Sam’s gaze drops to my mouth. “Unfortunately.” I slide my hand to the back of her neck, tugging her in just enough to make her inhale sharply. “I’m going to be so good to you.”
Her eyes soften. “You already are.” That hits me harder than it should. It’s simple. Honest. Like she doesn’t even realize what she’s giving me when she says it. I kiss her slowly, carefully, like I’m still learning how to love her without scaring her.
When I pull back, she’s smiling. “Okay,” she says, breathless. “Small rooftop wedding. Sunset hour. A simple dress. And no chaos.” I raise an eyebrow. “No chaos?” Sam’s grin turns wicked. “Okay. Minimal chaos.”
I nod. “That we can promise.” She leans into me again, whispering like it’s a secret. “But I want one thing.”
“Anything.” She looks up at me. “I want it to feel like the first night we met.” My chest tightens. I immediately thought of Paris and how we shared those bottles of wine. Her mouth, her laugh. The way she looked at me. “Done,” I say, voice low. “We’ll do it our way.”
Sam exhales like she’s been holding her breath for months. Then she presses her forehead to mine and whispers. “Okay.” And for the first time in my life, planning something doesn’t feel like pressure. It feels like peace. “Now, can I do something my way?” I ask, spreading her legs open.
She just stares at me. I grabbed one side of her panties and pulled them to the side, as I knelt in front of her. She leans back on the counter and spreads her legs wider. “You can do this, in whatever way you prefer, Mr. Jones.”
“Oh, I will.” I pressed my mouth into her and licked her, just once. Then, I started to rub her clit with the wetness from my tongue as I slid one finger into her. That made her melt, moan, and desperately grab me closer to her. But when we made eye contact, that was it. I knew what she needed.
“Theodore, fuck me, NOW.”
As I stood up in front of her, I kept touching her while I freed myself, teasing her entrance. With the other hand already covered in her, I kept rubbing her clit. She gasped and clenched around me. “Like this, Samantha?”
“Yes. Oh fuck, yes.”
She lost her mind, and I lost mine.
But this woman was going to be my wife in 72 hours, and I couldn’t wait.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
sam
Three days later.
I wake up on my wedding day with the kind of calm that feels illegal to have.
I don’t feel anxious, I don’t feel the infamous cold feet the brides talk about. I’m not even overthinking anything. There’s no sudden urge to flee the country and live under a fake name. I just feelcalm.
And then, the calm slips away when Rose bursts into my apartment like the FBI on a raid. “WAKE UP,” she screams, throwing open my curtains.
“IT’S WEDDING DAY!”
I sit up so fast my soul leaves my body. “Jesus Fucking Christ—Rose! I’m awake, and if I wasn’t, trust me, I would be now.”
She’s already holding two coffees and a garment bag, as if she’s running a tactical operation. Whichshe is. My life is a constant tactical operation, or used to be. Behind her, Elena strolls in with a bottle of champagne at nine in the morning like she’s a French widow with a secret lover. I’ve seen her future, and it’s bright like that.
Harper follows, carrying a clipboard. Of course she is. And Naomi—well, she walks in last with the expression of someone attending court. Nothing strange there. She looks at me in my robe and messy hair and smiles faintly. “You look happy,” she says.
“That’s one of the nicest things you’ve ever said to me.”
“I’m learning how to be a sister,” she replies. That makes me smile because she really has been trying to be my sister. Rose claps her hands. “Okay! Timeline check! We have hair, makeup, dress, and an emotional breakdown scheduled at?—”
“I’m not having an emotional breakdown,” I say.
Naomi lifts a brow. “Don’t lie on your wedding day, it’s bad luck.” That’s definitely not a thing. I glare at her. “I’m truly not lying. I’m okay.” Elena pours champagne into a coffee mug because she has no respect for early mornings.
“To Samantha,” she announces, raising it like a toast. “The woman who actually stole my brother's heart and made me gain a sister. Sorry, Naomi, she’s mine now.” We all laughed, and I could hear Naomi muttering “All yours” in the background.
Harper, without looking up from her clipboard, added, “I’m happy he has you now.”
“Harper, that was actually sweet!” I gasp. Harper finally looks up, expression completely calm. “I can be sweet.” Rose snorts. “Okay. Everybody breathe. Sam, do you have your vows?”
