Page 109 of Musical Games
She shook her head.
He released her, running his fingers through his hair. ‘Jesus, Sam. I—’
‘Jamie, I need to talk to you. Please?’
He nodded and reached back across the table towards her.
‘Nothing is more important to me than you,’ she continued. ‘I want to be with you and I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen. If you want me to move to Kinloch, I will.’
He shook his head again.
Her heart raced faster. ‘I haven’t been honest with myself and I haven’t been honest with you. I’ve never loved anyone like I love you. My life no longer feels right without you in it. You’re my sun, my moon, and all my stars. If you’d be willing to give me a chance, I’ll move my world for you. I don’t expect you to love me back—’
‘Jesus Christ, Sam. I’ve been in love with you since we first sang together.’
‘What? But you ran off.’
‘Because I was so overwhelmed, I couldn’t cope. I’d never felt like that before.’
‘But what about the other woman?’
‘What other woman?’
‘The one you first sang the song lyric to. The one you took to the standing stones. The one you recited E.E. Cummings to.’
‘I was talking aboutyou, Sam. You’re my first proper kiss, my first love, my first everything.’
‘What?’
Jamie sighed. ‘Before you, the last girl I kissed was Isla Blair when I was eight.’
‘But… I don’t understand.’ Her cheeks felt on fire. ‘You’re incredible at, erm, it.’
He blushed and looked at the table.
‘Why didn’t you say anything?’ she asked.
‘I tried. After my second freak-out when I brought you a cup of tea.’
Sam remembered how she’d interrupted him. How she’d assumed he was saying he’d never slept with an actress before.
She groaned and sank her head into her hands. ‘I’m so sorry.’
He pulled her hands away, stroking across her palms. ‘There’s nothing to be sorry about.’
New fear sliced at her chest. ‘But if you’ve never been with anyone else, don’t you want to, erm, sleep around? Make sure you really want to be with me?’
His eyes widened. ‘Are you cracked in the head?’
She shrugged, and he grinned.
‘Sam, I didn’t mean to wait until I was twenty-seven, but now I’m glad I did. You’re my first and my last. You’re my everything.’
Emotion rushed through her. ‘I love you so much, Jamie.’
‘Don’t cry, sweetheart. Come here.’
He sat her on his lap, holding her to his chest and wiping her tears.
