as quickly, “Not you, Ariel.”
Pete said, “He still has to propose.”
Ariel fried Pete with a look. She would definitely get him later. Couldn’t he see that his brother was in pain and not up to all that teasing? “Come on, Sam. I’ll help you inside.”
Sam allowed her to hug into his uninjured side, attempting to offer him support; then he looked back at his family and grinned. “Bye.”
His mother said, “We’ll leave, but I expect to hear from you in the morning.”
Sam nodded. “Ariel or I, one will give you a call.” And then he stepped inside and kicked the door shut. “Peace, at last.”
“Are you all right?”
“Getting better by the minute.” Then: “Upstairs, babe. I need to lie down.”
“Oh, Sam.” Her worry was a live thing, but Sam went up the steps without too much help from her and once in his room, he lowered himself painfully to sit on the edge of the bed.
“Will you help me get my clothes off?” When she stared at him, he said, “I want to lie down.”
“Oh. Yes of course.”
“I’m not hurt that bad, but the loss of blood…”
She went pale and rushed to get him out of the shirt Gil had brought up to the hospital for him. Snowy white gauze wrapped diagonally over his dark, powerful chest, from his right shoulder to beneath his left arm, covering him front and back. Ariel touched her hand to her mouth and just knew she was going to cry.
Sam kicked out of his shoes, then stood. “My pants?”
She shook herself. The last thing Sam needed now was a whining, weepy, overly emotional woman on his hands. The way he held his right arm, it had to be hurting him. “Of course.”
Going to her knees, Ariel stripped off his socks and reached for the fly to his slacks. He was hard.
Her gaze snapped up to his.
He grinned. “Hey, you’re on your knees in front of me, sweetheart, ready to take off my pants. What did you expect?”
She’d missed him so much, and loved him more than that. She just couldn’t take his teasing right now. “You’re hurt, damn it. Be serious.” Shaking now, Ariel pulled his pants down over his hips and Sam stepped out of them.
His hand touched the top of her head. “You’ve been avoiding me for a week, Ariel. I finally have you here, alone in my bedroom. Believe me, I’m taking this very seriously.” Wearing only his underwear—and that tented—he sat in the bed and leaned carefully back against a pillow on the headboard. He let out a long sigh. “Now strip off your clothes and get into bed with me.”
Her stomach flip-flopped. “Sam…”
“My house, my rules.”
His voice was gentle, but his gaze burned and Ariel felt a smile twitch on her mouth. “Your rules are ridiculous and you know it. There’s no way you’re up to…that.”
“That?”
“Whatever it is you’re thinking.”
“I’m thinking that I need to hold you, and I’m thinking you’re more inclined to say yes if you’re naked in bed with me.”
“Yes about what?”
He stared at her a long moment, then, in the softest, most uncertain tone she’d ever heard from him, he said, “About whether or not you’ll marry me.”
Her mouth fell open. “Sam?”
He scowled, rallying forth arguments. “Look at it this way, if you marry me you get to change some of the rules because it’ll be your house, too.”
Happiness bubbled up, swelled until Ariel felt ready to burst. Watching his face, her own wide smile in place, she stripped off her clothes and climbed in beside him. Sam urged her close to his left side, shifted until he was comfortable, then said, “Now, tell me you love me again. It’s the truth, I need to hear it.”
“I love you, Sam.”
He groaned, hugged her as tightly as he could, considering he was hurt, and kissed her hair. “I love you, too, Ariel. So much that I don’t think I could take it if you didn’t marry me. At first…well, I hate to admit it, but I was as fretful as an old woman.”
“If you said that to your mother,
Pete said, “He still has to propose.”
Ariel fried Pete with a look. She would definitely get him later. Couldn’t he see that his brother was in pain and not up to all that teasing? “Come on, Sam. I’ll help you inside.”
Sam allowed her to hug into his uninjured side, attempting to offer him support; then he looked back at his family and grinned. “Bye.”
His mother said, “We’ll leave, but I expect to hear from you in the morning.”
Sam nodded. “Ariel or I, one will give you a call.” And then he stepped inside and kicked the door shut. “Peace, at last.”
“Are you all right?”
“Getting better by the minute.” Then: “Upstairs, babe. I need to lie down.”
“Oh, Sam.” Her worry was a live thing, but Sam went up the steps without too much help from her and once in his room, he lowered himself painfully to sit on the edge of the bed.
“Will you help me get my clothes off?” When she stared at him, he said, “I want to lie down.”
“Oh. Yes of course.”
“I’m not hurt that bad, but the loss of blood…”
She went pale and rushed to get him out of the shirt Gil had brought up to the hospital for him. Snowy white gauze wrapped diagonally over his dark, powerful chest, from his right shoulder to beneath his left arm, covering him front and back. Ariel touched her hand to her mouth and just knew she was going to cry.
Sam kicked out of his shoes, then stood. “My pants?”
She shook herself. The last thing Sam needed now was a whining, weepy, overly emotional woman on his hands. The way he held his right arm, it had to be hurting him. “Of course.”
Going to her knees, Ariel stripped off his socks and reached for the fly to his slacks. He was hard.
Her gaze snapped up to his.
He grinned. “Hey, you’re on your knees in front of me, sweetheart, ready to take off my pants. What did you expect?”
She’d missed him so much, and loved him more than that. She just couldn’t take his teasing right now. “You’re hurt, damn it. Be serious.” Shaking now, Ariel pulled his pants down over his hips and Sam stepped out of them.
His hand touched the top of her head. “You’ve been avoiding me for a week, Ariel. I finally have you here, alone in my bedroom. Believe me, I’m taking this very seriously.” Wearing only his underwear—and that tented—he sat in the bed and leaned carefully back against a pillow on the headboard. He let out a long sigh. “Now strip off your clothes and get into bed with me.”
Her stomach flip-flopped. “Sam…”
“My house, my rules.”
His voice was gentle, but his gaze burned and Ariel felt a smile twitch on her mouth. “Your rules are ridiculous and you know it. There’s no way you’re up to…that.”
“That?”
“Whatever it is you’re thinking.”
“I’m thinking that I need to hold you, and I’m thinking you’re more inclined to say yes if you’re naked in bed with me.”
“Yes about what?”
He stared at her a long moment, then, in the softest, most uncertain tone she’d ever heard from him, he said, “About whether or not you’ll marry me.”
Her mouth fell open. “Sam?”
He scowled, rallying forth arguments. “Look at it this way, if you marry me you get to change some of the rules because it’ll be your house, too.”
Happiness bubbled up, swelled until Ariel felt ready to burst. Watching his face, her own wide smile in place, she stripped off her clothes and climbed in beside him. Sam urged her close to his left side, shifted until he was comfortable, then said, “Now, tell me you love me again. It’s the truth, I need to hear it.”
“I love you, Sam.”
He groaned, hugged her as tightly as he could, considering he was hurt, and kissed her hair. “I love you, too, Ariel. So much that I don’t think I could take it if you didn’t marry me. At first…well, I hate to admit it, but I was as fretful as an old woman.”
“If you said that to your mother,
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