Chapter 42
Sam
WE GET ABOUT one minute past the proposal before the door opens and Neesha is striding purposefully back into the room, her combat boots ka-thumping on the cold floor. When her gaze lands on us, it morphs from confused to downright joyous.
“Well, that’s adorable,” she says, “but we need to go.”
Colin and I rise to standing and he checks his watch. “I should probably get back to the hotel and change.”
My core heats at the dirty thoughts that immediately go through my head. “Same,” I manage to say.
He gives me a heated look, and I’m willing to bet he’s got the same ideas as me.
“Sure. But I meant that the Vegas team is coming in, and Scott’s blowing up my phone to talk to you,” she says to Colin.
Colin nods. “I’ll talk to him, but we need to play the match first.”
“I’ll tell him,” she agrees.
“It’s not your job to be the go-between,” Colin says, making certain to look directly at Neesha as he speaks. “But I appreciate you doing that. Let’s get out of here.”
We step out of the room and find Sullivan Adams waiting for us. Colin curses, and Sullivan chuckles. “It’s okay, Coach,” he says, waving a small spiral pad at him. “I know where to find you.”
“Thank you,” Colin says, clearly relieved at whatever it is that has him so worked up. “I owe you.”
“That you do,” the other man says with a smile. “See you later.”
Neesha gestures the two of us ahead. “I’ll catch a different ride.”
Colin threads his hand through mine as we leave and keeps it there as he pulls his phone out to call for a rideshare. He grabs it again as soon as we’re in the car, pulling our hands up to kiss the back of mine. The way he looks at me is filled with pure adoration, and it makes my stomach flip.
Everything changes as the elevator doors close.
I watch as Colin’s hand curls tighter around mine, then let my gaze travel up the beautifully cut suit, the crisp white shirt, the perfect knot of his teal blue tie.
His throat bobs as he swallows, his jaw ticking beneath his beard.
And his eyes. I catch my breath at the sight of them.
Heated. Wanting. My pulse races as we exit onto our floor, my hand tucked securely into Colin’s as he walks smoothly down the carpeted hallway.
He doesn’t let me go as he reaches for his key and guides me into his room.
I can’t breathe.
He proposed.
I said yes.
We should be in front of a judge right this instant, explaining why we don’t want to be married. And instead, I’m stepping into Colin’s room.
My husband’s room.
He pulls me through the suite and to the edge of the bed, his expression saying everything his words don’t.
He loves me. Eyes dark with want, he lifts the strap of my purse off my shoulder and lets it fall to the floor.
Fingers trail up my exposed arm, goosebumps following in their wake.
His lips press to my shoulder, warm and soft, moving up as I tilt my neck to give him access.
His tongue licks a path up the column of my throat and I groan, finally letting my hands move to his suit jacket, pushing it up and off.
“Sam.” It’s pained.
“How much time?” I pant, yanking at his tie. God, he’s hot like this. Want and restraint. Need and respect.
“Not enough.” He sucks on my collarbone, his mouth hot. “Never enough.” A hand brushes the side of my breast.
I’m going to combust.
I free the tie’s knot and pull it off, the sound of silk against starched cotton ratcheting up my pulse. “Buttons.”
He pulls his shirt out of his pants and undoes his cuffs as I work the tiny torture devices free at the top of his shirt.
We meet in the middle and he shrugs it off, then pulls his undershirt off, his chest finally bare for my starving gaze.
Dark hair brushes across his pecs and down, thickening and narrowing as it disappears into his pants.
“Samantha.” A plea.
I meet his eyes.
“Tell me –” He stops, his throat working.
I know what he needs to hear, so I say it. “I love you. I’m not going anywhere.”
His eyes flare with relief. This time, he sinks to his knees with control, pressing his lips to my stomach before lowering his head, a breath heaving his shoulders up and down.
I thread my fingers through his hair, eliciting a choked grunt from him. He drags his hands down the backs of my legs, pulling off one heel and then the next before reaching to undo my pants. They come off as I remove my top, leaving me in my bra and panties.
A ding sounds from his discarded jacket.
We ignore it, his teeth latching and scraping around my hip as his fingers thread into my underwear and slide them down. A needy sound comes out of me, and he groans, his mouth moving to my pubic bone as his thumbs spread me. I sigh as his lips meet my flesh, my hands flexing in his hair.
“I missed this.” His eyes lock onto mine, his mouth pressing against me.
“Missed the taste of you.” He delivers a long lick, and my whole body shudders.
