Chapter 20

This morningI woke up to a note from Sammy telling me he’d see me at eight thirty. It was weird, him being gone, but I appreciated his note. And that he’d left an “I love you” and drawn a cute heart went a long way to settling any nerves that had attempted to brew over him having gone out to do who knows what.

At the front of the room, Coach is talking to Kieran. It’s five minutes till eight thirty, and Sammy’s not here yet; neither is Leon. Tiller is, though, also standing in a huddle with his dad and Kieran.

For the millionth time, I tug out my phone. No message notification blinks at me.

“You seriously think they’re foolish enough to be late?” Tyron angles a look at me from my right. He’s playing Crossy Road on his phone, so his attention quickly flips back to the game.

“So, they’re together, then?” I ask, his “they’re” pretty much confirming my thoughts.

A shrug is my answer as Tyron loses with a heavy sigh.

Another minute passes, and I swear, if Sammy ends up on Coach’s shit list for being late, which could eat into our whole day together, I’m going to lose?—

The door opens, and Sammy ambles in, Leon a step behind him. Both are out of breath.

Leon quickly collapses on one of the empty chairs while Sammy eases his way over to the one beside me. He’s all smiles as he sits, but that “nothing to see here, folks” look on his face is one I’m not buying.

I only have the chance to shoot him a narrow-eyed stare before Coach steps up, a controller in his hand and an expression on his face that means he’s all business.

The ninety minutes pass at a snail’s pace.

The whole time, I side-eye Sammy, but for the first time I think in the history of ever, he doesn’t look my way. Instead, he’s staring at the footage and focusing on Coach as though he’s a newbie.

As soon as the session wraps up, my knees bounce, and there’s a vibration throbbing through my veins. I’m out of my seat a second later, pinning a smirking Sammy with a “get your ass up and outside” stare.

Before he moves, he says something to Leon, who nods enthusiastically before they tap fists and trade back slaps.

Meanwhile, I’m here, impatient as hell.

Whatever’s going on, it’s nothing bad. That much I can read. Sammy’s eyes are bright, excitement shining in them, especially every time he looks at me.

Which he happens to be doing now, gaze raking over me. Not sexually, since we’re standing in a room with our teammates, but appraisal gleams in their depths. He bobs his head—which means what? I have no clue—and he finally speaks. “You ready?”

I swipe my tongue over my teeth, completely bemused, but nod anyway.

“Excellent.”

Side by side, we head out. The cold bites, and I pull my coat closer. There are a couple of weeks before the holidays, and with how unseasonably cool it’s been this year, it really feels like the season’s upon us.

Snow here in Georgia isn’t all that rare, but we don’t get much, and for the winters I’ve previously lived here, not once have we had snow over the holidays. It would be pretty awesome if we did this year. However, I don’t want the weather to impact our big game on the twenty-sixth.

Rather than turn right out of the facility, which is the way we walk back to the house, Sammy tugs on my sleeve. “This way,” he says, leading me toward the parking lot.

“You gonna tell me what’s going on?” A puff of white air chases my words.

“Impatient much?” There’s nothing but gentle amusement in his tone.

I snort. Out of the two of us, I’ve never been accused of that before.

The parking lot is practically empty. It means his car is easy to spot. When we reach the passenger door, he opens it for me. Surprise has me tilting my head. My heart flutters even as glee bubbles to life.

I press my lips together, wordlessly settling into the seat as Sammy closes the door behind me quietly. Jogging around the front, he’s at his door in no time.

I’ve yet to buckle in, feeling too many things to function, to be honest.

He enters with a breeze of cool air and immediately starts the engine and turns on the heater. Finally, he peers at me. He absolutely has my full attention, but it’s the pink coloring in his cheeks that has me repositioning in my seat to take him in more fully.

“Sammy?” I leave it there, my tone soft, questioning.

“Right, so.” Raking his fingers through his hair, he clamps his bottom lip between his teeth.

A nervous Sammy always takes me by surprise. It’s also weirdly endearing.

I reach out and hold his hand, giving it a light squeeze.

A wisp of his exhale follows, and he releases his puffy lip. “Are you good with spending the whole day with me?”

