Perfect for the Beach (37 page)

He looked too resolute for her to do anything but nod in agreement. It wasn’t like she could go anywhere anyway.

Sam took her hands again and stared down at them. “I loved Patti, Kat. I’ve never made a secret of that.”

She nodded. “Yeah,” she whispered. This hurt, dammit! Whether it was intentional or not, hearing him say it was so hard for her.

He went on. “Just because she’s gone doesn’t mean that she should be forgotten. In fact”—his head lifted and his gaze pinned hers—“I don’t want to forget her.”

Kat bit her lip. Okay, she hadn’t expected him to come right out and say
that.
She considered taking back her thoughts that he was gentle and kind. This felt cruel and unusual. But she forced herself to keep her mouth shut. The sooner he finished, the sooner she could get away and lick her wounds. They were gaping right now. She closed her eyes and fought back the tears. She so didn’t want to cry in front of him, but it didn’t seem like she was going to have much of a choice.

“Kat, look at me.”

Figures,
she thought.
Never easy.
She slowly opened her eyes, and her heart squeezed. He looked so good sitting there in nothing but his shorts, his dark hair tousled, looking like he’d run his hands through it, his blue eyes staring into hers. He wanted her to understand, and she did. In fact, if she weren’t in love with him, she’d find it terribly romantic that not even death could stop him from loving Patti. But
she
was in love with him, too, and from where she was sitting, it sucked. But when he spoke, she got the shock of her life.

“The invoice on my desk was one of the steps I’ve taken to move on with my life. The flowers are paid for. They’ll be delivered to Patti’s grave every year on her birthday. Please understand, Kat. She deserves to be remembered. She was a wonderful, loving wife. But I didn’t think that it was fair to you to keep going there.”

Fair to me?
She looked sideways at him, not sure she’d heard right.

“That’s right. You, Kat. You’re the woman for me now. The one I love. And as for going out on the beach tonight …”

She watched him struggle to find the right words. She wanted to comfort him, but he was on his own. That last revelation threw her for a loop, she felt paralyzed, coping with trying to breathe. He’d said he loved her. And he didn’t look like his head was ready to explode this time. He looked relieved that she was stunned silent again.

The rough, gravelly timbre of Sam’s voice was distracting; it didn’t matter what he said, he could make it sound sexy. She valiantly ignored the shivers racing up her spine as he said, “I’ve been carrying my wedding ring around in my pocket since the funeral. And I swore to myself if I ever told another woman I love her that I’d get rid of it. Patti didn’t have any family, and we didn’t have children, so there was no one to give it to.”

Kat saw what might be regret in his expression at the mention of not having any children, but it passed quickly and he held her hands tighter.

“A wedding ring is a symbol of an unbroken bond, and though I’ll always love Patti in a special way, she’s gone. She died as my wife, but when I die, it won’t be as
her
husband.” Sam tipped her chin up, his thumb caressing it gently as he told her, “She’d be happy that I found love again, Kat. I’d wish the same for her if things were reversed. And the only guilt I feel is for what I’ve put you through all these months, that you made up a persona to protect yourself. And that I didn’t see through your ruse.”

Oh, that was so romantic, so sentimental, and so … tear-jerking. She couldn’t help that they were welling in her eyes. Kat didn’t like herself very much at the moment.

“Sam, you didn’t say you loved me until you caught me trying to leave.”
Prove him wrong,
she thought.
Go on the defensive.
She was still so reluctant to believe all that he was saying.

His lips turned up in that sexy grin, and he tucked a curl behind her ear. “I exhausted you with my lovemaking, and you fell asleep in my arms before you heard.”

“I did?” Her hands covered her mouth, but hope bubbled up inside her—she could barely keep it contained. He was teasing her, though it was true. He
had
exhausted her. She wanted to believe him more than anything in the world. And she wanted to curse that she hadn’t heard it when he was holding her, soothing her heated body. There was a regret.

“Yes, you did.” He chuckled at her horrified expression. “I’ve loved you for a long time. It wasn’t hard to take that final step, Kat. But you blindsided me when I walked into work and found you’d gone and had taken off for parts unknown. Thank God for our friends. Jonah told me where you went, and I knew when I came down here I wasn’t going home without you. The only reason I held back at the office was because you seemed to go through men faster than a box of chocolates on a dateless Saturday night. I wasn’t going to be just another notch on your bedpost.”

Kat giggled, thinking about the double standard; if she were a man, Sam would be clapping her on the back, calling her a lucky dog, or some other archaic male phrase.

He leaned toward her, his mouth so close, her tongue would touch his lips if it darted out. He growled, “I didn’t want to take away your choices, didn’t want to break that spirit. It’s one of the things I love about you. But I knew if ever I found myself in your bed, Kat, no man would
ever
come after me.”

Her breath caught in her throat. Could a man
be
more sexy? He was perfect, inside and out, and she didn’t feel very good about herself for the things she’d assumed. “I feel so selfish. I wouldn’t tell you that I love you because I just couldn’t bear you telling me that you were still in love with Patti.”

Sam kissed her tenderly, his hands coming up and cupping her cheeks. “I
want
you to be selfish when it comes to me. Be greedy. Because I’d give everything I’ve got to have you. Go ahead and quit your job, Kat, but don’t quit me.”

