Chapter Eight

The days to Valentine’s Day sped by. Riley had almost forgotten about Beto and his wedding until she padded into her kitchen the Saturday before and came face to face with the invitation stuck to her freezer door beneath an apple pie fridge magnet.

She stared at the white and gold embossed card as she popped one of Sam’s Sweetheart candies into her mouth and crunched. The tangy tart tingled her taste buds as she read the invitation for the umpteenth time.

Alberto and Juliet request the pleasure of your company at their wedding to take place on Oualie Beach on Sunday 14th February @ 4pm, followed by an evening reception at The Mill Hotel, Nevis.

The ghastly ache she got in her chest each time she read the invitation was no longer there. She felt nothing. None of the hurt, the humiliation or sense of failure she’d grown to associate with Beto’s defection. She had Sam to thank for that. Since he showed up at her door to return her phone a week ago, her life hadn’t been the same. She also learned the perks of working with her lover, had grown to like that serious scowl he wore when he stuck his head out of his office door and summoned her as if she was in deep trouble.

The first time Sam summoned her to his office that way she’d been petrified she’d messed up big time. It was two days after their night together, and she hadn’t been able to keep her mind on her job. Had spent hours trying to figure what she felt for Sam and whether he wanted to do their night together over again. She certainly had. In fact, she couldn’t stop thinking about him, and maintaining an air of total innocence in front of Denzel, his partner, was more taxing than she’d imagined. So when Sam yanked open his office door, pinned her with his blue-gray gaze, and said: “Riley, can I see you in here, please.” She’d quaked.

It wasn’t until she entered his office on wobbly legs and he immediately tugged her into his arms for a heart-stopping kiss that she understood the ruse. Since then, Riley had many examples of how inventive a lover Sam Rutherford could be.

Strong arms snaked around her waist from behind, drew her into a cuddle against a warm bare torso.

Sam rested his chin on her shoulder. “I thought you were only going to be a second. Where is the pie?”

“Right.” Riley drew open the fridge door. She’d been about to grab the fresh chocolate peanut butter pie May-May had dropped off on her way home tonight. Since Sam had been waiting for her in her bedroom, Riley had thanked May for the pie and guiltily showed her to the door. May had offered up a wide friendly smile that lit her mocha face, winked and said. “I understand, Riley. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then she was gone and Riley knew tomorrow she’d be fielding all sorts of questions. For months, May had been pushing Riley to find a man. Now she found one, her friend would want all of the juicy details.

Sam released her so she could retrieve the dessert. “You do realize this is about a million calories. It’s made with Reese’s.” She glanced over her shoulder as she took down two dessert plates from the cupboard.

Sam’s attention was fixed on the freezer door.

“I almost forgot about your ex’s wedding.” He lifted the apple pie magnet and plucked the invitation from beneath. “Do you still want to go?”

“Yes and no.” She sliced the pie. “Yes, because I want to show Beto a thing or two. And no, because I don’t really care that much anymore.”

“We should go.”

“We should?”

“Sure. There’s going to be cake.”

Riley laughed. “And who can resist that?”

****

Sam wasn’t keen to analyze his sudden need to go to Beto’s wedding, but something dark and green had surfaced the moment his gaze landed on the invitation. He wanted to meet this Beto and see the sort of man Riley had planned to spend the rest of her life with. If he was in any way ready to analyze his reaction he’d admit he was jealous. Why? He had no clear idea, he only knew that it irked him to think of Riley with anyone else, and he wanted her ex to be clear on one fact. Riley had moved on.

She was with Sam now and unlike Beto he wasn’t stupid enough to give her up.

Wait.

What?

Theirs wasn’t that sort of relationship. It was new and he still wasn’t sure where it was going only that they were having fun and things were good. As the days passed and he got to know Riley, he realized she was the perfect woman for him. She was nothing like the women he went for. She was funny and cute, smart and zany, and he liked her—a lot.

Enough to let her know he wanted more. Maybe move their relationship status from lovers to boyfriend and girlfriend.

No, that sounded juvenile.

Dating.

Yes, that sounded more grown-up, had more of a commitment feel without moving into his discomfort zone.

“I think we should date.”

“What?” Riley’s head shot up from her focus on dishing up the pie.

“I want to date you.”

She opened her mouth, closed it then opened it again. “You do?”

“Of course I do. I don’t want you to think I’m only after the sex. We should go out.”

“I thought you wanted pie?”

“We don’t have to go out tonight. But I definitely want to do it before next weekend.”

Riley’s smile lit her entire face. She strutted over to him in nothing but his shirt that she’d thrown on to fetch the pie. His breath stopped in his chest. She was beautiful and she was his. She slid her hands up his bare chest and locked them around his neck.

“How about we go back to my room and I can show you how very excited that suggestion makes me?” She tipped her chin, lips parted in invitation as she waited for his kiss.

Sam was not the type of man to keep a woman waiting.