Steven's Salvation

Praise for the writing of Liz Andrews & Lena Matthews

Redemption: Logan’s Temptation

With steamy love scenes that make it worthy of its Hot rating, Logan’s Temptation is a successful mixture of mystery, emotion, and heat. -- Patricia Green, Romance Reviews Today This book is a wonderful start of what promises to be an ultra hot series. I can’t wait to read Steven's and Lily's stories, Logan's brother and sister. If you like a well written story and sexy alpha males you'll absolutely love Logan's Temptation. -- Luisa, Cupid’s Library Reviews The reader will truly come to care for their happiness after finishing up Redemption: Logan’s Temptation. This reviewer cannot wait for the other stories in this series. If they live up to this tale, this will surely be an unforgettable series. -- Sarah W., Fallen Angel Reviews …[A] series that brings passion and suspense to a whole new level. With an ending that left me wondering what will happen next in River Bend, I will be anxiously waiting for book two in this great new series. -- Dina Smith, Romance Junkies Evie and Logan set the pages on fire in Logan’s Temptation, but from the glimpses of Steven we get, I have a feeling that Steven’s Salvation may be even hotter. It certainly is anticipated by this reader! -- Tracey West, The Road to Romance

Redemption: Logan’s Temptation is now available from Loose Id.

REDEMPTION: STEVEN’S SALVATION

Liz Andrews & Lena Matthews

www.loose-id.com

Warning This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

***** This book is rated:

For explicit sexual content and graphic language.

Redemption: Steven’s Salvation Liz Andrews & Lena Matthews This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by Loose Id LLC 1802 N Carson Street, Suite 212-29 Carson City NV 89701-1215 www.loose-id.com

Copyright © July 2005 by Liz Andrews & Lena Matthews Excerpt of The Devil’s Triangle copyright June 2005 by Alyssa Brooks All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.

ISBN 1-59632-145-8 Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader

Printed in the United States of America

Editor: Ansley Velarde Cover Artist: Scott Carpenter

Dedication Every single book is a collaboration between the writers, critique partners, editors, and proofers, and this book is no different. This book is dedicated to the supportive women behind us, who listen to our ideas, read our stories, and help form them into the work that is before you all now. A big thank you to Maggie, Kimberly, Jacque, Ansley, MT, and Raven -we

couldn't

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Prologue

The fading sun had nearly disappeared behind the rolling green hills, oblivious to the young couple frolicking along the shore of the cool sapphire water, enjoying the last rays of sunshine dancing across the surface. Laughter filled the air as Steven twirled the apple of his eye, Samantha, around in circles before teasingly threatening to drop her in the lake. “If you don’t put me down, Steven Michael Weller, I’m going to scream.” “And who do you think is going to hear you?” Stumbling forward as if to drop her, he tightened his hold around Sammy as she squealed in delight, wiggling in his arms, her golden-brown face lit with glee. “Tell me you’re happy I convinced you to skip school and spend the day with me, and I’ll let you go.” “Never,” she denied huskily, her voice as arousing to his young body as her newly acquired curves. Steven loved days like this, when it felt like the world belonged to just the two of them. The last couple of days had been great. School would be over in two weeks, his father was disappearing conveniently during the day, and he was able to spend every waking moment with the girl he loved. As far as Steven was concerned, life just didn’t get any better.

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Giving Sammy a little extra twirl, he released his hands from behind her knees, allowing her to regain her equilibrium. She tried to step back and away from him, but Steven wasn’t having any of that. Putting her down so she could stand was one thing, but letting go of her was a completely different matter. “Where do you think you’re going?” He tugged her in closer, pressing her soft, supple body against him. “Out of this lake, before my toes shrivel up.” “I don’t think so, princess. You owe me something.” Raising a brow, a smile crinkled at the corner of her full lips. “I don’t owe you anything.” “I beg to disagree.” Looking down at her tilted head, Steven’s chest expanded with all the love he felt for his childhood friend. No matter how much time he had spent with Sammy, he never tired of being around her. Friends since the third grade, they had spent countless hours in this very spot. “What could I possibly owe you?” “How about a kiss for liberating you from school today?” “Liberating?” She chuckled. “Is that what you call yanking me from the sidewalk and tossing me in that beat-up ol’ truck of yours?” “Of course. What would you call it?” “Kidnaping.” “Please. It was coercing at most, and even that is too strong of a word.” “Well, if Mr. Alton calls my house, I’m going to have you explain to my mama how I ended up missing class today.” “As if your dear ol’ mama would believe I would ever do something so devious.” “You may have fooled her, but I’m on to you.” Wiggling his eyebrows, he teased, “That’s what I was hoping for.”

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“Steven.” Heat bloomed against her checks, making Steven grin all the more. It still amazed him that Sammy wasn’t comfortable talking about that part of their relationship “Sammy,” he sang back in the same tone she had used. Her soft, lean body pressing against him was giving him more than a warm feeling in his heart. It was giving him something extremely warm in his lower regions. Moving his hands down her sun-warmed back, Steven cupped her full ass in his hands and pulled her lower body against his hardening one. The teasing essence of his mood shifted as he felt her body taut against his. Releasing his hold on her bottom, Steven moved his hands up her back, loving the feel of her. It was getting harder and harder to find that line that Sammy still wanted to keep them behind, when everything in him cried out for him to make love to her. He respected her decision and never pressured her to do anything she didn’t want to do, but it was hard for him when he saw the same burning desire in her eyes. “Is the water still too cold?” His voice sounded husky to his own ears. His erection throbbed painfully in his jeans, a state he was more than familiar with these days. The twinkle that had been swimming seconds earlier in her onyx eyes quickly morphed into a heat as warm as the sun that was vanishing from the sky. Looking up at Steven, Sammy let out a shaky breath. “What water?” Steven lowered his mouth and brushed his lips against hers almost questioningly before moving in deeper as Sammy opened up under him. Her soft groan of expectance and need encouraged him to deepen the kiss and pull her against him again. Her sweet taste never failed to stimulate him, not that he needed to feel any more aroused than he already was. Sammy’s nails bit into the back of his neck as she pulled him in closer, sending tremors down his body. Steven had dated many girls during the course of his and Sammy’s friendship, but no one else had ever compared to her, and he knew nobody ever would.

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Slipping his hand under the loose T-shirt she wore, he circled her back with his hand, sliding it closer to her bra, barely grazing the band when she tore her mouth away from his, breathing harshly. “No, Steven.” Crushing her to him again, Steven buried his face in her neck. His body shook with a need only another sixteen-year-old teenage boy would understand. Balling his hand into a fist under her shirt, he held it there, forcing his fingers not to reach out and unhook her bra. He wanted so badly to feel her, to see her, he didn’t think he could breathe. Sammy caressed him gently. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, her heart pounding against his chest just as fiercely as his own. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel bad. Sighing, Steven let out a shaky breath. “Don’t be. I should have known better.” “Yeah, but I know that you want ...” Steven lifted his head and looked down into her worried face with a small smile. “Of course I want, but I also know what you want. It’s okay.” “I want to, just as badly as you do, but I’m scared.” “I know, baby, and it’s okay.” Brushing his lips against hers, he tried to reassure her. “I love you, Sammy.” “I love you, too.” “And because I love you, I’m going to take you home before your mama kills you and me both.” Sammy laughed nervously and smiled that sweet smile he saw in his dreams. Taking her hand, he led her from the shore of the lake to the battered, secondhand yellow truck he had worked all summer to afford. Opening her door, he winked at her before slamming it shut and jogging around to his side. On the way home, he drove with his hand resting on her bare thigh, caressing it softly as she leaned her head against his shoulder. The cool evening breeze drifted through the

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windows, and the radio played softly in the background. They hardly spoke a word on the short drive to her house, choosing to enjoy the melodic feel of the beginning of night. When Steven pulled up to the front of the small, two-bedroom house Sammy shared with her mother and three sisters, he cut off the engine. “You awake, baby doll?” “Yeah,” she murmured, stirring beside him. “I just don’t want to go in. I had a great day today.” “So did I.” The curtain in the front window pulled back, and without seeing anyone, Steven instantly knew who it was. Leaning down, he captured her lips under his and gave her a brief but tender kiss, not wanting to try Sammy’s mother, Della’s, patience any more than necessary. Della was a sweet woman who was almost like a second mother to him, but despite her fondness for him, she was uncertain about his and Sammy’s blooming relationship. She had made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that if he hurt Sammy or caused any hurt to come to her, Della would hurt him in ways he could only imagine. Steven didn’t doubt for a second that Della meant it. The porch light came on, and although it was barely dark enough to warrant it, they both understood the message. Laughing, Sammy shook her head and smiled. “She just doesn’t know when to quit.” “Nah, it’s cool. She’s just trying to be protective.” “We’ve been friends forever; you’d think she wouldn’t worry.” “Being friends and dating are two separate things.” No one really said anything, but Steven was aware that the difference in their skin colors was something people were always going to notice, especially in a town as small as River Bend. Sammy rolled her eyes. “Please, it’s the same thing. Only difference is, you’re just a friend with special privileges now.” Steven laughed and leaned in to kiss her nose. “I think the special privileges are exactly what worry her.”

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The door opened, and Della stepped out onto the sagging porch and stared at them with one hand on her hip. “Gotta go.” Sammy slipped out of the truck. Opening his door, Steven stood on the running board and yelled over the hood of the truck. “Evening, Ms. Della.” “Evening, Steven,” she called back with a faint smile on her dusky face. “Nice day for a drive.” “Yes, ma’am, it is.” With a wave and a grin, Steven popped back into his truck and headed down the dusty lane toward his home. The good mood he had reveled in only moments before slipped away the closer he came to his house. Ever since his brother had left seven years ago, his pleasure in being at home had left, as well. He still had his mom and sister, and God knew he would do anything for them, but his father was getting harder and harder to deal with. Just last month Logan had sent him a letter, to Sammy’s address, letting him know where he was and offering Steven a place to go if he ever wanted or needed to. If it wasn’t for her, Steven knew he would have been long gone. Pulling up in front of his house, he parked under the big elm tree next to the dirt driveway and stepped out of the truck. A figure he hadn’t seen walked out from behind the tree and called out to him. “Where you been, boy?” his father demanded. Steven stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes, letting out a calming breath before speaking. “I was just out.” “With anybody I know?” “No.” “Liar,” Mike taunted. Turning to face his father, Steven wondered, and not for the first time, how he could be remotely related to this bastard. “If you already know, then why did you ask?”

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Mike’s disdain for Sammy was something Steven had been dealing with since they were kids and just friends, but now that they were dating, Mike was taking his dislike to a whole new level. “Imagine my surprise when I was driving out to the old mill and saw you two cozying up in the lake. I told you to stay away from her.” “And I told you ‘hell, no.’ Seems to me we’ve both made our positions very clear.” Mike threw down the beer bottle he had been holding and grabbed Steven by the shirt, throwing the boy against the side of the truck. “Fuck!” Steven yelled as the door handle pounded him in his back, pain exploding throughout his body. “Listen here, you little punk. Stop seeing her, or you’ll regret it.” Grabbing at his father’s hands, Steven fought to untangle himself. “No!” “Don’t tell me no.” Mike slammed him back against the door. “You want something to happen to that little girl, you just keep seeing her.” Steven froze at his father’s words, staring at the man he no longer knew. Ice flooded his veins as he realized his father was deadly serious. “You wouldn’t.” “Oh, wouldn’t I?” “What’s going on out here?” His mother stood in the doorway. Lily, his younger sister, peered around her with a worried expression on her young face. Releasing Steven’s shirt, Mike stepped away from him, giving Steven the opportunity he had been looking for. Leaning down, he barreled into his father, knocking Mike to the ground. “Stay away from Sammy,” he warned over the sounds of his mother’s gasps as she and Lily ran down the steps. Jumping back in his truck, Steven roared out of the driveway and headed to the one place he’d always felt safe. He headed for Sammy.

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Chapter One

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Sammy demanded, throwing the unsealed envelope down on the desk in front of Steven. Steven looked up from his desk, surprised and amused to see Sammy in his office. It was like she had materialized from the daydream he had just been having. Except this Sammy was older and looked a hell of a lot more pissed-off than he remembered. Her dark caramel complexion was as smooth now at twenty-seven as it had been when she was a blooming sixteen-year-old. Her full lips were turned down in displeasure, taking away some of the pleasure he took in looking at her beautiful face. He could tell she was upset about something, and despite everything that had gone on in the past, he still cared. Setting his pen down next to the document he had been working on, he picked up the envelope she had thrown on his desk. “I’m sorry, sir.” His out-of-breath secretary hurried into the room after Sammy. “I tried to get her to wait.” “No need to worry, Tess.” Steven spoke without taking his eyes off Sammy. “I’m familiar with her little rants. Shut the door, please, and hold all my calls.”

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The door closing behind Tess was the only noise in the room as Steven stared at Sammy, who looked pissed off. He hadn’t seen or heard from her in over a month, and it had been one of the longest months of his life. Now, when he finally did have her in front of him, she was mad about something. It figured. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” “Cut the crap, Steven. I know it’s you, and I want it to stop,” she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. “Sammy, I’d love to cut the crap.” Tossing the envelope back on his desk, Steven crossed his arms as well and leaned back in his chair. God, he missed her. “But as usual, sweetheart, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.” Storming up to him, Sammy grabbed the envelope and held it upside down, causing pictures to cascade everywhere. “This, Steven. I’m talking about this.” Frowning, Steven looked down at the photos, completely confused. Sitting forward, he rifled through the photographs and froze when he came across something familiar to him -his own face. Steven picked up the black-and-white photo and stared at it in amazement. It was a photo of him and Sammy, taken on his front porch about a month ago. The wide-angle photo captured everything, and even though the picture had been taken at night, the photo and the subjects were very clear. Steven could read the desire on his face as he held Sammy pressed to him, and just like that night, he was aroused by her mere presence. “How could you do this to me?” Comprehension slowly dawned on him as he looked up from the photo to Sammy’s angry eyes. She thought he had something to do with this. “What exactly do you think I did to you, Sammy?” Steven needed to hear from her own mouth just how low she really thought he was. “Look, I know you’re hurt by my engagement ...” “Hurt?” Now that was putting it lightly.

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“But this ... this is low, Steven. What do you think this is going to accomplish?” “The question isn’t what I think this is going to accomplish. The question is, what do you think I had to gain from this?” Startled, she looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?” Steven pushed away from his desk and stood up. It wasn’t that he was mad she thought he would do anything to break up her and Aaron, because he would. He was just upset she thought he would go about it this way. “I think you should leave.” “Not until we talk about this.” “What’s there to talk about, Sammy?” he asked coolly. “Apparently, I’m some sick bastard who wants to blackmail you into, what, fucking me? Is that the conclusion you came up with?” “I don’t know what to think, Steven,” she replied heatedly. Sammy had never been one to back down, especially not from him. It was one of the things he used to love about her. “I’m sorry if your feelings are hurt, but when it comes to who might want to break us up, you’re the first person who comes to mind.” “My feelings aren’t hurt, because you’re right, I do think you marrying Aaron is a big mistake.” “See.” “But do you think blackmail is really my way?” Steven walked around his desk and crossed the room until he was standing in front of her. Reaching out, he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her in tight to him, so tight he could feel every inch of her body against his. God, he had missed this. The feel of her, the smell of her, just her in general. “I don’t need pictures to prove you want me. Anybody with half a brain can see the way we are together and know how it’s meant to be.” “How it was.”

