Without a word, he picked me up, sitting me on his lap on the bench. “Not really. I think we’ve been dancing around each other for a long time. By the time we finally got together, it was bound to be…well...”
“I guess so.”
“A bit more complicated then you intended, hmm?”
“You could say that.”
“Do you really want to just stop?”
“No.” I leaned my head against his shoulder, getting comfortable. Not hiding. Something other than that.
“All right then.”
“All right then,” I mimicked in a deep voice. “You’re so full of shit, pretending to go along with everything. ‘You’re in charge, Martha.’ ‘Whatever you say, Martha.’”
“I’m your servant in all things, love,” he said, the smile obvious in his voice. “I just try to help you along occasionally is all.”
“Yeah, right.” I sighed. “I’m not just using you for sex. I don’t know what it is, but…anyway.”
“Well, I’m certainly glad to hear you can admit it. Even if you are describing us as but anyway.”
“Shut up,” I grumbled.
He just laughed. Bastard.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“You cannot be serious.”
Sam smirked, keeping his gaze on the road. And looking very handsome in blue jeans, a gray T-shirt, and his black leather jacket. Though in all fairness, he made most things look hot. Despite my best efforts, I’d come to realize it was just a me and him state of being. The effect the man had on me had sadly, steadily escalated over the last few days of sleeping together. (Out in the pool house, not in my room. Gibby loved surprising me with an early wake-up and no child needed to see that much skin so soon in life.) You’d think us fucking like rabbits would have calmed things down, satiated the hunger, so to speak. But no. The desire for Sam was like a constant hum beneath my skin, a warmth spreading through my body at the mere thought of him or the sound of his name. Just as bad as some sappy love song. All in all, very disturbing. And yet…
“Lizzy, no,” I said, turning in the passenger seat to give her a glare.
“Martha, yes.” She flipped her hair, checking her makeup in a compact. Then she rested her arm on the empty kid’s car seat at her side. “This is happening. I mean, I told you, we’re going out for drinks. Isn’t that what I said, Sam?”
“That is indeed exactly what you said, Mrs. Nicholson,” he dutifully answered.
I gasped. “Don’t you dare take her side.”
“Sorry, love.”
“You two are so cute together.” Liz grinned. “Have I mentioned that? Because you are, you’re absolutely adorable.”
“Shut up,” I grouched.
The woman in the back seat just happy-sighed. “Anyhoo, as I was saying. It’s too late to back out now. I’ve told them you’re coming. You don’t want to look like you’re scared of them or something, do you? Big bad Martha afraid of having drinks with the wives.”
“Why, you little…”
The executive protection officer chuckled all amused-like. Until he caught me glaring at him out of the corner of his eye. “Sorry. That just slipped out.”
“You seem to be spending a lot of time in this relationship apologizing, Sam,” Lizzy said. “Is that going to wind up being a problem somewhere down the track?”
He licked his fine lips. “I’ve made peace with it, Mrs. Nicholson. After all, every relationship has its compromises.”
“Fair enough.”
“I hate you both.” I stared out at the passing lights of inner city Portland. Furious yet resigned. Mostly furious. Resigned was just the side dish and boy, did it taste bitter.