NEXT TO ME (A Love Happens Novel Book 1) (18 page)

And that alone was reason enough for her get out of bed, her sore body protesting only slightly. She grinned as she stretched her arms out, remembering how much enjoyment her night time workout had provided.

“How did you get here, Pete?” Reaching down, she gave the happy dog a quick pat. “Your master was up and at it early today, huh?”

She had fallen asleep after their second round last night, her body spread across Sam’s, the sound of his steady heartbeat and feel of his fingers rubbing her back lulling her into a light doze. When he woke her later in the night, his mouth trailing soft, sensual kisses up the back of her legs, she let him have his way with her until they both dropped to the bed, Ali falling into a sexually induced coma. Sam, on the other hand, must have been up for awhile, based not only on Pete’s presence in her bedroom, but also the sweaty t-shirt and running shorts dropped on the travertine floor near the walk in shower. Where Sam had found the energy to go jogging this morning was beyond her, especially after the calories he’d worked off during the night.

His tanned back was turned, dark head under the spray as Ali stepped into the large, tumbled stone shower, and she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

“It’s nice to wake up to a handsome man in my shower,” she paused, kissing along the blade of his shoulder, “but save some hot water for me. You’ve got the AC set to subzero and it’s freezing in this house.”

Sam stiffened but she didn’t notice. She was too busy running her fingers over his rigid stomach and lower, against the soft, downy hair low on his abdomen. Without responding, he reached out and adjusted the faucet, and Ali felt the spray of water go from lukewarm to steaming hot. His physical reaction to her massaging hands was immediate, and she slowly stroked him, not losing her grip as he turned to face her.

He didn’t touch her, his expression guarded and his voice rough. “You’re trying to distract me and it won’t work.”

The Sam from last night, the distant one seeking answers, was back.

“I’m not distracting you,” she smiled, lightly squeezing him, wanting to make a point and lighten his mood at the same time. “You’re distracting me with all your naked and wet glory.”

Closing his eyes briefly, he reached down and stilled her hand. “I’m serious, Ali. I’m not playing around with you anymore.”

His sharp words offended her. Made what they had sound superficial. “I’m not
playing
either, Sam.”

“No, you’re just hiding shit from me, right?”

She should’ve known this was coming. “So, what then? You want to have this conversation right here?” She glanced down at their touching hands, hers still gripping his erection. “You want me to tell you my whole screwed up life story while we’re naked and you have a hard-on?”

Jesus, she’d never said that term out loud in her life. Her mama would wash her mouth out with soap if she knew.

He took a step into her, crowding her against the stone wall as he took her mouth in a punishing kiss, nipping at her when she stroked him again. “What’s it gonna take, Ali? What more do I need to do? I ask you questions that you don’t answer. At least not truthfully, anyway. And then I find out some really interesting facts that you haven’t bothered to mention to me. From fucking Grady, of all people.” His eyes were bright with suspicion, droplets of water on his thick, dark lashes. “Trust me, Ali. Tell me who you are. Stop all this bullshit and start talking.”

“I do trust you, Sam, that’s how this thing got started. And what it’s really about. But it isn’t pretty. It’s ugly and embarrassing, and it’s probably going to ruin everything.” She could feel their newly formed bond begin to unravel. “I’ll tell you, okay? Just promise that you won’t hate me when I do.”

He tilted his head in exasperation. “I’m not gonna hate you, Ali.”

While she hoped with all her heart that he meant it, she knew it wasn’t going to matter in the long run. She had duped him. Any way you shook it, it was deception plain and simple, and the childhood rhyme about wicked webs ran through her mind, taunting her. It was so true, it was laughable.

“I could never hate you, babe. Only the opposite.” He repeated the words against her mouth, reading her mind. “And unless you’re packing a condom in a very naughty place, we need to break this party up and clothe ourselves before it’s too late.”

She smiled. And then cringed. “Um... no. And ouch, by the way.”

“Why don’t you run your cute, little ass out to the nightstand and grab one, then?”

Stroking him with a firm pressure, she snaked her tongue out, licking a droplet of water as it trailed down his throat. “Nope. Way too cold out there. We don’t need one, anyway.”

