Chapter 8
EIGHT
FINN
I woke to find the bed empty. Yawning, my gaze roamed the room until I spotted Sami. “Where you off to so early?” Relief flooded me even as I noticed she was racing around. Had she been trying to sneak out before I woke up?
Last night, with Sami in my arms, I’d slept better than I have since I left the service. I’d wanted a leisurely morning with her, but she was doing everything she could to avoid my gaze.
“I’ve got the opening shift at the cafe.” She tugged on her jeans, then moved quickly to my bedroom door. Leaning against the frame, she yanked on her shoes, then ran a hand through her tangled hair.
I had done that. Mussed up all those silky waves. Her lips were still bright red and slightly swollen from our kisses. One night with her was not going to be enough. I suspected it before, but I knew it now. I was keeping her. Her declaration of it being otherwise? Challenge accepted.
“Okay, so when can I see you again?”
Finally, she looked at me, but the expression on her face was unreadable.
“You want to see me again?” Her question so unexpected that I threw off the covers, forgetting I was still naked, and walked to her. My morning wood was not one bit affected by the rush of cool air. Ignoring Sami’s gasp, she’d just have to deal. It wasn’t like she hadn’t become very familiar with that part of my anatomy. If fact, both it and I wanted her back in bed, now.
“Of course, I want to see you again. I thought after last night, earlier this morning, you felt the same.”
Sami tipped her head back and sighed. “Could you cover…” she waved at my erection, “that…please.” How can someone who was so enthusiastic and responsive, three times in one night, now seem so unsure of herself? It wasn’t adding up, especially since I could see her pearled nipples pressing against the top she wore. She was as turned on as I was.
Grabbing one of the pillows off the bed, I covered my mid-section. “Better?” I barked out sharply. Never had a woman had me all tied up in knots like this one.
“Yes. Thanks.” She still wasn’t looking directly at me, but somewhere over my shoulder. What had I missed?
“Tell me what’s going on, Sami.” It took all my self-control not to pull her into my arms. She obviously needed space. When she finally met my gaze, uncertainty filled her eyes. “I promise, whatever is going on, I won’t be upset.” Had my heart ever thundered so hard? Nerves like I’d never felt slammed into me while I waited for her to answer.
“I, last night, was great. Beyond great. And I don’t regret it. I just… you… know…” her left arm waved toward the bed, “you knew last night was all I wanted. I’m not looking to get into anything serious or even semi-serious right now. I know it’s a cliché, but I really did just end a relationship, and it was messy. All I have to give right now was this one time.”
The heartbreak in her voice was subdued, yet it set off yet another brand new sensation within me. I’d never been the jealous type, but I wanted to track her ex down and beat him to a pulp for hurting Sami. I didn’t care how it ended. She obviously was still dealing with whatever had happened. She deserved to be treated like the sassy, beautiful goddess she was.
And I needed to tell her I wanted to be that man. I’ve never been good at sharing my feelings, no matter what they were, or who they were directed at, but I sensed if I didn’t tell her now, before she walked out my door, exactly how I felt about her, I wouldn’t get another chance.
“Alright, I get that I really do. And this all happened quick, but Sami…there’s this…this ache I have for you. I wish I could explain it better, but from the moment I saw you. It was instant. Like a damn bell ringing in my head. A signal telling me you’re the one. That you could be the one, if you wanted to be, that is. God, I’m screwing this up. Tell me we can talk more later. I know you’ve got work, and?—”
“Stop. Okay? I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t feel an instant connection, too. But I’m so not in a place where I can commit to anything more than what we just shared.” She took a step into the hallway, and I thought she was going to leave without saying anything else and I reacted without thinking.
Moving as if I was on fire, I caught up to her and pulled her into my arms. But I paused before doing what I really wanted to do. Craved to do. After a short standoff, thankfully, she did it for me.
She kissed me. Hard. Her tongue pushed between my lips, and I moaned. Long and deep. Slow and soft, the kiss went on as the woman in my arms, my woman, melted against me.
Pulling apart was agony. I dipped my head into her neck and breathed in her scent. She shuddered, then pushed her hands against my chest.
“You dropped the pillow.” Her sweet smile and bright eyes shined up at me.
“That’s all you have to say? After that kiss. Tell me we’ll talk later.” I growled the demand. I had a bad habit of doing that with her. She brought out my inner caveman. “Please?”
Her eyes flared, then she snorted. Even that turned me. Man, I was so gone over this female.
