Winter Hopes (Seasons of Love) Page 5

  Still up against the wall, he hooked his arm under her knee to hitch her leg up, groaning as he drove into her with one smooth thrust. She gripped his shoulders with a low moan and held on for the ride. Her body filled with sensation and her mind went blank. It was powerful, intense, and quick, leaving them both gasping and shuddering after their explosive release. They leaned up against the wall for support, still locked in their embrace for a minute, clinging onto one another as they tried to catch their breath.

  Still panting, Sam gently lowered her leg and stepped back. He kissed her with a sweet, almost sheepish grin, and discreetly removed the condom as he made his way to the bathroom.

  Hailey blinked at him and, between gasps, let out a short laugh of disbelief. "I never even saw you get that on," she said to his retreating back. "You had my head spinning, I wasn't thinking… I'm sure as hell glad you thought of it. Thank you for that."

  "No problem," he called from the bathroom, a smile in his tone.

  She felt her thighs quivering as she made her way to the bed in a daze, collapsing onto it. She was still steadying herself when Sam emerged from the bathroom and lay down next to her. He dropped a kiss on her lips, her shoulder, then stretched out and closed his eyes.

  “Well.” She laughed dryly. “That was new. What the hell was that?”

  Sam couldn’t help but snort and grin.

  “You were a beast,” she quipped. “In a good way, of course.”

  Eyes still closed, his grin widened into a sated smile.

  “You’ve never been like that,” Hailey said. "You were… consumed. You went caveman on me. It was freakin’ hot.” She rolled onto her side to lean up on one elbow and scrutinize him. Her eyes trailed along his naked body. For a man in his mid-thirties, Sam was incredibly fit. Hailey found that most men started to let themselves go by then, but Sam hadn’t. He had a lean build, not overly muscular or bulky. But his long legs boasted powerful thighs and calves, the result of almost twenty years of daily running. She also knew he went to a gym sometimes, which explained the slightly defined muscles in his arms and broad shoulders. Hailey stared at his face as he rested—the arch of his dark brows, the sharp angles and planes of his cheeks and jaw, his full lips. She had always found him extremely attractive, but never more so than at that moment, after the lustful, demanding way he'd taken her.

  Her eyes narrowed. What had changed for him?

  It came to her easily. With a wicked smile, she said in a teasing and sultry voice, “So? Who is she? What’s her name?”

  Sam’s eyes snapped open and his smile froze. “Who?”

  She smirked. “Whoever you met that you wanted and didn’t have. You just took your frustrations out on me, that’s what this was. You couldn’t contain yourself. You must have wanted her pretty bad. Really bad.”

  Sam chuckled and closed his eyes again, taking then exhaling a slow, deep breath.

  “Come on, Sam,” Hailey pressed, still smirking. She trailed her fingertip along his arm, playing with the sparse dark hair on his chest. “Tell me about her. You know you can. Our secrets stay here.”

  “You’re a frighteningly smart woman, you know that?” Sam finally said, grinning again.

  “That’s why I’m one of the highest paid attorneys in Chicago.” She grinned back. “So? What’s her name?”

  “Lydia,” Sam said, relenting.

  “Aha!” Hailey crowed triumphantly. “I knew it! I love it when I’m right.”

  Sam laughed. He reached up and tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, then tweaked her chin.

  “Go on,” she coaxed. “Where did you meet her?”

  “I went to a wedding in Connecticut last weekend. I was a friend of the groom; she was a friend of the bride.”

  “Sounds charming. Did you get your hands on her at all?”

  “Yes.”

  “But you didn’t sleep with her.”

  Sam smiled ruefully. “No.”

  “That was easy enough to figure out.”

  “For you, I’m sure it was,” Sam said. “I feel like I just got through the first round of a cross examination. I pity the people you skewer on the stand.”

  “Oh, please,” Hailey scoffed with a salacious grin. “This was nothing.” She stretched back, making herself comfortable, and asked jokingly, “So, is she prettier than me?”

  Sam chuckled. “You’re both beautiful. But actually, you look nothing alike.” He rose from the bed. He retrieved two bottles of water from the desk, handing one to her as he sat beside her.

