Nantucket Romance 3-in-1 Bundle (19 page)

Sam twirled a strand of hair in her fingers, watching it with fascination. She was like a little girl, vulnerable and innocent. When she turned her fawn-brown eyes on Landon, he wondered if they held a plea.

Landon glared at Tully. “She’s in no shape to make a decision, and you know it.”

“Get out.” Tully planted his feet.

He wasn’t going to get her out of there without a fight. So be it.

He charged Tully, landing a swing square on his jaw. Tully’s head whipped to the side. Before he could right himself, Landon jabbed his fist hard in his gut, driving the air from Tully’s lungs. It was like hitting a block of concrete, but Tully doubled over.

Landon turned to get Sam. He pulled her arm. “Come on, Sam.”

She looked up at him. Almost in slow motion, a sultry smile curved her lips. “Landon.”

He was going to have to carry her.

Tully charged him from the side. Landon flew into the nightstand, knocking the lamp to the floor. The room darkened. His head banged against the wall.

Tully jerked him upright and slugged him across the face. Pain exploded in his head. Before he could recover, Tully’s fist hit his stomach, knocking him backward over something. He hit the floor hard.

“Hey . . . stop.” Sam’s voice cut through the darkness.

His head throbbed, and he struggled to fill his lungs again.

Tully came toward him, a shadow in the dark. Landon swung his foot across the floor, sweeping Tully’s feet from under him. He fell with a thud.

Landon attacked, fists flying, hitting their mark. Tully fought back, but Landon planted a fist square in his face, and finally Tully stilled, groaning.

Landon stood and moved to the bed, wiping blood from his lip with the back of his hand. “Come on, Sam.” He gathered her in his arms, breathing hard.

She curled against his neck, pointing back toward the bed as he walked away. “My shirt.”

“Never mind.” Landon stepped over Tully and carried her outside. He stood Sam on her feet and opened the car door. “Get in.”

She sat down but didn’t pull her legs in. She cocked her head and sighed leisurely as if she sat on the end of a pier.

He lifted her legs and tucked them inside the car, noting her bare feet. With a glance backward to make sure Tully wasn’t on his feet again, he shut the door and got in the other side.

With the turn of the key, he started the engine and backed out of the drive, his tires churning up gravel. Only when they were on the road did he remember to breathe again.

Sam turned in her seat and ran her hand down his arm. “You’re so strong.”

He tried to ignore the effect of her touch.
Just drive, Reed. She’s
drunk as a skunk and doesn’t know what she’s doing. Probably thinks
you’re Tully.

“Put on your seat belt, Sam.”

Instead, she trailed her fingers down his arm and gathered his hand in hers. She lifted it to her mouth and pressed a kiss to his bruised knuckles.

He swallowed.

She kissed his wrist, then his forearm, leading a trail upward. He tightened his other hand on the steering wheel.

“Your seat belt, Sam.” He braked for a stop sign and reached across, grabbing the strap. Her bare shoulders glowed under the moonlight.

“What am I thinking?” he muttered, dropping the buckle. He released his seat belt and tugged off his T-shirt.

It slid easily over her head. “Help me out here.” With some assistance, she poked her hands clumsily through the sleeves, and he pulled the shirt down, covering her. Once he buckled them both in, he put the car in drive and took off.

Sam turned toward him, her knees poking the console, and ran her fingers across his bare stomach.

“That’s more like it,” she said. Her fingers trailed upward.

His muscles tightened. She probably thought she was still on Tully’s bed. He grabbed her hand. “That’s enough, Sam.”

She laughed, a sultry sound he’d never heard from her. “What’s the matter, baby?”

Landon tightened his hold on her hand, ignoring her question.

“Party pooper,” she said, pouting. She leaned her head against his arm.

He relaxed, hoping she’d settle down now. His jaw smarted from Tully’s last blow, and he could feel his pulse in his temples. At least Sam was safe. He wondered how much she’d remember in the morning. Enough to feel foolish, no doubt.

Why had she run off and gotten drunk? Didn’t she know that never solved problems? It only created new ones.

He looked down where she rested her head against his shoulder. She turned and pressed a kiss against the flesh of his arm, setting a fire inside him.

Well, you wanted her to loosen up. I guess you got your way.

Little had he known she’d loosen up for someone else. He’d gotten to Tully’s in time to stop the jerk from taking advantage of her, but clearly, they’d gotten far enough.

He gripped the steering wheel.
Stop it, Reed. No point torturing
yourself.

By the time he pulled into Sam’s drive, she was dozing. He turned off the ignition and eased away. “Sam. Wake up.” He wondered why he whispered.

She blinked in the darkness of the car, sitting up straight, looking like a lost little girl. Some of his anger drained.

“We’re home. Let’s get you inside.” When she didn’t move, he went to her side of the Jeep and took her in his arms, shutting the door with his hip. His T-shirt fell to her thighs, and her bare feet dangled toward the ground.

She buried her face in the curve of his neck. Her warm breath heated his skin, and her honeysuckle shampoo filled his senses. Part of him wanted to cradle her in his arms forever; the other part wanted to throttle her for being so careless. He didn’t understand. If being with him was so scary, why would she run straight into Tully’s arms? Into his bed, even? If he lived to be a hundred, he would never understand Sam completely.

He entered the house and strode through the darkened interior. In her room, he set her on her feet. She clung to him, sliding her arms around his back.

“Sam, let’s get you in bed.”

“Mmm.” She snuggled against his bare chest, kissing his flesh. She ran her hands over his back.

His mouth went dry.
Get a grip. She probably did the same thing
to Tully a few minutes ago.
He pulled her arms away and reached behind him to flip on the lamp. Soft light flooded the room. He walked to the bed and pulled back the quilt. “In you go.” He took her hand, leading her to the bed.

