Come to Me Recklessly (37 page)

He lifted me off my feet, bringing me flush to him, skin to skin, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as he allowed me to slip farther down, until we were face-to-face. Slowly he edged us back, sinking us deeper into the waters, the sun sliding away, diving toward the horizon, as Christopher took me deeper.

Past all those places where I was afraid.

Because with him I was free.

Free to love.

Free to dream.

Free to be me.

Out in the middle of the pool, he stopped his descent, and he pulled me close as he spun us in a slow circle, never insinuating the possibility that he’d even consider letting me go.

He was with me to the end.

“You’re swimming,” he whispered, dancing with me in the cool waters, my feet nowhere close to touching the bottom, my shoulders dipping down in sync with his.

I choked over the emotion. “And I’m not afraid.”

One hand threaded through my hair, holding me at the back of the head. He caressed his thumb just under my jaw. “You have nothing to be afraid of, baby. Always gonna be right here for you. Whatever you need, I’m here.”

I held him closer, breathing him deep into the well of my lungs. Contentment seeped back out on my sigh. My mouth was near his ear as he continued to sway me, hold me.

“I have something to tell you,” I whispered, so low I knew he more felt the words than heard them, the same way I could feel the spike in his heart rate.

“Yeah?” he asked, hugging me closer, both hands splayed wide across my back.

“Yeah. And it’s big, and I know our lives together have just begun and now everything’s going to change again, but I want to dive headfirst into this with you.”

I could feel his smile emerge where he rested his face on the side of my head, the man catching on. “Yeah?” he asked again, prodding for more.

“Yeah,” I repeated, pulling back to look at him, releasing my hold enough so I could reach out and flutter my fingertips down the side of his face. “I didn’t think I’d be scared, but I am.”

But this wasn’t a debilitating fear.

This fear was liberating.

This fear spoke of the future.

Of every hope.

Of a life filled with even more love.

I’d thought loving any more than I already did would be impossible. The love I had for him. For my family and for his.

I’d thought I’d been full.

Little did I know I had so much more to give.

I’d stopped taking the pill two months before.

We were supposed to use condoms.

We didn’t.

Somewhere inside I think we both knew we were ready, the way Christopher had looked at me, asking me for silent permission to fill me whole, to take me skin to skin, knowing full well where we were likely to land.

“You got my baby?”

Clutching him, I nodded, feeling the force of a soggy smile break through the heavy emotion gripping my face. The way he said it with so much yearning just about annihilated me, burning through me, but how quickly I’d learned those flames supplied my breath.

“Are you happy?” I murmured against his neck.

He exhaled into my hair, brushing his fingers through it, before his big hand moved to hold my head in a firm embrace, his mouth at my ear as he murmured tender words. “Nothing in this world could make me happier, Samantha. Watching your belly grow with my baby. Claiming you as my wife. Having someone call me Daddy. It’s all I want, baby… to spend this life with you.”

I burrowed deeper, inhaling his warmth, the tears welling in my eyes slipping free. “I love you, my crazy boy.”

Christopher captured my mouth in a kiss that rocked through me with its intensity, the man loving me in the middle of a pool, holding me up in my fears. He pulled back, green eyes staring right at me. “Completely, crazy in love with you.”

Dear Reader,

I’d like to thank you for reading
Come to Me Recklessly
! Christopher and Samantha’s story was such a joy to write. If you enjoyed their story, I would LOVE your review on Amazon or other book retailers. I appreciate your helping to spread the word!

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If you haven’t had the chance to read Jared and Aly’s story in
Come to Me Quietly
and
Come to Me Softly
, I invite you to dive into their love story. It’s one of my favorites and I hope it becomes one of yours! Keep reading to get a special peek at
Come to Me Quietly
.

Happy Reading!

Xoxo ~ Amy