by Dena Blake
Drew pressed her lips to Sam’s head. “You didn’t paralyze Tommy. It was an accident.”
She tried to pull away, but Drew held her firmly in her arms. This was uncharted territory for Sam. In the Kelleher camp no hugging was allowed. Her father always picked her up, swatted her on the butt, and encouraged her to go on. But he offered no comfort, no emotional support. Ever.
“The front axle was cracked. I should have caught it.”
“When Tommy went out on that track, it was a hairline crack at most. That frame came apart because of his reckless driving, not because you didn’t see it.”
“He wasn’t any more reckless than the rest of these drivers. The car should’ve been able to take it. I should have seen it.”
“You know damn well Tommy felt that car shaking when it began to crack.”
“I don’t know that.”
“Damn it, Sam. You would’ve. For God’s sake, even I would’ve.” Drew growled in exasperation. “If Tommy had pitted when he felt it, he wouldn’t be in that damned wheelchair today. You would have found the crack and pulled the car.”
“He should have come in,” Sam whispered, staring, searching Drew’s eyes for some glimmer of understanding.
“Yes, he should have, but like every other driver out there, he wanted to win.” Drew’s mouth hovered close. “We all want to win, Sam.”
“I couldn’t stand losing you.” Sam covered Drew’s mouth with soft, urgent kisses.
Drew swept her into her arms and buried her face in her matted locks, inhaling the heady mixture of hot oil and exhaust surrounding her. Even with the vague tinge of gasoline on her hands and exhaust in her hair, Drew couldn’t resist her. Finally, Sam had given her a clue as to what was going on in that beautiful head of hers, a semblance of how she felt about her.
At this moment, holding her in her arms, the thought of jeopardizing her job was the farthest thing from Drew’s mind. If she continued down this path, she’d have a guaranteed spot in the unemployment line when this assignment was finished. Possibly even before. But Drew knew only one thing for sure. She would never let Sam get in that car again. No way was she going to lose another woman she cared about.
“Come on,” Drew said as she wrapped her arm around Sam’s shoulder. “You need to get away from here for a while.”
“No. I have to fix that throttle.” Her voice cracked, and she trailed into a coughing fit.
“Look at you.” Drew pressed the back of her hand to Sam’s forehead, then her cheek. “Popping pills by the handful, drinking cough medicine from the bottle. You’re sick. You need a break.”
“Most of those pills are vitamins.”
“They’re not going to do any good if you don’t get some rest.”
Sam sank into her, and Drew knew she was too exhausted to fight.
Chapter Eighteen
After tossing her bag into the back of the Jeep, Sam slid into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt. She didn’t pack much, only a day’s change of clothes. One night away would be enough to get her back on track.
As they headed onto the highway, she gazed at the California countryside, still ablaze with the vibrant hues of early summer. It wouldn’t last much longer. Hotter days were fast approaching, and the green-grass-covered hills were already beginning to turn brown and brittle with the heat.
She strained to keep her eyes open, enjoying the beautiful landscape. But the soothing warmth of the sun on her face made her lose the battle quickly, and her mind shut down.
“We’re here.” Drew nudged her lightly.
Sam fought to pull her lids apart and focus on Drew’s face. “Already?” she mumbled, shifting sideways in the seat and letting her eyes slide closed again. She was having a hard time getting her body to budge. Apparently, she’d slept most of the way there.
“Come on, honey. Let’s get you to the room, and then you can sack out again.”
Honey. The endearment made her feel all giddy inside. “I’m fine right here.”
“I guess I could call the bellman, and he could take you to the room on his cart.”
Her head popped up. “Bellman? Where are we?” She slid out of the seat, blinking rapidly while her eyes adjusted to the sunlight.
“Goose Creek Inn.”
She twisted her head around, taking in the lavish surroundings. “I can’t afford this place.”
“It’s my treat.” Drew took their bags out of the back, tossed the keys to the valet, and headed up the steps for check-in. Sam lagged back, admiring the white wood and Italianate accents of the early nineteen-hundreds building.
“Can I help you?” The man behind the registration desk was dressed in a white collared shirt and black vest.
