Everything.
“I thought you wanted to break away from writing what you consider fluff articles? Even though I think they’re fabulous.”
Cat swallowed. “So does Sam and the rest of the world apparently.”
Jen sat back, bobbed her head, tapped her fingers on the table, and tossed her a knowing smile.
“What?” Cat asked defensively, bracing herself for more of Jen’s textbook psychology.
“It’s Sam, isn’t it? You got it bad for him.”
When Cat didn’t respond, Jen blew out a breath and continued. “Dammit Cat. You’ve had it bad for him for months, haven’t you? Is that why you haven’t been dating anyone?”
She shook her head adamantly. “No, there are just no good guys out there.” It was a half-truth.
“And you think Sam is one of the good ones?”
Cat rolled her shoulders. “Maybe.”
Jen nodded to the envelope. “I thought this was your dream.”
Cat gave a wan smile. “I think I might have been chasing the wrong dream. I think everything I want is right here. It has been all along and I just didn’t realize it.”
Jen’s features softened. “Does Sam feel the same way about you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then maybe it’s time for you to find out if he thinks of you as more than his lab rat.”
Cat nodded, knowing exactly what she had to do. After their experiment tonight she’d invite Sam back here and tell him about the job offer. To see if it mattered to him. To see if he’d ask her to stay. She needed to find out if she meant more to him than a sex experiment.
Sam paced around his apartment, watching the clock, counting the hours until he could pick up Cat. As he moved through his condo, he stopped for a moment to look at the pictures of Samantha. A surge of love rushed to his heart. His gaze traveled to Erin and Kale’s wedding picture. As he took in the vision, envy hit him hard and nearly knocked him to his knees.
His jaw clenched. His heart pounded. And he couldn’t deny it any longer.
He wanted that. He longed for that. All of that. The wife, the kids, the love, the trust, and the comfort. And he wanted it with Cat. She’d broken through his barriers, touched him down deep, and brought warmth to his darkest corners.
He was tired of being a coward. Afraid to put himself out there. Afraid of getting hurt. He was tired of being alone…of being lonely. Tired of looking in from the outside, watching and wishing he had a family of his own.
He’d gotten more than he’d bargained for when he agreed to Cat’s plan, allowing her to step in for his lab rat so he could salvage his project. During his experiment he’d totally lost himself in her…body and soul. How could he not, really? She was loving, caring, and perfect in every way, and he’d gone and fallen in love with her. And maybe…just maybe with the good Lord willing, he had what it took to keep her around.
Feeling edgy and restless, Sam paced. Perspiration dotted his forehead as he clenched and unclenched his fists, sorting through things with his mind.
He wanted Cat. Forever.
Deep in his gut he knew that living without her wasn’t living at all.
So what the hell was he going to do about it?
Worry rushed through him. He drew a shaky breath. What if she didn’t feel the same way?
What if she did?
It was time for him to step out of his comfort zone, push past his fears, and find out if they could have a future together.
Sam glanced at the clock and knew he was early, but he had to go to her. He jogged the short distance between their condos and lifted his hand to knock when the door suddenly opened. A surprised Jen stood there.
“Hi.” He looked past her shoulder. “Is Cat here?”
Jen nodded. “She’s in the shower.” She opened the door wider and gestured for him to enter. “She asked me to lock up on my way out, so will you do that for me?”
“Sure.”
Sam shut the door and set the lock. He listened to the rush of water as he made his way down the hall. With the bathroom door ajar he could see her reflection in the mirror. His body reacted with urgent demands and his heart filled with emotions at the mere sight of her. Everything in him screamed possession, urging him to scoop her up, carry her away, and keep her to himself forever. He closed his eyes briefly. The depth of his desire for her completely threw him. No one had ever rocked his world like Cat Nichols.
The water turned off. Cat pulled back her clear plastic curtain and draped a towel around her body. Feeling like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Sam took a couple of steps back.
“Jen, is that you? I thought you’d already left.”
He cleared his throat and called out to her. “It’s me.”
“Oh?” He heard a rustle before she joined him in the hall. A single white towel knotted around her breasts was the only thing keeping his eyes from devouring her gorgeous body.
Her cheeks were flushed from the hot water, her wet hair clung to her shoulders and back. Water droplets dripped down her neck and soaked into the plush towel.
“Sam, how did you get in?” Cat glanced down the hall, searching for Jen.
“Jen let me in and then left.”
Cat nodded in understanding, wiped water from her face, and blinked her beautiful green eyes. “You’re early.”
It took entirely too much work to keep his glance from traveling down to examine her long, sleek, sexy legs. “I wanted to catch you before you ate dinner.”
Cat smiled. “Dinner sounds fabulous. I’m starving.”
Dinner was an excuse and he damn well knew it. He wanted to spend every waking second with her. He produced a vial with the serum. “The serum is supposed to