I smile, feeling a flutter of excitement mixed with tenderness at the uncertainty in his tone. “Of course, Sammy. Isn’t that already the plan?” From his whole disappearing act and his clear discomfort, he has something specific in mind that we haven’t discussed. “What are you thinking we do?”

Eyes lighting up with relief, he expels a breathy chuckle. “Okay, a date. I want to take you on a date. Well, for the whole day to be a date,” he says, a little flustered and a lot excited as he gains his momentum. “We’ve never been on an actual date before, and I want us to. I want us to do datey things and, I don’t know… woo you.”

I want to laugh, swoon, grab hold of him and kiss the hell out of him. I settle on the middle choice, my whole body—and absolutely my brain—going melty for him. “You want a date with me, baby?”

Yes, I know he’s already said that, but fuck if it doesn’t mean everything. I definitely want to hear it again.

“Yeah,” he responds softly. “And we’re staying out overnight. We never had a honeymoon.”

As Sammy’s words sink in, a wave of surprise washes over me: a warm, comforting sensation that envelops me like a soft blanket on a chilly evening. It catches me off guard in the best possible way.

My heart flutters with excitement even as guilt tries to weasel its way inside.

“We didn’t have a honeymoon,” I repeat. “Shit, baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t think either. I just?—”

“No,” he cuts me off, squeezing my hand. “There’s no need for any of that. This is something I wanted to do for you. For us. Though I may have had some help.”

“Leon?”

“Yeah.” His smile widens, and my heart tumbles when he says, “They all pitched in, paid for our room tonight. I found a place for, like, seventy bucks, but Leon vetoed the hell out of it last night and went on a mission.”

“They did?” The emotion lodging in my throat takes me unawares.

“Yeah.” His snort is tender. “Said something about our wedding gift.” A light shrug follows. He’s downplaying it. There’s no doubt in my mind that he struggled with their thoughtfulness last night. It probably overwhelmed the hell out of him.

“That’s amazing of them,” I settle on, a spark igniting within me. It spreads a gentle warmth from the pit of my stomach to the tips of my fingers and toes. My heart flutters with anticipation, and as soon as a wide smile forms on my face, he mirrors it with his own.

A rush of gratitude for Sammy, for his thoughtfulness and his unwavering love, races through me. Fuck, I’m lucky he’s mine.

“So, this date?” I prompt with renewed eagerness. A day and night with my husband, just the two of us…. I can’t wait. I’m going to PDA the hell out of every moment.

Sammy’s eyes light with relief as he gathers his thoughts. “Well, we’re going to take a drive to Panola Mountain State Park. It’s about an hour away. They have this kick-ass archery range and a 3D archery trail. I thought it would be fun for us to try something new together.”

A swell of excitement fills my chest at the idea. “It does sound pretty badass.”

“Right!” He beams at my enthusiasm, the tension in his shoulders easing. “And after that, we can either go bowling or there’s an ice-skating rink close by. We can check into the cabin at one.”

It all sounds amazing. Is it wrong to simply want to hide him away in the cabin as soon as it’s available and thank him in a way that’ll blow both our minds?

Sammy’s smirk and arched brow catch my attention.

“What?”

“You’ve got that look in your eyes.”

“What look?”

“Like you’re thinking of all the ways you can make me come.”

My dick twinges, a throb of desire shooting into my balls.

“Yeah, that look right there.”

“Which is completely your fault. All I can think is, at one o’clock, I can have you all to myself. No interruptions. No worrying if someone’s going to knock on the door.”

“So, at one, we’ll go straight there.”

“Yeah? You won’t mind not bowling or ice-skating?”

He shakes his head, desire swirling in his gaze. “We’ve got the rest of our lives for more dates, right?”

Happiness, all light and floaty, twirls around inside me. “Yeah, we do.”

“So, it’s settled. After archery and our picnic.”

“We have a picnic?”

“Yeah.” A rosy pink floods his cheeks. “It’s what Leon and I were organizing this morning. He even borrowed a wicker basket from Tiller’s mom. It’s in the trunk.”

My hands are on him without thought. I drag him close and meet him halfway. Stopping short of kissing him, I press my forehead against his. Ragged breaths, fueled by emotion, saw out of me. “I love you so fucking much.”

“Love you, too, sweetheart.”

God, I want to kiss him. I’m desperate for his touch.