A tear tumbled unnoticed down her cheek, and her voice was shaky as she whispered, “I love you, Sam. So much. But are you absolutely sure? I
need
you to be sure.”

Sam pulled her out of the chair and onto his lap, nuzzling her throat. “If I’d found a shy, quiet woman like Patti was, then I’d worry that I was just looking for a replacement. But you’re the only one who can fire my blood with just a look, make me want to drag you against me and kiss you senseless in the blink of an eye, so I know it’s for real.”

She shivered; his hot breath on her throat was making it difficult to follow the conversation, but from what she could comprehend, it was everything she’d only dreamed of.

He leaned back, his warm palm coming up to cup her cheek. “I’ve fallen in love twice in one lifetime, Kat, with two completely different women. And I’ve been so lucky that they’ve both loved me back. Not many men can say he’s found the love of his life … twice. Some will argue how that’s possible, but for me, it just is.”

“Oh my God, I love you, Sam,” she whispered, amazed that she’d said it twice now, right to his face. She could barely breathe, but she didn’t care. It felt so good to say it.

He helped her off his lap, sat her back in his place on the bed, and went to his suitcase. She grinned and shook her head as he messed up the clothes even more than they already were, and unzipped an inner compartment. Then she lost her breath altogether.

He came back over to her, knelt on the floor in front of her, and opened a blue velvet box. “Now, getting rid of the ring from my first marriage was something I had to do on my own, Kat. But I brought this one with me because when I leave here, I want you to come with me wearing it, and I want it to be as my wife.”

Her heartbeat was like thunder in her ears as she stared down at the bridal set nestled in the shiny satin.

Sam smiled, then leaned up and kissed her full on the lips. She couldn’t even kiss him back, she was so stunned. He pulled away and laughed. “Breathe, honey. Now.”

She pulled in air through her nose and it was like a rush—she felt dizzy!

“Tell me you’d like nothing better than to marry me, Kat.”

She snapped out of it, tearing her eyes from the rock in the box. “Aren’t you supposed to ask me?”

He chuckled. “I figured I’d get a ‘yes’ while you were in shock.”

“The answer would still be the same. Yes, I’ll marry you, Sam. I’d like nothing better. I love you.”

“Good answer,” he said roughly, kissing her hard on the lips. He pulled away reluctantly, but he took the engagement ring and slid it on her finger, kissing it and sealing the bond. “You get the other one when we close the deal,” he said smugly, and snapped the box shut, the wedding band secure inside it.

Setting the box on the table next to the chair behind him, he turned back to her, spreading her thighs and insinuating himself until her cleft was against his bare torso.

Kat gazed down at his handsome face, free of strain, his eyes shining with joy and passion. All she could think was,
I love this man. I love him!

Chapter Five

Sam didn’t think he’d ever be this happy again. Kat was here, in his arms, looking down at him with such love in her eyes, and she was
his.

One thing he’d never understood was how any man could leave her bed and not beg for a repeat performance. She was hot, wild, and sometimes wicked. Now he knew that there hadn’t been other men; she’d made them up, and he was glad. He would’ve beat every one of them off with a stick because, what he said was true—no man would ever replace him in her bed.

She’d suffered heartache to make sure his suffering was as minimal as possible. That was the kind of woman she was, and his throat tightened, knowing that somehow he’d been blessed for a second time in his life. He’d make sure she never regretted a minute of it and always knew how much he adored her.

“I love you, Katrissa,” he murmured, and he heard her charming whimper as he leaned up and his lips captured hers. He groaned as she used the advantage of her position above him and took possession of the kiss, her tongue dancing and playing with his. God! She was good at this. What a lucky bastard he was.

His hand tangled in her sable curls, holding her close, ready to drag her up on the bed when the phone rang.
Murphy’s Law,
he thought. “Tell me you’ll change your name when you marry me,” he sighed.

Kat snickered at him as she crawled up the bed to answer the phone.

Only the partners and their assistants had this number, and he’d specifically left instructions not to contact him unless it was an emergency. Sam’s curiosity piqued as he looked up and read the caller ID. It was the police department.

Kat snatched it up. “Hello?”

She listened, and her worried expression put Sam on alert. Who could be calling
here
this early in the morning?

She held him off as he silently questioned who was on the phone, but said into the receiver, “Okay, got it. I’ll get hold of him for you. Right. Hang in there, sweetie,” she said, and hung up, her teeth worrying her lip.

Sam couldn’t suppress his agitation. “Well? Who was it?” he asked.

Kat’s brow furrowed. “That was Summer. She’s been arrested.” She shook her head. “It’s a misunderstanding, Sam. She’s taking care of her mother’s house while she’s away on a cruise, and Summer punched in the wrong codes for the alarm. They can’t get through to the ship to straighten it out. Her mother just bought the house, so no one knows her there who can vouch for Summer.”

Sam was confused. “Why hasn’t she been released on her own recognizance? It’s just a B and E.”

“The police got there shortly after she tripped the alarm. She heard a noise and hid. When she saw a shadow, she clobbered it with a paperweight. She ended up putting an officer in the hospital with a concussion. Until it’s all cleared up, she’s been booked on breaking and entering
and
assaulting a police officer. She wants me to find Elliot. He’s not at home, and I gave her this number before I left. They let her make a second call.”