Explosion of Love (The Armstrongs Book 6)

by Gray, Jessica

  She squashed those images. No way! This will not happen. His friendship is too important. “I could never handle being another of his trophies – a girl to sleep with once and then throw away.”

  Her face turned bright red when she looked at him. “Tell me I didn’t speak those thoughts out loud.”

  Grant nodded, looking very disappointed and somewhat ashamed. “Is that what you think about me?”

  Samantha couldn’t answer him and shook her head. I can’t believe I said those things out loud!

  After a few minutes, he cleared his throat and then asked, “Do you want to go out tonight? There’s a new bar in town that just opened and they have live music.”

  Samantha raised her eyes and watched him for a minute before answering, “I don’t know…”

  “They have dancing.”

  Damn it! He knows I’ve never been able to resist live music and dancing. Still, she hesitated, but when he smiled at her, her resolve fled and she nodded, “Yep. I’d like that.” Anything to avoid being alone with him in the beach house all night.

  Chapter 11

  Samantha cleared the table and washed the dishes while Grant finished his latest project and put away his tools. As the late afternoon turned to evening, they headed to “The Lighthouse” bar and had a few beers.

  The place was packed with people, and after a few minutes, Grant spotted his youngest sister Allison there with some friends.

  “Hey!” he called to her over the music, coming up behind her.

  Allison turned around and then her eyes lit up at seeing her brother and Samantha. “Hey, you two! I didn’t know you were coming up to the beach.”

  “We just arrived yesterday. You remember Samantha?” he asked, hugging his sister fondly.

  “Of course I do. Hey, Sam! I’m a huge fan of yours. How’s life in New York?”

  Allison was one year younger than her, and they’d gotten along well, but they’d never been close friends. She decided to not dredge up recent events. “New York is an amazing city.”

  “So what brings you back to our neck of the woods?”

  “I needed a break. Besides, I love Sandy Beach.”

  Alison nodded her head, beaming with laughter. “Yeah, growing up here every summer was a blast. And since I live here, I’m the happiest person alive.”

  Sam grinned. If there were one happy person on earth, it would be Allison. Wherever she went she brought smiles to everyone, and people couldn’t escape the effect of her happiness.

  “You haven’t changed at all,” Sam said.

  Allison turned to her brother and told him, “She’s still the same nice Sam as when we were growing up.”

  The band started up again and Sam turned her attention to the small stage. Soon she swayed to the beat of the great music. She’d never been able to resist a good song. A little music and she was either tapping her feet, or outright dancing.

  Allison grabbed her hand and dragged her onto the dance floor, giggling all the while. The two women started dancing and having a blast. But out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Grant’s eyes watching her. Her body heated under his blatant perusal, and she began to find enjoyment in the new quality of their relationship.

  But it wouldn’t be fair to use Grant as a rebound. He deserves so much more. He deserves the best woman in the world. Someone who loves him, and doesn’t live halfway across the country. Not someone like me.

  “I’ve never seen Grant look at someone the way he’s looking at you.” Allison’s voice broke through her thoughts.

  “Way?” Samantha asked, baffled.

  “Don’t play dumb. You know. He’s all dreamy eyes and enamored with you.”

  Samantha shook her head. “No, I didn’t know.”

  “Don’t break his heart, okay?”

  She shrugged Allison’s comments off and went back to dancing. A short time later, Allison announced it was time for her to bounce out of there.

  The two women left the dance floor and returned to Grant’s side. “Hey, I’ve got to get going. Samantha, it was great seeing you again. See you around.”

  Allison hugged and kissed both of them before she took off. Samantha said the first thing that came to her mind, trying to break the awkward silence Allison’s leaving had left behind. “The band is great.”

  Grant looked towards the stage. “They are. The lead singer is my brother Terrence.”

  “Whoa. I haven’t recognized him. He has changed a lot since I last saw him.”

  “Want to say hello?” he asked her.

  “Sure.”

  Grant introduced Samantha to his brother and the rest of the band members, and they talked a few sentences. When their break was over, Terrence asked her what her favorite song was.

  Samantha didn’t even think twice about it. She named Martina McBride’s My Valentine and then glanced at Grant and blushed. When am I going to learn to think before I open my mouth?

  The band started the slow dance number, and before she could protest, Grant had taken her into his strong arms and steered her back onto the dance floor. His body moved fluidly to the rhythm of the music, and the way he was holding her around her waist with a possessive yet tender gesture had her stomach doing flips like crazy. That man was pure dynamite. His strong arms, with his bulging biceps, pulled her against his chest and she didn’t have any other choice than to follow his lead.

  Samantha was in heaven. They floated over the dance floor together, pressed against each other. She laid her head on his shoulder and allowed her body to move with his. She stopped resisting, and in this moment she would have followed him anywhere.

  The words of the song flowed through her mind – pinpointing her situation with Grant.

  When the song ended, she felt him nod toward his brother and the band started up another slow dance. Oh my gosh. I will not survive this. I will melt into a puddle at his feet.