Shaking her head, she let out an exasperated sigh. “Lord, you’re like a dog with a bone, aren’t you? What if we take things a day at a time? Because, if I’m honest, I can’t pass up more of that .” She nodded her head toward the bed.
“Now, I really do have to go. Or Ms. Clara is going to know what I did last night, because I won’t have time to go home and change.” Sami patted my ass, winked, then walked down the hall and disappeared around the corner. Once I heard the click of the front door, I let out the sigh I’d been holding back.
Her sassy spark had returned, thank god, but I wasn’t going to let her hesitance at anything long-term get me down. She was mine, and I intended to keep her so satisfied and show her how a real man treated a woman that any doubts she had about being with me would be short-lived.
Four days later, I wasn’t any closer to convincing Sami that what we had could be long term than when I began. Anytime I tried to mention the future, she changed the subject or distracted me with all those sexy curves of hers.
She flat out refused to go anywhere in public with me. I was smart enough to not push things with her, yet.
So tonight, I ventured out on my own to support Hank.
It appeared as I walked in the door that the Beer and Darts Night at The Rusty Elk was a success. It looked as if not all, but most of the men I’d met at one time or another were in attendance. The former marine with a big heart had done good.
I slid onto a barstool, nodded to Marilee, who was working behind the bar tonight, and waited until Hank finished his conversation with Mason Reid, the local doctor from Riverbend Clinic. Seeing the doc reminded me that I’d probably should schedule an appointment to talk to him about the latest ache in my knee. I was pretty sure it was just scar-tissue build-up from an IED injury, which luckily hadn’t sent me home in a box, but I’d put it off long enough. I was hoping it was just arthritis. That and the gray hairs showing up at my temples were just the latest reminders that at forty-two, life was moving faster than I’d wanted. That and splitting wood for my fireplace was damn hard work. Too bad I didn’t have any kids around to take over that chore.
Since I’d found Sami, thoughts of becoming a father had been bombarding me at the oddest moments. Like anytime I saw a kid in the General Store, or every time I was with Sami, and I imagined a little girl with her dark brown eyes.
“Hey, Finn. Good to see you. Been awhile.” Dawson sat down, followed by Griff. Both men had served around the same time as me. And out of the three of us, it wasn’t even a contest to who looked the most eager to bolt. Griff won that contest hands down.
Socializing had never been easy for me either, but with Sami in my life, hopefully for good, I knew I needed to make more of an effort. “Hey back. Either one of you good at darts?”
“Nah, just here for the beer special.” Griff replied.
“I seem to recall you were pretty good back in the day, Finn. So, I think I’ll pass.” Dawson chuckled.
It’s probably a good thing since I wasn’t up for a game either. For the next half hour, we made small talk, which was a good start. Hank seemed pleased with the turnout and hopefully some of the other men that had shown up had gotten something out of it. The first step was always the hardest, whether it was making a new friend or sharing part of your past.
By the time Hank was finally freed up, Clara had arrived. The last time I was in the cafe, she’d looked like the cat who swallowed the canary. Even though I was pretty sure Sami hadn’t shared with her what we’d been doing, it was kind of hard for me to hide my feelings whenever I was around her.
After saying my goodbyes to the fellas, I stopped to chat with the couple now holed up in the far corner. They made a good pair, and not for the first time I wondered how they had found each other.
“Hi, Finn. So glad you made it.” Clara smiled. “Sit with us.”
“Thanks, but I’m on my way out. I’m, uh, working on a project I need to finish up.” That wasn’t a total lie. I was working on a new series outline for my agent to submit to a variety of publishers. But that didn’t need finishing until next week. What I really wanted to do was swing by Sami’s place.
“Oh, yeah. You know I’ve never really understood what it is you do. You know Sami is starting up a business out of her house. Something to do with graphics and marketing and such. Maybe she could help you with whatever it is you do?”
Hank said something under his breath which sounded an awful lot like, “leave them be,” but I knew what Clara was up to. And if I thought it would help my cause, I’d break my promise and recruit her to help with my stubborn barista.
“Is that so? Well, I’m not sure about that, but I appreciate the information.” I nodded at Hank. “I’ll see you next Monday, Clara. Enjoy the rest of your night.” I knew about Sami’s design background, and she’d mentioned something about working on setting up her website tonight.
The weather had continued to be unseasonably warm, and I’d ridden my Harley tonight. If she didn’t want to be seen out with me in public, fine. But I wasn’t on board with spending the night without her. Whether it was my dick or my heart leading me didn’t matter.
Securing my helmet, I pointed the bike toward Sami’s house.