"Which part are you reading?"
Sam's head whipped around, startled.
"Lila," he began. It was too late to feign guilt. It wasn't too late to apologize. "I'm sorry, honey. I know I should have asked first."
"Yes, you should have." She tightened the belt on her robe, and then crossed to join him. "You find my story funny?"
"Funny, sweet, moving. I planned on glancing at it, nothing more. One paragraph and I couldn't put it down."
"I…" she tried to find the words. "Sometimes it's easier to write what I'm feeling."
Sam went to her, clasping her hand in his. So small and delicate. Like Lila. And like the woman, strong — capable. He gently kissed her cheek.
"The girl in the story. Did you know her?"
"Yes." Lila laid her head on Sam's chest. The beat of his heart both comforting and stirring. "I had a friend in Oregon — my best friend. She lived next door. When she got sick, the cancer moved so fast. I never said goodbye. After all these years, with this story, I'm finally getting to..."
Sam led Lila to the sofa, sitting. He tucked her close, his arm around her.
"The part before, when the girls spy on the brother kissing his girlfriend?"
"That was me," she chuckled.
"The description was priceless. The friend intrigued because of her crush on the older boy. The sister. You. Embarrassed."
"I really made you laugh? You aren't just saying that?"
"You heard me." Sam gave her a straight, clear look. "I didn't know you were there, Lila. But I promise if I had, I wouldn't have laughed to make you feel good."
Lila sighed. "Good. You're the first person to read that story."
"Do you have more?"
"No." Lila shook her head. "Oh, I have some terrible poetry. My angsty teenage phase. In college, I majored in business. My mother encouraged me to take a few creative writing courses. When she died, my desire to write died. Recently, something brought me back to it."
"You're talented, Lila."
Lila's first instinct was to dismiss Sam's compliment. This was her secret, her dream. Having someone feed that dream, especially someone whose opinion she respected, made her uncomfortable. She could hear her mother's encouraging words. The love washed over her. Lila's eyes filled with tears. Someone else thinks my writing is good, Mom.
"Hey," Sam said, worry in his eyes. "Why the tears? What I said is a good thing."
"It is," Lila assured him. She hesitated. "Don't laugh."
"Promise."
"I miss my mother."
"Oh, honey." Sam gave her a sweet kiss. "Of course you do."
"She thought I could be a writer, Sam. When you told me I was good, it felt like she was here, wrapping her arms around me. I haven't felt this close to her in years."
Without a word, Sam held her close, letting the gentle tears flow. He felt a tightness in his throat. He couldn't give Lila back her mother. He could help make her dreams come true.
"I know people, Lila."
"We all do, Sam," Lila smiled, her cheeks glistening.
Looking around, Sam found the box of tissues on the coffee table. Grabbing one, he dabbed away her tears.
"My people are publishers."
"No."
Lila tried to move away, but Sam held her tight.
"Don't dismiss the idea until you hear me out."
"I don't want my story published."
"But —"
"If I did, I wouldn't want my…" she struggled for the right word. "Whatever you are, using his influence."
"I could get pissed off, fast, at such an accusation." Sam took a deep, calming breath. "You don't know me very well, so let me make something clear. This is my business, Lila. I don't screw around with that. Nepotism, cronyism. I didn't get where I am by putting unqualified, untalented people ahead of more deserving candidates."
"I'm sorry," Lila said, ashamed of herself. "I don't think of myself as a professional writer. It's hard to wrap my head around the idea of being that good."
"Well, start."
"This story was never meant to be seen, Sam. Maybe something else. Someday."
"This," Sam insisted. "Now."
"It's personal," Lila protested. "Who wants to read my ramblings?"
"I do."
"But —"
"Writing about your friend. It's your way of finishing the healing process."
"Yes."
"Think of all the young people dealing with the issue. This story might help." Sam tucked her under his arm, his hand smoothing back her hair. "When Wishes came out, the reviews fed my ego. You know what fed my soul? When someone would tell me how much the movie touched them. One lady said she cried for two hours straight then called her mother. They saw it together the next day."
