It had definitely been a good idea to come out and spend some time on the boat, Sam thought a few hours later. The sky was completely clear, the temperature was unseasonably warm for late March, and having Shelby to himself with no distractions was the icing on the cake.
Her boat was a bowrider – similar to the one his future brother-in-law had – but Shelby’s was a little newer. When they had pulled up at the marina, he was a little surprised. When she said she liked to go sailing, he envisioned her having an actual sailboat, not a sporty motorized boat.
It was a pleasant surprise and he loved how she let him drive.
Spending his summers in Magnolia Sound had meant he learned how to sail at a young age. His cousin Mason had a boat of his own that they used to go out on frequently in the last several years, but Shelby’s boat was the first he felt comfortable at behind the wheel. Looking over at her, he smiled. Her hair was up in a messy bun, she had on sunglasses, her head was thrown back and she was just enjoying the feel of the sun on her face.
She was breathtaking.
Yeah, he couldn’t ever remember thinking that of a woman who was dressed as casually as Shelby currently was, but then again, there was nothing about their relationship that was usual for him. It didn’t seem to matter what they were doing, he enjoyed it mainly because it was with her. He loved listening to her talk and hearing her great laugh, but most of all he loved how she accepted him for who he was.
Looking straight ahead, he tried to find a place where they could drop anchor for a little while and have some lunch. There wasn’t a lot of traffic out on the water, but he still hoped to find a spot that wouldn’t be in anyone’s way. There weren’t any secluded areas to dock and he knew no matter what, they were going to be on display somehow.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of color and when he turned, he felt his heart kick hard in his chest.
Shelby had taken off her sweatshirt and revealed the skin-tight bathing suit she had on underneath.
His mouth went dry and he quickly maneuvered the boat a little closer to a wooded area and turned it off. Turning, he stared down at her and had to hide a smile as she looked around in confusion.
“We’re stopping already? Are you hungry?”
And that was the best thing about Shelby – she was adorably naïve.
And he meant that in the nicest possible way.
There wasn’t anything coy about her and her mind wasn’t set on playing games. She was legitimately concerned about whether or not he was ready for lunch.
She climbed to her feet and stretched and Sam’s mind instantly went where it shouldn’t.
How the fabric clung to her.
How hard her nipples were.
It was torture not to reach out and touch her right now, but he was really trying not to pounce. Swallowing hard, he said, “I could eat.”
She smiled brightly at him and immediately began setting up their food. There was a small area where a table folded out and within minutes, she had lunch spread out for them. Sam joined her and as they ate, they shared stories about their experiences out on different boats.
“I always love the Magnolia Boat Parade on Memorial Day weekend,” she said with a look of pure bliss on her face. “Have you ever been here for that?”
Sam shook his head.
“It’s amazing. There’s one early in the day and the shore is lined with people waving…anyone can join the long line of boats and it’s always a lot of fun waving to the little kids who are sitting on the dock waving their flags.”
“Is there another one?”
She nodded. “After dark, there’s another parade and the boats that sail through are decorated with twinkly lights – you know, like Christmas lights – all in red, white, and blue. So many people get creative and make a design out of the lights and you can’t see what it is until after dark. You should really try to see it this year.”
Unable to help himself, he grinned. “Know of a good spot I could scope out so I could watch?”
For a minute, she must not have understood what he was implying, but then a beautiful and shy smile crossed her face. “I might have a few suggestions.” She paused. “But maybe I should show them to you myself.”
Reaching across the table, he took one of her hands in his. “I wouldn’t want to watch it any other way.”
They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes before continuing their conversation about their favorite type of boats. As much as he enjoyed a good sailboat, it was nice not to have to put in so much work on this trip. He was surprised when Shelby expressed the same thing.
“My father has a sailboat that he honestly adores,” she said, “and we still go out on it as a family at least once a month when the weather is good, but I didn’t want something like that. He got me a great deal on this boat and it’s the perfect size for me.”