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“No, baby. How it is, was, and always will be.” Steven walked her backward until her back was against the wall, and placed his hands on the side of her, preventing her from leaving. There was no way in hell Steven was going to let her trivialize their relationship. She meant more to him than a past-tense turn-of-phrase. They were meant to be together, and she damn well knew it. “Why don’t you tell daddy what it’s really about? You know I would never take those pictures, don’t you? Did you need a little kiss to tide you over?” “You’re crazy.” “If I am, it’s because you make me that way.” Moving in close to her, Steven felt the way her body trembled and reacted to his. The same way it always had. Sammy had been his since they were ten years old. First as friends, then as lovers, and nothing would change that. “Back up, Steven.” “Why don’t you admit why you’re really here? You’ve missed me, haven’t you, baby?” “No, I told you why I was here.” “Bullshit.” “It’s not bullshit.” Shoving at his chest for the first time since he’d cornered her, Sammy tried to push him away, but Steven just leaned into her hands, turning her shove into a caress. “You. Miss. Me.” He pushed into her hands a bit, loving the feel of her touching him again. It had been too long since he’d felt her touch. Too damn long. “Go. To. Hell.” Her stormy brown eyes glared daggers at him as her body yielded to his touch. The full lips that now cursed his name were still the softest and sweetest things he had ever tasted. Narrowing his gaze on her mouth, he moved to kiss her, granting his body the reprieve it craved after almost a year of doing without her. Turning her face away, she avoided his lips on hers, but only offered up a sweeter temptation -- her long, graceful neck. Indulging in the druglike effect she had over him,

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Steven moved in and rested his lips against the pulse pounding at the side of her neck. It beat against his lips as he parted them, darting his tongue out for his first taste of paradise. “No, Steven.” The angry passion that had ricocheted in her voice now gave way to a different kind of passion. He pulled away from her slowly, allowing his lips to linger for a few painful seconds more before releasing her altogether. Stepping back, he looked into her face, reading the panic and fear in her eyes, but he could see the desire smoldering there, as well. He knew Sammy wanted him as much he wanted her. She was just too afraid to act on it. “I didn’t send you those photos, Sammy.” “If it wasn’t you, then who?” “Maybe you should ask Aaron.” Steven couldn’t even say his name without grimacing. It took everything out of him not to attack the bastard when he saw them out in public together. “Aaron didn’t do this; he wouldn’t do this.” That fucking hurt. “But you have no problem thinking I would.” “I know Aaron didn’t do this, because he’s the one who gave them to me.” Steven stared at her, confused. “What do you mean, he gave them to you?” “I mean someone sent them to him, and he showed them to me.” “And what did he have to say?” Sammy ran her hand through her hair, frustrated. “What do you mean, what did he say?” “Exactly what I said.” “I don’t know.” She shrugged, turning away. “He showed me the photos and asked me what was going on.” Steven followed her with his eyes as she paced away. “And what did you tell him?”

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“The truth.” Turning to him, she put her hands on her hips. “I went to comfort a friend. That’s all.” “And he just accepted that.” “Of course. Aaron knows I have no reason to lie.” Smirking, Steven shook his head. “Apparently he doesn’t know you as well as he thinks he does.” Sammy’s eyes narrowed, and he could tell she was getting upset again, which was fine with him. He was tired of being the only person pissed off about the situation she had put them in. “Look.” Her voice was calm, but her eyes were shooting daggers. “I know how upset you were about our engagement.” “Not ‘were,’ baby. ‘Am.’” “You have to move on, Steven.” “I’d like to remind you, you came to see me.” Walking back to his desk, he scooped up the pictures and shoved them back in the envelope. “And if you don’t want to give your little admirer something more to fill his lens with, then I suggest you leave.” Taking the envelope from his outstretched hands, Sammy studied him solemnly. “Do you promise that you had nothing to do with this?” Sighing, he ran his hands through his hair. “Would you believe me if I did?” “Damn it, Steven, you’re not helping.” “And I’m never going to make it easy for you to be with another man!” he yelled. The air around them sizzled with tension, neither one of them willing to back down. Steven’s body was tense with need and anger, and he was looking, begging, for any excuse to take her back into his arms and remind her of where she belonged. “I don’t know why I even bothered coming here,” Sammy fumed, turning toward the door.

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“Of course you do.” Walking up behind her, Steven stopped a hairsbreadth away from touching her. He knew if he did, he wouldn’t be able to let her go. “I’m the same person you’ve always come to when you have a problem. Nothing’s changed.” “Everything’s changed.” She grabbed the door handle, but froze when he called from behind her. “If it wasn’t me, then who was it? Who else hates the thought of you two together? Who else would do anything and everything in their power to break you two up? I was the easy solution, but unfortunately for you, the wrong one.” “Goodbye, Steven.” “Not goodbye, Sammy.” He closed his hand over hers, forcing her to turn the knob. Pulling the door open, he raised his hand and let hers slide away from the door as she moved from beneath his arm. “I’ll see you later.” “I doubt it.” “No, you count on it.” Watching her walk away, he was torn between anger at her foolish behavior and the need to pull her back into his arms and protect her. He knew part of the reason she was so eager to jump to the conclusion that he was the one behind the pictures was that he was a safe target. Because, like he’d said, if it wasn’t him, it had to be someone else. Steven shut the door and walked back to his desk. Sitting down, he pressed the button on his intercom. “Tess, get me the number for Ron Summers.” “Right away, Mr. Weller.” Moving his folder to the side, Steven spotted a picture he had missed earlier, and picked it up. It was just like the rest, him and Sammy together, but this one was zoomed in more, capturing not only their body position, but the look of hunger on Sammy’s face. Rage filled him at the thought of someone following her around, capturing a moment that was theirs alone. That night he had needed Sammy, and she had come to him offering

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him comfort but leaving him hurting more. Looking at her face from the angle of the camera, Steven could tell, for the first time, he hadn’t been the only one hurting that night. “He’s on line one, sir.” “Thank you.” Steven sat the photo down and clicked on line one. “Summers, I have a job for you.” A harsh hacking sound came over the line seconds before a grizzly voice did. “What the hell are you doing calling me this early in the morning?” Steven looked down at his watch and shook his head. “It’s half past noon.” “And your point is?” For a crotchety old man, Ron was a hell of a detective -- that was, when he was able to roll his ass out of bed. “I have a job for you. Do you want it or not?” “Depends.” Yawning loudly into the phone, Ron gave a deep groan. “Do I get to kill anyone?” “I won’t promise you anything.” “Can I at least threaten to kill someone?” Smiling, Steven picked up the photo again, caressing Sammy’s face with his thumb. The things he put up with for the woman he loved. “Knock yourself out.” “You got yourself a PI.” “Good. I need you to get up here, ASAP.” “River Bend?” Ron groaned. “There’s nobody to intimidate there.” “You won’t be intimidating at first. You’ll be following. You can do that, right?” Steven asked sarcastically. “Who am I following?” “I’m not sure yet.” “Yeah, this sounds like a dream job.”

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“Just get up here now.” Setting the picture back down, Steven tapped his fingers on the desk. “We’re going to do things a bit old school, an updated version of To Catch a Thief.” “Ahh.” Ron hacked. “The old use-a-thief-to-catch-a-thief routine.” “Exactly.” Ron chuckled roughly into the phone. “I get to dust off my trench coat.” “Just make sure you wear something underneath it.” Hanging up the phone, Steven hit the intercom again. “Tess, bring me everything we have on Grossman Corp.”

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Chapter Two

Samantha stomped into her diner, mad enough to spit bullets. She didn’t know why, but Steven Weller was the one man who could just set her off. And it didn’t help to know it was twice as bad when he was right about something and she was wrong. She had been so sure he was playing some game when Aaron got those pictures; she’d immediately set off to his office to confront him, never suspecting, never wanting to suspect, that it could be anyone else. “Ooh, girl, watch out,” Nichelle cried out to Cory. “Boss lady is on the warpath.” Samantha narrowed her eyes at her older sister. “Don’t start with me. I’m not in the mood.” Brushing past Nichelle, she walked behind the counter to where Cory, her younger sister, was putting away clean glasses. Plopping down on a stool, Nichelle continued to prod Samantha. “So, I guess your little trip over to Steven’s office didn’t cool you down. Couldn’t he get you off?” Looking around the diner, Samantha was happy to see it was deserted. She muttered softly, “What the hell are you talking about?” She was still steamed after her meeting with Steven, and she certainly didn’t want to try and decipher her sister’s crazy logic right now, especially not in public.

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“Come on, sis, everyone knows you and Steven are still hooking up. Even though you’re engaged now,” Nichelle continued under her breath. “You are so damn lucky I’m too tired to come over that counter and whip your ass right now. The only thing I have to say is that you better keep your dirty mind and the shit dripping out of your mouth to yourself.” “You couldn’t whip my ass when we were kids, and you couldn’t do it now if you tried.” “Look, I’m engaged, and Steven and I haven’t even seen each other in over a month. We’ve been broken up for well over a year. So, do you want to get to whatever point you are trying to make?” “If you didn’t go over there to get your rocks off, why did you go over?” “None of your business, understand?” “Um, hmm, I understand.” Nichelle glanced at the clock and stood up. “My shift is up, and I’m going home. I know when I’m not wanted.” She walked into the kitchen to grab her coat and walked out of the diner without another word. “Nothing to say?” Samantha finally asked Cory, tired of the silent stare. “Oh, Sammy, don’t take what Nichelle had to say seriously. She’s just jealous. You know how much she admires Aaron. And Steven, too. You’ve got two men, and she has no one.” “I don’t have two men,” Samantha stated with a huff. “I have a fiancé and an exboyfriend.” “Don’t get mad. Look, I’m sorry I made that crack. I just still don’t understand why you and Steven broke up. You seemed like the perfect couple, so happy and in love with each other.”

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“Perfect to who? You live in fantasy land.” Samantha immediately regretted her words when she saw the hurt look on Cory’s face. Reaching over, she gave her a hug. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” “No, you’re right. Maybe I do live in fantasy land. I remember you and Steven were making plans for that business conference. Then the next thing I know, you come back from the conference with a new boyfriend.” Samantha sat down and took a long look at Cory before speaking. “I know I rarely talk about Steven and why we broke up, but that’s because it hurts too much. You’re right. Steven and I were planning to go to that conference. I was so happy about the fact we were both opening our new businesses -- my diner and his law firm.” “So what happened?” “Steven backed out at the last minute, and it was the final straw. There was something always more important than our relationship and me. First it was college, then law school. Once he moved back home and we resumed our relationship, I thought I would finally come first. But there was always something. He was getting his law firm up and running, and when a big account was on the line, that was more important than attending the conference with me.” “So, he didn’t go to the conference, but ...” “I gave him an ultimatum.” “Oh, Sammy, you didn’t?” “Yeah, I did. I told him if he didn’t come with me, he could just forget about there ever being an us again. I don’t think he thought I was serious.” “And you met Aaron at the conference.” “Exactly. He was the guest speaker. And it all worked out for the best. So you see, it was fate. Aaron and I were meant to be together.”

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“But just last month, before you got engaged to Aaron, I thought maybe you and Steven would get back together.” “Why would you think that?” “I know you went to see him after that incident with his dad.” “We’ve known each other for years. He was once a very close friend. I just went to talk, nothing more.” “If you say so.” Cory smiled at her sister, and to Samantha the smile was just a little sad, as if her dreams had been crushed. Samantha felt bad, but she knew if Cory had to have her dreams crushed, better by her sister than by some uncaring man. “Why don’t you head home early? You could call one of your friends and go out if you wanted,” suggested Samantha. “Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you here to close up alone.” “Please. Everything is done, and the place is deserted. Plus, Billy is here.” Billy was their short-order cook. Slightly learning-disabled, he was a savant when it came to keeping all the orders straight. “We’ll only be open for another two hours. I think I can handle it. Go have some fun.” “Okay. I think I will head out then and see if I can catch anyone still at home.” Cory grabbed her coat from the kitchen and came back out front. “Thanks, sis.” With a cheery wave, she headed out the door. The phone rang almost immediately, and Samantha grabbed it up quickly. “Samantha’s Diner. How may I help you?” “Samantha’s Diner? When’d you change the name?” “Hi, Aaron, I’m fine, and you?” Samantha hated when Aaron started a phone conversation like this. She was not having a good day. “Sorry, honey, it just threw me. How are you?” “Okay, although I got into an argument with my sister.”

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“I’m sorry, honey. That’s too bad. Which one?” “Nichelle, of course; who else?” It irritated her a bit that they had been dating for ten months and engaged another month and a half, and he still didn’t know her family all that well. If he had, he never would have asked that question. “So, about that name change. I thought we had talked about the diner situation.” “Diner situation? If you mean me moving to Cincinnati and having my family take over the diner, you talked, and I listened. This is my diner, my dream. You knew that when you asked me to marry you.” Unfortunately, this had become a major issue as soon as they were engaged. Aaron wanted her to move to Cincinnati, and she wanted to stay in River Bend. She had worked too damned hard going to business school and then saving the money to buy the diner to just hand it over to her family and become Aaron’s trophy wife. “There’s not much call for an ex-basketball star in River Bend. I need to be where the action is if I’m going to get my sports agency off the ground.” “Isn’t that why you have a partner? I thought he was going to do all the traveling and schmoozing, and you were going to run the business end.” “The people want to see me, honey. I’m the famous one.” “Yeah, but he was your agent when you were famous. So they should want to talk to him.” “‘Were famous’? I still am famous, honey.” “Sorry, slip of the tongue.” Samantha rolled her eyes. She hated when he acted like this. Whenever he got around people who pumped him up because of his fame, he was impossible to live with. “So, honey, when you gonna come here for a visit? We haven’t been together since we got back from Cabo and the engagement.”

