AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We are interrupted as Shelby returns, who obviously doesn’t notice the tension at the table. She kisses Scott on the cheek as she sits down and says brightly, “What did I miss?”
I almost laugh as Scott takes her hand and smiles perfunctorily. “Just business, my darling. Nothing to worry your pretty little head with. Now, we should be going as something’s come up at the office. I’ll have to take you home and work long into the night, I’m afraid.”
She pulls a face and whines. “Do you have to, honey? We’re not back from our honeymoon for five minutes and already you’re ditching me for the first love of your life.”
He smiles darkly as she rolls her eyes and whispers to me, “Never marry a politician, honey. Work always comes first, no matter what.”
Scott scrapes his chair back and pulls her up. We do the same and I watch as the men shake hands and the Senator looks Sam in the eye and says firmly, “I won’t forget this, Sam. I mean it, you can count on my support.”
Then he turns to me and smiles disarmingly. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Katherine. You make an excellent addition to Sam’s life. I hope we meet again.”
As we watch them walk away, Sam laughs and takes my hand and kisses it gallantly. “I’m sure you’ll meet again. That will be the most interesting and satisfying phase of them all.”
Laughing, we head home.
Chapter 14
Sam
Ilaugh at the excitement in Katherine’s eyes as Baxter pulls up next to my company jet. We stand at the foot of the steps and she looks over and rolls her eyes. “You flash bastard. I might have guessed.”
Laughing, I gesture for her to go before me and take great delight in watching her ass wiggle up the steps of my pride and joy.
As we take our seats, she grins. “I might have known you’d have a jet. It’s a far cry from the planes you used to travel around in the SEALS.”
I laugh. “It certainly is. If you’d have told me then that this would be my life, I would have called a doctor out to you. It’s funny how things work out.”
She nods and I see her eyes darken as she travels to another place in her mind. Then the flight attendant interrupts her thoughts by handing her a drink. Katherine flashes her a million-dollar smile and I marvel at the woman before me. She’s been through so much, but it’s only made her stronger. Like me, she holds many battle scars and I long to explore every last one of them. I want to discover everything about Katherine Rogers, warts and all. She fascinates me and far from being bored after just one day, I find myself falling deeper and deeper as every second ticks by.
By the time we are airborne, I can see she’s relaxed. Leaning across, I grab her hand and fix her with a determined look. “Let’s leave all the baggage we’re carrying behind in Washington, honey. This vacation is our beginning. I want to get to know Katherine the woman and show you what it feels like to be loved.”
Her eyes fill with tears and she swallows hard. I see her lip tremble and the pleasure fills her eyes, driving the pain away.
She says softly, “I’d like that, Sam.”
Then she moves across and curls up in my lap and rests her head on my chest. My arms wrap around her and I hold her protectively, kissing the top of her head lovingly. I’d be happy to sit like this for eternity because in my arms she’s safe and loved. No harsh realities to deal with, and no bastards set on using her for their own pleasure.
As I feel her soft body clinging to mine, I know she’s my future and I won’t ever let her go.
* * *
It feels sogood to be back at my home, away from home. I chose the Florida Keys because I love the relaxed atmosphere of the place and the sun shines all year.
Seeing my home through Katherine’s eyes brings me so much pleasure. She’s like a kid in a candy store and runs from room to room with excitement.
Flinging the huge doors open to the deck, she races outside and takes a deep breath as she watches the ocean crashing on the private beach below.
She turns to face me and I laugh at the excitement on her face. “You’re so lucky, Sam. I’d never leave this place if it were mine. I love it.”
I laugh as she runs across to me and grabs my hand like an exuberant child. She pulls me outside and down to the beach. “Come on, I want to feel the ocean.”
I watch as she removes her shoes and jumps in the waves, fully dressed. She’s like an excited child and her whole face lights up. As I watch her, it dawns on me that she’s never had this. I feel my chest tightening at the sparkle in her eyes and think about the life she led before. She turns to face me laughing and shouts, “Come in, it’s fantastic.”
My legs can’t get me to her quickly enough. As I reach for her, I pull her tightly to me and kiss her long and hard. With the waves crashing to the shore around us and the birds screeching overhead, I kiss this woman like a man possessed. She kisses me back with freedom and abandonment and it’s the most natural thing in the world. When I pull back, I see the tears pouring down her cheeks as she reaches up and touches my face gently. “Thank you, Sam.”
I swallow hard and say softly. “For what?”
She whispers, “For bringing me here and showing me the ocean. I’ve never seen it before, and it’s more than I ever imagined. You don’t know how much it means to me.”
