Page 37

~ SAM ~

I’d always found sex outside a special kind of joy. I loved it best when there was an opportunity to get naked and get air and sun on my skin. But between the dirt and the cold, that wasn’t going to be possible here.

Bridget cried out as I took her, her fingers clawing into the dirt to brace as I slammed all the way to the hilt. I groaned like I’d been shot, and didn’t give a fuck.

She felt incredible. Watching her for all that time had heightened my already rampant need, and now that I was touching her, now that she was bare in front of me… I was going to come.

God, don’t let me come!

Taking her hips in both hands, I pulled her back hard against my thrust, reveling in the cries it wrung from her. And now that I could be certain she wasn’t going to run again, I could take the risk.

I grabbed the top of the zipper on my hoodie and yanked it all the way down to bare my torso, then leaned over her and did the same for her—only to be frustrated by the camisole she wore underneath her little jacket.

Snarling, I grabbed the hem of it at her stomach and pulled it up, higher and higher, shoving it up until the built-in bra was pushed up and over her breasts and I could touch her. I groaned when I filled my hands with her and pumped into her faster.

Bridget was still leaning on her elbows in the dirt, but her body was tightening around me already. Neither of us would last long like this and I couldn’t decide if that was fantastic, or stupid.

Straightening my back, I wrapped her hand around my fist and pulled her head back again.

“See,” I gasped. “I told you.”

“Told me what?”

“Told you that you’d take it anyway.”

She spluttered, but didn’t have time to laugh before I reached around and began to finger her, groaning when she tightened in response, but not letting up because we didn’t have a lot more chances to do this, and I wanted her shaking.

“Sam… Sam…”

“Come for me, baby. Come for me.”

Her breath stopped, and I pumped again, rubbing her, sliding, pressing hard enough I worried I might hurt her, my own breath hitching as she pulsed and keened and drew closer and closer.

I’d ride it out. I was determined to ride it out, but fuck!

Then I looked down on her, ass in the air, head drawn back, eyes closed and mouth wide open, her elbows hard on the ground… bent into the dirt for me.

The rush of love and need and intense desire was overwhelming. I let go of her hair and cupped under her chin, holding her throat, but not squeezing, stroking, leaning over her until it seemed like every part of me pressed against her—hand on her throat, forehead on her shoulder, body writhing against her, my cock inside her.

I shuddered, curling my toes and fighting to beat back my climax.

Bridget gasped. “Sam? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, babe,” I grunted, and slid my hand down her neck to grasp her shoulder and pump into her, holding the thrust deep and hard inside her before pulling out and plowing her again and again in time with my words. “I’m just so. Damn. In love. With you . I— ”

She jolted, her scream echoing in the trees so I was forced to clap a hand over her mouth in case someone was nearby and thought I was hurting her.

Her cries muffled against my palm as I pounded her, and she pulsed around me, wringing every last wave of pleasure from her body until she shuddered and twitched, her hips bucking forward as she sought to free herself from the overload.

But I grabbed her, held her, pressed my face into her hair and finally roared my own release, my thrusts taking her knees off the ground, then growing erratic as my body twitched and jerked.

When it was finally over, I lay on my side in the dirt, one leg between Bridget’s, her body bowed back against me and my face in her hair.

I was blinking and disoriented. But she was hugging my arm that was over her shoulder and hugging her chest.

Then, while I still panted, she turned her face to kiss my bicep.

“I love you, too,” she whispered.

~ brIDGET ~

He made love to me three times before the sun started going down. I even ran one time so he could chase me. But my heart wasn’t in it.

Sam tackled me the second I was in reach—which only proved how much he held himself back, usually. But I was glad. I didn’t fight him. I didn’t want to resist. I needed my hands full of him, and my body full of him, my eyes full of the sight of him. My ears full of his grunts and whispers and cries…

But there was always that ticking clock hanging over our heads. That little voice in the back of my skull counting down to when I’d have to leave .

I suddenly cursed myself for deciding a state park was the way to go. They locked the parking lots at dusk, which meant I had to get out of here.

I shouldn’t have been so responsible. Should have found a place we could run all night if we wanted to.

But there was no way to change it now. As the light dimmed, I was struggling to smile.

For the first time I could think of, Sam walked with his arm around me. When we were on our honeymoon, he’d held my hand a lot. But I couldn’t remember him pulling me into his side like this.

I didn’t even pretend I didn’t want it. I hugged his waist and walked with him, even though it was awkward as hell. I couldn’t bear to not feel his warmth.

In the end, to indulge me, he offered me a piggy-back for the last half-mile to the parking lot.

As we drew closer we stopped talking and just clung. There were voices echoing on the trails and the sound of a car running in the parking lot.

So, when the trees thinned and the evening sun poked through, Sam stopped walking and put me on my feet.

“We should have both parked on the other side where they don’t gate it,” I said, trying my best not to sound like a pouting child.

Sam looked down at me. “We’ll do this again. Or… something. I don’t know. Just… don’t give up on me, okay?”

I frowned at him, a flare of very real anger in my chest. “Why do you think you even have to ask?”

He sighed and pulled me into a hug. “I know. I know. I just… I don’t want to let you go.”

“Same.”

We were like high schoolers standing there, body to body. But it was time.

Sam tipped up my chin and kissed me once more. Then held me while he spoke.

“Clean up when you get home. Send me pictures after you wash those scrapes.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said, rolling my eyes. But tears were threatening.

“It’s a few weeks, Bridge. ”

“I know.”

“We can talk every day on the burner phones.”

“I know.”

Then he sighed and held my face in both of his hands, staring down at me with sad eyes. “I love you, babe. So much.”

“I love you, too.”

“We’re going to get through this.”

I nodded. I hoped he was right.

“I have to go,” he said.

I nodded again, but hugged him tighter.

“Go straight back. Don’t get close to the parking lot, they have cameras for security.”

“I won’t.”

“I mean it, Sam.”

“So do I. I’m not risking anything that could put me back inside.”

I nodded again, and neither of us spoke. It was so dumb. We had to say goodbye. I had to get in my car and get out of here before I was locked in. And he had to hike all the way back to his car…

“Okay, I’m going,” I whispered.

Sam nodded. Kissed me one more time, then with a grunt, let me go.

I stepped away from him, trying to find a funny quip or little tease to send him away with, but there was nothing.

I stared at him as I took a couple steps away, whispered, “I love you,” then turned and ran like the coward that I was.

And I didn’t stop until I broke through the line of trees to the parking lot and made a beeline for my car—and slid to a halt four spaces away because there was a man in a suit leaning back against my car, arms folded and eyes on fire .

I swore and my heart raced so fast lights blinked on the edges of my vision. But did my best to keep a blank expression and started walking again.

I didn’t hold back a glare when I got close to him, though.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Jeremy?”