The playful Lucas from a few moments ago was gone. He kept his arm around me, but his hand was balled in a tight fist. His mouth was set in a hard line, and it looked like he was grinding his teeth to keep his temper in check. Carmine looked me over from head to toe, and it made me queasy. “Maybe I should ask Marc how to get onto his wife’s rotation.”
Lucas shot out of his chair so fast it clattered to the floor behind him. He flew across the deli and went to grab Carmine’s collar but before he could reach him Carmine backed away, and I ran over to hold Lucas back. Carmine always loved to start with people, but he never had the guts to finish.
“Say something like that to her again, and see what happens,” Lucas yelled to Carmine through gritted teeth. I never saw him lose his temper before, but he looked ready to kill.
I stepped between Lucas and Carmine. “We’re getting divorced. Lucas, this is Marc’s friend, Carmine. Carmine, this is my boyfriend, Lucas Hunter.” Carmine was running back to Marc about all this immediately, if not sooner. Marc knew Lucas from when we were all in school together. Knowing I was seeing Lucas was going to get under Marc’s skin in a big way. He refused to speak to me, so the ‘I’m seeing someone’ conversation had never had a chance to come to fruition. I didn’t think Marc would be jealous, but I was sure he’d be embarrassed to find out this way. Carmine would tell all the guys a colorful story about the compromising position he’d found Lucas and me in. Looking stupid in front of his friends was a fate worse than death for Marc.
“Funny, Marc never mentioned you guys getting divorced when I went up to visit the guys last weekend.” I wasn’t sure if he was trying to cause trouble, or if Marc was keeping our current marital status under wraps. Either way, I sure as hell wasn’t going to let him brand me as some kind of adulteress and make Marc out to be a victim.
“Oh, so he didn’t mention he was served with papers in Chicago? I threw him out before he left. I can see why it probably wouldn’t come up in conversation.” I looked right at Carmine and said with a smile big enough it hurt my cheeks. “Throwing your asshole friend out was the absolute best thing I ever did. His daughter and I are so much happier since he’s gone. Since I know you’re going to run back and tell him everything, please feel free to quote me.”
With that, I took Lucas’s hand and led him back to the table. I was pretty damn proud of myself.
Carmine looked a bit taken aback. I never spoke to Marc’s friends, let alone put them in their place. I wanted to be disassociated from everything having to do with Marc, other than my daughter. Today was as good a day as any to start.
“Hey, no harm, no foul right?” Carmine put both his hands up and backed away. “You two have a nice lunch. Nice to see you, Samantha.” He gave me a sickening smile and walked out, without getting anything to eat.
“You okay?” I asked Lucas. He nodded without looking at me.
“What about you?” He turned to look at me with his jaw still clenched. I could still feel anger radiating off him. I was a little shaken up, sure. But I was fine, even though I had a feeling a shit storm was coming. But, I could take it, and I felt ready for it—and hoped Lucas was, too. I nodded and gave him what I meant to be a reassuring smile.
“Mike, Sam has to use the bathroom. Can I take her in the back?”
I was confused. Maybe he was still upset and wanted to talk it out in private.
Mike nodded. “Sure, go ahead. She can use the one by my office.”
“Thanks, Mike!”
Lucas took me by the hand without a word and led me through the swinging doors that lead to the deli’s back rooms. He pulled me into the bathroom and locked the door. I was about to ask him what was going on when he pulled me against him and crashed his lips onto mine. He lifted my dress and put his hand inside my panties.
“I need you, please.” Lucas whispered against my lips. He pushed my panties down my legs and over my shoes, knelt in front of me and lifted one of my legs over his shoulder. I tried to say we couldn’t do this here, but once his tongue found my clit and he slipped two fingers inside, my head dropped back and I couldn’t say anything. I grabbed the back of his head and pulled him tight. When I tugged at his hair, he let out a moan and licked and sucked harder, grabbing me by the hips to pull me even closer to his mouth. My insides clenched and I fought hard to will it off. I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from screaming once I came. My entire body went rigid, but I forced myself to speak.
