Page 37 of Broken Bonds

Unable to help myself, I cross the room and grab her, pulling her into another kiss. She gasps, an indication I’ve taken her by surprise, but then she melts into me. I find the tie of her robe and begin to undo it, but she stops me again.

“Shower first,” she insists.

“I don’t need to,” I tell her.

She nods. “I’m clean, so now you need to get clean too. You’ll feel so much better, believe me.”

I let out a huff of breath and roll my eyes, but nod. “Fine. I’ll shower.”

“Thank you,” she says with a grin. “And when you come out, I’ll be waiting in bed for you, okay?”

The sparkle in her eyes tells is all the motivation I need. I step away from her and hurry to the bathroom, stripping off my clothes as I go.

“I have to admit, you were right. I do feel so much better now that I’m clean…”

My words trail off as I step out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist, steam billowing out behind me. My gaze falls on Samantha, who is indeed in bed, but is curled up on her side sound asleep. Damn. Should’ve seen that coming. I knew she was tired, and the truth is, I’m exhausted too.

As disappointed as I am that our intimacy is clearly postponed yet again, my heart still twists at the sight of her. She’s so beautiful. Her prosthetic is resting against the end table next to the bed, and that feels my chest with tender warmth that she has become so trusting and comfortable around me that she so easily lets that part of her be visible to me. It’s another privilege I know I don’t deserve, but one I’m extremely grateful for. Tossing my towel away, I climb up into the bed behind her and wrap my body around hers.

She shifts at my touch and turns her head toward me, her eyes cracking open as she gives me a sleepy smile.

“Hey,” she murmurs. “Sorry I’m being such a bummer. I didn’t realize how tired I was…”

“It’s okay,” I assure her, pressing a kiss to her hair. “I’m happy to just hold you while we sleep. So long as your near me, that’s all I really need.”

She wiggles against me, the press of my erection making it obvious that that’s not all I really need. She turns fully in my arms and places a sweet kiss on my lips.

“Don’t lie to me,” she teases. “You’re dying right now, aren’t you?”

I groan. “I mean…yes, kind of, but you’re tired, and…”

She hooks her leg over my hip. “I’m never too tired for you.”

I freeze as she opens up to me and my length presses up to her warm, wet flesh.

“Is that right?” I murmur.

She nods, biting her lip. “It is. Maybe we should just take the edge off and then take a nap. What do you say?”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” I grin before rolling her onto back to lose myself in her arms.

“Samantha, you know how much I love you, right?”

“Hmm? Of course I do.” She looks up at me with a little confused frown. “Is there any doubt in your mind yet about how I feel about you?”

“No,” I assure her, though some days it’s easier than others to believe her affection for me isn’t a by-product of our long-severed bond. “I just have something I want to ask you, but I don’t want to ask you unless I’m certain you love me.”

We’re lying together in bed, having spent the afternoon alternating between napping and making love. Our luggage still needs unpacked, and I’m starting to get hungry, but I’m reluctant to get up and let her out of my arms. I decided to prolong our time together in this intimate little bubble by asking her something I’d planned on asking her tonight anyway.

She pushes up onto her elbow so she can look me full in the face with a furrowed brow.

“I don’t understand. Stop being weird. You know I love you, so what is you want to ask me?”

I grin at her impatient tone. My Samantha isn’t that much of a fan of surprises after everything that happened in Antarctica, but I’m pretty certain she’s going to love this particular surprise I have for her.

I sit up in bed and urge her to do the same. When we’re facing each other, I take her hands in mine and gaze into her eyes.

“Samantha Reyes, from the moment I met you, I felt an undeniable connection that I wanted to fight against tooth and nail…”

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