He surges up, angling me so that I fall onto the bed, then goes back to his knees and yanks me forward, putting my feet on his shoulders and leaning in to feast on me.
I moan, unintelligible sounds coming out as he takes his time with me.
Within moments, my legs are shaking, my back arching, his name coming out of my mouth like a chant as he takes me higher and higher.
“Colin, Colin, Colin, fuck, Colin.” The edge comes quickly, and he pulls me over it with ease, my body lighting up as every synapse within me tingles with pleasure.
He guides my feet down so they dangle off the bed, then eases himself up as his mouth drags up my stomach, kissing and nipping.
I reach for his waist, undoing the belt and pants to shove them down.
He’s in his usual thin cotton boxers and they go next, sliding off with an ease I have never fully appreciated until this exact moment.
I wrap my hand around his length as he grunts, his hips jerking as I tighten my grip and pull. “Need you,” I whisper. “Now. Please.”
He cradles my head in one hand and puts the other at my lower back, then lifts and moves me up the bed once, twice before I feel the soft pillows at my neck.
I spread my legs and he lowers himself into their cradle, our mouths meeting as I move a hand down to find him again.
He lets me guide him to my entrance, and his tongue licks into my mouth as he pushes in.
My whole body relaxes as I receive him, my knees raising as his hand moves to lift my bottom. The move is so familiar that tears spring to my closed eyes.
He pulls out and pushes in again, going onto one elbow to hold himself up. I blink my eyes open and the tears fall out.
“Sunshine,” he whispers, kissing them away tenderly as his hips move.
“I’m okay,” I promise, giving him a watery smile. I take a deep breath, whooshing it out as he pushes into me.
Another ping comes from his phone. Our eyes meet and his crinkle in amusement. “Say it again,” he urges as we move.
“I love you.”
He smiles as our bodies come together. “I love you.”
We kiss again, the kiss becoming frantic as he picks up the pace. Pleasure curls deep inside as I tighten my grip on him, my nails digging into his back. “Again,” he begs.
“I love you.”
He squeezes his eyes tight. Thrusts.
He hits deep and I gasp the words. “I love you.”
He moans, dropping his forehead to mine as he connects with me again.
“I love you. I love you. I love you. Colin.” His name gusts out of me as he goes even deeper.
“Love you so much,” he whispers. His teeth find my shoulder as he moves, one hand pulling on the hair at the back of my neck as the other grips my ass, his hips losing rhythm as he chases his orgasm.
I’m already there, my muscles contracting around him as I come, heightening the feel of him pulsing inside me as his climax hits. He kisses my neck, my jaw, cheek, other cheek, before crashing his mouth to mine, both of us clinging tightly to the other as we ride it out.
When it subsides, we breathe. Sharing the air, our lips nearly touching as he presses his forehead to mine. My legs stay tight on his hips, his arms locked around my body.
“I love you.” He whispers the words, his voice hoarse. “I love you so much. I can’t say it enough. I love you.”
I push his hair off his forehead, relishing the way his eyes close like a cat’s. The way he moves into it shamelessly, wanting the contact. As if the weeks of separation have taken something vital from him, and the only way he’ll get it back is through touch.
His phone pings and he groans. “I need to get that.” He makes no move to do so.
I kiss the spot on his cheek where beard meets skin. “You do.”
It pings again.
We kiss.
Another ping.
With a soft curse, he lifts out of my hold, kissing his way down my chest and stomach before rising to grab his pants and pluck out his phone.
“It’s Scott.”
I rise up on my elbows, enjoying the show. A butt that won’t quit and thick leg muscles that bunch and release as he moves. “You should call him.”
He sighs. “I need to keep my head in the game.”
I raise an eyebrow and gesture at my body. “What was this?”
A devilish grin crosses his face. “That was absolutely getting my head in the game.”
A snort escapes me. “Sure it was.”
He grows serious. “Sam.”
My chest squeezes as he tosses the phone on the bed and faces me.
“You know I might not have a job after this.”
“You didn’t have to –” I start.
“I absolutely had to,” he interrupts. “I’m not hiding what we have. Not anymore. Not ever again.” A side of his lips hooks up. “I only mention the no-job thing because you might be the breadwinner for a bit.”
I look at him archly. “You better not have a problem with that.”
He holds a palm to his bare chest and lowers his head. “It would be my honor to be a kept man,” he says reverently.
I laugh and sit up, catching the time on the clock. “We need to go. Text him at least, yeah?”
“Yeah,” he agrees, wrapping his hands around my ankles and pulling me toward him. “After I fuck you in the shower.”