“Lucas, please, you’re going to make me come. Please…” I wanted to say ‘please stop’ but it wasn’t coming out at all. Lucas straightened, unbuttoned his pants and let them fall to his knees. Then he backed me against the sink and, spreading me wide open, entered me hard and quick.
“I love being buried inside you.” He had a possessed look in his eyes I had never seen before as he thrust harder and harder like he couldn’t get deep enough. I realized then what he was doing—he was claiming me. The mention of Marc rattled him, and this was his way of taking back what was his.
The entire time, he never took his eyes off mine. We were in a public place with most of our clothes on, but I never felt more intimate or exposed.
I was already close, and with the force he was using to plow into me, it wouldn’t take long for me to come.
“Lucas … I’m going to … Oh God, Lucas!” I bit into the shoulder material of his suit jacket so I wouldn’t scream.
“That’s it, baby. Give me everything … I love making you come …” Lucas followed immediately, growling my name like a prayer and pulling my head into his chest as he filled me up. It was like he wanted me to take every last drop, like he was marking me.
After we stopped panting, Lucas put his finger under my chin to lift my face, and gave me a sweet, gentle kiss.
“My girlfriend is so pretty.” He ran his finger down my cheek and gave me a big smile.
My heart melted, but my stomach dropped—maybe I assumed when I shouldn’t have.
“Lucas, I didn’t mean to … I mean I’m not pressuring you or anything. It’s that—”
Lucas put a finger on my lips and laughed. “My girl likes to ramble, and she can’t see what’s been obvious all along.” He took my face in his hands and gave me light kisses on my cheeks, my eyelids, and my forehead.
I wanted to tell him how much I loved him—that I never thought I could feel as much for anyone as I did for him. But I couldn’t. Not because I was afraid I wouldn’t hear it back, but because I didn’t want him to think it was a knee-jerk response to an encounter with one of Marc’s friends.
Instead, I put my arms around his neck and told him, “Thank you, for making me feel alive, and happier than I have ever been in my entire life.” He smiled and leaned his forehead against mine.
“Right back at you, Baby Girl.”
“C’mon guys, dinner is ready!” Sam called out from the kitchen.
Bella and I finished watching Frozen in the living room. I promised her when I took them for ice cream last week we could watch it when I came over. It wasn’t awful¸ and I was surprised that fucking song they played every five minutes on the radio didn’t annoy me.
I supposed most guys would be put off by a woman with a kid, but Bella was easy to love—like her mother. The more time I spent with Bella, the more I could tell she was a mini Sam. Bella was a shy and timid little thing, until you made an effort to know her. Now, whenever she saw me, her eyes lit up and she ran over to give me a hug. I loved it, and now had a big soft spot growing for this little girl.
Bella took my hand and led me to the table. This was the first time I’d been to Sam’s house—the house she used to share with Marc; something I tried like hell not to think about. All the other times I saw Bella, we’d met up somewhere. Marc was a jackass for not appreciating how good he had it, but no one was happier than I was that he was gone.
“Did you like the movie, Lucas?” Bella asked me once we sat down. I could tell by the way she was bouncing she wanted me to say I loved it. I c
ouldn’t look into those big light brown eyes and disappoint her.
“It was awesome, and I knew Prince Hans was a douche—I mean not really a nice guy.” I looked over at Sam as she was bringing food over to the table and mouthed ‘sorry.’ She laughed and shook her head. Sam had on tight black yoga pants and an even tighter grey Yankees T-shirt. I loved how she filled that shirt out, and that defecting to Queens didn’t make her a Mets fan. She turned around and bent over to get dinner out of the oven, and I had to look away. I shouldn’t have been thinking about all the bad things those tight pants made me want to do to her right after discussing a Disney movie with a five year old.
“See, Mommy? I told you Lucas would love it.” Bella told Sam as she put dinner on the table. The big smile spread across Bella’s face was worth the white lie. “This is my favorite dinner. Mommy got it from Rachael Ray’s show and she makes it all the time.”