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Samantha hesitated a bit before answering. She didn’t like thinking about Cabo. Hell, if it weren’t for Cabo, and Aaron calling at the wrong time, she wouldn’t even be in this situation, but as usual she had acted first and thought later. Hence, the engagement. “I’ve been really busy since I got back from vacation. Some new company bought out all the leases for the stores in the main square, and we’ve been getting all the legal paperwork in order. Maybe you could come here.” “Ah, well, see, I was hoping you could come here this weekend. There’s a big party, and I was going to introduce you around to people. Show off my new fiancée.” Why couldn’t he have said “because I miss you; I want to be with you”? Instead, it was “see what I have; isn’t it better than yours?” “I can’t get away on such short notice.” “Why not? You’re the owner.” “That doesn’t mean I don’t work.” “Samantha, this is just ridiculous.” He never used her name unless he was seriously pissed. “You need to hire more staff.” “I know. I plan to put an ad in the paper this weekend and signs up in the window, too. I’ll get someone, and then I can come to Cincinnati for a visit.” “Hey, honey, I got a call coming in on the other line. Gotta go. Love ya.” He clicked off before Samantha could even respond. Sighing, she hung up the phone. Sometimes she wondered if she had done the right thing, accepting his proposal. That immediately brought Steven to mind. Not that he was ever very far from her thoughts anyway. It was hard not to think of him since he had been such an integral part of her childhood and had initiated her into womanhood. And the fact that she still loved the bastard wasn’t helping, either. But love wasn’t always enough, as their past had proven time and time again. Real relationships take commitment, and she was looking toward the long term. Aaron cared for her and had asked

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her to marry him. It was more than Steven had ever done. She had finally decided that he never would. She had felt it would be better to make a clean break of it, and for a while Steven had honored her wishes. But now that she had confronted him about the pictures, she had a feeling things were going to change. Secretly, she had hoped that maybe it had been Steven. She’d known as soon as he saw the pictures that it hadn’t been him. He had been just as shocked as she had been when she’d opened the envelope. Not only shocked by the pictures themselves, but what they revealed. That she was still in love with Steven, and those pictures reflected it to the entire world. Oh, boy, as if her life could get any worse. In love with one man and engaged to another. How she got herself into these things, she had no idea. Walking back through the kitchen, she saw Billy cleaning the grill. “Hey, Billy, I’m going to my office to work on some paperwork. Come and get me if we get any customers, okay?” “Sure thing, boss,” Billy muttered, not looking up. Samantha watched him for a moment before heading back to her office. Billy was a great short-order cook, but not much of a conversationalist. Flipping on the light as she walked into the office, Samantha immediately noticed a large envelope sitting on her desk. It looked exactly like the one she had in her hands. Trembling, she picked it up and broke the seal. Tipping it open, she saw that instead of pictures, it contained a sheet of paper. Pulling it out, she read the one sentence.

Bitch, stay away from Aaron if you know what’s good for you. Well, this definitely didn’t come from Steven, she thought ruefully. Who the hell could be sending her these threats? Turning, she walked out of her office and back into the kitchen. “Billy, do you know who left this in my office?” “No, I ain’t never seen it before, Ms. Turner.”

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“Has someone been back here?” “Not when I was here, but I took my supper break while you were gone. Went down to the library and got me this book.” He pulled out a tattered copy of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice

and Men. “Ms. Evelyn said I was learning to read real good now, and I could take it home with me.” Samantha smiled tightly. “Thanks, Billy.” Walking back into her office, she tried to think of who had a vendetta against her and why they wouldn’t want to see her with Aaron. Nichelle immediately came to mind, but she dismissed her just as quickly. Her sister might be mean and vindictive sometimes, but she was never threatening. Samantha had no ideas about who it could be and no idea what to do about it. Except one. She really didn’t want to go to Steven about this, especially after she had accused him of being the one who’d sent the pictures in the first place. But she didn’t know what else to do. Picking up the phone, she called Cory’s cell phone. “Hello.” “Hey, Cory, it’s me.” “I knew it; you need me. It will only take me fifteen minutes to get back there.” “No, no. I just had a question for you.” “Oh, okay. Shoot.” “Did anyone stop by the diner and leave something for me in my office?” “Oh, my goodness, I completely forgot to tell you. It came by special delivery. Some guy in a blue truck pulled up and brought it in. I just laid it on your desk. I’m so sorry.” “No problem. I just wondered who it was from. There’s no return address.”

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“I have no idea. I asked if I had to sign for it or anything, and he said no. In fact, it was kind of strange. He didn’t even look like he was wearing a uniform. I mentioned it to Nichelle. I thought maybe he was just dropping it off as a favor to someone.” “Okay, thanks.” Samantha ended the call even more confused. She had no idea what was going on here, but she was going to find out.

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Chapter Three

Steven sat back from the dinner table and rubbed his stomach. “That was the best pot roast I’ve ever had.” “You say that about every meal I cook for you,” Evelyn, his new sister-in-law, called from the kitchen. “What, that it was the best pot roast I’ve ever had? I know I don’t say that. Sometimes you make chicken.” His brother, Logan, looking just as satisfied with the meal, chuckled at their banter. Walking into the dining room from the kitchen, Evelyn carried in her famous triplechocolate cake. “No, silly, that it was the best meal you ever had.” “Can I help it if the newest member of the family is a great cook? Now hand over that cake and no one will get hurt.” Laughing at his antics, Evelyn set the cake in front of him and handed him the knife. Cutting a slice, he transferred it to one of the cake plates and handed it to Logan. “Make mine a tad smaller, please,” Evelyn requested. Steven cut her a piece and handed her the plate.

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“Great, that just leaves more for me.” Steven pretended to start eating the cake from the cake stand before cutting himself a large wedge and then taking a bite. “Evelyn, this is the most decadent cake I’ve ever tasted.” “Evie is the best cook ever,” Logan stated, reaching over to stroke her blushing cheek lovingly. Watching their byplay, Steven couldn’t help but envy his brother. He had hoped Sammy and he would have a love like that, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t seem to get her to understand. She was as stubborn as she was beautiful, and Steven couldn’t imagine his life without her. Unfortunately, Sammy didn’t seem to have that problem. Where he couldn’t see himself with anyone else, she had already turned to someone new. “A penny for your thoughts.” Steven looked up, startled, feeling a little bit foolish. He realized that while he’d been daydreaming about Sammy, Evelyn and Logan had finished their cake. “Just trying to figure out a way to get another piece of cake.” It was a stupid thing to say when most of his cake was still left. “I’ll just pack up a piece for you to take home. In fact, why don’t you take the rest of your cake, and you and Logan can go into the living room to chat while I clean up in the kitchen.” Picking up the cake plate, Evelyn gave a pointed look to Logan as she walked into the kitchen. “Come on, man, let’s go before she asks for help.” Logan stood up and headed into the living room. “Right, as if you would ever deny Evelyn anything,” Steven teased following him. “So, while Evie’s in the kitchen, let’s talk. What have you found out about Grossman?” Grossman Corp. was more of an enigma than he had thought it would be. Earlier this year they had tried to buy out Evelyn’s parents, and when bribery didn’t work, they’d

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graduated to harassment. Unfortunately, Steven’s father was behind most of the terrorizing tactics and had been arrested after attacking Evelyn. “Not much. They’re still denying any involvement with the attacks and blaming everything on Dick and Mike. Otherwise, there’s a lot of history about their business endeavors. The company is only about ten years old, but they really started doing well about five years ago.” “What happened?” “I don’t really know, but they must have gotten a pretty big infusion of cash. They started making a name for themselves as a ruthless takeover company. They would buy up companies in trouble and break them up and sell off different parts.” “So, a real homey company, huh?” Logan responded sarcastically. “What made them come to River Bend?” “I have no idea. But they definitely have been buying up a lot of property in the last year. I just found out they bought out all of the leases of the stores around the main square. The only thing they didn’t get was city hall, the sheriff’s building, and the library.” “Who’s behind all this?” “That’s what I don’t know. It’s a privately held company, so they don’t have to disclose their shareholders or board members or anything. I haven’t been able to find out much on that front.” Logan sat back suddenly, and Steven realized Evelyn was coming into the living room. Steven guessed Logan was not ready to let Evelyn know they were looking into Grossman Corp. “Don’t stop talking on my account,” Evie said, walking into the room. She grabbed Steven’s now empty plate. “I’m still cleaning up,” she continued with a laugh, walking back out of the room. “I can’t put anything over on her.” Logan grimaced affectionately.

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“Changing the subject slightly, there was another incident I found out about today that may have something to do with Grossman Corp.” “Oh, yeah? Let’s hear it.” Steven told Logan about the pictures Sammy had received. “Why do you think this has anything to do with Grossman?” Logan asked. “They just bought out her lease. Maybe it’s a way to scare her off.” “Better question, why are there any pictures of you and Sammy to use for blackmail? She’s engaged, man.” “Don’t you think I know that?” “I’m not sure.” Logan looked at him like he felt bad for him, and the last thing Steven wanted from anyone was pity. “Look, everything will work. I always said this thing with Aaron was just a way for her to get back at me.” “Don’t you think getting engaged is taking the payback thing a little far? Maybe you should consider giving up on her.” “Why don’t you just ask me to stop breathing?” “Steven ...” Before Logan could finish his sentence, Evelyn called out from the kitchen, “So, Steven, are you bringing anyone to Thanksgiving dinner?” “Huh, Thanksgiving? Well, I, uh ...” Steven looked at Logan helplessly. Logan grimaced. “Oh, Evie, I forgot to talk to him about it.” Evelyn walked into the room with her hands on her hips. “Logan, you promised you would talk to your family.” “Sorry, sweetie, I just haven’t had time.” “Steven, since Logan has obviously been derelict in his duty, I cordially invite you to our house for Thanksgiving dinner. We’d like to start a new tradition and have both of our

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families here for Thanksgiving. And, of course, you’re welcome to bring anyone along that you’d like.” “Thanks for the invite. I’d be happy to come, but I’ll be coming solo.” “That’s okay. I was hoping you’d maybe have someone special you’d like to bring.” Evelyn’s face, which had fallen a bit at his words, lifted at her next thoughts. “But, hey, maybe we’ll just have someone here you’ll meet.” “Oh, now, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” Steven definitely was not in the mood for a fix-up. “I think it’s a stellar idea,” Logan chimed in. “So now that you’re an old married man, you want to get the rest of us swinging bachelors hooked to that ball and chain.” “Hey, I take offense at that. I’m no ball and chain.” “Of course not, Evie. He’s an idiot and doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Logan pulled Evelyn into his arms and kissed her lightly. Steven smiled at the gesture. Logan knew which side his bread was buttered on, and he was going to make sure there was no sleeping on the couch tonight. Quickly deciding he didn’t like where this conversation was going, him being labeled an idiot and all, Steven decided to change the subject. “So, I’m guessing that since you didn’t ask me, you haven’t talked to Mom or Lily yet, either.” Silence met his statement. “Logan?” Evelyn put her hand on his arm. “Lily won’t even talk to me since Mike got arrested, and I didn’t figure Mom would want to come.” Evelyn’s lips thinned into a tight line, but she said nothing. Steven thought he’d better try to salvage something, since he’d been the one to bring it up.

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“Hey, let me talk to Lily, and you talk to Mom. I think you’d be surprised at what she’ll want to do.” “That sounds like a great idea.” Evelyn was sparkling again, and Steven knew Logan would have no choice but to talk to their mother. There was still a lot of unfinished business between Logan and their mother, but if Evelyn had anything to do with it, it would all be settled before long. They continued to talk about inconsequential things for a while longer before Steven finally said his goodbyes about a half an hour later and started to head home. On his way there, he realized he had left the information about Grossman Corp. on his desk, and he had wanted to go over it tonight. Making a U-turn, he headed back to his office. When he got there, he quickly grabbed the paperwork. He hoped he could somehow find a chink in their armor and get to the bottom of the corporate takeover. Heading back to his car, he paused when he noticed the light on at the diner. Ever since he’d seen Sammy earlier that day, he had been intoxicated by her scent, the feel of her body under his hands. Almost without thought, he felt the uncontrollable need to see her again. Unlocking his car, he put the paperwork inside before heading over to the diner. Just as he stepped up to the door, he ran into Billy leaving. “Hey, Mr. Weller. We’re closed.” “I know, Billy. I was just hoping to talk with your boss.” “You want to come in? Ms. Turner’s back in her office.” “Thanks, Billy. I know the way.” “Okay. Let her know I’m leaving, okay?” “Sure thing, Billy.” Steven watched as Billy flipped off the light and locked the front door before heading down the street. Walking around the counter, Steven headed into the kitchen and followed the light back to Sammy’s office. Standing at the open door, Steven drank in the sight of Sammy, sitting at her desk, intently working on her computer. She looked so beautiful, even

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without an ounce of makeup on. Suddenly she realized someone was standing there looking at her and glanced up at him with a hint of fear in her eyes. Steven hated to see that look. “Steven Weller, I ought to kill you. You almost gave me a heart attack.” “I’m sorry. I saw the light on and stopped by. Billy let me in on his way out.” “Note to self: kill Billy tomorrow,” she muttered under her breath. “Well?” “Well, what?” “What are you doing here? What was so important that it couldn’t wait until morning and you had to weasel your way into the diner tonight to talk to me?” Steven was drawing a blank. He really couldn’t explain it to himself, other than that he’d just felt the need to see her again. “As long as you’re here, I have something to show you.” Sammy picked up an envelope on her desk and handed it to him. “More pictures?” Steven eyed the envelope. “Nope. Just take a look.” Opening the envelope, Steven pulled out the paper and read the menacing message. “Have you reported this to the police?” “Of course not. You know how small towns are. One whiff of scandal, and the next thing I know, Aaron is calling me, asking all about it. Those pictures are an anomaly that never should have happened.” “Don’t get mad at me. First of all, you know they do investigate threats like this. Second, how would he hear anything all the way in Cincinnati?” Sammy scowled at his mention of Aaron living out of town. “No, thank you. I would prefer not to have my personal business advertised to the entire town.” “I’ve hired a private investigator to do some digging. Maybe he can find out who’s doing this.”

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“You. Did. What?” Each word was precisely said with enough ice in her tone, Steven knew he was in trouble. “I hired a PI. What’s wrong with that?” “Don’t you think you should have asked me before you did that?” “Why would I ask you? I’m a lawyer. We do this kind of thing all the time.” “Oh, why would you ask me?” Steven could almost see the fire shooting out from her eyes. “This is just great. Now, not only do I have some wacko stalking me, but I have another stranger stalking the mystery man. Don’t you think someone is going to get suspicious and wonder who he is?” “It’s nobody’s business.” “Oh, yeah, because this town is notorious for minding its own business.” Standing up, Sammy walked around her desk to the door where Steven was standing. “I think it’s time you were leaving.” “I don’t think so.” “Well, guess what? I’m not your girlfriend anymore, and I don’t really care what you think. Get out.” Steven grabbed her by the arms, pulling her in tight. “I let you go a year ago and lost you. I won’t let you go that easily this time.” At that, Steven captured her lips, attempting to brand his mark on her.

