“Are you still scared of dark water?” I ask, taking my own shoes and socks off.

“I might still have a slight—”

I give her a gentle nudge, pretending to push her into the water. She yelps and grabs onto me, holding on for dear life. I laugh and wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her close.

“Not funny, Samuel!”

“No one calls me that, you know.”

“I do when I’m mad.” A smile plays on her face, blowing her cover for acting pissed. She laughs and rests one hand over my chest. My heart is thumping away in there, and she has to feel it.

“I guess I should make it up to you then.”

Moonlight pours down on us, reflecting off the glossy surface of the lake. “Y-yeah.” Her breath leaves in a huff, and she straightens up, taking the blanket and draping it around both our shoulders.

“It’s really peaceful out here, isn’t it?” She apprehensively dips a toe in the water. Her hand is next to mine on the dock, and I intertwine our fingers.

“It is. I haven’t seen Silver Lake at night in years. Almost makes me wonder why I left.”

“Did you think you’d end up back here?” Chloe plunges her other foot into the water, and I move so my feet dangle over the dock as well. The water is warm but feels good.

“Willingly?” I ask.

“Yes.”

“For a while, yes. And then I realized my options would be limited. There’s one small hospital here and no trauma center.”

“Do you like working in trauma?” she asks.

“Most of the time. You were right to call working in trauma traumatizing. It can wear on me some days. But it’s exciting, and every day pushes me to be the best doctor I can be. Every patient that comes in is in a life-or-death situation.”

“You could work at a plastic surgery center instead.”

“A buddy from med school does that now. He’s in Miami and loves it. No holidays or weekends. Pretty much everything is pre-scheduled, and you don’t have too many late nights.”

“Did you always want to be an anesthesiologist?”

“Actually, no. I was interested in oncology.” I pause, but don’t have to go on for her to know what made me want to go that direction. I was with her, comforting her, holding her hand and giving her a shoulder to cry on as her mom lost her battle with cancer. “I was matched with anesthesiology, and there was an opening for my residency at the hospital I wanted, so I took it.”

“That’s interesting.”

“I love it now, and if you ever need someone put in a coma, I’m your guy.” I let go of her hand, and she stiffens slightly. I tip my face up to the starry sky and put my arm around Chloe, pulling her close. Her whole body relaxes once she’s in my embrace. “What about you? Did you think you’d end up back here?”

“I did. It was home. It still feels like home…well, kind of. I was eager to get out, though I never thought I’d end up in California.”

“Where did you think you’d end up?”

“Chicago. It’s a big city but not that far away. For some reason, I was all about experiencing city life.”

I chuckle. “I get that. It was exciting to finally go to a big city in college. I thought it would be night after night going out and living it up, but med school sucks the social life right out of you. Residency is even worse.”

“Who needs a social life when you’re hooking up in the janitor’s closet with your extremely good-looking fellow doctors?”

“Do not get me started on that.” I turn my head down, looking into her eyes. “You know it’s not…” I trail off forgetting what I was going to say. Chloe is so fucking beautiful, and sitting here with her feels so right, so natural.

My heart jumps, and I don’t think. Just act. I bring both hands up, cupping her face.

And then I kiss her.

The entire world fades around us, and the only thing that exists, the only thing that matters, is Chloe. It should have been this way all along. I push my hands up, moving her hair back. Chloe leans in, kissing me back just as passionately. The blanket falls from my shoulders as I move closer to Chloe, needing to feel more of her.

Eyes closed, I rest my forehead against hers.

“I’m such an idiot,” I breathe, hands still in her hair.

She jerks back with a slight gasp. “Because you kissed me?”

“Because I didn’t kiss you sooner.” Her eyes get glossy, and we fall together again. I lean back, bringing Chloe with me. Her body presses against mine. Warm. Soft.

Perfect.

Her thick hair falls like a curtain around us. I cup her face, kissing her harder. My tongue slips past her lips, and I bring one hand down, resting it on the small of her back. She hooks a leg over me and moves on top. Her dress is ridden up around her waist, with her hot core hovering right over my hardening cock. She widens her legs and sinks down on me, rocking her hips to purposely feel me against her. It’s hot as fucking hell and we’re still fully dressed. I gather up her dress and find the tie in the back.

“Sam, stop,” she says suddenly as I pull the bow undone.

“Okay.” I take my hands off of her right away. “What’s wrong?”

“I…I…” She’s still on me, hands planted on my chest. Her brows push together and her bottom lip trembles. Did I say something wrong? Upset her?

Push her past where she wants to be pushed?

Fuck, I never meant to upset her, and hurting her is the last thing I ever want to do.

“I’m sorry,” she says and scrambles off me. Her feet get tangled in the blanket and she almost falls. I shoot up and catch her before she drops into the water. “Thank you, again.”

“Of course, Chloe. I told you, I’ll always catch you.”

She looks away, eyes brimming with tears.

“Chloe, what’s wrong?” My own heart is in my throat, bracing myself for the worst.

“I…I can’t do this.”

And the worst is exactly what I get.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chloe

“I…I can’t do this.”

The look on Sam’s face just about does me in. But I can’t. I have to stand my ground or that momentary look on Sam’s face will be on mine for months, if not years. Or forever. Because it’s been over ten years since I’ve gazed on this man’s gorgeous face and I’m still just as in love with him as ever.

“Then we don’t have to,” Sam says gently and takes his hands off me. I miss him right away. “I’m sorry. I thought you…I’m sorry.” He’s flustered and confused, and I can’t blame him. Because I do want to keep kissing him. I want him to undress me and fuck me until I’m screaming his name. I take a step back and blink away tears. “I really didn’t mean it was idiotic to kiss you,” he rushes out.

“I know,” I say quietly. “And I agree you were an idiot for not kissing me sooner, because I really like you kissing me.” Dammit, I do, and desire for him swirls deep inside me, but I have to fight it. I have to stay strong. “I just…I can’t.”