18. Sam #2
He presses his mouth to Dylan’s head and kisses her before setting her down on her feet. With both hands, he cradles my face and leans down. “This is the best Thanksgiving since our last one together. Seriously, Sam, you know my heart. I wanted exactly this.”
On my tiptoes, I press my lips to his. “Next year we’ll do it right with a turkey and all our favorites. I’m just happy to be with you right now.”
“Happy doesn’t even begin to describe it,” he mutters and kisses me deeply, his arms winding around my back. My hands get tangled in his hair as he steals my breath away. He doesn’t end our kiss until Dylan giggles and makes a fake gagging noise she learned from her aunt Allie.
“Think you can close up shop early?” I ask, and Jameson grins.
“I think that sounds like a great idea.” He pulls his keys from his pocket and hands them to me. “How about you and Dylan go on up and I’ll close up down here.”
My fingers close around the keys. “I didn’t get a chance to grab some turkey and the fixings. But we do have a pumpkin pie.”
His hand rubs his stomach. “I love Paisley’s homemade pumpkin pie. We could order food.”
“Chinese?” I ask, remembering that I saw the restaurant in town was open.
“Sounds good to me,” he agrees. “There are some Dino Bites in the freezer still for Dylan too if she doesn’t like what we get.”
He jogs off to close down the garage, and I take Dylan up to the apartment, letting myself in.
The area is dark, cold, and not festive at all.
I am beyond glad that I decided to come back with Dylan.
My heart hurts just thinking of Jameson coming back here alone at the end of the day.
I flip on the lights and start up his fireplace.
Dylan makes herself busy playing with her dolls and dragging out her tea set.
I bring the pie to the kitchen and order us food.
By the time Jameson gets upstairs, I have the place feeling somewhat more alive.
He sets our bags from my Jeep on the floor by the door.
My eyes trail over his grease-covered coveralls, and I nod to the bathroom.
“Go grab a shower. Thirty minutes until the food arrives,” I tell him. His brown eyes sparkle and he lifts his chin, listening while he heads to the bathroom.
I find his television remote and put on the early evening football game, smirking to myself because I know Jameson really dislikes the one team.
Soon, he’s walking out of his room dressed casually in sweats and a t-shirt.
His dark hair is still damp and hangs in his eyes.
He walks over to me and wraps his arms around me from behind. My head leans back against his chest.
“Thank you,” he says and places a kiss on top of my shoulders. I turn in his embrace and wrap my arms around his neck.
“There is nowhere else I’d rather be.”
He swallows and his jaw clenches. He looks like he wants to say more, but we’re interrupted by the ring of his doorbell. “I’ll get it.”
Jameson goes downstairs to get the food and I set out some plates and silverware at the table.
Dylan is interested in our food and she takes some of my chicken and some of Jameson’s noodles.
He teases her about the noises a turkey makes and Dylan throws her all into making us laugh.
After we’re stuffed, I give Dylan a bath and then the three of us watch a movie on the couch.
Once Dylan falls asleep, Jameson carries her to her room and lays her in her bed.
With the baby monitor screen set up next to us in the living room we pick a new movie and dig into the pie.
“So, my dad did decide to come this weekend,” he says, his eyes fixated on me.
My eyes widen and I smile. “Kane, that's awesome. I’m sure he’s going to love seeing all the progress you and Johnny have made.”
He rubs the back of his neck and leans forward, taking all of my attention. “I think he will too. I was kind of hoping though that you’d join us. You and Dylan obviously. I know it's my weekend with her, but I want you here too.”
I go quiet, thinking over his words. I’m not scared to see Mr. Kane again.
I just announced to my family that I’m back with Jameson.
No, what bothers me is the way he talks about his weekend.
If I want to move forward, to really jump in as my aunt put it, I need to be completely honest with Jameson about the secrets in my heart.
“Jameson, I’m more than happy to be here and have dinner with your dad. I’ve missed him too. He was always nice to me and very supportive of us and our relationship,” I tell him.
He blows out a breath and relaxes back in his chair. “I thought maybe you were mad because of what he said to me when we found out about Dylan.”
I shake my head. “No. I get what he was trying to tell you. It wasn’t malicious, and it definitely wasn’t like the games my mom was playing.”
He reaches over and takes my hand in his. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.” I squeeze his hand. “Soon. But not today. It's too fresh and I’m still angry. Most of all I’m sorry for you.
You didn’t deserve that, Jameson. You were the most supportive boyfriend and you always took care of me and Dylan.
I was scared and I shut you out. And then my mom said and did those things. ”
“Hey.” He pulls me from my seat on the couch and into his lap. “I’m not mad at you, Sam. Your mom’s intentions were misguided, but in her own way, I think she wanted to protect you. But we’re here now. We’re us again.”
I turn my gaze to his. “I don’t like calling it your weekend or my weekend with Dylan anymore. We are together, Jameson. We’re raising a child together at the same time. I know we have things to figure out, but I want her to be with you as much as she can. I want you to be with us even more.”
He inhales sharply, and his hand wraps around the back of my neck, pulling me in closer to him.
“Pretty Girl, I don’t think you understand the depth of my feelings for you.
I’m okay with moving cautiously and slowly getting back to where we were, but just know that I want the same thing as you.
I want you both here all the time, to be the three of us as often as we can. ”
A huge grin spreads across my face, and his eyes turn to warm amber.
Slowly, he lowers his head and takes my mouth with tenderness.
I moan into the kiss and his tongue dives between my lips, dancing with my own.
My hands clutch his shoulders and his hands tighten around my waist. We make out like we’re rediscovering a love for kissing all over again.
I pull back first, eventually needing air to breathe.
He stares into my eyes, and I see desire mixed with passion.
“Stay the night with me,” he demands lightly. “We don’t have to do anything; I just want to hold you tonight.” I smile at him, and we both get up off the couch and head to his bedroom.
Jameson’s bed is easily twice the size of mine. I go to grab my pajamas out of my bag, but he stops me, his hand clasping my wrist. “Wear my shirt instead.”
Biting my lip, I nod my head and take the shirt he’s offering before slipping into the bathroom to change, brush my teeth, and brush my hair.
When I’m done, I step back into his room.
He’s already in bed, his chest bare, and his eyes make a heated trail from my toes up my calves and thighs, over his shirt on my body, and up to my face.
I’m blushing from his perusal as my fingers nervously play with the hem of his t-shirt.
“You get more beautiful every time I see you,” he tells me, his voice deep, stealing my words and causing shivers to break out over my exposed skin.
With a small shake of his head, he pulls the blankets back and welcomes me in.
Once we’re lying together, he wraps me in his arms and drapes my leg over his.
“I dream about this sometimes. I’m half scared I’ll wake up and realize the tryptophan hit me too hard.”
I giggle and nudge my face closer to his neck, my arm also draping across his chest. “You didn’t have any turkey, Kane. This is as real as it gets.”
His body shakes with silent laughter, and he glances down at me. “Then I’m the luckiest man in the world, Sammy.” His fingers play with my hair, making me sleepy. Jameson places one more gentle kiss on my lips. “Good night, Pretty Girl.”
“Sweet dreams, Kane.”