Make Me Stay

by Jaci Burton

  "You have no idea how perfect this is right now," Reid said, digging in to the sandwich.

  "Did you forget to each lunch again today?"

  He nodded while he chewed.

  "I managed a yogurt from the refrigerator at the flower shop, so I at least had that."

  After taking a long swallow of tea, he shrugged. "We're trying to finish up by the end of the month so tenants can start moving in."

  "Do you have it all leased out?"

  "Most of it. First-and second-floor spaces are leased. Two offices on the third."

  "That's great. I hear Loretta Simmons is going to open a bookstore and coffee shop on the first floor."

  He smiled. "Yeah."

  "How did that go over with Deacon?"

  "About like you'd expect. Though he didn't say much when they ran into each other last week."

  "Old romances. I imagine they're both probably over each other by now."

  "You'd think. But there was a lot of tension when they occupied the same space."

  "Hmmm, really? That's interesting. So maybe there's still something."

  "I have no idea. I'm not big on recognizing those kinds of signals."

  She wiped her mouth with her napkin. "Aren't you? You said you felt the tension between them."

  "Okay, so maybe I am."

  She laughed, then turned and leaned against the wall, looking around the space. "Are you going to be ready to say good-bye to this place when it's done?"

  "I don't know. It's been a fun project. It'll be hard to leave it. There's so much history in this building. I'm so used to designing new. Having the opportunity to restore an old building, to blend modern with historic, has been the chance of a lifetime. I don't know that I'll ever get to do something like this again."

  "I don't know about that. There are a lot of historic buildings in Boston. Now that you've got this on your resume, who knows what jobs will come up for you."

  He cocked his head to the side and gave her a quizzical look. "Yeah. I guess that could happen."

  She had no idea what that look was about, but didn't question it. She ate her sandwich and enjoyed the ambience. The floor, while not exactly comfortable to sit on, was gorgeous to look at, with its dark, rich grain. "You had to put in new floor up here, didn't you?"

  He nodded. "Yeah, but we matched what was downstairs on the other floors to give it an authentic feel. We stripped and restained the floors downstairs, then had to replace several of the old floorboards anyway, so we purchased new planks for those floors as well where some were worn clean through. We wanted the design to reflect the way the floors looked back when the building was new."

  She ran her fingertips across the wood. "It's lovely. And the recessed lighting is modern here, yet you've added lovely historical charm with the wall sconces."

  "Yeah, if you go too modern it's cold. Same thing with the exposed brick. We left it in certain areas to give people that warm, historic feel. You can do a lot with fixtures and chair rail and even paint choices. Even office buildings can feel warm and inviting."

  She met his gaze. "I think it's beautiful, Reid. You've blended it all so perfectly."

  "Thanks. I'm pretty happy with how it all turned out."

  Sam could tell from the way Reid talked about the mercantile that he was in love with this building. She saw it in his eyes, in the way he looked at everything, the way he described each wall sconce, each brick, that he'd put his heart into this renovation. This wasn't a cold, austere office building to him. It was a work of art, and he'd poured his soul into making it beautiful again.

  He was a man who put thought into everything he did.

  She didn't know what she was going to do without him.

  Tears pricked her eyes, but she refused to let this moment become sad for her. He didn't belong to her, and she had no right to lay claim to him. He had a life and a job somewhere else, and she wasn't going to make his leaving difficult when the time came.

  The last thing he needed was some woman who had a life filled with baggage to cling to him and beg him not to leave her.

  Even if that woman was in love with him.

  Sometimes love just wasn't enough.

  "So . . . when do you think you'll finish up?" she asked him, because she needed to shove the knife deeper into her heart.

  "Probably by the end of the week."

  "Then you'll probably head back to Boston, huh?"

  Again, he gave her that strange look. "Yeah."

  "You're probably excited to get back home. You've missed it?"

  He shrugged. "I don't know. The weather's been nice here. It's fall in Boston. Gearing up for winter. Winters there can be a bit of a bitch."

  She laughed. "They're no picnic here, either."

  "That's true. But not like there." He picked up a chip and waved it around. "I've kind of enjoyed wearing short-sleeved shirts in October."

  "So you've been spoiled. Time to drag out the winter gear."

  She couldn't believe they were talking about the weather. Why couldn't she bring up something of substance? Like telling him she was in love with him?

  Because she wouldn't do that to him. He had a plan. She wasn't going to screw up his plan or his life.

  "So what do you have going on tonight?" he asked.

  She smiled at him. "Dinner on the floor with you."

  "Thank you for dinner. Thank you for thinking about me."

  She was always thinking about him. After he left town, she'd continue to think about him.

  Probably for a long time. She wasn't sure she'd ever get over him.

  Stop. Dwelling on this isn't going to help.

  "I knew you'd be hungry. Because I was hungry. And because we're both workaholics who never eat."

  He laughed. "You're right about that."

  He bagged up their plates and napkins and then stood, holding out his hands to haul her to her feet. "And we need to stop working so much."

  She brushed crumbs off her shirt. "We're not working now."

  He drew her against him, and she memorized the feel of every part of him.

