by Cara Marsi
“Sam. Sweetheart.” He sank onto the bed and gathered her into his arms. “I don’t know what’s wrong, but it’ll be okay.”
He held her close while she cried tears of anger, hurt, and frustration—cried for the mother she’d never known, for a lonely childhood that hadn’t had to be, for the mother Lisa could have been, and for her own stubbornness in not really having tried to know her mother.
She cried too for the closeness she’d felt with Aiden these days. And the knowledge it had to end.
Finally, with the help of the tissues Aiden offered her from the nightstand, she managed to stem the flow of tears. Sniffling, she pulled away from Aiden and swiped at her eyes. “I got your shirt wet.” She rubbed a hand over his T-shirt.
He took her hand and held it against his heart. “The shirt will be fine. What’s going on?”
She waved a hand over the mess of papers. “I found these.” She gulped air. “I know who my father is. I have brothers.”
“Can I look at all this?” he asked.
“Go ahead.”
After Aiden finished reading, he silently stacked the papers and slid them into the envelope. Without speaking, he took Sam by the hand and led her to her room where he tenderly slipped off her jeans and sweater, then pulled back the bedcovers. “You need to rest. Get into bed.”
As if in a trance, she did as he ordered. Aiden undressed to his boxers and slid in next to her. He flipped the comforter and sheet over them and enfolded her into his embrace.
“It’s okay, Sam. Sleep. Relax. I’m here for you. We can talk about this later if you want.”
Secure in his arms, she closed her eyes. “Later,” she said, and drifted into sleep.
<><><>
Sam woke to darkness and a quiet house. Aiden slept next to her, his features relaxed and younger-looking. She skimmed a finger over his lips. He opened one deep blue eye, then the other.
“Feel better?” he asked.
“Yes.” She brushed a light kiss on his lips. “Thanks for understanding, for helping me.”
With a smile, he took her in his arms, held her tightly and rolled so she was on top of him. Her hair fell over his chest and he brushed it back, hooking it behind her ears. “I’ll always be here for you, Sam.”
Would he? She couldn’t ask the question, was afraid of the answer. She suspected he wanted more from her than she could give.
She pushed aside those thoughts and settled more comfortably, folding her arms on his broad chest and staring down at him. “I feel so sad. My mother really does love me. I never felt that growing up. I wish she’d told me. I wish we could have been closer. Yet, a part of me can’t forgive what she did with Kurt. Am I wrong to still feel this resentment, especially since I was about to break up with him? But my mother didn’t know that.”
“You’re human, sweetheart. What you feel is normal. What your mother and Kurt did was reprehensible. Don’t beat yourself up over it. You and Lisa may never be close, but she reached out to you with that letter. Give her a chance.”
“I’ll try.”
“Will you try to contact your brothers?”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure I want to know them.”
“You’ll do the right thing.” He cupped her face between his hands. “It’s the kind of person you are.”
With his thumb he tenderly rubbed her cheek. “I want to make love to you.”
She felt herself falling—falling for him. The revelation confused and scared her, then all thought vanished when he massaged her nape with his strong, calloused fingers. He cupped the back of her head and pressed her closer. His touch made her body come to life. She was truly lost.
“Aiden,” she whispered.
Then his mouth, hungry and demanding, was on hers. She opened for him, needing him, craving him with a hunger that tore at her soul.
His fingers traced the line of her back while his mouth plundered hers. Shudders of need wracked her. Intoxicated by Aiden’s drugging kiss and her own desperate needs, Sam gripped the smooth, firm flesh of his shoulders, reveling in his heat and hardness.
Aiden flung away the bedcovers and cupped her bottom to gently lift her off him, rolling her onto her back. He knelt beside her as his smoldering blue gaze, sinful and tempting, trailed over her body.