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Chapter Four

God, this was wrong. But like most things that were bad for you, it felt unbelievably good and unmistakably right. Steven moved into her, forceful and erect, shoving her back against the wall. His lips pushed into hers, forcing hers apart as he slid his tongue deep into her mouth. The old familiar taste rocked her to her core, as if their time apart had never existed. Moving her head, Samantha tore her mouth away from his, trying desperately to catch her breath. Steven took that moment to push closer, take her bare earlobe between his teeth, and nip at it. The pain startled her, as did the intense heat that rushed through her body at the simple hint of pain. Samantha’s nipples tightened in response and pushed out against her plain white T-shirt, causing Steven to let out a deep chuckle. “Seems like some things never change.” “Bastard!” she spat, hating the amusement in his eyes. The only thing worse than wanting him was him knowing how much she wanted him. It was something she couldn’t deny, not to herself and not to him, not any longer. “Why, because I love the way you respond to me? The way you’ve always responded to me?”

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Samantha pushed at him, trying to move him off her. “You’re so goddamn cocky. It’s just physical, Steven. I haven’t been with Aaron in awhile. I’ll admit it, you’re attractive, but you know that. My body is just missing the touch of a man. Any man.” The amusement quickly vanished from his eyes, replaced instead by fury. “Any man, huh?” Steven grabbed her hands and yanked them over her head, securing them against the wall with one of his. “Does any man know that innocent little Sammy gets off on fucking in front of a mirror so she can watch herself being pleasured? Does any man know that Sammy likes it rough, dirty, and as often as her hot little box can take it?” Samantha turned her head, refusing to look into his mocking eyes any longer. Never would she admit that the few times she and Aaron had made love, she had faked it. That he hadn’t been able to take her to the heights Steven did, because Steven knew her body and her soul. Pressing closer to her ear, Steven dipped his tongue inside briefly before whispering, “Does any man know that his fiancée loves the added thrill of almost getting caught? That you like to be given permission to come, and that you love the feel of hands in your hair when you’re. Sucking. Cock.” The last words were said slowly and carefully, creating the last chink in her wavering armor. Samantha turned her head and silenced Steven’s words with her mouth. No, she had never told Aaron any of those things. She had never told anyone. They were her own private, dirty little secrets she stored in her mind like a home video, unleashing them and rewinding them only when she needed to get off. This time it was Steven who pulled away, but he did it slowly, inching away a millisecond at a time. “Tell me, Sammy ...” Moving his other hand up her arm until he had both of her wrists in his strong fingers, Steven tightened his grip, squeezing ever so slowly, letting Samantha know, in no uncertain terms, who was in control. “Does any man know those things about you?” “No,” she whimpered, her body crying out to his.

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“Does any man fuck you the way that you love?” “No.” She ached. She needed. “Does any man make you come as often and as hard as you crave?” “No.” She wanted only him. “I didn’t think so.” Moving to her again, Steven captured her mouth, and this time, Samantha moved back and gave as good as he did. For more than a year, she had denied herself and Steven the one thing they could give each other. It was time to indulge once more. Their tongues intertwined, picking up the familiar taste and feel of one another. It was almost as if time hadn’t passed and they had never been apart. As Samantha feasted on his mouth, Steven released her hands and moved them between their bodies. Pushing up her shirt, he made quick work of unbuttoning and unzipping her pants and shoving them down her hips. Steven pulled away from her. “Step out of these,” he ordered, and for a second Samantha hesitated. Long enough to know it was wrong, but short enough to know she didn’t care. Tomorrow she would pay and atone, but tonight ... tonight she would feast. The way he watched her, as she slid her panties down to the floor, was just as exciting as the way he talked to her. His eyes devoured her whole, watching her as if he had never seen her before. The second her underwear hit the ground, he dropped to the floor in front of her and nudged her legs apart. Sitting forward, he buried his face in the soft, kinky hair covering her sex. He slipped his hands around her hips and pulled her in close, inhaling her scent. “God, I love the way you smell.” He picked up one of her legs, placing it around his shoulder, and moved between her parted thighs.

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He stared hard at her moist mound before brushing his thumb lightly over her slick bud. Samantha whimpered and pressed her back into the wall, needing something solid to assure herself this wasn’t just another empty dream. When his tongue found her sensitive nub, she thought she would die from the pleasure. It was like coming home. Steven knew exactly what she wanted and how she wanted it. His mouth teased and tortured as his fingers plunged into her depths, fucking her as he devoured her hot mound. She entangled her hand in his hair and held him to her throbbing pussy, pulling him deeper into her. She needed to come so badly. It was almost painful, the intensity of it. She rode his tongue as he laved her with firm licks, centering all of his oral attention on her engorged clit, just as she liked. Gripping him tighter, she cried his name. The pulses in her cunt increased, speeding up like an oncoming train. It was so good, so fucking good. “Oh ... right there ...” she chanted as her orgasm ripped from her body, rocking her to her core. Samantha’s knees weakened, and if it hadn’t been for Steven’s anchoring hold on her, she might have slipped to the floor. Her breathing turned to panting, and her chants to mutters. Shaking, she released Steven’s hair and dropped her hands limply to her side. Closing her eyes, she just leaned against the wall lethargically, not even opening her eyes when he eased her leg back down. Samantha didn’t want to look at him, to see the look of satisfaction and glee on his smug face. And the bastard had every reason to be smug. She hadn’t come that hard since the last time she was with him. “It’s still so good,” he murmured, and Samantha didn’t reply. What was there to say when he was so damn right? Steven stood up, and Samantha felt the brush of his pants as they puddled to the floor in front of her. He paused for a few seconds, taking time to slip on a condom before taking her back in his arms. Gripping her hips, he raised her up and wrapped her leg around his

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waist. Instead of pressing into her like she thought he would, he paused and ran his fingers down her limp arm to her hand. Samantha’s eyes popped open as she felt him tug on her engagement ring, pulling it off and dropping it to the floor It was like a rude awakening. Steven’s icy blue eyes met hers, daring her to say anything. But she didn’t. A sense of relief poured through her body, and she felt lighter than she had in months. “No comments?” he asked as he reached between them, rubbing his cock against her tender clit. As soon as she felt his cock pressing against her, all thoughts left her head. Even after that mind-numbing orgasm less than a minute ago, her body still wanted more. Licking her dry lips, she whispered, “Fuck me.” A savage look passed across Steven’s face as he plunged into her, granting her request. The powerful plunge made her catch her breath as her body stretched around his cock, trying to accommodate his thick member. It had been so long, so god-awful long, since she had felt this full. As Steven plunged up, digging his fingers into her bare skin, Samantha bore down, taking his length further into her body. She loved the feel of him, always had, so rough, so smooth, so inviting. Her arms tightened around his neck, using it as an anchor to bear her weight as he pushed into her over and over again. The mingling of pleasure and pain clawed at her senses, blinding her to everything around her. She could only focus on him and the madness he was causing her body. “Don’t stop.” She pushed down, meeting him thrust for thrust. “Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me.” “Jesus,” Steven bit out, grimacing with each plunge. Samantha could feel the trembling of his legs against her ass as he fought for control. He looked so sensual and open, raw of everything but the desire to fuck her and be fucked by her.

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“Baby,” she groaned, her throbbing clit rubbing against his cock as it entered her burning body. She needed to come, but she had to hear the words first. “Please ... Steven.” “Come for me, baby.” Burying his face in her neck, Steven bit her just hard enough to make her blood boil and to tear a panting whimper from her. “Come for daddy.” And just like that, she did. Screaming out his name, she clawed at his back, riding the dangerous wave of the orgasm that threatened to drown her whole. Words poured from her mouth, incomprehensible and piercing. As if the sound of her coming was all he had been waiting for, Steven gave his own shout and pushed once more inside of her, pulling down on her hips to get in as far as humanly possible, and came. “Jesus ... Jesus ...” he groaned over and over again, pushing Samantha against the wall as he bumped his hips into hers. “Baby ... baby ...” Samantha’s body shook, and she let out a shaky breath as Steven dropped his sweaty head onto her damp shirt. Who needed to work out when they got power-fucked against a wall? She felt pounds lighter, with the exception of the fully loaded man pressing into her. “Get up, Steven,” she said weakly, needing to catch her breath. Groaning, he stepped back from the wall and lifted her with him. Swinging her around, he set her on the desk a few feet behind them, then slowly pulled himself out of her body. Samantha’s body ached, her thighs feeling raw and exposed. Too tired to put her pants back on, she slid off the desk and into her chair, thankful for the leather that was cool to her burning skin and able to be cleaned. Easing down slowly, she sat back and closed her eyes. It was just too much to take in all at once. After months of ignoring her desire, and the desire she knew lurked inside of Steven, she had given in quickly and easily. Setting aside lectures and warnings, she had succumbed to him again, and it was just as wonderful as she’d thought it would be. Sitting up, she ran her hands through her disheveled hair and opened her eyes.

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Steven was watching her, as if waiting for her to say something, but for once she didn’t know what to say. “Thank you for that great orgasm; now, please leave” seemed a bit crass, even to her. His chest rose and fell in a harsh rhythm, but his eyes were clear and centered on her. Just waiting. Placing her elbows on the desk, she leaned into her hands and started to speak. “This was a bad --” “Don’t start, Sammy,” he ordered, interrupting her. Samantha looked down at the desk, knowing he had every right to be mad. If the situation were reversed and she had just fucked the living daylights out of him, and he started in on the “it’s a bad idea” line, she would have tried her best to brain him with a frying pan. But, that aside, it really was a bad idea. Gathering her courage, she looked up. “It shouldn’t have happened.” “Which part?” Steven stood, pulling up his pants. “The fighting, the fucking, or the coming?” “It doesn’t change anything.” “It changes everything. Do you think Aaron,” he bit out harshly, “will be so understanding?” “Leave him out of it.” Samantha had enough guilt; she didn’t need Steven adding more to her plate. “You have a week, Sammy.” “For?” “To tell him.” Eyes widening, she looked up at Steven as if she’d never seen him before. “Or?” If she didn’t give in to the anonymous person threats, she wasn’t going to give into Steven’s. “Or I will.” He was deadly calm, and completely serious, and Samantha didn’t doubt him for a moment, but she also didn’t care. She wasn’t going to let herself be bullied by Steven or anyone else.

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“I don’t respond well to threats.” “I’m not making one.” Bending down, Steven picked up her engagement ring, abandoned on the floor, and slammed it down on the desk in front of her. “It’s a promise.” Turning, he walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him. Samantha reached out an unsteady hand, picked up the ring, and stared down into the flawless diamond. Never had she made so many mistakes in so short a time.

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Chapter Five

Sammy was fucking driving him insane. Rising up, Steven punched his pillow, trying to make it more comfortable for the hundredth time, and plopped back down onto the thrashed pillow in frustration. He couldn’t sleep. No matter how long he attacked his pillow or rearranged the blankets, he just couldn’t get comfortable, and it was all her fault. He could still hear her in his head. Her moans, her groans, her calling his name. It was all the same. Just when he thought he’d gotten her out of his system, he would see her, or run across something that reminded him of her, and it would all come flooding back. Last night had been a mistake. He knew it was wrong to sleep with her, especially when she was engaged, but he couldn’t help but be pleased. Her body had welcomed him back like a starved kitten. It was still there between them, hotter than ever. He could remember the first time they had slept together. He and his father had just gotten into a huge fight about Sammy, and Steven had gone to her, like he always had when he needed to be comforted. And even though Sammy had skipped school to be with him that day, when he came for her later that night, she snuck out of her house, and they went back to their place, Sapphire Lake.

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They used his shirt as a blanket, at first just lying next to each other, not talking much. Then he leaned over and kissed her. A simple kiss, not much different than any kiss they had shared before, except that, for once, Sammy didn’t pull back. She had allowed him to continue with his exploration of her soft, nubile body. To discover the treasure that lay between her smooth brown legs, to discover her. Steven ran his tongue over his lips, chasing the phantom taste of her essence on his lips. No one, absolutely no one, had ever tasted as sweet as she had. Over the course of their tumultuous relationship, they had broken up and gotten back together more times than Tommy and Pamela Lee, and he’d had his share of different women, mainly to try to exorcise her from his soul, but no one had ever come close to the pleasure that was Sammy. “Harder, Steven, harder ...” was their love sonata. It had been purely accidental that he had stumbled across her naughty little craving. Just the two of them making love in the glass block shower, him cocky and sure of her response, teasing Sammy unmercifully, pulling out, not giving her the full thrust to relieve the ache he had stirred in her body. Steven had looked up and caught her eyeing them in the mirror through the crack of the partially closed shower door, and the desire in her stormy brown eyes had almost been his undoing. Her wet, bronzed body bent forward to receive him was probably the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Their different races had never meant a good goddamn to him, but the way they looked coming together, their colors merging as his cock pounded into her, literally took his breath away. Engulfed by his own pleasure, Steven had shoved the door open, bringing their bodies completely into view of the steamy mirror, and ordered Sammy not to come until he told her to. She had almost gone off like a rocket, but she kept up with him, meeting him thrust for thrust, never losing eye contact with his reflection. Just when he couldn’t take a second more of the torture of her tight body, he had hoarsely given her permission to come, and she had. Body shaking, knees buckling, Sammy had almost swallowed him into the depths of her body with her orgasm.

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“Stop it,” Steven groaned aloud. He was never going to get back to sleep if he thought about that night, or any other night, for that matter. Their love life had completely changed after that day. Sammy, his headstrong, ball-busting, independent woman, was a submissive in the bedroom. Their loving had gone against everything they had ever known, but they had learned together, and it had been wonderful. Just as she got off on him holding her back, or on them making love in public, Steven had gotten off on knowing that, in the bedroom, he was in control. “Fuck.” Reaching behind himself, Steven grabbed his pillow and threw it across the room. This was harder than his third year in college. On spring break, he’d come home for a quick visit, and Sammy had been home. She had been angry then, much like now, but they had made up a whole lot quicker. It had taken less then two days before he was back in her arms. He’d returned to school with a shit-eating grin and a phone number. A number he had used on many occasions, like tonight, when he was so frustrated and so bowed tight from needing her that he couldn’t breathe, let alone sleep. The phone had been their only lifeline, and they had used it diligently. Steven had masturbated so much, he’d been sure he was going to chafe himself, and they had called each other as much as possible until he came back. And then, everything fell apart again. Turning on his side, Steven glanced at the digital clock, scowling at the slowly ticking numbers. It was twenty-five after three, and he was still awake. Awake and hard, and it was all her fault. Fuck it, he thought, as he reached for the phone on his bedside table. There was no reason in hell he should be the only one awake. Dialing her number from memory, he grabbed another pillow from the side of the bed and plumped it up behind him. The phone rang for several rings before Sammy’s drowsy voice came on the line.

