Kinkade, Lea - I Got a Feelin' [The Chisholms of Texas 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (17 page)

Evenings were spent snuggling on the couch poring over paint chips, granite samples, and flooring samples. Samantha found herself enjoying the process of picking out the materials that would go into finishing the house. Ryan made the process fun and didn’t let her get too serious about it. He also had a knack for seeing when she chose one particular product over another due to cost. He reminded her frequently that he could afford to put the best into this house just as long as she didn’t want gold-plated fixtures or the like.

Valentine’s Day happened to land on a Thursday. It was the busiest day of the year for a florist. Samantha and her staff had worked hard and created three times the normal number of premade flower arrangements to store in the front cooler. They still ended up making up arrangements as they were ordered. Dozens and dozens of extra roses of all colors crowded each other in the back cooler for the more traditional customers. Samantha closed the shop late at 8:00 p.m. and walked wearily upstairs to the apartment. She was totally exhausted. Thank goodness Celia had been around to help or she would have been completely overrun. Celia let it slip that this year’s crowd for Valentine’s Day was significantly larger than last year’s. Samantha was pleased that she might have something to do with the higher volume of sales.

Ryan was waiting for her with dinner on the table like he did many nights. A girl could certainly get used to this treatment.

“Hey, darlin’. I’ll bet you were run off your feet today, weren’t you?” After a hot, wet kiss, he led her to the couch and brought her aching feet into his lap. Taking off her sandals, he massaged her arches and feet until she was moaning with pleasure.

“Oh, that feels so good. I am one lucky girl. You cook, you clean, you massage my feet, and you rock in bed. You’re perfect for me.”

Once he had her relaxed, he placed her feet on the coffee table and brought dinner to her on a tray. He had made one of her favorite chicken recipes. The chicken was rubbed in a combination of minced garlic, Kosher salt, and rosemary, and then it was marinated in a combination of red wine and balsamic vinegar. It was delicious and took a little time to prepare and go through all of the steps. He had baked potatoes with butter, sour cream, shredded cheese, and chives. Tips of roasted asparagus and a glass of white wine rounded out the meal. Neither Ryan nor Samantha cared for drinking red wine, but it was delicious in this dish.

Sitting right next to each other on the couch, they ate in comfortable silence, savoring the delicious meal. Once finished, Ryan took both trays into the kitchen and cleaned up, bringing Samantha another glass of Riesling, her favorite wine. She sat on the couch savoring the soft background music he had playing on the stereo while he continued to work in the kitchen.

“Do you need any help cleaning up, handsome?” She couldn’t tell what he was doing in there, but he should have dinner cleaned up by now.

“No, darlin’. I’m just getting dessert ready. You stay right where you are and I’ll be right there.” The sound of a drawer opening and closing, along with the sound of the door opening on the refrigerator, had her intrigued.

“Did you make something?” He didn’t usually make dessert. He didn’t really like to bake and left that up to Samantha.

“No, darlin’. I picked up something from Mancini’s Bakery.” His voice got louder as he talked because he was walking back into the family room with a tray in his hands. As he set the tray on the coffee table, Samantha could see two pieces of cheesecake with strawberries. One of the pieces was normal size while the other one was more than double the first.

Grabbing the bigger piece, Samantha groaned deep in her throat. “I can’t believe you got one of Mancini’s cheesecakes. God, they’re like fourteen million calories or something.” She sliced into the giant piece with her fork and moaned in ecstasy as she took the first bite. Nothing was better than a cheesecake from Mancini’s Bakery. Nothing. They were special order only. One of their cheesecakes might just give sex a run for its money. Maybe.

Sitting back onto the couch with one leg folded beneath her, she took another bite of the sinful treat, savoring the flavor as it slid over her tongue. This was love. She couldn’t believe the attention to detail that he had paid to this evening. As he picked up his own plate and sat down next to her, she noticed there was a pink envelope on the tray with her name on it.

