For the Love of Sami (8 page)

"Now, suppose you tell me what was frightening you so much."

His voice was low and soothing, and he wore only the slacks he had had on earlier in the evening. Sami lay her hand on his chest, weaving her fingers through its hair, wanting beyond anything to hold onto him. "I—I can’t," she whispered.

"Yes, you can. It’s important."

"I don’t know . . . I’ll try. I’ve had it before . . . the nightmare. All my life."

He placed a tender kiss on her hair. "Is that why you don’t like to sleep at night?"

She nodded.

"Tell me about it." He placed a hand on top of the one she had on his chest, and she could feel the steady beat of his heart against her palm. "I want to know what scared you so badly."

It was something she rarely talked about. "No—it’s nothing."

"That I don’t believe."

She shook her head.

"Sami. I want to know. I need to know. Please tell me." He wasn’t commanding her. He was asking gently.

She sighed. "It’s always the same. I’m a little girl again, and I get locked in a closet for being bad."

She felt Daniel go still. "That actually happened to you, didn’t it?" he guessed perceptively, his voice sounding oddly taut. "And that’s the reason you’re afraid of the dark and small, enclosed places?" He drew her even closer, until the side of her face rested in the warm hollow between his shoulder and neck, and he didn’t seem to notice that she hadn’t answered him. "And you’ve had nothing but trauma since yesterday. No wonder you had the dream again. No wonder you can’t sleep. No wonder. "

"Did I wake you?" she asked, reluctant to move.

"No, I was awake. I had my door open so I could hear in case you needed anything."

His words vibrated under her cheek, and she rubbed her face against the sound. She felt so safe in his arms. "Will you stay with me for a while?" Did his heart actually miss a beat, Sami wondered, or was that just her imagination? "Please?"

"I’ll stay as long as you need me." He ran his hand up and down her spine. She knew he meant to comfort, but an insidious warmth began to seep through her veins. He gave a little laugh. "It’s too bad I didn’t have a nightgown here you could wear."

"I never sleep in nightclothes anyway."

She knew it wasn’t her imagination this time. His heart missed a beat and then began to thud faster. He made a slight change in his position, and Sami asked, "Are you uncomfortable holding me?"

He let go of her hand, which still lay on his chest, and moved his down to the curve of her hip. His long fingers curled caressingly over the soft flesh that was covered only by the sheet.

"No," he whispered hoarsely. "I could hold you all night."

Her hand roamed restively through the thick hairs, by chance grazing the flatness of his nipple, and she felt a tremor shudder through him.

"Sami," he muttered thickly. "Lie still."

A hot wave of abandon tingled along her skin, and her senses spun. She moved her fingers back to the nipple, running her finger across the pebble-hard tip.

"For God’s sake, Sami!" His fingers bit into her soft flesh, his breathing ragged. "What are you trying to do?"

Throwing her head back, she looked straight into the blue depths of his eyes, which showed the same fire she was feeling. "Make love to me, Daniel."

"Do you have any idea what you’re saying?" He groaned, beginning to run his hand compulsively down her thigh and back up again to her hip in long, slow strokes.

"Oh, yes," Sami breathed unevenly. "I want you to touch me, to kiss me, to make love to me . . ."

"God!" Daniel bent his head, taking her mouth in a fiery kiss and thrusting the sheet away from her.

Sami’s pulse raced out of control, and it felt as if every bone in her body had melted. As she opened her mouth to his tongue, he slid his hand up to her breast in an encompassing embrace, while at the same time rubbing a finger back and forth across its pointed crest. Her blood rushed, wild and chaotic, through her veins, and she moaned incoherently.

"There’s never been anyone like you, Sami," he ground out. "I ache with wanting you."

He lay her back on the bed and paused for a moment to shed his pants. Then he was beside her, molding her to him with sure, gentle hands, kissing her with warm, moist lips, beguiling her senses, bedazzling her mind, making her crazy with the magic that could only belong to Daniel. His fingers moved sensitively over her body, exploring her gently, bringing her to a heretofore-unreached level of passion.

"Please, oh, please," she moaned into his mouth.

