by Amiee Louise
“Baby.”
I make my way over to him and crouch down next to him, the cool night air causing me to shiver.
“Don’t,” he says, his voice a low rasp. I am inches away from him, so I brush his arm reassuringly. “I said don’t,” he chokes out and recoils from my touch.
“It’s all right. What were you dreaming about?”
He lets out a strangled sob. “I fucking hit you. How can you even still be here? You need to go.”
“You didn’t mean it. I’m not leaving you, baby, look at the state of you.”
His face is pale; his eyes are haunted and scared.
“Please, you need to go right now,” he pleads. He hugs his knees closer to his chest, and I can see his whole body is shaking uncontrollably.
“Sam, please talk to me, baby, I’m not going anywhere.”
He shakes his head and scrambles to his feet, completely ignoring my presence. He strides over into the kitchen and picks up his phone.
“Cole, yeah, I know what time it is, I’m really sorry. Yeah, tell Amy I’m sorry too. I’ll make it up to her, I promise. Can you come and take Peyton home, please? OK, thanks, mate, I owe you one. Yeah, bye.”
He hangs up the phone and looks at me.
“Why are you doing this? Just tell me what you were dreaming about, please?”
He scrubs his hands down his face.
“I dreamt that you were gone, that you died in that car accident. Are you happy now?” His voice is hoarse as he continues, “I was trying to save you, but every time I got close, I got pushed further and further away from you. No matter how close I got, you were always out of my reach, I couldn’t get to you in time.”
He is sobbing uncontrollably now, and I move closer to him. I want to throw my arms around him and reassure him, but he steps back. He wipes his eyes with the back of his hand and sniffs.
“It’s all my fucking fault. I’m no good for you, Peyton, you deserve so much more than what I can give you. You should run screaming in the other direction.”
I shake my head and tell him, “I love you so much, Sam, I couldn’t run even if I wanted to.”
He puts his hands to his head and laughs bitterly.
“You should, I hurt you, and I hit you in my sleep. What if I hadn’t woken up? What if I had gone further? God, it doesn’t bear thinking about, anything could have fucking happened.”
I look up at him, and a tap on the door interrupts us. Sam paces out of the kitchen and opens the apartment door. I follow him and Cole steps into the living area. He is wearing blue-plaid pyjama bottoms, slippers, and a white t-shirt, and he looks the most casual I have seen him since I met him. He looks between us.
“Sam, mate, talk to me, what’s going on?” he asks, his voice soft and calming. Sam walks over to the window with his back to us both.
“Just take her home, mate, please.” His voice is barely a whisper and Cole keeps his eyes trained on me.
“Peyton, come on, sugar, let me take you home.”
He takes me by the elbow. I shrug him off and walk over to Sam, spinning him around to face me. I am not about to watch the man I love push me away.
“I’m not fucking walking out of here, not until you talk to me, Sam.”
He towers over me and closes his eyes.
“Look at me,” I raise my voice; he complies, and he looks at me. “This isn’t just over some nightmare.”
He shakes his head.
“I hit you, baby, how can you even stand to be near me? You don’t get it, you’re too good for me, all I do is hurt you, the drugs, the accident… All of it is my fucking fault.”
I daringly decide to change my tactics. I move closer to him, and when he starts to move backwards from me, I grab his arm and pull him closer to me until we are nose to nose.
“Baby, take me to bed and fuck me until I can’t remember my own name,” I whisper seductively in his ear and his breathing hitches. Cole continues to look from Sam to me and back again, observing our exchange and gauging Sam’s reaction.
“Do you need me to take her home, Sam?”
Sam doesn’t take his eyes off me and silently shakes his head.
“OK, mate, call me if you need anything else, goodnight,” he says, shutting the door of the apartment behind him.
“Fuck me, Sam.” I nip his earlobe and crash my lips against his. I suck his tongue until I feel him yield against my touch. Sam lifts me up in one rapid move, and I lock my legs tightly around his waist. “I need you, Sam.”
He doesn’t say a word; he just loosens his grip and pushes my hair back from my shoulder. He kisses a trail from behind my ear to my collarbone, my favourite turn-on spot. He walks with me in his arms to the kitchen and sits me down on the worktop. The coldness of the marble makes me shiver. He takes his t-shirt off me in one lithe move, and then I am completely naked and at his mercy. He lowers his head to suck my nipple into his mouth. I moan softly, and he looks into my eyes, the pain from earlier replaced with pure lust. The corner of Sam’s mouth twitches into the curve of a smile.
“Tell me what you want, baby.”
His voice is back to its usual husky orgasmic best, and it is the first time he has spoken. I shake my head and smirk.
“I’m the one in control now, Newbolt,” I whisper.
“Is that so?” I nod and bite my lip seductively. I push him backwards, and he holds his hands out to the side. “I’m all yours, beautiful.”
