Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
“I’m glad you’re here,” Sam said, blowing on her hot chocolate across from Taylor.
“Me too,” replied Taylor, giving her a lopsided smile.
She was still stunned this woman in front of her had literally paddled out in the darkness to her boat, to her. Never in a million years did she expect to see Taylor standing on the water by the back of the boat—she thought she was seeing things.
Her heart had filled at Taylor’s apology. While they weren’t any closer to knowing what to do, she at least felt like they were on the same team again. Taylor had lowered her walls and was hopefully ready to let her in.
“So, you mentioned before about us not having answers?” Sam said.
Taylor nodded.
“Well, yesterday I was actually coming to you with one, but I don’t think you were ready to hear it.”
“You’re probably right. I was in a foul mood. Even Jess was pissed at me.”
“Good. No offence.”
“None taken. You have her to thank, partly, for me being here tonight.”
“Oh really?”
“Let’s just say she overheard a lot—if not all—of our, uh, one-sided conversation. If you could even call it that. And she talked some sense into me.”
“I’m just glad you listened—to both of us. Even if you weren’t ready to talk, sometimes it works out for the best. It gives you time to process, recalibrate and let those negative feelings settle so you can zoom out and look at the bigger picture.”
“True on all fronts there. I felt so much better today, even before I came here.”
Sam reached over to squeeze her hand. “I’m happy to hear it. So, back to my idea…”
“Oh, yes.” Taylor sat focused and present, a far cry from the day before.
“You’re great with tools and boats. Especially strippers and dikes,” Sam winked.
“Yeah.”
“You love paddleboarding.”
“Check.”
“Belle now loves the water.”
“Are you just listing random facts?”
“You can work from anywhere?”
“Okay, and questions. Yes, I can. Where is this go?—”
“Do you want to come with me? Well, specifically, you and Belle? It’s a crazy idea, I know. And it’s so, so early in our relationship, but also, it maybe makes sense? If the last few weeks have taught me anything, it’s that I know I love spending time with you. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met, you drive me wild—in more ways than one—and now I’m rambling so bad and need to actually give you time to answer me. Not that you need to answer right at this very moment.” Sam realised just how fast she was breathing when she finally stopped talking, nerves making the ends of her fingers tingle as she clung to her mug in hope.
“Wow.” Taylor blinked.
“Wow—good or wow—bad?” Sam checked.
“Honestly, I’m just surprised I didn’t think of it as an option before. I kept running through long-distance plans, what it would look like, if I could hack it.” She scratched at her chin as Sam waited.
“Huh.” A slow grin spread across her face. “Fuck it.”
“Seriously?”
“You know I love an adventure. Some of my best memories are from my trip around Australia. Why not make more on the open seas?”
Taylor sat for a moment longer, mulling it over. “I honestly can’t think of a single reason not to, so yeah, fuck it.”
Sam leaned over the small table and kissed her on the lips. “I can’t believe we might actually be doing this,” she said, sitting back down.
“Me, either. This is so crazy.”
“SO crazy. Talk about jumping in the deep end. Literally.”
Taylor chuckled as they both sat, smiling at each other with stupid grins. “I feel like we’ve just opened up a whole other can of worms, with even more questions and no more answers.”
“Can that be tomorrow Taylor and Sam’s problem?”
“Mmyeah, why?”
“Because I haven’t spent time with you in days, and I feel like we need to catch up.”
“We do.”
“With less clothes.”
“Oh. Oh !” Taylor said, finally catching on.
Taylor knelt on the bed, pulling her hoodie and T-shirt over her head when she paused. “Before I forget, should I tie down the board on the deck?”
“Nah, it’ll be fine.” Sam took the clothes off her and flung them into a storage compartment. “There’s no wind tonight, which was one of the reasons I came out here.”
“And to get away from me,” Taylor winced.
She was half right.
“To get away from everyone, really. Get some space to think, and some downtime.” She flicked off the main cabin lights, leaving only the string of fairy lights softly glowing above them. “I know it’s going to get super busy organising everything, from the trip to the sale of the business over the next few weeks. So, when I saw the perfect weather for the weekend ahead, I just ran with it.”