There was such an incredible sweetness to the way Daniel made love to her, Sami thought hazily through the fogged mists of her desire. And when he moved over her, whispering, "Don’t be afraid," she could only answer, "I could never be afraid of you, Daniel."

He eased into her slowly, pausing every time she made even the slightest sound. His motions were beautifully gentle, and when the pain came, he stopped, holding her tightly, murmuring softly to her, allowing her time to absorb the sensation. Then, with infinite care, he commenced again, and this time there was no pain.

Unending circles of pleasure began to radiate out from the center of her being, growing stronger and more intense. Sami tensed, wanting desperately something she couldn’t put a name to.

"Easy, sweetheart. . . relax," Daniel murmured huskily, ". . . just go with it . . . it’ll come."

He bent his head to kiss her, deliberately holding himself back, thrusting slowly and deeply into her, until the pleasure turned to fire and the unending circles expanded, taking her higher and higher into a world of rapture and light. Only then did Daniel let go his restraint and join her with a fast, driving motion, and the lights exploded, splintering into a million brilliant fragments.

Some time later, Sami made a sound of protest as she felt Daniel move away from her. "Don’t go."

"Sssh. I’ll be right back." And he was. Parting her legs, he placed a warm, wet washcloth against her, gently and oh, so tenderly cleaning the area. "You bled a little," he explained quietly. Once finished, he lifted her into his arms and carried her down the hall to his bedroom, to his bed. Sami didn’t even open her eyes. She just turned back into him with a contented sigh, throwing her arm across his broad, finely furred chest, and went to sleep.

Sometime in the night, she awoke to kisses being rained across her face, down her throat, and onto her breasts. Once again, a slow fever began to build in her, and this time, Daniel drew her with him easily, bringing them both to a spectacularly fulfilling crest at the same time.

The morning light woke her—or was it Daniel?

Daniel.

She opened her golden eyes to his. There was a texture to the touch of his eyes, and it was sensuous in the extreme.

"Good morning," he murmured, and dipped his head to kiss her softly. "I think we’ll have champagne for breakfast. We have something to celebrate."

"Only one thing?" Sami smiled, stretching lazily.

Daniel chuckled. "Do you realize you slept the whole night through? Well," he amended with dry humor, "most of the night, anyway."

Sami sat up, and the sheet fell to her waist, exposing her bare breasts. "That’s right. I did! I can’t even remember the last time I slept at night."

Daniel pulled her back down to him. "You’ll do it again tonight."

She shook her head. "No, I won’t. Last night was an exception."

Leaning over her, he spread her hair out in a wild, tangled glory about her head.

"You’ll sleep again, because you’ll be here," he said, his voice low and husky, "in my bed, beside me."

Something warm and infinitely wonderful unfurled within her. "Are you asking me to come back tonight?"

"I’m asking you never to leave, Sami. I’m asking you to live with me."

She suddenly remembered what Jerome had said. "But you never ask any of your women to live with you."

Amusement lurked in his eyes. "How do you know that?"

"Gee . . . uh . . . I don’t know. Rumor, I guess."

The comers of his mouth turned up humorously. "Well, as it happens, this time rumor is absolutely correct. I never have. Until now."

Sami hesitated. "What’s different this time?"

Daniel didn’t. "You."

Searching his face for some clue, she asked, "Do you feel obligated because you took my virginity? Because if that’s it, let me tell you, you took nothing. I gave it to you willingly."

"Good to hear, but I don’t feel obligated. I feel compelled." His mouth captured hers in a long and especially tender kiss, and only after she was clinging helplessly to him did he raise his head. "From the first moment I saw you, things have been out of my power. I love you, Sami."

She tensed at his words. His long fingers trailed across her forehead and down her cheek, as if he wanted to brand the knowledge into her head. "I’m sorry if it distresses you, my love, but it’s an irreversible fact." Resting most of his weight on his elbows, he moved over her, far enough down her body so that his fingers could brush lightly back and forth across both her breasts. Every nerve in her body tingled to life.

"And you love me." He caught her protest with his lips, pushing his tongue into the sweetness of her mouth.

"No," she said with a groan, and at the same time contradicted her statement by arching into his hand.

