As they drove away, Moira waved to them along with Mina and Alisha, who were jumping up and down to catch a final wave before they turned the corner out of sight.
‘Mina and Alisha are such fun. And your mum is so adorable,’ Clara said to Sam as he drove through the village.
‘Yeah, she’s great.’
‘I really like her.’
Sam smiled at her, turning to look at her. It was a little disarming. ‘And she likes you.’
When they got back to the cottage, it was later than Clara expected. The day out, then evening meal with Moira had filled the day, and now it was getting dark.
‘We should pack up,’ she said. ‘If we’re making an early start tomorrow.’
‘Yeah, good idea.’
She and Sam put their stuff into their cases, leaving room for the last-minute necessities. As Clara dropped her suitcase beside the door, she turned around, and Sam caged her against the wall with a grin.
‘Whoa.’ She drew back, her eyes wide, then giggled. ‘What are you doing to me, Mr Addison?’
‘Anything you want.’
She snaked her arms around his neck. ‘Anything?’
‘You bet. Just say the word.’
Waggling her eyebrows, she pushed up on tiptoes. ‘The word.’
He looked down, laughing. ‘You’re worse than me… but I’ll take that as a green light.’ He leaned in, his lips meeting hers in a tender kiss that quickly deepened. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him even closer as she savoured the taste of him.
With gentle hands, he cupped her face, his thumbs caressing her cheeks as he peppered kisses along her jawline. Then his lips traced a path down her neck, and she gasped softly, tilting her head back, giving him better access as her hands roamed over his broad shoulders and down his back.
Everything became more urgent, hands exploring and caressing as they slowly undressed each other. Sam’s fingers trailed down Clara’s arms as he slipped the straps of her top off her shoulders, peeling it back to reveal her delicate lace bra. His eyes roamed over her.
‘You are so, so beautiful.’ His magic voice made her knees weaken, and she took hold of him, her fingers working on the buttons of his shirt, her lips following the path of newly exposed skin. She pushed the shirt off his shoulders, marvelling at the definition of his muscles.
‘You’ve got such a hot bod.’
He grinned as her hands splayed across his chest, desperate to touch all of it.
They moved together towards the bed, a tangle of limbs and kisses. Sam gently lowered Clara onto the soft sheets, his eyes taking her in with such a look that she almost fainted. What did it mean? Was it the strength of his desire? He hovered above her, still with his eyes locked on hers.
‘Just beautiful,’ he murmured.
Clara reached up, skimming the line of his jaw with her fingertips, catching the bristles of his beard. ‘So are you,’ she whispered, pulling him in for another kiss.
Cupping her breast with his hand, he made her arch back with a moan, then he dipped down, sucking and licking her nipples until she turned to jelly. ‘Mm, so good,’ he murmured, running the tip of his nose down the centre of her breasts, to her belly button, and lower. Pulling her lacy knickers aside, he pressed his lips to her most intimate place, making her gasp. The touch of his mouth, his tongue, and the rub of his beard was incredible, and she knew she couldn’t hold herself together; she didn’t want to. Her body convulsed, and she rode waves of sensation after sensation.
Sam moved up the bed to lie alongside her and take her in his arms. ‘That didn’t take long.’ He kissed her forehead.
‘Are you saying I’m easy?’ She curled into him, still a little shaky.
He kissed the top of her head. ‘Pretty much.’
‘Then do it again. I dare you. Only this time, together.’
‘Ok.’
She reached out her arm and fumbled for a condom packet she’d put on the nightstand. ‘Allow me.’
