Page 32 of For Now

He grabbed Jeff by his collar and pulled him really close to his face, looking him in the eye. “If you ever so much as set foot in this city ever again, you are going to have a problem. Do you understand me? Never come back here. Never contact Delilah. Ever again. Now tell me you understand,” Samuelsaid.

I’d never seen this side of Samuel. He was aggressive, protective. It caught me offguard.

“I understand,” Jeff choked out betweengasps.

Samuel escorted him to the door and shoved him out, slamming the door behind him. He stood there for a moment with his hand still on the door and looked over at me. His face was scrunched up with worry and something else, some kind of sadness.What on earth just fuckinghappened?

Samuel rushed over to me and crouched down next to me. He put his arms around me. He was so warm. I melted into him. I let myself go. I started sobbing. He didn’t say anything for a while. He just sat here letting me cry into hisshirt.

“Are you okay? I saw the car outside and your door was cracked open and I just felt uneasy,” hesaid.

“No,” I said. “But not for the reasons you mightthink.”

He started looking me up and down as if he were searching for wounds I didn’t have. “What’s wrong?” He looked at my face and waited for a response. He collected my fallen hair and tucked it behind my left ear, resting his hand just below myjaw.

I could feel his thumb caressing my skin. My toes curled. “I made a mistake, Samuel. I made a mistake because I was afraid. I’m still afraid but I think it might be worth it to find out if I don’t have to be anymore,” Isaid.

Samuel began to smile that warm, sweet smile of his. God, he was beautiful. His hand slid up my cheek and he leaned in closer tome.

“Delilah, I want you to listen to me very carefully. I really want you to hear me when I say this. Are youready?”

“Ready,” I breathed, shutting myeyes.

“You never have to be afraid again. Unless you’re afraid of me kissing you, Delilah. Because I am going to kiss you right now,” hewhispered.

My eyes shot open. I felt like he was staring straight through me with his dark brown eyes. He rubbed the tip of his thumb over my bottom lip as he bit his own. He leaned his whole body into mine and slowly pressed his mouth against mine. I closed my eyes again, feeling everything this moment had tooffer.

I could feel the sharp inhale of my lungs as the kiss deepened and his hand moved into my hair. I could feel my body stiffening, melting, and stiffening again. I could feel things deep in the center of me that I hadn’t felt inyears.

I let go. He heldon.

Chapter Twenty-Two

It wasa little past 1 a.m. when I awoke to light touches across my skin. Little concentric circles around my ear and down my neck sent goosebumps down my spine. I had fallen asleep in Samuel’s arms on the couch for the secondtime.

After we kissed, I cried. I cried until I fell asleep and he let me. He understood I needed it. He always seemed to understand what I needed. I likedthat.

“Hi,” Iwhispered.

“Hi to you,” he whisperedback.

“Have you been awake this whole time?” Iasked.

“No, I dozed off for a bit and then spent the rest of the time watching you sleep. You’re so peaceful when you sleep,” he said, rubbing mytemple.

“As opposed to when I’m awake and being an asshole?” Iteased.

“Your words, not mine,” he said,grinning.

I let the smile on my face widen. I really couldn’t help it. Samuel was slowly opening me up, slowly making his way inside. There wasn’t a minute that passed that I didn’t wonder if that was a mistake but I decided to just let it play out. I needed to let it happen. I had grown so tired of being so cold. And Samuel was so verywarm.

“Do you want to spend tomorrow together?” heasked.

“You meantoday?”

“Technically, yes. How about today and tomorrow?” he said, his voice laced withexcitement.

“What did you have in mind?” I asked, my curiositygrowing.

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