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“I’ll be on the couch tonight,” he told her. “It’s not a good idea for me to sleep beside you right now.”
Before she could say anything else, Sam walked out of the room. They both needed space after what had just happened. Emotions had been running high before this, and now he had crossed some invisible line and he had no clue what territory they were in anymore. Sam knew he was making things more difficult for both of them, but damn it, he was human and now that he had sampled his wife again, he was more than ready to fight for his family.
Chapter Ten
Marley burst into the beach house and ran from room to room. Tara sat her suitcase down, but the moment Daisy came barreling through, she ran into it and knocked the case to the floor with a loud thud. Not to mention she was leaving a trail of drool droplets on the glossy hardwood floors.
Fabulous. They’d been inside all of ten seconds and already left their mark.
Sam sat the rest of the luggage on the floor and bent to right hers. He swiped his hand on his shorts and let out a sigh.
“It was a mistake to bring that mammoth,” Tara stated as she took in her surroundings. This place screamed money, from the classy white oversized sofas to the artwork on the walls. “I can’t even imagine the damage she’s going to do and we’ll have to pay for. Starting with getting all the floors cleaned.”
Sam laughed and a familiar tingle washed over her. For the past two days they’d done well to dodge each other. Though, even with avoiding him altogether or having Marley as a buffer in the same room, nothing seemed to squelch Tara’s desire. Sam had selflessly given her pleasure and then walked away as if he hadn’t wanted to take things further.
That thought alone had kept her up the past two nights. What game was he playing? Was he purposely trying to confuse her even more? Or did he truly believe they had a chance at a future?
“I assure you that Daisy is welcome here,” Sam stated. “Bill is a huge animal lover and brings his own pets when he comes. I already covered this with him and he’s fully aware of Daisy’s issues.”
“He brings his own pets?” Tara repeated. “Now Daisy will pee everywhere to mark her territory.”
“Stop worrying.” Sam came to stand in front of her and looked her straight in the eye. “Bill has a cleaning service that comes in between guests. All signs of Daisy will be gone. Your only job now is to relax.”
Relax? With him standing this close? With those memories of the way he’d touched her, the way he’d pleasured her, so vivid in her mind? Not likely.
And then there was that damn tattoo he had. She’d wanted to ask him multiple times about it, but it never seemed right.
“This place is so cool,” Marley squealed as she came from the hallway. “Can I put my suit on and we can go to the beach? Please? Oh, Daisy said she wants to come, too.”
Tara shook her head, more from exhaustion than anything. The car ride hadn’t been nearly as bad as she’d feared. Being in a confined space with Sam was fine considering a giant St. Bernard head had settled between the front seats for most of the seven-hour drive.
The twinkle in Marley’s eyes and her clasped hands had Tara nodding. “I suppose having her outside means less time she has to be in here tearing things up that aren’t mine or leaving permanent watermarks on the floor.”
“You’re not relaxing,” Sam warned with a low growl. “Go get your suit on.”
His eyes held hers and she shivered. Had his voice dropped even lower into sultry, sexy territory? Maybe the beach wasn’t the best idea. Even though Marley was with them, that wouldn’t erase the fact Tara and Sam would be half-dressed for most of this trip and the beach area was private with this luxury home.
“Thanks, Dad.”
Marley raced off and Daisy scampered after her, sliding as she tried to get traction on the hardwood floors.
“I could stay here and unpack,” Tara suggested, instantly realizing she sounded desperate to be alone.
Sam propped his hands on his hips and raised his brows. “We’re only here a few days. I think we’ll be fine digging out of the suitcases.”
He took a step closer and smiled the signature grin that assaulted every single nerve in only the most delicious of ways. “Unless you’re afraid you won’t be able to resist staring at my bare chest.”