“For me?” She was sure it was a Valentine’s Day card and couldn’t wait to see what he had picked out for her. She had been with him a couple of times when he was getting a card for a member of his family. He didn’t just pick out the first card he came across. He read every word and made sure it said exactly what he wanted it to say before he would buy it. She knew he would have paid just as close attention to the sentiment in a card for her.

“For you.” He laughed as her eyes went back and forth between her piece of cheesecake and the envelope. “Why don’t you take a big bite of the cheesecake and open the card while you savor and swallow?”

She followed his suggestion and then grabbed for the card. As she tore it open, some papers fell out to the floor. Wanting to see what the card said, Samantha ignored the papers and read the card. It was so sweet and caring that her eyes filled up with tears.

“Whoa, darlin’. That’s not the reaction I was going for with that card.” He grabbed one of her hands in his and threaded their fingers together. With his other hand, he snagged the papers that had fallen out when she opened the card and held them out to her.

“What’s this?”

“Your Valentine’s Day present. I didn’t want to just get you flowers. If I was a florist, I don’t think a gift of flowers, either from my own store or from another one, would be that much of a gift. I thought you would appreciate this present even more. I know I will.”

She slowly opened the papers and started to read. Her eyes got big and she threw herself into his arms to sit on his lap, her arms around his neck.

“We’re going to Jamaica? That’s awesome! I’ve never been anywhere before. I can’t believe you did this. How long have you been planning this?” She couldn’t get the questions out fast enough. She took the papers in both hands and read them more closely, sagging a little in disappointment. “Wait. We’re leaving tomorrow? I don’t know if I can get things arranged at the shop that quickly. I need a little more preparation time.” She looked at him regretfully, but he just smiled at her.

“Not to worry, darlin’. I’ve already got it cleared with Celia. She’s covering for you while we’re gone.” Laughing, she threw her arms around him again as she squealed her delight. Suddenly she pulled away from him with another questioning look on her face. Before she could bring up her next objection, Ryan silenced her with a quick kiss.

“Your bag is already packed. I went shopping for you when I was in Corpus last week. Got you a couple of swimsuits. That’s all you’re really going to need, darlin’, and where we’re going, even those are optional. If we’re not on the beach, I intend to be deep inside of you. You won’t need anything else to wear.” He leered at her as she hugged him again and laughed in sheer glee.

“Finish your cheesecake and I’ll get the brochures for the place we’re staying at. It’s Negril Beach on the island of Jamaica. It’s less touristy than Montego Bay and the like. I thought you’d enjoy being able to just totally relax.” She sat back on the couch and pored over the brochures while she finished her cheesecake. She was so excited she was about ready to burst.

Before they went to bed, Samantha looked through the bag that Ryan had packed for her. He’d done a good job of packing all the essentials. Samantha thought she would be a little embarrassed wearing the strips of cloth he called a swimsuit, though. There was hardly anything to them. She turned bright red when Ryan reminded her that clothing was optional at the beach where their condo was located.

“I am not going around the beach naked, Ryan Chisholm. I’d be too embarrassed for anyone to see me like that. And don’t think for a second that you’ll be displaying your wares for all the little chippies to see, either. You better have swim trunks in your suitcase.” She gave him a warning look and then thought about it and relented. “I think you’d look great in a Speedo, though.”

“I’m not walking around a public beach with my dick hanging out, nor am I wearing Speedos. I have a couple pairs of swim trunks packed.” She gave him a little grin in response.

“By the way, nobody but me is going to see you
nekkid
either. I was just messing with you. Now that we’re together, the only man, besides me, that gets to see you naked is your doctor. On second thought, maybe you should get a woman doctor.” He was grinning at her, but she could tell he was a little serious.

“Don’t worry, handsome. I have no desire to be seen
nekkid
by anybody but you.” She went to him and put her arms around his neck, pulling his head down so she could kiss him soundly. He pulled her into his arms to deepen the kiss, and they forgot about any clothing dilemmas for the rest of the night.

