“I…I…” Shaking my head, I look out at the lake as a tear rolls down my cheek. Sam gently rests his hand on my shoulder.
“What’s wrong, Chloe?” he asks.
My bottom lip quivers and I suck in a breath. I just need to say it. Get it out there so I can finally move on. “I’ve been in love with you since the day we met.” My words come out strangled, and I fight against tears. “When you promised you’d marry me if we were both over thirty and single, I knew the only way that would happen was if you exhausted all your other options and you had to fall back to me as your backup plan.” Another tear rolls down my face. “You were always my first choice.”
Sam’s hand slips from my shoulder, and I know this is it. The moment he tells me sorry, that he cares but doesn’t want anything serious and the joke is on me—again. His brows pinch together and his lips part. A moment passes before he says anything, and I don’t dare take a breath in that time.
“You would never be my backup plan,” he says, and runs his hand down my arm, taking my hand in his. “Because I’ve been in love with you too.”
The whole world stops, and I’m not sure if I heard him or if I’m bordering on delusion, so I don’t get my heart broken—again. I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. Did he just—no, there’s no way—but maybe…
“What?”
Sam pulls me close, wrapping one arm around me and cupping my face with his other, gently turning my chin up to look at him. “I love you, Chloe. I have for a while, and seeing you again made me realize just how much of an idiot I was for not saying anything sooner.” He puts his lips to mine, needing to kiss me before going on. “I fucked up before, but I’m not going to anymore. I love you, and I want to be with you if you’ll have me. I’m sorry for standing there like a drunk idiot the night of that party. I went after you, but you were already gone. If I could go back and change things, I would.” He rests his forehead against mine, and I fasten my arms around his neck. Sam has never been a share-your-feelings type of person and hearing him confess everything sends pulses of electricity right through me.
The lake gently laps against the dock, and the sounds of the night ring out in a chorus around us. My heart is beating away in my chest, and more tears fill my eyes. This is everything I’ve ever wanted: Sam, telling me he loves me. Hearing him confess his regret over the past, and how he wants a future with me.
And now I’m doubting even more than this isn’t a dream.
“Chloe?” Sam whispers after a few seconds tick by and I say nothing.
“I…I think you need to pinch me.”
“Why?”
“To make sure this is real.”
He tips my chin up. “Can I do this instead?” He softly kisses me, leaving me wanting more the second his lips move off of mine.
“Yeah, that works too, but I think you need to do it again. Just to be sure.”
He smirks. “Just to be sure.” We kiss again, but this time it’s anything but soft. Sam holds me tightly, crushing my breasts against his chest. He kisses me with fervor, hands wandering all over my body.
Suddenly, he breaks away, taking a fistful of my hair. He looks at me like I’m the only woman in the whole damn world, like if he doesn’t have me now, he won’t survive much longer. “I love you,” he breathes. “I needed to say it out loud again.”
“I love you, too.” I rake my fingers through his thick dark hair. “I’ve loved you since the moment I met you.”
He kisses me again, running his hands down my body. One hand pushes between my thighs, and the other gathers the hem of my dress, balling it in his hand. The wind picks up, blowing in warm air from the lake. My eyes fall shut and I inhale deeply, desire flooding through me. My breath comes out a little ragged, and my entire body begins to tremble.
Sam’s tongue pushes past my lips and he parts my thighs, stepping in closer. His fingers brush over my core, and my knees threaten to buckle. I hold on to him tighter to keep from falling. He’s already undone the tie at the back of my dress, and he continues to kiss with as he brings one hand to my back, feeling for the zipper.
Something splashes nearby in the lake, but it does little to distract us. Sam stops kissing me, looking into my eyes as he slowly undoes the zipper of my dress. He’s doing it on purpose to tease me, and if he keeps taking his damn time, I’m going to shove him down on the dock and climb on top. I’ve waited years for this, wanting and loving him in secret.