I raised an eyebrow at Sam. “I didn’t know you were a Rachael Ray fan.”
She narrowed her eyes at me and folded her arms. “Why is that so surprising? She has good ideas for quick dinners, which is good for a working mom.” I felt like I just got scolded. It was kinda hot.
I held my hands up in defeat. “Relax, I wasn’t hating on Rachael. Dinner looks delicious.”
Sam was still scowling at me but said, “thank you” and strode back into the kitchen.
Bella whispered to me, “Don’t say anything bad about Rachael Ray. She gets mad.”
Not only was Bella adorable, she was turning out to be a valuable little insider. What else could I get her to tell me about Sam that I didn’t already know?
I looked around the table and was shocked at how normal this felt—having dinner with the two special girls who were now in my life. Being at home with them made it feel a lot more real than sitting at a restaurant table.
“I saw Star Wars yesterday at Julianna’s house. Nicholas wanted to watch it. Lucas, did your mom get your name from Luke Skywalker?” I only hoped the droids didn’t give her nightmares like the last movie Julianna’s brother had them watch.
“No, sweetie, Lucas is from way before Luke Skywalker.” Sam told her but was eyeing me with a smirk.
“Not much before, Sam.” I narrowed my eyes at her. She was going to pay for that later. “My mom got my name from my uncle. Do you know where your name comes from?”
“Yep. Mommy got my name from a girl in a book.”
“That’s cool, Bella. Do you know what book?”
“Sure, Twilight.” I dropped my fork and looked across the table at Sam. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.
“Okay, Bella. I think Lucas has learned enough about you and Mommy tonight. Let’s be quiet and eat.” Sam wouldn’t look me in the eye. I couldn’t wait to tease her and she knew it.
After dinner, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to leave or stay after Bella went to bed. I didn’t want to assume anything. Bella and I got along great, but I wasn’t sure if Sam was comfortable with her daughter waking up and seeing me during breakfast. I decided to follow her lead.
“Bella, say goodnight to Lucas.” She scurried over and tackled me with a big hug.
“Sweet dreams, Butterfly.” I kissed her on her cheek and she ran to her room.
I took that as I was at least staying until later, if not overnight. I walked into the kitchen to start drying the dishes.
I heard the bedroom door shut and Sam joined me a moment later to put the dishes away. I walked over to her and leaned against the refrigerator.
She tried to look mad but she was fighting a smile.
“Got something to say?” She cocked an eyebrow at me and tapped her foot, waiting for what was coming. Sam was so adorable when she got feisty.
“I’m embarrassed.” I said with a shrug and exaggerated sigh. Sam shook her head at me and went back to gathering the dishes.
“Embarrassed for me. I mean, the woman I’m in love with named her daughter after a vampire movie. What do I tell people?” Dishes crashed to the floor as Sam dropped them and spun to look at me.
“What did you say?” She looked pale and her eyes were wide with shock. All right, then. Rachael Ray and Twilight were off limits. Got it. I walked over to her and put my arms around her waist.
“Aw, Baby Girl, I was kidding. I actually think it’s cute. I didn’t mean to make you mad.” I tried to pull her closer to me, but she wouldn’t move.
“Think about what you just said.” I ran what I said over in my head. That’s why she was freaking out. Talk about a slip.
She turned away from me and held onto the edge of the kitchen sink for dear life. I was so in love with her I couldn’t see straight. She was my first thought when I woke up, and the last thing I thought about at night. And in the time between, I still couldn’t get her out of my head. I looked at her and saw marriage, kids, and my future. She was it for me, but I could never tell her. I was afraid Marc would come back and steal Sam away, that he would guilt Sam down the line into taking him back. I knew they were separated, and I thought Sam loved me too, but I could never get past that. Until he signed those papers that thought would always be in the back of my head. Since that night in the bar all those months ago, Sam owned me. Body and soul. And it fucking terrified me.
I made Sam turn around and took her face in my hands. It was now or never.
“Look at me, Samantha. Look. At. Me.” When Sam looked up, her eyes were filled with tears. Not knowing if this was good or bad, I took a deep breath and kept going.
