“You invited me, remember?”
“Then I un-invited you…remember?”
He knew she wasn’t talking about the invite, but the reason for her un-inviting him. “Give me a chance to apologize.”
“Didn’t you do that several times by text and voice mail in the last three days?”
“I want to talk face to face.”
“Fine, I accept your apology. Now you can leave.”
“Not until you hear everything I have to say.”
“What? Do you mean you have more to say than: ‘For the love of peace, and everything that is sane, stop and think for a second every once in a while’?” He hadn’t missed the hurt she tried to cover with her sarcasm, and that he put that hurt there broke his heart.
More guests were arriving and starting to take their seats. Sam stood. “Riley, please. Just hear me out. I have something important I want to tell you.”
“I don’t think I want to hear.” She turned her head and sent him a cutting stare. “Now, Sam, go away, the wedding is about to start.”
This was not the Riley he knew. Where had his fun, zany lover disappeared to? In her place was a woman he barely recognized. She looked the same, but the light had gone out of her eyes. There was no laughter, none of the ever-present sparkle and gleam of mischief. Only a cold, lifeless stare that reminded him of the women he used to date. The type of woman he’d sworn never to let into his life again.
Riley might want him to, but he couldn’t walk away, continue his life knowing he’d broken a beautiful, precious woman like Riley.
“I’m prepared to stand right here and discuss our business in front of all of Beto’s wedding guests if that’s what you want.” Lord help him, he’d gotten that desperate.
Riley jumped to her feet. “What is your problem?”
He’d be damned if he didn’t want to know the same thing. Something had cracked in his chest the moment he registered the awful possibility that he may not be able to fix this. That he might have messed up so badly he could never make things right again. He was losing Riley and for a man used to talking people around to his viewpoint, that was devastating news.
Without waiting for him to answer, she spun on her bare feet on the powdered sand, black clutch bag in one hand, matching stiletto heels in the other. Wherever she was going she wanted to get there in a hurry. Sam watched in fascination as his old Riley made a spectacular reappearance when one of the guests stepped into the sandy aisle just as Riley tornadoed past.
In the next split-second, the woman had gone crashing into a chair, scattering the entire row, and Riley had ended up scattered out on the sand in the middle of the aisle.
Shocked screams and gasps rang out.
The bridal sound, signaling the bride’s imminent arrival down the aisle, began.
Sam flew into action, scooped Riley and her shoes off the sand and fast-paced it out of there.
“What are you doing?”
“Saving you, sweetheart.” And didn’t that feel just fantastic? “You were about to upstage the bride and ruin your ex’s wedding.”
“Sam, put me down.”
“In a minute.”
“I’m mad at you.”
He lowered her to her feet under the shade of a lush mango tree in blossom, out of the view of the wedding guests. The mild, sweet odor of the blossoms embraced them, reminding Sam of lily of the valley.
“I know. You have every right to be. I treated you―”
“Like a bad-behaved child.” She dusted herself down. “What gets me is you didn’t even seem to notice John Brooks feeling me up under that table.”
Murderous anger rocketed through Sam. So John hadn’t kept his flirting verbal, after all. And he’d placed Riley in that situation.
“Brooks touched you?”
“That’s why I leapt from the table without thought. I needed to get away. I don’t know how you didn’t notice John’s antics, but I’d planned to text you from the bathroom to let you know what he was doing. Then the waiter materialized from nowhere and John ended up with hot food in his lap.” She glowered at him. “If you want to know, I’m not sorry,” she continued with pure attitude. “He deserved it.”
Thank heavens John Brooks had returned to Miami, or Sam would have gone looking for him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t protect you, Riley. I guess I was too caught up with jealousy to notice much else.”
Her head shot up. “Jealousy?”
“Yes.” He hated to admit such weakness. “You seemed to enjoy his company. He made you laugh.”
Riley glared at Sam as though she’d like to slap him. “I was being polite for your sake. You’re the one who introduced me as your PA. Of course there was a possibility John Brooks might think he had some kind of chance with me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You said that already.” She snatched her shoes from his hand, swiveled in the opposite direction and flounced off.
In three long strides Sam caught up with Riley, he snagged her wrist, halting her.
“I love you! That’s something I haven’t said before. Not to any woman.”
Riley’s mouth fell open, tears filled her eyes. “What did you say?”
Still holding her wrist, he stepped closer, dropped his voice as she tipped her chin to meet his gaze. Sam’s chest grew full. “I said I’m in love with you, Riley Flynn.”
The tears that sprang to her eyes at his declaration brimmed on her long lower lashes then rolled down her cheeks. She stared at him so long that Sam’s heart pounded and his gut knotted. He’d just said I love you for the first time, and he hadn’t stopped to think that Riley might not feel the same.
A lump rose in his throat. “Riley, please say something.”
She hiccupped then smiled—even if it was a little watery.
“Oh, Sam!” She dropped her clutch and shoes. “I love you, too!” She rose on tiptoe, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him like a woman totally in love with the man holding her—a woman who didn’t care if the whole world knew it.
Yes, this was exactly what he wanted, where he wanted to be for the rest of his life. He pulled Riley in close, deepened the kiss. Hardly caring that people could see them or that they might very well be upstaging Beto’s entire wedding. All Sam cared about was that he finally had Riley back in his arms and he was never letting her go again.
When he broke the kiss, Riley smiled up at him. The cheeky, spirited grin he loved and missed so much these last few days lit her face and melted his heart.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Riley.”
“Happy V-Day, Sam. Thank you for my gift.” Her grin grew mischievous. “Thanks for the flowers and the gift…I think you should know I’m wearing it.”
He groaned deep in his throat. The mental image of Riley in the black see-through lace bra and thong almost brought him to his knees. “I’ve got a room booked for the night.” He tipped his head toward the hotel on the beach behind them. “I was hoping you’d join me.”
Riley rose up on tiptoe. “Sam, I’d go with you anywhere.”
He would never grow tired of her smile. Or the way she said his name in that British accent.
She pressed against him and he didn’t care that she couldn’t miss how much he wanted her. “Sam?”
For the first time, he found himself contemplating marriage. Riley was the perfect woman for him: loving, honest, loyal, sexy, smart, and of course, cute. He’d thought cute made a man do stupid things, but now he knew cute made a man do honest things, like ask the woman he loved to marry him and spend the rest of their lives focusing on each other.
He loved her just the way she was.
Sam smiled. What better time to propose to Riley than on Valentine’s Day? He rested his forehead on hers, entranced by the sensation of her in his arms. Where he wanted her from this day forward.
“Hmm?”
“Kiss me again.”
And he kissed her again, and again, and again…
&
nbsp; A word about the author…
Monique DeVere is a full-time author of sweet ’n’ spicy romantic comedy and contemporary romance. She was born on the beautiful island of Barbados, where she grew up on a large plantation with enough wide-open space to let the imagination run free. She moved to the UK as a teen and shortly after met and fell instantly, and irrevocably, in love with her very own strong silent-type hero. When Monique isn’t writing or spending quality time with her family, she likes to armchair travel to distant and exciting parts of the world and considers herself to have the best job on earth.
You can visit her at moniquedevere.com where she invites you to join her exclusive Readers Club packed full of goodies for her members. Monique loves to hear from her readers. Feel free to contact her at [email protected].
Thank you for purchasing
this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Kiss Me Again Page 7