River of Love

by Melissa Foster

  His mouth came coaxingly down to her in a kiss that was passionate without being rough and made her feel like she was going up, up, up on an invisible cloud. When their lips parted, she missed his taste. Missed it, didn’t burn for it. This was bigger, a pronounced longing from secret places deep inside her. Hidden places she didn’t know could want, places that made her feel on the verge of tumbling over an edge. Sam gazed into her eyes, and the raw emotions she saw drew her right in. She was utterly lost in him. In them.

  “Stay with me tonight,” he whispered against her cheek, and then those satiny dark eyes found hers again. “Let me love you until the stars fade and hold you until the sun rises.”

  Her throat thickened with emotions. Her voice came as a threadbare whisper. “Love me, Sam.”

  Sam laced his fingers with hers, and as he led her into the bedroom, she knew she’d remember this moment, the look in his eyes, and the tremulous, aching love blooming inside her forever.

  **

  STANDING BESIDE HIS bed, the bed Sam had never shared with a woman, in the cabin that had been his sacred space until Faith, Sam realized his life had split into two distinct times. Before Faith and after Faith. He hadn’t thought twice about bringing her to his favorite cove or bringing her home. He stripped away her clothing, kissing each area as it was revealed, before moving on to strip himself bare. Feeling the heat of Faith’s hungry, loving gaze move down his body, he was consumed with emotions bigger than he could name.

  He held her gaze as he sheathed his eager length and lowered her down to the bed, whispering, “I want to share everything with you.”

  “Yes, Sam. Everything,” she said, reaching for him.

  He cradled her face in his hands, pouring all of his emotions into this moment, this embrace, this kiss, as he sank into her tight heat. She raised her hips, taking him deeper. His head spun, bowled over with the intense emotions consuming him. He laced their hands together and shifted his hips, stroking over her pleasure points. Her body quivered and bowed beneath him as they found their rhythm.

  “I’m falling so hard for you, baby. So hard.”

  He claimed her mouth, thrusting faster, harder. Her fingers curled around his, and her eyes slammed closed.

  “Open your eyes, baby. Let me see what you’re feeling.”

  Her eyes fluttered open, fire, lust, and need battling for domination. He lifted her legs around his waist and slowed their pace, wanting that look and the sensations mounting, building, pounding inside him to last forever. Her nails dug into his skin, bringing exquisite pain with pleasure so intense he couldn’t hang on to a single thought.

  Her thighs tightened around him and he captured her mouth again.

  She clung to him again, gasping and pleading. “Sam. Sam—”

  She arched up, burying her face in his neck and surrendering to the forceful climax. A stream of pleasure-filled cries filled the room, echoed in his mind, driving him further into her. Desire coiled at the base of his spine, drawing his balls up tight against her slick heat. She clawed at his back and bit down on his shoulder—shattering his last shred of control. He held her so tight he feared she’d bruise, but he was powerless to loosen his grip as he came, and came, and came.

  A sheen of sweat covered them both as they clung together in the aftermath of their lovemaking. Sam’s thoughts whirred and staggered, defying every effort to trap them in place. He rolled onto his side as he slipped from her body, and she moved with him, lying on her side so they were nose to nose.

  Their lips reached for each other, sneaking kisses with the last of their energy. They lay there so long, Sam lost all sense of time. At some point he got up and took care of the condom. They went in and out of sleep, making love in the waking hours and catching naps in between. Each time they came together was more intense and more intimate than the last, and by the time dawn snuck in through the windows, Sam was so full of Faith, he could barely think of anything else.

  As she slept, he brushed her hair from her forehead, pressed a kiss to her soft skin, and whispered, “I’m drowning in you, sweet girl.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  FEW THINGS COMPARED to waking up in Sam’s arms. Unfortunately, Faith’s plants wouldn’t care if she slept better enveloped by Sam’s incredibly hot bod, or if the mind-blowing sex was worth the lack of sleep. She needed to remember to water them when she got home. It had been an incredible, blissful week since she and Sam began spending nights at his cabin, and every time she went home she was rushing, checking the WAC site, gathering clothes for the next day, or giving in to Sam’s kisses. Like the food that was probably spoiling in her refrigerator, the plants were undoubtedly dying a horrible, drought-laden death.

  Sam stood beneath the shower spray, rinsing shampoo from his hair. She loved watching the soapy water drip over his hard body. Yeah, those plants could wait. Nothing compared to being with Sam. He pulled her beneath the shower spray and kissed her neck. They’d just made love, and her body still flamed with renewed desire.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked between kisses.

  “You. Sex. And my plants, but mostly sex. With you.” Ramble much? Two weeks into their relationship and he still scrambled her brain.

  He turned off the water and stepped from the shower to retrieve a towel.

  “Lucky me,” he said as he wrapped it around Faith and drew her against his glistening frame.

  “Are you nervous about me talking to Cole?” he asked, placing lazy openmouthed kisses against her shoulder.