“Hang on a minute.” Drew hesitated, turning to Sam as she strolled across the marble floor. “Two rooms?”
She was leaving it up to her. Sam stared into Drew’s chocolate-brown eyes, encouraged by her unassuming nature. Did she really want something to happen between them? She ached at the thought.
She smiled lightly. “One room should do.” Something had changed between them this afternoon. Sam had done something she was never able to do before with anyone. She’d let Drew comfort her.
Drew’s smile broadened in animated victory as she spun back around to the desk. “We need a suite for the night, please.”
“Certainly. Can I interest you in any of the spa options?”
“Yes. I’d like a massage for each of us and an herbal sauna.” Lifting an eyebrow, Sam tugged at Drew’s arm. “In the privacy of the suite, of course.” Tossing a credit card onto the counter, Drew paid no attention to Sam’s protest.
“Of course.” The man at the desk smiled and slid the credit card through the reader.
The Goose Creek Inn was somewhat of a landmark in Northern California. It was noted for discretion. At hiring, all employees were required to sign a privacy contract, guaranteeing their silence regarding all previous and future guests, no matter who they were or how famous they might be.
“Room thirty-two, miss. I’ll have the bellman bring up your bags.”
“I’ll take them. Get the masseuse up there as soon as possible, please. We’ve had a long day.”
“You’ve been here before?” Sam asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.
“I come here on occasion when I need to relax.” Drew shoved the key folder into her back pocket, picked up the two small duffel bags, and headed across the lobby before abruptly turning back to the desk, catching the clerk’s attention. “The room isn’t near the elevator, is it?
The clerk shook his head. “You’re at the east end of the floor, overlooking the garden.”
“Great.” She smiled at Sam. “Sunrise behind the hills. That’ll be a treat in the morning.”
Drew held the elevator door open, letting Sam step out first.
“This is it.” She stopped at room number thirty-two and waited.
“Yes, it is.” Drew dropped the bags and swept her into her arms, locking them around her waist. Sam snaked her arms around Drew’s neck and kissed her completely. Every other time Drew was this close, Sam had been unsure and had forced herself to stop. Drew understood her, and it was time to let Drew know she was ready to let the boundaries go.
“Why don’t we go inside?” Sam whispered.
“Okay.” Drew picked up the bags and waited.
She stuck her hand out. “Key?”
“Oh.” She shifted the bags and reached back to her pocket. Drew dropped the key on the floor and then fumbled for it. Yes, it was definitely time.
Within minutes of entering the room, Sam’s mouth was back on Drew’s, and she was responding in turn. Then they heard a knock on the door.
“Wow. These people are really on top of things,” Sam whispered, her mouth still hovering closely to Drew’s.
“That’s why I like it here. Although I wouldn’t have held it against them if they’d been really slow today.”
Sam moved her hand
s up the back of Drew’s shirt and scraped her nails across her shoulder blades. “Make them go away.” Her voice was low and ragged.
“You’ll like this.”
When Drew pulled away, Sam grumbled and threw herself onto the couch. “I was liking that.”
She pulled open the door, and a man and woman dressed in white entered, each carrying a bag in one hand and a padded massage table in the other.
“Go into the bedroom and take your clothes off.”
Sam’s eyes widened. If Drew thought she was going to strip and come back out naked in front of these people, she was sadly mistaken.
Drew chuckled, seeming to read her mind. “You’ll find a robe in the bathroom.”
Sam walked into it and closed the door. Now she felt like an idiot. But what was Drew expecting? She’d never been to a hotel like this before, a place where people flocked to satisfy your every whim and catered to you.
Pushing the vanity chair aside, she picked up a few of the fancy bottles from the elegantly tiled washbasin. Shampoo, conditioner, even hair spray. She turned to the tub and then hastily dropped the bottles back onto the basin. Bath salts. She tingled with excitement. It had been ages since she’d been able to enjoy a scented bath. She picked up the jar, opened it, and took a whiff. Roses. It smelled of pink roses in their fullest bloom. She closed her eyes and slid down into the chair. Paradise, that’s what this was. Simply paradise.
