Sam

Stepping out from the shadow of the house, Olivia’s on the porch and she sucks in a jagged breath at the sight of me. At first, I wanted to interrupt, let them know I was there, but as she continued to explain how she felt, I couldn’t bring myself to stop her. I needed to hear it.

Her words soothed my fears, eradicated any doubts. My confidence in her, in us, grew tenfold knowing that we were real, that I hadn’t dreamt it all in my head. She is over her husband.

Even though she left him and demanded the divorce, the whole debacle with Erin had me second-guessing her motives. I wondered if she had wanted the divorce as a way to get Pete to change, to realize what a fool he was.

Pete’s head is down as he nears. Sensing me, he abruptly lifts his head, startled at my presence and stops. He stares, bleary eyed, his pupils glistening with what I’m guessing are tears. It’s in that moment that I fully realize our common bond: we love the same woman. While I’m not victorious or wish to rub it in his face, I’m fucking thankful to be the one she wants.

“Sam, take care of her.” His voice is heavy and gruff, his candor and humility rolling off him in waves. His eyes hold so many emotions, from resignation to resolve to regret. “Olivia is the best person I’ve ever met, the most amazing woman on the face of this earth. I fucked up. Don’t make my mistake.”

He’s beaten down, but accepting of his fate. Solemnly, facing him man to man, the weight of his words, both spoken and unspoken, bear down on me. I understand the magnitude of his confession and his warning, and not wanting to be arrogant or dismissive, I give him the respect and assurance he deserves.

“I don’t intend to and I couldn’t agree with you more. She is the best, something rare and precious, and I promise I’ll cherish her every day.”

He nods, the small, tight upturn of his lips gives away his regret before he resumes the walk to his car. Reinforcing my hold on the grocery bags, I turn in the direction of the house.

She stands, rigid, almost like she’s holding her breath while watching us. Her hands are clasped in front of her, worrying her bottom lip. A small, unsure smile graces her face.

The intensity in her eyes are piercing as I climb the stairs. Stopping two steps below her, face to face, my breath stalls. Damn, she’s so beautiful. It’s only been a couple days since I last saw her, but having her this close, it feels like we’ve been apart an eternity.

Last night was bittersweet. I held her and was with her, but I wasn’t with her. We were with Alec and Paige, and it wasn’t the time or the place to have our conversation. Truth be told, a part of me chickened out. I didn’t know if she’d figured things out and I didn’t want to push her right out of my arms.

Now, after what she said to Pete, we don’t need to talk. I know exactly where she is, and that’s with me.

“You know what I realized?” My voice is low and gravelly. She shakes her head, eagerly hanging on for my next word. “When I’m not with you, everything hurts, especially my heart. It may sound cheesy, but it’s true. It’s the only way I can explain it.”

“I know,” she whispers. Her cold fingers lightly skim my lips. “Sam, I’ve been such an idiot. I love you so much and I should have told you long ago. I have no excuse other than that I was scared—not of you or us, but of me, of losing myself again, but I realize first and foremost, you and I are not Olivia and Pete. I love you, and every day, you make me a better person than I was the day before.”

Capturing her lips, I kiss her with all my love, desire, and need for her. She clings to me, our bodies plastered together as the cold night air circles us.

“Livvy, I love you too, and I’m here to stay. You are the one for me. I was made to love you.” Feeling the need to say it all, tell her my plans for us, I continue, “And we may be in different cities right now, but you know what? My career is important to me, my restaurants, but none of that means anything to me without you and your kids. If I don’t have you, nothing matters. Growing up, it was instilled in me by my grandmother, Bas, and Alec just how important family is. It’s the only thing that matters. That’s what’s most important to me, and Olivia…you are my family.”

“And you’re mine,” she murmurs before covering my lips with hers.

She wraps her legs around my waist as I drop the groceries to the ground and items spill out of the bags. We share a laugh. Oh well. Grasping her divine ass, she rocks her heated core against my abs. Fuck, I want her now.

Having her in my arms grounds me, makes all the shit that’s been going on, the loss of the best man I ever knew, more bearable. She gives me hope that I’ll get through this. We’ll get through this.

Speaking into her mouth, I groan, “Alec and Paige are inside waiting on me to make dinner.”

Breaking apart, she rests her forehead on mine. Her long lashes flutter as her chocolatey brown eyes open, filled with love and lust for me. “When are they expecting you back?”

“Soon, but I could be another twenty minutes or so.”

“How do you feel about the garage?” Her eyes slide to the door at the side of the house. “It’ll be chilly, but I bet I could warm you up real quick.”