"Did she cry again?"
"They both did," Sam said. "Like babies."
"I don't know, Sam." It was tempting. For so many reasons.
"Think about it. No hurry. No pressure."
"Really?"
Hearing the doubt in her voice, Sam smiled. His reputation for getting what he wanted was well known — and well earned.
"I promise not to push — for now. A month, maybe two, down the road? No guarantees."
Lila felt a rush of emotion that had nothing to with her book. A month, maybe two, down the road. A chance to have contact with Sam after this week. Did that make her a glutton for punishment? Getting all tingly thinking about a chance to talk with Sam at some unsettled date? Lila didn't care. She would take what she could get and worry about the implications later.
"Deal."
Sam pulled Lila in for a long kiss. He wondered if she realized what she had agreed to. As far as he was concerned, she gave him permission to walk back into her life. As he deepened the kiss, his hands delving under her robe, Sam knew one thing. He wouldn't wait long. A month? He could go without seeing her, touching her, for that long. Then Lila moaned. Her fingers threaded through his hair. The kiss escalated, soared.
"Three weeks," Sam hissed through his teeth when her hand left his hair to cup his erection.
"Hmm?" Lila asked. Her eyes were cloudy with passion.
"Nothing, honey."
Sam lifted Lila. Would his arms feel empty after he left her? Two weeks would be pushing his luck. Three. Definitely three.
CHAPTER SIX
THE WEEK FLEW by. Time never dragged when you wanted it to.
Lila felt like she was in a strange bubble. Insulated from the outside world, yet aware that as every minute passed, their time together slipped away.
With the holiday rush behind her, she could leave Peony in the hands of her very competent assistant manager. Lila was free to spend her days, and nights, playing with Sam.
Alex and her friends left them in peace. No unannounced visits or off-hours phone calls. She was in touch, in a normal way; as though she didn't have a temporary roommate whom everyone knew shared her bed. She knew Alex wasn't happy with the situation, but she appreciated his backing off. He let her make her own decisions. He acknowledged she was an adult. Lila loved him all the more for it.
They took Cooper for long walks. They found he was a snow dog, happy to frolic for hours. He would chase anything that moved, squirrel, leaf. It was all fair game. Being outdoors with his two favorite people, Cooper was in doggy heaven.
When they returned to the apartment, Cooper collapsed in an exhausted heap, content, and ready to sleep for hours. Lila and Sam used the time to become better acquainted. They would share a quiet meal, discussing a wide variety of topics. Nothing was out of bounds. Politics, religion. Global warming, pollution. Family Guy versus American Dad. They agreed on most subjects, debated others with a heated respectfulness.
Either way, it always ended the same — in bed. Or on the couch. On the floor. In the shower. The sex was sometimes playful. Sometimes intense. Always satisfying beyond her wildest imagination. Sam was a dream lover. Conside
rate, inventive, and willing to let Lila experiment. Even when her fantasy turned out to be completely impractical.
"Where did you hear about this position?"
"In a book."
"Not The Joy of Sex?" Sam tried to adjust his position. Logistically, Tab A was not going to fit into Slot B.
"No."
Lila shifted. She peered up at him between her spread legs. Bent over, grasping her ankles was an incredibly awkward sex position. Not to mention uncomfortable.
"The Kama Sutra?"
"My Wild Weekend with the Billionaire Next Door."
"Ah."
Giving up, Lila straightened. Her only consolation was she could blame her red face on her head being upside down instead of embarrassment. If she was honest, the two were equally to blame.
"Do you often let dubious romance novels guide your sex play?"
"This was the first time," Lila admitted. When Sam began to laugh, she gave him a dirty look. "Hey, it worked for Lance and Angelique."
"Honey, those names alone should give you pause. Lance? As in, his lance thrust into her pleasure hole?"