"Yes, my love, you do. You just don’t realize it yet."

It couldn’t work out between them, of course, and she’d have to tell him. But not now. Not now, when she was finding it so hard even to think.

"You’re not leaving here."

"I have to . . . Ohhh, that feels so good . . . There are friends I have to see . . . Daniel . . . Ahhh, Daniel! . . . I need clothes . . ."

"You don’t have to go," he growled hoarsely. "We can call your friends. I can buy you all the clothes you want."

Sami’s senses were reeling, her pulses pounding. She felt her legs being parted and then Daniel’s throbbing hardness nudging gently at the softly delicate entrance between her thighs.

"Say you won’t leave."

"I have to, Daniel." She sighed achingly, attempting to move against him. It was no use, however. With slight thrusts of his hips, he made only light, teasing contact with her again and again.

He was determined. "Say it!"

He won. "I—I won’t leave."

He entered her immediately, moving with a rhythm that was hard and urgent, taking them both to a realm where neither of them had been before, where nothing was important but their mutual, splintering, shattering climax.

And in the end, they compromised. She went home that day to reassure Jerome and Morgan, to putter in her workshop, to change clothes, but she came back that night . . . and every night thereafter.

They worked out a very nice arrangement. Since they were both gone from the house during the day, the efficient Mrs. Abbott used that time to do her usual superb job of cleaning and cooking, then made a timely exit before either of them arrived home. Unless one of them had an urge to cook something special for dinner, they heated whatever it was Mrs. Abbott had prepared for them that day.

They were in Daniel’s den several weeks later, and a fire had already been lit. The night had closed in faster than usual, signaling perhaps an early end to summer.

Sami’s wraparound skirt grazed her calves as she ambled barefoot and aimless around the room. Normally ankle-length, she wore it up under her arms, thus creating a very fetching and unusual strapless dress. The skirt was actually made up of a rich folklore of patches that she had collected over the years—bits and pieces of lace, chiffon, velvet, and silk. She rarely threw anything away. Around her neck hung a necklace of African wooden beads.

Daniel’s dark blue eyes observed her progress around the room. "Did you have a good day?"

Sami couldn’t help but notice how carefully the question had been asked. He had learned that if he pressed too hard, she simply withdrew from him.

"Yes, part of the day I was at the workshop." She had already told him that there was a studio she frequented, pursuing different crafts. "I’m trying to learn to work with clay."

"Is there a problem?"

"No, not really. It’s just that most people recommend starting with something simple"—she picked up a pillow perfectly centered on the couch and hugged it to her middle—"like a bowl. But I decided to start with a teapot."

"I’d like to see it."

She threw him a rueful smile. "I don’t think so. Not yet, at any rate. At this point it resembles an elephant more than it does a teapot."

"In size or in shape?"

"Both." Sami replaced the pillow slightly off center and glanced at the clock. "I always believe in starting big anyway, and before I knew it, I had an elephant. It’s a baby elephant, but nevertheless an elephant." Wandering over to the fireplace, she balanced herself with a hand on the mantle and ran her toes through the thick fur of the rug. "I guess I could always have the tea pour out of his trunk . . . or maybe make a music box out of it. It could play ‘Born Free.’"

Daniel chuckled. "I’d still like to see it."

She shrugged. "Maybe."

He watched her for a few minutes more. Then, strolling across the room toward her, Daniel passed the couch, and as he did, he automatically stretched out his arm and recentered the pillow. Reaching her, he folded her to him.

Sami rubbed her fingers against his shirt, feeling the coarse hairs beneath the fine cloth. Her eyes twinkled with mirth as she leaned her head back to look up into his face. "You’re getting better."

"Good." He bent his head and kissed her with an insistently gentle passion. He lifted his head. "By the way, what am I getting better at?"

"You waited almost five minutes before you put that pillow back in its place. When I first came here, you would replace things immediately."

"Why you little . . ." He laughed. "You did that on purpose? You actually timed me!"

"I just couldn’t resist," Sami teased, giggling. "I’m so-o-o impressed with your perfection."

"You are, huh? Well, my golden beauty, you’re going to pay for that." He ran his hands down to her ribs and began tickling her.