“Someday I hope to have a boat of my own, but it’s never been a big priority,” he admitted. “I get my sailing fix in while I’m here in the summer – or at least, that’s the way it was when I was growing up. Now I know whenever I come home to visit, there’s always going to be at least one that I can use if the urge hits.”
She nodded but her smile faded a bit.
Tilting his head, he considered her. What did he say wrong?
“You’re counting down the days until you can go back to Virginia, I’m sure,” she said casually and that’s when it hit him.
He wasn’t.
Not anymore.
Reaching across the table, he took one of her hands in his and clasped it firmly. “If you had asked me that a month ago I would have said yes. Hell, if you had asked me three weeks ago, I would have said it.” He paused and looked down at their hands. “But I haven’t even thought about my life back there since we met.” Now his eyes met hers and he saw the stunned look on her face. “I don’t know what the future is going to bring, Shelby. I can’t give you any kind of guarantee. All I know is that right now, my life and everything I want is right here.”
“Sam…”
“It’s true,” he said. “I have a calendar in my room that I was crossing off the days on before we met. I haven’t even looked at it since that night. That’s not my focus right now. I think for the last several months, I was so focused on all the reasons I wanted to leave because there wasn’t a reason for me to stay.”
“Your family is here,” she reminded him quietly.
As much as Sam knew that, it was hard to explain why it wasn’t more of a draw to him. And when he looked up at Shelby, he knew he owed her a response.
“I’m very close to my mother and my sister,” he began and then let out a soft laugh. “Well, with Mallory and I being twins you probably could guess that.”
She nodded.
“My mom raised us.” He paused. “My dad left when Mallory and I were five and we haven’t seen or heard much from him since.”
“Oh, my goodness! That’s horrible!”
But Sam shook his head. “Not really. He wasn’t overly interested in being a parent and having him around just created a really negative atmosphere. My mom used to try so hard to keep up appearances and I honestly think she was relieved when he finally left.”
“Wow.”
“Growing up, it was always the three of us. We’re this tight little family unit and we did everything and went everywhere together.” He paused. “It may sound crazy or maybe a little selfish, but…I don’t know…I think I liked the idea of finally having my own identity. A place where I wasn’t Susannah’s son or Mallory’s brother or Ezekiel’s great-grandson. I was able to just be me – a guy who could walk around and live his life without they eyes of his family or the entire town watching him.” He let out a mirthless laugh. “Lot of good that did me. Turns out the real me is just as much of a screw-up as the one linked to the family and it doesn’t matter who’s watching.”
She was still wearing her sunglasses so he couldn’t tell for sure what she was thinking, but when she stood up he had to admit he was more than a little confused. Stepping around the table, she came to stand beside him, her hand still in his.
“I don’t think you’re a screw-up,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “I think you’re an incredible man. A kind man.” With her free hand, she caressed the side of his face. “You’re someone I’m so thankful I met and who I love spending time with.” She paused. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. I like the man that you are, Sam.”
God, she was sweet. Didn’t she realize she was too good for him? Shouldn’t it bother her more that he made so many mistakes or how so many people were disappointed in him? He studied her face long and hard as he struggled to find the right words to say. There was a small part of him that knew he should warn her – to tell her not to waste her time with him – but he couldn’t because there was a much bigger part of him that needed her.
Needed her more than he had ever needed anyone in his entire life.
Shelby made him feel like he had a clean slate – she never talked about the things he did or the rumors she’d heard about him. In her eyes, it was like she met a stranger who she wanted to know. She didn’t care where he came from or what he’d done before. She was simply interested in the man he was now.
She tugged on his hand until he stood up. She bowed her head. “And what I’d really like is to spend some time with you…um…down below in the cabin.”
Even though Sam heard the words, he was afraid to believe them. Reaching up, he cupped her chin. “Shelby?”
She looked up at him and Sam removed her sunglasses. He saw the uncertainty there right alongside the desire. She was such a contradiction at times and yet…he’d never wanted a woman more.
“Please,” she whispered.
Then he nodded and let her lead the way to the tiny cabin below.
This was it.
This was happening.
This was her being a seductress.