Lila lost it. She collapsed onto the sofa in a fit of giggles. It wasn't just the words; it was who said them. Sam Laughton, big, bad entertainment mogul spewing horribly dated romance novel euphemisms. If they weren't naked, she would have wished for a camera.
"You need to get with the times, my friend. These days, authors call a spade a spade. Or in this case, a cock a cock."
"Maybe," Sam conceded. "But Lance? Come on."
Hours later, lying in Sam's arms, Lila smiled. He could be so silly. Making her laugh in unexpected ways. Then, on the turn of a dime, he became a focused, passionate lover. At those times, she felt they were the only two people in the world — that she was the only woman he could ever want with such single-minded intensity. If she saw something that wasn't there, she didn't want to know. For the next day and a half, Sam was hers. When he left? Lila mentally shrugged. She refused to miss him before he was gone.
"I can almost hear your mind working," Sam whispered. He nuzzled the side of her neck. "I thought I wore you out. What has you awake when you should be resting up for our next mind-blowing sexual escapades?"
I'm going to miss you. I can't begin to comprehend how much. You've become important. Too important. Who will I talk to late at night? Whose silly jokes will I laugh at? Who will make love to me with white-hot passion, and then hold me as if I'm made of spun glass? And how can I tell you any of this? The answer was simple. She couldn't.
"Lila? Honey? Is something wrong?"
"Yes." Lila wound her arms around Sam's neck. "It's been a whole fifteen minutes since you kissed me."
Sam knew there was more to it. Her tense shoulders, the sadness in her eyes. But he let it go — didn't push. For Lila's sake. And his own.
"A whole fifteen minutes?" Sam rolled her underneath him. "How have you survived?"
Good question, Lila thought. She lifted her mouth, taking Sam's kiss. Savoring. How would she survive?
"HELLO, STRANGER. I was wondering if I would see you before you left town."
Sam smiled. Rose yelled the words as she hurried across the street. He took the overflowing canvas bags from her hands.
"Did you cancel tonight's party?"
"No," Rose said. She gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek, efficiently rubbing away the dab of lipstick she'd left behind. "Those bags are full of last minute party necessities. I thought you and Lila might opt out. Word around town is you only venture out to walk the dog."
"Are people saying nasty things about Lila?"
"Of course not," Rose laughed. "She is universally adored. You're both legal and single. The men are jealous. The women are envious. Why would you think otherwise?"
"Harper Falls is a small town."
"Peyton Place." Rose smiled. "You need to update your reading material, Sam."
"That's the second time in the past day someone's told me that."
"Sounds like a story."
Sam shook his head. "A private one."
"Those are the best kind." Rose hooked her arm through his. "Where is the lady in question?"
"She had a shipping snafu to wade through." Sam escorted Rose to her car. "She's meeting me in a few minutes for lunch."
"Any chance you'll be sticking around after tomorrow?"
"No," Sam said firmly. He loaded her bags into the trunk. "Why would you ask?"
"You changed your plans once."
"Rearranged, not changed," Sam corrected. "This is my vacation time. I simply chose to spend it all in Harper Falls."
"With Lila."
"Are you trying to be subtle, Rose?"
"A little," she admitted sheepishly.
"Well, you're lousy at it. If there's something you want to ask, spit it out."
"Okay. Remember you asked for it."
Sam didn't like the glint in Rose's eyes.
"Can I change my mind?"
Rose shook her head. "I only have one question. Are you going to break Lila's heart?"
"Shit."
"I'll take that as a yes."
The condemnation was what set him off. Under normal circumstances, Sam would have easily brushed off Rose's comment. These circumstances were anything but normal.
"What about my heart?" he threw out. There was plenty of heat behind his words. Enough to make Rose's eyes widen with surprise.
"I never thought about it."
"Why would you? I'm experienced. Worldly. Lila is sweet. A forgettable Christmas fling."
"Sam —"
"Lila is not forgettable, Rose." Frustrated, Sam ran a hand through his hair. "She's bright, funny, beautiful — sexy as hell. I like her. I…"
"You're in love with her," Rose finished for him.
