CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Riley shouldn’t have asked Sam to come in, but the words had popped out of her mouth before her brain had engaged fully. This was a dangerous move. There had been a fleeting thought about kissing Sam but now that he was actually inside of her home, looking sexy and gorgeous, her mind had drifted to far more carnal pursuits than a simple kiss.
I’m only human.
It was probably a good thing that Sam was leaving in the morning because if he stayed around much longer she was going to fall head over heels in love with him. He had so much going for him other than his incredible good looks. He was funny, intelligent, kind, and humble.
He was the kind of man she’d always wanted.
Too bad, so sad. You can’t have him.
Yes, I can. Just for tonight, though.
You won’t be satisfied with one night.
I can be. I can do this and let him walk away in the morning.
You’re deluding yourself. Don’t cry to me later.
It was like having an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. Who was she going to listen to?
“Riley?”
Sam’s voice brought her out of her mini-trance and back to her kitchen where she was pouring two glasses of wine. She whirled around, a glass in each hand and a big smile on her face. Everything was fine. She was completely okay and normal.
“Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind. So much going on next week at school. We’re studying the American Revolution and I was thinking about ways to make it more exciting for the children.”
And…she was babbling. She had a tendency to over explain when she was nervous.
Shut up.
“Maybe you could do a play?” Sam suggested, accepting the wine glass. “Or is that the actor in me talking?”
Wrangling twenty-four five-year-olds for a production starring the Founding Fathers sounded like a slice of hell. Add in interfering parents and it was a recipe for disaster. She’d learned her first year of teaching that a play was a bad idea.
“That’s something to think about.”
Riley took a gulp of her wine, hoping it would calm her nerves. Her pulse was racing and sweat was beginning to pool on the back of her neck. She wasn’t playing it off well, though, because Sam was giving her a strange look.
“Riley? Are you okay?”
No, I feel like I could jump out of my skin. I don’t think that’s normal.
“I’m nervous.”
Blurt.
“Nervous,” Sam repeated, his expression neutral. “How come?”
Don’t speak. Don’t speak.
“Because you’re here.”
I am so screwed.
He set his glass down on the kitchen counter and managed not to look offended.
“Do you want me to leave?”
“No.”
His smiled widened, showing off those amazing dimples in his cheeks. “Do you want me to stay then?”
More than I’m willing to admit out loud.
She nodded and took another drink of her wine. It wasn’t helping.
Sam’s gaze ran over the room, seeking something. “Do you have a radio or a stereo?”
Was there a ballgame on? Was she so boring he needed some entertainment? When he was invited into a woman’s house he probably didn’t spend time chatting and drinking wine.
“In the living room. Why?”
He turned and walked out of the kitchen with her trailing behind him. “You were really relaxed tonight at the party and there was music and dancing. How about we try that again?”
Dancing. With Sam. It had been nice and an activity she wouldn’t mind repeating. She handed him her phone and let him scroll through her eclectic music collection. She liked a little rock, a little country, some oldies, and when she was in just the right mood, some classical.
Billy Vera and the Beaters came over the small but surprisingly loud speakers. At This Moment was one of her favorite songs and it was perfect to slow dance to. A romantic slow dance, that is. There was no mistaking the sultry sway of the music or the mournful lyrics of a love lost. His arms reached for her and she moved unresistingly close to him, their bodies brushing with each beat of the song.
It was the perfect storm of seduction. Dim lights. Soft music. A glass of wine. Riley closed her eyes and let her other senses come alive. The way his hard body felt under her touch. The smell of his skin when she buried her face into his chest. The thud of his heart under her ear, strong and steady. Just like Sam.
His hands burned through the silky material of her dress all the way to the sensitive flesh underneath. His lips were nestled against her temple, his breath soft and warm against her cheek. For this one moment, there was only the two of them. The outside world and all of its demands didn’t exist. Sam didn’t have to leave in the morning and there was no good reason for them not to take this to its inevitable conclusion.
They floated like that on a cloud of delusion, letting the song wash over them like the tide against the sand. Reasons. All the reasons she shouldn’t do this dissolved away leaving her with one plain truth. She wanted Sam, and she hadn’t wanted any man like this. Ever.
Would it be so terrible if he stayed? She’d have this night to always remember. She could tuck it away and look back on it in the years to come. It would be just for her and no one could take it away.
The song couldn’t last forever, though, and the final notes hung in the air as they separated slightly. Cool air couldn’t soothe her fevered skin, however. On fire from the inside out at Sam’s mere touch, her body blotted out all of the objections that whirled though her head. For once, she was going to take something just for herself. She wasn’t going to be the designated adult.
She gazed up at him, taking in every detail of his face and committing it to memory. The slightly stubbled jaw. The blue of his eyes. The lines that fanned out when he smiled.
I’m not in love. But I could be.
It was a scary thought. He wasn’t for her and never would be. She might be heading for heartbreak but right now her brain simply wasn’t working. Or maybe it didn’t care.
“Sam, will you stay the night?”
* * *
Sam couldn’t have heard Riley correctly. It was clearly wishful thinking that made him hear her ask if he wanted to spend the night.
Because he did. So fucking much. He’d been thinking about it for far too long and holding himself in check was becoming increasingly difficult with every passing hour and day.
The look on her face, however, told a different story. She was nervous but hopeful. Shy but expectant. In other words, she’d really said it. All he had to do was say yes.
Hold on a minute.
His better angels kept him on a firm rein. He liked Riley, cared about her, and he didn’t want there to be any confusion come tomorrow morning. He still had to leave even if he didn’t want to. He’d signed contracts, made commitments, and people’s livelihoods depended on him. He couldn’t suddenly flake out and decide to take a beach vacation because of a beautiful woman.
And he couldn’t take advantage of Riley.
“I want to,” he said and her eyes lit up. “But we need to talk first.”
That light dimmed slightly but she nodded and stepped back, making him want to pull her into his arms. He didn’t, though, taking a step backward himself. It would be easier to be practical with a little distance between them.
“Okay…”
Her brows were pinched together in worry as if she truly thought he might say no. Had she missed all the signs of his desire? To be fair, he’d missed hers. He’d never thought she’d come right out and invite him to stay. It was sexy, her courage in going after what she wanted, and it only made her even more attractive.
“I want to make love to you, Riley. More than I have words to express. Way more.” He groaned as a small smile began to bloom on her face. “I just want to make sure that we’re on the same page here.”
Her smile wobbled slightly but she nodded in affirmation. “I know it’s just for this one night. I know that you’re leaving tomorrow.”
His body was screaming to take her at her word, but his brain was still in charge. Barely.
“Do you?” He needed to make sure she understood. He would be on a plane tomorrow morning no matter what. “I’m not in a position to make any commitments, honey. Tonight is all there is. Can you be okay with that? I don’t want you to regret this later.”
“I won’t regret it.”
He should walk away. Turn and run out of the front door. Staying would complicate his life. Riley was friends with his mother and he’d be down to visit from time to time. They might run into each other, although they hadn’t until this trip. Still…it made things more complex. Any time he involved his body and emotions he usually regretted it. One or the other was fine, but this was both. Not a good combination.
But damned if he could leave. He wanted her and by God he was going to have her. If they only had one night, then he’d make sure it was one they’d both remember for the rest of their lives.
“Then yes, I want to stay.”