Page 44 of The Love Lie
The words burn into her skin.
She rubs her chest at the sudden pang.
“I was just, um, doing something for Em.” Her voice is uncharacteristically soft, the volume low. She doesn’t know why it’s hard to explain, but it is. “Helping her with her business. She’s always been super creative, but money management isn’t her strong suit, so I was just running a few projections for her. Nothing fancy.”
“It sounds pretty fancy.”
“It really wasn’t.”
“Either way, it’s sexy.”
She snorts. “You got a math-nerd kink I don’t know about, cowboy?”
“I’m starting to think I might.” He looks down at her and winks. She swallows, fighting the sudden feeling of her heart lurching out of her chest. “I’d call it more of an impressive-woman kink. And you are, Sam. You’re impressive as hell.”
“It was just a couple of spreadsheets, Cooper.”
“I’m not talking about the spreadsheets, though I’m sure they were far more complex than you’re letting on. What you do for work? Sure, it’s impressive. But I’m talking about what you’re doing for Emily. Helping her with her business in the little bit of free time you seem to have? Dropping your entire life to switch places with her? Going through with this plan to help launch her dreams? Not everyone would do all that and expect nothing in return.”
Sam shrugs. “She’s my sister.”
“I’m an only child so maybe I just don’t get it, but I’ve seen a lot of sibling relationships and what you’re doing still seems pretty amazing to me.”
“Em would do it for me, too,” Sam answers softly, sensing his unspoken question.She already has.
But now isn’t the time to revisit the past.
“I think that’s our boat, cowboy.”
She points down the dock to where a speedboat bobs, the back half a large flat launching platform. Two employees wave them over and set them up in harnesses before helping them on board. After about ten minutes of cruising, the boat pauses and the crew hooks them up to the massive sail.
As the last clip is secured, Sam takes Cooper’s hand in a white-knuckled grip. “I should probably warn you I’m a little afraid of heights.”
He turns to study her as the boat lurches into motion. His brows furrow.
One blink, and they’re fifty feet in the air.
Another, and it’s two hundred.
Another and she forces her eyes closed, scrunches up her entire face, and starts screaming bloody murder.
“Jesus Christ, Cuj.” He has the audacity to laugh—laugh! “You’re going to blow my eardrums.”
The shriek she absolutely cannot contain continues piercing the air at increasingly higher decibels. It’s verging on inhuman. Dog whistles would be jealous. If she could bottle this up and sell it, she would. Halloween sales would be through the roof.
“For fuck’s sake, woman.”
She’s not even sorry.
“Sam.”
He squeezes her hand.
“Sam.”
He wraps his arm around her waist, digs his fingers into her hip protectively—possessively—and draws her up against him.
“Samantha.”
