Chapter 11
AJ
Sam’s story took the fight right out of me.
Jesus, how could it not? How could I have a pity party for myself when Emma, Oliver, and their whole family had been struck so cruelly by tragedy?
My stomach felt tight, and the instinct to hug Sam was strong.
I knew he would see it as sympathy, though, and that was the last thing he would want.
Of course, I knew the risk of winter driving, but the reality of what could happen had never felt this real. “I’m sorry I put you in this situation, Sam, and for what happened to your family. I guess my problems sound pretty stupid to you.”
He shook his head and turned to face me.
“Misery isn’t a contest, or some race to the bottom.
We all go through shit. I’m sorry that your ex sucks.
And frankly, your coworkers are bullies and should mind their own business.
More importantly, I am honored you felt like you could tell me.
I rarely talked about Lauren, but I’m glad I told you. ”
My eyes roamed his face in the dim light of the truck.
He was half cloaked in shadow, but I could still see the honesty in his eyes.
We had only known each other for one day, but he had saved me from being hit by a car, he had invited me to meet the most important people in his life, and we had shared our most vulnerable selves.
I nodded. “I am too.” I pressed the tears from the corner of my eyes and sniffed. “We need a happier topic to talk about.”
“Abso-freaking-lutely,” he said, leaning back into his seat and gazing out his window. “Christmas plans?”
I blinked. Right, Christmas was coming up fast. I hadn’t been able to see much past this presentation. I hadn’t thought about gifts, plans, a tree, or cooking and baking. “I guess I will go to my parents’ house.” Man, I really needed to call them.
“Are you guys close?”
I frowned. “Yes and no.” As in yes, they want to be, and no, because I don’t make the effort.
“Do you ever run into someone you knew from high school and are momentarily surprised that they aren’t still eighteen years old?
Like you expected them to stay perfectly still while your life moved forward. ”
He nodded.
“It’s kind of like that with them. I just expect them to be sitting there waiting every time I come up for air.
” I swallowed. I knew these things about myself and our relationship.
Of course I did. But they were hitting differently now that I was admitting them out loud.
“They are always really patient and understanding. More than they should have to be, really. Your story makes me realize I shouldn’t be taking that for granted. ”
He patted my leg. “We all just do our best, AJ.”
I shook myself out of that train of thought. “What about you? Any holiday plans?”
He scratched that distractingly sexy stubble on his jaw and told me about his snowbird parents—about how they had been around more after Lauren died, but had decided to go south for the winter again.
He told me how he always works the holidays so his staff doesn’t have to.
He told me about the Legos he got the twins for Christmas and how cute they always looked in their matching pajamas.
He painted a picture that was simple, happy, and perfect.
I’d seen so many sides of him today. The strong and the vulnerable, the sweet and the sexy. It was that last one that I wanted to get to know better. “I loved getting to meet the kids and Katie today, but you know what my favorite part of our time at the shop was?”
“What’s that?”
“When you almost kissed me.”
He had been resting his head against his window, but he sat back up.
“You mean when you almost kissed me?” he replied.
I scoffed. “You totally started it. The real question is, are you going to finish it?” My breath caught in my chest. I had issued a challenge, and the way he lowered his head to look me fully in the eyes told me he planned to meet it.
The temperature in the cab of the truck had dropped since he’d last run the heater, and already my fingers and toes were getting cold, but a warmth was spreading through my core as I anticipated Sam’s touch.
“You know I’m a simple guy, AJ.” He draped his arm over the back of the seat. “If you want me to kiss you, just ask. If you want my hands on you, then just tell me, because we have all night.”
Holy hell. That was quite the invitation.
I was stuck in a snow globe, a hundred kilometers from anything but trees, with a big, gorgeous, capable man who was looking at me with warmth and interest. I slid closer, feeling the cold of the leather through my pants.
“Alright, Sam, then let’s take all night. ”
I grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him forward until my mouth met his.
Our noses mashed together, and he adjusted the angle.
Still, there was nothing sweet or hesitant about it.
Our lips smashed, teeth clacked, and tongues tangled.
It was uncoordinated and sloppy. It was feral and real.
A combination of sixteen-year-olds at the drive-in and adults with the weight of the world on their shoulders.
The only light in the cab was from the front of the washroom building across the parking lot, but I didn’t need to see him. I could work by feel, explore by instinct. I could close my eyes and just absorb every sensation.
A grunt escaped his lips, and I pulled him even closer before sliding my hands under his shirt and over the planes of his chest. I was met with a light dusting of hair covering a wall of solid muscle.
He was warm and strong under the palms of my hands, and so freaking doable that I could combust right there.