  “Always such a gentleman.” She smiled and sat up. They drank in silence before she added, “Of course, that’s probably why you didn’t sleep with her—she was a bit of a prude, and you were a gentleman about it. You didn’t get laid, so you came home frustrated, and called me so you could get it out of your system.”

  Sam shook his head with a soft grin. “Something like that. Again, you’re very smart.”

  “Yes, I am. I also know you by now, even though you usually keep your cards pretty close to the vest. Hey, don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining,” Hailey said, still teasing him. “You were out of control. Totally hot. I always suspected you had that lurking in you, but… huh! I’m proud of you, Sam.”

  He chuckled. “Well, thanks. I think.”

  “Did this Lydia know how much you wanted her?” Hailey asked.

  “Oh, yeah.” He gulped down more water.

  “Are you going to see her again?”

  “Yes. Next weekend.”

  “Where?”

  “She lives in New York. I’m going to go see her.”

  Hailey snickered. “Well then! Lucky me. I guess I’ll have more fun like this over the next ten days, with horny little you on my hands.” She stood up and smiled down at Sam, who smiled back benignly but said nothing.

  “I’m going to take a quick shower,” she said. “Back in a few.”

  Sam watched Hailey from behind, taking in her long, slender body as she disappeared into the bathroom. He finished his bottle of water, then leaned back against the pillow and closed his eyes. He felt the calm wash through him, the ebb of the adrenaline rush that came from release after sex, and glanced at the clock on the end table. He knew he had to get back to work soon, but didn’t feel like moving just yet. Allowing himself a few minutes to relax, he breathed slowly and let his mind drift.

  Lydia’s face appeared in his mind, as it had many times since she’d driven away from him at the hotel in Connecticut. This time, he felt a twinge of self-reproach, of… guilt. Huh. He brushed it away. Lydia wasn’t his girlfriend. She wasn’t his anything. He was a free man.

  Then it occurred to him that it wasn’t true. Lydia had him, even after only one weekend together. His thoughts often drifted to her, he’d texted and called her every day… no, he wasn’t totally free. He stared at the ceiling as he realized how strongly he felt about her after such a short time, which surprised him. Whether it was infatuation, or more than that, whatever it was, it was there, and it was real. He felt something.

  Hailey emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a long, white towel. “You know,” she said, “I’m free on Sunday evening. Want to meet up again? Get some more of this pent up lust out of your system?”

  Sam opened his eyes and sat up to look at her. She was smugly amused, and obviously enjoying teasing him. “Maybe.”

  “I tell you what—you don’t have to buy me dinner, you’re off the hook. How’s eight o’clock sound? We could meet here again, or at the Drake, if you prefer. You’ll let me know…” Her eyes narrowed on him. She studied him closely for a few seconds before she said, “You’ve got a major look of guilt on that handsome face of yours. Knock it off, Sam. You just met her. Even if you like her, you owe her nothing. You’re allowed to do this. You’re allowed to do whatever you want.”

  The corner of his mouth turned up. She could read him astoundingly well. “Thanks, but don’t worry about me. I’m good.”

  “Mm hmm. Just trying t
o help a friend.” Hailey smiled and went to retrieve her clothes from where they lay in a heap. “Have to say, though… long distance relationships can be a real drag. Think on that before you dive in.”

  “We’ll see,” Sam said quietly, and went to take a shower.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “JUST THINK—A WEEK from tomorrow, you’ll be gallivanting around the city with Sam.” Tracey grinned at her best friend. They stood side by side at the counter, cutting up pizza into bite sized pieces for their toddlers. “Are you excited? Nervous? Both?”

  “Definitely both,” Lydia said. She cut up Andy’s slice as quickly as she could. Friday pizza dinner was in full swing at the Sheflin house. She glanced over her shoulder at where her son and Tracey’s family sat around the kitchen table, chattering away. Andy was making silly faces with Emily, who was seven, and Ian, who had just turned three. Neil, Tracey’s husband, was laughing right along with the kids.

  “You didn’t say anything to Neil about Sam, did you?” Lydia said under her breath.

  “No, you asked me not to,” Tracey replied.

  “Thanks. I just want to keep this quiet for now, you know?”

  “I know. Sooo, what are you going to wear?” Tracey asked.