  "No, we're not," he said. "Come with me."

  He took her into the third-floor office space, the one with the amazing view. They stepped into the room but Reid left the lights off, which showed off the incredible sights of the city.

  "I'm going to be so jealous of whoever ends up with this view. It's gorgeous at night."

  He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "You're gorgeous at night."

  She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against his shoulder. "Could we stay just like this?"

  "I'd be happy with that. Your body feels good up against mine."

  She meant forever. She wanted to freeze this moment in time, to remember what it was like to feel his heart beating against her back, to breathe in the scent of him--that smell of male sweat and something that always seemed to smell cool and fresh at the same time. It was a scent she attributed uniquely to Reid, and as she turned in his arms and wound her hand around his neck to bring his lips to hers, she knew she'd always remember it.

  He groaned against her lips, his fingers slipping low to grasp her butt and draw her closer to his quickly growing erection.

  Passion for her had always been an iffy thing with other guys. Sometimes it had been there, and sometimes not. But with Reid it had been quick to spark and it had stayed that way every time the two of them had been together. She couldn't imagine living without that spark in her life. She wanted more of it.

  "Ever make love in an office overlooking your hometown, Sam?"

  He swept his hand over her breasts, inciting a hungry passion that wouldn't be denied. He could have asked her the same question in the grocery store at this moment and she'd have given him the same answer.

  "No. But let's do that. Right now."

  Since there were lights on in the hallway, he closed the door to the office, bathing them in darkness. Now they could see outside, but no one could see ins
ide.

  And suddenly Reid's hands and mouth were all over her, his tongue sliding along her neck as he pulled up her T-shirt and lifted it over her head.

  Sam went along willingly, removing her bra so he could touch her. She desperately needed him to touch her, wanted his hands on her more than she needed her next breath. And when she felt his lips cover her nipple, she gasped. Not being able to see, only to feel, was a sexy, sensory experience. She tangled her fingers into his hair, holding his head as he pleasured her nipples. Hot, fiery pleasure shot through her as he sucked and licked her, and when he popped her nipple from his mouth, the sound magnified in the empty office.

  "Stand here. Look outside. I'll be right back."

  "Okay."

  He opened the door only partially and slipped out. She turned around and looked out the tall windows, enjoying the view of not only her hometown but the surrounding cities as well. If she had the opportunity to rent office space, this would be the one she'd want. She hoped Reid and his brothers would lease it to someone exceptionally cool.

  He came back only a moment later, sliding a metal folding chair past the partially open door. He closed the door and placed the chair in the middle of the room.

  Then she heard a zipper being drawn down and smiled.

  She made her way over to him, making contact with his bare chest. "This could be interesting."

  He touched her, his hands coming around her to snake down her arms. "It's about to get even more interesting."

  He bent and held her hand while she kicked off her canvas shoes. Then he undid the button of her jeans, and this time it was her zipper that was undone, her jeans pulled down her hips and legs. Her underwear followed, leaving her naked.

  He pressed a kiss to her hip bone. "I locked the front door downstairs, so you don't need to worry about anyone coming in."

  She breathed in, then let it out on a sigh. "Your mouth is on me, Reid. Trust me, that was the last thing I was thinking about."

  And then he did put his mouth on her, on her sex, and she was grateful for that chair as she held on to it for support while he took her on a wild ride of sensual pleasures, his tongue and lips sliding over her with hot, slow licks. She gasped and cried out as she came so fast it left her dizzy. But Reid was right there, wrapping his arm around her to support her while she trembled on her shaky legs.

  She heard the condom package, grateful that he had thought to bring one upstairs with him. Because she wanted to feel him inside of her.

  "I'm going to sit, Sam. I want you to straddle me."

  Now she knew why he'd brought the chair into the room.

  He had turned the chair around so she could look outside. And as she lowered herself onto him, she had him, and the amazing view.

  But all she could really concentrate on was Reid, on the way he felt as he thrust into her, as he smoothed his hands over her hips and her butt. And though the room was dark, she could still see enough of him to meet his gaze, to see the passion in his eyes as the two of them moved in unison.

  In the darkness, she let her senses unfold. She sifted her fingers through the thick softness of his hair, felt his skin rubbing against hers, breathed in the musky maleness of his scent, listened to the incredibly sensual sound of his voice as he whispered in her ear, and lost herself in the way the two of them were fused together.

  It was so perfect she wanted to cry, but she'd already decided that she wasn't going to do that. So she let her love for him flow through her body, hoping she could communicate how she felt in the way she moved with him, the way she touched him, the way she kissed him. And when she tightened around him and cried out, she felt all of him when he took her mouth in a deep, passionate kiss, groaning against her lips with his release.

  They stayed like that for the longest time, rocking together, sharing kisses and touching each other. It was almost as if neither of them wanted to let go.

  But finally, they did, gathering their clothes and ducking out of the room to the attached bathroom.

  She had red marks on her neck and breasts from his touch. From his mouth. They made her smile.

  And when he looked in the bathroom mirror at her and smiled at her, then turned her around and kissed her, she felt that kiss all the way to her soul.

  When he pulled back, he said, "Now you've been made love to in an office."

