From being so bristly at first, she’d turned out to be the sweetest lady he’d met since Mom Murphy. He thought about reheating the omelet in the microwave and eating it, so her work wouldn’t go to waste, plus he really was hungry, but first his vision landed on the wineglass with a propped-up note. He didn’t need to pick it up to read: If you want to stay over, I’m keeping the bed warm for you. My room is at the end of the hall.
She’d sketched a perfectly sexy eye in mid-wink at the end.
Suddenly wide-awake, Sam gulped down the rest of the red wine, the thought of making love with Andrea foremost on his mind. Hell, yeah, he wanted to. Had since the night he’d first kissed her, right here in her living room, and he remembered every second of that goodbye. Somehow, since then, their make-out sessions had never gotten beyond hot kisses and lots of groping and grabbing.
Why? Not because he hadn’t wanted to. No. It was because he’d always sensed Andrea wasn’t ready for that. Sure, she’d jump right into making out with him, he never doubted she wanted to. But something about their frantic kisses and fully clothed body sex had always ended with him backing off. Because of one message that always cut through the sexy haze. At some point she’d always tense up and there was no way, no matter how desperate he’d been to have her naked and to be inside her, he would force the next step—getting naked.
Maybe she’d sensed he was the kind of guy who kept his distance. Intimacy, trust, hell, how did a man make heads or tails of that when his own mother had ignored him and let him get taken away? Not to mention Katie leaving when he’d finally felt ready to commit to her.
But there was no doubt about the invitation from Andrea tonight. She was keeping the bed warm for him. It said so right there in her near perfect cursive. An ironic half smile lifted the corner of his mouth. She was an artist, of course she’d have beautiful handwriting, and the artistic winking eye was a great touch. He stuffed the note in his shirt pocket as a reminder. She wanted him.
The thought of her asleep yet waiting for him, her skin warm to his touch, relaxed and completely open, drove a spear of desire straight through him. Fatigued, who? It may have been a long and exhausting day, but he’d had a nap now, and he was fueled by pure desire for Andrea. More than ever he was ready to have his way with his artist.
He stood, took off his jacket, began unbuttoning his shirt and padded in his socked feet straight to her bedroom and the one woman he wanted right now. She’d even left the door open a crack. Once inside, he stripped, leaving a pile of clothes beside her bed before he crawled under the covers.
* * *
A blanket of heat and strength spooned behind Andrea as she stirred from her light sleep. Arms enveloped her, pulling her close, igniting excitement and, being honest, fear. She took a trembling breath when Sam kissed the side of her neck, his breathing steady, hot over her ear. She wanted him, God knew she did, so why was she so nervous about making love with him?
Because having sex was a big deal to her, it always had been. She’d tried her share of free and easy dates during college and had always limped away feeling somehow used, or like a user. Need had been a strong stimulant for the “right now” back then, but try as she might she’d always wanted much more. Could she ever actually say she’d loved someone? The truth? Not so far.
She turned toward Sam’s chest, letting him capture her mouth with deep kisses as their bodies stretched along each other’s. He felt great, every inch of him. Of course she’d gone to bed naked. She couldn’t very well leave such a bold-faced invitation and not be ready when or if he took her up on it. She’d even left a condom on the bedside table.
Thankfully, he had followed through, because right now she felt the obvious length of him along her thigh, and the heat radiating from his body was lapping away at her every worry. His hands wandered everywhere, touching, testing, exciting her. Oh, how she wanted him.
She understood sex for sex’s sake and wanted to be with Sam no matter what his desire was right this instant. There wasn’t a single doubt in her mind that she wanted sex with Sam. Yet their coming together, wrapping, entangling, growing closer and closer still, seemed very different in comparison with others.
