Until I Kissed You

by Nicole Vidal

  “Well, congratulations! What can I get for you, Savannah?”

  “I’ll have the same latte, but I would prefer a sweet scone instead.”

  “No problem.” Kelsey steps away from the counter to prepare our lattes.

  Returning with our spoils, Kelsey rings us out. “Will I see you at the wedding?”

  “Yes, we’ll be there. It was a pleasure meeting you.” I reply.

  “You as well. Have a great day,” Kelsey says before turning to her next customer. Even though it’s a bit chilly, we walk the short distance to the Goldenrod Restaurant, enjoying our breakfast while watching the taffy stretch in the window as well as watching the freshly cut pieces twisted into their wrappers. Billie is right, the latte is delicious.

  Rounding the building, Sam points out Billie’s condo.

  “That view must be spectacular. I dare say it might be better than yours.”

  “I would agree. My view is great, but the ocean across the street is even better. Want to sit for a few minutes or are you cold?”

  “No, let’s sit. Emme will be warm enough.”

  We sit on one of the benches along the sidewalk. It’s clearly the off-season here as there are very few tourists milling about.

  “This is amazing!” Savannah scoots closer to me.

  “It is. The peacefulness of this quaint town was evident when I dropped in on Billie after my trip to Italy last year for the Rossi policy.”

  “Is that why you were gone an extra day? You came here before coming home.”

  “Yes, I came to thank Billie for helping Auggie. I was also able to meet Peter.”

  “I think you left out the grilling part.”

  Containing my grin is impossible. “Guilty. If I had known that Cash took care of it, I would have been nicer from the start. A big brother has to check things out.”

  “How is that going to work for Emerson? She’s the oldest.”

  “She’s not dating until she’s thirty.”

  Savannah laughs before taking a sip of her latte. Her laugh is soothing and fun. It wraps around me like a warm, cozy blanket. My phone vibrates in my pocket.

  Cash: What time do you want to leave?

  Me: We’re headed to the lighthouse and then back there. Does that work?

  Cash: That works. I’ll be ready.

  “That was Cash. We should head to the lighthouse, but we’re going to need to skip the candy store this time.”

  “Okay. No problem.” She rises and tucks the blanket around Emme again before we stroll to the car.

  As I drive up the winding road, the houses get more luxurious as we climb. We pass Billie’s house along the way.

  “If I had realized we were this close last night, I would have suggested it.”

  “It’s fine. I didn’t notice either.” I respond.

  I pull into a spot on the right after curving into the driveway. The Nubble Lighthouse is straight ahead and simply majestic. I hop out and round the truck to open Savannah’s door. After securing Emme into her stroller, we walk side by side to the placard on the rock. The waves crash on the jagged rocks below. It’s beautiful here. The stately lighthouse is set across a narrow channel from where we’re standing.

  “Thank you for bringing me here.” She slides her arm around my waist as I settle mine on her shoulders.

  “Of course. You’re welcome. It wasn’t far.” I’ll go wherever I need to for Emme and Savannah. Hopefully, she’ll understand that soon.

  “I meant here as in this weekend.” She looks up at me. The sheer desire in her eyes hits me square in the chest.

  I lean down and kiss her softly. “Cara mia, I want to clear something up right now. I want you… with me, with us. If it were practical or if I thought for one moment you would be amenable, I would have you move in with me. I realize it doesn’t make sense yet, but I have no intention of letting you go now that you’re in my life outside of work.”

  “Sam, I’m speechless.”

  I turn to face her, drawing my thumb across her lips. She rises on her toes to meet my lips. A few tempting, promising kisses later, I draw back.

  “We should go home.” Unfortunately, that means I’m sleeping alone tonight.

  She nods, grabbing the handle of Emme’s stroller.

  “Excuse me.” A woman with graying hair approaches us, waving.

  “Can I help you?”

  “My sister and I are here to check off another New England lighthouse from our bucket list. Anyway, when I was taking a photo of this one, I caught the two of you. You’re a gorgeous couple.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Oh my! How old is she? She’s perfect.”