I swallow hard and reluctantly ease away.

“It won’t be like this forever,” he promises.

He doesn’t need to elaborate. He’s not talking about his sweet, thoughtful dates.

Our dream is small—at least in the grand scheme of things. Kissing each other whenever we want is going to happen.

Just five more months.

It turnsout I’m useless at archery. Since Sammy is, too, we spend our time giggling like schoolkids while trying to learn the proper form. By the time we’re let loose and start our walk and 3D hunt, it’s clear we’re not taking this seriously.

“What on earth are you doing?”

Sammy’s crouching low, coating his fingers in mud. As soon as I figure out what he’s going to do, I’m backing away and chuckling.

Two streaks of mud coat each of his cheeks. Grinning maniacally, he wriggles his muddy digits at me. “Your turn.”

I scrunch my nose. “Seriously?”

“Hell yes, seriously.”

And just like that, I give in.

The mud is cool against my skin, and I try not to think too long and hard about what wild animal’s crap I’m wiping on my face.

“There.” He nods, his smile so big and happy that I expel a soft sigh.

If the idiot asked me to roll around in the mud, I’d likely do so if it makes him this happy.

“You look hot.”

“Uh-huh. Sure I do,” I answer, knowing full well we both look like dicks. But there’s no one I’d rather look like a fool with than this man.

“You do.” He leans into me, not bothering to glance around. A rush of adrenaline pulses through me, closely followed by a swirl of happiness at how free and safe we feel in this moment, surrounded by sweet gums and red maples and an abundance of other huge trees I have no idea the names of.

The heat of his lips presses against mine, warm and familiar. I sigh into the touch, wrapping my free arm around him. The kiss is soft, gentle, and just right as we stand between the trees and the soft rustling of their leaves from the cool breeze.

Our kiss slows until we pull away, our breaths mingling, blissed-out smiles aimed at each other. This right here is how I want to spend the rest of my life with Sammy.

“What are you thinking right now, other than how sexy I look with my camouflage?”

His question draws a quiet chuckle from me before I answer honestly, “This is already the best date I’ve ever had. I’m thinking that we should find time to steal more moments like this, especially when we’re finished with school.”

His blink is slow, a little lazy as he studies me. We’re still close and wrapped up in each other. “Are you getting a Robin Hood or a Hawkeye kink?” he teases.

“Maybe more like a Sammy… Hardy addiction.” I stumble a little. For the first time, which is kind of ridiculous that I’m only thinking about this now, I tripped over his last name.

“I’m in support of that addiction, but what’s with the frown?”

I ease back a little so I can see his whole face more clearly. I drop my arm from around his back and hold his hand instead. “Our last names are different.” I shrug, not sure where I’m going with the observation or even what I’m truly suggesting.

What I am sure of is, I don’t like that our names are different one bit. The discomfort takes me by surprise, especially as it’s not something I’ve been mulling over. It’s not like it’s been playing on my mind or anything.

His brows shoot high as he studies me. “Right, yeah.” He pauses as he rubs his thumb over my hand. “Is that something you want us to change?”

“Yeah,” I admit. “I think so. I haven’t put too much thought into it, but I think it kind of bothers me.”

His nod is slow and assessing.

“Obviously, we don’t have to do anything right now.” I tack on, “While we’re still at school.”

Though, wouldn’t it make it easier for our degrees to be in our new names? I have no idea how this shit works, but people do it all the time, right? Have documents that don’t match their married or changed names?

“We can talk about it for sure.” The words are measured, his uncertainty ringing loud and clear.

The squeeze in my chest is uncomfortable.

But what did I expect, for him to jump up and down and start googling to figure out how we make it happen? The small internal Yes is louder than I’d like. I can be disappointed, though, right?

“Okay,” I settle on, trying to shake off my frustration. We have plenty of time to make these decisions together. The last thing I want to do is ruin our date-slash-honeymoon. At that thought, I tug him close and press a kiss to his lips before saying, “The highest points for being on target wins a massage.”

The smile beaming back at me is instant. “You don’t need to win anything for me to put my hands on you.” His tone is all heat and amusement.

He’s got a point.

“Okay, how about the loser is responsible for doing laundry for the week?”

His lips twist in contemplation, no doubt calculating his odds. It could honestly go either way. I wasn’t exaggerating about us both being lame.

