He pulled away just enough so she could lift his shirt over his head and arm, leaving the fabric dangling on the arm that held him above her. He shook it off and went right for her mouth again. She’d forgotten how good a kiss could feel.
Her hands traced his chest, his arms, his stomach … She reached for his jeans, unbuttoning the top button. Sam moved to his side, effectively stopping her exploration. His fingers deftly unhooked several of the tiny buttons on her pajama top, exposing her breasts. He lowered his head to her, and she arched in response. His fingers traveled lower, finding the tie of her pajama bottoms. With one pull, she was exposed. Sam moved his fingers lower, taking his time.
When she gasped, he stopped, but then she thrust her hips, letting him know it was okay. “I want this, Sam.”
He took his time, loving her as she’d never been loved. His fingers worked magic, doing to her what no man had ever been able to do. She’d always had to finish herself. And yet, Sam was taking her to the precipice before he’d even started to make himself feel good.
Unable to take another second, Nora moved her hands to his jeans, freeing him. She grasped the waistband, tugging down the jeans until he realized she was serious.
Sam moved her to her back again, then pulled her pajama pants free. He hovered over her as he sheathed himself, and then in one swift move, they were one.
The words, Snow … keep us together … played in her head, over and over. All she heard was Sam’s breaths and the words that she wanted so badly to come true. All she could hope was that the next ice age would start tonight.
As she gasped for air, Sam slowed his movements, pulling her tighter into him. “I love you, Nora.”
Nora looked up at his warm chocolate eyes that glowed from the fire. He really did … love her. She could see the truth in his eyes.
She pulled him down on top of her, pulling him into her as far as she could. She wanted to be one with him. “I love you too, Sam.”
~ Sam ~
As good as Nora felt beneath him, as much as he wanted to enjoy just one night with her, every thrust made Sam want to scream, Then why are you going to leave me?
He couldn’t, though. Wouldn’t. He’d begged Daire’s mom not to leave, and it hadn’t stopped her either. And here he was, falling in love with another woman who didn’t want to stay with him.
Nora’s hands dropped free, and a breath of utter ecstasy spilled from her lips. At least he’d made her feel good.
He rolled to his side and forced a smile, draping his shirt across his hips. He didn’t want her to see that he hadn’t finished. He couldn’t take a chance of the condom breaking, as the one had when he was sixteen. He didn’t need another woman mad at him for holding her back from the life she wanted. And if Nora got pregnant, that would be the end of her career.
“You okay, Sam?”
He ran his hand up her naked waist. God, she was beautiful. Everything he’d ever wanted in a woman, inside and out. There wasn’t one thing he didn’t like about Nora … other than her insistence on leaving him. He traced the tiny tattoo on her hip, a hummingbird. It suited her. Hummingbirds were always on the move … and always fighting. He would ask why she chose the hummingbird later. Right now, he needed to answer her question.
He forced a smile, since truly … he wasn’t okay. How could he be okay when he knew the first sign of the storm clearing, she’d leave? “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“I don’t know … You just look … sad.”
Sam lowered his head to hers, pressing his lips to her forehead. “Well, honey, I can’t say that I’m thrilled, since I won’t be able to experience what we just did for fifty more years … But I’m not unhappy. How could I be? That was amazing.”
She nodded. “It was amazing.”
Again, Sam bit down on his tongue to stop himself from demanding she tell the truth. “I meant what I said, Nora. It wasn’t a line said in the heat of passion.”
Her green eyes shimmered gold from the firelight as she stared up at him, but she held whatever she was thinking.
Sam brushed a stray hair away from her face and gazed into those beautiful green eyes. “You need to know, Nora … I love you. And whatever it is you need to do … wherever you need to go … I promise I’ll be here for you if you need me.”
A shaky breath caught in her throat. “Oh, Sam. I can’t …”
Sam’s heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces. “Can’t … what? Love me?”
