at her while she threw the towel in the hamper. “No, not really. Most minotaurs don’t. They make them, but we generally prefer our hooves. It makes balancing easier. Plus, they make that cool clacking noise.”
“It is a cool noise.” She gave me a wide smile before joining me on the bed.
I held my arm out, allowing her to snuggle against my chest.
“This is nice,” she said, wrapping one of her arms over my chest, hugging me tight.
“It is.” I took a deep breath, inhaling her scent and reveling in the closeness. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d cuddled with someone.
“Can you pass me the remote? It should be there on the nightstand.”
Doing my best not to disrupt her, I carefully stretched and grabbed the remote.
“Thank you. What do you want to watch?” she asked as she turned on the TV.
Truly, I didn’t care what we watched. We could turn it off and sit in silence for all I cared. As long as she was here with me like this, I was content.
Pam scrolled through the movies until she hovered over the title of an old comedy. “I do like this one. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are so funny.”
“I like this one, too. I was tempted to make the pan-Pam dilemma joke this morning.”
She vibrated with laughter and started the movie.
“See! You would have got it. Missed opportunity.”
Pam turned her head so she was gazing up at me. “You’re always so funny, you know that? I love it.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “I’m glad because I love making you laugh.” I leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her head as the movie started.