  “Oh God, I have no idea,” Lydia said. “I’m no fashionista, you know that. In fact, I’m clueless. Feel free to throw me some advice. Hell, feel free to dress me.”

  Tracey chuckled. “Well, when are you going? What time of day?”

  “Noon, I think. And probably staying for dinner. Jeans and a nice top? Is that okay?”

  “Depends what you’re doing, where you’re going. But that’ll probably be fine. We’ll figure out something,” Tracey said. Across the room, from within her bag, Lydia’s cell phone rang.

  “Oh man,” Lydia groaned, looking towards where her bag sat on the chair.

  “Go get it,” Tracey said. “I’ll give Andy his pizza. Go.”

  “Thanks,” Lydia said, rushing across the kitchen to grab her phone while it was still ringing. “Hello?”

  “Hey, it’s me,” Matt said, sounding morose as usual.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  “I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow,” Matt said.

  “Tomorrow?” Lydia leaned in the doorframe and watched Tracey place Andy’s food in front of him. “What about tomorrow?”

  “Well, it’s Halloween,” Matt said. “And it’s a Saturday. I won’t have work.”

  “And?” Lydia asked impatiently.

  “And I’d like to do some trick or treating with my son,” Matt said, as if it were obvious.

  Lydia felt irritation seep in and tried to keep her voice neutral. “Well, we’re leaving from Jane’s at two o’clock. We’re going with her, Tyler, and the kids around their neighborhood, like we always have.”

  Andy looked up at Lydia from where he sat and waved. “Hi, Mama.”

  “Hi, baby.” She smiled and waved back at her son.

  “I assume you’re talking to Andy, not me,” Matt said sarcastically.

  “Oh, please,” Lydia snorted. She turned and left the kitchen. She stomped to the living room. “So, what do you want, Matt? We’re about to have dinner.”

  “I told you. I want to go trick or treating with my son,” he said, his voice edgy.

  “Fine. Come to Jane’s at two. That’s when we’ll be leaving.”

  “I don’t want to go trick or treating with Jane and her family,” Matt complained. “She and I aren't exactly each other’s biggest fans.”

  “Well, that’s what Andy and I are doing for Halloween,” Lydia said firmly. “Take it or leave it. You’re welcome to join us. But that’s the plan.”

  “You can’t change it up a bit?”

  “Nope. Especially not the day before. You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “I only realized this afternoon,” Matt said.

  “You realized midday on October 30th that October 31st is Halloween?” Lydia couldn’t help but snicker. “That’s how important it was to you. Andy’s a child. He’s been looking forward to Halloween since Labor Day. Everywhere you look, there are Halloween decorations. And you realized today that maybe you should make a plan with your son? Sorry, but no, I’m not going to ‘change it up a bit’, especially at the last minute.”

  “You’re really going to be a hardass about this?” Matt said angrily.

  “No,” Lydia said in a cool tone. “I told you you’re perfectly welcome to join us. It’s your choice.”

  “Not giving me much of a choice,” he grunted.

  “I’ve laid it out for you. I’m hanging up. We’re having dinner now.”

  “Fine. I’ll call you in the morning and let you know.”

  “You don’t have to call. Just show up at Jane’s at two, or don’t. It’s really quite simple,” Lydia said.

  “Ah, always a pleasure talking to you,” Matt sneered.

  “Likewise,” Lydia spat. “Good night.” She snapped her phone shut and threw it at the couch in fury. Her hands were cold, as they always were when she got upset. She balled them into fists. She didn’t want Matt joining them for Halloween. He hadn’t ever taken off work for Halloween before. Lydia had gone trick or treating with Jane and her kids since they were babies, long before she'd become a mother herself. Since she’d had Andy, they’d gone trick or treating in Jane’s neighborhood all together, a big happy traveling clan. It was fun. She loved Jane’s beautiful area, she loved watching Andy and her niece and nephews enjoy themselves. She didn’t want her crabby ex-husband coming along, with his sullen demeanor, changing the mood by making everyone uncomfortable, ruining the day in any way.

  “Dammit,” she snarled in frustration. “Dammit, dammit.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, picked up her phone, lifted her chin, and marched herself back into the kitchen.