  She hung on, just barely, and when the second song ended, she worked her way free of his grasp. “ I need a break.”

  She could see that Grant wanted to protest, but he gave in and she allowed him to guide her back to their table. When they had almost arrived, he changed their direction, pulling her toward the door.

  “Where are we going, Grant?”

  “You’ll see.” He grinned down at her in the dim lighting of the bar and squeezed her hand. “Trust me.”

  Chapter 12

  Grant pulled her along, taking her behind the new bar and down the sand path to the beach. When they’d been dancing, she’d pressed her soft curves against him and he’d felt her shiver under his touch. It had taken all his self-control to hold her in his arms and not kiss her.

  That had been the deciding moment for him and he wouldn’t let her go again. Ever. She’d made her feelings about his past relationships known, albeit without meaning to, but it had hurt deep down.

  Samantha never fell for his charms like all the other girls had done. She knew him too well, and she’d witnessed him earn his bad boy fame. What she didn’t know was that he’d changed. Changed for her.

  The thought that she deserved so much better than him had inspired him to become a better man, and he’d started ignoring the adoration of the willing females.

  Now he was determined to make her see they could keep their friendship and have love on top of it. She thought they could ignore the kiss they shared while swimming, but he knew better. He would never forget how her lips had felt against his own, how she’d tasted. There was no going back to being just friends, at least not for him. He wanted her. Badly.

  He’d never felt like this about another woman before. It wasn’t a fleeting desire. Grant had been around enough to recognize what he wanted and didn’t want. And he knew in his heart of hearts that Samantha Armstrong was it for him.

  And she’s not a kid anymore. Her brothers shouldn’t have any opposition to us getting together. At least I hope so.

  Still, in the back of his head a nagging voice spoke up. You’re not good eno
ugh for her. She deserves so much more.

  He knew she could do a lot better than him. She was a top fashion model and could have any man she wanted. Rich men. Successful men. Famous men. Actors, billionaires, Russian oligarchs, European princes, anyone.

  Why would she ever choose to be with someone like you? You’re nothing more than a demolition expert who makes a decent living, but you will never be super-rich or famous. Like she is.

  They reached the wet sand and he bent over and slipped his shoes off, watching as she did the same. He took her sandals from her and then held both pairs of shoes in his left hand, holding her hand with his right.

  Darkness had already settled over the lake, with the moon shining down upon the water, and the stars sparkling overhead. The burbling sound of the waves in the background interrupted their silence. They walked for quite a while before he noticed the tension in her body ease off.

  Stopping, he dropped their shoes to the sand and pulled her into his arms, almost drowning in the depth of her eyes. “Sammie, can we talk, please?”

  “There’s nothing to talk about,” she insisted.

  “Yes, there is. You know there is.” Grant searched her eyes, willing her to admit she had feelings for him. Their attraction to each other was like the proverbial elephant in the dining room and they couldn’t just pretend it didn’t exist. Not after their earlier kiss.

  Samantha ducked her head and then she nodded, reluctantly.

  “Look, it’s probably coming as a surprise to you, but I’ve had these emotions about you for years. One summer at the beach I recognized you’re not a little girl anymore, and since then I always wanted to be more than your friend.”

  Samantha cleared her throat, but he put a finger on her lips and continued, “We were too young. You were too young. And then you grew up, and I wanted to confess my feelings for you, but you announced you were moving to New York City.”

  “Your feelings?” Samantha asked.

  “I love you.”

  Her big blue eyes grew almost black and she squeezed his hand.

  “It broke my heart to let you go. But I didn’t want to stand between you and your dream. And it almost killed me to see you with Craig.”

  When she started sobbing, his gaze was as soft as a caress. “Sammie, what is wrong? What happened? What did I say?”

  “I have no idea how I could have been deceived by his lies for such a long time. How can I ever trust a man again? How can I ever trust my judgment again?”

  Grant held her close, making soothing sounds while she sobbed out her frustration and sadness.

  “Craig discovered me when I first landed in New York and got me my first modeling jobs.”

  She sobbed some more, but Grant didn’t try to stop her crying. She needed to get rid of the bad emotions before she could think about things clearly and move forward. So, he held her in his arms, keeping his body’s reaction to her at bay with sheer strength of will.

  “I thought he loved me. But he’s been using me. Now in hindsight I can see all this. The more successful I was, the worse our relationship got. Craig grew jealous, and constantly undermined me behind the scenes.

  “I was too naïve and trustful to notice what was occurring until the incident with Silueta. And my reaction probably ruined my career. Who will ever want to work with me again?”

  Grant didn’t answer. He knew it was better to wait out her monolog.

  A while later she stopped sobbing. “I will not let that slime bag ruin my career, I’ll show him and everyone else. I’m not yet finished with you, New York!”

  “That’s my firecracker,” Grant said.

  “You know, I’ve been trying to work on my temper for years, and I thought I had it under control until Craig pulled this latest deception on me.”

  He had to give her credit. What her boyfriend had done was awful. He probably would have punched him in the face. The image of Samantha smashing her fist into Craig’s face made him chuckle – an action that earned him an angry stare from the woman in his arms.

