It’s been two weeks since the ordeal and Tenny has finally returned to the happy little girl she was before Ben tried to drown her. Sam has spent hours trying to convince her to get back into the lake. Today, I finally hear her splashing in the water with Sam and Chase. They have both bonded since that night.

“Hey!” I laugh as water splashes on my face. Chase’s wet body splashes down next to me.

“She finally went in the water,” he says. “Sam is so good with her.”

I know my smile must cover my entire face. “He is, isn’t he?”

“I’ve been wanting to tell you something, and I think now would be a good time.” He takes my hand in his.

“You’re scaring me a little bit.”

“I received a call out of the blue last week from an old friend of mine in New York.” I can feel how nervous he is. “He offered me a job.”

My heart breaks a little, yet at the same time, I’m excited for him. “Please tell me you took it.”

“I told him to give me a few days to think about it.” He lets go of my hand and leans back on the dock.

I follow suit, reclining. “You have to take it. I don’t want to hold you back anymore. My surgery is scheduled in a month and I’ll be able to see again.”

“So…you won’t need me anymore.” I hear the sadness in his voice.

“I will always need you in my life, but I won’t need you to help take care of me anymore. You deserve this. You’ve made so many sacrifices for us.”

“I don’t consider anything I’ve done a sacrifice. I love all of you and would do it all over again. I do think the timing is right, now that you have Sam.”

“I happen to think I’ve been very lucky. I have been blessed with two wonderful men that love me.”

“Two hot men,” he says, tickling me.

“Yes…yes, two hot men,” I say, laughing and trying to pull his hands off my waist.

“That’s better,” he laughs, laying back down.

I roll to my side facing him. “I can’t wait to see what he looks like,” I whisper.

“You won’t be disappointed,” he laughs.

I lay back down next to him. “When will you leave?”

“I’ve already started looking for a house on the outskirts of the city. I found a nice little three-bedroom.”

“You don’t need a house that big,” I laugh.

“I wanted a big enough place that you, Tennyson, and Nana would feel comfortable staying for a while.”

“Chase, you don’t have to take care of us anymore.”

“I’m not. You’re my family and I want you to visit as often as you would like. Nana and Tenny would love it up there. The property is beautiful. Tenny could even have a horse.”

“Oh, God, please don’t mention that to her. She would have her bags packed tomorrow and never want to come home again.”

“I’m putting an offer in on it tomorrow and accepting the job offer. I want to be in it by the time you have your surgery.”

“Wow, that’s pretty quick.” A sadness washes over me at the thought about him not being a daily part of my life.

“I’m going to hire someone to run the boutique while you are gone, so you don’t have to shut down.”

“Sounds like you have it all figured out.” I sit up and he follows. “Thank you for taking such good care of us all these years.” A tear trickles down my cheek. “I know it doesn’t look like it, but I’m really happy for you.”

His arm wraps around me, still dripping wet. “I’m happy for you too, that you are finally going to get your life back. What are your plans with that hot, sexy man of yours?”

“I plan on making him one happy man.” A smile covers my face again at the thought of spending my life with Sam. I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I feel like I’ve been waiting for him my entire life. I can’t wait to see the face of the man I’ve fallen madly in love with. I’ve already seen his heart and it’s beautiful.

Water drips over both of us as Tenny and Sam join us on the dock. “I’m hungry,” Tenny says as she sits on my lap, soaking wet. I can feel my t-shirt clinging to my chest.

“How about I pull out some hamburger meat and cook it on the grill?” Sam offers.

“I’ll run back home and get Nana, we can stop by the store on the way back and pick up something to go with the burgers.” Chase says.

“I think that’s a great idea. And we can celebrate your new job,” I say.

“What new job?” I can hear the sadness in Tenny’s voice.

“How about you ride with me to Nana’s and I’ll tell you all about it.” Chase is already on his feet and taking Tenny with him. I hear her ask if she can have watermelon to go with her burger.

Sam is pulling me up to my feet by my hands. “I want to hear about this new job, but first, I want to get you out of this wet t-shirt,” his voice whispers sexily in my ear.

I feel his hardness on my hip. I slide my hand down between us. “As long as I get to remove the rest of the clothing between us.” I feel so brazen lately. He brings it out in me.

