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Chapter Eight

Sam

We stepped into Hope’s room, and I pressed my mouth to hers, kissing her long, slow, and deep.

When our tongues met and slid together, something inside me sparked, something electric and familiar.

It didn’t make sense. How could someone I’d only known a few weeks already feel like she belonged in my life?

It’s like she’d always been there—familiar and steady, as if some part of me had been waiting for her all along.

My hands tightened around her waist, pulling her closer until there was no space left between us.

The kiss deepened, growing urgent, and I backed her toward the bed.

My fingers trembled slightly as I reached for the hem of her shirt.

I paused just long enough to meet her eyes, silently asking if she was sure.

When she nodded, I pulled the shirt over her head.

Within seconds, she stood in front of me in nothing but a deep plum lace bra and matching underwear. She’s a goddess. Tall and curvy in all the right places, and I couldn’t wait to explore every swell and dip of her body.

The delicate scalloped edges and thin satin straps framed her perfectly. The way the bra lifted and shaped her, giving her breasts a subtle, tempting push, left me breathless. Her skin looked warmer, almost glowing in that rich color and I took in every detail, unable to look away.

I skimmed my fingers along the curve of her waist, up over her ribcage, and traced the edge of her bra, committing every inch of her to memory.

“You’re beautiful,” I murmured, my voice thick. “Perfect. Just like I imagined you’d be.”

I backed her up until she stood against the bed, then guided her down gently.

Kneeling on the floor between her thighs, I pulled her closer and draped her legs over my shoulders.

My mouth found her, hot and hungry, right where she needed me most. She tangled her fingers in my hair, holding on tight as I licked and sucked through the lace.

Sliding her panties to the side, my tongue found her bare skin.

She gasped, sharp and electric. I slipped a finger inside her, moving with a steady, deliberate rhythm while circling her clit with my tongue.

Her hips arched instinctively toward me before falling back onto the mattress, her thighs parting wider like an open invitation.

I didn’t hesitate, I took everything she gave me, and then some.

Hope’s breathing hitched, turning into shallow pants as I slid one finger, then another, inside her, thrusting faster and faster while my tongue kept pace, licking and sucking to the same rhythm.

“Sam, I’m gonna…”

Whatever else she meant to say came out as a broken, breathless sound, more a gasp than a word.

When I curled my fingers and stroked that perfect spot inside her while my mouth stayed locked on her clit, she shattered.

The way her body arched, the way she gripped me like she never wanted me to stop, were the most addictive things I’d ever felt.

“Oh my God!” she cried out, as her body pulsed around my fingers. Each contraction—tight, hot, perfect—burned itself into me, tangled up in the sound of her coming undone.

I didn’t stop right away. Both because I wanted to draw it out and because I couldn’t.

Watching her come, hearing the catch in her throat, and feeling the way her body responded to mine knocked the air out of my lungs.

Every instinct in me screamed to keep giving, keep taking, until I knew she had nothing left but pleasure.

Her legs quivered against my shoulders and her fingers still tangled in my hair. I slowed the movement of my hand, gentling the rhythm as she came down, but I didn’t look away. I couldn’t. Her face, flushed and open and radiant, was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

And as I watched her, it hit me that our connection went beyond chemistry, even though we clearly have that.

This was more. Deeper. It was in the way she looked at me, like she saw past the surface.

The way she let me in, unguarded and sure.

And the way I wanted to give her everything, not just my body, but my attention, my energy, my heart.

All that should’ve scared the shit out of me.

I’m not supposed to get attached. Not now. Not when I need to be focusing on my career.

But with Hope, it didn’t feel like a mistake. It didn’t feel like bad timing. It felt inevitable.

Hope

My body trembled with aftershocks as Sam slowly pulled his fingers from me.

He pressed a soft kiss to the inside of my thigh, sending another ripple of sensation through me, then slid my panties down my legs with deliberate care.

When he stood, my eyes followed him, my heart pounding and still aching for more.

He reached back and slipped off his T-shirt, letting it fall to the floor.

“Oh wow,” I breathed, sliding my fingertips over his chest and tracing the sharp lines of his six-pack. “You’re perfect.”

I sat up and kissed a trail down the center of his chest, pausing to flick my tongue inside his navel before moving along the waistband of his jeans.

My fingers found the button, undoing it slowly, then I slid the zipper down.

