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“When I have a kid, mine is going to be even cuter,” Luna said, pulling her legs to her body and relaxing into Sam as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
“How dare you not agree that this is the cutest baby that has or will ever exist,” Ross replied.
“She’s cute, which I find to be a miracle considering she has half your DNA. I’m sure Mia’s side had to work extra hard to overcome such obstacles.”
Ross looked pointedly at Sam. “You really want to put up with this brat?”
Luna’s body stiffened beside him.
“Luna keeps you grounded.” Sam’s eyes were drawn to her, and he saw she was watching him. “When you do get something nice, it makes you feel like you really earned it.”
Mia and Natalie exchanged an amused glance between them, but Ross snorted, taking a sip from his beer bottle. “She’ll keep you grounded all right, right into the ground.” Mia elbowed her husband, causing him to dribble his drink. All Sam cared about was the small smile Luna gave him before interlacing their fingers together. Yeah, there was nothing regular about Luna.
“Wanna come over?” she asked as she walked him to his motorcycle later.
“Yeah.”
“Okay. See you there.”
Sam’s motorcycle followed her SUV while he pondered all the things he’d say if he had the courage. He removed his work boots on the enclosed porch before following her inside.
“You don’t have to defend me when I’m being a brat—which I was, obviously. Ross and I have always given each other a hard time,” she said while slipping off her shoes.
“Yeah, same with my brother and me. Can I stay overnight?”
Her eyes reflected surprise. “You want to stay?”
“I want to stay every night.” Fooling around and leaving afterwards wasn’t enough anymore.
They stood there at what appeared to be an impasse. Sam may want her, but he wasn’t going to push or beg. He wasn’t going to accept anything she wasn’t a hundred percent willing to give. Maybe an invitation to a family get-together and hand-holding didn’t mean anything after all.
“It’s okay. I think I better get home.” He pushed his feet into his boots and was halfway across the yard when she called his name.
“Sam,” she called again. “You can stay.”
They spent an hour watching some show. Sam couldn’t even describe what it was about. There was too much nervous energy, either from him or her or both of them. He then watched her go through her ritual of getting ready for bed: changing into pajama shorts and a tank top before slipping on his hoodie to wash her face and brush her teeth. She handed him an extra new toothbrush that had been stored in the cabinet. Luna removed the hoodie, put on the fuzziest socks he’d ever seen, before sliding beneath a big, fluffy white comforter.
She watched him as he peeled off his clothes, except his boxer briefs, before climbing into bed. It was hard to explain why all of this was nerve-racking, and more intimate than sex, but it was. Luna had become withdrawn. There was none of the usual banter to ease the tension.
As soon as the lights flicked off, she captured his mouth in an aggressive kiss, but he pulled away. “Wait. Let’s just stop for a minute.”
Luna shrank to her side of the bed.
Sam brushed the hair from her cheek. “What exactly do you want, Lu?”
“I don’t want to want anything.”
He wasn’t sure why she would say that but he understood the sentiment itself. “Okay.” His thumb traced along her cheekbone. “After the accident, I didn’t want to want anything either. It’s tricky, right? You can’t stop yourself from wanting things but knowing it can all be taken away can be pretty scary.”
“Yeah.” Even in the darkness of the room her eyes stayed with him. “What do you want, Sam?”
“Can we start with something simple?”
“Sure.”
“Turn over to your other side.”
Luna turned away from him, and he molded his body to hers, pressing his face into the soft skin at her neck. The scent of flowers and cotton candy enveloped his head, and he took a long, deep breath, soaking the smell into his lungs. He lived for this scent now.