  They were both having difficult conversations today. Sam insisted on being at Cole’s when he and Leesa returned from their honeymoon, so Cole would hear about their relationship from him first, and after the conference call she had scheduled with a women’s group, Faith needed to have a heart-to-heart with Vivian. She’d been avoiding her calls since their last conversation. She knew Vivian was trying to keep her from getting hurt, but her doubts about Sam made Faith stumble over her own beliefs. She didn’t want to undermine their relationship, especially when Sam was trying so hard. She believed in him, and somehow she needed to convince Vivian of that. Never again would she allow anyone else’s opinion of Sam to sway her. There probably wasn’t a woman on earth who knew him like she did.

  She closed her eyes, pushing away those thoughts and enjoying the feel of his lips brushing over her skin.

  “Faith?”

  Eyes still closed, she said, “Yeah?”

  He stopped kissing her shoulder, and she opened her eyes. “Cole. Your boss. You remember him, right? Big, serious guy? Told me to stay away from you?”

  “What about him? Oh! Sorry.” She’d been so lost in her own thoughts she had forgotten he’d asked a question. “No, I’m not worried about whether he’ll accept our relationship.” She was much less nervous about Cole finding out they were dating than she had been when they’d first started going out, but she had a fleeting worry that she didn’t want to talk about.

  “But?” Sam was looking at her with a serious, expectant gaze, and he deserved the truth, even if she didn’t give it much weight.

  “But I wonder just a little tiny bit. A sliver of a worry, really. Probably not even worth talking about.”

  “We don’t have those, remember? Every worry is worth talking about.”

  He was good at making her communicate. It was one of the things she loved most about him, but that didn’t mean it was easy to bring this up.

  “But it’s not a big worry.”

  He cocked a brow and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Baby, you’re killing me here.”

  “You know…” She ran her finger down the center of his chest, thinking she could distract him. “Your willingness to hear the good with the bad and deal with it head-on is one of the things I like most about you.”

  “Because there’s nothing we can’t handle.”

  That made her smile, and she had a feeling he was right.

  “And?” he pushed.

  Damn. Even if
they could handle it, it felt like a betrayal to say it, but he deserved the truth. “Okay, fine. But I’m not really worried about it. I was thinking about my job. What if something happens between us?”

  “Something like we break up?”

  She lifted a shoulder. She didn’t even want to think about the possibility, but she wasn’t naive. She of all people knew that things went wrong in relationships, and she was trying to be realistic, even if the idea of breaking up felt very remote.

  He kissed her softly. The confident smile she loved so much rose all the way to his eyes. “Then you really have nothing to worry about.”

  She loved his arrogance toward their relationship, and just like always, she believed him. “Your brother is going to think I’ve slipped you drugs or something.”

  He toweled off without answering, and she had a feeling he was thinking the same thing as she followed him into the bedroom.

  She slipped on her panties, watching him watch her. She swore he had a little remote control that sent electric currents through her every time he got that wanton look in his eyes. It didn’t help that he was buck naked and fully aroused.

  He stepped toward her, his eyes darkening, her heart melting.

  “Sam.” She shook her head, taking a step backward.

  He stepped closer. “What?”

  She flattened her palm against his chest, keeping distance between them, despite her needy body begging for his touch.

  “You said you wanted to be at Cole’s when he arrived, and I have a phone conference with a women’s group in half an hour.” She’d also planned on setting up the resource page on the website. A few of the companies she’d emailed had sent links to their intake forms, and she wanted to make them available to the members as soon as possible. If she and Sam fooled around, she’d not only miss the call and probably spend another day avoiding Vivian, but she’d also be worthless while she recovered. Sam made love like he did everything, to his best ability every single time, which meant sucking her dry of every ounce of energy she had. She loved it. Craved it. But today she needed her energy. And yeah, maybe she was a little worried about that little convo with Cole he was going to have after all.

  He gripped her wrist and lifted her palm, pressing a kiss to the center of it. “And that’s a problem because…?”

  Jesus, he stole her breath, her brains, and if he came any closer, her bones would liquefy and slither between the cracks in the floor. He dropped his gaze to her mouth, lingering there, making her lips tingle with anticipation.

  “Sam,” she whispered.

  He held his hands up in surrender. “No hands.”

  “Like that helps?” Her nipples ached for his touch. She was an inch from giving in. “All it does it make me want you more.”

  “One kiss.” He stepped closer, his hard shaft pressing against her panties as he lowered his mouth to hers.

  “You’re insatiable.”

  “Only for you.” He nipped at her lower lip. “What are you thinking about now?”

  “Huh?” Her mind was nowhere to be found.

  He chuckled. “What’s on your mind?”

  “What do you think?”

  “I love when I’m on your mind, but you were a million miles away. Thinking about the work you have to get done for the site?” He kissed her neck, pressing his body tightly against hers.

  Good Lord did he feel good. “Mm-hm.”

  “And are you nervous about talking with Vivian?”

  “A little.” But it’s not my nerves causing my body to quiver right now.

  “Are you inviting her to the barbecue? It’s only two weeks away.”

  Thinking about the barbecue shook her out of her hormone-induced trance.

  His brows knitted. “Are you nervous about the barbecue?”

  “No.” She rolled her eyes at his intense stare. “Maybe a little, which is really stupid.” She turned to grab her shorts, and Sam pulled her against him.