He snorted. “How do you figure that? Because I’m about two seconds away from doing something really fucking stupid just so I can come inside you again.”

His erection throbbed in her hand and his point was obvious when he hooked an arm under her thigh and lifted, opening her up to him. The sound of running water muffled her whimpers when he slid his fingers through her, finding her shamefully wet and ready.

It felt so unbelievably good, these wonderful things he could do to her with his hands, but she had other plans. “No condom means we just make other arrangements, right?”

His head came up, eyes lit with interest. “Such as?”

“Well, option number one,” she squeezed him ever so slightly, then boldly circled the sensitive head of his erection in the cupped palm of her hand, “would be right here.”

His brow raised and he lifted his chin in acknowledgment, but didn’t speak. Hoping he was waiting to see what other appealing options she might offer him, Ali grinned and bit the corner of her lower lip. His gaze zeroed in on it and she thought she heard him groan.

After another firm stroke on his erection so he wouldn’t mistake her meaning, she took his hand and guided it to her navel. “Or here, if you’d like.”

Then, slowly sliding his hand up her wet stomach to the valley between her breasts, she grinned and shrugged, as if she didn’t care one way or the other. “Or maybe here?”

Loving the little game she’d thought of on the spot, Ali dragged his hand slowly up to her mouth, kicking it up a notch. Biting the fleshy pad of his index finger, she sucked strongly on the tip. “Or how about right here?”

His pulse beat rapidly in his neck, but he’d stayed silent as he watched her offer him the various areas of her body to find his release, his erection hardening even more when his eyes narrowed hotly on her mouth.

Ali’s smile was wicked as she dropped to her knees. “And the gentleman chooses door number four.”

***

“Your turn, now.” Sam’s breath was choppy, his chest heaving slightly as he pulled her up to her feet and slid his hand down her stomach.

“No,” she said, stopping him. “This was just for you. I need to take a real shower now.”

“Ali.” He was far too considerate a lover to leave her hanging. “Yes.”

She shook her head gently. “Last night was the best. It was wonderful. And it was a lot.”

A deep furrow creased his brow and his gaze tracked down her body, as if he might see something. “Did I hurt you?”

He had put her through her paces and she was sore, without a doubt. But she wasn’t physically hurt. This was about far more than that.

“No, not at all,” she assured him, running a hand across his damp forehead. “I just wanted this to be about you, Sam.”

When he leaned down to kiss her, it was gentle and full of gratitude. Ali’s breath hitched and she kissed him back, letting all the love she had in her heart for this amazing man spill out. This was what she wanted him to remember about her. Because soon the warmth in his gaze, that caring and almost loving way he had of looking at her, would be all but gone, replaced by hurt and disgust. It was only a matter of minutes now before Sam would go from caring about her, to all out hating her. He thought she was being dramatic when she’d asked him not to, but in her mind his rejection was already a given. After all, she was a liar. A schemer. Ali just wanted to make sure he wouldn’t easily forget her.

She sent a silent prayer to the heavens that he would always remember these last, incredible moments of their time together, and know deep down that no matter the circumstances of their meeting or the ugliness of their parting, Ali Ross really did—and forever would—love Sam Gleeson.

She pulled back from the kiss slowly, their lips clinging together briefly. Returning his sweet smile, she slapped his tight ass. The time had come. “I’ll meet you downstairs in twenty minutes, okay?”

“Nope,” he gave a quick shake of his head, “I don’t want to let you go.”

I don’t want to let you go, either. Never, ever.

The tears almost came then, but instead she ran her finger down his stubbled cheek and pointed to her dripping wet hair, knowing she probably looked like a complete wreck. “I need to do something about this.” At his skeptical look, she added, “I’ll meet you on the sofa in twenty. I’m gonna talk and you’re gonna listen. I promise.”

They released each other reluctantly, as if they both knew what they had together was hanging in the balance. What she had to say, and what Sam so badly needed to hear, was a turning point in their relationship. Ali watched him walk out of the bathroom, the towel he’d wrapped around his waist starkly white against his tanned skin, and she stuck her head under the hot spray of the dual shower heads, wishing her raspberry-vanilla scented body wash could cleanse her conscience, as well.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The doorbell rang just as Ali’s bare foot hit the bottom stair and the odd sound surprised her. Nobody ever rang her doorbell. The only visitors she ever had—Sam and Pete—always came to the back. And Grady would know better than to show his face so soon after Sam’s territorial attitude last night.