I needed to feel every inch of him, to explore every groove.
I needed to forget all the bullshit that came along with life and just focus on the singular goal of orgasms—lots and lots of orgasms. With that in mind, I pushed my boots against the floor, trying to slide across the seat, but I ended up bumping my knee into the gear shift.
Sam made to twist in his seat to face me directly, but he only succeeded in bumping his hip on the steering wheel. He growled in frustration.
I kicked my boots off, pulled my legs up on the seat, and crawled toward him.
Literally crawled. Not the most dignified move, but I hadn’t gotten laid in two years, and desperate times called for desperate measures.
I managed to maneuver one of my long legs over his body until I straddled him in the driver’s seat. Success.
“Damn, that was hot,” he said as he returned his lips to mine.
His hands explored what they could around my many layers of clothes.
It was frantic and messy and perfect. I grabbed the edges of the jacket I was wearing and yanked, pulling open every snap in one motion.
I still had three layers on underneath, but under the circumstances, it was the best I could do.
I had succeeded in getting my center lined up against his, and I could feel his rigid length through the denim of his jeans.
Knowing I was the reason his dick was straining against his zipper gave me a little jolt of courage, and I unabashedly curled my hips, creating friction where I needed it most.
We both moaned.
The sensation was amazing but not nearly enough.
“Jesus, you’re driving me crazy,” Sam panted, his hips starting to move now, his movements matching mine in a way that was quickly building pressure in my core.
I reached for the button of his jeans but didn’t have enough space. I huffed in frustration and pushed myself up on my knees to give myself room to work.
The sound of a horn pierced the air, and I froze, dropping back down and pulling my hands away like his dick was on fire. Blood drained from my face as I pictured us being caught by some unknown authority. “What the hell was that?”
In the dim light I could see the smile in Sam’s eyes. He cocked his head to the side. “Honey, you pushed the horn with your butt.”
I twisted around to see the offending horn. I covered my face with my hands and let out a frustrated laugh. “Doesn’t this stupid thing just have an air horn?”
Sam wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me to him. “It has a regular horn for traffic too.” I could feel the rumble of his laugh from where I rested my head on his chest.
My life was a mess.
I pushed myself to sitting. I was frustrated, dishevelled, embarrassed, and so very horny.
“I guess my moves are a little rusty.” I looked down to avoid seeing the look in his eyes, but that just meant I was looking at his dick.
A frustrated sound threatened to escape from my throat.
“I guess this is why people don’t have sex in cars after high school.
” It was a failed attempt at levity. Reluctantly, I leaned to the side to move back to my seat, but he caught me by the arm and pulled me back onto his lap.
“Why are you talking like we’re done here?” Sam slid his hands up the sides of my neck and gently pulled me forward until his lips found mine again.
Oh, thank God.
He slowed the pace, his tongue dancing over mine rather than attacking as mine did to his.
The heat that had abandoned my core returned with a new vigor.
His beard scraped against my chin and his fingers slid into my hair, and I took the time to breathe him in.
The last hint of days-old aftershave clung to his skin, along with a smell that was pure hardworking man.
It was intoxicating, and I wished I could go to bed every night with this smell on my pillow.
Snow covered the windshield, blocking the sound and light of the chaotic scene on the highway just a hundred feet away. It was romantic, serene, and beautiful. More perfect than any night I had ever shared with Stephen. There was just one thing missing.
I moved my lips away as he peppered lazy kisses down the side of my neck. “Sam.”
“Hmm?” he murmured against my heated skin.
“I appreciate the seduction you’re going for here, but if you don’t take your pants off, I’m going to take this into my own hands.”
Sam choked out a laugh. “Hell, why didn’t you say so?
” He unceremoniously picked me up by my hips and tossed me back to the passenger seat.
Before I could right myself, he had opened his driver’s door, jumped into the snow, and was digging in the back seat.
The wind had picked up in the time we had been parked, and its intrusion into the cab made me shiver.
Sam worked quickly, grabbing hard hats, vests, and papers from the back and dumping them all onto the driver’s seat. When he was done, the only thing left was a small pile of mismatched blankets, one oversized coat, and the widest back seat I had ever seen.
“Is that a bed?” The backseat was twice the width of a normal back seat. Nothing like my queen-size bed at home, but better than I was expecting.
“This rig has a sleeper cabin for long trips. Not exactly a Hilton, but no chance of hitting the horn with your butt.”
I shot him a look.
“I would have thought of it earlier, but I wasn’t getting a lot of blood to the brain.” He slid his seat all the way forward, moved his big frame lithely into the back seat, and slammed the door behind him.
I grabbed the blanket I’d had on my lap and scrambled into the back seat.