Page 9 of Quit Playing Games with My Heart

Sam and I, who stood together next to the Jenga table, cleaning up scattered blocks, straightened and smiled in unison. “It was all Brian’s idea,” Sam said.

“Open games night was my idea,” I said modestly. “We’ll see how your chess tournament goes on Thursday.”

“Yes, we will,” Sam replied, the light of competition in his eyes as the two of us resumed cleaning up. “I predict that there will be twice as many people in here and that they’ll need a ton of coffee to keep them sharp.”

I laughed, “You wish. Chess is grown up and serious, but people who are here to have fun will buy a heck of a lot more cake and pastry to go along with the laughs, you’ll see.”

“Oh, will I?” Sam stalked around the table to where I’d just slid the rebuilt Jenga tower into its sleeve.

I felt so triumphant after the night we’d just had that I took the bait and played along. “Absolutely,” I said, shifting to stand toe-to-toe with Sam. “I bet the overall take for my open games nights will easily be more than what you bring in on tournament night.”

“You do?” Sam said sidling slightly closer to me.

“Totally. In fact, if your tournament night brings in more money than my open games night, I’ll—” I stopped, brimming with giddiness, but with no idea what sort of forfeit I’d be willing to wager if I was wrong.

“You’ll what?” Sam challenged me, his voice dropping to a delicious purr and his pupils going wide.

“I’ll…I’ll kiss you,” I blurted.

I had no idea where that had come from. It didn’t make sense at all, but once the promise was out there in the world, it completely got away from me. My heart raced and my hands went clammy.

“Kiss me,” Sam said. He was just repeating my words, but it felt like so much more than that. It felt like a command.

My mouth fell open as I tried to think of a witty reply, but before any words came to my head at all, Sam stepped into me, resting one hand on my waist and hooking me behind my neck with the other. He dipped down, slanting his parted lips over mine and stealing a kiss that blew my mind.

It started out slow and light, like an afterthought or an idea that wasn’t fully formed. Sam’s lips were warm and the faint taste of the coffee he must have had earlier lingered. I wasn’t sure if he intended the kiss to be fun and teasing or something more, but as soon as I closed my eyes and let out a far-too-loud sigh, it turned into a lot more.

He pulled me flush against him, deepening the kiss and sliding his tongue along my parted lips. I felt like the world might disappear under my feet. I’d wanted someone to kiss me like that, I’d wanted Sam to kiss me like that, for so long. I couldn’t help but throw myself into it, grabbing his sides and kissing him back like I was starved for affection.

This was what bliss felt like.

“Hey, do you guys want to⁠—”

Diccon’s interruption as he walked into the now empty backroom blasted the two of us apart. I was so startled at being caught kissing Sam, kissing my boss, kissing my best friend’s brother, that I stumbled and smacked into the side of the table as I rushed to make it look like nothing had happened.

Except it was way too late for that.

“Sorry,” Diccon said with a wince that quickly turned into a grin.

Sam cleared his throat. “No, I—” He glanced around at the tables, some of which still had things on them that needed tidying. He cleared his throat a second time and said, “I’d better head into the office to count the drawer for tonight.”

Before I could get my head on straight again, he marched off, leaving me and Diccon alone.

“I’m really, really sorry I interrupted,” Diccon said, looking like Christmas had come early. “You two looked hot together.”

“Yeah, I don’t know,” I said, lunging for the nearest table with a game that needed cleaning up. “I can’t…he’s not…I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“It’s okay,” Diccon laughed. “That’s been waiting to happen for ages now.”

I flushed so hot that I felt dizzy, but I couldn’t reply. Had that kiss been a long time coming? I didn’t know, and I didn’t know what I was supposed to do now. I adored Samwise Meyers, but he was miles too good for me. How was I supposed to go on working at Common Grounds after a kiss like that, when boundaries had definitely been crossed?

CHAPTER 4

Sam

Ididn’t want to be that guy, but I was totally that guy.

I was that guy who let impulse take control. I’d kissed Brian. I should have stopped myself, but he’d been so spectacular all night long. I’d kissed him without asking permission first, which was a major red flag in so many ways. Consent was a thing, and I was usually all about it.