His erection peeked over the edge of his black boxer briefs, and I instinctively licked my lips.

“Hope, you're seriously killing me right now.”

“I’ve barely laid a finger on you.”

“Yeah, but you’re looking at me.”

I grinned.

“Then let me give you a real reason to lose control.”

I slipped my hands into his waistband and slowly pushed his jeans and briefs down in one motion. His cock sprang free, thick and heavy, and I caught it in my hand without missing a beat.

Lowering my head, I dragged the tip of my tongue slowly along the full length of his shaft, deliberate and unhurried, tasting the heat of him as he shuddered beneath my touch.

When I reached the top, I let my lips part and took just the tip into my mouth, holding still for three steady, aching heartbeats. Then I began to suck, slow and purposeful, swirling my tongue around the head, teasing him with every flick and pull.

“Shit.” His fingers curled into my hair. “Hope,” he groaned, his voice rough and low. “That feels…unreal.”

I lowered my mouth, taking in as much of him as I could, then pulled back and started all over again. Just as I was settling into a steady rhythm, Sam’s fingers tightened in my hair.

When I pulled back, I saw his face contorted with something that looked like pain. He breathed in slowly, eyes tightly shut, then exhaled. When he opened them again, he gave me a small, shaky smile.

“For a moment there, I thought it was all over.”

“Would that have been the worst thing?” I asked with what I hoped was a sassy smile.

He kicked off his jeans and briefs, never breaking eye contact. Then he flipped me onto my back, settling between my thighs. Dipping his head, he nibbled softly along my collarbone, tracing up to my neck.

“I want to be inside you,” he whispered in my ear, his warm breath trailing goosebumps across my skin.

“There’s condoms in the nightstand drawer.”

He kissed me, slow, deep, and impossible to resist, then pulled back.

I got a perfect view of his incredible ass as he leaned over the side of the bed.

Then he shifted back onto his knees, a victorious smile spreading across his face as he held up a condom like a trophy.

I couldn’t look away as he carefully opened the foil packet and rolled it down his impressive length.

When he moved back over me, he settled on his forearms, his warm breath caressing my skin as he kissed my shoulder. Then his eyes met mine.

He reached down, aligning himself carefully before pushing forward. I bent my knees, letting them fall to the side, as he filled me inch by slow inch. I focused on relaxing every muscle, willing my body to make room for him.

“You okay?” he asked.

I nodded, swallowing a bit. It’s been a long time and he’s very large, so it’s a tight fit.

“Just give me a second.”

Sam stayed still for several heartbeats while I adjusted to every inch of him.

He pulled back slowly, then began to move in steady, deliberate strokes in and out. My body responded, clenching and relaxing with each thrust.

Sliding his hands down to cup my ass, he tilted my hips just right and held me steady as he thrust harder and faster. Every stroke, every grind of his pelvis against my clit, sent waves of electric pleasure crashing through me.

The tingling started deep and spread out, igniting every sensitive spot along the way. My muscles clenched around him, then spasmed so hard I struggled to catch my breath. He slammed into me two more times, and a low growl rumbled from his throat before he collapsed onto me.

We lay there, tangled and still, until our breaths evened out and the heat between us faded into a comfortable warmth. He eased back just enough to press a gentle kiss to my forehead.

“I’ll be right back,” he whispered.

I slid under the covers and curled up against the pillow as he walked to the bathroom, my eyes shamelessly locked on his perfect ass. I’d imagined what it might be like between us, but nothing compared to the reality of what just happened in this bed.

When Sam returned, the view was just as spectacular. He slid under the covers beside me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in until we fit together like two pieces of something whole.

I exhaled, my body soft and languid in the aftermath.

“Just so you know,” I murmured against his chest, “I’m a world-class cuddler.”

He chuckled, the sound low and sexy.

“Good, because I wasn’t planning on letting you go.”

I tipped my head back to look at him and he kissed me slow and deep, like he had something to say that didn’t need words. And maybe he didn’t. Maybe I already knew.

But I’m not naive. I know that in a few short weeks, he’ll leave for spring training, and I’ll go back to my own routine, my own quiet world without him in it.

Still, I wasn’t going to waste a single second wishing things were different. Because this feeling, this connection, is worth it.

I tucked myself a little closer to his warmth, closed my eyes, and let myself have this moment.