Chapter 17
"My gosh, I love you," he almost panted. Then he froze. It took Sam a minute for what he said to register.
"You love me?" Sam squeaked.
"A lot," Jake confessed.
"You love me?" she squeaked again. "You love me?"
"I think I already said that," Jake chuckled.
"Jake, you love me?" Sam burst into tears, nuzzling into his neck.
"I love you, Brat," Jake felt stronger saying it this time. "Shhh." He tried to comfort her, not sure why she was crying. He rubbed her back.
"I love you," Sam cried against his skin, causing him to break out into goosebumps. Jake tightened his arms on her, resting his chin on the top of her head. His heart sang. She loved him!
"I think I've loved you since your accident," Jake murmured. "When you were taken from me, I…it was awful." His voice trailed off.
"I didn't want to go," Sam sniffled.
"I know," Jake told her. "We were just kids and nobody would listen to us."
Sam nodded.
"Then when I saw you climbing the rocks after the avalanche," Jake's voice shook with emotion. "When I held you afterwards I knew there was no doubt that I loved you."
"You've loved me since then?" Sam was surprised. She pulled back to look at him even though it was too dark to see his face. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"I couldn't," Jake sighed and she understood. Jake was shy sometimes, even with her. He had waited to let her know how he felt about her until the last possible moment, hoping she would initiate it. When she hadn't, he had taken matters into his own hands by kissing her by the side of the road on his way to college.
"It's okay," Sam assured him. "You told me now."
"I adore you, Brat," Jake told her. He felt her smile against his neck and he raised his shoulder as he shivered. She chuckled softly against him, knowing that she had affected him. He smiled okay with the fact that he had let her know.
"I love you, Jake," Sam whispered against his skin, feeling the goosebumps when she did. She inhaled his scent, content to be next to him like this.
"I bought this truck because I realized how much I did love you after the avalanche," Jake confessed, knowing he was opening himself up to her. "This truck reminded me of that every time I looked at it. It reminded me of you."
"Oh my gosh," Sam started weeping again and he felt her tears against his skin. He tightened his arms on her. Jake knew she was crying because she was happy he had told her and so he didn't try and comfort her. He just held her.
"I had no idea," Sam finally said when she had stopped crying. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "I thought of the avalanche every time I saw your new truck too, but for different reasons."
"Now you know," Jake shrugged.
"Yes and I love you even more for it, if that's possible," Sam told him. She kissed his jaw and smiled when he shivered.
She grew bold and trailed her tongue down his jawline and then down his neck. Jake raised a shoulder and shivered. Sam gave a low chuckle and Jake felt the jolt in his groin. My gosh, she was turning into a woman right in his arms.
He turned his head slightly so their lips met and the kiss quickly heated up. Their tongues danced together and Sam pressed herself closer to him almost immediately.
Jake's hand slide down her back to caress her hip to caress her butt. Sam was almost panting against his mouth as she kissed him.
Sam moaned out Jake's name and Jake knew they had both reached their breaking points.
When Jake pulled his head back, his rasping breath loud in the truck, Sam groaned his name as she panted.
"We need to stop," Jake's voice was rough.
"I…I, oh Jake," Sam groaned against his neck, nuzzling into him again.
"Shhh, I know," Jake could only tell her. As far as he was concerned, she was his even though he hadn't made her so yet.