As Shelby crawled onto the tiny bed she began to second-guess her plan. Maybe this wasn’t the right place for them to make love for the first time.
There was nothing sexy about crawling in the small space, but when she turned around, the look on Sam’s face said otherwise. He tugged his t-shirt up and over his head before tossing it to the floor. Next, he kicked off his shoes, but all Shelby could look at was his chest – tan and muscled and just a light dusting of hair…it was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. He rested one knee on the bed and placed a hand on her calf and she felt herself shiver. Then he gently caressed her skin before sliding down beside her.
Everything about him felt wonderful – the warmth of his skin, the touch of his hand – and even as they lay there face to face doing nothing more than gazing at each other while his hand lazily touched her, it was enough to make her forget to be nervous.
The first kiss was tentative – a mere brushing of their lips – but after that, it was clear they both wanted more. Their tongues dueled as Shelby rolled onto her back and Sam carefully covered one side of her body. Her hand skimmed up his back and up into his hair to anchor him to her – not that she needed to. He seemed equally anxious to keep her as close as possible too.
She wished they had more room because she wanted to roll around with him, but part of her knew this confined space had its perks as well.
He breathed her name as his mouth moved across her cheek and down across her shoulder. With deft hands, he caressed his way down her body and swiftly removed her shorts. There was no shyness to her as she gladly kicked them away. Then Sam lifted up slightly and looked down at her.
“Damn, Shelby,” he cupped her cheek in his hand. “You take my breath away.” He paused again and gave her a lopsided grin. “When you took off your sweatshirt earlier, I thought I was going to have a heart attack.” He played with the strap of her suit. “All this clingy fabric left little to the imagination and all I could think of was how I couldn’t wait to see you out of it – to unwrap you like some sort of sexy present.”
Blushing, she removed her hands from where they were resting on his shoulders and let them fall to the mattress. Her heart was beating so loud and so hard that she was certain she was going to pass out. How had she gone her entire life without a man looking at her like this? His gaze was so hot, so sexy, that it made her want to squirm and look away, but she couldn’t. It held her captive.
“Sam?”
“Hmm?”
“Unwrap me. Please.” She barely recognized the breathy voice, but it didn’t matter. Sam’s hands were already on the move and as he slowly peeled the Lycra from her body, she was too overwhelmed with sensations to utter another word.
His work-roughened hands felt incredible on her bare skin. She was overly sensitive everywhere right now and when she closed her eyes, it was as if he were touching her everywhere at once. Her legs were restless and she felt like she was on fire one minute and then chilled the next. The only thing she could think of was how she hoped she didn’t freak out or embarrass herself.
Kissing his way down her body, Sam would stop and linger a little here, a little there – just enough to make her squirm – before moving on to another spot. Shelby felt worshipped by the time her bathing suit was on the floor, next to her shorts and his shirt. Turning toward him, she was just about to wrap one leg over his hip when she gasped and tried to sit up.
“Shelby? What’s the matter? Are you okay?” he asked, panic and concern lacing his voice. No doubt he was having a flashback to the way she had reacted the same way the first time they kissed.
“I…I forgot something up on deck,” she stammered nervously, one arm going over her breasts, covering herself.
Great time to go shy, Shelby.
He looked at her oddly even as he began to move off the bed. “Oh, okay,” he said slowly, but he didn’t look any less concerned. “What is it? I can go up and get it for you if you’d like.”
Ugh…kill me now, she thought.
Averting her eyes out of sheer embarrassment, she said, “Um…yes. Please.” She paused and quickly glanced at him and saw he was still watching her expectantly. “Condoms,” she forced herself to say, her voice cracking slightly. “I…I put some condoms in the side pocket of the cooler bag and…and I forgot to bring them down here. So…yeah. Condoms.”
Oh, God. Can I say the word condoms any more?
Sam instantly stopped moving and a slow smile played at his lips. “You brought condoms with you?” And yes, there was amusement in his voice.
Still unable to look directly at him, she focused on his shoulder as she nodded.