“Fine.” He nods. “You’ve got a deal.” He tugs out the park map that labels the areas with the 3D targets. “Come on, Robin. Tug up your tights, and let’s go shoot shit.” A smirk’s aimed my way. “Hopefully.”

We chuckle as we follow the map. The tagged-on “hopefully” sounds about right. We’ll be lucky if we manage to get within a foot of the targets.

By the time we reach the fifth one—a carved bear that’s big enough that we really shouldn’t miss—our losses are pretty even.

I grin as we approach the target, its wooden form large in front of us. “All right, time to show this bear who’s boss.” I nock the arrow onto my bowstring.

At my side, Sammy chuckles, his own bow ready. “Oh, I’ll show it, all right,” he replies, adopting a mock-heroic pose.

He looks appropriately ridiculous, so it makes sense that warmth settles in my chest. When we’re this relaxed, this silly, it feels like we’re doing something right.

“Prepare to witness the prowess of Hawkeye the Blind-Eagle Archer.”

A guttural snort tears out of me at his antics. “Uh-huh. I’m shaking in my tights,” I tease, taking aim at the target. Just as I’m about to release the arrow, his large hand appears on my ass and squeezes.

“Hey, none of that.” I thrust back, trying to knock his hand away, my grin stretching wide. “I need to concentrate here.”

Sammy smirks mischievously, wagging his eyebrows. “Where’s the fun in that?” he retorts, squeezing once more for good measure. “Maybe I should drop to my knees and blow you instead. See if that helps your concentration.”

The asshole knows what he’s doing. The thickening of my cock doesn’t come as a surprise.

“When I hit this target, then you can blow me. I’d say it’s your punishment, but we both know that’s bullshit.”

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I realize teasing him with a good time is a mistake. The prospect of Sammy’s mouth anywhere near me means I’m hard and ready to go.

“Looks like you’ve got a problem.” He leans in close as he trails his fingers to my crotch. When he tightens them around me, a grunt spills past my lips. “A big problem from the feel of it.”

My lips twitch even as I close my eyes, trying not to sag into his hold and push him to his knees. After a couple of breaths, I stare at him, soaking up the heat in his gaze. “Shall we call it a draw and get the hell out of here?”

He’s nodding before I’ve even finished.

We make quick work of returning the equipment and all but dive into the car. It’s tempting to find a secluded spot, the need like fire in my veins, but we have access to a cabin, and we’re committed to making good use of it.

“How far does it say?” Tension makes his voice tight.

“Hold on.” I’m waiting for the Maps app to give me the route. The details flash up, and I exhale in relief. “Seventeen minutes.”

He grunts, letting me know he’s heard as he continues down the winding road out of the park.

“You know, we’ve still got the picnic to eat,” I say, trying to distract both of us.

“We’ll need the energy after.” His lips curve up as he indicates left, following the directions.

So much for trying not to think about getting off. To be fair, all it takes is a look, a touch, a glance, or a taste, and I’m hard for Sammy.

The journey passes with us shooting the shit about movies with archers. By the time the app tells us we’ve reached our destination, we’re in agreement that there’s a pitiful number of movies with archery in them.

“The place looks great.” I’m already halfway out the door, taking in the rustic charm of the cabin nestled among tall, swaying pine trees. Their branches reach out like welcoming arms, casting dappled shadows on the wooden exterior of the cabin. Neighbors, if there are any, remain out of sight, hidden behind a wall of dense foliage.

Sammy reaches for the coded box and deftly enters the combination to retrieve the keys. With a click, the lock opens, and we step inside. The contrast between the rugged exterior and the surprisingly modern interior is striking. The cabin boasts sleek furnishings, a cozy fireplace, and even a gleaming hot tub on the small deck visible through the french doors.

“This place is awesome.” I step behind Sammy, wrapping my arms around his waist. He leans into me, a happy sigh easing out of him. A surge of gratitude expands my chest as I think of how our friends gifted us this getaway. “We owe them big-time.”

Nodding, Sammy turns in my arms. “Why don’t you go get our bags, and I’ll meet you in the shower?”

My dick throbs, liking that idea, knowing exactly why he wants to freshen up. “I can do that.” I punctuate my words with a kiss before adding, “But leave the prep to me.”