  “A few weeks,” I reply.

  “You look fabulous, dear,” the woman addresses Savannah.

  “She’s—”

  I cut off Savannah’s response by setting my hand on her arm. I don’t feel it’s necessary to explain, nor do I want to put Savannah on the spot right now.

  “Anyway, if you could give me your phone number, I can send the photo to you.”

  I hesitantly provide my phone number, and she sends the photo. Quickly, I glance down and I’m glad she shared it. It captures the moment my lips touched Savannah’s. The image is stunning.

  “Thank you. I appreciate this so much. I hope you get to finish your bucket list.”

  “You’re welcome. Have a lovely day.” The woman returns to where her sister is looking on. With a wave, they walk toward their car.

  “Can I see it?” Savannah asks, and I turn my phone so she can view the image.

  “Wow, I’ve never seen so much emotion in one image before.”

  “Me either.” I kiss her forehead and escort her to the truck. Hours later I’m stepping off the elevator at my penthouse without Savannah beside me. I don’t like how I feel, not one bit.

  Chapter 26

  Savannah

  Our weekend away was simply magical. Cash and Noelle were gracious, and Billie is funny and friendly. Not even my run-in with Margaux will mess up how I feel about the trip. Now I’m washing laundry alone at my apartment wondering where our boundaries are. He said he wants me to move in with him, and as much as I want to fall asleep with Sam, it’s way too soon to even consider giving up my apartment. I send him a text before going to bed.

  Me: Good night, Sam.

  I climb into my cold bed, set an alarm on my phone, and burrow into the covers, wishing I weren’t alone. Once again I’m counting the divots on my ceiling.

  Sam: Good night, cara mia. Why don’t you bring the files over near lunch?

  Me: I will.

  Even with a shortened timeframe, sleep still eludes me. After sleeping through my morning run, I hurry into the shower and get ready to take on overflowing inboxes and voice mail.

  The flashbulbs illuminate as I step out of the building. Ignoring the questions, I walk straight to the car Sam sent for me. I knew better than to argue with him on the flight back to New York. Right now I’m grateful he was adamant. Also, the absence of paparazzi in Maine is even more notable now.

  “Good morning, Miss Clemons,” the driver greets me at the door.

  “Morning.” I slide into the back seat and exhale harshly.

  “To the office?”

  “Yes, thank you.” The ride to the office passes quickly and quietly.

  Saul, as the name tag indicates, escorts me into the lobby this morning. “Have a great day, Miss Clemons.”

  “Thank you. You as well.”

  As the doors open, I step into the office, shrug off my jacket, and tackle my stuffed inbox. The printer spits out page after page of work from inquires, policies, and quote requests. After separating everything into the appropriate files, I fall into Sam’s chair and cull through his messages. Now, the printer is humming again. I prepare a fresh cup of coffee and tackle those files. The first time I glance at the clock, it’s near eleven. That gives me plenty of time to gather the rest of these, categorize them, and meet Sam and Emme for lunch.<
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  After noon, I shove the files into my bag and ride down to the lobby. When the doors open, I’m gifted with a spectacular view, Sam and Emme waiting to ride the elevator up.

  “Hi.” I push out, flustered by their presence.

  Sam skims his lips across mine lightly. “Hi, gorgeous. We came to escort you to lunch.”

  “I thought we were eating at your place.”

  “We are. I decided to take Emme for a walk.” Sam takes the files and stows them under the stroller before offering me his arm.

  I loop mine through his, and we walk back to his place. It’s not as chilly in the city as it was over the weekend. The crispness of fall is fading away to the drab cold before the snow starts to fall. We walk a block deeper to use the side entrance of Sam’s building. “How did she sleep last night?”

  “Pretty well, actually. I fed her at eleven, and she slept until five.”

  “That’s great considering her age.”

  Sam nods. “Do you have appointments tomorrow morning?”

  “No, why?”

