Chapter 14 Sam
SAM
The Bow is your classic Irish pub with dark wood furniture, warm lighting, leather booths, TV flickering overhead, and taps flowing with good beer. Cozy. Loud. Familiar.
We weave through the packed dining room toward the back booth where Sin and Drew are seated. Olivia leads and I hang back, just behind Millie.
I want to be beside Olivia, close enough to touch her, smell her perfume, feel the addicting fizz that sparks between us. But here we are, surrounded by her friends and her son, and any hope for a quiet moment alone evaporates as we settle in.
And the drive over here didn’t count. Millie nudged me into the back seat and monopolized my time. She’s a nice woman and I was more than happy to talk shop, but I’m here for Olivia. And at least for now, I don’t see much alone time in our near future.
“Hey, darlin’.” Jonah greets Sin with a kiss on the cheek.
Sin reaches for me next, her laughter full of trouble as she pulls me into a hug. “Sam, it’s so good to see you.”
Her gaze ping-pongs between Olivia and me while she waggles her eyebrows and Jonah joins in on the fun. Both clearly love the chance to bug their best friend.
Jonah fist-bumps Drew before sliding into the booth beside Sin. He pats the seat next to him, inviting Millie to join. Solid move. I like him even more now. Olivia takes the spot beside Drew, and I grin foolishly as I plant myself on the end of the banquette, beside her. Victory.
Once drinks and food arrive, I relax into the rhythm of the conversation. I take in Olivia and how she interacts with her people, how her laugh lingers longer when she’s with them. She’s radiant like this. Grounded. Real.
Watching her among the people who know her best is how I’ll truly get to know her. Not through questions or grand declarations, but moments like this.
“Drew, how’s school?” Jonah wraps his hand around his beer. “Still headed for law school?”
He shrugs. “Good. Just glad exams are done. And yeah, that’s still the plan.”
Olivia adds gently, “Honey, the plan can change if you want it to. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I know, Mom. But this is what I want.”
“What does Erin say?” Sin pushes a blonde lock behind her ear. “She once told me she wishes she’d taken a year off before going to law school.”
“Yeah, we talked.” His tone tightens. “I’m going to do what I want to do.”
I can’t see his face from this angle, but I hear it, that shift in energy. The edge. Whether it’s the topic or the mention of Erin, he’s done talking.
A tall man with light hair approaches, arm wrapped around the shoulders of a pretty blonde teen. Her eyes bounce across the booth, freezing when they hit Sin.
“Pippa, what are you doing here?” Sin gasps, nearly pushing Jonah and Millie out of the booth.
“I found her in the kitchen talking to Lou.” The man wears a grim expression as he runs a hand through his hair. He glances around the table. “Hey everyone.”
“Hi, Colin,” Olivia says, and both Jonah and Drew chime in with greetings. Olivia quickly introduces us; Colin is Sin’s husband.
“What’s going on?” Sin’s gaze pins her daughter in place. “Who’s watching Tom and Claire?”
“Mom, Claire is taking care of Tommy. I just came to ask Lou if he’d take me driving this weekend.”
“Have you ever heard of a phone?” Sin’s tone sharpens. “You should have called Lou. Young lady, you’re supposed to be watching your brother and sister. Claire cannot be alone with Tom. Seriously, Pippa, what am I going to do with you?”
Without waiting a beat for her daughter to respond, she continues, “And you can forget about driving with Lou this weekend. You’re grounded and we’re no longer paying you for babysitting your brother and sister since you’ve no clue what that means.”
“Mom, seriously.” Pippa grabs at her hair in frustration. “Claire’s ten. I was going to be gone thirty minutes, tops.”
Colin turns his daughter to face him. “You know better. Claire isn’t old enough to babysit. That’s why we asked you to do it. Let’s go.”
“I don’t need you to take me home. I’m seventeen now and can get home by myself.” She ends her gripe with a twist of her lips.
Sin waves Jonah and Millie out so she can slide from the booth. “You’re not walking home alone in the dark.”
“I don’t need a chaperone.” Pippa crosses her arms and glares at both parents. They exchange a look, equal parts exasperation and exhaustion.
“Hey, Aunt Sin, Uncle Colin, I can take her home,” Drew says.
Turning, Pippa’s gaze lands on Drew, and instantly, she softens. Her cheeks heat a dark pink and she tucks a blonde strand behind her ear as she shifts from spunky to demure.
“Drew, hi. I didn’t even see you there.” A wave of crimson fans out across her cheeks.
“Hey, Pip.” He turns to her parents. “I was going to head home anyway. I’ll walk with her.”
