“Like what?” He turned to face her.
“Like stuff I’m not quite ready to share.”
The look on his face said he was hurt, but she couldn’t tell him until she felt more secure about their relationship. “Yet,” she assured him. “I just need a little more time.”
“Take all the time you need,” he said as he pulled her into a hug.
“Thank you. Hey, wanna see all the stuff I got?” She quickly put the leftovers away and then proceeded to show him all the great deals she’d scored. While she was explaining how much she’d saved on each item, the clothes dryer buzzed.
“You have laundry going too? Geez, girl. You need to rest.”
“I only washed the sheets because I want a soft, clean place to land tonight. Wanna help me make the bed?” she asked over her shoulder as she headed to the laundry room.
“Of course,” he said, then lowered his voice. “I wanna land on a soft place tonight.”
“I heard that,” she yelled, opening the dryer door and pulling out the warm sheets.
“Shit.” He laughed. “Do you have bionic hearing or something?”
“What?” she said, pretending not to hear that. She walked past him with an armload of ivory-colored sheets. “Follow me,” she ordered.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, pulling himself off the couch and up the stairs behind her.
“This is so much easier with two people,” she said, throwing half of the sheet his direction. “Thanks.”
They quickly and silently made the bed. She wondered if he was thinking what she was thinking. Once the last pillow was put in place and everything was neat and tidy, she looked at him and knew right away he was thinking what she’d been thinking.
“I hate to mess up your nicely made bed,” he said, striding to her with purpose.
“Fuck that,” she said as she met him halfway and fell into his arms.
Mouths met, and the fireworks began again. Would every time with him be like this? They made out like teenagers, falling onto the bed and each other. They fumbled around until deciding there were too many clothes in the way.
He stood and helped her off the bed. He pulled her shirt over her head and unhooked her bra. She let it slide to the floor as he stared openly at her breasts.
“Your turn,” she said as she tugged at his shirt. He was too tall for her to get it over his head without breaking his neck, but he helped, and soon she was staring at his magnificent chest. Broad shoulders, lean torso, and well-defined biceps. She touched him tentatively, starting at his shoulders and working her way down. She ran her fingers through the fine blond hair on his chest, and he tensed.
“Yes,” he said. “My turn.” He put his hands on her shoulders and ran his hands down her arms, grabbing her hands and putting them around his neck. Then, he wrapped his hands around her waist and slowly, tortuously, inched them upward. He cupped her breasts and rubbed her nipples, which were hard and wanting. She couldn’t hold in a moan. He kissed her then, still playing with her breasts.
She moved to undo the button on his pants, and he didn’t stop her. They slowly undressed each other. He grabbed a condom from his wallet and laid it on the bed.
“You gonna take your watch off?” he asked, removing his own.
“I’m good,” she said. Now was definitely not the time to have to tell him about the tattoo under her watch.
He sat on the end of the bed and crooked his finger at her. “Come here.”
She stood in front of him, naked and self-conscious, half tempted to cover herself, but before she could, he pulled her toward him. He was hard and long and glorious.
“Climb on,” he demanded. She straddled him, and he latched onto her breast, hugging her to him, sucking hard.
“Oh, God,” she moaned, tipping her head back and rocking into him as he eased a finger into her and then two. He played with her, using his fingers until she couldn’t take anymore. She bent to grab the condom, opened it, and covered him. He watched as she positioned him to enter her and then kept watching as she slowly took him in, inch by inch.
She moved back and forth, a little faster with each thrust. She looked into his eyes and saw how much self-control he was exerting to hold still and let her have her way with him.
“Sam,” she whispered. “You can take over if you want.”
The next thing she knew, she was on her back, and he was pumping into her hard and fast. She met each thrust with a gasp. He was so powerful and strong. The orgasm hit like a train, and she let out a long, loud moan just before he did the same. He collapsed on her.
They were both breathing heavily, sweaty bodies stuck together. His weight pinned her to the bed and felt wonderful.