She poked her head out through the bathroom door. “Do you mind if I take a bath first?” she asked, noting that Drew had already stripped and wrapped in a towel. Her arms and legs were tanned and well defined. She was absolutely gorgeous. Sam raised her gaze to Drew’s, and the heat in her cheeks simmered. Judging by the smile on Drew’s face, she saw it too.
“You take the bath last. Now change and get out here.” Drew nudged her back inside the bathroom and pulled the door closed.
After Sam lay on the massage table for more than an hour, the masseuse had successfully worked her magic on the knotted muscles in Sam’s neck. Her body had melted into pure Jell-O. Raspberry Jell-O, she thought, breathing in the fragrance of the scented oil.
“This feels amazing.”
Drew sat up on the table, and her masseuse took a packet out of his bag before disappearing through the bedroom doorway.
“Where’s he going?”
“To start the sauna.”
She jerked her eyes open. “Sauna?”
“Yep. Whenever you’re ready, it’s right through the double doors next to the bathroom.”
She closed her eyes again. “I don’t even want to move right now.” The words came out in a slow whisper. This was absolute heaven, and now that she’d been exposed to it, Sam didn’t know how she’d live without it.
She watched Drew cross the room to the chair where her pants were tossed haphazardly over the top. Plucking her wallet out of the pocket, she slipped each of the massage therapists a generous tip.
“Can you pick up this table later?”
“No problem. Just set it outside the door, and housekeeping will get it.”
Sam heard the door click shut. Alone again. The thought had her wet immediately.
“Come on. The herbs in the sauna will make you feel better.”
“Do I have to?” She sucked in a long slow breath and held back a cough.
“Yes, you do,” Drew said, lightly dragging her finger up Sam’s leg, sending an erotic sizzle through her.
She rolled onto her side and covered herself with the luxurious terry-cloth towel draped across her back. “One might get the impression you’ve brought me here to seduce me.”
Drew’s fingers brushed softly against Sam’s collarbone as she lifted the ring hanging from the chain around her neck. “That will come another time.” She let it drop before pinching Sam’s chin between her thumb and forefinger. “Right now my only interest is in getting you healthy.” She took her hand and led her to the sauna.
Clasping the ring in her hand, Sam let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Brad’s symbol of ownership. She’d forgotten about it, again. Sliding the ring to the top of the chain, she let it hang down her back. She didn’t know why she kept putting it on. The golden charm had become a noose, strangling her every attempt at happiness.
“You go ahead. I’ll be right in.”
Drew’s brows drew together.
Sam shot her a wild-eyed stare. “I have to go,” she said, and headed into the bathroom.
“Oh, okay. I’ll meet you in there.”
Peeking out to see if Drew had left, Sam took the chain off and tucked it into the side pocket of her bag. She took in a deep breath as she entered the sauna and was actually able to let it out slowly. The constant nagging tickle in her throat was gone.
“It smells wonderful in here.”
“It’s a special blend of oregano oil, licorice root, and eucalyptus. A kind of homeopathic cure for the common cold.”
Sam stopped in the doorway and stared. Although she’d been intimate with Drew more than once, their encounters had been far from exploratory on her part. It might have been only a fleeting moment when she’d caught a naked glimpse of Drew in the pool shower, but the image, still vivid in her mind, didn’t compare to what was in front of her now. She glimmered with oil, a scant piece of white terry cloth tied loosely around her. This was an entirely different sight.
“It’s getting pretty hot in here, huh?” In an attempt to disguise her sudden awkwardness, Sam blotted a towel across her forehead.
“The heat does seem to be rising a bit.” Drew’s mouth curved into an adorably sexy grin. “Take a seat and relax.” She motioned to the bench. “You’ll get used to it.”
