Page 74 of More than a Memory
They savored each bite. Any meal that Casey prepared was fabulous, and this one was no exception. Afterwards they took their wine glasses to the couch in front of the blazing fireplace and snuggled under a comforter together. Sam took Darcy’s wine glass and set it down next to his on the coffee table and turned toward her. With his arm slung across her shoulders, he hugged her to his chest. She rested her head there, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her, and sighed, finding a deep comfort in that. He kissed the top of her head and breathed in her feminine scent.
“I don’t want you to mistake my calmness for apathy. I couldn’t bear to lose you, Shamrock,” he said earnestly. “As much as I hate the thoughts of the risks that come with your line of work, it is also part of who you are. I love that you can be such a badass and turn around and be vulnerable and soft and sexy…I would never want to try and contain you for my own selfish reasons. If I’m being totally honest,” he admitted, “it would probably be easier for my peace of mind if you had a boring nine-to-five job, but that’s just not you. Life is inherently risky, look at my folks, out cruising one hot summer evening and a truck creams them. Gone in the blink of an eye. It taught me that there are no guarantees, that we aren’t promised tomorrow. They weren’t living dangerously. It can happen anytime, anywhere. Same as me, random deer runs out, I’m laid up for weeks.”
“Sam, you are the most incredible man I have ever met. How in the hell did I ever land a fish like you?” she teased.
“Yeah, I’m a real catch!” he said as he cupped her breast and squeezed her nipple through her clothing, causing Darcy to moan as she immediately felt herself become wet.
“Yes!” she said responsively, cupping his erection and massaging his bulge, teasing him as his arousal increased. She began to rub faster through his clothing until he was crazy with desire.
Sam began pulling and tugging at her T-shirt, lifting it over her head, shuddering when he saw her dainty black bra.
Darcy unzipped Sam’s jeans and his large, throbbing penis sprang from the confines of his pants. She stuck her hand down his boxers to touch his skin, loving the juxtaposition of soft skin on hardness, with the abrasiveness of the hair surrounding his shaft. She gripped his manhood and pumped him, teasingly slow at first, then faster and faster until he felt the tension build.
Knowing that she was pretty banged up, he gently rolled her onto her back and stood up to unzip her jeans. He slowly and seductively pulled them all the way down her long and shapely thighs. When he reached her ankles, he tugged her pants the rest of the way off and tossed them aside. He then reached behind her to unfasten her bra and watched as her breasts spilled out. Kissing his way down from her lips to her neck, breasts, then belly, he landed just above her lacey black panties and nuzzled her there before pulling them off completely, leaving her lying there, exquisitely naked. He pulled his own clothing off and it joined the heap of garments already on the floor.
Sam inserted his finger into her wet vagina, and he knew she was ready. He used the moistness to wet her between the lips of her labia and stimulated her to her peak. He then slipped on a condom, positioning himself over her. After checking in with Darcy to make sure he wasn’t hurting her, with her reassurance, he thrust himself deep inside. Making sure to keep his weight off her, he began driving himself in and out, picking up speed as he rode her. Her milky thighs were parted wide for him, and she wrapped her legs around his buttocks and held him against her as he continued to pump. They both climaxed together, riding wave after wave until spent.
“Babe, your bruised face makes me want to go and kill the bastard,” Sam said some time later, as they lay together enjoying their postcoital love talk.
“It looks much worse than it feels,” she said reassuringly.
“I think it’s just starting to hit me…the danger you were really in,” he said. “When we have our little munchkins running around, maybe you will have to put your gunslinging career on hold,” he said in all seriousness.
“WHAT?” Darcy shrieked.
“Did I say something wrong?” he asked, fully aware he had just dropped a bombshell.
“You brat! You did that on purpose!” she accused.
“Innocent until proven guilty,” he crowed.
Darcy found his ticklish spot and zeroed in until he cried uncle.
“Baby, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to have beautiful redheaded children. I want to raise them here on the farm, teach them everything I know. You and me, here, with our dogs and chickens and horses. What do you say? Will you marry me?” he asked, sounding unsure of himself.
“Yes.”
“What? Yes? That’s it? There is no way that it can be that easy. What’s the catch?” he asked, joy lighting up his features as it began to dawn on him that she had really just agreed to marry him.
“I said yes, and I want to have a family with you, Sam. If we’re lucky enough to conceive, I’ll happily hang up my pistol to raise our family together.”
Seeing Sam’s eyes bright with unshed tears made Darcy love him all the more.
“You will make the perfect father, Sam Parker!”
“I’m burning my condoms immediately,” he said, grinning.
“Fine by me!” Darcy replied.
35
It had been six weeks since Sam’s accident, and they were going out to celebrate that night, having received the news that the doctor had removed all restrictions. He had pronounced that Sam was free to resume his normal activities.
Sam had been seeing patients in his small animal practice at the clinic for a couple of weeks but had not yet been cleared to work with the large animals. He was thrilled to get back to his life and the career he so passionately loved.
To celebrate Sam’s news, they had planned a small, intimate gathering. Annie, Casey, Charlie, and Clare would be joining them. Gabe was unable to be there because he already had a music gig scheduled in the neighboring town. Annie had stopped by to pick up Darcy, and they were meeting the rest of the gang at a bar and restaurant that specialized in barbeque.
As usual, Annie was a knockout without even trying, thought Darcy, who always felt a little plain standing next to her. Her sister wore her thick mass of red hair piled high on top of her head. She had long, dangly, silver earrings and probably a dozen silver bangles around her slim wrist. Her one-piece knit khaki jumpsuit was casual yet sexy, with a wide brown leather belt and button-down front, the top few buttons undone to expose just a glimpse of cleavage. Her brown suede boots completed the ensemble.