How could she do that to me?
I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life. Samuel probably won’t come near me after this and I really like him. How is it, everyone else gets to be with who they want except me? I understand the legal part, but no one would’ve known.
Mom and Dad get to be together. Uncle Vlad and Aunt Sammi get to be together. Uncle Dresden and Aunt Shannon get to be together. No one says a thing about that. But me and Samuel, God forbid!
I jump at the click of my bedroom door opening. Samuel steps in and closes the door behind him. The muscles of his chest are lean and perfect. His side is bandaged with slight bruises peeking out around the edges.
In two strides, he’s flush against me, his mouth on mine. I wrap my hands around his neck and hug him tight. After a few minutes, I’m dizzy from his kiss and he leans his forehead against mine.
“You’re mom’s right, Sori.”
“What?”
I push away from him and stalk across the room, flopping down on the edge of the bed. Samuel sighs and tears trickle down my face. I knew this would happen. He kneels in front of me and rests his arms on my legs.
“I’m still yours, Sori. Your mom isn’t saying we can’t be together. She doesn’t want to see me get arrested. I don’t think you want that either.”
“Of course not.”
“She doesn’t want you to get hurt and neither do I.”
“So, now what?”
“We hold off on the physical part. Well, anything past me kissing you because there is no way I’m going to stop doing that.”
I glance up through my lashes. He’s got that little smirk on his face I love. The truth is plain enough though. He won’t stick around without the physical part. All men are like that. It’s the one thing a girl learns inside the rings that applies everywhere.
“Whatever.”
He cups the side of my face, tilting his head to the side. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“No guy will wait around forever, Sam. Even I know that.”
He sits back on his legs, his lips pressing into a firm line. That’s his “agent face”— all serious and agitated.
“So, you think because I can’t have sex with you right now, I won’t stick around.”
I nod, more tears forming in my eyes. “That’s how all men are.”
“Well, you’ve met all the wrong kind of men. I’m not like that and you should know that by now. Sorina, I love you. I’d spend my life with you even if I wasn’t ever allowed to have sex with you.”
Did he just say . . . oh, damn?
“You love me?”
He laughs, pushing off the floor and into my arms. We sink onto the bed and he holds me close, running his fingers through my hair and tucking strands of it behind my ear.
“Yes, I love you. You can be really blind sometimes, girl.”
“Shut up.”
He laughs harder and kisses me gently. “Well?”
“Well, what?” I cock my head to the side, gazing at him and fighting to keep the grin off my face.
“You know what and I’m not kissing you again until you say it.”
I lean up and try to press my lips to his, but he moves.