She whispered, panting, “Can we please take a separate car from them?” Her hand went to my pants and began kneading the bulge there.
I laughed, turning into her neck. Kissing her, I murmured, “I think we’ll have to. God, I’ve missed you.” I couldn’t stop myself. I lifted her in my arms again, hoisting her high so her legs wrapped back around my waist, so she could look down at me. Her eyes were dark with lust, glazed over from it, and she let out one of those small sighs of frustration.
Her hand lifted, and she ran her fingers through my hair, cupping my cheek. She smiled down at me. I saw the love and warmth, but I paused as I saw more. There was misery and pure agony. Something was wrong and I didn’t think it was just from our separation. I bit my tongue. I wanted to question her, push her buttons so she spilled what was wrong, but that wouldn’t work anymore for us. Sam needed to tell me on her own.
My own pain sliced through me. There was distance between us, physical and emotional. My hand lifted and I rubbed a thumb over her lips, lingering over the bottom. I murmured, “I know something’s wrong.”
She stilled.
I never looked away from her. “I can’t push you to talk anymore, Sam. You have to tell me on your own. This won’t work otherwise.”
A tear formed and, biting her lip, she jerked her head in a nod. Some of her hair fell forward to block her face, and I tucked it behind her ear, my hand lingering there. I began to make circles on her cheek with my thumb. It was a loving gesture, and my god, I loved this girl. Feeling a surge of that emotion go through me, it pushed the pain away. We’d be fine. We’d have to be.
I let her back down to the floor, but kept her in my arms. Resting my chin on the top of her head, her arms slid around my chest, and she burrowed into me again. I asked, “Will you tell me what’s wrong?”
I felt her nodding against my shoulder.
This was important. The urgency of it coursed through, me and I tipped her head back up. Our eyes collided and held. “I mean it, Sam. You have to tell me. This shit is work. We both have to put into it. No running.”
“I won’t.” A small grin tugged at the corner of her mouth, and she cupped my face in her hands. “I promise. I won’t.”
“What’s wrong?” Because I knew there was something going on. “Is this about your dad?” No… That didn’t feel right. It was something else.
She hesitated.
“Sam.”
She shook her head. “You know me and my family. Terrifying. But no, I just…” She faded and glanced away.
I bit back my words. I wanted to make her tell me, but Matteo’s words stayed with me. His woman smacked him back into place when he faltered. Sam didn’t do that for me. It hurt to acknowledge that. We needed to have that. I hadn’t known how bothered I had been when he said those words, but it did. Sam rarely put me in my place.
“Sam,” I whispered.
“I know. There is something, but I’m not ready to talk about it.” She held my gaze, and I saw she meant what she was saying. She added, “I will tell you, but not yet.”
“You will?”
She nodded. A small tear slipped out and trailed down her cheek. She ignored it. “I love you so much.”
I nodded, then pulled her back to me. Her head tipped back and her lips raised for mine. I brushed mine against them. I wanted to make love to her that night. I wanted to show her that everything would be fine, that she could tell me anything, but I also just wanted to hold her and not let go. Feeling all that, I applied more pressure to the kiss, and she sighed from contentment.
It was later, much later, when we finally left that room and headed down to the parking lot. I was grateful Logan gave us that moment of privacy. It was needed. When Sam was gone, there wasn’t just literal distance between us. It was like we were on the same page, but there was a tear between us. Seeing her again helped to mend that tear. We were on the same page again. She felt like home again.
My hand tightened around hers. She squeezed back.
When we got to Logan’s car, Logan threw his arms around us, separating us again. I shot her a grin when she stepped back. I clasped my arms around him. “Hey, man.”
Logan pounded me twice on the back before letting go. A wide grin stretched over his face. “I feel hornier than a dog who almost got his balls snipped off. Shit, man. Your face is gorgeous. Have you always been this fine specimen?”
I laughed, shoving him away. “Hump your woman, not your brother.”