“Makes sense.”
“Plus, the privacy is a nice perk.” Sam smirked. And one of the reasons she wasn’t going to miss her home wedged between a storage yard and a business. They could make all the noise in the world out here.
“I like the sound of that.” Taylor crawled over to her, running her hands under Sam’s top and sliding it off to join hers. Bras followed next, no mucking around this time.
Both kneeling, they sighed in unison as they pressed their torsos together, skin to skin. The warmth and feeling something Sam hadn’t been able to get out of her head since their first night together.
“Seriously the best feeling in the world,” Sam murmured, as their breasts brushed together.
“I mean, I could think of something better,” Taylor replied, eyebrow raised as her hands caressed Sam’s arms and bare back. The touch making her break out in tingles all the way to her toes.
“Touché.”
She leaned further into the touch, then remembered she wanted tonight to be all about Taylor. She’d bared herself to Sam earlier, coming here was a huge risk. Sam knew Taylor was pushing through her own walls to take this chance with her, overcoming her own demons. She respected someone who could take these risks and own up to their mistakes and behaviour. Now, it was time to show that appreciation.
Sam plunged her hands into Taylor’s hair, claiming her mouth in a searing kiss.
Taylor dragged her hands down Sam’s back in a move that was all heat. Gone were the soft caresses, replaced with desperation from both sides as Sam moved her lips over Taylor’s.
Sam palmed at Taylor’s breast, rolling the nipple between her fingers as it pebbled beneath her touch. She finished with a pinch, just on the edge of pain. Taylor hissed into her mouth, her hips pushing into Sam, which only fired her up even more.
Having this kind of power over someone was such a turn-on. Sam loved this side of her that had awakened—knowing exactly what she wanted and going for it. No fear, no second-guessing, no messing around this time.
She pushed Taylor down onto the bed with a thump. She almost thought it was too rough until she saw Taylor’s eyes flash with desire, a wicked grin appearing across her face.
Not too rough, then. Sam grinned back.
She straddled her next, dragging her nails down Taylor’s chest, flattening out her palm on her stomach, and stopping at the waistband. Taylor lifted her hips in response, as Sam scooched to the side to pull off her pants, underwear and all.
Taylor huffed as they caught on her ankles. “Off!” she said, kicking at them in desperation until they fell somewhere in the main cabin.
Sam settled herself between Taylor’s legs, kissing her stomach as she toyed with her nipples once again. With each press of her lips, she moved herself lower, lower and lower still until she was kissing Taylor’s inner thighs. A sensitive spot, if her writhing and hums were anything to go by.
While she had slept with Taylor, they hadn’t done this yet. Nerves pricked at her slightly with the thought: what if she didn’t do it right, or Taylor didn’t like it?
Stop . She almost nodded and stopped herself just shy of headbutting Taylor’s thigh. She focused on what she wanted to do, how she wanted to make Taylor feel.
Sam lightly blew right on Taylor’s centre. The sharp intake of breath urged her on. She pushed Taylor’s knees up, placing a final open-mouthed kiss on her thigh before licking straight up her sex. Taylor clawed at the sheets, then gripped Sam’s wrist as Sam began using her tongue in earnest—stroking, pressing, gliding.
So this was what it was like to taste another woman.
She sucked Taylor’s clit into her mouth next, eliciting a groan from Taylor as she squeezed at her arm. She pressed on, literally, pushing with her tongue as she sucked on Taylor’s most sensitive spot. The writhing intensified as Sam reached up to roll Taylor’s nipple between her fingers at the same time.
“Jesus Christ,” Taylor breathed out. “You can… umm.” She seemed at a loss for words. Sam flicked her eyes up, Taylor had hers squeezed shut, biting her lip.
Sam stopped, lightly caressing her hand over Taylor’s stomach. “Yes?”