Sam rolled her, his weight pressing her down. She rocked against his strong thighs as he held her arms above her head with one hand and devoured her breasts with his mouth and tongue. Fireworks seemed to skip across her chest and burrow deep toward her core. She needed him. Soon, completely under his spell, she was lost to any thoughts beyond flesh and sensations, and the burning desire for him and him alone. With every cell in her body ignited from his touch, she bucked against him, opening, nearly begging for him to put an end to her frustration. She needed him inside. Needed to connect in the deepest way possible with him.
She held on to his hips, felt the muscular bulge of his ass as he followed her lead to the bedside table, sheathed himself, then slowly entered her. He’d already worked her into a frenzy and her moisture made their introduction smooth and, if possible, even more stimulating. The fresh sensations zinging throughout her pelvis made her gasp.
“Are you okay?” he quickly responded.
“Oh, God, yes. Don’t stop.”
He did stop, just long enough to deliver a broad, I’m-in-control smile. A shaft of moonlight caught that wicked twinkle in his eyes as he planted one big hand on her hip and began thrusting and withdrawing, never breaking their staring match. Wanting to close her eyes and crawl inside, to curl up with all the amazing feelings coursing through her body, she forced her gaze to stay locked with his, mainly because he willed it. And it both frightened and excited her to see the near wild look of passion on his face. He’d given in totally to their one point of connection—him being inside her—and his obvious desire to satisfy her.
Did it feel as astonishing to him as it did to her? His long, smooth thrusts seemed to pass over every single nerve ending. He treated her to minutes and minutes and more minutes at this heightened, sensitive place. Someday she would have to thank him profusely, but not now. Right now all she could do was experience everything he gave her. Her arms tensed, hands grasping the bedsheets, and she screwed her eyes tight as her mind drifted toward bliss. Then he pushed faster. Harder. The sensations tensing, tangling and balling up, building deeper, wider, threatening to overwhelm her. She held on to him with all of her might. Her gasps came quicker. She clamped her thighs tighter around his hips and lifted her pelvis just so, adding pressure and, oh, yes, yes, yes, pleasure, pleasure beyond her wildest hopes.
“Don’t stop.” Her voice sounded strangely disconnected from her body. Their body. Because they were a single unit now.
Sam didn’t stop. He built and built and finally came at her with everything he had.
She sucked in air, held it, and as he drove at record speed into the center of her universe she caught fire one spark at a time. A twitch, a rush of tingles breaking out from the hot gathering knot that grew and demanded release. Soon. Soon deep, breathtaking spasms exploded inside her, overtaking her, shooting down her legs and up to her breasts, holding her in suspension of time and mind. Out of control, her back and neck arched as he continued to push into her, prolonging her rush of blinding feelings.
Everything burst apart, flattening her, as a low, distant groan grew, building somewhere out there in the world she’d just left behind. Somehow, Sam moved even harder and his groan changed to a grunting as he thrust and pumped on and on until he joined her on the other side of their bliss.
Like rag dolls they landed in a clump of body parts on her mattress, sated and stunned by each other. Snuggling into the crook of his strong and inviting arm, feeling as she never had before, safe and completely claimed, she sighed and shut her eyes. No words needed to be said.
With only the occasional croak of a frog on the lawn, she drank in the contentment and silence, and the faint yet steady stroke of Sam’s fingers along
her arm. Then, knowing for this single moment all was perfect in her world, and as if she was having an out-of-body experience, she gently floated off to sleep.
* * *
Morning came entirely too quickly. Andrea cracked open one eye to find Sam blissfully asleep beside her. She began the slow process of stretching and slowly rejoining the living when crying woke her up. Dani!
She’d completely forgotten about the boy.
She shook Sam awake. “Dani’s crying. Maybe you should get him.”
Without a word, the once big puddle of flesh beside her came right to attention. Though he didn’t look in the least bit sure of where he was just yet. He jumped out of the bed, searched for his clothes and hopped into first one leg then the other of his suit slacks, then strode out of the room, from the looks of him not anywhere near awake. “Coming, Dani. Hold on.”
Being a single father, he’d probably gotten down the routine of waking up at a moment’s notice to a science.
