“No, I never said it was, did I? If anything, I said most people would think it’s a nice thing.”
“So why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re not interested in getting serious with me.”
Her throat choked at that. “Oh.”
He sighed. “See.”
She peeped up at him. “No.”
“No? What does that mean?”
“It means, no.”
He grunted. “Explain, Samantha.”
“It means, that was before. This is now.”
She couldn’t stop herself from sliding across the seat, couldn’t stop herself from nestling into him, and when he lifted an arm and wrapped it around her shoulder, she cuddled into him harder. In his arms, she truly found a safe haven.
She’d never expected to find a man’s embrace secure. But with him, she did.
In fact, there were many things she never expected to find herself doing with another man, and yet with Josh, it was as easy as breathing.
It was crazy. Insane. She knew that. She did.
They barely knew each other. Not really. Not for long without Jamie’s toxic influence, and yet, this felt so right where it had always felt so wrong with her husband.
Tucked close to him, she whispered, “I-I think about more with you.”
He stiffened. “You do?”
“Yes.” She peeped up at him. “Is that a bad thing?”
“No. It’s a great thing,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Look, I’ve been trying to think of ways to tell you this, Sam, but it’s hard because I’ve never felt this way before and I know you haven’t really wanted that from me anyway… But I’ve come to realize the reason you’re so special is because I love you.”
She tensed in his arms, then turned slightly so she could look up at him. “You do?”
He nodded, and she could see the tension written into his features. Could see how very hard that had been for him to admit.
She bit her lip, and whispered, “I feel the same.” Then, she squeezed her eyes shut. “I know I shouldn’t love you. Not so quickly.”
“Who says that?” he demanded, and he reached for her hand so he could squeeze it. “Nobody knows how the heart works, Sam. Nobody. And I know you’ve barely been without Jamie, I know you should probably have more time to yourself, but why? Why be alone when you can be with me and we can be happy together?”
“I know you’re right,” she whispered, staring up at him, feeling like she had the moon in her eyes and the sun in her heart. “I-I…. people can say what they want. They don’t know what I went through. In all our years together, Jamie never made me feel as cherished as you’ve done in the past few months. And, from this moment on, you don’t have to think about him.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I know you’re careful with me, Josh. I know you think I’m breakable, like porcelain. But I’m not. You don’t have to think that. I’m tough, I’m strong. I can handle anything you have to give.”
Josh gulped. “I hate him for what he did to you.”
“You think I don’t? But you know what? The best way to beat him, Josh, is for us to be happy together. And do you know what? I really think that’s possible. I really think we can be deliriously happy together.”
His grin made a cheeky appearance then. “You do, huh?”
She laughed. “Yeah. I do. I know it, in fact.”