The mattress sank as she sat, then she looked up at him slowly with a smile that fueled the fire under his skin. She tugged his hand, pulling him down beside her.

Her pupils were dilated, her eyelids half-closed. Her hair fell over one eye, and he brushed it back off her cheek.

She captured his hand against her face and turned, pressing a kiss into his palm, her eyes fastened on his.

Get out of here, Reed.

He made a move to stand, but she grabbed his shoulders. “Where you going?”

“Home.”

She lifted one eyebrow. “What for?” She pivoted to face him, one of her long legs swinging off the floor and across his lap. She straddled him, her knees planted on both sides of his thighs.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Stay, please?” Her eyes were like cruel pools of seduction, pulling at him relentlessly.

He felt her lips on his neck and swallowed.
Have mercy.
What was she doing to him?

“Sam.” He rasped her name. His hands found her waist and pushed back. He stood, lifting her with him, then lay her on the bed, tucking her legs under the quilt. He had to get out of there. Quick. “That’s enough, now,” he said.

She lay back against the pillow and stuck out her lower lip. With her hair billowed around her face, she looked like an angel. A very tempting angel.

He pulled the covers up to her chin.

She snuggled into the pillow, sighed softly, then closed her eyes. “Have it your way,” she mumbled.

She looked peaceful at last, lying there in her childhood bed under the same window she used to set her flashlight on. She was safe for tonight. He touched her flushed cheek with the backs of his fingers, drawing them downward. Her skin was like a dewy rose petal. So soft. So fragile. He would fight a hundred Tullys if necessary.

“Good night,” he whispered. Turning, he flipped off the lamp with a click.

Sam’s sleepy voice carried to him in the darkness. “I love you.”

Twenty

A
throbbing pain in Sam’s temples snatched her from sleep. She turned on the pillow and groaned,
laying her hand across her forehead as her mind slogged to wakefulness. Her eyes opened, then she swiftly shut them. She choked back a word she forbade Caden to say.

Sam turned her head, shielding her eyes against the morning light, and saw an empty space beside her. Where was Caden? Her watch read 9:47.

Her daughter had spent the night at Amber’s. Right. The thought relieved her. She wouldn’t have to get up and make breakfast.

Then she remembered the letter Landon found in Emmett’s drawer. The memory of his kiss washed over her anew. He’d told her he loved her. She’d run then, gone to the tavern and gotten wasted. The headache. It all made sense now.

Tully.

She had a dreamlike memory of being at his house. He’d poured her a drink. His bed. She’d been in his bed. He’d pulled her T-shirt over her head and tossed it over his shoulder.

Oh no.
She put her hands over her face. What happened next? She didn’t remember taking off the rest of her clothes. She didn’t remember sleeping with him.

You probably didn’t do much sleeping at all, you idiot.

Sam groaned again and turned her head into her pillow. Did they even use birth control?
What have I done?

She tried to remember what happened after Tully removed her shirt.
Think, Sam!
But she couldn’t think at all with her brain beating against her skull. She dragged her feet from under the covers and sat up slowly, holding her head like it might fall off.

Her tongue was superglued to the roof of her mouth. How could she have been so stupid? She’d gone straight from Landon’s arms to Tully’s with only an alcohol binge in between.

You’d think you’d have learned this lesson a long time ago. Isn’t
Caden reminder enough?

Sam’s shirt was wadded up around her waist, and she tugged it down, trying to gather the energy to go for painkillers.

She took another look at the blue T-shirt. It wasn’t hers. Its sleeves hung to her elbows, and the crewneck fell low on her chest. There was a gray paint stain on the hem.

Landon.

A flash fired in her mind. He’d been at Tully’s house. He’d—

Oh no.
He and Tully had fought. She remembered Landon flying across the room and something crashing to the floor. What if Landon . . . What if he was hurt?

She jumped to her feet. Her head spun.
Slow down, Sam. What
happened next? What happened after that?
She stood still, her balance precarious. She remembered being in Landon’s arms. He’d carried her into the house.

Sam’s breath released audibly. He couldn’t have been hurt too badly if he brought her home. She didn’t remember the drive, but that was okay. Landon was all right, and she hadn’t slept with Tully. That’s what mattered.

Thank God.

She took careful steps, exiting her room. Where was her purse? Had she left it at Tully’s? The bar? She had to get something for this headache. She entered the living room and saw her bag lying by the front door as always. She remembered leaving it behind.

Sam fumbled for the bottle of Advil, then emptied three into her palm. After she washed them down with a glass of water, she went back to her room and lay on top of the covers. It hit her fresh that Landon had come to her rescue.

How had he known where she was? Had she called? It was hard to say what happened when she could only remember snippets.

She closed her eyes and pulled the T-shirt down over her stomach, wrestling with the excess material.

Her eyes popped open. She suddenly remembered Landon pulling the shirt over her head. She’d been in her bra when he came to Tully’s. Lying on the bed in her bra.

He’d seen her drunk and brainless. Half-naked. She cringed.

Maybe he’ll know now. Maybe he’ll realize what you are and leave
you alone.

The thought brought little comfort. She was ashamed that she’d lost control. That she’d somehow dragged Landon into the middle of it. He’d gotten hurt trying to get her out of her foolish mess.

Like a flash of lightning, another memory struck. They were standing beside the bed. She was kissing his bare chest. Running her hands all over his back. He was pushing her away.

Oh no.

Sam remembered feeling bold and confident at the time, like she was Lolita or something. Now she just felt stupid.

What had happened next? She rubbed her temples, hoping for clarity but finding none. He’d put her in the bed. He’d sat beside her. Or had she pulled him down?