A shudder ripples through him, his gaze heating. “Yeah, okay.”

I back away before I lose all sense of control, wanting to give him the chance to shower first like he requested. Before I’ve left the cabin, the water’s running and I’m grinning. With my pulse racing in expectation, I focus on collecting our bags—I’m mildly curious about what my Sammy-packed contents will be—and the picnic basket. I also find a six-pack and a small bag of groceries.

It”s amazing how far Sammy went to do all this and make our time together special. Being loved by him is heady and fulfilling in ways I didn’t dare imagine. That this is our life now is beyond epic.

I close the cabin door with my hip, backing into it to ensure it shuts properly. A few steps later, I put the beer and groceries in the fridge, then drop our bags in the bedroom. It takes me less than thirty seconds to get naked and be standing in the doorway of the steamy bathroom.

My breath catches, gaze locking on to Sammy. Lather coats his wet skin, which appears a couple of shades darker even as the suds trail down his muscular shoulders. They trickle down the arch of his back, reaching the top of his globes before gathering there and making their way over his glutes.

I’m transfixed, still not breathing. Luck shone so damn brightly on me the day we met. It doesn’t matter the humps, the hurdles, the lonely nights. None of that matters.

Dragging in a breath as I watch him turn, his cock hanging thick and long between his legs, I lick my dry lips. The movement catches his attention, his dick bouncing, hardening.

“Is there a reason you’re still all the way over there?”

At his words, I tear my gaze away from his erection. It’s a challenge, as all I can think about is wrapping my lips around him and drinking his cum.

“Just getting my fill.” Smirking, I offer a light shrug.

“Your cock in my ass is the only filling that’s needed.” He grips his own cock and slowly drags his hand up and down.

“Is that right?” I take a step toward him, grateful there’s no glass separating us in the wet-room shower. “You don’t want my fingers?” His nostrils flare. “My tongue?” A grunt escapes him.

One more step, and I knock his hand out of the way, moving one of mine in its place. I secure my other hand on his hip, still keeping my hand on his cock. His breath hitches before a moan breaks free.

“So, is it just my cock you want filling you?” I glide my grip over him, working us both up to a frenzy.

“I want it all.”

“Yeah? Right now?” Trailing kisses over his shoulder, I loosen my hold on his waist and drag my fingers to the crack of his ass.

A stuttering breath escapes him as I ease them between his cheeks. When I gently stroke his hole, his limbs shake.

“I just want you to fuck me.”

“With…?” This teasing is going to be my undoing. My balls tighten in preparation.

“Your cock. I just want you to fuck me. Everything else later.”

Sammy captures my mouth, taking control and simply owning me. His kisses are fierce, desperate as he grabs clumsily for a towel.

“What—”

“I want you to fuck me on that giant bed.”

From the way my cock throbs, I’m more than okay with that. It’s barely lunchtime. That means we have twenty hours in this cabin. Twenty hours to see how many times I can make him come. Twenty hours to worship every inch of his skin.

Sammy pats himself dry before throwing the towel at me and escaping from the bathroom.

“Hey.” I laugh. “You’re not waiting for me?”

“Getting the lube. Fuck, Bentley, I’m so horny, I’m going to bust a nut as soon as you get inside me.”

I chuckle as I drop the towel and follow the sound of rustling. As I enter the bedroom, Sammy stands upright, triumphantly holding the bottle of lube. His smile is all smug satisfaction until his gaze dips, taking me in.

When he swallows hard, the click loud in the otherwise quiet room, my chest expands. Having Sammy’s gaze on me, appreciation easy to read in his eyes, is a high I’ll never tire of.

Anticipation surges through my veins like a live wire, sending shivers down my spine as I gaze at Sammy, my heart racing with barely contained need. “God,” I moan, unable to contain the arousal coursing through me. “Get on the bed and lift yourself up.”

Sammy’s breath catches in his throat, his eyes darkening with desire. “Like this?”

Fuck, I love his confidence. His certainty as he opens himself to me, thighs up, revealing his puckered hole. The temptation to get my mouth on him has me stepping forward.

“Nuh-uh.” Despite the way his body trembles, amusement crosses his features. “Playtime’s later. Right now, minimum prep, then fuck me like you mean it.”