My cock twitches and lengthens at her seductive grin.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Dragging me into the dark, cold space, she shuts the door behind us and lunges at me. We’re all lips, teeth, tongues, arms, and legs as I pull her pants down and bend her over the workbench. Her luscious ass is up and out for me, begging to be palmed and squeezed as I ram my cock hard and deep into her.

Livvy’s on the pill and I’m clean. We’ve already had the talk, but fuck, to be honest, I would be over the moon if I knocked her up. We haven’t talked about kids and it’s not a deal breaker for me, but this woman is my everything. The love of my life. My heart and soul. If I could add mother of my children to that list, I’d crow like a cock.

Speaking of cocks, the pale moonlight allows me to see my dick moving in and out of her sweet pussy, her beautiful ass matching my rhythm. Bending over her, I roll her taut nipple with my thumb and forefinger through the fabric of her clothes, gently tugging as my other hand mercilessly rubs her clit.

She struggles to keep her whimpers to a whisper—as much as I love to hear her come apart, keeping this on the down low is best. Having Alec or Paige come to investigate her screams would be a serious mood killer.

As she clenches and spasms around my dick, climaxing, I too tense, every nerve ending in my body alive and firing on all cylinders. My orgasm rips through me as she wails my name before I clamp my hand over her mouth.

Before we both have had a chance to come down from that mind-bending experience, she spins around, her sensual body pressing against mine. Having her in my arms is the best. As she bestows heavy, languid kisses on me, we murmur words of love and promises of a future.

“Sam,” Paige calls from the sofa.

“Hmm,” I absently respond, my focus on the documents Bas’s lawyer emailed to me.

We’d held off reading the will right away; neither Alec nor I were ready to face the reality of it all. Only last week we finally decided it was time to read through everything. To my surprise, except for their home which he left to Alec, Bas left everything to me. I was dumbfounded, though in retrospect I’m not sure why, and protested, wanting to give Alec his rightful share. Alec would hear none of it, saying he knew what Bas’s wishes were and that he was successful and well off, didn’t need or want anything of Bas’s to remember him by.

My inheritance solved a lot of my investor problems. I hated that it came at the cost of Bas’s life, but he’d have loved to hear that because of it, I kicked Thibault to the curb. This was the good news I finally told Olivia last night after Paige and Alec had gone to bed.

“I like you,” Paige whispers, blushing.

Looking up from my laptop, her pretty face is scrunched into a frown. Meeting my gaze, her eyes—so dark and deep like her mother’s—appear troubled. She’s worried about something.

“I like you too. What’s up?” Closing my laptop, I give her my undivided attention.

Casting her eyes down, she fixes her gaze on my throat. Fiddling with the frayed edge of her blanket, she goes on, “I just wanted you to know that. You make my mom happy. Really happy. Happier than I’ve ever seen her and…” Her voice cracks.

With one quick leap, my arms envelop her. Taking her small body into my arms, I perch precariously on the edge of the couch.

“Hey, I love hearing that. I want to make your mom happy, and you and Drew. What’s got you upset? Do you want me to make her life miserable?”

My jesting is a nod to some of the few conversations we’ve had about her mother where her attitude has been inappropriate and I’ve tried to smooth things over.

With a small laugh and a few sniffles, her eyes dance with mirth. “Nah, I do a pretty good job of that on my own.” I scoff and chuckle. “I thought my dad was the one who should make her happy. I thought he did, but now I see that he didn’t. Maybe he did at one time, but not anymore.” Pain and confusion etch her brow and pool in her eyes.

“Hey, I’m sure he did at one point in time.” Talking about Pete making Livvy happy sticks in my throat. They are over, but at some point, while I hate it, I hope it’s true that he did make her happy. “Besides, he gave her you and Drew, and I know that makes her fucking happy. Shit, your mom would have my balls if she could hear me now. Let’s keep the f-bomb stuff between us,” I beg with mock fear.

She giggles. “Your secret is safe with me.” Hugging me, she says, “Thanks Sam. I guess, I just, ah…I just didn’t understand why my mom did it—left my dad,” she clarifies. Her voice is small and quiet, but she’s earnestly looking at me. I get the sense that she needs to say this, needs me to hear her. “I love him very much. I was afraid she’d not only move on from him, but also us, Drew and me, but…”

With her pause, she glances to the doorway, where Olivia quietly leans against the door jamb, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Paige continues, speaking to her mother.

“I now know she won’t do that. She loves us and we’re part of her life, no matter what, even with meeting you.” Paige glances over her shoulder at me, then back at her mom. “She brought you into our lives, didn’t leave us for you.”

The dam cracks and the tears fall for both Olivia and Paige. Olivia practically runs to Paige’s side. Before I can get out of the way, she sits on my lap and cradles her daughter. Wrapping my arms around the both of them, my chest fills with pure adoration for these lovely ladies and joy to see them finally building a more solid bridge to each other.