True, but he couldn’t think past this minute, couldn’t consider his future without knowing if she’d be in it some way.
He had to take a risk and find out her flinch factor for staying together. “I’m okay with however you want to move forward ... if you’re saying youdowant to move forward.” He gave her a hopeful glance.
She crossed her arms and stared at him.
He cursed.
“What doyouwant, Sam?”
His heart might explode at how fast it was beating. He put his hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his palm. “I want you to be happy.”
She didn’t open her eyes when she said, “Sitting here is pure joy for me.” She blinked and leaned in for a smoldering kiss.
Man, if she kept that up, she’d find out just how happy he wanted her to be right here on the dock.
She started laughing. “I can read your mind.”
“What? Really?”
“Maybe not, but you are hard as stone. Reading the mind of a man in that condition is pretty easy.”
He reached up and cupped her breast.
She made a sweet noise. Her voice went up an octave. “I think you read my mind.”
“I want to take you to my boat and spend all night in the cabin with you, but it’s not shipshape yet for you.”
“We should get a room.”
“I have one at the local inn I believe you’ve seen.”
“We should drink to that.”
Was she dancing around telling him this long-distance thing would be sporadic at best? He popped the top on a beer and handed it to her then opened his.
She took a drink and gave him a sassy look. “How long will Angela allow me to stay?”
“Forever.” That came out of Sam’s mouth before he realized he had just made his greatest gamble and left himself raw. What would she say?
“That’s a long time, Partyman.” Hallene toyed with the paper around the lip of the beer. “Are you sure you won’t become tired of me?”
“Not a chance. I’m hoping you could get used to me.”
She hooked the hand with her beer over his shoulder. “I don’t need to get used to you. I know you and love all the parts.”
Her words climbed inside of him and clutched his heart. “You would really stay?” he asked. “Wait. You love me?” He had never allowed anyone to see him be vulnerable, but he did now.
There came an arched eyebrow. “I told you that when I was leaving the tower. Did you forget what you said to me?”
Worried he’d get this wrong, he fumbled his answer. “No, I mean, yes. I thought you were just saying that to make me feel better.”
“Oh? Why did you say it to me?”
He’d never been a gambler, but he was going all in. “Because I can’t imagine life without you in it. Because I want to wake up to see your face every day. Because I want to hear you laugh. Because ... I truly love you.”
“I said it for the same reasons,” she murmured, her eyes brimming with tenderness.
Relief smacked him in the chest, but he wanted to tell her everything.