  “I’m meeting with Jacob and Finn, one of his staff members from Blackthorne, at ten to discuss security. I would like you to be there.”

  “Okay. I’ll gather the latest items first thing and then come over.”

  “Thank you. Do you think that Scarlett would be able to join us as well?”

  “I’ll ask her.” Pulling out my phone, I send a quick text to Scarlett to see if she’s available tomorrow morning.

  “I know you aren’t keen on having someone with you.”

  “It’s more that I don’t think it’s a necessary expense. Is the press annoying? Sure. Will they harm me? Unlikely.”

  His demeanor shifts after my last statement. Before he addresses my words, we speak to Jimmy briefly and ride upstairs.

  The instant we step into his home, he gathers me into his arms. “That’s what you don’t understand. First, the press could harm you like they did Billie. You don’t have any details, but suffice it to say, it was horrible.”

  “What happened to Billie?” I ask softly. Billie is vibrant and happy. No one would ever know something awful happened to her.

  “After the gala a few years ago, paparazzi stalked her, causing a car accident. She had extensive damage to her face, along with smaller lacerations on her arms. The surgery took hours. It was a close second to the torture of waiting for the paternity results for Emme.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “Also, I know you don’t care about my wealth. If I thought you did, you wouldn’t be here. I don’t care if protecting Emme, you, and Scarlett bankrupts me, I’ll do it.”

  “Sam, that’s insane.”

  “It’s not, cara mia. As arrogant as this may sound, I don’t have to work another day of my life, and it still won’t decrease my wealth. My parents created a trust for the four of us at birth. Along with my siblings, I receive a set amount of money each month. There are strings attached to the money, such as gainful employment, never tarnish the Morgan name, and acting with class in public when requested as a family, like the gala. In my opinion, the last part is negotiable at this point considering the status of my parents’ marriage and Margaux’s latest actions. At age thirty, we can request the corpus be turned over to us for investing on our own.”

  “Have you and Cash made that request?”

  “Yes, but my parents believe that Cash and I rely on our trust payments to survive. That we party and squander our salaries from our jobs. That is wholly inaccurate. In fact, we live off our salaries. We have taken our trust payments, pooled them, and invested wisely for the last ten years. We offered to pool Auggie’s when he graduated from culinary school this past spring.”

  “What about Billie?”

  “Billie is a different case. When she moved to Maine after the accident, my parents cut her off completely. Cash and I sent her money each month to make sure she was comfortable. She only used a small portion of the funds and returned the rest when I dropped in on her after my Italy trip. When she stood up to them and refused to marry Thorsten Thomas, they sold her loft and turned her entire trust over to her. She hasn’t touched a penny of it. Eventually, she’ll find a use for it, but for now it’s gaining interest at a decent rate. I believe Cash offered to pool her money as well, but she hasn’t responded.”

  “I had no idea.”

  “I know. Protecting you is important to me. It’ll destroy me if something happens to you because of our relationship. It’s one thing that you work for me; it’s something else now that were a couple.”

  The intercom buzzes. “Sir, there is a delivery for you.”

  “Thank you, Jimmy. Send it up.” Sam accepts the bags from Jimmy and he leaves.

  “Did you order the entire restaurant?” I ask, stepping out of my shoes.

  “No, I skipped breakfast, and apparently that’s reflected in our lunch options.” A grin splashes across his face.

  We dig into the feast that Sam ordered before tackling the stack of files I brought over. Hours later, our review is finished and the leftovers have been eaten for dinner. Emme is stretching on the blanket. Sam settles into the corner of the couch, and I cuddle next to him, setting my head on his chest. His arm holds me close with his hand gripping my waist. I want to stay here. Instead, I need to go home to a quiet, lonely, empty apartment. Should I consider moving in here? That’s crazy! We’ve only been dating for barely a month. Does that really matter though? Ugh!

  “Why did you tense up?”

  Crap! I can’t hide anything from him—not that I’m trying to.

  “I need to go home.”

