Page 16 of His Hawaiian Heart (Stateside Doms #26)

Chapter Eleven

Samantha

Who knew that there were some things I craved even more than one of Cookie’s cookies?

The feel of Sam’s arm around me, the gruff tone of his voice, the look in his eyes that went from sternness to lust had more than my insides churning.

It was taking all I had to rein myself in and not just jump his bones.

There was the possibility I was on the verge of becoming addicted to this man but wasn’t worried.

After all, my specialty was research and I was very, very thorough when it came to my studies.

Until our next study session, I’d settle for the next best thing.

White chocolate and macadamia nuts.

Those were the flavors of today’s cookie. Even Cookie’s choice of ingredients added another perfect touch to a day that was perhaps the most perfect one I’d ever enjoyed. They were delicious but watching Sam watch me was even more so. A thought popped into my head and I gave a soft laugh.

“Care to share?” he asked from where he was sprawled on his back on the ground, his head in my lap.

“Watching you watch me makes me think that’s how the bugs I study must feel.”

“I can think of one major flaw in that theory,” he said.

When he didn’t continue, I prompted, “Care to share?”

“Feed me a bite of that cookie, and I think I could be persuaded.”

I considered it for a moment, because, let’s face it, it was one of Cookie’s cookies.

Still, he’d piqued my curiosity enough that I broke a small piece off and added it to the pile on a napkin beside me before breaking the remaining cookie in half and holding it to his mouth.

It shouldn’t have any more meaning than any other bite he’d taken during our lunch, but when I fed him the bite, I was hyperaware of how his lips parted, remembering them pressed against mine.

I used my fingertip to capture a sugar crystal at the corner of his mouth and watched as his lips slowly curled.

If I wanted to pretend he had no clue what I was thinking, the moment he reached up and took my hand and I watched my finger disappear between his lips, I knew I’d only be fooling myself. I’d licked my fingers countless times after eating, but this wasn’t that .

This was primal. With every stroke of his tongue against my finger, I remembered it sliding over my teeth, tracing along the roof of my mouth and along each tooth and my gums as if exploring every nook and cranny.

I could still hear the sound of my pulse that had provided the very beat when my tongue had tangled with his and danced to a rhythm we both instinctively knew.

The suction of his lips only touched a very small part of me but had the entirety of my body responding.

My skin broke out in goosebumps, my nipples hardened, the coil inside my core tightened, and my sex slickened in a desire to have that tongue part its lips and swipe over my sensitive flesh before his teeth captured my clit.

I tingled from the top of my head to the tips of my toes with the pure force of a need so powerful it could only be likened to that of the water that had fallen for millennium to form the very canyon surrounding us.

I was sitting but felt unbalanced as if I’d ignored his warning and stood at the edge of the cliff.

Yet, something inside me knew that even if I fell, Sam would catch me.

Sam might be an enigma to some, but everything within my soul told me that if I was willing, if I was patient, I would not only peel back his layers to discover what lay beneath, but I’d enjoy every step of the journey with this man.

I pulled my hand free only to use it to stroke his black hair off his forehead and bend to kiss it before sitting back. When he didn’t speak, I smiled.

“Well? Are you going to keep your end of the bargain or just keep staring?”

“I’d prefer to keep staring”—he gave an exaggerated sigh—“but a deal is a deal and I’m a man of my word. The flaw in your theory is that while you are seeing the insect in all its glory, you aren’t extending him the same courtesy.”

I tilted my head. “I’m afraid I need a bit more data.”

He grinned and reached up to trace the neckline of my t-shirt which only made my nipples sit up and take notice. His grin told me he was aware, but he didn’t make a move toward them. Instead, he gave the shirt a gentle tug. “I’m talking about this. People hide behind clothing.”

I considered his reasoning as I stroked my hand through his hair. He had the most fascinating strands of silver at his temples that only served to make the ebony appear even darker.

“Who’s staring now?”

“Sorry, not sorry,” I said and smiled. “Though that’s a good observation, I’m afraid it doesn’t support your claim my theory is flawed.”

He’d released my shirt but was now twirling a strand of my hair around his finger as if mimicking the connection I felt with my hand in his. “How do you figure?”