He caught his breath and rolled off her, groaning. “Be right back,” he said before kissing her and then heading to the bathroom. She quickly got up and turned off the lights, surprised she hadn’t done so earlier. The light from the hallway meant the room wasn’t completely dark. She got under the covers and waited, wondering if he’d come back to bed or get dressed and leave.
He came out with a grin the size of Texas. “That was incredible, Annie,” he said sincerely.
She couldn’t help but smile. “Uh, yeah,” she agreed.
He looked around as if to say, Should I stay, or should I go?
“You’re welcome to stay, Sam, but I understand if you want to go.”
He was already on his way to the bed before she finished the sentence. He climbed in beside her and pulled her into his arms.
“I have to warn you,” she said. “I’ve hardly slept at all the last couple of nights, and I may crash hard. Translated, that means I might snore.”
“Well, you know what they say? Warts and all.” He chuckled.
He was so warm and strong. She’d gotten used to sleeping alone and wasn’t sure she’d be able to sleep with him in her bed, but she woke the next morning, groggy and with a taste in her mouth that let her know she’d slept long and hard and probably with her mouth wide open. Yikes.
She was alone in the bed. Sam’s clothes were gone. Her watch said it was nine o’clock. She thought about going to look for him, but instead, rolled over and went back to sleep.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Damn! Nice shot, man,” Jake panted, catching the racquetball after it bounced off the back wall because he’d failed to hit it. “You’re playing hard today, bro. What’s up?”
“You’re getting your ass whooped by an old man, dude. How’s that feel?” Sam taunted. Usually, their games were fun and friendly, but this morning, he was in the mood to kick a little ass.
“You’re like three years older than me. That’s hardly an old man. And why so smiley?” He stopped and held the ball. “Look at me,” he demanded.
“What?”
“Well, shit. You got laid,” Jake exclaimed. “Details. Now.”
“Forget it,” Sam scoffed. “Serve.”
“Oh my God. You didn’t deny it. I was right. Well, what’s her name at least?”
“Are we gonna play or gossip like a couple of teenage girls?”
Jake put the ball in his pocket, folded his arms, and waited.
“Jesus. Fine. Her name’s Annie,” Sam relented.
“Annie, as in Sherry’s cousin?” Jake panicked. “Yikes. Sherry isn’t still looking for me, is she?”
Sam rolled his eyes. Leave it to Jake. “No, dumbass. Whatever lie you told her is probably safe. Annie moved into her own place, and I don’t think she talks to Sherry much.”
Relieved, Jake pulled the ball out of his pocket and bounced it on the ground once, preparing to serve. “So, wait.” He paused again. “Annie fits into the Rules?”
“Not exactly,” Sam hemmed.
“She obviously doesn’t live a hundred miles away. Did she sign a waiver?”
“She lives about a half a mile away from me, and no.”
Jake looked concerned. “Well, at least she doesn’t work for your company, and I assume she’s rich?”
“Wrong and wrong.”
“You’re breaking all three rules?”
Sam’s silence was his answer. Jake’s reaction was identical to Phil’s.
“Close your mouth, dude,” said Sam. “She’s different, Jake. I don’t know her that well yet, but there’s something about her. Something that intrigues me and makes me want to get to know her, you know?” he asked thoughtfully. “She’s not like all the pretentious, physically perfect women I’ve been dating. I’m even pretty sure her boobs are real.” He smiled, trying to ease the tension.
Jake chuckled and bounced the ball a few times, thinking.
“You know what?” he finally said. “You are a grown-ass man. You make huge, important decisions every day, a lot of times based solely on what your gut tells you.” Bounce. Bounce. “This is no different. If you want to pursue her, you should. Don’t second-guess yourself or worry about our stupid, made-up rules.” Bounce. Bounce. “I want you to be happy, bro, so, whatever you decide…I’ll support you.” Bounce. Bounce. “Close your mouth, dude,” he said, mimicking Sam’s voice.
