Undone: A New Adult College Bad Boy Romance (Mature Young Adult Fun Contemporary Romance) (20 page)

Samantha ran a bath before she peeled off the clothes from the day before. They were ruined. The shirt and skirt had been torn, one of the heels were now broken. She tossed them into the corner. There was no way she would have ever been able to wear them again anyway. As she slipped into the steaming hot bath, she leaned her head back against the cool porcelain of the tub. A deep sigh left her lips.

As she closed her eyes, the image of a man pointing a gun to her chest made them snap open again. Her breathing was heavy as she sat forward. Trembling took over her body. Samantha climbed out of the tub, gathered the bottle of pills she'd been given when she left the hospital. Her fingers fumbled with the cap before she got it open, she popped one into her mouth. Slowly, her breathing evened out.

Samantha decided that being in the house wasn't what she needed after all, but she wasn't ready to see her friends yet. They had all left messages, her mother had called her non-stop. She wasn't ready for the questions though, the looks of pity and sympathy. There had been enough of that when she was in the hospital, the way the doctors and nurses loomed over her made her feel very small. She didn't care for that feeling.

After she'd slipped into a pair of jeans and a sunny, yellow blouse, she decided to go to Connect. The coffee shop was a few blocks away, but she didn't mind the walk. It felt good to walk down the sidewalk, see the neighborhood through fresh eyes. She stepped into the little cafe, the heat outside cut down by the air conditioning.

“Iced coffee, please.”

The woman behind the counter took her money. When she walked away to make her cup of coffee, Samantha couldn't help but to think how normal that woman's life was. It made her envious. As much as she wanted to put the entire ordeal behind her, she couldn't seem to stop thinking about it. It was even all that Heather wanted to talk about. Samantha just wanted to forget. She took the clear, plastic cup from the woman before she wandered over to a table by the window.

The sun was still shining, the sidewalks packed with people as they headed to or from their destinations. Yet, it all felt so surreal to Samantha. She realized that part of it was because of the medicine they'd put her on, but she couldn't put her finger on the rest of it. She sipped at her coffee as she gazed out of the window.

The sound of approaching footsteps was enough to make her jump out of her memories and her seat. She looked up. Standing beside the table, there was a man with deep blue eyes, a strong jaw and she noticed, golden blond hair that was cropped very short to his head. Samantha recognized him immediately.

“You're Clint, right?” She asked.

The man nodded. “Yes, ma'am. And you're Samantha. How are you?”

The woman tried to slip a smile onto her face, but failed. The sadness was so apparent on her face that Clint slipped into the chair across from her. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a tissue for her. It was that small act of kindness that made Samantha start to cry. Clint stood up. He walked around the table, slid in next to her as she buried her face in her hands, crying quietly. He hesitated before his hand went to her back. He rubbed at the yellow fabric of her shirt to soothe her.

It wasn't long before Samantha wiped her eyes. She waved him off with the tissue. “I'll be okay, I swear. It's just been a rough couple of days.”

Clint's hands were laced in front of him. “I understand that. It's okay to be overwhelmed with it all, take your time.”

Samantha smiled at him as she wiped her eyes. She was happy that she'd chosen to skip the makeup that morning. As she settled down, she took more of a look at Clint. He was built with hard muscles, a wide chest and thick arms. She could tell his waist was more on the slender side, but that his stomach was just as firm as the rest of him. He was quite appealing with his interested eyes and flaxen hair too. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“What are you doing here?” She asked. “I thought you'd be long gone. Saving the world,” she said with a genuine smile forming on her face.

“Unfortunately, we're still tracking down some remnants of the group that...took you. I won't leave until they're gone.”

Samantha nodded. “Good. I don't want a single woman to have to go through that again,” she said with a s shudder. “I really am glad that you were there.”

They spent the next two hours talking. He didn't once look at her with pity, but asked her about things that had nothing to do with her abduction. For a while, Samantha felt like a regular woman at a regular coffee shop on a Tuesday. When Clint's phone rang, he frowned down at it.

“I'm afraid I have to go. I know it's a long shot, but do you think you'd like to go out sometime? Grab a bite to eat? If you don't want to, I understand. It's probably too soon to be asking anyway...”

Samantha smiled. “I would love to go to dinner with you.”

The grin that covered his face was enough to make Samantha melt. He waved good-bye to her before he was gone. She sighed. In her hands, she held the napkin that he'd scribbled his phone number down on. Slowly, a smile spread across her face. At least it gave her a reason to go and get a new phone.

For a while, the fear that had swam up her throat was gone. Samantha made her way to the electronic store where she brought a phone. She stored his number inside of it before she walked home, a grin on her face. The woman couldn't stop thinking about his eyes or his smile.

As excited as she was, she battled with herself about when to text him. On one hand, she'd always followed the three day rule pretty well. However, now things were different. She kept thinking about how anything could happen, especially in his line of work, so sooner was better. Her patience lasted for two days before she shot him a short, simple text.

It's Sam. I just wanted to say hi.

Samantha didn't know what to type after that so she hit send quickly. Wanting to put it out of her mind, she stuffed the phone back into her pocket. It vibrated moments later. A giddy smile formed on her lips as she slipped the phone back out of her pocket. She paced the living room as she checked the message.