He growls while his hands find the hem of my shirt and pull it off of me, leaving me in my bikini. I feel him pull at the string that holds my bottoms together.

“Sam, were outside in broad daylight, anyone can see us.” I feel like my entire body is pink and on fire.

“You should have thought about that before you put your hand on my cock. Besides, there is no one for miles.” My bottoms fall off at his last word. I groan out loud as his tongue traces my ear and his hands remove my bikini top. His mouth moves to my breast and his hand drifts down between my legs. My hands boldly find the strings to his board shorts and yank them just under his hips. My fingers trace the v of his stomach before I reach further down. His hand stops my movement and he gently guides me down until my bare back is on the wooden dock. Once he has positioned me how he wants me, he’s no longer gentle. He thrusts inside me, causing me to gasp out in pure pleasure.

“Sam!” I yell out his name. He thrusts again. I reach down and place my hand at our connection. I can’t see it, but I want feel the point where our bodies are connected.

“Fuck,” he grits out. He leans up and places his hands on mine. I can envision him closing his eyes and seeing our connection as I see it. It spurs him on because the next thing I know, he has my hands pinned over my head and he thrusts so deep it scoots me down the wooden dock. It only hurts for a brief second before my orgasm takes over, totally catching me off guard. There was not build up, only a fierce release of pleasure literally wracking through my body, taking him with me.

He collapses on top of me, both of our chests heaving from the intensity rolling off of us. “I’m sorry,” he says between breaths. “I’m sorry if I hurt you, but I couldn’t wait a minute longer to be inside you, claiming you as mine.”

“You can claim me anytime.” I take my hand and find his cheek, giving him a light slap. “But, you need to watch your mouth mister,” I laugh.

He inhales sharply. “Watch what my mouth does now,” he says as he moves down my body.

“Oh my God, I am so full.” I lean back into Sam’s arms on the couch. Chase has filled Sam in on his plans. They both have decided for me that Chase’s new house will be a great place for me to recover. Tenny is already pouting that she can’t go with me. I don’t want to pull her out of school and Nana has happily volunteered to take care of her. I have promised to leave Sunny with her. Tenny was excited when Sam asked if she would take care of Sadie while he was with me. The two of them have plans for building her a pen in our backyard.

“You should be, you ate three hamburgers plus a bag of chips.” Sam’s hand rubs my belly. “I don’t know where you put it,” he laughs.

“I know, the first time we went out I nearly had to take out a line of credit to feed her,” Chase adds.

I feel Sam’s body tense behind me. “You mean out, like on a date out?”

Chase laughs. “Yeah, a date where she was trying to help me make a guy jealous.”

“It worked, too, if I recall. He couldn’t quit shooting daggers my way all through dinner. And, if I remember right, you two hooked up that night.”

“We did and then he became clingy after that.”

“That’s right, he would show up wherever we were, accusing you of cheating on him with me.” I laugh, again.

Nana interrupts, “This has been really nice, but I think it’s time to get this little one home.” She points to Tenny, who has fallen asleep with her head in her lap.

Chase gets up and lifts her. “Thanks, man. Are we still on for the gun range next weekend?” he asks Sam.

“Yeah, we are. I haven’t been since August took me,” he says, and I can hear the sadness in his tone.

“Thank you for having us over.” Nana kisses him on the cheek.

We all walk outside and Chase puts Tenny in the back seat. Sam pulls me to him. “You’re staying with me.” He bites my shoulder, sending tingles down my body. I love how our love-making has grown since the first time. He has such power over my body that he can turn me on with only his words.

“Yes,” I whisper in his ear, standing on my tippy toes. I turn around in his arms. “You don’t have to worry about picking me up in the morning, Sam is going to let me drive his car.”

“Okay then, I’ll see you in the morning.” Chase gets in the car and backs down the driveway.

Sam’s hand runs down my backside and lightly smacks me on the ass. “I never said you could take my car.” His arms are back around me and his cock is pressed against me.

I wiggle my ass into him. “No, but I’m betting I could persuade you.”

He takes my hand and leads me up onto the porch steps. “It’s going to take all night, but I bet by morning I’ll be convinced.”