Her head fell forward, resting against his chest. “Yes, I love you. I can’t stay. I swear … I … Please, Sam … I —”
Grrrr … Grrrr … Arwen’s growls cut off Nora’s words.
Dammit! Sam seethed silently. It wasn’t like Arwen to keep doing this. He adjusted himself and reached for his jeans. He hopped up, stepping into one leg hole, then the other. He grabbed his flashlight, snatched his coat off the hook, then pulled open the door. “Honestly, Arwen …”
Arwen flicked her head to him, then darted her head back toward the other cabin.
Sam aimed his flashlight at the porch and surrounding area. Other than her paw prints all over the porch and a trench where she’d obviously ventured off the deck, there was no sign of life within the distance he could see. The snow still hadn’t let up.
Arwen licked her chops so Sam ventured back inside for water.
Nora had pulled on her coat and was sitting on the edge of the bed, eyes wide. “What is it?”
“Damned if I know. Not usually creatures out in the snow. Except maybe another wolf. Even then, that seems strange. Animals normally bed down before a storm hits.” He grabbed Arwen’s water bottle and went to fill her bowl, which wasn’t empty.
His dog stared at him, her mouth still moving.
Sam squatted in front of her, pulling open her jaw. “Did you eat a damn mouse? I feed you plenty. What is it with you and Strider’s need to eat wild animals?” Sam inspected her mouth but didn’t see anything foreign. “Come inside. I can’t have you growling at mice all night. You’re scaring Nora.”
Arwen followed him inside, but settled right next to the door.
“Well, you make a good doorstop anyway,” Sam growled.
Nora walked over and squatted next to her. Inside, Arwen looked even larger than she was, taking up the entire entryway. “It’s okay, girl. You’re just keeping us safe from all the critters, right? Even mice. I definitely thank you for that.”
Nora brushed the shepherd’s coat, and Arwen settled into the corner, as if ready to sleep through the night.
Irritated that his moment with Nora was lost, Sam headed back for the vodka bottle he’d left on the table. “It’s going to be a long night, Nora. Do you know how to play any card games?”
Nora turned to him. “I’m pretty good at Gin Rummy … or should I say, vodka rummy?”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “Care to make a wager, then?”
“Hmmm … It depends. Do you play cards as poorly as you shoot pool?”
“Worse.”
She laughed. “You’re lying to me, aren’t you?”
“Bluffing isn’t lying; it’s a skill. But no, I’m not lying. Vince beats me all the time. The question is … are you a better card player than my brother is?” Sam reached in his pack and pulled out his worn set of cards. He’d spent plenty of long bright nights keeping himself entertained with solitaire.
Nora removed her coat and settled into one of the dinette chairs. “So, what’s our wager?”
“For every hand we win, we get to ask the other a question. You don’t have to answer, but if you don’t answer, you have to take a shot of vodka. A Truth or Dare drinking game, so to speak.”
Nora released a long sigh, but then motioned for him to deal. “You’re going to be sorry, Sam. I’m a pretty good player.”
Sam slid into his chair. He shuffled the cards, then spread the deck across the table in one perfect line. “Pick a card, any card. Low card wins; high card deals.”
Nora scrunch
ed up her nose. “Worse at cards, my foot.” But she took a card, flipping a two of hearts onto the table.
Sam selected a card, then scooped up the deck as Nora smiled. He dealt her eleven cards, himself ten. Nora dropped a king, and he picked it up, dropping a seven.
They played silently, back and forth, until Sam knew he was had. He had two three-card runs and one set of three kings, but he needed a fourth for any of the groups. If he dropped the lone ace or two he was holding, Nora would call Gin. If he knocked with even only one point, she’d play off on his hand and win. He was had, and he knew it. His best chance was to drop the two, hoping he was wrong.
Her smile told him he wasn’t.
“Dammit!” He flicked through the deck, looking for the missing king or one of his runs as she called Gin. No way had he missed it. He remembered every card that was played.
“Looking for this?” She tossed the missing three he’d needed.
He dropped his cards and leaned back. “Go for it!”
“Anything?”