  Chapter 13

  Samantha glared at him, not seeing the humor in the situation at all. What part of Craig playing me for a fool and ruining my career is humorous?

  She lifted her head to give him a piece of her mind, feeling her temper rise to the surface. But when she looked into his eyes, all thoughts of irritation with him fled.

  “Sorry, Sam. I imagined you punching your fist into Craig’s face the way I would have done. It was hilarious. I’m sorry.”

  She gave him a small smile. “You’re right…thank you.”

  “Thank you for what?” Grant asked.

  “For being there for me whenever I need you.”

  “I’ll always be there for you.”

  She hoped he didn’t see her flush in the faint moonlight. Being in Grant’s arms was the best feeling in the world, and it definitely was different from the many other times she’d been held by him.

  His embrace carried a different nuance, one that had her body on fire and tingling with the need to feel more. Her heart was racing and her breathing erratic, as if she’d finished running a race. The slight breeze coming from across the water sent shivers over her skin, shivers that turned into pure delight under the light touch of Grant’s hands.

  She finally gave in to her emotions and leaned up to kiss him. She had been thinking about their earlier kiss all the time she was shopping and putting her purchases away. While she’d been cooking for him their kiss kept surfacing. Now she’d lost control over her body and it did what it had wanted to do for years. Kissing Grant. Loving him.

  Samantha molded her mouth to his own, pressing her body against his at the same time and devouring his mouth. He kissed her back, first careful and soft, then possessive and passionate, until they were both gasping for air. Their tongues mated, mimicking what their bodies longed to do, and soon she fell under the sensual spell being woven around them.

  Grant let his hands explore her back, dipping one hand beneath the waistband of her jeans, while tipping her head to the side for better access to her mouth with the other. He explored every corner of her mouth, and shocks and tingles ran through her body. She pressed her hips against his hard body and brought up her hands behind his head to pull his mouth further into hers. Her insides jangled with excitement and she longed for more.

  Samantha was trying to shove her hands beneath his shirt, but it was tucked into his pants and she was struggling to pull it free. A groan of frustration had him chuckling as his lips trailed across her jaw, finding the sensitive spot just below her ear.

  “Grant…” she whispered, needing to touch him.

  As they broke apart, he grazed her face with his thumb and commented, “You sure are a Firecracker.” He kissed her nose and caressed her with his gaze.

  I love that man. Samantha got lost in her thoughts. Her brothers had given that nickname to her because she was always throwing a temper tantrum. They said she was more volatile than a firecracker, going off without notice if something didn’t go according to her wishes. She smiled as she remembered how they had often catered to her wishes, just to prevent one of her temper outbursts. Craig had hated that nickname. He thought it was stupid and silly.

  Minutes later, Grant interrupted her reminiscing with, “Two pennies for your thoughts, Sammie.”

  “It’s been years since someone called me Firecracker.”

  “Yes, I remember how you pretended to hate that name, but you were actually proud of it.”

  She grinned. “You noticed?”

  “Sure did.”

  “And you’re not afraid of being with someone with such a volatile temper? Someone like me?”

  He chuckled. “I handle explosives every day at work. Don’t you think I can handle a little firecracker like you?”

  Samantha looked at him, shooting daggers with her eyes. “I’m not little!”

  Grant’s eyes traveled up and down her body before he shook his head. “No, you most definitely aren�
�t little anymore.”

  With those words, he grabbed her again and engulfed her in his strong arms, moving his hands across her back and capturing her mouth in another breathtaking kiss. He sculpted his hands over her shoulders, resting them at the small of her back, before bringing them back up her sides, just grazing the swell of her breasts.

  Her hands were busy gripping his shoulders and toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. His kisses became more ardent, and she let her hands drop to his hips, trying to pull his shirt up to touch bare skin.

  The sound of voices poured like cold water over her ardor. Grant had heard them too; he captured her hands in his own and gentled her with one last kiss before pulling away. “We can’t do this here.”

  Chapter 14

  Grant took a step back, trying in vain to still his racing heart and the raging hard-on that would make walking difficult.

  Samantha blinked her eyes up at him and then looked around. When she realized they’d been making out in full view of anyone who passed by, she blushed, dropped her head against his chest, and groaned. “Get me out of here, please?”

  “My thoughts exactly. Let’s go.” He grabbed her hand and hustled back the way they’d come. It was time to take this little party someplace more private.

  Grant led her back to his pickup and they drove to his house in silence. He couldn’t tell if she was nervous, or having second thoughts about picking up where they’d left off.

  He understood her fears of losing his friendship if they tried a relationship and it didn’t work out. I would never want to lose her friendship. It would be like losing part of myself. But then, I don’t want her to be just my friend anymore. I want all of her.

  They were inside the screened-in porch before he broached the subject. “So, let’s talk.”

  An uncertainty crept into her expression when she nodded. “Okay. What do you want to talk about?”

  “Your opinion I’m a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy seems like a good place to start.”