Page 21 of More than a Memory
“I will, I promise,” Darcy said.
* * *
Sam had been counting the minutes until it was time to pick up Darcy. He had been impatiently waiting since four o’clock that afternoon, when he had finished with his last patient. Cluck, the hen who was recovering surprisingly well from her disastrous encounter with a raccoon, had been the final farm call of the day. It would be at least another week before she was strong enough to join the rest of the brood, but she would make a full recovery. He had scored two homemade cherry pies for his trouble.
He was driving his personal vehicle tonight, an Audi Cabriolet convertible, which he had splurged on the previous year. It had all the bells and whistles; a balance of luxury and power. It drove like a dream and Sam, who had always been a car enthusiast, felt lucky to be able to afford a car he could have only dreamed of in the early days of his vet practice. At last, he was finally pulling into Darcy’s drive.
Holding another bouquet of flowers, this time a colorful mix of gerbera daisies with some greenery and baby’s breath mixed in, Sam knocked on the door, whistling softly to himself. He was not prepared for the vision that awaited him on the other side of the threshold. When Darcy opened the door, it literally made Sam gasp. She was radiant, almost jumping off the page luminous, he thought. Her glorious halo of coppery ginger hair, her green eyes dancing with light, her dazzling smile, and the dusting of freckles he adored, drew him to her like a bee to sweet nectar. Not to mention the allure of her beautiful body accented by the clingy-in-all-the-right-places jumpsuit, which left him utterly tongue-tied.
“Hello, Sam,” Darcy said, waving a hand for him to enter.
“You will have to excuse me for a moment while I catch my breath!” Sam said.
“Oh, have you been rushing?” Darcy replied, deliberately misinterpreting his comment.
“No, but it sure does feel like it. My heart is racing a mile a minute. Here, feel this,” he said, reaching for her hand and placing her palm over his heart and holding it there.
“Well, you have me beat, but not by much. Mine is doing the Charleston about now.” She smiled warmly at Sam, letting herself meet his eyes for a prolonged moment in time.
“Darcy, may I kiss you?” he asked sweetly, already leaning down toward her lips.
Darcy did not answer verbally, just stood up on the tips of her toes to meet him halfway. It was a brief, light brush of the lips, leaving Darcy wanting for more. She put her arm around his neck and pulled him back down for another. This time, she held his head and parted her lips, inviting him to deepen the kiss. He accepted her invitation with a passionate response that felt as if a blaze had suddenly been ignited with an accelerant.
Parting her lips further, he softly slipped his tongue inside her mouth, sensually teasing her by darting in and out in an erotic rhythm. Each time he entered, he deepened the kiss, as he plunged into her moist and eager mouth. They were both breathing heavily and Sam, with sheer force of will, pulled himself back from the brink of complete abandon. Realizing that the flowers were getting crushed between them, he comically held them out to her with a few broken and dangling stems.
“Well worth the sacrifice of a few daisies,” he said laughing.
“They’re still beautiful. Thank you, Sam.”
He admired her backside as she walked to the kitchen to cut away the damaged flowers and arrange the remaining ones in a vase. He loved her natural grace and the sexy sway of her hips. They curved appealingly from her slim waist to her rounded and full buttocks. She was balanced and sure-footed, even in those heels, he thought. Her perfectly proportioned body was shown to its best advantage in the one-piece jumpsuit she wore tonight. She seemed completely relaxed in her own skin and unaware of herself or her impact on him.
Sam followed her into the kitchen and, after she had finished with the flowers and set them on the island-counter, he pulled her back into his arms. He splayed his warm hands across her hips, pulling her pelvis against his own. She could feel his arousal through their clothing and pressed against him, rubbing her pubic bone against his hardness. His breathing was ragged, his hazel eyes darkening with desire. His eyes locked with hers, and Darcy found herself unable to look away, almost as if hypnotized.
His voice shaky, he said, “Darcy I don’t think I have ever wanted anything or anyone as badly as I want you.”
He brushed a strand of her hair back from her flushed cheek. He kissed her forehead then leaned his cheek against the top of her head, keeping her tucked up close against him. He began to nuzzle her hair as he worked his way down to her neck. He nibbled softly at her ear and moved down further, kissing her in the hollow between her neck and shoulder. Opening his mouth, he gently sucked at her soft scented skin. She moaned as he moved back up and finally found her lips, which were ripe with desire.
His breath hitched as she ran her hands up his muscled chest, only stopping when she reached his face, cradling it on either side with both hands. Her thumbs stroked his cheeks tenderly as she looked into his smoldering eyes. He felt like his heart was going to explode right out of his chest, his desire for her was so strong. He knew he had to put a little distance between them, or they would never leave the house. Giving her buttocks one last gentle squeeze, he tilted her head back and again silently commanded her to meet his eyes. Suddenly feeling shy from the intimacy of his gaze, she couldn’t hold the tension another moment.
“Sam, we could always forego dinner,” she said breathlessly.
“I can’t say that didn’t cross my mind, Darcy, but I want more than a roll in the hay with you. I want to know you, your favorite color, your favorite book, what makes your heart sing. All of it.”
“Sam, I told you, this will only work if we keep it casual.”
“Casual is fine, but I still want to know you. It almost hurts to look at you I want you so bad,” Sam said.
Darcy studied this man in front of her, so sincere, so handsome, so sexy! She loved his thick unruly hair. She loved that he wore it a little long below his ears. She loved the laugh lines around his eyes that crinkled every time he smiled. She loved how safe and grounded he was. She innately understood she could trust him. There were no games with this one, she thought. She found herself feeling regret. This one would be hard to let go of, but she knew that she would eventually have to. She could never take that risk again. But, for now, she would just enjoy their obvious chemistry and make the most of their time together. She would worry about the rest later.
“I’m getting pretty hungry. I’ll bring the dogs in and then we can take off,” Darcy said.
“I’ve worked up more than one appetite, but let’s at least satisfy the one that I can,” he said regretfully.
The dogs came tearing in and Darcy gave them each a treat before taking their leave.
Pulling up to the front entrance of the restaurant, Sam opted to use the valet service. After giving their name to the hostess and checking their coats, Darcy went to the restroom before being seated. When she returned to the front of the house where she had left Sam, she found him engaged in a conversation with the hostess, who was gazing up at him adoringly. She looked a little embarrassed when Darcy appeared, like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar, but Darcy smiled at her warmly and, reassured, she returned the smile with equal friendliness.
The restaurant had a romantic ambience with low lighting and booths lining the perimeter, offering privacy around a room with elegantly candlelit tables and white tablecloths. There was an open center fireplace that created a cozy feel to the space. A baby grand piano in the corner with a pianist playing jazz softly in the background added to the intimate mood. Sam had requested a booth when he had made the reservations, and all eyes in the dining area had turned toward them as they were seated. They made a strikingly beautiful couple.