Sam sank onto the bench across from her and squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn’t possibly relax with the full-color, three-dimensional, tanned, well-oiled body so near. Sam’s imagination was shifting into overdrive. Her mind clouded with wild fantasies and desires she was aching to fulfill. Sam opened one eye slightly to capture a new picture of the main focus in her fantasy world. When she saw that Drew’s eyes were closed, she got up quietly and ladled a spoonful of liquid onto the coals. Drew opened them momentarily at the hissing sound of the cool water hitting the blazing heat and closed them again as steam filled the room. Watching her relax against the wall with her legs outstretched, Sam wandered toward her in the mist. This woman was more than she’d bargained for, stirring wants and needs she hadn’t realized existed. She let her towel drop to the floor.
* * *
Drew felt a subtle waft of air and opened her eyes. Sam was standing before her completely naked. Red curls, softened by the humidity, hung loosely on her shoulders. Skin glistening and cheeks pinked, she was an unbelievable vision. Drew was instantly wet as the sensation zapped through her, but more than just physical desire overwhelmed her.
Dark, sultry, and irresistibly wanting, Sam’s shimmering green eyes peered down at her. “Shh,” she said when Drew began to object. “Fourth time’s the charm.” Sam straddled Drew’s lap and kissed her as she peeled the towel away. Their tongues mingled gently, in a soft, baiting dance before Sam slid her fingers into the wetness between Drew’s legs.
A low growl erupted through Sam’s lips as she broke away and stared into Drew’s eyes. “Oh my god, you’re so wet.”
“Pretty much been that way since I met you.”
Sam dipped her fingers into her mouth, closed her eyes, and let out an indescribable sound. Drew didn’t think she could get more aroused, but she was wrong. She pulled Sam to her, and the steam from the sauna mingled between them. She could think of nothing more wonderful at that moment than feeling Sam’s soft breast pressed to her own. Holding her tightly in her arms, Drew immersed herself in all that was Sam. This was worth waiting for. She was worth waiting for.
Drew trailed her mouth down Sam’s neck, across the delicate ridge of her collarbone, while she let her hand roam down the soft sides of her breasts to her nipples, where she rolled one between her fingers. Sa
m hissed out a breath at the contact and arched her back. When she trailed her other hand lower and slipped a finger inside, Sam gasped and clung to Drew’s shoulders as she began to move in a slow rhythm. Her lips pressed against the taut muscles of Drew’s shoulder as she shifted and slipped another finger inside. Sam let out a tiny whimper when Drew stroked her clit with her thumb. Sam began to quake as her teeth scraped hard against her shoulder. Then without warning, her rhythm quickened as her moans rolled into high-pitched, labored breaths. She grasped Drew’s head against her chest before she threw herself back, letting her weight pull Drew’s fingers in deeper. Sam pumped against her until her orgasm peaked and she fell into her, tremors still rumbling through her.
Sam had concealed her urgency well. Drew hadn’t thought she was even close, but with minimal warning, Sam had skyrocketed into orgasm. Drew wasn’t prepared, and Sam’s climax had very nearly sent her diving headfirst into her own heated pool of satisfaction.
“Snuck up on you, huh,” she whispered, enjoying the achievement thoroughly.
* * *
“Uh-huh,” Sam mumbled, holding Drew tight and still enjoying the sporadic aftershocks. That was an understatement. Sam shifted, sucking in a quick breath as she continued to roll with wonderful sensations. She’d come so quickly and intensely, she’d been blindsided. She’d wanted to savor the moment, hold on to it as long as she could. She’d become an expert at giving pleasure, yet she was still quite inexperienced at receiving it.
When Drew’s strong arms pulled her close, Sam grasped at her hair, tugging her head back to gain access to her neck. The taste of her still lingered on her tongue, and she wanted more. She slid off Drew’s legs and knelt between them, taking in the sight of her. Strong shoulders, tight abs, small breasts, and gorgeous pebbled nipples. She sucked one into her mouth, and Drew arched against her as she teased it with her tongue. Drew tensed when she slipped a finger inside. Sam had to taste her again. She indulged in the sensation of the slick, wet crevice as she curled her fingers inside her. She made long, slow strokes with the flat of her tongue before taking Drew’s clit and sucking it into her mouth. The groan that erupted deep within Drew drove Sam to move faster and harder until Drew trapped her between her thighs and flew into orgasm. Sam continued the pattern, reveling in the force of her release until Drew reached down and stopped her.