“Oh, thank fucking God. I need sustenance.” Sam patted the front pocket of his worn jeans as he walked past her, heading toward the front door. “Hey, grab my wallet, will you? I think I’m short on the tip.”

“Who orders pizza at eleven in the morning?” Ali replied over her shoulder, noticing Pete staring longingly through the glass of the back door as she grabbed her handbag from the counter instead. Her voice was teasing as she walked toward the door, searching the bottom of the bag for a few loose bills. “And you need me for everything, don’t you?”

“Hello, Alexandra.”

Ali’s head snapped up, her heart slamming hard against her chest. Her entire world came to a sudden, skidding stop. There was no movement. No sound. No time. Even her breath stopped as she stared at the sight before her.

Danny. Standing on her front porch, looking every inch the suave, corporate lawyer in his navy, pinstripe suit and red silk power tie.

She opened her mouth, but nothing happened and with barely a second’s hesitation, she clutched the bag tightly to her chest and took two quick steps backward, looking behind her for an exit route. The instinct to flee was automatic and ingrained. Her gaze snagged on Sam as she turned and his eyes stopped her in her tracks. His expression was alert as he looked from her to Danny, and back again, and the slight tilt to his head told Ali he’d seen her initial reaction to run. Her head began to spin and her stomach pitched, a low grade buzzing ringing in her ears. She had to tell herself to breathe.

Danny had found her and the burning wave of panic rolling through her body threatened to send her running once again. Sam’s searing eyes, locked directly on hers, were the only thing holding her in place, her feet glued to the hardwood floor as the embarrassing train wreck that was her life played out in front of him.

What little blood she had left in her body ran cold as Danny’s calculatingly confident voice broke the tense silence.

“Imagine my surprise to come home after what was a, shall we say, unfortunate absence, to find you gone, disappearing like a thief in the night. As if what we have, all our years together, mean nothing to you. Needless to say, I am very disappointed, Alexandra. And while I don’t remember you liking the chase, I came looking for you, anyway.”

“Who the fuck is this?” Sam’s impatient question was directed at Ali, but his eyes stayed on Danny.

“Sam—” Ali’s voice cracked and she reached out to touch his arm. Danny’s knowing laughter stopped her, cutting off the rest of her words.

“Well, now. I must admit this little domestic scene is a bit of a shock to me. You’ve always been such a loyal woman.” His icy blue eyes darted quickly to Sam, who stood a good four inches taller and had at least twenty-five pounds on him.

Glancing back at Ali, Danny continued, his voice chock full of disdain. “I believe you have made your point, so you can call off the guard dog now and come home with me. Although, I must commend you on your extreme measures. It was no accident that a security specialist just happens to live right next door, was it?”

“Stop,” Ali said to him softly, finally finding her voice. It was a weakly issued warning that, not surprisingly, went unheeded.

“An Iraq and Afghan war veteran, as well.” He nodded his head in approval. “Very admirable. A true American hero, some might say. And keeping him real close with your hot, little pussy, too, I see.”

Shocked by his unusual vulgarity, Ali reacted without thinking. “Shut up, Danny!”

His lips tightened in response to her heated demand, the vein in his temple pulsing as his face reddened in anger. He clenched his fists, but kept them smartly at his sides. It was one of his classic warnings, telling her without words that she’d better watch her mouth or else. Feeling Sam’s accusatory stare, Ali knew he was seeing the ugly truth written all over her pale face. His palpable silence was the soundtrack of her world crashing down around her, and Danny, who had never known when to keep his mouth shut, happily pounded the last nail into her self made coffin.

“Very resourceful, dollface. You always were a thinker, my dear wife.” He tapped the side of his head with a manicured finger, his chest puffing up proudly when he looked at Sam and added, “I didn’t marry an NYU graduate for nothing.”

That was all it took. Sam turned, walking quickly but casually past her without a second glance or another word. Ali held a hand out to stop him and did the one and only thing she could think of. She started begging.