And then the greatest thing happened – standing up, Sam stripped down to his boxer briefs before he crawled back onto the bed with her so they were pressed together from head to toe. He rested his forehead against hers and gave her the sexiest smile she had ever seen.
They were skin-to-skin everywhere and it felt so good that her nerves and embarrassment seemed to simply go away.
Thank God.
“Shelby Abbott, were you planning on seducing me?” he asked in the lowest, gruffest tone she’d ever heard from him.
Licking her lips as his body settled over hers, she nodded.
“Tell me,” he begged. “Because I think that is the sexiest thing ever.”
“Really?”
He nodded.
She swallowed hard and hoped she didn’t sound like an idiot. “I…I wanted to seduce you. I’ve been thinking about it for days.” She looked away, embarrassed by what she was about to admit. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I went out and bought a different bathing suit – a bikini – but I wasn’t brave enough to wear it. I thought it would look like I was trying too hard and I knew it would just distract me.” Then she did look back at him. “But the other stuff…the…you know…I was hopeful and wanted to be prepared.”
Tilting his head, he let out a breath next to her ear, giving her chills. “Can I let you in on a little secret?”
She nodded again.
“I was hopeful and prepared too,” he whispered, licking the shell of her ear. “I’m glad we’re on the same page.” Then he gently bit the spot he had just licked and Shelby practically bucked off the bed.
“Really?” she asked again, knowing how ridiculous she was starting to sound.
“Yeah. Really.” And then one finger traced along the side of her face, her jaw, down the slender column of her throat before stopping and teasing the swell of her breasts. “You’re so beautiful, Shelby.” He placed a light kiss on her shoulder. “So soft.”
Her eyes fluttered closed as he rained soft, gentle kisses over all the places he had just touched. He wasn’t doing anything to rush her, almost as if he was letting her set the pace. And as much as she was enjoying the slow seduction, she was ready for more.
“Sam?”
“Yes?”
“Are we going to put all that preparedness to good use?” And for the first time in her life, she embraced her boldness, maneuvering them until she was wrapping her arms and legs tightly around him.
Rocking gently against her, he replied, “Baby, we most certainly are.”
The sun was going down and the air was definitely cooler as Shelby and Sam walked up to her house. She couldn’t stop smiling and it seemed Sam was the same way. That made her feel even more tingly than she already did.
Sex.
Wow.
Yeah, it was hard to go beyond one syllable because he had completely blown her mind – multiple times. She had to fight the urge to giggle and blush just thinking about it.
After they had made love the first time, Shelby was fairly certain she had died and gone to heaven. It was a cliché, for sure, but it was exactly how she felt. She didn’t know it was possible to be so thoroughly satisfied and invigorated even as she lay there exhausted and panting for breath.
Sam had gone up on deck to grab the remains of their lunch and dessert and they ate in the tiny bed. Part of her wanted to go up on deck and just…just…be naked in the sun and then make love again up there. Unfortunately, she wasn’t that brave and when Sam had leaned in and licked a small spot of brownie icing from her lips, she had forgotten all about moving anywhere and simply reveled in the feeling of being loved by this man.
Best. Day. Ever.
She was slightly sunburnt from all the time they did spend out on deck and the plan was for them to come back to her place so she could shower and Sam would go pick up takeout for them for dinner.
And then hopefully spend the night.
Once inside the house, they worked together to unpack the few containers from the cooler bag and wash them – all the while finding excuses to be near each other. They kissed and laughed and talked about everything and nothing at all.
And it was amazing.
After a few minutes, Shelby took Sam by the hand and led him through the house and to her bedroom. It was the first time she was bringing him in here and she was glad she had waited because right now felt perfect. The bikini she had discarded earlier was on the floor and she caught Sam looking at it.
“Next time we go out on the boat, I promise to wear it,” she said quietly, giving him a shy smile.
To her surprise, he walked over and scooped the two pieces off of the floor and let them dangle from his fingers. “Or…you could model it for me right now.”
She could feel herself blushing.
From head to toe.
Put on the bikini now? Like…get changed right there in front of him? It seemed a bit scandalous and more than a little intimidating to her. “Uh…now?”