He chuckles softly and lifts me down from the worktop. I push his boxer briefs down his muscular thighs, and he steps out of them. His length is standing to attention, and I lick my lips. I sink down to my knees and take his hardness into my mouth. He closes his eyes and groans softly.
“Jesus, what are you doing to me?”
I take him deep in my throat and run my tongue over the bell-shaped tip.
“You have a rather beautiful cock, Mr. Newbolt.”
He chuckles softly. I bob my head up and down as I take him further into my mouth, licking and sucking as I go. I can feel his cock twitching as I cup his balls.
“Fuck, baby. That feels so good.”
I keep sucking and open my throat to take him as far into my mouth as I can go.
“Shit! I’m going to come.”
He spurts his seed into my mouth yelling as he finds his release, “Oh, fuck, Peyton.”
I swallow and look up at him with a satisfied grin plastered on my face. He helps me to my feet and pulls me close to him.
“Jesus, that was a fucking awesome blow job,” he says, causing us both to erupt into a fit of giggles.
“My turn,” he says with a wink. “Lean back on your elbows for me, baby.”
I do as he says, and a devilish grin spreads across his face.
“Who’s in control now?”
I bite my lip.
“I said, who’s in control?” His voice is commanding, and he sounds hot as hell. Our eyes lock.
“You are.”
He nods, and I am panting with anticipation.
“Good girl, see how easily you submit to me?” He lifts my leg over his shoulder burying his face between my legs as his expert tongue licks my clit. “Christ, you’re fucking soaking.”
He laps at my pussy, and I writhe underneath him.
“I need you to stay still, baby,” he whispers against me, and I do as he says. He pushes his long finger into me, and I moan softly.
“Oh, Sam.”
He introduces a second finger. He lazily pushes it in and out while still licking my wetness. My breathing is laboured, and I bite my lip. I bite so hard I’m sure I can taste blood. I can feel my orgasm cresting like a wave. With one, long, lazy move of his tongue, I am lost in a ripple of pure ecstasy as I erupt, screaming his name.
“Sam, Sam, Sam. Fuck, Sam.”
He lifts his head up, and a wide grin crosses his face. He pulls me to a sitting position and plants a long lingering kiss on my lips.
“I’m sorry, baby.”
I
shake my head and put my finger to his lips. “Shhh, please just fuck me Sam; I’m not finished with you yet.”
“I actually quite like it when you take control, no woman has ever done that before, and it’s so fucking hot.”
He lifts me down from the kitchen island, and I lead him out onto the balcony where there is a dark-brown wicker table, two matching chairs, and a black sun lounger. He raises his eyebrow.
“Outdoor fucking? Someone’s feeling brave.”
He chuckles softly and lifts me weightlessly in his strong arms. He lays me down on the sun lounger and straddles me, his muscular thighs on either side of me. He takes both of my wrists in one of his hands and pins them above my head. He presses his body against mine, and I love the feel of his skin on mine. He kisses my neck, and I wrap my leg around his waist. He moves his head down my chest, nips my breast with his teeth, and kisses a trail from my breasts to my navel. I am writhing underneath him as he touches every part of me. I can feel his erection pressing against my stomach.
“See how hard you make me, baby?” he whispers against me.
“Fuck me hard, Sam.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t want to fuck, angel.”
The tip of his erection finds my entrance, and he pushes himself inside me. I let out a scream; he crashes his lips against mine to silence me.
“Shhh, I’ve got you, my lovely.”
He takes my nipple in his mouth and gently laps it with his tongue. He moves in and out at a pace somewhere between slow and frantic, driving me higher and higher towards my second orgasm. He increases his thrusts, expertly swivelling his hips, he is so deep it feels like he is hitting my womb with every drive. We both explode at the same time yelling out incoherent cries of ecstasy. Sam is on top of me with his head nuzzled into my neck.
“Baby, that was … fuck.”
I chuckle softly. We lie like that in silence for a while, listening to the sound of our pounding heartbeats. He slowly pulls out of me, gets to his feet, and pulls me to mine. He picks me up and carries me inside.
“Come on, baby, I’m taking you back to bed.”
With those words, the nightmare and the events of the night are forgotten.
3
Peyton
I am getting stronger and healing as the day’s progress. I have been staying at Sam’s since I left the hospital and my possessive, mercurial rocker has been visiting more frequently. I am starting to feel a little suffocated by his constant need to keep me safe.
I am back at the shop working on reception to gently ease me back into things. Cole is driving me to work every morning; Sam has Skip sitting in his car outside the shop watching my every move. It is actually really starting to freak me out. I understand his need to keep me safe, but it seems a little unnecessary and excessive.