“I didn’t qualify. I just said if we didn’t want to answer, we had to take a shot.”
Nora nodded. “Okay then, the question I wanted to ask you earlier.” She gathered up the cards mindlessly as she spoke. “You mentioned that Alex is your only blood-related brother. So, how are you related to the youngest, the birthday boy?”
Sam ran his hands over his face. He never slipped up. He always called Daire his brother. No one knew. Even his other brothers hadn’t known. His mother had stopped working the SAR team, claiming she was pregnant when he’d brought his parents the news about his girlfriend’s pregnancy and her not wanting the child. Alex had only been eleven. Erik had only been five or six.
The vodka shot sounded like a good idea. But then, What difference does it make? he realized. Nora was leaving Alaska. And even if she stayed, if they continued their relationship, he’d have to tell her. Maybe if he was honest with her, she’d be honest with him.
Sam sighed. “The birthday boy’s name is Daire. I turned seventeen about a week before he was born, so Daire seemed like an appropriate name.”
Nora tilted her head.
“I figured Daire was a good name for the son of a seventeen-year-old boy.”
“Oh … I’m … I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be … I was one of the lucky ones really. My parents raised him as their own, so I’ve been able to watch my son grow up loved, and Daire never wondered where his mother was.”
“He doesn’t know?”
Sam shook his head and reached for the cards. “No … he thinks I’m just his mean big brother who won’t let him do anything.” He dealt the cards, ending with Nora’s eleven again. He set down the deck and waited for her to discard.
Nora tossed away a useless seven. “Do you plan on ever telling him?”
Sam picked from the deck. “Yes, but I was waiting until he was older, so he’d understand.”
Nora scooped up his discarded queen. “You don’t think twenty-one is old enough?”
Sam stared up at her. “You only won one hand. If you want more info, you’ll have to win another hand.” Sam picked up her discarded king. He’d baited her. He knew she’d been looking for a match, so he threw a close enough card that she’d switch up, thereby discarding the large card he wanted. He unceremoniously displayed his winning hand.
“Ugh!” Nora flicked her hand to the table, then eyed him, daring him to ask a question. “Go ahead.”
Sam filled the small cup on the table with an ounce or so of the clear truth serum. No way would she answer his question, which would answer his question. Even if she did answer him, she might just lie. Either way, she’d have to confess part of herself, the most important part that would change their relationship from here on out.
Chapter 15
~ Nora ~
Nora sat back, immediately crossing her arms, shielding herself from Sam’s Cheshire grin. What was he going to ask her, and why the hell was he taking so long? She shouldn’t have agreed to his Truth or Dare card game, but she’d wanted to know more about him. Apparently, she’d been too confident in her card skills.
She attempted to give him the evil eye that had served her well over the years, but it fell short when she looked at him. “Well? What do you want to ask me?”
Sam pushed the cup toward her.
She narrowed her eyes until they were mere slits. “You think I won’t answer?”
Sam dipped his head a fraction. “I know you won’t.”
“Then why waste a question?”
“Because I want to know.”
Nora pushed the cup aside, determined to answer him somehow. Whatever he asked. She was good with words. As she’d told him earlier, she’d become accustomed to psyching out her opponent before a match even started.
“Do you have …” Sam hesitated, peered out the window at nothing but blackness. “Hang on. I need to word this perfectly so you don’t twist the words. Oh, hell. Any way I ask it, you can twist your answer, so I’ll ask you directly: do you have a fiancé waiting for you?”
Nora gulped. She hadn’t expected such a direct question. She really had thought she could twist her words, but Sam’s question had been point-blank, as if he already knew the answer, just wanted to confirm it. He’d said his brother had told him who she was, so his brother might have witnessed Sergio’s engagement announcement after her last match. As far as she was concerned, she was no longer betrothed to Sergio; still, technically, she had accepted his ring. And, technically, he was waiting for her to return. There was only one way to answer. Take a drink, or say yes. If she took a drink, he’d know the truth anyway, so downing alcohol at this point would be foolish. She needed to keep her wits about her.