Sam didn’t realize how meaningful Jake’s validation would be until he’d given it. “My little boy…all growed up.” He pretended to choke up and wiped a fake tear from his eye.
“Fuck you, man. Are we gonna play or gossip like a couple of teenage girls?” Jake threw Sam’s question back at him.
“Let’s play. Seriously though, thanks.” Sam slapped him on the back.
Driving home, Sam replayed the night over and over in his mind. Their sexual chemistry was off the charts. He’d never felt anything like it. He spent the night hoping they’d make love again, but she’d crashed hard and was sleeping so soundly, he’d have felt guilty trying to wake her. She hadn’t been kidding about the snoring either. He chuckled to himself.
In the morning, wanting to keep quiet, he avoided the master bath. In his search for another bathroom, he’d found a locked door, which he thought odd since she lived alone. Who was she locking out? And why?
And what was up with the watch thing? Asking her whether she was going to take hers off was a test of sorts. He just wanted to see if she would. The way she would grab and hold it sometimes made him think maybe someone special had given it to her. What if her ex-husband had given it to her? Did she still have feelings for him?
“Stop,” he said out loud. He was overanalyzing and assuming things, and that wasn’t fair to Annie. Yes, she had secrets—everyone had secrets. He would get to know hers and then go from there. He wouldn’t make excuses for her and would keep his eyes wide open, but unless she gave him a reason not to trust her, he would give her the benefit of the doubt. Or at least try.
He would handle this like the business decisions he made. Get the facts, be open to input and new ideas, but in the end, trust his gut. It hadn’t let him down yet.
Right now, his gut was telling him he needed food. Pronto. He texted Annie.
Coffee and doughnuts? I can bring it in twenty.
Hell, yeah, she replied almost immediately. Croissant instead of doughnut?
He sent back a thumbs-up emoji and made a U-turn to head back to his favorite bakery. As he walked in the door, she texted again. And please don’t fly to France for the croissant. Local is fine. It was followed by five laughy-face emojis, and he could picture her snort-laughing as she typed. That made him smile.
***
When she woke the second time, she put on some pajamas, wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and entered the bedroom next door, using the key above the door frame to open it. Curling up in the plush rocking chair, she wrapped the blanket securely around her. She sat in the near dark, surrounded by boxes. And a crib.
Sam had left a note saying he’d gone to play racquetball with his brother. She needed some time to gather her thoughts and was relieved she didn’t have to face him yet. Everything seemed to be moving so quickly.
She still couldn’t believe he was in her life at all, much less that he seemed to want to get to know her. Three years ago, never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that any of her current life would be possible.
She had been in such a horrible place then, with her job and her husband. She was friendly but had no real friends. No one to go to coffee with or confide in. She’d essentially cut ties with her family, so it was always just her and Wayne.
Wayne had been her world for the time they were together. She met him during her senior year of college at a coffee shop on campus and was amazed that he gave her the time of day. He was handsome and smart and, like her, quiet and reserved. At least at first. They dated for only six months before tying the knot.
As soon as the rings were on, he’d changed.
He’d became more demanding and critical of her. It was subtle at first, but by the time their first anniversary rolled around, she was already looking for a way out. He had a hard time holding a job and relied on her for most of their income. When she landed the job with Samatrix, she set up a side account that Wayne had no knowledge of and began buying company stock with every penny she saved. She knew it was risky to put all her eggs in one basket, but Samatrix seemed like a good bet. When the stock price exploded with Samatrix’s first product launch, she became one of the many instant millionaires created by the company’s success.
Wayne had insisted on a prenuptial agreement, probably assuming he was going to make it big in life and never imagining he would depend on her for money. At the time, it had hurt her feelings but was now her saving grace. She couldn’t imagine how pissed he would be if he knew about the millions she’d made over the years. According to the attorney, because of the prenup, she wouldn’t even have to disclose any financial matters during the divorce.
