Page 53 of And Then Came You

I rub my brow; the tension rising in my brain. I don’t want to discuss Lexi, or my tangled emotions surrounding my friend.

Caroline, on the other hand, is all too eager to discuss the matter further. “You know why none of these other women are good enough, don’t you?”

“I have the distinct feeling you’re going to tell me, regardless of how I answer.”

“They’re not Lexi, and even though you’d sooner shovel piles of crap the rest of your life than admit it, she is the woman you judge all other women against.”

“Lexi is amazing. But we’re friends. That’s it. End of story.”

Caroline shakes her head, disgust registering on her face. “You don’t believe a word you’re saying. I see it in your face. You know the truth, and the truth is the woman you’re looking for is right in front of you.”

“You mean you?” Yes, I’m delving into sarcasm. It’s my safety net when conversations get sticky. This one is like quicksand and my ass is sinking. Fast.

“I can barely work for you without wanting to throttle you. But Lexi is different, and you’re different around her. I see the way you look at her. Sam, you’re in love with her, and the sooner you admit it, the sooner you’ll actually find that elusive happiness you seek.”

Images of Lexi dance through my brain. The sun casting off her hair, the pale smoothness of her skin, the way her tongue slid across her lower lip when she read those hot as fuck sex scenes. How I imagined us enacting them that night in the Hamptons. The way my entire being lit up when she kissed me back, and how desperately I wanted to stay locked in that moment forever.

It hits me with the ferocity of a freight train. The feelings that I’ve been fighting for months are no longer willing to take a backseat to my fears.

“Holy shit. I’m in love with Lexi.” The words explode from my body, blasting apart as I speak them into being and settling as fragments in every space of my reality.

“Boom.”

Now everywhere I look, I face the realization that I am indeed in love with Lexi. And I have been for a while.

“The question remains, what are you going to do about it?”

* * *

It’s been three weeks since I’ve seen Lexi. Twenty-one of the longest days in history. At least we’re talking regularly, although the conversations are more focused on my Granddad and his history. She seems intent to keep our chats on the straight and narrow, and I’m not diving into the topic of us over the phone.

That has to happen face-to-face. Besides, I’m desperate to kiss her again, and make for damn certain she can’t claim amnesia this time.

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks getting my shit together, something I should have done years ago, but never felt the inclination. I spent some quality time with my Mom on the farm, really getting a handle on how to operate at a profit. I have a few ideas, including a vineyard, and Mom is on board with all of it.

Then there’s Almira. When I ended things, she offered up a laugh, commenting how she was hardly surprised since she knew I loved Lexi.

I guess Caroline was right. My affections were obvious to everyone, except the one person in whose direction they were aimed. With Lexi, I mucked it all up, leaving her confused and conflicted.

So much for being a master among women. With love, I’m a flipping novice.

But there is one thing I keep in the forefront of my mind, a thought that also plays a recurring role in my dreams. That dance. In those few minutes, as her body pressed against mine, there was no denying the chemistry between us.

Or the way she reacted to my advances.

Time to stir that smoldering fire into a raging inferno.

I stroll into the hotel lobby, earning smiles and sultry winks from the convention participants. Sorry ladies, but I’m here for a different kind of business this time.

Caroline verified Lexi was attending this romance author’s weekend, so I’ve decided to surprise her. This time, I won’t let her slip through my fingers.

This time, I know who I want.

I only pray she wants me, too.

Spying Lexi at a table with a few other women, I saunter over, placing my hands over her eyes. “Guess who?”

She grabs my hands and spins in her seat, her jaw dropping open. “Sam, what are you doing here?”

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