Laughing softly, he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “Not if it makes you uncomfortable,” he said. “But I have to admit, now that I’ve seen it, I’m going to be incredibly curious to see what you look like in it.”
Before she could second-guess herself, Shelby grabbed the pieces and ran to the bathroom to change. Sure it seemed a little late for her to be playing modest after being naked with him for most of the afternoon, but…
“I’m a total chicken,” she murmured, shutting the bathroom door behind her. She quickly stripped out of her one-piece and shorts and slipped on the bikini. Other than a quick glance in the mirror to finger-comb her hair, she refused to look at her full reflection so she couldn’t chicken out of walking back into the bedroom.
With a steadying breath, she opened the door and found Sam lounging on her bed.
And he looked really good there.
He instantly sat straight up with wide eyes. “Damn, Shelby,” he said in awe. “You look…incredible.” Slowly, he came to his feet and walked over to her, which was good because she suddenly felt frozen to the spot. His warm hands settled on her waist as he hungrily looked her over from head to toe. “It’s a good thing you didn’t wear this earlier.”
“How come?” she whispered.
His dark eyes met hers. “Because if you had, we might not have ever left the marina. I would have taken you down to the cabin and kept you there all day.” He played with the bow on her hip and smiled. “Well this is certainly handy.”
This time she did giggle. “You think so?”
“Oh, I know so.” He gently tugged at the bow and his smile grew as it began to loosen.
And once that bow was loose, the other one quickly followed. Next thing Shelby knew, Sam was lifting her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her over to the bed and they tumbled onto it.
They laughed even as they kissed, and as they rolled around on her queen-sized bed, she felt incredibly happy.
Plus, it was nice to experience making love with Sam in a real bed now.
The bikini top seemed to disappear under his deft hands and she did her best to help him undress just as quickly.
It was a little bit of a wonder for her that they were this ready to make love again. Ever since losing her virginity at nineteen, it had been her experience that you normally did it once, maybe twice, and then…that was it for the day.
Or the night.
But considering they had done it twice on the boat and they both seemed more than ready to go for a third time, she guessed she may have been misled all this time.
And she’d never been happier about being wrong about something!
It was amazing what being in a solid and sturdy structure could do, she thought. There was definitely something to be said about having four walls around you and a floor that wasn’t rocking, even as the bed was.
When Sam rolled over onto his back and she sat up astride him, she felt empowered and by the way he looked at her, she felt beautiful.
Leaning forward, her hands cradled his face and she smiled. “Thank you,” she said.
He quirked a dark brow at her before grinning. “Not that I’m complaining, but for what?”
“For this. For today. For…everything,” she said sincerely. “I just want you to know this has been the best day for me and…”
She never got to finish because Sam reached up, fisted a hand into her hair and dragged her down for their steamiest kiss yet.
And then she was lost and it was well over an hour before she could even remember where she was or what day it was.
Her stomach growled loudly and she wanted to die of embarrassment.
Luckily, Sam’s followed suit and they both ended up laughing.
“I think that’s my cue to get up and go get us some dinner,” he said, kissing her one more time before rolling off the bed. Sliding on his boxers, he looked down at her with a very satisfied look on his face. “Any chance you want to stay here like that so we can eat Chinese food naked in bed?”
She hummed as if considering it but then couldn’t help but laugh. “Not a chance. I imagine there would be rice everywhere!”
“Oh, you’re no fun,” he teased as he finished dressing.
Shelby was up and doing the same – opting to put on a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt rather than what she wore earlier. Honestly, she wished she could grab a quick shower while he was gone, but she wasn’t sure she’d have enough time.
They walked out into the living room and Shelby called in their order. Hanging up, she looked over at him. “Ten minutes.”
Sam chuckled. “It’s always ten minutes, have you ever noticed that?”
At first she looked at him oddly, then realized he was right. “Oh, my goodness! I never did until now! That’s wild!”
He was still grinning as he slipped his shoes on and gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” And then he was out the door.