She wasn’t sure what made her start putting money away so early in their marriage, but she was glad she’d trusted her instincts. She thought she’d loved Wayne but looking back, realized she had settled, thinking no one else would want her. Sensing her eagerness to please and her lack of self-confidence, Wayne had taken advantage of her. So had all of her coworkers. So had her parents and most of her family. She was a doormat for pretty much everyone she knew.
It was a Brody Robinson YouTube video that changed her life. After searching “How to get over the loss of your child,” it had popped up as the top option. The ten-minute clip of him talking about how to take control of your life lit a spark that quickly became a bonfire.
The life-changing YouTube search occurred on the one-year anniversary of the death of her precious baby girl, Avery. After only a year with her angel, Annie’s world had been ripped out from under her. Drowning in a sea of anguish and depression, she was desperate for help, and the Internet was an easy, private place to get it.
She would never forget Wayne’s haunting screams from the nursery that morning. They’d called 911, but her baby had been gone for too long. When the paramedics arrived, she was sitting in this same rocking chair, tears streaming down her face, clinging to the tiny, cold body, refusing to let go. When they finally coaxed the baby from her, she fell to her knees sobbing, inconsolable.
They’d chalked it up to SIDS, but Annie never felt comfortable with that explanation. Avery seemed too old for that. She mentioned asking for an autopsy, but Wayne was adamantly opposed, and Annie didn’t have the will to fight.
The grief had overwhelmed her. Talking to other parents who’d lost children helped, but she couldn’t talk to Wayne. He was distraught for a time but, in Annie’s mind, seemed to recover quite quickly. After two months, he told her to get over it and that it was time for her to go back to work.
That had been the final straw. From that day forward, Annie started her plan to leave him. She thought she would have to do it in secret, but Wayne’s poor decisions made it much easier.
While she mourned the life Wayne took in the bar fight, she also saw his prison sentence as a blessing from heaven. He’d been locked up, and she’d been set free. It gave her three solid years to make her plan
and disappear without his interference.
She boxed up his stuff and used the money from her pawned wedding ring to pre-pay for a storage unit. Her attorney mailed him the details, and she never looked back.
That first Brody Robinson video had been the start of a total transformation. She watched videos, read books, listened to CDs, and went to seminars. She initially wanted help to get through the grief of losing her baby, but after being baptized into the world of self-help and doing everything she’d been taught, she took control of every aspect of her life.
Dan, her sadistic life coach, forced her to implement the qualities she’d been reading about and longing for. What had once been so hard was now second nature. Now, her problem wasn’t asserting herself. It was trying to get her to shut up.
Deep down, she still had insecurities of being inadequate, and Sam especially seemed to bring them out. She didn’t feel worthy of his time or attention. He was used to so much better than her. How could she compete? Should she even try? Or would she just end up with a broken heart?
She had a fantastic job, an incredible house, and now, potentially, an amazing guy? Who was she to deserve all this awesomeness?
She wrapped her hand around her left wrist and held tight. It was a habit she’d picked up after getting the tattoo that her watch normally covered. Having Avery’s name permanently etched onto the inside of her wrist had been part of her grieving process. Covering it with a watch Pops had given her brought the two people she loved the most together, and in her mind, squeezing the watch and the tattoo together gave her strength.
Digging deep, she gave herself a mental slap in the face and a pep talk. She stood and let the blanket fall.
“You’ve worked hard to get where you are,” she said out loud. “You deserve to be happy. If Wayne shows up, you’ll tell him to go. If Sam breaks your heart, you can mend it and move on.” She stood straight and cited her oft-repeated mantra: “You are a lean, mean, self-confident machine.”
She bent to pick up the blanket. “Although, Sam may have ruined you for anyone else in the sex department though, eh? I mean, wow, am I right?” She chuckled to herself. “Even if you do talk to yourself and may be a bit crazy, you got this!”
Catching Sam: Book 2 of 5: The MacDonald Brothers Page 11
