Page 114 of Mud, Love, and Chemistry

As the spinning stops briefly, I begin unbuttoning his shirt. The first button is so infinitesimally small that it slips from my fingers several times.

With a groan, Sam grabs my hand. “Here, let me,” he says against my mouth, and finishes the rest of the buttons.

I slide the shirt over his taut shoulders and down his arms, my fingertips brushing his skin and burning for more.

He peppers kisses along my jaw and down my throat to nuzzle into the crook of my neck. His hands slip the straps of my dress down, so he can kiss across my collarbone.

As my head lolls back, the spinning returns, and I have to snap my head up.

Sam pulls back. “You okay?”

“Mhm.” I nod, but halt when I feel like I’m going to fall over.

“Maybe we should stop.”

I pout. “What? No. I don’t want to stop.”

I reach for him, but he grabs my wrist. His eyes narrow as they flick between mine.

“Sam,” I breathe, dropping my gaze to his mouth. “Kiss me, please.”

He huffs, still scrutinizing me, but doesn’t make a move.

I bite down on my lower lip and thrust my chest out. “I need you.”

With a shudder, he steps forward to pin me again. He cups the back of my head and wraps the other around my waist as if to steady me. His kiss is more tender now. The passion from a minute ago isn’t there. It’s still a great kiss, but it’s different, like he’s handling me with kid gloves.

Well, I’m not going for that kind of night. I want this to obliterate our friend-zone.

I push him backward until his back hits the door. The force of the collision makes him grunt, but his kiss doesn’t waver. When I hike my leg up around his hip, he grips my ass firmly to keep me pressed against him, and the passion returns.

I’m moaning, groaning, and grinding my way toward an orgasm when suddenly, my body goes slack. I can’t even hold my head up.

“Whoa, Brynn,” Sam says, his voice full of concern as he holds me up.

I mumble something, but even I don’t know what I’m trying to say. I simply fall into Sam’s embrace, trusting him. The last thing I remember before the world goes black, is Sam telling me he’ll take care of me.

And I believe him.

***

“Sam?” I say, though my voice is weak. My mouth and throat are so dry, I can’t even swallow. As I sit up, I rub my eyes, trying to get them to focus in the muted sunlight streaming through the curtains. Scooting up to rest my back against the wall, I drop my gaze to the side table to see a glass of water and two aspirin tablets. I toss them back, exerting all my self-restraint to not chug the water. With a long exhale, I knock my head against the wall. I’m in Sam’s bed.

Alone.

What happened last night? I remember most of it, though the end is a bit hazy. I know I told him to bring me home, and while I don’t remember exactly what happened once we got here, I know it was getting hot and heavy. Did it get hotter and heavier? How far did we go?

I throw back the blanket, relieved but confused when I see I’m not wearing my dress. Instead, I’m clad in a pair of what seem to be Sam’s sweatpants and a t-shirt. I don’t remember putting these on. Did Sam undress and re-dress me?

Pulling the neckline of the t-shirt out, I dip my chin down to also see I’m still wearing my bra. Confusion washes over me. So, I didn’t get naked, but I didn’t put these clothes on either. What the hell went on here last night?

As if he hears my question, Sam strolls through the bedroom door with a mug in one hand and a plate in the other. His face lights up when he sees me. “Hey, you’re awake.”

“Yeah. I woke up a few minutes ago.”

“That’s good. I was afraid you’d sleep all day.” He walks to the bed and takes a seat, setting the mug on the table and handing me the plate. “Here, I made you some toast. I figured you’d need something in your stomach before you take the...” His eyes drop to the side table. “Aspirin.”

“Too late,” I say, snatching the toast and taking several bites. “Thank you.”

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