“I want to see all of you,” he said in a thick voice. With agonizing slowness, he unhooked her bra, helped her out of it, and tossed it over his shoulder. He filled his hands with her breasts, worshipping her with his eyes. Leaning closer, he took one of her pebbled nipples into his mouth. He teased each nipple, provoking moans of pleasure from her. She plowed her fingers into the richness of his hair as something deep and yearning pulsed in her.
He teased a path down her body, nipping and kissing, laving her navel. With exquisite tenderness he slipped off her thong and tossed it aside. He raked his hot gaze over her, a starving man ready to devour the meal of a lifetime.
Sam’s whole body tingled from the fire in his eyes. She raised her arms toward him. “Please.”
He positioned himself between her legs and caressed the curls at the juncture of her thighs, then slipped his fingers into her soft folds. He slid in and out, his wicked, dark gaze locked on hers. She moaned softly as waves of pleasure rolled over her.
“Sam,” he whispered, dipping his head. When his tongue found her hot, moist center, she uttered low moans of pleasure and grabbed handfuls of the sheet, twisting her head back and forth.
“Easy, Sam, easy.”
With his tongue, he sucked and licked. She buried her fingers in his hair as her climax built, a raging ball of fire that consumed her. Shudders swept through her and she rasped his name.
With wonder in his eyes, Aiden kissed his way upward, then held and stroked her face. “Sam…”
“What?” she managed.
His features tightened and he released a breath. “You’re amazing.”
He slid off the bed and slipped off his boxers, kicking them aside, then grabbed his jeans from the floor. Digging in one of the pockets, he pulled out a foil-wrapped package, opened it and slid on protection.
The musky scent of their lovemaking filled the room, enveloping Sam in sensual heat. She held out her arms, inviting him to take her.
Without a word, he eased over her, then entered her. His lips touched hers in a shattering kiss that melted the last bit of loneliness around her heart. She kissed him back with all the yearning she couldn’t voice.
They moved as one, hard and fast. They climaxed together, clinging to each other as waves of pleasure washed over them.
When their breathing returned to normal, he kissed her gently on the lips and rolled off her, gathering her close. Her sweat-sheened body felt chilled, but Sam didn’t want to move from Aiden’s arms. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. No man could ever give her the pleasure or the fulfillment she felt with Aiden.
And that was the problem. Their time together was coming to an end. A future without him stretched before her. She pressed against him, wanting to savor every minute in his arms.
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE HOUSE WAS CLEAN for Lisa and Sean’s return tomorrow. The cats were fed. They’d be okay alone tonight. Late morning sunlight streamed through the half-open curtains, touching the spot where Sam stood in the living room, her packed bag by her feet.
She didn’t know how she could go back to her sterile existence in Richmond after spending the most exciting, erotic days of her life here with Aiden.
They’d made love again last night before falling asleep in each other’s arms. She’d have her memories, but memories wouldn’t warm her during the lonely nights ahead.
A small window of hope opened. Maybe Aiden would ask her to come back, to be with him. She dismissed the hope. She didn’t know what she wanted, couldn’t commit to anything. Aiden knew it. He wouldn’t ask.
“I guess that’s it,” he said, coming into the room. He’d dressed in the sweater, jeans and leather jacket he’d wor
n that first day. When he looked at her with hooded eyes, as if trying to mask his thoughts, a pang of regret arrowed through her.
She swallowed and glanced down at her suitcase. “I’m ready.”
His features tightened. With determined strides, he started toward her. His cell phone vibrated, stopping him in mid-stride. With a shrug of annoyance, he slipped it from his pocket, checked the display, then answered it. “Hello, Uncle Sean. How was the cruise?”
Aiden glanced at Sam as he listened to his uncle. “Great, I’m glad you had good weather,” he said. “Things are good here now. Tell Lisa not to worry. The house and cats are safe. The nor’easter hit Fenwick pretty hard and the Coastal was closed for a few days, but we all survived. Yeah, I got stuck at the house when I came to get the cats. I called my brothers and they alerted the authorities, so everyone knew we were here.” He raised an eyebrow at Sam. “Samantha was at the house when I arrived.”