“What you haven’t considered is that insects have been doing the same as you state we do for eons before man even picked up that first fig leaf.

Granted they aren’t wearing clothing, but they camouflage themselves and protect their delicate bits in dozens of ways.

What do you have to say about my theory now? ”

His grin was slow and pulled at my core as if there was a physical chain linking us together that went far deeper than playing with each other’s hair. “I say screw the theory. Right now I’m wondering how you’d look in a fig leaf.”

I threw back my head and laughed even though the move pulled my hair free of his hold.

Even the sound of my snort only caused the laughing spree to lengthen.

When I could finally breathe without fear of triggering another bout, I looked down and my breath caught in my throat.

There was no question that Sam was a handsome man, but when laughter danced in his eyes and his lips curled he was breathtakingly so.

A girl could get into a lot of trouble if she wasn’t careful.

Maybe, but a girl could also discover what she’d never known was missing if she took a chance.

I made a show of looking around and composed myself before meeting his gaze again. “Well, I hate to disappoint you, but since I don’t see any fig trees, I’m afraid you’ll have to be content with seeing me in those glasses. Come on, up with you. Picnic’s over. It’s time to go find our Eupithecia.”

Sam grumbled but sat and then stood in one fluid movement.

It brought to mind the time in Malaysia where I’d seen a panther step out of the shadows.

He was a magnificent animal when standing still, but when he began to move, it was like watching water rippling over stones without making a single sound.

And when he began to run, I knew I was witnessing something akin to a perfect specimen of control and power.

This animal could strike before its prey was even aware of his presence.

With one swipe of his claws he could take down animals twice his size with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel.

When Sam offered me his hand, the memory of his fingers wrapped around the nape of my neck had my heart beating faster.

I slid my hand into his and he pulled me to my feet.

Though we were inches apart, he didn’t speak, didn’t kiss me, didn’t do more than just look into my eyes as I did the same.

It wasn’t awkward and I felt no need to fill the silence or make a move.

I was happy to exist in the moment and when he smiled and finally bent to grab the strap of the backpack, I was thankful that some force had seen fit to bring me into this man’s sphere.

“What are you saving these for?” he asked as he handed me the napkin. “A late-night snack?”

I laughed and shook my head. “I don’t believe there is a cookie baked by Cookie that has a shelf life that long.”

He shrugged into the straps of the backpack as we walked back to where his horse had been grazing. When Sam reached for me, I said, “Just a minute.”

He watched as I moved past him. “You didn’t think we’d forget you, did you?” I asked as I opened the napkin. Mr. McNut lifted his head and nudged my shoulder as if he understood every word I was saying.

Sam chuckled. “I’ve never known anyone like you,” he said as I delayed our departure a few minutes more.

“You’ve never met a scientist before or just haven’t met any girls who like bugs?”

“Oh, I’ve met both of those. But I’ve never met anyone who is so addicted to cookies and yet turns around and gives the best parts to a horse.”

I smiled and fed McNut another macadamia nut. “He deserves every one of them. He carried not only me but you on his back all morning. I want to show him our appreciation so he’ll carry us back.”

Sam plucked a few of the nuts from my hand but didn’t pop any into his mouth. Instead, he offered them to his horse. “What if I’d rather he lose his way so we’re stranded out here?”

“And break your promise to Papa Cookie?”

He shook his head. “When you put it that way, I have to say, hell no. That man might be a cook, but I swear there’s something about him that makes me feel that’s not all he is.”

I laughed and used the napkin to wipe the remaining crumbs from my palm and then did the same for Sam’s hand. “I’ve always thought the exact same thing. ”

Sam waited until we were once again on McNut’s back before he said, “It’s too bad though.”

“Why is that?”

“I mean, aren’t you all about research? How are we supposed to find those fig trees if we don’t take the time to explore?”

I smiled though he couldn’t see me doing so. “Then I suppose we’ll have to take a lesson from our bug friends and go au naturel.”

“You’re killing me here,” he said with a growl that I knew would never fail to cause me to tingle.

I didn’t need to speak. I simply leaned back against him and enjoyed the ride.