“No more talk. It’s time to do some convincing,” he grumbled.
Maddie stifled a laugh, remembering how she had told him to convince her instead of ordering her.
Relaxing into his big, warm, muscular body, she breathed him in, absorbing the essence that was uniquely Sam.
Somehow…she had a feeling she would end up married by tomorrow if Sam got his way. And as she examined his determined gaze, she knew she would never be able to say no. Honestly…she didn’t want to. She and Sam had waited so very long to be together.
As he bounded up the stairs, Maddie almost told him yes, but stopped herself before the words left her lips.
Am I crazy? I have the hottest man on the planet taking me to bed to convince me to marry him tomorrow.
Maddie decided to wait and let him do some sensual persuasion. The yes was a given, but it could come later….much later.
Epilogue
Sam and Maddie were married the next evening, the ceremony private. Their wedding was a joyous union of two souls that had always been meant for each other. Soul mates who had finally found the peace that comes with being side by side, after years of separation, pain and desolation.
Sam had had no problem arranging a jet to fly to Vegas. He’d called Max and his friend had promptly had his readied, no questions asked.
Maddie had made a few token protests, but not very many. Honestly, the ceremony had been a private healing, an experience that had meant so much after the years of pain and separation she and Sam had experienced.
They would have a grand reception later, an event that Kara was already planning as Maddie lay in the arms of her new husband, her mind and spirit rejoicing in her union with Sam.
“I can’t believe we’re married,” she breathed softly, her voice full of wonder and awe.
“You’re mine. Forever,” Sam growled back, holding her tighter against him as they lay in the enormous bed in their hotel suite. They would fly back to Tampa tomorrow. Sam wanted to take her on a long honeymoon, but they would do that later, after the reception.
Really, all I’ve ever wanted has already happened. Sam is my husband.
Snuggling against his warm, naked body, Maddie sighed happily. “Thank you for the lovely ceremony. I don’t how you arranged it, but it was wonderful.”
They had been married in a private chapel in one of the most beautiful hotels on the Vegas strip. Sam had been dressed in a tuxedo and she had already had the perfect dress waiting for her when she arrived in the dressing room. Her man had arranged every detail, from the beautiful flowers to the lovely candlelit chapel. The entire experience had been…magical.
“You deserved better,” he grumbled. “I just couldn’t wait any longer, Sunshine. We’ve waited so long. I needed you to be mine. I’ll make it up to you with the honeymoon.”
Maddie smiled against his shoulder. “I thought we just had our honeymoon.” Sam had made love to her with such fierce intensity that he had taken her breath away just a few minutes earlier. Her heart was still recovering.
“We’re going away together. For several weeks. Right after this reception that Mom and Kara are insisting we have. I want to take you anywhere that you want to go, Maddie. I want to make up for lost time,” he said huskily, his hand covering hers and laying their entwined fingers on his chest.
“I’m not sure we have to make up for anything, Sam. Maybe everything worked out the way it needed to be. Everything feels so right now. I’ll never take what we have for granted because I know how much it hurts to not be with you.” Maddie sighed. “I was focused on school and being a doctor for so many years, and you were busy trying to conquer the world. Maybe it just wasn’t the right time for us back then. I’d do it all over again, suffer the same loneliness for years, just to be right where I am right now.”
“But I hurt you. And I’ve hated myself for it since that day,” Sam answered, his voice graveled.
“You did what you had to do, Sam. I survived. You need to forgive yourself for it. There really was nothing that needed forgiveness on my part; you were trying to protect me. I would have done exactly the same thing if I needed to protect you, no matter how difficult it may have been,” she admitted.
“Would you, Sunshine?”
“Yes,” she answered emphatically. “Without a doubt. If you had it to do over again…would you do the same thing?”
Sam was silent for a few moments before replying, “Now? Hell no. I’d strap you to my side and protect you myself. But I didn’t have the resources or connections then that I do now. So yeah…I probably would if I was in the same situation that I was then. Your safety comes before anything else.”