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“Somebody better be dead,” she growled. Or was going to be by the end of the phone call. “Busy?” It was the same way they always used to start their conversations. “Steven?” “Yes.” “Is something wrong?” Her question made him smile. To Steven it only proved what he had been saying all along -- she still cared. Sammy didn’t hang up right away, or demand he leave her alone. Her first response was to check on him. “No, I’m just having a hard time sleeping.” There was a pause before her voice came back on the line, colder than before. “You called me at three-fucking-thirty because you’re having a hard time sleeping?” “Sorta.” It was wrong as hell, but he was enjoying her ire. “I was thinking about you.” “Not my problem.” “Well, actually it is, princess, because I can’t get you out of my head.” “I’m hanging up,” she warned. “I’ll just call back.” “Then I’ll take the phone off the hook.” Laughing, Steven knew her too well to worry about that threat. She was a worrywart, and Sammy would never forgive herself if she missed an important call because she was trying to avoid him. “No, you won’t.” “Didn’t you get your fill yesterday?” she asked scornfully. “Of you, never. But tell me, baby, did you get your fill of me?” “I had my fill of you a year ago, or don’t you remember?”

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“I remember a lot of things.” Steven’s voice began to thicken as he ran his hand down his bare chest. “Like the way you sound.” “Get earmuffs.” “Like the way you taste.” “Get mouthwash.” “Like the way you feel underneath me.” “Get a blow-up doll. Or, better yet, Steven, get a life.” “You are my life, baby.” “Sentimentality isn’t going to get you back in my pants.” “Maybe I can try holding you against a wall and talking dirty to you.” The phone slammed down, blasting his eardrum with its echo. Wincing, Steven pulled the phone away and rubbed his finger in his ear. It had been awhile since that had happened. Hitting redial, Steven sat back, readying himself for round two. “I’m going to kill you!” she thundered. Still mad, but she had answered. It was a good sign. “Now where’s the fun in that?” “Trust me, I’d enjoy every single second of it.” “I miss you.” “Tough.” “I love you.” “I’m engaged, Steven. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” “Yeah, it means that you have terrible taste.” “You’re proof of that.” There was laughter in her voice, like he’d hoped. “The other day shouldn’t have happened.” “That’s debatable.” “Arrgggh. Are you my penance for a misguided youth?”

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“No, baby, I’m your reward for a good life lived.” “You’re delusional.” “No, I’m hard.” His voice had lowered, and he had spoken softly, but with enough strength behind his words to let Sammy know he was serious. The silence grew before she replied softly, “Steven.” “Yes.” “We can’t ...” “Tell me you don’t miss me?” “I don’t miss you,” she parroted, but Steven didn’t believe her now, anymore than he had that day in her office. “I miss you enough for the both of us.” His cock throbbed, almost as if it knew what was about to happen. And it was about to happen. There was no doubt in his mind about that. “I wish you were here beside me.” “Steven.” “So I could touch your breasts. Take your hard nipples in my mouth and bathe them with my tongue.” Steven could hear her on the line, despite the fact that she wasn’t saying a word. Her breath had slowed down, and she was listening, just waiting for him to make the next move, as usual. “You’ve been so naughty lately, Sammy. Keeping us apart, even though you knew it was wrong.” “It’s your fault ...” “Shh ...” His cock was hard enough to split wood. Tucking the phone against his shoulder, he pressed his feet to the flat of the bed and raised his hips, pushing his boxers down his body. “Don’t think I’m going to let you get away with it, baby.”

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“What are you going to do about it -- keep calling me back?” “No.” Easing his cock into his hand, Steven ran his hand up the rigid length. “I’m going to turn you over my lap and paddle your ass. I’m going to take my time and do it right. Equally distributing the palm of my hand on both of your cheeks, until they warm from my touch.” “The hell you are.” The catch in her voice caught his attention more than her denial. She was with him. He could tell. “Yes, I am. I’m going to administer your punishment while you’re lying naked across my lap, so I can watch your breasts bounce with every smack, see the way your back bows when I slip my finger between your crease and tease your backdoor.” “Steven ...” Her voice sounded harsh, and he knew that he wasn’t the only one aroused by the image. “I know how you like that, Sammy. How you like for me to slip a finger into your ass as I eat out your sweet pussy. How you like for me to slide my tongue down to where my finger is and tease you there, too. Does he know that?” Steven hated that he had to ask, but he needed to know. There had to be something sacred between them that she hadn’t shared with that bastard, some part of her body that was still just his. “Does he?” he commanded, his need to know more powerful than his need to come. “No,” she cried out. “Am I still the only man who’s ever had my cock in your beautiful ass?” “Yes.” Steven stroked his shaft as visions of Sammy on all fours, with her full brown ass up in the air, played out in his mind. He remembered how tight she had felt as he eased his plump head within her taut hole. She had been hotter than a roaring fire, but her body had accepted him. Only him.

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He pumped to the sounds of her voice over the phone, as rough with need as he was. Nothing had changed. Nothing would ever change. Wearing another man’s ring, but aroused for him, she was just as much his now as she had been their first night at the lake. “You feel it don’t you, Sammy?” He closed his eyes as he concentrated on the sound of her voice and the feel of his hand. “No,” her voice caught on that one word, telling Steven clearly what she was doing. “Let me ask you one more thing, Sammy, and if you want. I’ll let you go afterwards.” “What?” “Are you touching yourself?” Steven waited anxiously for her to reply. He already knew the answer in his heart; he just needed her to admit it. “Are you, baby?” It seemed like a lifetime passed before she replied huskily, “Yes.”

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Chapter Six

This was crazy, Samantha thought, as she held on to the phone for dear life. One time with Steven, she could chalk up to old time’s sake, but being on the phone with him, listening to him as he pleasured himself, was just plain stupid. And it was bad enough that she was on the phone, but to add insult to injury, she had worked her hand under her nightshirt and was touching herself. “How do you do this?” she whispered, dragging her hand out from underneath shirt. “Do what, baby?” “Make me forget everything but you?” His rascally chuckle made Samantha squeeze her legs together to prevent herself from slipping her hand between her trembling thighs. Steven was lethal -- at least to her he was -and he had always been. There was just something about him that overpowered her mind and common sense. “You’re not alone, baby. You do the same thing to me.” “I doubt it.” “Really, ’cause I get hard just thinking about you. I could describe in great detail every stroke, every pump of my hand around my cock.”

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Jesus! Samantha’s body quivered as she listened to Steven talk. His words painted a vivid graphic image in her mind -- one she didn’t need there, that was for damn sure. It was bad enough that she knew to the core of her body that she was going to spend the rest of her life with a man who didn’t make her soul sing, but to know that with one word Steven could have her leaking like a faucet was a huge disappointment that she still wasn’t able to face. If only Aaron made her feel a tenth of the desire, passion, and love that Steven did, she thought she could survive. But he didn’t. “Steven, don’t do this to me,” she begged. She had to get over him, and there was no way she ever would if he didn’t leave her alone. It was bad enough she was fighting herself on a daily basis not to run to him and beg him to make everything better; but to fight him, too, especially when he was tormenting her with pleasure, was sheer torture. “What? Make you want me as bad as I want you?” “Yes.” “Too late, baby; you already do. Tell me you’re not wet and that your nipples aren’t hard enough to cut glass. Tell me that you don’t want to replace your hand with mine on your throbbing pussy, and I’ll go.” Samantha opened her mouth to respond, but the words wouldn’t fall out of her parched throat. She wanted him, needed him, and the bastard knew it. “That’s what I thought, baby.” He was so damn cocky. “What are you wearing?” “A long T-shirt.” “That’s good. I want you to take off two things.” “But I’m only wearing the T-shirt.” “You’re also wearing his ring, aren’t you?” There was a cold edge to Steven’s tone that Samantha didn’t like. “Steven ...”

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“No. You do not get to come for me while you’re wearing his ring. Take it off, Sammy, or I’ll come take it off for you.” “I’m getting tired of your threats,” she muttered, yanking the ring off her finger. “They’re not threats, baby, and you know it.” “Fuck you.” Sitting up, she took her shirt off and lay back down on the bed, naked and damp from desire. Even when they argued, she was aroused. They had some serious issues they needed to work out. Steven’s velvety-smooth voice floated over the lines, down the wires, and into her senses, making her pulse pound and her pussy throb. “In due time, baby, in due time. Let me ask you a question, Sammy. Do you still have it?” Steven didn’t have to elaborate. Samantha knew exactly what he was talking about. Shooting a glance at her nightstand drawer, she tried to brazen her way out of the conversation. “No.” “Liar.” “No, I’m not.” “Yes, you are. There’s no way you’d get rid of Junior. Especially after all the things we’ve all been through together,” he teased, referring to the vibrator he had bought her. “Get him, Sammy. Let Junior please you while I talk to you.” “No.” “Take him out, Sammy, or I’ll come over there and replace your teasing fingers with my cock, and give you the fucking we both know you want,” he growled, his voice heavy with need. “Or is that what you want? Do you want me to come over there and fuck you, baby? Fuck that sweet pussy of yours?” His words caused her to gasp and her fingers to press down on her aching clit. Steven fucking her was exactly what she wanted. To feel his hard cock pushing inside of her wet body was reason enough not to reach for the toy, but she did anyway. Phone-fucking, her

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heart could handle; him inside of her again, she just wouldn’t survive. Reaching over to the drawer, she pulled the toy out. “I got it.” ‘That’s good, baby.” His voice was as heated as her body. “I want you to bring it to your mouth and wet the tip with your tongue. Just tease it. Get it damp enough that it will slide easily against your clit.” Closing her eyes, she did what he said with no arguments. In her mind she imagined it was his cock in her hand. That the tip of her tongue was grazing the pink, plum-shaped head of his shaft, licking him the way he liked. “That’s enough, baby. I want you to turn it on and move it slowly down your body. Roll it over your pretty brown nipples.” Samantha obeyed without thought. The vibrations from the toy had her nipples rock hard in seconds. Teasing them, she alternated between the two, making sure they stayed nice and taut. “Did I ever tell you how much I love your brown berries?” “Not lately.” “I do. I especially like it when I can rub my cock against them, watching the way it coats your nipples with my come. The contrast of the colors kills me, baby. The creamy white of my semen coating your dark nipples is irresistible, but not as much as when you push your nipple up to your mouth and lick it off. Your pink tongue glistening with my juice ...” His groan shot right through her. Steven was in just as much pain as she was. “I’m so hard I hurt, baby. So hard for you.” Arching her back, she ran the toy down to her aching pussy, teasing her clit as he talked. “Only you can relieve me, Sammy. Only your sweet pussy, your tight ass, your moist mouth. Only you, baby. It’s the same for you, isn’t it?”

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Samantha wanted to deny the truth of his words, but it was foolish. They both knew that she wanted him and him only. “Mmmm.” “I want you to slide him into that naughty pussy of yours. Pump him in and out of you. Ride him like you would ride me. Imagine me teasing your clit; imagine me doing it, but you do it instead,” Steven urged as his voice took on a huskier quality. “I’m imagining you on me, Sammy. How your wet pussy would feel around my cock.” She was on fire. Her body ached to be filled, to be pleasured by him. “I need to come.” It was almost as if her body hadn’t had release in years. Her legs trembled with the effort to stay open as she teased her clit unmercifully with the toy. “Please, Steven, please.” “No, you’re not coming yet,” he commanded. His voice took on a dominating tone that had her creaming even more. “Don’t you dare come. Ride it out, baby.” “Bastard,” she moaned, obeying him. “It’ll only make it better, baby. And besides, you know the rules. You don’t come until I say you do.” “Who made that rule?” She panted, trying to calm her racing heart, but it was hard with the toy buzzing around her sensitive flesh. “You did.” “Fuck.” “That’s what I want to do, baby. Fuck you. Over and over and over again, until you finally remember who you belong too.” “I belong to myself.” “No,” he spat. “You belong to me.” Samantha was rocking her body into the mattress, trying to escape from the pleasure of his voice and the vibrator. The intensity was overwhelming, and she bit down on her lip to muffle her moans. Steven was good. His tone alone was sending her to heights unknown. His

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voice by itself was a dangerous entity, but the vibrator under his control via her hand was sending her over the edge. She panted as she picked up speed, pushing the vibrator deep inside her. “It’s time, Sammy.” He groaned. “Reach down, baby, and rub your clit for me.” Crying out, Sammy did as he commanded. Slipping her other hand down between her legs, she frantically rubbed her clit over and over again as she fucked herself with the vibrator. “That’s it, baby.” His voice had a frantic edge, and she knew he was as close as she was. “Come for me. Come for me now. Let me hear you come.” She couldn’t have been silent to save her life. It was almost as if her orgasm was torn from the back of her throat, it was so powerful. Her juices flooded her hand as she cried out his name. “Yeah, baby, yeah,” he cried, the sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the lines as Steven found his own release. “Fuck ... Sammy ... baby.” Her body trembled with aftershocks as she released the soaked vibrator and let it drop aimlessly back onto her ruffled bed. Good night! Even during phone sex, the man was fucking fantastic. Panting, she gripped the phone weakly and turned on her side. She was going to have to change her sheets and her number. “Fuck ... baby ...” he moaned, “you’re driving me crazy.”

Whatever, she thought, trying to catch her breath. He was the one driving her crazy. “You called me, remember?” “Hell, yeah, I do. Feel free to thank me at any time.” A small chuckle escaped from her parched lips. “You’re crazy.” “For you,” he said softly, before adding, “I love you, baby.”

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“I lo--” Samantha caught herself as the words almost slipped past her lips. Flinching, she couldn’t believe what she’d almost said. Rolling over, she opened her eyes and spotted her engagement ring, sitting on the nightstand like a guilty reminder. “Yessss,” Steven voice was lit with humor. “As you were saying?” “It’s late.” Laughing, Steven said, “Somehow that just doesn’t sound the same, but I’ll let it go because I know, even if you’re not ready to admit it to yourself just yet.” Thank God for small favors. She rubbed her eyes, wondering how she had let things go so far. You know, her conscience taunted her. She had been screwing up a lot lately, and the first time wasn’t the night with him in the office. It had started with an impulsive decision several months ago that was like a falling domino, bringing down everything in its path. Moving to sit up, she froze in midair as a movement outside her window caught her attention. “You still there?” he teased. “Or did you pass out from ...” “Yeah, I am, but hold on. I think something’s outside my window,” she whispered, reaching down to gather her nightshirt. Slipping it over her head, she stood up quietly and walked over to the window. “Something or someone?” The teasing tone in Steven’s voice was gone. “I don’t know. Hold on.” Grabbing the flashlight that she kept in her dresser drawer, she clicked it on and shined it outside her window. “No, I’ll come over.” The backyard seemed empty, devoid of anything alarming. Samantha was craning her neck, trying to get a better look, when the light flashed on a cat, frozen in terror by her beam. Releasing her pent-up breath, she chuckled nervously. “No need. It was just a cat.” “You can’t be too sure. I’ll be right there.”