Chapter 13

The brochures didn’t do justice to the beauty of Jamaica. They arrived in Montego Bay by midafternoon and rented a car and driver to get to their condo on Negril Beach. Their driver was quite the tour guide and told them all about the island and the different areas where tourists stayed. Negril Beach had been consistently named as one of the top ten beaches in the world. There was more than seven miles of white, silky beach in the area. Their condo sat right on the beach about five hundred feet from the cliffs.

When they first arrived at the condo, Ryan checked to make sure it had been stocked as he’d requested. They didn’t have to dress up and go out for anything if they didn’t want to. They had all the provisions they would need for their stay and could just relax and enjoy each other. They’d opened up their suitcases and changed immediately into their swimsuits. Samantha was a little self-conscious in one of the bikinis Ryan had picked out for her, but she let Ryan kiss her into wearing it out to the beach along with the matching sarong.

After rubbing sunscreen on each other, they walked the entire beach hand in hand, stopping often to kiss and love on each other. Several times they were stopped by local kids trying to sell something or other. Ryan almost bought her another bikini from one of the vendors, but Samantha put her foot down when she saw the bottom was nothing more than a G-string. He laughed as he leered at her, threatening to buy it for her anyway.

During their walk, they passed places to rent scuba and snorkeling gear as well as mountain bikes or horses. They were staying on the far West End of Negril Beach, and the area was very secluded. When they got back from walking the beach, they sat in the shallows and just enjoyed the balmy weather and each other as they lay in each other’s arms.

They sat on the cliffs as the sun went down, enjoying the beautiful sunset that Jamaica is known for. Purples, pinks, and oranges painted the sky as the sun slowly sank into the ocean surrounding the island. Samantha had never seen anything like it. It was one of the most romantic moments of her life. Sitting in Ryan’s arms as they waited for the night to press in on them was a moment out of time. As the sun slid into the ocean and disappeared, they reluctantly made their way back to the condo.

Ryan grilled fresh salmon on the patio while Samantha put together a large salad with local vegetables. They snacked on local fruit for dessert as they sat out on the patio enjoying the evening. Ryan had made sure that the condo was stocked with plenty of local fruit. Samantha tried guinep, which looked like green grapes but had a large seed surrounded by a thin layer of sweet, fleshy fruit. The Mammy Apple, as Ryan had called it, tasted a lot like mango. There were also guavas, Jamaican mangos, and papayas to choose from.

Samantha was reclining on Ryan’s lap as they sat together on one of the lounge chairs on the patio. They were relaxed, talking quietly and just enjoying each other’s company as the darkness fell around them. All they could hear was the surf crashing against the bluffs and the shore.

* * * *

“Want to go snorkeling tomorrow? Or we could get certified in scuba diving in the morning and take a pleasure dive in the afternoon.” Ryan was already a certified diver, but it had been over a year since he’d blown any bubbles. A little refresher course couldn’t hurt. He’d first gotten certified on a spring break trip to Montego Bay right here in Jamaica when he was a freshman in college. He and Ryder had made an annual trip to Jamaica up until last year. They’d stopped going during spring break a couple of years after college and had started going in January, right after the holidays. Ryan had begged off this year because he and Samantha were together. Ryder hadn’t been too happy with him.

Ryan absolutely loved Jamaica. He hadn’t done the touristy stuff in years, but he found himself wanting to share this island with Samantha in all its many facets. The world ran differently in Jamaica. Hell, it was like time stood still when he was here. No rushing and running around for the locals. They were on island time, and it ran much slower than time in the real world.

Ryan knew that Samantha had never done any traveling. Growing up she’d been in various foster homes and, up until Sandy had left her the bequest in her will, she’d never been able to afford to go anywhere. He wanted to give her the world, but he’d start with the little slice of heaven that was Jamaica.

They’d had a relaxing afternoon and evening on the beach, and he knew the perfect way to end the day. He planned to take Samantha down to the beach and make love to her on a blanket under the stars.