“Don’t stop,” Taylor practically panted, her eyes latching onto Sam’s. The heat radiated between them as they both caught their breath. “You can try with your fingers… as well… if you want to.”
Sam grinned wickedly, trailing a finger straight between Taylor’s folds, teasing at her entrance. “With pleasure.”
Sam slowly eased a finger in as she continued to stroke with her tongue, settling into a maddening rhythm that had Taylor’s hips lifting off the bed. Sam was so turned on, her own hips began trying to find friction on the bed beneath her.
Later .
Sensing Taylor was close, Sam wrapped her lips around her clit once more, sucking hard as she added a second finger, pumping at the same time.
Taylor cried out, arching completely off the bed before collapsing back, her arm flung over her eyes as she laughed breathlessly, her body shuddering as she came down off her high.
“Fucking wow.” Taylor laughed again. “Holy shit.”
Sam chuckled along with her, sitting up and slowly removing her fingers, making Taylor jerk once more. “Good?” she asked, her head tilting to the side with a salacious grin. She wiped at her mouth.
“Understatement of the year. Now get up here.” Taylor held out her arms as Sam collapsed on her. “Holy shit.”
“You already said that.” Sam giggled.
“It needs to be said again.” She looked at Sam. “Honestly, that was amazing, Ham. I haven’t always been able to come that way with someone, but I didn’t want to put that in your head beforehand. So when I say I’m surprised, I mean I’m happy with myself too. That was truly amazing.”
“Wow. Well now I’m honoured, and I’m glad you hadn’t told me. I was already a little nervous to try, but my own excitement outweighed that by a long shot.”
“Speaking of your excitement, we aren’t done yet,” said Taylor as she flipped them over with ease, claiming her mouth in a hot kiss.
Sam squinted as the light streamed right in her eyes. She propped herself up on her elbow, Taylor lay bare next to her, arm flung behind her head, hair mussed. She smiled as the memories of last night flooded in.
Somebody pinch her. If this was a glimpse of their future, she was one very happy woman. While she knew there were a lot of details to sort, it felt like things were heading in the right direction. No matter the amount of work she now had to do, including not only accommodating another human on board, but a doggo as well.
Her thoughts went to her dad. It was time to walk out of that closet and tell him everything so there were no more big secrets hanging over her head. She was sick of holding it all in. Not when it felt this good. If Jase could do it, so could she. At least she knew Larry would probably be happy about her news. That thought alone made it a little less scary, a little more achievable. She clung onto that hope.
Taylor blinked her eyes open, landing directly on Sam.
“Were you watching me sleep?” Taylor rubbed at her eyes, her other hand reaching out to tangle their fingers together.
“You are extremely cute in the morning, and what was it you said? ‘ I’m just appreciating the view ’?” Sam tilted her head, smirking down at Taylor.
“Right back at you.” Taylor’s eyes trailed along her body.
Sam looked down, she’d forgotten they were both still naked, the sheet only just covering her waist. The fact she was so comfortable like this around Taylor in the light of day made her heart leap.
Taylor rolled to face her, letting go of Sam’s hand to trail her fingers along the curve of her hips. “I had the best sleep last night,” she murmured, eyes following her fingers on Sam. The movement made goosebumps spring up along her torso as she shivered under the touch. “I think I could get used to this.”
Sam closed her eyes. “Me too.”
“I guess you better tell me these plans of yours. See if we can actually make a go of this crazy idea.”
So they went through everything: how far ahead Sam had planned, her stopovers, expected weather patterns (luckily, they were heading into Summer, the best time to start the trip), food staples, budgets… There were so many things to consider.
They also talked about all the question marks with the trip if they did this together. What about Taylor’s job? How would Jess feel if she broke the lease on their rental? Would Belle be comfortable on the boat? The last one was a hard limit for Taylor, so it looked like they’d be doing another sleepover on the boat with the three of them to test things out.
Taylor sat across from Sam on the couch, leaning back in thought, papers scattered everywhere over the table, and Sam’s laptop sat out with a million tabs open.