  “That can’t be it.” Clearly, he can read me well.

  “Can I be brutally honest?”

  “Always.”

  “Spending the weekend with you was absolutely perfect. Skipping my chat with Margaux would have been ideal, but aside from that….”

  “I agree. What does that have to do with right now?”

  Inhaling sharply, I admit, “I don’t want to go home.”

  “Then don’t go home. Stay.”

  “I can’t, at least not yet, despite wanting to more than I should at this point.”

  “Will you agree to spend the weekend here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then, whenever you’re ready, we would love for you and Gray to move in with us. Please think about it.”

  Deep down I know that if Emme wasn’t here, he would end up staying at my place because he wouldn’t let me ride home alone. Presumably, what my proposed security would do.

  Leaning up, I intend to kiss him softly. Within seconds of my lips touching his, I’m flat on my back looking into his dark eyes.

  Sam savors my mouth, ensuring I know he meant what he said and cracking my resolve deeper with each sweep of his tongue. After exploring the depths of my mouth, along my jawline, and neck, Sam pulls back. The unspoken words in his eyes are screaming at me. I’m falling hard and fast too.

  With a kiss to my forehead, he leans back on his heels, and I swing my legs to the floor. After rising, I touch Emme’s cheek before sliding on my shoes.

  “I’ll be here in the morning. Hopefully, with Scarlett. Good night, Sam.”

  Closing the gap between us, I kiss him again before stepping into the elevator.

  Chapter 27

  Samson

  Right past nine, Savannah and Scarlett step off the elevator. Savannah is dressed for work in an emerald green sheath dress and the heels with the ankle bow I love so much, while Scarlett is wearing a graphic tee, distressed jeans, zippered hoodie, and combat boots. With Emme on my shoulder, I kiss Savannah and welcome Scarlett to my home.

  “Would you like some coffee?”

  “No, thank you. I’m fine,” Scarlett replies, looking around. As I observe Scarlett, I would put her in the not dateable column for someone like me. She sees the luxury and opulence of my home whereas Savannah was more concerned about me when she was here the first time. More succinct
ly, Savannah sees me whereas Scarlett only sees my wealth.

  “Savannah, can I have a word with you in my office?”

  She follows me. Once we’re alone, I set Emme on her playmat and kiss Savannah like I won’t have an opportunity to kiss her for a few hours, which I likely won’t.

  “Morning to you too.” A gorgeous smile graces her face.

  “Thank you for coming and dragging Scarlett along.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “I’m really glad Scarlett didn’t pilfer those shoes when she moved out. They’re hot!”

  “Interesting. Only this pair or all of them?”

  “All of your shoes make your legs look a mile long, but that pair is my favorite. Are shoes your thing?”

  “I don’t really splurge on anything specific. I set any extra funds aside for Scarlett’s tuition.”

  “If you could splurge, what would you buy?”

  “I’ve never really thought about it. I have everything I need. I’ve taught myself not to want extras for Scarlett.”

  Her responses are in no way helping me learn more about her. So far I know she appreciates flowers, good company, and jazz music. She has no interest in expensive shoes, handbags, or lingerie. I’ll have to hope she likes what I choose.

  Jimmy announces our guests as we return to the living room.

  Jacob and Finn exit the elevator. Jacob embodies what private security looks like—tall, built, and a hardened look that would make anyone pause. Finn is younger, blond, and equally as built as Jacob.

  “Thank you for taking this meeting, Jacob.”

  “You’re welcome. Norah will take any excuse to shop, especially in New York City. The dent she’ll make in her bank account for shoes and lingerie in the time I’m here meeting with you would blow your mind.” Norah and Jacob got married a few months ago. Norah’s sister Kelly is married to my brother-in-law, Ellis.

  I laugh.

  Jacob owns Blackthorne Security. He’s highly recommended, having worked with Ellis and Kelly for her stalker and when they went public as a couple. He also assisted Cash and Noelle when they lived in the city. Since their move to York Beach, he handles their property security and special events only.