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“Steven, no,” she replied firmly. The last thing she needed after that mind-numbing orgasm was to see him in the flesh. She would never get her shields back in place in time. “I think we should just call it a night.” “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Dropping back down on her bed, she let out a heavy sigh. She knew that his intentions were somewhat honorable, but she honestly didn’t think she could handle him or them tonight. “I do.” “Damn it, Samantha ...” A small smile spread across her lips. Steven never called her Samantha unless she really pissed him off. “I’m okay.” “You’re as stubborn as they come.” “Coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment. Goodnight, Steven.” “This isn’t over, Sammy baby.” “For now it is.” Disconnecting, she tossed the phone down on the bed next to her and sighed. Was it asking too much for things to get easier instead of harder? Reaching forward, she opened her bedside drawer and slid the flashlight and vibrator back in. Shutting the drawer firmly caused the table to wobble and for her ring to fall off. Catching the ring before it hit the ground, she stared at if for a moment before putting it back on the table. She had enough heavy things to deal with tonight. She didn’t need the added weight of the ring or the guilt that came with it.

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Chapter Seven

Feet beating against the pavement, Steven ran long and hard, trying to free his mind of everything that was weighing him down. Running had always been a great form of stress release, a love that had developed for him in college. There was no better way for him to clear his head than to have wind beating across his face at twenty miles per hour, but today it was more like he was running toward his problems than away from them. Despite agreeing not to go over to Sammy’s house last night, he had driven by anyway. After checking things out a bit, he’d gone home and continued to toss and turn. Today, despite his vow to her, he found himself jogging in the direction of her house. Sure, he could kid himself and anyone else who happened to ask, and say that he was just jogging in this direction, but other than tract homes and cornfields, there was nothing else around. When he turned left on the last block, he told himself it was because he wanted to run by and check to see if she was okay. It didn’t seem to him that Sammy was taking the threats all that seriously. If it was up to him, he would have hog-tied her cute ass and taken her directly to the police station. But it wasn’t up to him, and nothing pissed him off more than that.

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He couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t felt responsible for her. From the time that they first met in fifth grade, he’d looked out for her. Sammy had been small for her age, but she had a mouth bigger than a mountain. Quick hands and a quicker temper had gotten her into a lot of fights until Steven had stepped in, and now, when she needed him most, she wasn’t allowing him to step in. Pausing in her driveway, he jogged in place for several seconds, trying to slow down his pulse and keep an eye out for strangers. He looked around her neighborhood for anything or anyone that shouldn’t be there. Small towns came with big advantages, like knowing the majority of the residents, and nothing looked out of place. Turning toward her door, he eyed it for several seconds, debating if he should knock on it or not. Part of him wanted to talk to her, even if it meant getting into another fight; he just wanted to see her. He’d known from the moment he’d pulled out of her body that evening in her office that her defenses were going to go up. He had been damned tempted to just stay inside her just to prevent it, and last night hadn’t been any different. Although he sensed her weakening, he knew Sammy wasn’t going to give in until she was good and ready. “Fuck it,” he muttered and headed to her door. “When you hired me to watch her, I didn’t necessarily think I would be watching out for you.” Startled, Steven turned around, shocked to see Ron standing behind him. Dressed in a khaki-colored trench coat and smoking a cigarette, Ron looked as out of place as a nun in a whorehouse. “Where the hell did you come from?” Taking a drag, Ron nodded his head in the direction of the trees across the street. “I didn’t see you.” “Isn’t that what you pay me for? To see and not been seen,” he quipped, raising a shaggy, graying eyebrow. “What’s up, boss man? Thinking I’m not doing my job?”

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“I wasn’t even aware you were on the job.” Looking around, Steven once again tried to spot an unfamiliar car, and came up empty. Everything aside, Ron was a hell of a private dick. “See anything?” “Oh, I see everything.” “Like ...” “Like the fact the young lady is sporting a big, shiny ring that I know you couldn’t afford from the wages you pay me.” Ignoring that comment, Steven eyed Ron’s rumpled appearance. “You’ve heard of dressing for success, right? And besides, could you be any more clichéd? The trench coat, the cigarette, the smell of stale alcohol rising from your body. I thought part of your job was to blend in.” “Keep talking like that, and I’m bound to think you don’t want the package I filched from the front porch.” Steven paused in mid-banter and eyed Sammy’s front porch. The bastard had come to her home. “Same kind of thing?” “Didn’t open it.” “Then how do you know it’s from the guy and not just a catalog?” “Because this was no postman, and UPS truck drivers can’t afford an Envoy.” Ron opened up his jacket and removed the manila envelope from his side pocket. “I didn’t know if you wanted her to see it or not, so I figured I might as well take it and ask questions later.” It wasn’t making any sense. It was highly unlikely that the mailman in question was from River Bend because no one here could afford that type of wheels. Taking the envelope out of Ron’s hand, Steven ripped into it and pulled out a plain piece of paper, folded over in half. “Do you want a drum roll?”

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Ignoring Ron, Steven pulled opened the paper and froze. “Son of a bitch.” He eyed the used condom and empty wrapper stuck to the paper. Written in bold black letters was a single word: WHORE. Ron leaned to the side, saw the condom and note, and frowned distastefully. “I suppose you know what this is pertaining to.” “Yeah.” Steven crumpled up the note and shoved it back into the envelope. “I have a clue.” “I can take it for DNA testing so we could at least get a profile of the sick fuck.” “No need. It’s mine.” “Are you sure? Everyone’s soldiers look a lot alike in a rubber.” “Trust me, I know the brand.” Fuck, he wanted to kill someone. Steven could hardly remember disposing of the condom that night. He’d just slipped it off and tossed it into her wastebasket, not even giving it a second thought, and some sick fucker had gone into her office, rifled through her things, and found it. “You don’t think you have the patent on name-brand condoms do you?” “Look, Ron,” Steven ran his hand through his hair, frustrated. “Sammy’s allergic to latex. She can only use certain brands, and I guarantee you that they aren’t sold here at the local Walgreen’s.” “Hmmm, and the ring she’s wearing isn’t yours?” “No,” Steven bit out. “Sounds to me like we have a suspect?” “I don’t think Aaron is behind this. What would he have to gain?” “Revenge on the woman who’s cheating on him,” Ron pointed out, as if it was obvious. “The best cover is to be the one least likely to do it. I mean, if you hadn’t hired me, you’d be the suspect, but since I can’t rightfully send you to jail and collect payment from you, I’ll have to find someone else to blame.”

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“Right now, I wish it was me.” Looking around, Steven had to force himself to calm down. The way he was feeling, he was liable to go off on the first person he saw. Ron hit him on the shoulder. “Hey, in order to lurk, we have to be incognito. Let’s get out of here.” Nodding his head, Steven followed behind Ron, too upset to speak. Walking down the block, he rounded the corner and stopped at Ron’s car, parked discreetly on the side of the road. Getting in the car, Steven tossed the envelope between them and slammed the door. “I’ll check for fingerprints on the envelope and wrapper.” “Do you think you’ll find anything?” “You never know. This doesn’t look like the mind of a pro, just someone out to scare someone.” “Well, he picked the wrong someone.” “I’m sure you’ll let him know that.”

Ron dropped Steven back at his house, talking the entire way there. Steven doubted it was because Ron was a rambler, knew it was probably just his way of trying to get his mind off things. Not that it was likely to happen. He wasn’t ever going to be free of this filth until he found the son of bitch. The worst part, though, was that he felt responsible. Someone was out there, threatening her because Steven was part of her life. Just like before. The only difference was that he had known how far his father would go. Mike had, in fact, told him in no uncertain terms, and when Steven had ignored the warning, Mike acted. First, it was little things, like rocks being thrown at her home and dead cats on the porch. Sammy had never known who was doing it or why, but Steven knew. So he left, thinking that if he moved away, Mike would back off, and his one decision turned out to be the catalyst to everything. He tried years later to explain to Sammy what had happened and

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why he’d left, but she didn’t listen, wouldn’t listen or forgive, and just when he thought they might be able to move past it, Mike had started in again. It was always something, fucking small-town minds and small-town games. Walking into his kitchen, Steven saw the red light flashing on his answering machine. Pouring himself a glass of water, he leaned against the counter and hit play.

“Hey, Steven, it’s Lily. I really need to talk to you about something, but ... umm ... how about you call me ... no, I’ll call you later tonight.” What the fuck was that about? he wondered, hitting the replay button and listening to it again. The words were the same, but it still didn’t make any sense. Last time he’d checked, his sister was barely speaking to him, much to his dismay -- just another fucked-up relationship he could blame on dear old dad. The worry in Lily’s tone bothered him. Steven picked up the phone and hit redial, praying that everything was okay. On the second ring, her phone was picked up, and the voice saying “What?” sent chills down his spine. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. “When did you get out?” Steven demanded, all trace of civility gone from his voice. As far as he was concerned, his father should have been locked up and the key thrown away. A rough chuckle spilled through the lines. “Now is that any way to talk to your old man?” “Where’s Lily?” “Now, I don’t rightly know, not that I’d tell you if I did.” Steven’s hand tightened around the cordless phone, causing the plastic to creak in his ear. “If you’ve done something to her ...” “Why on God’s green earth would I hurt my baby?”

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“Because you’re a sick, sadistic bastard, that’s why.” Worry rumbled through his mind. If his dad was out, he could be the person behind the threats to Sammy. He had done it before. “If you think I’m just going to sit here and let you talk that way to me, boy, you’ve got another think coming.” “I want you out of Lily’s apartment now.” “She invited me to stay. Besides, it’s not like I’ve got anywhere else to go, thanks to you and your brother’s whore.” “Stay away from Evelyn before prison becomes the least of your concerns.” Steven clicked the phone off and slammed it down on the counter. He had to warn Logan. Steven picked up the phone and dialed Logan’s cell. A few choice words were all he needed to warn Logan, who, with a few choice words of his own, threatened to do the very thing Steven figured he would. His father was a cold, calculating son of a bitch who would do anything to get his way, and to Steven that only meant one thing -- he had to go to Sammy. Walking into his bathroom, he turned on the shower and stepped into the steamy mist. The hot water beat against his skin, cleansing his body and his mind. He had to figure out a way to protect Sammy, even if it meant pissing her off again. Nothing was more important than her safety. Not even their relationship.

Redemption: Steven’s Salvation

Chapter Eight

Samantha stumbled into the diner with one thought on her mind: coffee. If she was going to survive eight hours of work today, she needed fuel, and she needed it now. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been getting much sleep the last few nights, and it was really starting to wreak havoc during the daylight hours. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t little Miss Mary Sunshine. Finally decided to show up at work and lord it over the rest of us peons that you’re the boss.” Samantha glared at Nichelle, refusing to respond. It was only nine o’clock, for God’s sake. She needed coffee before she could come back with a witty comment, because right now all she could come up with was “Oh, yeah.” Samantha walked behind the counter, grabbed a cup, and headed to the coffeepot in the corner. “I guess some people are just too good to talk to the help.” Nichelle flounced away, ticked that Samantha wasn’t rising to the bait. Cory, coming in from the kitchen, lit up when she saw Samantha standing there finishing off her first cup of coffee. “Oh, I’m so glad to see you. I have some great news.” “Thank God. I could use some great news. What’s up?”

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“Well, you know how you’ve been wanting to hire another waitress for the evening shifts. I think I found someone who would be perfect. Lily Weller is really interested in the job, and she can come in for an interview whenever you want.” Steven’s little sister, Lily, wanted to work for her? Now that was surprising. She wondered how Cory knew that Lily was interested in a job. Samantha hadn’t had time to advertise for it. “Does she have waitressing experience?” “Yep, she works nights at Joe’s Bar and Grill right now, but she’s looking to find something else. “How did she know we were looking for a waitress?” “I ran into her and happened to mention it.” Cory looked down, and Samantha knew she was hiding something. It was just too damn early in the morning to delve too deeply into it, and they did need a waitress. Despite the little voice warning her not to fall for it, she caved. “Okay, call her up and tell her to come on in for an interview.” “Great. Thanks, Samantha.” Cory impulsively hugged her before heading back into the kitchen to make the phone call. “It’s just an interview,” she called to Cory’s retreating back. Hell, why do I even

bother? she thought as the door swung closed. Pouring a second cup of coffee, Samantha headed back to her office to go over the inventory reports. Walking up to her office door, which was slightly ajar, she overheard Cory talking on the phone. “It will be great. This will work out perfectly. I can’t wait. Okay, see you soon. Bye.” Yep, there was definitely something going on there. Cory glanced up guiltily when she saw Samantha standing in the doorway and put on a huge fake smile. “She’s coming down this morning. She’ll be here soon.”

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Samantha shook her head; it was still too damn early. “Okay, fine. Let me know when she gets here. I’ve got paperwork to do.” Cory hopped off the desk, blowing a kiss at her sister as she bounced out into the kitchen. Samantha watched her leave with a slight smile on her face, wondering if she had ever been that exuberant. Working straight for the next hour, she plowed through a huge stack of paperwork that had piled up over the past couple of weeks. Working like this helped keep her mind off what she was trying to avoid. Namely, deciding what to do about Aaron and Steven. The worst part was, she had practically decided she needed to talk to Aaron anyway about their relationship because she knew she would never be happy married to a man she didn’t love. On the other hand, she didn’t want to jump at Steven’s every command, and she knew if she broke up with Aaron, Steven would interpret it that way. To top it off, she still had the anonymous asshole to deal with. Although, maybe not. She hadn’t heard from him since the note on her desk the other night. The night she had let Steven fuck her to a mindblowing orgasm. Inventory reports. Think of inventory reports. Samantha knew she had to stop obsessing about their great sex. It still didn’t mean they were meant to be together. “Samantha, Lily’s here. I didn’t know if I should bring her back or what, so she’s sitting out at the counter.” Thank God, a reprieve from her traitorous thoughts. She almost cheered. “I’ll come out. Thanks, Cory.” Samantha followed Cory out of the office, through the kitchen, and out to the front of the diner. “Hi, Lily, glad you could come in on such short notice.” Samantha didn’t miss the quick glance between the girls before Lily shook her hand and smiled. “Thanks for seeing me. I really appreciate the opportunity.” “Why don’t we go back to my office, and we can talk.”

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Once back in her office, Samantha got right to the point. “So, why do you want to work for us?” “Cory told me the salary and tips are good.” “I’m sure our salary is comparable to Joe’s, but the tips are probably better there.” “Cory said you’re a good boss to work for.” Lily was looking nervous now. “Let’s cut to the chase, Lily. You went to college, and you’re working waitressing jobs. Are you going to quit when something better comes along?” Lily sat straight up, her spine like a steel rod. Good, she’s got some gumption, Samantha thought. “The reason I’m waitressing is because it’s hard to find a job in River Bend with a degree in art history. And I’ve worked at Joe’s for three years. The only reason I’m looking for something new is because Joe is retiring and left the business to his son. I don’t want to work for him.” Samantha knew Joe’s son had a reputation of being a bit of a ladies’ man and figured he must have hit on Lily. “Good, at least you’re telling me the truth now. I have evening shift open, and you’ll have to work either Friday or Saturday night, but if you’re interested, I think you’ve found yourself a new job.” “Really? That’s great! Evenings are wonderful. Thanks so much!” Lily’s enthusiasm was contagious, and Samantha smiled in spite of herself. She had always liked Lily, even as a little girl, and it made her feel good she was doing something for Ste-- Lily, she was doing it for Lily. “So, when can you start?” “I already told Joe I was looking, so I can start this weekend.”