“This is a pretty big commitment for a new relationship. Are we insane for doing this?” Taylor said, echoing Sam’s thoughts as they stared at everything out in front of them.
“Probably, but it feels right. In here.” Sam placed her hand over her heart. “Everything with you has been about following my gut. I mean, when is ‘the right time’ to do anything in life? It’s what it means for us. I want this to work, but I’m also happy to build in some safeguards for us if it all turns sour. I won’t lie, living in such close quarters together is going to be a pressure cooker environment.”
“Having lived in the van already, I know I can do small spaces for long periods, so that shouldn’t be an issue for me. And as for us, I feel the same. I want this to work. I know we’ll figure it out.”
Taylor’s confidence in them was reassuring, especially to know they were both on the same wavelength.
They continued going through all the questions and options they could think of until they’d worn themselves out.
Sam was relieved, though, that Taylor had kept her promise. She’d been open to discussing all the details, even without all the answers. She hadn’t shied away from any topics and they’d managed to already sort out a number of things—namely, Taylor putting herself forward for managing the boat, making sure it would be shipshape before their departure, as well as being Sam’s liveaboard maintenance queen. How had she got so lucky?
Matt had just flipped the closed sign on the window and locked the front door, making it the perfect time for Sam to talk to her dad. It was now or never.
“Hey Dad?” Sam asked, still sitting at the computer so she couldn’t see his face over the other side of the counter.
“Yeah?” He neatened up some rope, looping each offcut so it was ready to put out the next day.
“Um, I just wanted to let you know that Taylor is my girlfriend.”
“I know, you introduced us already.”
She tried to bite her tongue.
“No, I mean, we’re dating. She’s my girlfriend , not just a friend.”
“I figured as much,” he said, no change in his movements as he continued his usual closing routine. “We should have her over for dinner on my boat one night.”
“That’s it?”
His brows furrowed as he came around the counter to look at her. “What do you mean? Should we do more than dinner?”
“No, the dinner’s fine. I just… I dunno… expected a bigger reaction to me coming out to you.”
Her dad just shrugged, a smile on his lips. “You’re an adult, and you seem happy. Lighter. And that’s all I could want for my kid.” His face crinkled at the edges. “Plus, you talk about Taylor a lot , so it wasn’t too hard to put two and two together. Oh, and walking in on you two almost kissing was a pretty big giveaway as well.” He chuckled to himself.
“Oh, you saw that, huh?” Sam’s face heated at the memory. At least that was all he saw. She got up from her chair and crossed the space to wrap her arms around him. He stopped what he was doing to hug her back, a big bear of a hug that made her feel so loved.
“What’s this for?” he asked.
“Everything.” She squeezed him. “Being so cool and understanding with me, sorting out everything with the business… I’m so lucky to have you in my life.” She pulled away, eyes getting unexpectedly teary. Having built up and put off the conversation for as long as she had made her realise all the emotions she’d been hanging onto, wearing on her constantly. Stepping out to the other side? It felt good. Really good.
His hands landed on her shoulders as he looked down at her. “You okay?”
She wiped at her eyes and sniffed. “Yeah, they’re good tears. I’m just relieved.”
“Oh, Sammy.”
He pulled her in for another hug. “You know you can always talk to me. No matter what it is.” He rubbed at her back, and she felt like she was six again. “I’m proud of you for following your dreams and your heart. You know Mum would be happy too.”
That set her off again. “Thanks Dad.” She sniffled into his shirt, then pulled away to collect herself.
“Oh, there’s one more thing. I think Taylor is going to come with me on my trip.”
“Wow, that’s a big step for you both.”
“It sure is. We have a lot to work out, but if there’s anyone I’d want on the boat with me, it’s Taylor.”
“Well I admit, it does make your old man glad you wouldn’t be alone. Especially with someone as handy as she is. Larry’s been raving about her too. Hey, maybe we can all meet up at one point along the journey, depending on when I leave and where I end up.”
“I’d love that.” She grinned at her dad, thankful to have their relationship back on track.