  She reached up and brushed his hair off his forehead. "I'll say."

  "I actually have some more work to do tonight. We have a prospective lessee coming in tomorrow morning, so I want to put some finishing touches on this floor."

  "Okay."

  He walked her downstairs, Not My Dog rising up from his resting spot in the hall to follow them.

  He opened her car door for her, then pulled her into his arms for a long, very drawn-out, extremely passionate kiss that made her wish they were back upstairs. But she finally pulled away.

  "You have work to do."

  "Yeah." He stepped back. "I'll see you tomorrow."

  "Okay." The words wanted to spill out, but she bit them back. "Good night, Reid."

  "Night, Sam."

  She got in her car and drove toward home, feeling equal parts warm and satiated and also sad, because she knew the idyllic moments they'd spent together were quickly coming to a close.

  She'd been drawn to Reid from the first moment she'd laid eyes on him last year, and now, she wanted him to stay.

  But she wanted him to want to stay. It had to be his choice.

  The problem was, she didn't believe that was the choice he was going to make. And she wouldn't ask it of him. It wouldn't be fair. Not with the way her life was right now.

  She dragged in a shaky breath and made the turn at the traffic light, already knowing she was going to have a hard time sleeping tonight.

  Chapter 34

  REID WAS DOING a final walk-through today with three of the tenants who were going to move in on Monday. He sat in Logan's ranch office and finalized the last of those tenants' lease paperwork.

  The entire building was leased--with the exception of the corner office on the third floor. Logan and Luke had told him they were leaving that decision up to him.

  He already knew what he wanted to do. He just had to finalize some things first. He couldn't make a commitment on some things without ending others first. He owed his people in Boston that much.

  And as far as Samantha, he wasn't sure what to do about her. She'd made no mention of wanting him to stay. He really had wanted her to ask, or at least express interest. Instead, she'd acted as if him going back to Boston was a foregone conclusion. Then she'd seemed as if she was okay with it.

  He hoped like hell what he felt for her wasn't one-sided, that he wasn't the only one in love, because if that was the case, then he was doing this for nothing. Because as much as he'd enjoyed being back home, and as much fun as he'd had restoring the mercantile, and making plans for some of the folks in town about future business he could do restorations in Boston. And he sure as hell had plenty of potential for new business there.

  The main reason he was planning to upend his life was because he'd fallen in love with Sam.

  He looked up from his paperwork and found Not My Dog staring at him.

  "What?"

  Of course, the dog didn't speak, but he gave him that look. Reid was getting used to those looks.

  So why the hell don't you tell her you're in love with her and ask her if she feels the same way before you turn your entire life upside down?

  "Huh. Good question. Maybe I haven't asked the question because I'm afraid of the answer."

  Not My Dog cocked his head to the side.

  Bullshit. You're not afraid of anything. You moved across the country, the only member of your family to ever move out of Hope. You have balls of steel.

  Reid let out a short laugh. "Yeah, sure. Right now my balls are quivering at the thought that maybe Sam isn't interested in a future with me. She might think we had some fun together, and that's it. Nothing more. So
much for steely balls."

  He could have sworn Not My Dog shook his head in disgust.

  Get a grip. Man up, go over there, and tell her you love her.

  "And what do I do if she just stares at me like I've lost my goddamned mind? What if she's more than ready to move on?"

  Not My Dog growled at him.

  Then you suck it up and go back to Boston. We've survived worse, haven't we?

  "We? No, man, there is no we. But as far as me, then no, I haven't. My breakup with Britt was nothing like this."

  He got up and went to the window, looked out over the pasture. "I've never felt like this before. What I thought was love with Britt was nothing compared to what I feel for Sam."

  He heard Not My Dog's toenails tapping on the wood floor as he came over to sit beside him.

  So what's the solution, dipshit? You say nothing, sell your business, move back to Hope, and then you ask her? What kind of a moron are you, anyway?

  "A cowardly one?"

  Remember--balls of steel. Let's get this done.

  "Yeah, nice talk. But since you have no balls, I'm not relying on you for advice."

  Not My Dog barked at him.

  You're a dumbass. We don't want to lose her. We love her, remember?

  "How can I forget? And I heard everything you said. I'll think about it."

  Chapter 35

  IT HAD BEEN a particularly tough day with Grammy Claire. She'd had two episodes of forgetfulness, she'd asked for Grandpa Bob twice, and she hadn't recognized Faith at first when she'd come over to take her to lunch.

  The doctor had told Sam there would be bad days and good days.

  Today had been a very bad day.

  Fortunately, Sam had hired someone part-time to work at the shop. Chloe attended the county college nearby on a part-time basis, so she was only looking for about twenty hours a week, which was ideal for Sam. Chloe had been in training for a week now and was doing great, so when Sam had to drop everything to deal with Grammy Claire today, Chloe had been able to jump right in and handle the day's orders, for which Sam was grateful.

  Grammy Claire had been cranky, too, telling Sam and Faith both that she could take care of herself, that she didn't need anyone there to watch over her like she was some child or addled old woman. She had finally--and firmly--insisted they leave her house.