“I love you. I love you because you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever known, inside and out. I love you because you’re brave and smart and funny as hell without realizing it. I love you because you’re fierce, protective, and loyal—why you’re such an amazing mother. I love you because of the way you look at me—like I’m a superhero who can do anything. I love you because I can’t picture my life without you.”
As I finally told Sam how I felt about her, the tears she’d been holding in her eyes fell nonstop. A few moments passed that seemed more like hours, and Sam was still crying so hard she couldn’t speak. She buried her face in my chest, sobbing so hard she was shaking.
“Sam, you’re scaring me. Please, fucking say something. Anything.” I couldn’t have read her that wrong, could I? My grip on her arms got tighter as I panicked.
“I—” she looked up at me, swallowed a sob and tried to catch her breath so she could talk. “I love you so much. I’ve always loved you. It’s—” She stopped again, still crying but gave me a big smile. “It’s always been you, Lucas. Always you.”
I breathed a huge sigh of relief as Sam beamed at me through her tears.
“Thank God!” I pulled her close and kissed her. I could taste the salt on her lips from all those tears, which only made me kiss her harder. Not taking my mouth off hers, I lifted her up on the kitchen counter and she wrapped her legs around my waist.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again!” I said against her lips, making her giggle.
Sam pulled back from the kiss and looked up at me. She smiled and ran her hand down my cheek.
“How could you possibly think I didn’t love you? I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone.” She lay her hand on my chest, over my heart, “You have the most beautiful heart, Lucas. You made me believe I deserved better than what I was settling for. And Bella is finally coming out of her shell, and starting to learn how a real man is supposed to act. You saved both of us. You’re our Superman.”
I laughed and shook my head. All I wanted was to be her hero, every day, for the rest of her life. That, I wasn’t sure she was ready to hear yet.
I leaned my forehead against hers.
“Would it turn you on if I started wearing a cape? Not the tights, though. A man should have a little pride.” She laughed and grabbed my face, pulling her lips towards mine.
I loved kissing her, how she melted in my arms every time I touched her. I would never, ever, get enough of her. I trailed kis
ses down her neck and grabbed the hem of her T-shirt to lift it over her head; she had a white lace bra underneath. When I kissed my way down her chest and bit one of her nipples through her bra, she let out a sexy little moan.
“You’re so damn beautiful. I love you so fucking much.” I gave her slow, open mouth kisses along the tops of her breasts, pulling down her bra straps so I could get better access and work my way lower.
“I love you too.” Sam grabbed the back of my head to pull me closer. I slid my hand inside her yoga pants and groaned. She was soaked.
“Pants off. Now.” I whispered in her ear and sucked on her earlobe.
Sam giggled. “Bossy Lucas is so hot.” She lifted her hips off the counter and I pulled her pants down, revealing a white lace thong I’d never seen on her before. She caught me staring and gave me a devious little smile.
“Oh, you like my new panties?”
I didn’t think that little bit of material could qualify as panties.
“Yes, I like them a lot.” I nibbled on her bottom lip, making her giggle again. “I’ll like them a lot better when they’re lying on the floor.”
When her pants were finally off, she spread her legs to show me a very obvious wet spot through the tiny triangle barely covering anything. The blood drained out of my head directly into my pants.
“You like to tease? I’ll show you what happens when you tease.” I pulled her towards me and kissed her again, hard. I loved tasting her, everywhere. I took her hips and pulled her close to me. I rubbed my now throbbing hard-on against her core and she whimpered.
“Feel that? That’s what you do to me. Is this what you want?” I rubbed against her harder. We needed to take this to the next level soon as I was hanging on by a thread.
“Yes please, Lucas,” She unzipped my jeans and wrapped her hand around my cock and stroked it, inching her hand up and down at a slow pace that drove me out of my mind.
“Fuck, Sam … if that’s what you want, it’s all yours. Take it, baby.” I needed to be inside of her, as deep as I could go—and was very ready to take her right there on the counter.
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