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“Great. I have a packet of paperwork you can take home and start working on. I’ll have to have all of it completed before you can start. Let’s go talk with Cory and get you on the schedule.” Handing her the packet, Samantha ushered her out of the office. Walking through the kitchen and into the diner, Samantha skidded to a halt at the sight before her. Aaron was sitting at a booth, and Nichelle was leaning over, shoving her tits into his face, laughing at something he had just said. The only problem was, she wasn’t jealous, just pissed at Nichelle for screwing around. Cory was running her ass off, and Nichelle was ignoring the customers -- at least most of them. Something just wasn’t right about that. She should care, but she just felt annoyed. Walking over to the booth, Samantha tapped Nichelle on the shoulder. “Did you forget something?” Nichelle at least had the dignity to look ashamed. “You were interviewing Lily. I didn’t want to disturb you.” “I meant your customers. Get back to work.” Nichelle’s smart-ass look returned. “Yes, ma’am.” She flounced off, rolling her eyes. Aaron smiled up at Samantha. “Now don’t be jealous, honey. She was just being friendly.” Yeah, jealous, that’s what it was. “I need to take care of something. I’ll be right back.” Quickly grabbing Cory, Samantha sent her over to where Lily was still standing at the counter and asked her to get Lily on the schedule. Walking back over to the booth where Aaron was sitting, Samantha felt she was walking to her execution. Aaron was gorgeous, a tall, dark-skinned man with a toned, athletic body, and she had no desire to be with him. Sitting down across from him, Samantha realized she had no idea what she was going to do or say. Luckily, Aaron didn’t have that problem. “So, honey, aren’t you surprised? I came to visit.”

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“Yeah, I really am surprised. I thought you had some big event you couldn’t get away from.” “Well, that’s kinda why I’m here. I thought I could convince you in person.” “Aaron, we talked about this. I told you I was busy working.” “You just hired someone. You should be free now.” Samantha looked around the diner. She really didn’t want to have this conversation here. But she didn’t want to go back to her office with Aaron, either. As if her thoughts conjured his words, Aaron said, “Why don’t we go back to your office and discuss this further?” Aaron stroked her hand suggestively. From his sexy, lowered tone, Samantha knew he was hoping to convince her with kisses and God-only-knew what else. She didn’t think she could handle that right now, especially not in the location of her tryst with Steven. Once again, her thoughts became fact and Steven walked into the diner. Fortunately, he didn’t notice her right away because he immediately saw Lily and Cory sitting at the counter. “Hey, peanut. Just the person I was hoping to see. I need to talk to you.” Lily looked surprised at Steven’s words. Samantha knew there had been some discord between them since their father’s arrest. “I wanted to talk to you, too,” Lily admitted with a guilty look on her face. “I know. I got your message. And I called your apartment.” At Steven’s words, Lily’s face lost all its color. Samantha wondered what was going on. “Hey, honey, I’m over here.” Aaron looked annoyed, and Samantha realized she had been ignoring him to eavesdrop on Steven and Lily’s conversation. Of course Aaron’s words caught Steven’s attention. Samantha could see his eyes narrowing as he stared in their direction.

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“We’ll talk later,” Steven promised Lily and stalked over to the booth where Samantha was sitting with Aaron. “I need to talk to you.” Steven looked pissed off, and Samantha was desperate to get him far away from Aaron. “Steven. Still hanging around, I see.” Aaron smiled snidely, placing his hand over her clenched fist. The angry look on Steven’s face turned to murderous rage. Samantha moved her hand quickly from under Aaron’s as Steven took a step forward. “Uh, let me take care of this. I’ll be right back.” Samantha jumped up and practically shoved Steven through the kitchen and back to her office. “Only five days left,” Steven stated emphatically. “What are you doing here?” And why was she so happy to see him? “What you are doing with that guy?” “That guy? That guy is my fiancé.” Why the hell hadn’t she remembered that when she moved her hand like a guilty little schoolgirl or, better yet, last night when she was coming on the phone? Steven shook his head. “I need to talk to you about the private investigator I hired.” “I already told you I didn’t want you to do that.” “And I told you I didn’t care. Now are you going to listen to me about what he found?” “What do you mean, what he found?” “He swiped a box someone left on your doorstop.” “He stole my mail?” What the hell, as if she didn’t have enough problems without someone stealing her mail. “This wasn’t mail delivered by the federal government. According to him, someone just pulled up in a truck and dropped it off.” “What was it?” Samantha asked with trepidation.

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“A note and a used condom.” Steven looked around the office pointedly. Blanching, Samantha brought her hand up to her chest. This was getting out of hand. “Oh God, what did the note say?” Samantha’s voice shook with fear. “It doesn’t matter. Who does your cleaning?” “What did the note say, damn it?” Samantha kept her voice lowered, but forceful. She wasn’t going to hide from this, no matter how easy Steven would have made it for her to do just that. “‘Whore,’ okay? Now who does your cleaning?” Dropping into a chair, Samantha realized she was shaking. Covering her face with her hands, she tried to regulate her breathing. Even though she was scared, knowing Steven was there was a comfort to her. And that confused the hell out of her because she should have been leaning on Aaron, not Steven. Seeing her distress, Steven dropped to his knees and gathered her into his arms. “It’ll be okay, baby, I promise. I’ll protect you. The bastard won’t get anywhere near you.” He kissed her temple and stroked her hair softly while she sat stoically in his arms. It was exactly what she wanted to hear, from exactly the right person, but it was the wrong time. Like it always seemed to be with them. Things were always so good with them in the bedroom; it was every other room where they seemed to have problems. Pushing him back, Samantha tried to scoot away, but Steven grabbed on to the arms of the chair and stopped her. “I’m here, Sammy.” “I can handle this on my own.” Her voice was as shaky as her hands were, but she was trying to stay firm. The last thing she needed was to depend on Steven, only to be disappointed again. His grip tightened, and he pulled the chair closer to him, pushing her legs around his waist. “I’m here for you,” he repeated firmly. “I’m here, Sammy. Look at me, baby. I’m here.”

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“For how long?” The anger in her voice shocked her, but not as much as Steven’s answer. “Forever.” Moving in to him, Samantha melted into his arms, feeling safer then she had in weeks. She’d never thought she would be one of those pansy wussy girls, but right now if Steven offered to carry her up a grand staircase, she would happily swoon. The comfort soon turned to something more as Steven began to nuzzle her neck, kissing her lightly on her tender skin. As he kissed her, his hands explored her body as if he were blind and needed to learn through touch. As she parted her lips to allow his tongue entry, she expelled a moan of pent-up frustration, her lips moving against his as she sucked him into her hungry mouth. She knew it was wrong to give in to him like this, but she no longer had the willpower to continue to fight him or herself. Regardless of whether she would ever admit it to another living soul, she still loved Steven. She ran her fingers through his hair, enjoying the feel of his mouth on hers and his hands exploring her body. She could have stayed like that forever, lost in his embrace. But just as they began to melt into one another’s arms, a sharp knock on her office door broke them apart. “Son of a bitch,” Steven muttered, jumping away from her. Facing the wall, his tense body showed not only his anger at being interrupted, but also his arousal. Samantha couldn’t have said things better herself. She didn’t know if she was more upset at being interrupted, or that she had let things go so far so fast -- with Aaron outside, no less. She was losing it, and fast. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and smoothed her damp palms against her pants legs. Trying to calm her racing heart, she walked over to the door and opened it. Cory smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry to disturb you. Aaron received a phone call, and he’s asking to talk to you.”

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Samantha turned to face an angry Steven. “I’ve gotta go.” Steven walked toward her, frowning. “We need to finish this conversation.” “I can’t talk now.” “We’ll finish this later.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement, and she knew it. Steven walked out of her office more pissed off than when he’d come in. I don’t have time for the breakdown I deserve, Samantha thought as she followed him back into the diner, where she saw Aaron putting his coat on. “Sorry, honey, I got a phone call. I need to head back to Cincinnati. Are you going to come with me? I could take a quick detour so you can pack a bag. Or you could just go the way you are,” he teased suggestively, taking her hands in his. “I’m sorry, Aaron, I just can’t.” Looking aggravated, Aaron dropped her hands and shoved his fingers into his leather gloves. “Fine, but we’re going to have to deal with this.” Aaron leaned down to kiss her, but Samantha abruptly turned her head so the kiss landed on her cheek. “I’m at work.” Her excuse sounded lame, even to her. “Right.” Aaron turned and walked out of the diner without saying another word. Things were going from bad to worse, she thought, leaning against the table. Fucking Murphy’s Law. Standing up, Samantha turned and saw Steven staring hard at her before he also stalked out of the diner. Great. Now she had two men who wanted to “have a talk” with her and who she wanted to avoid like the plague. And to think of all the nights she’d sat at home alone ...

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Chapter Nine

Steven leaned back against Sammy’s car, waiting for her to close up the diner. Of course, she didn’t know he was waiting for her. Damn, he was turning into the stalker Ron had accused him of being. He had been steaming since he’d left the diner earlier in the day. Seeing Sammy with Aaron had set his blood boiling. Then when she broke down in the office, it had just about broken his heart. He straightened up as he noticed Sammy locking up the front door. But instead of turning toward the parking lot, she headed across the square. Damn it, where the hell was she going? Some wacko was terrorizing her, and she decided to take a stroll through the park at night. Steven decided he needed to protect her from herself and headed out to follow her. By the time he caught up with her, he realized she was making the night deposit at the bank. “Does stupidity run in your family, or did you learn this all on your own?” Sammy squeaked and jumped, spinning around at his question. “Damn it, Steven, you scared ten years off of my life.” “What the fuck do you think you did to me when you decided to take a jaunt through the park? There’s a psycho after you. Or did you forget?”

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“How can I forget when he’s standing right in front of me?” “I’m not kidding, Sammy.” “Do you see me laughing?” She pushed past him and headed back across the square. He grabbed her just as she reached the gazebo, pulling her to a halt. “I am not in the mood for your caveman tactics right now. What are you doing following me? I thought you hired super-PI for that?” Looking down into her face, Steven saw her weariness reflected on her face. If she would only open up and accept his help, she wouldn’t be alone. He recognized most of his anger was worry for her safety. He decided to try a different tactic. “I told you back in the diner I would protect you. I also told you we needed to finish our conversation. Come on.” He pulled her up the gazebo steps, into the semi-shelter from the night. Pulling away from him, Sammy walked across the gazebo to the other side. Steven’s anger abated as he watched her stand in the window, the faint light from the streetlamps dancing across her dark skin. No matter how infuriated she made him, he just couldn’t stay away from her. Maybe she was right; maybe he had turned into a stalker. Walking up behind her, he put his hands on either side of the opening, effectively caging her within his arms. “Don’t,” she said softly, but her body and her actions betrayed her words. Steven moved so there was space between them if she wanted to move, but she didn’t. It was almost like she felt the need to protest, even if her heart wasn’t in it. Leaning in close to her ear, he whispered, “Do you remember that last Fourth of July before I went away to college?” She drew in a shaky breath before answering. “Yes.” “After the fireworks and dancing, when all the town had gone home, we decided to make our own fireworks and do our own dance.” Steven buried his face in her neck, absorbing the scent that was Sammy, fresh and clean, but with a hint of spicy musk underneath.

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“I just wonder ...” He started, before moving his hands to her hips and pulling her up against his raging erection. “What?” she asked raggedly. Steven laughed to himself when he realized that instead of pulling away, she had leaned back into him. “Well, if I were to open that coat and pull up your shirt, what would I find?” “Steven,” she protested lightly, but without much conviction. Slipping inside her coat, his hands drifted up to her stomach, resting lightly below her breasts. “I bet your nipples would be rock-hard little points just aching to be touched.” Sammy moaned and breathed deeply, pushing her breasts out slightly, before sagging back against him. Steven chuckled before continuing his verbal foreplay. “And what if I unbuttoned and unzipped those pants ...” His hands drifted to the front of her khakis, lightly stroking the cloth covering her mound. “... and slipped my hands inside. Just what might I find?” His fingers slid between her legs as she pressed against his hand, silently begging for a firmer touch. “Would you be dewy for me, Sammy? I bet you’d soak my hand you’d be so wet.” She groaned as his hand brushed her clit through the cloth, before dancing away. “Stop teasing me,” she begged. “Tell me,” he ordered. “Tell me what you want.” “You. I want you.” “And what do you want from me?” She turned her head, looking at him before replying. “I want you to fuck me. I want you to fill me up.” Her words were like a match to the flame he had been teasing her with. He captured her mouth in a kiss, thrusting his tongue between her lips to duel with her own. Breaking the kiss, he whispered against her lips, “I’ve been waiting to hear you say those words.”

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Tugging her T-shirt out from the waistband of her pants, he stroked his hands across the warm, satiny skin of her stomach. Reaching up between her breasts, he unsnapped her bra, releasing her breasts into his willing hands. Cupping the warm mounds, he flicked his thumbs over the blood-engorged tips before pinching them lightly. “I must be psychic,” he teased, reminding her of his earlier predictions. As he gently rolled her nipples between his fingers, Sammy groaned, arching back against him and shoving her breasts out, demanding his attention. “Let’s see if I can hit the jackpot.” Opening her pants, he slipped his hands inside, parting her drenched folds, gliding his tapered fingers into her hot center before moving up to rub her aching clit. “Oh, yeah, totally soaked.” Sammy whimpered with her need, and Steven was ready to give into her demands. He wanted to be in her body just as much as she wanted him there. Looking at her hands clenched on the railing, he realized there was just one thing he had to do. Reaching up, he grasped her hand and tugged the engagement ring off before dropping it in his coat pocket. “Do you still like to do it outside?” He pulled her around to face him. “Do you still get a kick out of the possibility of getting caught?” “I’m a little more mature than I used to be, Steven.” “You are such a little liar. Just ’cause you haven’t done it lately doesn’t mean you don’t still love the thrill. It’s just like riding a roller coaster. You’re scared, but you keep getting back in line.” “Just shut up and fuck me,” she commanded. Pulling his coat off, he spread it out on the floor of the gazebo and gently tugged Sammy down to her knees. Laying her down on the coat, he tugged her pants down to her knees before pushing them off her body. “Don’t want you to get too cold,” Pushing her shirt up, Steven exposed her breasts. His breath caught at the sight of her exposed skin, and he ached with the need to taste her. Covering her nipple with his mouth,

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he rolled it around on his tongue, sucking at the hardened little nub. It tasted like a candy, semi-sweet dark chocolate. Biting down gently, he laved the nipple before transferring his attention to her other breast, offering it the same attention. His hands smoothed down her waist to her hips before delving between her legs. Stroking two fingers into her pussy, he began fucking her feverishly with his hand while caressing his thumb across her clit. Sammy was so tight, the silken walls of her vagina squeezed his two fingers like a vise. Her clit must have been supersensitive, because every time he stroked across the hardened little nub, her body bucked against his hand like she had been shot through with electricity. “Oh, God, Steven!” she cried out, arching up into his hand and pressing her heels against the floor. He quickly pulled his hand back, denying Sammy her orgasm. Swiftly unfastening his own pants, he pushed them off his hips. She grasped his cock in her warm hands, pulling him toward her impatiently. “Don’t worry, baby. I’m done teasing.” Positioning his cock at the entrance to her pussy, he pushed forward. There was that moment of pressure, and then her internal muscles gave way and she enveloped him with her heat. It was a cold fall evening, and Steven felt like he was sitting on the beach at noon on the Fourth of July. “God, yes, fuck me, Steven. Fuck me hard,” Sammy begged. He had no problem taking orders like that. Pulling back until he was barely inside, he thrust forward. Quickening his pace, he fucked Sammy furiously. He wanted her to forget everyone but him. He watched her thrusting back against him, giving as good as she got. She angled her hips so he was scraping against her clit on every downstroke and squeezed her vaginal muscles until he thought he might explode right then. Not that she was doing much better controlling herself. Her body was flushed, and she trembled with her need to climax.