Closing it behind him, she was about to make a run for the shower when her phone rang. She contemplated for all of three seconds before she walked over and answered it.
“Hey, Dad!” she said upon seeing his name on the screen. “How are you?”
“Hey, Shelly-bean! How’s my girl today?”
As goofy as it was, the nickname always made her smile. Sitting down on the sofa, she put her feet up on the coffee table. “I’m good, thanks. What’s up?”
“I was wondering if you could volunteer in the nursery tomorrow? Mrs. Grant is down with the stomach flu. Can you cover for her?”
“Of course,” she said happily. “You know I always love to have an excuse to go and snuggle babies! Who else will be in there with me?”
“Mrs. Mackie and Mrs. O’Hara,” he said, “and Mrs. O’Hara’s daughter, Elizabeth.”
“Are you sure you’ll even need me in there?” she asked. “It sounds like there’s already more than enough hands on deck.”
He laughed softly. “We have twelve babies under nine months old in there. Trust me – they need you.”
“Okay, no worries. I’m your girl! I’ll be there at eight. Will that work?”
“Absolutely. And thank you, Shelby. I appreciate you being willing to help.”
“Nonsense, Dad. You know you only have to ask and I’m willing to help out. If I wasn’t in the nursery, I’d probably be in one of the other children’s ministry rooms.”
“I wish you’d get to sit for a sermon once in a while.”
“You and me both,” she said with a small sigh. “But it’s a good thing I can listen to it online.”
“It was a great idea to make the sermons available online, Shelby. I can’t thank you enough for that. So many of our parishioners have commented on how much they appreciate having the option when they’re sick or away on vacation.”
“I’d heard of other churches doing it and figured why not ours? Just because we’re small doesn’t mean we can’t keep up with technology to help reach out to our church family.”
“You make me proud, Shelly-bean.”
“Dad…”
“Alright, alright, no teasing,” he said lightly. “How about lunch tomorrow after church? Your mother is making a pot roast and we’d love to spend some time with you.”
“That sounds great.”
Maybe she could ask Sam if he’d like to join her…
Wait, was it too soon to introduce him to her parents?
“I’ve got some other calls to make to guarantee all the classes are covered tomorrow. Have a good night.”
“Thanks, Dad! You too!” After she hung up, Shelby put the phone down and thought more about Sam and her parents. She’d never seen him at church before – and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Maybe he had a church back in Virginia that he went to and maybe he didn’t want to get too involved in the community here since he didn’t plan on staying. Or maybe no one had ever invited him to church before and she could be the one to do that!
That idea was a little exciting to her.
But…his mother attended and so did his sister and her fiancé…and his cousins.
Okay, so not ever being invited to church clearly wasn’t the issue.
Getting to her feet, she decided to wait until he got back and simply ask him herself rather than sit and guess. To distract herself, she got out plates and silverware and placed them on the coffee table before heading back into the kitchen and pouring them each some sweet tea. She had wine on hand and some beer, but it had already been a long day and right now she wanted something a little more refreshing. If Sam wanted something different, he knew he could help himself.
When he walked in the door ten minutes later, she took the bag from him and placed it on the table just as she blurted, “Want to come to church with me tomorrow?”
He looked at her oddly for a moment. “Um…what?”
Shelby told him about the conversation with her father and how she would love for him to come to church with her and she’d find a way to get someone to cover the second hour of childcare so she could sit with him.
“Wait,” he interrupted, “why are you volunteering in childcare? Doesn’t the church have a staff for that?”
“We have volunteers,” she explained. “And one of them is ill and my father called and asked if I could fill in.” She smiled. “I’m sure if I called him back and told him I was bringing someone with me to church, he could find an additional volunteer to help out. What do you think?”
He was standing so still that Shelby almost wanted to reach out and touch him to make sure he was all right.
“Sam?”
Shaking his head slightly, he looked at her. His expression was a little bit pained. “Uh…who is your father?”
Smiling, she replied, “Steve Abbott. He’s the pastor of Magnolia Baptist Church. Didn’t you know that?”