His attention still on Sam, Aiden said into the phone, “She stopped here on her way to a conference in Philly and couldn’t leave. She’s okay. Uh, what’s that? Sure.” He held the phone out to Sam. “Lisa wants to talk to you.”
Sam shook her head and held up her hands. Until she digested all she’d learned about Lisa, until she decided what to do, she couldn’t talk to her mother.
“Sam can’t come to the phone now,” Aiden said. “We’re getting ready to leave…I’ll tell her. Have a good flight. See you tomorrow.” Aiden ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
“Your mother wants you to call her in a few days. She wants to talk to you.”
Sam chewed her lip. “I don’t know what to say to her.”
Aiden was by her side in two long-legged strides. He cupped her shoulders, his gaze soft. “She’s your mother, Sam. After all you learned about her, cut her some slack.”
“I know, Aiden. I’m trying. These last days have opened me up to a lot of things.”
“What things?” The hope in his eyes tore at her heart. She couldn’t give him what he wanted. Not when she didn’t know what she wanted.
“I have decisions to make. Let’s leave it at that.”
“Will you go to London?”
“I haven’t decided.” She stared into his eyes. “I’m confused. I need time.”
“I mean nothing to you then.” He said it with grim finality.
She had no words, so she reached out and touched his arm, feeling the muscles tense. “Aiden…”
His features hardened. “Your silence speaks louder than words. I’ll get your bag. Let’s go.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SAM HAD BEEN driving more than two hours and was halfway to Richmond when tears blurred her vision, forcing her to pull into a rest stop. Barely noticing the few long-haul trucks parked nearby, she slipped into a spot and killed the engine. Leaning her forehead on the steering wheel, she let the tears flow.
Aiden’s face swam before her. The anger and the hurt in his eyes when they’d parted pierced her anew. She’d followed him off Fenwick and onto the mainland where they went their separate ways, him to his family’s bar and her to Richmond. He’d driven off without a wave or a honk of his horn, his silence plunging another arrow into her heart.
When her tears stopped, she fished a tissue out of her purse and blew her nose. She stared through her windshield out at the dull, cloudy January day. What the hell was she doing here?
The truth hit her like a wave of icy ocean water. She loved Aiden Rourke. Running from him again had solved nothing. If she continued on this path she’d lose him forever. Her career was important. But Aiden had her heart. She wanted him in her life. Could he forgive her a second time?
<><><>
She’d thought a lot on the drive back to Rehoboth and knew what she wanted to do. When the large sign announcing Rourke’s Bar & Grill came into view, her heart did a tiny flip. She pulled into a spot close to the entrance. With the noon rush over, only a few cars were in the parking lot. When she didn’t see Aiden’s pickup, anxiety knotted in her chest.
She shook her head, forcing away her tension. She’d come to find Aiden, and she would. She pulled down the car’s vanity mirror. Her eyes were still slightly red and puffy from crying. She dug in her purse for her lipstick and mascara and tried to make herself look presentable. After taking a deep breath, she exited the car.
When she entered Rourke’s, she blinked, adjusting to the dim light. The place had changed since she’d last seen it. She let her gaze wander around the room. The main area was more elegant than she remembered. The long wooden bar was still there and polished to a high gloss, but the stools and the booth seats had been reupholstered in deep red leather. Twinkling white lights bordered the paned windows. A few people sat at the bar nursing beers. A group of elderly women took up one of the tables. Two men behind the bar polished glasses. One looked at her as she approached.
His face lit in a smile and he came around to greet her. “Samantha. Good to see you again.”
She returned his smile. “Hello, Ethan.”
“You looking for Aiden?” Ethan’s blue eyes, so like Aiden’s, studied her.
“Is he here?”