Hi Sam. I get out of here around eight, is that okay?

Samantha could feel the blush rising to her cheeks. She pushed her hair out of her face. Typing quickly, she told him that would be fine. He sent back a few restaurants and she picked one before they decided. Her heart thudded in her chest, but it was such a blissful feeling that she didn't mind.

The place that she picked out wasn't too fancy or casual. Instead, she'd suggested a nice Thai place that she loved. The hard part was deciding what she wanted to wear for the evening. She knew she'd pick a dress, but which one? How should she wear her hair? She vaguely wished she could call one of her friends, but she didn't want to tell them about Clint just yet. It was her secret, she wanted to keep it that way.

By the time seven-thirty approached, Samantha was finally finished getting ready. She wore a black dress that hugged her curves and accentuated her breasts. Since her ankle still throbbed, she swapped her usual heels for a pair of gleaming, black flats. Her hair fell loose over her shoulders in soft curls. For makeup she'd gone as light as possible. He already knew what she looked like on a bad day, she didn't think she needed to worry all that much about make up.

As she was fastening on a pair of silver, stud earrings, there was a knock on her door. Samantha stole one last glance at herself in the bathroom mirror before she smiled. Her fingers slipped over the switch, turning out the lights before she walked into the living room. There were butterflies in her stomach as she approached the front door, her hand gripping the knob tightly. One last breath was drawn in before she pulled the door open quickly.

Clint stood at the door with a flower in his hand. It was a single, pink carnation. She had vaguely mentioned it in passing when they saw each other at the cafe. Surprise lit up her face. She didn't think he'd remember that, or any of it for that matter. It had just been a casual chat.

“Good evenin',” he said with a southern accent she found amazingly charming. “Do you mind?” He asked as he held out the flower.

Samantha shook her head. Clint walked closer to her. As he slipped the flower into her hair, she could smell his cologne, something muted, but seductive. She felt that old blush working its way through her body until she was sure she was red all over. If she was, either Clint paid no attention or he didn't point it out. Instead, he held out a arm for her to take.

“Right this way.”

Samantha locked up her apartment before she followed him down the stairs to a black, pick-up truck. He helped her into the cab before he took his place behind the wheel. As they drove, her eyes roamed over him. He looked handsome in a dark blue button down shirt and black slacks. He'd rolled up the sleeves of his shirt as he drove, the warm air pushing through the window as they went.

Taste of Thai was packed when they arrived, but Clint didn't seem to have any trouble getting them a table. He pulled her seat out for her before taking his place across from her. The restaurant was filled with the aroma of cooking food that made Samantha's stomach growl. Music filled the space as well as laughter. Samantha smiled. She was happy that she'd chosen such a busy place. Seeing everyone look so happy made her feel better for a little while.

They ordered their food, spring rolls and chicken satay, before they smiled at each other. Clint looked so confidant that it still made her feel a little nervous. She hadn't gone out on a date in years. She liked spending time with herself, but she had to admit, it was better sharing it with someone.

“You look really beautiful,” Clint said as he gazed at her.

Samantha blushed. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome. Does your family live here too?”

Samantha was happy when Clint took the lead in the conversation. She wasn't generally shy, but his piercing gaze made it hard to concentrate. The smoothness of his voice comforted her. She soon found herself relaxed, the smile on her face easy as they discussed their families and lives. Clint was mostly quiet about his job, but she'd expected that. He did however seem to have a story for everything else.

“So, I swear I'm standing there thinkin' 'you have made a god awful mistake', but I couldn't back down,” he said laughing so hard that he had a hard time catching his breath. “I swear, the next morning he walks out, looking completely stern, with one eyebrow. I damn near pissed my pants laughin'. Of course, he made me shave both of mine off in front of everyone,” he said shaking his head.

“You guys were awful, you're like little kids,” Samantha said as she wiped her eyes.

“Well, the military can get pretty boring in down times. To tell the truth though, I sometimes miss that quiet. There's not so much room for it or pranks anymore. Then again, I'm thirty-five. I'm probably too old for pranks.”

Samantha shook her head. “You might be right. Still, I don't think you're ever too old to enjoy yourself. Besides, it sounds like you're all really close.”

“We're a family,” he said with a smile.

When their plates were empty, Clint insisted on paying for the check. They wandered out of the restaurant, her arm wrapped around his, as they stepped into the warm, night air. They strolled down the sidewalk together, taking in the sights as Samantha pointed out places to him. One was an old theater that ran black and white movies.

“Do you want to see one?” Clint asked.

“Oh, I mean, if you want to...”

Clint laughed. “Let's watch something.”

They crossed the street to the small, brick building. When they were inside and the movie began to play, Clint wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She leaned her head against his muscled arm, the warmth of his skin enough to make her want to fall asleep. She was too excited to sleep though. Instead, they watched the movie together, his hand finding hers partway through. She laced her fingers through his, he gave a little squeeze. Samantha couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

“Did you like it?” She asked as they left with the small crowd of people trickling from the theater.

“It was good. I kind of have a secret obsession for old movies,” he said grinning.