No doubt she had her illustrious roommate to thank for this late-night visit. Because now that he’d stopped fighting his love for Pete, he thought himself the world’s greatest authority on all things romance.
The prideful part of her wanted to lie and say,No. Whatever gave you that idea?And cue the innocent eyelash fluttering. But her honest side won out.
Still, she didn’t think anyone would blame her for prevaricating. Just a little. “So what if I am?” She stuck out her chin. “It’s not like it changes anything.”
Something came over his face then. A sort of calmness or…peace.
Although, his jaw was still clenched tight when he declared, “Yeah? Well, that’s where you’re wrong.”
Before she had time to figure out what he meant by that, he scooped her off the sofa and into his arms.
“Sam!” Her hands automatically twined behind his neck to steady herself. And when she breathed deep, the smell of sugary cocktails, a cool Chicago night, andSamtunneled up her nose.
“Where’s your bedroom?” His words were clipped. He was already stalking down her dimly lit hallway toward the back half of the apartment.
“Why?” she croaked, her fingers instinctively tangling in the hair at his nape. It was longer than when last she’d seen him. So thick and silky soft.
“Because I’m gonna make love to you like I’ve been dreaming of making love to you for the last two months. And I don’t want to mistakenly do that in Cesar’s bed. I don’t think he’d appreciate it.”
Her heart was already pounding, but now it skipped a beat.
He’d spent the last two months thinking of her? Fantasizing about her?Lovingher?
Okay, that last part she’d thrown in herself. Because, you know, it was the missing piece. The mostimportantpiece.
But when his mouth sought hers, his lips so warm and hungry, she decided she didn’t care. And when he found her room without her giving him any instructions, immediately tossing her onto her unmade bed, she welcomed him on top of her because she decided she’d take him any way she could get him, for aslongas she could get him.
“You taste like peanut butter and vanilla,” he growled approvingly between deep, thorough kisses.
“Chubby Hubby,” she told him, closing her eyes and luxuriating while he showed her precisely what he’d been dreaming of doing with her, of doingtoher.
Ninety minutes and three orgasms later, she lay beside him, dazed and spent.
“This has healed up well.” He dragged a finger along the faint white line that was the only souvenir she had from Texas, tickling her in the process.
She giggled and wiggled away from his teasing fingertip. “You did a good job patching me up on the plane.”
“Not according to your roommate and sister.”
Her eyes had been closed, but at mention of Candy, she blinked them open. She had to work hard not to get distracted by his gloriously muscled, gloriouslymalebody stretched out naked beside her. “When did you talk to my sister?”
“Same time I talked with Cesar. Tonight at the club.”
He then proceeded to tell her about Cesar’s unbeknownst-to-her invitation to the Black Knights to attend a performance, and how her best friend and her big sister had spilled the beans about her being in love with him.
Groaning her humiliation, she pulled the covers over her head. “I’m just going to smother myself with my own shame now. Don’t mind me.” Then she reconsidered. “No. First I’m going to kill them,thenI’m going to smother myself.”
Sam hooked a finger over the top of the coverlet, pulling it down. “Why kill them? If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here now. And I think youwantme here now, or…” He softly cupped her breast, thumbing her nipple and making her gasp. “Am I reading things wrong?”
Her body answered for her. Her nipple instantly hardening. Regardless, she went ahead and added the words, “I want you here. I’vealwayswanted you here.”
What was the use of playing coy? The jig was up. Might as well shoveallher chips into the middle of the table.
“Good.” There was no mistaking the satisfaction in his voice. “’Cause I don’t wanna be anywhere else.”
They were the sweetest words. And in other circumstances, they’d have made her heart sing. Under thecurrentcircumstances? They just made her want to cry.
“But for how long, Sam?” She searched his eyes, those blue eyes she couldn’t help but get lost in. “How long before you pack up and leave me for someone else? Someone taller, booby-er,blonder?”
