Page 14 of Surviving You, Scotch and Sammy 1

“This is such a ridiculously bad idea.”

“Sammy…”

“We can try… I guess.”

I chuckle and hold her tighter to my chest as it jumps and flips with nerves and excitement. “You guess. I’m so happy right now, I can’t even find it in myself to get mad about your totally uncommitted answer. We’ll make this work, Sammy. I swear to god.”

“I don’t think it will.”

I pull her face up to mine again. “Why not? I’ll give you anything in the whole world. Anything you ask, I won’t even question it. I’ll treat you like precious gems. I’ll never make you sad. What could possibly hurt us?”

“Our names clash so bad it’s embarrassing.”

I laugh again as giddiness washes over me. “Pick a nickname for me. Anything you want, and I swear I won’t answer to anything else again for the rest of my life. You have my word.”

“What about Dreamboat?”

I choke, but I swallow it down quickly. “Okay.”

She snickers softly. “Baby cakes? Boo Boo… Casanova? Cookie… Ooh, maybe cupcake.”

“Sammy--”

“Fly guy.”

“Sammy?”

She looks up at me through her still wet lashes. “Yes, Gum Drop?”

I bite my lips together before I laugh at her flushed face. “Anything you want.”

She lets out a deep breath. “You’re really keen for this, huh?”

“Three years of asking you out hasn’t proven that? I probably could have laid it on thicker if it was too subtle for you. You should have mentioned it though; I would have tweaked my approach and maybe we’d have been at this point sooner.”

She giggles and lays her forehead against my chest. “No. You definitely weren’t subtle… Alright, give me time and I’ll think up a new name for you. In the meantime…”

“In the meantime?”

“We can try.”

My smile splits my face. “You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Thank god! Can I kiss you yet?”

Her previously dancing eyes turn instantly wary. “Umm…”

“Oh god, what?”

“I’ve never been kissed before.”

Oh. Well. My smug grin grows. “It would be my honor to be your first.”

“I’m embarrassed.”

“I’m fucking stoked! No one else has touched what’s mine. Nobody has kissed these lips.” I lean closer, so close I can feel her breath bathe my tongue. “Can I?”

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