Page 88 of Sing it, Sam

Chapter Thirty-Two

We reach a spot where the giant sheoak trees open up to the creek, allowing the sunshine to stream through to a green patch of ground big enough to fit a king-sized bed in.Perfect.

I help Sam down and support him as he lowers himself onto the grass. When he’s settled, I rush back to the car for my jumbo backpack containing a picnic rug, beach towels, and snacks.

When I return, Sam is captivated by the body of water. Although he’s sitting still, the slump of his shoulders tells me he’s beginning to relax and maybe even enjoy the serenity.

“Hey,” I say, breaking his gaze. “Magic, huh?”

Sam swings his head in my direction and gifts me a soft smile. “You know, when you stare at the walls all day, it’s hard to comprehend that there are places out there as breathtaking as this.” He sighs. “So beautiful.”

I set down my bag and pull out the blanket, spreading it on the ground beside Sam as kookaburras garble overhead. We just got here, but already, I’m dreading having to leave.

Sam wriggles his bum over to sit on the thick, checked material. He lies back, and one by one, places his hands behind his head. I reach behind me, roll up my empty backpack, and place it beneath his head and cross my legs next to him.

“If you think this is magic, you should see it after it rains. The mist rolls down the falls, ripples over the water, and seeps into the trees. It’s like a scene from a movie.”

Sam mumbles to himself and casts a heated gaze from my lips down over my chest and back up again.

Biting down on a grin, I stand up and kick off my black ballet flats, and then unfasten the belt on my work dress and drop it from a height.

Sam looks up as it lands in front of him. His jaw hangs loose.

Toying with the zip at the back of my neck, I guide it down my back until it meets the curve of my butt. I take my time wiggling the dress off my shoulders, freeing each arm from its sleeve until it bunches at my waist, revealing my black triangular bikini top.

“Janie?”

I push my dress down little by little until it sits either side of the curve of my hips. I widen my eyes at him. “Sam,” I tease, trying to hold back a smirk. Truth be told, I feel like a bit of an idiot.Since when do I striptease?

Hooking my fingers into the bunched fabric, I squirm the clothing down my legs until it rests at my feet. Unhooking the dress from my feet, I stare into his eyes. What I find causes my heart to thrash about in my chest.

There’s no judgement in his gaze of the stretchmarks on my hips gifted to me care of puberty, or the extra padding around my middle that I can’t get rid of no matter how hard I try. All I see is Sam staring at me as if he’s been gifted the sight of something pure and beautiful, kind of how he was staring at the water before, except different. There’s a fierceness to his gaze I haven’t seen before. It’s as if a sexual side of Sam has been unleashed from its cage.

My insides melt. Oh, how I’ve waited for someone to look at me like that. With Sam, I’ve found a certain comfort in myself, and my body.

With each step, my inner thighs sweep against one another until I reach the water’s edge and then I turn, supermodel-like, and walk back towards him. “There you go. Strut complete. Now, time to get wet.”

Sam chuckles and stares down at his lap, drawing my gaze. Both hands are covering his crotch.

“Come on,” I taunt, rolling my eyes for effect. We don’t want to waste the time we have here.

“Just, um, give me a sec,” he says and winks. “Private Marshall is standing to attention.”

My eyes dart to the apex of his thighs. My hand rushes to my mouth. “I did that?”

“You do that, Janie. Often.”

My mouth forms anO. “Well…” I say and nod, trying to portray a bit of sass. I extend my arm and make a circular motion directed at his crotch. “You sort that out, and then we’re going swimming.”

After about a minute of exchanging smirks, Sam nods and takes off his sunnies. He tosses them onto the rug in faked annoyance. “Not havin’ any success. I’m thinking the cool water will do the trick.”

He moves onto all fours and pants.Is he in pain?I move closer, offer both my hands, and help to bring him to his feet. He stumbles into me. I plant my feet and prepare to hold him up.

He rises. The stiff soldier grazes my hip. My breath catches.

“Whoops,” he says. Sam’s grin extends to a mega-watt smile. He’s a pro in the art of knee-weakening.

“You wanna lose the shirt?” I offer, tugging at the hem and taking a small step back to create some distance.

---