“I thought you might need a little pick-me-up about now.” He held up a brown paper bag. “And I remembered you said you had an hour for lunch.”
“Oh, God bless you. I overslept this morning, didn’t get here until almost an hour after I was supposed to, and I didn’t bring anything for lunch.”
Sam walked into the room and dropped the bag onto the desk. A delicious aroma floated from it, and my mouth began to water. He reached in and pulled out two foil-wrapped packages.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got you the same thing I eat.” He peeled back the wrapping, revealing a seed-covered bun. “Pulled pork with cole slaw on top. And there’s extra barbecue sauce, too.”
“It smells so good. That’s perfect, exactly how I like it.”
He pulled two bottles of water out of the bag, unscrewing the lid on mine before handing it to me along with a bunch of napkins, and then opened a foam container filled with French fries and little tubs of ketchup. As I picked up my sandwich, he dragged over a chair and sat down across from me.
“So how’re you feeling? You overslept, huh?” A mischievous smile, almost cocky, spread over his face.
I swallowed my bite of sandwich and stuck out my tongue at him. “Yes, I did. Proud of yourself, are you? If Ali hadn’t come in to wake me up, I’d probably still be asleep.”
He tried to tamp down the smile. “Why would that make me proud? Oh, you mean because I kept you awake all night?” He lowered his voice, leaning toward me. “Because I made you come, like, seven times?”
My face heated. “Were you counting?”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Well, you missed one then.” I picked up a fry and dipped it into ketchup before popping it into my mouth.
Sam’s eyes widened. “Really? Eight? Wow, I’m even better than I thought.” He caught my hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing the knuckles before releasing it. “You know I’m just playing, right? I mean, yeah, I’m glad you enjoyed yourself last night, but I’m not that kind of guy.”
“The kind who goes around bragging about his conquests? Nah, I didn’t think you were.” I wiped my face with a napkin. “But after last night, you’d have the right.”
“Maybe, but so would you. And that’s why I wanted to bring you lunch. Just to tell you ... last night was incredible. I’ve never had anything like that, ever.”
“I haven’t, either.” I covered his hand with mine. “And thank you for lunch. It’s going to get me through the afternoon.”
“Like I said, I aim to please.” He finished his sandwich, balled up the wrapper and tossed it into the trashcan.
“I was kind of surprised to see you here, though. I have to admit, for a minute I thought you might be here to tell me it was a mistake. That you hadn’t meant for it to happen.”
His face grew serious. “No, I’d never say that. Not about last night. A kiss, yeah ... and I felt so guilty that day. I’d been telling myself to stay away from you, so when the kiss happened, it felt like I’d done something wrong.”
“Do you still think I’m too young for you?”
He glanced up, and I caught a fleeting expression of vulnerability. “Probably. But I’m tired of finding reasons not to touch you. Tired of spending all day building walls, just for you to knock them down the minute I see you.”
“I’m glad.” I stood up and walked around the desk. Taking his face between my hands, I kissed his lips, swiping my tongue into his mouth and when it opened for me, I tasted barbecue sauce. I’d only meant for it to be a quick kiss, a thank you, but when he snaked his arms around me to rub his hands over my ass, I pulled him tighter and deepened it.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” We jumped apart at the sound of a voice in the door. Maureen Evans stood there, holding her nephew’s hand. He was staring at Sam and me, his eyes bright and mouth open.
Sam recovered first. “Hey, Reenie. Hi, there, Graham.” He stood up and held out his hand for the boy to give him a fist bump.
“I’m so sorry,” Maureen repeated. “We’re early, but I told Mom I’d drop Graham off on my way to the office. I thought he could just sit and draw until the other kids got here.” She flashed me a smile. “No sugar today. Mom learned her lesson.”
“That’s okay.” I managed a smile. “Sam just brought me some lunch. Wasn’t that nice of him?” I was rambling, but Maureen took pity on me.
“Is that Smoky Joe’s I smell? God, I didn’t realize how hungry I am. Might have to swing by and get some to-go.”