  “It’s not stupid. We’re honoring your feelings, remember?”

  “You make it really hard to honor my feelings because they make no sense. I have no reason to be nervous about it. You are nothing short of the most wonderful boyfriend on earth. But your whole family, and practically the whole town, will be there, so yeah, I’m a little nervous. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.”

  “You’re right. There will be tons of people. Most of the groups I’ve taken out on trips will be there, too. It’s a marketing event, community building, a time for me to firmly make my mark with my sponsors. But that’s not what you’re worried about.”

  She dropped her eyes, embarrassed to admit her jealousy. He lifted her chin. He always lifted her chin, made her face what she’d rather not. There was no judgment in his eyes, no tension at all. Nothing short of adoration, which amped up her embarrassment for the green-eyed monster clawing at her. They’d come to that point in their relationship where words weren’t necessary. Understanding that could only come from mutual respect, and their intense connection, silently passed between them.

  “Just know here”—he laid his palm over her heart—“that I’ve got this. I won’t let you down.”

  She drew in a deep breath and nodded. “I know. Sadly, because it makes me a total loser, this isn’t about you. It’s about my own stupid jealousy.”

  That cocky grin showed up again. “My girl’s jealous?”

  She rolled her eyes. “A tiny smidgen. And don’t even think for a minute that it’s because I’m worried about how you’ll act. I only wish it was, but you’ve squashed that excuse to bits. Nope. This is all me.”

  “You know I love that, right?” He laughed, kissing her cheeks until she pushed him away, laughing. “You should invite Vivian.”

  “Why?”

  “Because not only will I prove to you that you have nothing to worry about, but she’ll see it firsthand. You’ll feel better knowing she’s on your side. And maybe then you won’t dodge her calls.” He kissed her again and grabbed a pair of briefs from his drawer.

  You knew I was dodging her calls? Of course you did. You’ve infiltrated my brain. “You don’t have to prove anything to me, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea to invite her.”

  He stopped with his briefs midway up his thighs, and his gaze turned sinful. “You want to play naked games?”

  With you? Always. Ugh! How did he get her so off topic? “No. I mean inviting Vivian. She’s more jaded than I was when I met you. And she doesn’t know you like I do. She’ll scrutinize everything.”

  “That means you don’t have faith in me. No naked games for you, sweet girl.” He finished pulling up his briefs and patted her ass. “It’s a good thing one of us does.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  FAITH WATERED HER sickly plants, begging them not to die. She finished her call with the women’s center and read and answered posts on the WAC website. Hilary had been offered a promotion at work, and Brittany had met a new guy. They both sounded excited but wary. The forums were buzzing about the work Lira was doing for Sam. She and the girls were weighing the pros and cons of moving away from her hometown, even though she didn’t have an offer for a full-time job yet. They listed all the important things to consider, like finding a babysitter and pediatrician for Emmie and the cost of living, which shouldn’t change much from where she lived now. Apparently her ex wouldn’t fight her moving away with Emmie, which spoke volumes about how little he cared. But by far the biggest pro was also the biggest con—moving away from her family.

  Faith was careful not to weigh in too heavily on Lira’s decision, even though they weren’t talking specifically about moving for a job with Sam. Partially because her opinion of Sam was biased and partially because she had no idea how moving Emmie away from her no-good father would affect her in the long run. She assumed it would be for the best, given his lack of desire to see her, but that wasn’t something she had any experience with. No wonder Lira needed to talk to a professional.

  She left a comment telling Lira
she hoped it worked out well and then got busy designing the resource page. But now she was thinking of Sam, and her mind drifted to the barbecue. She thought she’d be more worried about Sam talking with Cole, but that didn’t make her stomach go crazy the way thoughts of the barbecue did. Sam’s comment about her not having faith in him was circling her mind, too.

  She had complete faith in him. It was herself she didn’t trust. Jealousy was an evil, nasty competitor, one she hadn’t dealt with very often. She’d had a hard time at first when they’d gone to Tap It, but Sam had sent that green-eyed-monster running for the hills with his confident, honest ways.

  “Have faith,” she whispered to herself as she reached for her phone and called Vivian.

  “Hello. You’ve reached Faith’s former BFF,” Vivian said in a nasally tone. “I’m out searching for a new friend. Please leave a message.”

  Faith cringed, feeling more than a little guilty. “Sorry I haven’t returned your calls.”

  “Just tell me one thing. Do you have a new BFF or are you smothered in Sam?”

  “No one could ever replace you, so it’s the latter.” She closed her eyes, waiting for Vivian’s warning.

  “Smothered in Sam? Hm. How is the playboy?”

  “Vivian.”

  “Sorry. How is lover boy?”

  Sarcasm practically dripped through the phone.

  “He’s absolutely wonderful, but I want you to see that for yourself. Are you free the weekend after next?”

  “For you? Maybe. Is he really wonderful?” Her tone softened. “He treats you well? As well as I think you deserve?”

  “He really is and he truly does, but I want you to witness it for your own peace of mind. He’s hosting a barbecue at Rough Riders and, well, I could use your support.” Faith didn’t realize how nervous she was until the words left her lips.