"Is that so hard to believe?"
"Yes."
"I don't know who you're insulting. Me, or Lila."
"You know what I mean, Sam," Rose said. "You are a player. With a big, fat capital P. Admit it, you're as surprised as I am by this turn of events."
Sam couldn't argue.
"Lila is… a revelation." The reverence in his voice was so poignant it brought tears to Rose's eyes.
"Sam Laughton. Who knew you had the soul of a poet." Rose sighed, happy for both her friends. "When are you going to ask her to marry you?"
"I'm not."
"Alex won't like it." Rose shrugged. "Dani will bring him around. A few months without a ring on her finger won't make a difference."
"You don't understand, Rose. I'm not asking her to marry me. Not now. Not ever." Sam cleared his throat. The lump wouldn't move. He was afraid it never would. "When I leave, that's it. I thought I might keep in touch. Visit. But I know that would be a mistake. For both of us."
"Sam." Rose didn't like the look of despair she saw on his face. He stopped at nothing to get what he wanted. Lila loved him, Rose was certain. Why was he walking away from a sure thing?
"It's cold out here, Rose. Go home. I'll see you tonight."
"I'm not budging until you explain this idiocy."
"This is Lila's home, Rose. When she lost her parents, she was drifting — alone." Sam's heart ached when he thought of the tears she shed when she shared her grief. "She has so much here in Harper Falls. A successful business, friends. And most important, her brother. She needs him. She needs all of you. I can't ask her to give it up."
"You picked a hell of a time to get selfless, Sam."
"I've never been in love before."
Rose watched Sam walk away. Love was supposed to be glorious. More often than not, it was just plain hard.
"HAPPY NEW YEAR, Lila."
Lila hugged her brother, grateful once again to have him here. Too many times, she rang in another year with no idea of his whereabouts, or his safety. Knowing that was a thing of the past, helped ease some of the pain she felt. She no longer counted the days until Sam left. Now it w
as hours and minutes.
"I can still beat the shit out of him for you."
Lila let out a small chuckle. "Sam didn't make me any promises, Alex. I went into this with my eyes wide open."
"I did the same thing when I met Dani." Alex looked across the room at the woman who owned his heart. "I fell in love, knowing I shouldn't. Five years didn't change a damn thing. The second I saw her it could have been five minutes. And I'm an idiot."
"I'm not going to cry," Lila assured her brother. However, it was a close thing. "You don't have to worry about me." Then she did something she had never done before; she lied to her brother's face. "This is a crush, not love. I'll miss Sam for a little while. In a few weeks, he'll be nothing more than a happy memory."
Lila knew Alex didn't believe her. She thought for a moment that he would push her. Thankfully, he let it go. Seeing Sam hold up a glass of champagne, a welcoming smile on his face. Lila willed an answering smile. By the time she reached Sam, she wasn't faking. This was New Year's Eve. A time to celebrate, not mourn.
Wrapping her arms around Sam's neck, Lila gave him a long passionate kiss. They still had a few hours, and she planned on making the most of every second.
"YOU LUCKED OUT on the weather. They're predicting a big snowstorm for tomorrow. Today is clear as a bell."
Lila hated that she was reduced to making small talk. The weather? Right now, it was just sad. One more inane comment would topple over into pathetic. It would be nice if Sam would help her out. For the last half hour, his contribution to the conversation amounted to a few grunts followed by the occasional, mmhmm. Was he that anxious to leave that he couldn't be bothered to use actual words?
Lila couldn't complain about their last night together. Cooper was having a sleepover at Rose and Jack's house, so there was no dog to walk. They fell into bed, unable to get enough of each other. So many emotions passed between them. Desperation. Tenderness. The underlying wistfulness couldn't temper the passion or the need to pack as much as possible into these last few precious hours.
Now, with Sam's departure imminent, Lila felt like she watched a stranger pack his bag.
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