Page 61 of Sing it, Sam

Holding his gaze, I move in until his breath heats my lips. I take his lower lip between my teeth, giving it a gentle suck before he groans and squeezes his eyes shut. Our lips make a slurping sound as I pull back.You’ll get busted again, Jane.

“You don’t fight fair,” he says and wraps his arms around me, pulling me to his chest.

“Distraction is the oldest trick in the book,” I tease. I squeeze his hand, still grateful to be holding it. Sam clenches his jaw and glances down at our joined fingers.

“Does it hurt when I hold your hand?” I ask and try to free it from his grip.

He holds me tighter. “Yeah, but it’s worth it.”

He winks.

I swoon.

“Sometimes I get spasms, in my fingers and toes. They feel like lightning bolts.”

“Ouch,” I say and pout. I lift up his hand and place a kiss to the tops of his knuckles. Remembering where I am, I sit farther back on the bed. If the boss lady drops in, there needs to be some distance between us.

“What you doin’ later?” Sam asks, sitting up on his elbows.

“Later?”

“Yeah, as in,laterlater. When you knock off work.”

My heart sinks when I think of him here alone, bored out of his brain, eating and then falling asleep, probably to reduce the amount of time being bored.

“I wish I could come by and hang out, but I have to get everything set up for the workshop tomorrow. I would’ve done that today, but Kathleen has had me frantic doing other stuff as Sally-Anne called in sick.”

Disappointment flashes across his face. “Okay. No worries.”

“Sorry.”I’m not happy about it either.

“It’s cool. What’s the workshop, anyway?” Sam asks.

I tilt my head to the side. “Don’t you read my fancy posters around the place?”

He shrugs. “My memory is shit at the best of times.”

“Well, let me help you out, then. The scrapbooking workshop.”

“Jesus,” he says under his breath. “You mean that wasn’t a joke?”

“No, it wasn’t. Mrs Cassidy has been asking for months, from what I’m told. I thought it might take her mind off her cat, anyway.”

“Well you’re brave, I’ll give you that. I reckon you’ll be needing a bottle of something afterwards.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I let out a heavy breath.Here goes. “I’d really love it if you came.”

Silence cloaks us. A smile teases at Sam’s lips. “I tell you what. Bring the booze, and I’ll think about it.”

---