Page 50 of Samuel

Her head tipped back as she exposed her neck to him. Sam watched as her eyes closed and her breath hitched. Her pulse fluttered rapidly beneath the thin skin.

He pressed a kiss over her heartbeat, giving himself a mental fist pump at the soft moan he pulled from Evie. Sam pulled the material down her arms and tossed her sweater over her chair. Then he slid his hands under her arms and lifted her up onto the desk.

The smallest gasp fell from between her lips, but that only fueled the frenzied energy growing between them. Sam pushed her knees apart with his thigh, stepping right between them until her belly pressed into the bottom of his stomach.

His hands lifted to cup Evie’s cheeks. “I’m going to kiss you now, Bluebell. You tell me to stop and I will. But I’ve been wanting to do this properly since the damn day you drove onto the ranch for the first time. That small kiss last night nearly killed me. So tell me now, quickly, before I make a fool out of myself.”

Her bright blue eyes went wide. “Kiss me, Cowboy. Please…”

That’s all he needed. Sam’s lips crushed against hers before his tongue pressed out, seeking entrance to her mouth. His hands slid down her body as he felt her arch into him. Her mouth opened, allowing him to explore their connectiondeeper. She tasted like ginger and chocolate, and he wanted to do a million backflips to celebrate his snack idea working.

He began to pull away, surprised when her teeth possessively nipped at his bottom lip.

“Say yes to our date,” he whispered. “We don’t even need to call it that. Just two people sharing some time together, if that makes you feel more comfortable.”

She reached up, threading her fingers around his collar and pulled his mouth down to hers.

“So is that a yes?”

She nodded. “It’s a date.”

Fourteen

“It’s quiet tonight.” Evie melted as Sam held the door open for her, pressing his hand into the small of her back as she walked into Sprinkles. They’d already taken a walk around the park in town, with Sam showing her his favorite places and sharing all the memories he had at each spot. He’d held onto her hand the entire time. It did nothing to settle the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach.

“Hey, Sam.” The cute woman behind the register smiled at him. She had to be in her early twenties. All bright smiles, flat stomach. Evie twisted her bracelet a few times before she placed her hands over her belly.

“Hey, Mel,” Sam answered. “I know it’s close to closing time, we won’t be too long.”

Evie quirked an eyebrow up at him.

“No worries. Do you already know what you want, or do you want to take a second to look in the case?”

Sam looked at Evie. “I definitely want to look in the case,” she answered, already drooling over the cinnamon buns and lemon bars she could see.

“Okay. Just let me know what you want after you’re done browsing.”

Sam’s hand slid from Evie’s back to her waist, protectively tucking her into his side.

“I’m sad we aren’t able to say hi to Emma,” Evie confessed.

“I planned it that way.”

She looked down in the display case, hoping her hurt at his words wouldn’t be obvious. “Why? You didn’t want your friends to know you took me out on a date?”

“What? No! No, that’s not it at all, I swear.” Sam squeezed her hip. “Emma means well, but she can be a bit overwhelming in her enthusiasm. I wasn’t sure if you were ready for all that.”

“Oh.” It was probably for the best. She was sure he’d eventually remember she came with a pretty big responsibility growing in her womb. It was fun to flirt and steal kisses, but when it came time to be up all night and change dirty diapers, Evie knew it would all change.

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

“Nothing. Just can’t pick between the cinnamon roll or the lemon bars. It’s a very serious decision.”

Sam laughed. “Well, how about this? We get one of each.”

“No. With Daisy’s brownies in my apartment, I shouldn’t even be splurging for one of those, let alone both.”

“Mel?” Sam called over the counter.

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