“Any time.” Jackie stood up, squeezing Sam’s shoulder. “Love, I should head off to the station.”
“You’re sure you can't stay?” Luciana cocked her head. “It’s been nice having you here.”
“I think you both have some much-needed time to spend together.”
“Call me when you get home, okay?”
Jackie nodded, taking her handbag and moving towards the door. “Sam.”
“Visit the bungalow any time you like.” Sam pulled Jackie into a hug. “Luciana will be there. I can promise you that.”
“I know,” Jackie said, her eyes switching to her daughter. “And she does, too.”
“You two are being weird.” Luciana rolled her eyes. “Promise you’ll let me know when you're home?”
“I’ll send a text.” Jackie kissed Luciana’s cheek. “Bye, love.”
“See you soon, Mum.”
“Bye, Sam.”
Sam smiled as she watched Jackie step out into the corridor. “Lovely to meet you, Jackie.”
Luciana closed the door, turning to face Sam as she flicked the lock. Their eyes met, both hungry for the moments they’d missed with one another. Luciana’s mind wandered back to her explicit thoughts when Sam arrived, her bottom lip firmly between her teeth.
Sam remained speechless. Over the three days during her trip away, she’d struggled to focus, to work, to be the businesswoman she knew she was. Her mind played Luciana’s voice on a loop, the evenings the worst when Sam thought about packing up and heading home. It didn’t matter that she had a job to do. It didn’t matter that she was in London to work. Luciana wasn’t with her and it hurt. Those moments when she had the opportunity to talk to her, she grabbed them. It didn’t matter that a client had invited her to dinner—she needed to hear Luciana’s voice.
“H-How was your trip?” Luciana stuttered, her eyes travelling the length of Sam’s body. “Good?”
“I don’t care about my trip.” Sam stepped closer. “I don’t care about your car or the fact that I've bought you a new one.” Her fingertips reached the hem of Luciana’s racer-back. “I don’t care that we should probably discuss the fact that your mum was here or how either of us feel about it.”
“Babe—”
“All I care about is that I'm home and I'm here with you.” Sam’s heels clicked against the laminate, sending Luciana’s heart rate through the roof. “That you're mine. Always.”
“I am.” Luciana’s breath caught as Sam pushed her against the door.
“I’ve spent three days needing you. Missing you. With so much I want to say.”
Luciana’s heart slammed against her ribcage.
“And I know…” She paused. “I know this could all fall apart around us, but I don’t care. I don’t care about anything other than you and how much you mean to me.”
“Sam.” Luciana bit back a sob.
“Do you know?” Sam’s breath washed over Luciana’s lips. “Do you know how much you mean to me?”
“I-I…”
“I love you, Luciana.” Sam pressed her forehead against her girlfriend’s. “God, I really love you.”
“I love you, too.” Luciana wasn’t sure if she’d actually uttered those words, but her mouth certainly moved.
“And I know I'm the luckiest woman in the entire world to have found you. Knowing that you even see me is beyond my wildest dreams…but you don’t have to say it back.” Sam offered the smallest of smiles, her eyes holding unshed tears. “I just had to tell you. That I love you.”
Sam’s thumb trailed Luciana’s bottom lip.
“You really don’t have to say it back. If it’s not how you feel…”
“But I did.” A smile played at the corners of Luciana’s lips. “I did say it back.”
“What? When?”
“Somewhere between your rambling.”
“You said it back.” Sam’s knees weakened. Everything within her told her to fall to the floor, but as Luciana wrapped her arms around her waist, she felt safe. Safe in her arms and safe with the knowledge that she was loved.
“You love me?” Sam blinked as tears fell freely down her face.
“I think I've loved you since the moment I met you,” Luciana whispered. “I do, Sam. I love you.”
Luciana had never been so sure about anything as she was in this moment. Their time together may have been brief, but what they had to come outweighed every worry in her mind. Initially, this was an arrangement, dinner and conversation, but as time passed and Luciana saw behind those deep brown eyes, she fell harder than she thought possible.
“I want so much for us.” Luciana gripped Sam’s body. “You deserve so much.” Her eyes flickered closed as her voice trembled. “I’ve known since the first encounter that I needed more with you.” She brushed a tear from Sam’s cheek. “You’re the only woman in this world who has ever shown me what love feels like. And I know, I know, I wasn’t looking when you appeared in my life…but I'm so happy it was you who was sitting in that tapas bar. I'm so happy you gave me the chance to know you. To see the real you. To love you.”
“You’ve shown me I can have this. That it’s okay to move on.” Sam’s lip trembled. “I don’t ever want anyone else. You…you’re my second chance. My only chance.”
“I want it all with you.” Luciana searched her girlfriend’s face. “I need you to know that.”
“All?”
Luciana brought her hand up to Sam’s face, caressing her soft skin with her thumb. Nothing had ever felt so relaxed. So certain. “Everything.”
TO BE CONTINUED
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa Tereze lives in Liverpool, UK, with her partner and Golden Retriever. She holds a degree in Sports Development, and when she’s not writing, she can be found at a local bar singing one of her favourite tracks.
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The Arrangement Page 26