civilian clothes and handed them to him, a bit of sadness
hanging out in her pretty brown eyes. But the way she looked at him...
All of a sudden, with his departure
imminent, he had the crazy need to explain things, to reassure her he wasn’t
acting on foolish pride, or according to the size of his big toe that said he
was so stubborn.
“This is why I never quit construction.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to avoid you forever and that my time here would
eventually have to come to an end. I want to take care of you, Emma. I always
have.”
A look in her eyes told him one of the
ways she needed him to care for her. They hadn’t finished this night, not by a
long shot.
She was still quiet.
“Hey, what do you want me in when you
get home?” He called it that on purpose, eyes trained on hers.
She then handed him a cowboy uniform. It
wasn’t his and this one wouldn’t fit, but he’d decided then and there that the
first place he was going when he left here was to clean out his locker and
bring all his costumes with him, especially the vest and stirrups. With two
firm grips, she pulled him down by the biceps and kissed his cheek. She then
went to open the door to send him out. “Let’s try saving a horse tonight,” she
said, cementing his carnal death.
“It’d be my pleasure, ma’am,” he said in
his best country accent. God, he loved the way she loosened his too-serious ass
up. But then he thought seriously about his parting words, needing her to know
how much he meant them. “Please never let me find out you were in S room with anyone else. It would kill
me. Not even Gabe, Emma.”
“Are you saying there’s going to be a
real us outside of these walls?” She
looked hopeful.
“I’m saying my heart is yours to break.
It always has been and I’m pretty damn sure it always will be.”
Emma saluted him then crossed her heart.
“Well in that case, cross my heart and hope to die. See you at home?” She actually
cooed the question that sent him eagerly in search of his keys. The darkness
that had followed her around casting shadows had lightened.
She wanted to call his home hers.
“Hell yes,” he said enthusiastically. Next
to paying off the loans her parents had taken out to put Emma through college,
being able to be the one to provide her a home was next on his list.
He found his keys still in his now clean
and dry jeans pocket and took the one to his apartment off his ring and tossed
it in her direction. She caught it and smiled—and bit her lip.
“I already have a key to your place,
silly,” she said.
“I know, but now you have mine . Don’t laugh.”
But neither of them could stifle the
giggle completely. She tossed the key back to him and he caught it. “I must
really have you off your game, Sam Jason. You’re gonna need your key to get inside your apartment.”
Damn, she was right. “Good point,” he
said, knowing now he was a lost cause when it came to her. “Our apartment,” he
reminded her with a wink and yeah, maybe a little heat creeping up the back of
his neck.
He had some cleaning up and decorating
to do before she got there. He’d stop by the drugstore and get some candles…and
champagne...and popcorn.
More importantly, Sam had some questions
for Emma before he left.
“Before I give you the rest of this…”
Sam used the classic move on her and slid his one hand down his chest, abs, and
all the way down to his still-hard crotch and squeezed. “You’re gonna need to answer me one question.”
She smiled and tilted her head, knowing
she didn’t have to do anything of the sort but was willing to play along.
“Favorite new S words. Go.”
He watched her think, loving that they
could read each other so easily.
“Well, let’s see here. There’s spaghetti
and sea turtle and supercalifragil —”
“How about this
one? Stop! And Silly .”
The way she looked at him just then made
him feel weak before it pumped him up the likes of Mr. Olympia.
“Sam. That’s
hanging out in her pretty brown eyes. But the way she looked at him...
All of a sudden, with his departure
imminent, he had the crazy need to explain things, to reassure her he wasn’t
acting on foolish pride, or according to the size of his big toe that said he
was so stubborn.
“This is why I never quit construction.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to avoid you forever and that my time here would
eventually have to come to an end. I want to take care of you, Emma. I always
have.”
A look in her eyes told him one of the
ways she needed him to care for her. They hadn’t finished this night, not by a
long shot.
She was still quiet.
“Hey, what do you want me in when you
get home?” He called it that on purpose, eyes trained on hers.
She then handed him a cowboy uniform. It
wasn’t his and this one wouldn’t fit, but he’d decided then and there that the
first place he was going when he left here was to clean out his locker and
bring all his costumes with him, especially the vest and stirrups. With two
firm grips, she pulled him down by the biceps and kissed his cheek. She then
went to open the door to send him out. “Let’s try saving a horse tonight,” she
said, cementing his carnal death.
“It’d be my pleasure, ma’am,” he said in
his best country accent. God, he loved the way she loosened his too-serious ass
up. But then he thought seriously about his parting words, needing her to know
how much he meant them. “Please never let me find out you were in S room with anyone else. It would kill
me. Not even Gabe, Emma.”
“Are you saying there’s going to be a
real us outside of these walls?” She
looked hopeful.
“I’m saying my heart is yours to break.
It always has been and I’m pretty damn sure it always will be.”
Emma saluted him then crossed her heart.
“Well in that case, cross my heart and hope to die. See you at home?” She actually
cooed the question that sent him eagerly in search of his keys. The darkness
that had followed her around casting shadows had lightened.
She wanted to call his home hers.
“Hell yes,” he said enthusiastically. Next
to paying off the loans her parents had taken out to put Emma through college,
being able to be the one to provide her a home was next on his list.
He found his keys still in his now clean
and dry jeans pocket and took the one to his apartment off his ring and tossed
it in her direction. She caught it and smiled—and bit her lip.
“I already have a key to your place,
silly,” she said.
“I know, but now you have mine . Don’t laugh.”
But neither of them could stifle the
giggle completely. She tossed the key back to him and he caught it. “I must
really have you off your game, Sam Jason. You’re gonna need your key to get inside your apartment.”
Damn, she was right. “Good point,” he
said, knowing now he was a lost cause when it came to her. “Our apartment,” he
reminded her with a wink and yeah, maybe a little heat creeping up the back of
his neck.
He had some cleaning up and decorating
to do before she got there. He’d stop by the drugstore and get some candles…and
champagne...and popcorn.
More importantly, Sam had some questions
for Emma before he left.
“Before I give you the rest of this…”
Sam used the classic move on her and slid his one hand down his chest, abs, and
all the way down to his still-hard crotch and squeezed. “You’re gonna need to answer me one question.”
She smiled and tilted her head, knowing
she didn’t have to do anything of the sort but was willing to play along.
“Favorite new S words. Go.”
He watched her think, loving that they
could read each other so easily.
“Well, let’s see here. There’s spaghetti
and sea turtle and supercalifragil —”
“How about this
one? Stop! And Silly .”
The way she looked at him just then made
him feel weak before it pumped him up the likes of Mr. Olympia.
“Sam. That’s
Similar Books