“He was, but he went back to his place. You just missed him. Hold on a minute and I’ll give you his address.”
Ethan quickly wrote Aiden’s address on a piece of paper the bartender handed him, then gave the paper to Sam.
“Thanks,” she said, glancing at the address.
“Samantha?”
She raised her gaze to his.
“Good luck. My little brother can be a stubborn ass.”
Her face heated. What had Aiden told his brother? Nodding at Ethan, she hurried out.
Once in Aiden’s development of neat Cape Cods, she found his address easily, recognizing his blue pickup in the driveway. Suddenly feeling unprepared, she parked and sat unmoving, fighting the fear that had suddenly overtaken her. What if he no longer wanted her? What if what they’d shared really was revenge sex and he’d gotten his chance to walk out on her?
Finally she left the car and hurried up the walkway before she lost her nerve. Her hand shook as she grabbed the brass knocker on the front door and rapped.
No answer. Her heart rate sped up. She knocked again.
“Hold on.” Aiden’s voice. Footsteps, then the door swung open to Aiden holding his phone to his ear.
Shock registered on his rugged face. “I’ll call you back,” he said into the phone. He ended the call and set the phone aside on a small table in the entry hall.
“Sam?”
“Hi.” She hated that her voice quivered.
He held the door open and gestured her in, closing it softly after she slipped past him.
“Nice place,” she said, feigning calmness. From the entryway she could see a large living room furnished sparsely with a black leather sectional and chairs, framed by bare white walls, bare except for a large flat-screen TV mounted on one wall.
She turned to Aiden. “Don’t go in for much decorating, do you?”
He shrugged. “It’s a guy thing. What are you doing here? I figured you’d be in Richmond by now. Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine.” Mustering her thoughts, she walked into the living room, then stopped and turned to face him.
He moved into the room. “Why are you here, Sam?”
They stared at each other. Sam blinked first.
“Give me your coat,” he said.
She dropped her purse on the floor and slipped off her coat and handed it to him. Aiden hung it over the arm of a chair and gestured to the sofa. “Sit.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I’m too nervous.”
He frowned. “I make you nervous?”
“You always have.”
His sculpted lips tilted in a smile. “Wonder why that is?”
Chewing her lip, she began pacing the room, not looking at him. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”
“So have I,” he said quietly.
She pivoted to face him. “You have?”
“Go on.” He waved a hand. “You’ve got the floor, counselor.”
She clasped her hands in front of her and blew out a breath. “I did a lot of thinking driving back and forth.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “You already said that.”
He wasn’t going to make it easy for her. “I’ve come to a decision about my job. And my life.”
Tension showed in every line of his body. “And…”
“I’m sure I can pass the Delaware bar. Dover’s not that far. The capital has lots of lawyers. I can get a job there. While I study for the bar maybe I can find a job as a paralegal in Rehoboth.”
He narrowed his eyes and drew closer. “What are you talking about? Don’t play with me, Sam.” His mouth was set in a thin line and anger shone from his eyes.
“I’m not playing,” she said.
“Then what the hell are you talking about?”
She reached out and touched his face. “I’m messing up. I think I need to start over. I’m moving back here, to Rehoboth.”
“Why?”
She shut her eyes for long seconds. When she opened them, Aiden was staring at her with darkened blue eyes. Unfathomable eyes.
“I did a lot of soul-searching today.” She swallowed. This wasn’t nearly as easy as she’d hoped it would be. “I realized all I want, all I’ve ever wanted, is right here. Right in front of me.”
He didn’t move. Dread filled her. She’d misunderstood. He didn’t want her. Not in that way.
“You want me?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Why? Say the words.”
“I love you, Aiden Rourke. I think I always have.”
He touched her face, gently, as if he was afraid she somehow wasn’t real. “I never thought I’d hear you say that.”
“It’s true, you know. I do love you.” Anxiety swirled through her as he stared at her without speaking. “Say something, Aiden.”