Andrea smiled. She lay there, drinking in the morning and the lovely body aches from last night’s gymnastics with Sam, and the delicious lingering sensations between her thighs, thinking how lucky she was to have met him. Then one negative thought grabbed her by the throat.
Having him meant having Dani. How could she have forgotten about Dani so easily? Which made her wonder if she was ready to be a girlfriend to a guy who was still getting used to being a single father. Was that even what he wanted from her? If they got involved, would she be a girlfriend or a mother figure for Dani? What was Sam looking for?
The complications made her head spin, so she got out of bed to help ignore them, and made a quick bathroom stop before reporting for breakfast duty.
* * *
Sam helped Dani get dressed, then took the boy to the bathroom. Sitting him on the small tiled vanity counter, he washed his face.
“Why I sleep here, Dad?”
“I had to work late, so Andrea let you sleep over.”
“I like my bed.”
Point taken! “I know, Dani, and tonight you’ll sleep there. Are you hungry?”
The boy nodded.
“Then let’s see what we can rustle up for breakfast.” He held Dani’s hand and they walked down the short hall to the kitchen. Already he could smell coffee brewing and toast. The thought of seeing Andrea in the daylight, after ravishing her last night, excited him, yet he wondered how she’d receive him now. He hoped she wouldn’t go shy or make things awkward, because from his standpoint things were going great. “Hey, good morning.” He went the casual, oh-yeah-I-sleep-over-with-my-son-all-the-time routine.
“Hi!” Her eyes, without a trace of makeup, looked younger, oddly enough, bigger and browner, too. He’d noticed last night in the moonlight she hadn’t had makeup on, but he’d been too distracted to comment. Very distracted, and gratefully so. “You two hungry?”
“Yeah!” said Dani.
“I’ve got plenty of eggs. Why not omelets?”
“I want cereal,” Dani said.
“I think I have some of that,” she said, opening a cupboard and pulling out a box. Sam could plainly see she was ready to cook more eggs.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll take you up on those eggs,” he said.
“Done.” She glanced over her shoulder and when their gazes connected a zing through his center served as a great wake-up call.
He could easily get used to looking at her in the morning. “Sorry I fell asleep too soon to enjoy your cheese omelet last night.”
She found a small bowl and poured in a big helping of multigrain cereal for Dani. “I’ll consider last night my practice session,” she said, the double entendre making Andrea and Sam lock eyes again in a totally adult way. If what they’d shared had been practice, he couldn’t wait for the dress rehearsal. “So you want more?”
Oh, yes, he wanted more of her. Hopefully soon. “Loaded question.” She gave a quick, breathy laugh. “Yes. Definitely. I’ll have—” he placed his hand around her upper arm and squeezed it the tiniest bit “—more.”
She gave a coy smile as she looked up at him, and he bent and kissed her good morning. “Thank you,” he whispered. “For a thousand things.”
Her eyes widened the tiniest bit. “You’re welcome, and thank you, too,” she said, her gaze shifting downward and her cheeks turning pink before she got back to the business of pouring milk over Dani’s cereal and whipping eggs for Sam’s fresh omelet.
What did all this mean? He’d found a woman he liked. A lot. Had finally had sex with her. Which had been great. Beyond great. Of course he wanted to see her again. Often. But he was a busy doctor, a new and adjusting father. Were there hours enough in the day for all the time she deserved, too? Or was he already thinking up reasons to keep a distance between them? The safe route?
His phone rang. He quickly checked to see if it was the ICU. No. It was Bob Brinker, the lead on his missions team. “Do you mind if I get this?”
She puckered that sexy mouth of hers and shook her head, distracted and busy with making the omelet.
He’d missed the call but Bob had left a long message. They’d rescheduled the meeting Sam had missed last week for tonight. Did it work for him?
Hell, did it? He’d missed putting Dani to bed last night. Then Sam read the last sentence. It’s the only night all of us are available. How could he refuse?