I wake up one morning with Sam’s body wrapped around me like a vine; he looks so peaceful and carefree when he is sleeping. I pull myself from his vice grip and shower ready for the day ahead. I am so glad it’s Friday. I am rinsing the shampoo from my hair when I feel Sam’s large frame fold in behind me.
“Good morning, angel.”
His voice is raspy and causes that familiar ache between my legs. He kisses my neck as the water cascades between our bodies. He takes my purple shower puff and puts my favourite strawberry shower gel on it, washing my body so gently as if I am made of glass. I love it when he is in this mood, and he is tending to my every need. He finishes washing my body, and I repeat the action for him, washing every inch of his large tattooed body in a comfortable silence. We both step out of the shower at the same time and wrap ourselves in warm towels to dry off. We get dressed for work, moving fluidly around each other. He is in the mirror styling his hair when I break the silence.
“I think I’m going to move back to the flat today, babe.”
He pulls on a black vest and layers it with a blue, black, and white checked shirt. He nods as he buttons it up.
That was relatively easy.
“I’ll call Diego and have his security team fit some CCTV cameras and station a guard permanently in your building.”
I roll my eyes. Here we go again.
“Don’t you think you’re being a little too cautious, honey?” I try to placate him, but he looks at me as if to say ‘are-you-joking’.
“I’m just trying to keep you safe, baby. The person who cut your brakes is still out there, and until they’re caught, security measures are necessary.” He pulls on his jeans then says, “Move in with me, baby.”
I look at him as I pull the zip up on my denim shorts. My eyes widen at his sudden proposition, feeling suddenly exasperated.
“I didn’t mean to just blurt it out like that, it’s not how I planned on asking, but it makes perfect sense. You already practically live here anyway.”
I shake my head, suddenly angry with him.
“No, you can’t bloody do this, Sam! I like living with Ruby. I thought we were meant to be taking things slow. One step at a time,, we agreed I need my own space, and you’re fucking suffocating me.” I raise my voice, and he moves closer to me.
“I’m so sorry, angel. It’s because I love you, I want to protect you, and the thought of someone hurting you makes me feel … violent and …”
He doesn’t finish his sentence, and my eyes glaze over. Stand your ground, Harper.
“This is all too much, Sam, all of it. I feel uncomfortable and on edge all the time having people guarding me. You can’t constantly monitor me. It’s unhealthy. I’m terrified enough as it is.”
I move back from him, needing some distance from him, and walk out into the living area. Cole is standing by the door with his hands in his pockets. I wonder how long he has been standing there and if he heard Sam and me arguing. I feel like I actually want to scream out in frustration, but I don’t.
“Good morning, Peyton,” he says with a nod, and I paint on a fake smile.
“Morning, Cole.”
The door to Sam’s apartment opens, and a young woman walks in, holding a little girl in her arms. The woman has black curly hair, flawless, coffee-coloured skin, and she is very beautiful. Her eyes are wide and almost black in colour, and she has a friendly, warm smile. The little girl is equally as beautiful with a matching skin tone, bright, wide, inquisitive eyes and her curly black hair framing her face. She is adorable. I smile at her, and she blows a raspberry at me.
“Where’s Sam, sugar?”
She looks at Cole and kisses his cheek. Cole wraps his arm around her slender waist.
“You know by now, babe, that boy always takes forever to get ready in the mornings. He is worse than a woman!”
They both laugh.
“I’m sorry, Peyton. This is my fiancée, Amy, and our beautiful daughter, Addison.”
Amy reaches her hand out, and I shake it.
“It’s so good to finally meet you, hon, I feel like I know you already!”
She smiles brightly, and I find myself smiling back just as brightly.
“It’s good to meet you too, Amy.”
Sam walks out of the bedroom, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.
“Amy.”
Amy looks at him. “Thank you so much for the spa day, sweetie; it was just what I needed. You didn’t have to.”
Sam smiles. “You’re welcome, Aims, and yes I did, I had to make it up to you somehow.”
I think back to what he had to make up for. Then I remember the nightmare last week when Sam called Cole at three in the morning. She gives Sam a one-armed hug and kisses him on the cheek. Sam plucks the toddler from Amy’s arms, her face lights up, and she plants a sloppy kiss on Sam’s cheek.
“Hey, Princess Addie.”
His eyes dance with laughter. He blows a raspberry on her neck and she giggles.
“Uncle Sammy!”
Seeing Sam with Addison makes my heart melt.
“Uncle Sammy has missed you lots, beautiful.”
He swings the little girl around and throws her
in the air. Amy rolls her eyes and turns to me.
“I swear he turns into an even bigger kid every time he is around her.”
I laugh, and it is a welcome change to see Sam so happy and cheerful. I instantly get to thinking that one day he will make a brilliant dad. Jesus, where did that come from? Baby steps, Harper. I grab my coat and my bag, ready for work, and kiss Sam gently on the lips.
