Page 100 of But For You

“No.” He shook his head. “It was why I couldn’t be the guy anyone else needed—because I was already the one you needed.”

My heart felt like it was going to swell out of my chest.

“Say something.”

I squinted so I wouldn’t cry. “So, your guys are gonna bug Kevin’s house?”

“Like I said, it’s done already,” he said, his grip loosening so I could get my arms free and wrap them around his neck.

“Sam.”

“Yes?”

I swallowed hard. “You know how much you love me?”

“Yeah.”

“I love you more.”

He kissed me then, hand on the back of my head, holding me still as his mouth opened mine, wanting in.

I returned the passion, the yearning, the deep and throbbing want, pressing tight against him, moaning as my tongue stroked over his in our familiar dance. We parted at the same time because there was heat building, but more than that, a sort of breathless anticipation of emotion.

“It’s always been … us,” he said quickly.

“Yes,” I agreed. I licked over his bottom lip, sucked it, and bit it softly until he moaned deep. “It has.”

“So?”

“So?”

“Kiss me some more,” he demanded.

“I’m very possessive.”

“I know. It’s good.”

I kissed him so he’d know it wasn’t going to change.

TEN

When Sam got home on Friday night, he was stunned when he heard all the noise.

“What?”

“Lemme get this straight,” he said, scowling at me. “I could be in mortal danger here, people could be trying to kill me, but Dane and Aja still let their kids visit?”

“For one,” I began, crossing my arms and mirroring him, “if your kids are safe—and they are—then so are theirs, and, hello, Aja needs to get laid.”

“Oh, for the love of God,” he groaned, “why the hell did I need to hear that?”

“Because it’s true! She needed a date night!”

He was still stunned as he was swarmed by children who came flying in from the other room—Kola and Hannah, followed quickly by Robert, who was the same age as Hannah, and Gentry, who could crawl really fast. Balancing himself on one hand, he put up the other for Sam, who scooped him up in his arms and hugged him.

Gen was adorable, with Dane’s eyes and Aja’s cheekbones; Robert had gotten his mother’s honey-brown eyes and long lashes, but had Dane’s features—his nose and his jaw. I told Aja often that the girls would be waiting in line for her boys.

“We’ll see who gets by Mama.”