He scrunched up his face and looked at Andrea. “I hate to ask you this, but could you possibly watch Dani for me at my place tonight? They’ve rescheduled the missions meeting. It’s the only night that works for the rest of them.”
She glanced cautiously toward Dani, then back at him. “If you don’t have a choice but to go, then okay.”
Did he have a choice? He really needed to rethink his priorities. He’d committed to this mission long before Dani’s adoption had become final. Hell, if it hadn’t been for his medical mission trips, he’d never have met Dani in the first place.
But things were different now. He was a father with a son who needed him as much as possible, and he’d just met Andrea, was already crazy about her and wanted to know her more. Juggling his job, fatherhood plus a new romance was complicated. Maybe Katie had been right—he wanted too much.
He looked at Dani. No way had Katie been right about not adopting. Dani was the best part of his life. Then he glanced at Andrea, putting a perfectly fluffy cheese omelet onto a plate especially for him. A lady who didn’t cook had just given him the best she had, not to mention what she’d given him last night, and that meant something.
Who knew where the best of Andrea Rimmer might lead? One thing was sure, if they were going to pursue this “thing” going on between them, she deserved the best of him, too.
He pushed Dial on his phone. “Hey, Bob? Yeah, I got hung up in ICU last night. Never made it home. So, listen, I’m going to have to ask you to fill me in on whatever goes on tonight. I need to be home with my boy tonight.”
A subtle smile crossed Andrea’s lips as she handed him his breakfast, then their eyes met when she gave him a fork, and he knew he’d made the right decision.
A week later...
It was a big day. Sam had cut short his afternoon appointment schedule by two so he could personally take Dani to get his official prosthetic eye. Andrea had made a big deal about not showing it to him until it was inside the boy’s eye socket, and who was he to argue?
They’d spent a couple more nights together over the past week, one planned and one, unfortunately, another last-minute “Can you watch Dani for me so I can attend the early morning staff meeting?” Turned out having someone to be there for Dani in the morning for breakfast and to get him ready for Aunt Cat’s was a win-win situation. Andrea had opted to sleep over the night before, rather than get up at the crack of dawn and fight the traffic over to his house.
; Any night making love with Andrea was a win-win, even though he felt tension mounting over the fact he’d yet to be completely honest with her.
He guided Dani toward the elevator. “After this appointment, you won’t have to wear that darned patch anymore.”
“Yay.” Dani clapped his pudgy hands.
Sam’s stomach felt a little queasy as he worried about how the prosthetic would fit and, almost more important, look. Would it be obvious that it was a fake eye? What if he didn’t like Andrea’s version of Dani’s iris?
He took a deep breath and got into the elevator, choosing to focus on more positive things, like how incredibly great it was to make love with Andrea, and to spend time with her. But where did they go from here? If he wanted an honest relationship, he’d have to come clean. He’d let her think he was from a big family—which theoretically he was in one sense—when he was actually the kid of a young single mother who hadn’t had a clue how to be a mom or how to support both of them with the few skills she’d learned with only a high school education. She’d had to work two jobs, and Sam had had to spend nights alone in a shabby apartment, afraid and vulnerable, until he was ten and the courts had taken him away from his mother. And she’d let him go.
Soon enough they were in the basement, and knowing the routine Dani ran ahead. “Hey, hold on there, buddy, you don’t want to wind up in the wrong place.” He avoided saying “In the morgue.”
“I want to see Andrea!” Dani eagerly kept going, knowing the way from all his prior appointments, so Sam picked up his pace to catch up.
“Okay, but let’s go in together.” He took his hand just in time to open the O&A department door, wondering why the dark, dingy hallway and office in the corner didn’t creep out the kid.
Judith Rimmer met them in the display room, wearing the headgear getup and smiling. “It’s your big day, Dani. Let me get Andrea,” she said to Sam.
A Mother for His Adopted Son Page 8