“That’s a great idea.” Olivia nudges my thigh and we scoot out for Drew. “Thanks, honey.”
Pippa beams as her sassy teenager attitude vacates the building. She practically floats out of the pub beside Drew with her parents, Sin and Colin, following.
“In case you missed it.” Jonah chuckles. “Pippa is gaga for our man, Drew.”
Olivia smiles. “She’s had a crush on Drew for years. It’s harmless. Let her be.”
“I’d watch that if I were you. Miss Pip is no wallflower—she’s the type to go after what she wants, and Drew seems to be in her sights,” Jonah drawls.
“It’s all innocent.” Olivia waves him off.
Shortly after, Jonah announces he and Millie are leaving.
Olivia places her water on the table. “You came with us. How are you getting home?”
“An Uber is on its way.”
My smile grows. I turn to Olivia as they leave and catch her hand. “Alone at last.”
She laughs, and it’s the sweetest sound I’ve heard all night. I lean in and kiss her. Slowly. Deeply. She tastes like wine and something that’s entirely her. Sweet and sharp and addictive.
She fists my shirt, pulling my firm chest against her soft, inviting curves.
Closer. Her breasts press into me, and she shudders at the contact, our shallow breaths mirrored, wanting.
My hand sinks into her thick waves, gripping the nape of her neck.
My other hand latches on to her trim hip, holding her in place.
Feasting on her mouth like a starving man, I’ve never felt more alive. Her eyelids close and her long lashes flutter, fanning her rosy cheeks. I greedily swallow her whispery moans.
With each sweep of my tongue, her hands roam my body, and my already thundering heart rate accelerates. I’m crazy with need, wanting nothing more than to have her, take her, here and now. She breaks our kiss, eliciting a feral growl from deep within me. The loss is so frustrating.
“Sam, stop.” She pulls back, adjusting her top and brushing her hair into place.
I lower my eyes, covering the thrum of disappointment with a calm I don’t feel. And when I glance up, her swollen lips and flushed cheeks tell a different story. She wanted that. Wants me.
I gently squeeze her hand and she pulls away, grabbing the glass to take a sip. It’s not lost on me that it’s a mediocre attempt at occupying her hand. Like that’s going to stop me.
Choosing not to push it right now, I change the subject. “Speaking of crushes, does Jonah realize Millie has googly eyes for him?”
She laughs. “He’s in denial. I’ve told him.”
“Maybe he’s not oblivious. Maybe he’s just not interested. Maybe he’s got someone else in mind.”
Her eyebrows draw together. “Who?”
“You.”
Her brows knit. “What?”
“Jonah’s in love with you. He lights up around you. Even a blind man could see he adores you. Has he ever made a move?” My voice is even, but inside, I’m a mess. I need to know. If there’s something there, I want it out in the open.
What if he has and she’s welcomed it? What if she has no clue but would want something with him, and now I’ve stupidly enlightened her to the potential of it?
My hesitation is so unlike me, yet it’s not surprising. Since Olivia walked into my life, I’ve experienced many firsts and surprises. My first dogged pursuit of a woman. My first blush. My first case of indecision.
“You’re out of your mind. Jonah’s like a brother to me.”
“Are you sure?” This isn’t jealousy. This is strategy.
I’m not wild about the long distance between us. It’s one of many things she uses as an obstacle. I need to understand the playing field, know where other barriers lie so I can annihilate them. Make no mistake, I intend to obliterate all her excuses, one by one.
“Yes, I’m sure. Besides, he’s tried to set me up on a date with one of his friends, so stop. That’s just…eww. He’s twelve years younger than me.” As soon as the last word leaves her mouth, her eyes widen with the realization of what she just said.
Jonah and I are the same age.
“There it is again. The age thing. Olivia, you need to stop thinking that way.” I pause to make sure I’ve got her attention. “You’re gorgeous. No man with functioning eyes gives a damn how old you are.”
She shakes her head, eyes avoiding mine.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” A change of subject is needed.
“Working. Meeting a supplier in the morning, then in the office the rest of the day. Why?”
“I’m scoping out spaces for a new restaurant. Thought maybe you’d come with me. We could grab lunch, then meet my agent. What do you say?”
“I…I suppose. Sure.” Her voice is tentative, but it’s a yes. I take her hand and kiss it.
She smiles, her cheeks lightly tinged. The joy of her agreeing to join me outweighs the trepidation coming off her in waves.
She’s once again avoiding my gaze, her eyes darting around the room at anything and everything but me. She’s not saying it, but I can feel it…
She’s building walls.
Preparing to retreat.
And I’m not about to let her.
Not now.
Not when I’ve just started breaking through.