  ***

  “I’m glad you guys could hang out,” Sam said. He looked across the table at Everett and John, who had been his two closest friends since junior high school. Outside of his family, there was no one he trusted more than them. “Been too long already.”

  “Like a month or so,” Everett remarked. “And I want to hear more about this Lydia. That’s a hell of a story you got going on there.”

  “Same here,” John said. “We’re old married men. We’ll live vicariously through you for a bit on this, if you don’t mind.”

  They all laughed at that as a young waitress appeared at the table with three bottles of dark beer. She smiled as she handed each man a bottle, but her eyes lingered on Sam before she walked away.

  John let out a low whistle and wiggled his eyebrows at Sam. “She liked you, son.”

  Sam shrugged it off with an almost bashful grin. “Got Lydia on the brain. Not even looking right now.” He raised his bottle to his mouth and took a deep swallow, welcoming the taste of the dark, cold beer on his tongue.

  Everett coaxed, “So, tell us about her. It’s, like, turning into a thing, right?”

  “Yup.” Sam nodded, then raised his bottle in salute. “Off to New York next weekend.”

  “Can’t believe you’re doing that,” John said with a shake of his head. “You romantic, you. Who knew?”

  Sam shot him a mock scowl before snorting out a laugh, but didn’t deny it.

  “She must be hotter than hell,” John said. “Do we get to see a picture or what?”

  “I’ll show you one after the weekend in New York, if it goes well,” Sam replied. “And I think she’s gorgeous.”

  “If it goes well?” Everett peered at his friend. “You sound nervous. Are you?”

  “A little, sure. I’m still trying to figure out where to take her,” Sam admitted. “I want something nice, something cool. Something memorable, but nothing over the top. And… I’m choking. Everything I think of seems to suck.”

  “I can’t believe you’re nervous about this,” Everett said with a teasing grin. “It’s so cute.”

  “Shut up.” Sam laughed, and looked away
in embarrassment. The restaurant was crowded and loud, with plenty of rowdy customers enjoying themselves. He glanced around as he tried to ignore the loud buzz of conversation and music, stimulation overload. He usually wasn’t one to go out for a boisterous Friday evening Happy Hour, but it was the only time that both of his friends had been able to meet him. They could meet him out if they went straight from work for a while before they had to return home to their families. “Can we talk about something else for a while?”

  They talked about work, caught up on each other’s families over a few beers.

  After a while, Sam opened up and told his friends more about Lydia. Before he realized it, he’d been talking about her for ten minutes straight. When John called him on it, he actually flushed.

  “Oh man, he’s in this deep already,” John groaned, shaking his head in mock disdain.

  Sam snorted and took another swig from his beer. His phone vibrated in his pocket—he had a text. He pulled it out and glanced at it.

  Hi, it’s H. Wanna get together this weekend? Sunday? Let me know…

  A muscle twitched in Sam’s jaw, and his brows creased again.

  “What’s up?” Everett asked. “Your whole face just changed. You look pissed off.”

  “I kind of am,” Sam admitted. He scowled and blew out a frustrated sigh. “At myself.”

  “Spill it,” Everett demanded. He and John focused on their friend.

  Sam held up the phone. “Hailey. Wants to get together again.” In all the time Sam had known Hailey, he had told only two people about her and their ongoing arrangement. Both were sitting at the table with him.

  “What’s wrong with that?” John asked. “Hailey’s hot.”

  “I wasn’t sure if you still saw her,” Everett said. “You haven’t mentioned her in a long time.”

  “Yeah, once in a while we still meet up,” Sam said. He put his phone down on the table and rubbed his jaw forcefully. “I called her a few days after I got back from the weekend, after I met Lydia. I was all… pent up, shall we say. So I called Hailey, and we got together. Okay, fine. But then again a few days after that. Usually it’s once or twice a month, not once or twice a week. Now she’s asking if I want to get together again, and, well… it doesn’t feel right. Not when I’m talking to Lydia almost every night now… we’re really getting to know each other, I like her a lot, she’s starting to trust me, and I don’t feel… right… seeing Hailey now. I feel like I made a misstep the first time I called her, as it was. I was already into Lydia.”