River of Love(46)
“Are you being thoughtful, or is that another ploy to get me naked?”
He answered her with a devilish grin as he crouched and began steepling the wood into a teepee in the center of the fire pit. She didn’t know why she’d worried about what to pack, or even where to go to the bathroom. Like always, Sam had everything under control. And to him, having everything under control meant paying attention to what she needed first. She smiled with the thought, her mind drifting to their earlier conversation. When I think of tomorrow, I see you there with me, and I want to think about these things and where we’re headed. Sam was everything she could ever hope for in a man, even if he was the last man she’d ever expect to fall for. Unexpected Sam, she mused. My unexpected future? Her heart swelled with the thought.
When he glanced up at her, his wet shirt and shorts clung to his chest and legs and his eyes clung to her. He blew her a kiss, and she lifted her hand and caught it, pressing her palm to her cheek. She disappeared into the tent to change before her heart spilled out in words. Sam had set their things beside the sleeping bags. She picked up a clean, fluffy towel he’d laid out for her and hugged it to her chest, reveling in his thoughtfulness.
After changing, she stepped from the tent in the clothes Sam had bought her from Chelsea’s Boutique. The fire crackled and sparked in the dim evening light, and the reflection danced in Sam’s dark eyes. He turned, drinking her in as he rose to his feet and stripped off his shirt. He held it in his fist and gathered her in his arms.
“There’s my sexy girl.”
“Thanks for the towel.”
“I’ll always take care of you.” He kissed her tenderly. “I love seeing you in this outfit. It reminds me of the night you chose me.”
“How could I resist? It wasn’t like you’d back down, so I figured I might as well go with the flow.”
“Is that what you’re doing? Going with the flow?”
“I’m way past going with the flow.” I’m falling over a cliff. The words hung on her tongue. She changed the subject before they could fall out. “I half expected you to maul me when I was naked.”
“I thought about it. ‘Fantasized’ might be a better word. But I knew you were nervous about big bad bears and thought I’d give you privacy.” He kissed her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. “The only wild animal you need to fear is the one inside me, begging to come out and play.”
“That animal doesn’t scare me at all.”
He leaned back and searched her eyes. She recognized the look in his eyes. He was looking for the clarity they’d spoken of earlier on in their relationship. He’d given her complete transparency from the very first moment he’d asked her out, and finally she was able to give him the same. She trusted him wholly and completely. How could he see anything else?
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his scruffy chin. “Crystal clear?”
“You have no idea how much it means to me.”
Fighting the lump in her throat, she said, “I do. It’s big to me, too.”
“I’ll never let you down, baby.”
“I know.” She pressed a kiss to the center of his chest. “Your skin is cold.”
“I took my shirt off so I wouldn’t get you wet. Sit by the fire and warm up. I’ll change and make dinner in a few minutes. Oh, and see those bushes over there?” He pointed off to the right, just past the edge of the forest. “I put all the bathroom stuff back there. Dug a few holes, too, so if you had to go you wouldn’t have to dig.” He said it like only a man would, as if it were no big deal.
She covered her face with her hand. “I’m blushing, aren’t I?”
“Like a Christmas light.” He moved her hand and kissed the tip of her nose. “I won’t say anything more about bathroom stuff. We’ll pretend you never go.”
She playfully pushed him toward the tent, planning to take advantage of the privacy and take care of her bathroom needs while he changed—and silently thanking the camping lords for making him so wise.
**
SAM GRILLED SAUSAGES and vegetables and served them over rice, earning bonus points from Faith with his campfire-cooking skills. The sun set in the distance as they ate, streaming ribbons of blues and purples through the darkening sky. Sam had always loved camping, but having this time alone with Faith, away from the demands of work and the confusion of family members and outside influences, made him cherish it even more.
The river licked at the shore, and a cacophony of tree frogs, crickets, and other wilderness sounds joined the melody of Sam’s guitar as he strummed out James Otto’s “Groovy Little Summer Song.” Faith swayed next to him on the blanket beside the fire as he sang about a song they could dance to, one they could romance to, and fall in love to. His chest was full of emotions, playing out in his deep voice, and he realized he wasn’t just singing one of his favorite country tunes. He was singing it to Faith. Her gaze was also full of emotions—and clarity. The clarity he’d longed for was there all the time now, and it brought him to his feet. He felt the need to move, but not with the same restlessness he’d always felt. This was different. It was a deep-seated, unstoppable urge to move with Faith, to bring her further into his world. He reached for her hand, bringing her up beside him. His fingers fell back to the strings like they were coming home, and he picked up where he’d left off, dancing with Faith as he sang the words that were meant for her.
She moved gracefully, with a hint of embarrassment in her beautiful eyes. He blew her a kiss and brushed his shoulders to hers, and her momentary shyness disappeared. Faith picked up on the chorus, singing softly with a voice so sweet Sam wanted to climb inside it and bed down for the night. He continued strumming long after he’d finished the song, just to see her move with the moonlight kissing her cheeks.
“I’ve never heard that song before.”
“No?” He set the guitar on the blanket and took her in his arms, lacing their fingers together, and continued dancing slowly to the beat still thrumming inside him.
She tipped her face up to him, smiling. “I could listen to you sing all night long. Your voice is so soothing.”
He touched his cheek to hers and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of their bodies moving as one. “It sounds that way to you because of how you feel about me.”
“Does it, oh wise one?”
They danced in silence for a few wonderful minutes without the need for more.
“You calm the restlessness in me.” His words came unbidden, and once they started, they flowed like the river. “You center me in a way I don’t fully understand. When I’m not with you, I’m thinking about you.” He took her hand and they sat on the blanket. The warmth of the fire illuminated her beautiful face. He brushed her hair from her shoulder, unable to think any solid thoughts as words continued to come out. “When we’re together, I don’t want the time to end, which sounds cliché. But I’ve never felt these things before.”
“Sure you have,” she said with a playful smile. “When you were sixteen.”
He laughed under his breath. “Not even close.” He thought about that for a moment. “This is bigger, more real. What I feel for you isn’t hormone driven. Maybe it was at first. At sixteen I felt invincible. I never thought anyone would choose someone else over me. At almost thirty-one I know how wrong that is. People come along every day. Doctors, lawyers. People who are more a part of your world than I am.”
“But I don’t want a doctor or lawyer—”
He pressed a kiss to her lips. “I know that. I’m just saying that I’m no longer invincible. I have faults and weaknesses, and our relationship has brought home the reality of them. Faith, I’m falling in love with you.”
Her eyes dampened as he let those words sink in, not just for her, but for him, too. He hadn’t expected the confession, but he wouldn’t have stopped it if he had.
“Sam,” she whispered breathlessly.
“You don’t have to say anything, but I couldn’t hold it back. You’re my weakness, my hidden fault line. I’m nowhere near perfect, and I know I’ll make mistakes.”
Her brows knitted, and he knew she thought he meant the kind of mistakes she never wanted to be hurt by again.
“I don’t mean cheating. I told you, those aren’t mistakes at all. Cheating takes a cognitive decision to hurt someone, and I’ll never do that to you. Ever. I mean mistakes people make every day. Telling you I’ll be home at a certain time and getting caught up at work. Or beating the daylights out of someone who says something disrespectful to you.”
He’d added that last part to earn the smile she shared, but he also knew it was the truth. He’d do anything for her.
“When you turned me down at the wedding and you asked if I’d already run through all the women there, it was like something inside me clicked. I didn’t want any of those women, Faith. I wanted you, and you made me question everything I knew about myself to earn your trust.”
She dropped her eyes, and he lifted her chin and kissed her again.