Jesus H. Christ. What this man does to me.

Easing forward and swiping the lube off the mattress where Sammy dropped it, I pour the cool liquid on my palm. “Are you that desperate for my cock?”

His gaze meets mine, filled with longing as I stroke myself. He clamps down on his bottom lip and nods. “Fuck yes. Always,” he breathes, his lips parting slightly as he watches me slick my dick.

With a teasing grin, I press my fingertip against him, feeling him yield to my touch. “Open up for me,” I murmur, my own desire surging forward as his pupils dilate.

As he eagerly complies, I’m struck by his beauty, his arousal evident in every trembling breath and flushed inch of skin. I can’t remember ever feeling this consumed, this desperate for someone’s touch.

I circle his entrance before gently sliding a slick finger inside. His gasp ignites something primal within me, fueling my need to possess him completely.

“More,” he pleads, his hips moving in rhythm with my touch, his body welcoming me with an urgency that leaves me breathless.

I oblige, adding another finger and relishing the way he stretches around me. “You feel incredible,” I murmur, unable to tear my gaze away from him.

With each thrust of my fingers, I feel him unraveling beneath me, his cries of pleasure driving me to push further, to give him everything he craves.

But I need more. I need to be inside him, to feel him completely, to lose myself in the ecstasy of being buried so deep that it’s like we’re really one.

“Please,” Sammy begs, his desperation mirroring my own as I prepare to enter him.

With trembling hands, I add more lube as I press against him, ready to fuck him so completely that his voice will be raw from screaming my name.

His legs wrap around me, pulling me closer, and as I breach him, a wave of emotion washes over his face, leaving me awestruck by the depth of feelings in his eyes.

I don’t want to remember a time before him. Before us.

I sink deeper into him, savoring the sensation of being enveloped by his warmth, his acceptance feeling so perfect, so right. “You….” My voice trembles. “Fuck, Sammy, you’re fucking everything.”

He shudders, cupping my face and tugging me down for a kiss. He explores my mouth, and I open willingly, accepting his tongue, committing his touch to memory.

As I begin to move in earnest, my shallow thrusts become deeper. Tearing himself away from my mouth, his cries fill the air, urging me on, pushing me to lose myself and make him lose his mind.

With every thrust, I draw him closer to the edge, his body responding to mine with a fervor that leaves me dizzy.

“Harder,” he demands, his voice raw with need, and I comply, losing myself in the rhythm, canting my hips just so until his cries die off and he parts his lips in a silent scream.

I’m relentless, pressing against his prostate with strained control. My balls tighten, limbs tingling. Moving faster, I work my hand between us, gripping his cock and jacking him off.

“Nnngh….” Sammy’s hips stutter just as he clamps around me. As his body tightens, his grip on my arms intensifies. He calls out my name, his cock swelling until he releases in my hand.

I don’t stop, so close to release. My hold on Sammy is the only thing stopping me from leaving the ground.

“Fuck, fuck, Sammy….” My words are garbled as my vision whitens, balls drawing high before I come hard. Ecstasy pulses through me as I jerk and release inside him.

He groans, tightening around me again. Our oversensitive bodies are on the verge of too much.

Spent and breathless, I collapse against him. Even as he grunts at my weight, he wraps his arms around me, peppering my shoulder and neck with kisses.

“Wow. Fuck, baby,” I whisper, my heart overflowing with love for the man who has given me everything. I rise up a couple of inches so I can see his face and check he’s okay.

He smiles up at me, his eyes shining with affection. “That was… incredible,” he murmurs, his fingers tracing patterns on my skin.

I lean in to kiss him, savoring the taste of him on my lips.

His smile against my mouth has me drawing back. “You fucked me like you meant it.” He follows up with a half-assed pat on my shoulder. “Epic effort.”

“Asshole.” I snort with amusement, immediately wincing as his body contracts around my cock. The vise grip is worth it.

“Let’s try for a real shower, and then we’ll eat,” I suggest.

He nods. “Then you can fuck me with your tongue for dessert.”

My lips twitch, as does my spent cock.

It’s definitely time to ease out and wash up. If not, he’s going to be too sore for me to get anywhere near his ass again. That would be a tragedy, especially when we’re finally on our honeymoon.