Nora’s eyes filled as she forced the one-word answer from her lungs. “Yes.”
Sam dropped his cards and scooted back his chair so quickly that Arwen stirred, her nails scratching against the wood planks as though she intended to run to her master. Sam ran his hands through his hair as he paced the short length of the cabin, his back to her. Several times, he stopped. His hands went to his face, then he dropped them, smacking his thighs. He stopped, stared at the fire, then resumed his pace.
“Why?” he finally screamed after five minutes of back and forth. He turned to her, and for a brief second, she felt fear.
Until she saw his eyes. His beautiful chestnut eyes were liquid. No tears fell, but the whites were bloodshot.
“I’m sorry, Sam.”
He dropped his head, massaging his temples. “I just … don’t understand. Why carry on the way you did? Make love to me? Tell me you love me?”
Nora scooted back her chair, but wasn’t sure what to do next. Hold him? Tell him the truth? Lie … ? If Sam believed she was going back to Sergio, surely he’d let her go. She wouldn’t go back, of course, but she could continue with her plan. Then both of them would think she was dead.
She released a long breath, then walked toward him.
Hearing her approach, Sam backed up, but there was nowhere to run — for either of them. They were stuck here in this tiny cabin — together.
“Sam …”
He waved his hands and sank onto the edge of the wood bed. “Please, Nora. Don’t lie to me anymore. If you have something to say, please let it only be the truth. I can handle anything but more lies.”
Nora sat beside him. “I never lied to you, Sam.”
His head popped up, his eyes even more bloodshot. “You told me you loved me. That was a lie. If you loved me, you wouldn’t be going back to another man. Is it money? Is that it?” He dropped his head in his hands again.
Nora’s eyes burned as she realized what she had to do. She touched his shoulder, but he didn’t move. “I didn’t lie, Sam. I do love you. Would you look at me, please?”
Sam moved so his back was against the wall. He looked up, sniffed. He wasn’t crying, but she could see that she’d hurt him with the truth.
She sniffed back her tears
. She never cried, and she couldn’t start now. “You asked me if I have a fiancé waiting … I told you the truth. He is waiting, but I’m not returning to him.”
Sam’s eyes widened.
“I don’t love him, Sam.”
“Then —”
“But I can’t stay here,” she cut him off before he could ask.
“I could —”
“Sam, please, trust me …” If she told him the entire truth, she’d be placing him at risk, as she was certain he’d want to come to her defense. Rescue her from the evil king. She’d told Sam the truth; that was all he needed to know. He’d have to be content with the truth. Someday, she’d find him again. Maybe she could call in an anonymous tip once she was in Argentina. Get the authorities to investigate Sergio.
Sam licked his lips. “How can I trust you when you won’t tell me the truth? If he’s hurt you —”
Nora shook her head. “No, he’s never laid a hand on me. I’m sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean to fall in love with you. I left … You shouldn’t have followed me. Why did you follow me after I stood you up?”
Sam dropped his eyes, and Nora realized she’d struck a nerve.
She’d been right. Chills ran down her arms as her heart pumped violently, making her head throb from the blood rush. Her sight converted to tunnel vision, as if she were in a fight. Her gaze now focused on her opponent. Sam hadn’t decided on his own to follow her. She’d been right all along. That’s how he’d known she had a fiancé.
She stood, backing away from the bed, her fists held close to her body. “Oh, God! He sent you, didn’t he?”
Sam stepped toward her, hands lifted as he’d done the first evening. Had he known from minute one? Had Sergio been tracking her somehow?
Nora reached for her jacket, dug in her pocket and pulled out the spray. “Stay back, Sam!”
“Nora …” He backed away, hands still held up. “If you spray that, you’ll take us all down, and there’s nowhere to go.”
“How … How could you? You … you accuse me, and you’re working for him. How much did he pay you to kill me?”
Sam's Folly (Midnight Sons Book 1) Page 15
