Chapter Twenty-Six #2
“Perfect.” She pushed her jeans and panties down, added them to the pile on the floor and locked the door.
“Um, what is happening?”
She sauntered across the room to him, gratified when his erection turned the towel into a tent.
“A little date night warm-up round and a very sincere thank you for the flowers you sent that made me go all gooey and girlie.” Reaching him, she flattened her hands over his pecs and then slid them up to draw him into a hot, tongue-twisting kiss. “Is that okay?”
“Ah, yeah?”
Sam laughed at his reaction and walked him backward until his back was pressed against a wall. “Remember the first time we ever did it?”
His lips attacked her neck, making her shiver. “I’ll never forget it.”
“As I recall, there was a wall involved.”
“Mmm, yes, there was. Are you up for a little trip down memory lane?”
She unknotted his towel, pushed it out of the way and wrapped her hand around his hard cock. “I’m up for it if you are.”
“I’m most definitely up for it.” He turned them so her back was to the wall, and with his hands cupping her ass, lifted her. “Did my fierce Samantha really get gooey and girlie over flowers?”
“She really did, but only because they were from her favorite husband.” Sam wrapped her legs around his waist and breathed in the rich, appealing scent of him. “I came home expecting dessert, not appetizers.”
He laughed and tightened his hold on her. “Maybe if you’re a very good girl, you’ll get both.”
“Oh yummy. I’m feeling particularly hungry tonight.”
The gorgeous hazel eyes that always looked at her with love and affection heated with blatant desire. “This is going to be fast.”
“I can handle fast.”
True to his word, they were gasping with completion ten minutes later, clinging to each other as they cooled off and came down from the incredible high they found together.
She nuzzled his neck, breathing in the familiar scent of home. “I love date night.”
His laughter rumbled through them both. “Me, too. I’ve been negligent on that front since the Secret Service took over my life, but we’re going to get back to regular nights out.”
“I’m perfectly content to watch TV in bed with you. I hope you know that.”
“I do, but we still need to go out by ourselves every now and then.”
“We got to go to Harry and Lilia’s last weekend.”
“I didn’t get to have you to myself, so that doesn’t count.”
She pushed the hair back from his forehead. “I got you all dirty. You’re going to need another shower.”
Without breaking their intimate connection, he carried her into the bathroom and stepped into the shower before he put her down, holding on until he was sure she had legs under her.
“That was hot, Mr. Vice President.”
“I do what I can for the people.”
“That’s my line, and it’s trademarked.”
They laughed and teased their way through a shower, sliding soapy hands over each other until they had to call time-out or miss their reservations. While Sam got ready, Nick went to check on the kids.
As she dried her hair, she thought about how different things were since she’d married Nick.
In the past, she would’ve brought work home, spent all night poring over the reports and notes, stayed up too late stewing over the case of the moment, and generally had no quality of life.
Nick had brought quality to her life—in more ways than one.
The cases still got closed, and if it took a day or two longer than it used to, well, she wasn’t about to apologize to anyone for only working ten hours a day.
That made her laugh, thinking of the Skip Holland Half Day.
And then she was sobbing, missing him so badly that she wondered how she could still manage to breathe without him right down the street, there for her anytime she needed him. The pain ran so deep as to touch the very heart of her. How could he just be gone?
She finished drying her hair and mopped up the tears, determined to pull herself together to enjoy the rare evening out with her love. Thank God for him and their family to prop her up during these difficult days.
A touch of makeup helped to cover the blotchiness on her face, and when she was satisfied that she’d done what she could to hide the redness in her eyes, she went across the hall to get dressed in a clingy black wrap dress and the black Louboutins that Nick had bought her.
She put on her engagement ring and the diamond key necklace he’d given her on their wedding day.
With a quick visual inspection, she decided she looked as good as she possibly could under the circumstances.
She went downstairs to spend some time with the kids before they were due to leave.
Shelby had ordered their favorite dinner, which Scotty would eat every night if he had his druthers.
The twins loved it, too, even more so because Scotty did.
Their little faces were stained red with sauce, their smiles happy and their plates nearly clean.
“Looks like everyone is getting dessert tonight, Shelby.”
“I know!” Shelby wiped little faces and refilled glasses of milk while tending to Noah in the high chair. She made taking care of four kids look effortless, and from what Sam could tell, she loved every minute she spent with them.
“Scotty had thirds!”
“It’s so good,” Scotty said over a mouthful of meatball. “And Shelby made brownies for dessert. Life is good.”
Amused by him as always, Sam took comfort in seeing him rebounding from the difficult loss of his grandfather as well as could be expected.
“And no math homework tonight. Best night ever!”
Nick came into the kitchen, dressed in gray pants, a dress shirt and the navy cashmere V-neck sweater she’d bought him for Christmas. Her heart still gave a happy lurch at the sight of him, almost two years after they were married. She’d long ago accepted that she’d always react that way to him.
“Whoa.” Nick let out a low whistle when he saw what she was wearing. “Check out my date. Is she hot or what?”
Scotty scowled. “Ew.”
Shelby gave his hair a playful tug. “Be nice. Your mother is gorgeous.”
“Yes, she is, but does he have to talk about how hot she is in front of the children?”
The three adults cracked up laughing.
“Well, does he?”
“My apologies, son. I’ll try to refrain from discussing your mother’s hotness in front of you in the future.”
“Thank you. I don’t have to remind you there’re actual children in the house these days, do I?”
Nick’s lips quivered with suppressed laughter. “No, son, you don’t.”
“Let’s break out the brownies, Shelby!”
The twins clapped in support of Scotty’s declaration.
“What’s the magic word, sport?”
Scotty grinned from ear to ear. “Please.”
“You got it.”
Nick took hold of Sam’s hand. “Let’s make our escape while the brownies have everyone’s full attention.”
“Call us if you need anything, Shelby,” Sam said.
“We’ll be fine. Avery is finishing up a conference call in his car and then he’ll be in.”
“He could’ve used the office for that.”
“No worries. He doesn’t mind.”
They kissed the kids good-night, donned coats and headed for the front door, where Brant waited for them.
With his hand on the small of her back, Nick ushered Sam out ahead of him. They were whisked into the back of one of the always-ready black SUVs that waited at the curb. When they were buckled in, Sam turned to him.
“Where’re we going?”
“You’ll see.”