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“Baby, come hard, now,” he ordered. Crying out, she sobbed his name, and the sound of it seared his soul. She knew who was fucking her to this blazing orgasm. Her clenching muscles set off his own orgasm, and he thrust forward one last time, shouting out his satisfaction as he flooded her with his come. Exhausted, he collapsed against her, pressing her hard against the floor of the gazebo. Suddenly they both froze at the sound of footsteps. Sammy started to push Steven off of her, but he clasped his hand over her mouth and signaled she should stay quiet. A man walked by the gazebo, swinging his head back and forth as if he was looking for something, or someone. Steven pressed her further back into the shadows, praying the guy wouldn’t turn their way. He knew she would never forgive him if they got caught. The guy finally got to the other end of the square and moved out of Steven’s sight. Waiting another five minutes to ensure the stranger had left, Steven finally moved his hand, although he stayed firmly seated in Sammy’s pussy. Lying there with her, he felt so comfortable, even though they were lying outside. Being with Sammy felt so natural for him. So natural, in fact, he had not even thought about protection. “Do you realize I didn’t use a condom?” Steven asked casually. Personally, he was thrilled, and the male in him wanted to cry out that he had left his mark on her. On the other hand, she looked horrified. “Steven, how could you?” “Sammy, I never can control myself when I’m around you. You make me crazy, and I lose my head. I can’t think straight.” Ignoring him, she pushed against him as she again tried to dislodge him from her body. Irritated, he pulled out of her before rolling off her and pulling up his pants. Before he could even help her up, she had pulled on her pants, pulled down her shirt, and started to get up. Grabbing her arm, Steven pulled her face down to his.

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“Look, don’t get all mad at me. You wanted me just as much as I wanted you. Hell, you were begging for it. Your mouth crying ‘fuck me, Steven, fuck me.’ Your pussy pulsing around me. Your arms holding me tight. Before you start pointing fingers, how about you take a good look at yourself?” He let her go, and Sammy sat back, a stunned look on her face. Steven stood up and helped her to her feet before picking his coat up off the floor. She didn’t stay stunned for long, pulling away from him as soon as she had straightened her clothes. “Look, I may have lost my head for a bit, but I was never looking to make this kind of mistake.” After her words, she turned and started walking away. Steven was pissed off. He knew she had a thing about always getting in the last word, but he wasn’t going to let her get away with it this time. He grabbed her arm before she could leave the gazebo, spinning her around. “This was no mistake, and if you look in your heart, you’ll realize that. And I am not going to keep letting you put yourself in danger.” Completely ignoring his first comment, she sneered at him. “I can take care of myself.” She tried to pull out of his grasp. “Besides, aren’t you just as guilty of putting me in danger? I mean, come on, here we are fucking each other in the middle of the park at midnight. How safe was that?” Damn it. She was right. But hadn’t he just told her that he always lost his head around her? He would see her crinkle her big brown eyes at him or flash that brilliant smile, and whatever brains he had would be a memory. But he didn’t want to keep arguing with her. “I’m walking you back to your car.” He released her arm and gestured for her to proceed in front of him. Rolling her eyes, she took off across the square with Steven right behind her. They walked back across the square in silence, not touching one another. It was a nowin situation with her. The more he pushed, the harder she pushed back, and it was leading them absolutely nowhere. He knew Sammy cared for him. But no matter how many times

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they made love, they always seemed to end up back at square one. Except now he had her in his system again. And he didn’t think he would ever be able to get her out. Reaching her car, he rummaged in her coat pocket for her car keys. Sammy got in the car, and Steven leaned down to hand her the keys. “It’s time you made a decision.” She looked up at him with a puzzled look on her face. “What do you mean?” “You said you wanted me back there in the gazebo. You need to decide if you want me even when we aren’t in the middle of sex. I’m tired of playing these games.” Slamming the door, he stood in the parking lot, watching as Sammy started the car and then drove away. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he felt her engagement ring. Smiling, he realized she’d left without it.

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Chapter Ten

This was turning out to be one of those days even Calgon couldn’t take away, Sammy thought as she leaned against the closing office door. Tired and sore, she made her way across the small room and eased into her office chair. The noise echoing in her head was just one of the many things wrong with her day, and as she closed her eyes, she prayed the solarpowered drums rum-a-tum-tumming in her head would stop their continuous pounding. She’d hardly had her eyes closed for a minute before her door was pushed opened. “What?” she harped, refusing to open her eyes; even God took a day off. “I think we have a problem.” I’m not going to scream. I’m not going to scream. The words echoed in her head, amazingly drowning out the thumping of the drums. Every day it seemed as if it was something. If it wasn’t the diner, it was her family; or if it wasn’t her family, it was Aaron; and if it wasn’t Aaron, it was Steven. Her eyes opened when she said his name in her head. Steven, with his endless pursuing, untiring hounding, and relentless chasing, had not called her in three days. It was what she had said she wanted, what she had thought she wanted, until her wish had come true. Now she was even more confused than usual.

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“Is it something, oh, let’s say, you might be able to handle?” Nichelle’s huff was as good an answer as anything. Samantha sighed and looked at her sister. She was so not in the mood for the drama today. “What?” The wary tone in her voice caused Nichelle’s attitude to dim. The defensive posture she always seemed to assume when near Samantha dropped as worry clouded her dark brown eyes. “What’s wrong with you?” The harsh words were made lighter by the worried frown marring Nichelle’s brow. “Nothing some aspirin, my bed, and a cup of Mama’s chicken-and-rice soup couldn’t fix.” The sisters shared a sad, wistful smile at the mention of their mother, whose passing had left a hole in all of their lives. “That woman could cure the world with one bowl.” Nichelle sat down across from Samantha. “Right now I could use a double dose.” “Do you want to talk about it?” The surprise Samantha felt must have shown on her face because Nichelle gave a sheepish smile and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m in a listening mood; you better take me up on it before I forget myself.” Samantha smiled. Even when Nichelle was trying to be nice, it came out rough, but that was just how she was. Right, wrong, or indifferent, they might all drive each other up the wall, but they were blood. “I really miss Mama. She had a way of making me see things I didn’t want to see.” Samantha could feel herself misting up, and she fought hard to hold back her emotions. It wouldn’t do her a lick of good to get so upset. “What aren’t you seeing?” Concern clouded Nichelle’s eyes as she reached over the desk for Samantha’s hand.

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It was a gesture Samantha hadn’t seen in a while, and it comforted her more than she thought possible. “I’m messing up my life.” “Aaron?” “You think?” Her sarcastic response came out a lot more desperate than she meant it to. “Why are you with him?” Nichelle shook her head in confusion. “I mean, the brother’s fine and all that, but he’s a bit pompous, even for me. And a fool could see you’re still in love with Steven.” “Aaron and Steven have nothing to do with each other.” Nichelle rolled her eyes and sat back in the chair. “Girl, please. Steven acts like he’s a dog and you’re a tree. He’s completely marked his territory, and you’re the only one who doesn’t smell it.” “Thank you for that incredibly disgusting analogy.” “Hey, I call it like I see it. He loves you; you love him. What’s the problem?” “Sometimes love isn’t enough.” “Bullshit!” Shocked, Samantha looked over at Nichelle in amazement. “What do you mean, bullshit?” “Do you think it’s just supposed to be easy? That you fall in love and then you live happily ever after?” “Yes. Yes, I do.” Was it too much too ask? “You’re dreaming.” Nichelle stood up, haughty attitude back in place. “Love is about fighting. Fighting for what you love and who you love. It’s not easy. It’s not perfect, and it’s worth it.” “And you know this because ...”

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“Because for the last eleven years, I’ve watched you light up when that boy enters a room. I’ve heard you cry when things have gone bad, and I’ve seen you happier than I’ve ever seen anyone else when you two are together.” “I just don’t think love is supposed to be this hard.” “Of course it is.” Nichelle smiled. “If it wasn’t so damn hard, it wouldn’t be worth it.” Samantha watched her sister walk out, surprised at the turn of events. Not only had Nichelle been nice, she had been correct. Correct about a lot of things Samantha hadn’t wanted to see for a really long time. It was time she grew up and did what she should have done a long time ago.

***** “Operation Uniting Steven and Samantha” wasn’t going as smoothly as she and Cory had thought it would. Counting silverware and taking orders from Nasty Nichelle wasn’t exactly going to smooth the road of romance for them, but it was the only thing Lily could think of. She had thought that if she was able to spend some time with Samantha, she might be able to get some good points in for her brother. But the beast hadn’t even showed up in the past few days, and from the way Samantha was stomping around the place, Lily sincerely doubted he had called her. So not only was she the worst matchmaker in the world, she was also stuck pushing the blue-plate special to every plaid-wearing yokel in town. And she’d thought serving beers was bad -- at least at the bar, the alcohol loosened up wallets and she made decent tips. Here she had to work ten times as hard for half the pay. If Steven and Samantha didn’t get back together soon, she was going to go broke. “Should I wait to be seated or just sit anywhere?” The voice above her startled Lily, almost prompting her to fall backwards, but she caught herself in time and grabbed hold of the cart. The dishes made a loud clanging noise, and everyone in the diner turned in her

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direction. Heat rose up and flushed her skin. She felt like an idiot. Standing, she turned and faced the person who had spoken, and almost swallowed her tongue. It was Marc Gossnor. Lily hadn’t seen Marc in years, but she would have recognized him anywhere. The past twelve years hadn’t changed him much, except for making him broader and more intenselooking, if that was possible. Gone were the raggedy clothes and unevenly cut hair. In their place was a stylish man who looked as out of place as the poor boy he used to be, but now for a completely different reason. His family had been poorer than hers, if that was humanly possible, and when his dad died, they had practically been run out of town. Lily had ached for him and for what was done to his family, but more importantly, she had hurt for herself. Even at the young age of eleven, she had known that there was something special about Marc, even if he didn’t know it himself. “I’ll seat you,” she fumbled out after realizing that while she was appraising him, he was still waiting for an answer. Amusement lurked behind his wire-framed glasses, and he waved her in front of him, gentlemanlike, with a cool smile. Lily straightened her back and walked as carefully as she could in front of him. She didn’t want to trip or do anything else stupid. Pasting a smile on her face, she raised her pen above her pad and asked with a smile, “Can I start you off with a drink?” “A cappuccino, if you have it.” He glanced at the nametag pinned across her breast before returning his gaze to her face. Nodding her head, she scrambled away, trying to get her nerves under control. By the way he’d glanced at her nametag, Lily was willing to bet he didn’t remember her, not that there was a reason he should have. She had been just a kid when he left, but he had definitely made an impression on her then. “Who’s that?” Nichelle jerked her head toward Marc.

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Lily didn’t want to answer her. She didn’t know if Nichelle would remember Marc, and after the way he and his family left town, she thought for his sake it would be for the best. “Don’t know. He didn’t say.” “Why don’t I take his table?” The sly grin on her face put Lily on edge. There was no way in hell she was letting Nichelle within an inch of Marc. Boss or no boss, Marc was hers. “I got it,” she replied, fixing the drink. “I don’t mind.” Lily turned her head and shot Nichelle a cool look. “But I do.” “Excuse me.” “As if I could,” Lily mumbled under her breath, walking away from her. The coffee cup jiggled in her hand as she headed back to his table. Lily couldn’t understand why she was so nervous, but she felt like she was going to throw up any second now. When she reached his table, Marc looked up from the menu he had been perusing and stared at her with an intense, unwavering stare. “Here you go.” Her voice was steadier than her nerves. “Thank you.” Looking around the diner, he ran his eyes over every customer and every item, taking it all in. “Does everything look the same to you?” The question was out before she realized she had asked it. His green eyes meet hers, and there was hint of surprise before he quickly masked it with indifference. “I didn’t know you recognized me, Lily.” The way he said her name seemed more intimate than the moment called for. For a second she was distracted by the familiarity he used when he spoke, too distracted to instantly recognize that he remembered her. “You’re kind of a hard guy to forget.” She wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. Normally it was her body she was clumsy with, not so much her words. But since the

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moment he’d sat down, she had been stumbling over every thought that entered her head. “What are you doing back?” Marc raised the steaming drink to his mouth and blew softly on the brew before taking a sip. “Having a cappuccino.” A quick grin came to Lily lips, causing him to smile in return. “Besides that?” “Looking at a pretty girl.” The grin spread, and she felt a soft burn come to her face. It had been a long time since she’d blushed. “Came all the way back to River Bend for a watered-down drink and an average girl.” “Don’t sell yourself short, Lily.” Tipping the drink to her, he added, “You make a hell of a cappuccino.” “I’ll keep that in mind.” The doorbell rang as someone new entered, reminding Lily that she was on the clock. “Would you like anything else?” “I would like for you to take your hair down.” Lily looked up from the pad and smiled, expecting him to be smiling as well, but she was wrong. There was a serious look in his eyes, and although his voice had remained pleasant, there was no mistaking that he wasn’t joking. She moved her hand up to the back of her blond hair and touched the bun softly. Her hair wasn’t her crowning glory by any means, just something she grew out mainly because of laziness and lack of funds, nothing to garner his attention in the least. But the way Marc was looking at it made her want to take it out of the bun and shake her head like a cheesy actress in a shampoo commercial. “I can’t,” she stammered, shocked she was even considering it. “Health code and all that jazz.” He eyed her tresses a second longer before replying, “Pity.” His words angered her, or more like the tone of dismissal that accompanied his words. Lily narrowed her eyes and asked through clenched teeth, “Will that be all?”

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The smile was back in his eyes, as if her annoyance amused him. “Yes.” Scribbling his bill on her tablet, she snatched the paper off and slapped it down in front of him. His voice stopped her as she turned to walk away. “Are you off soon?” Surprised by his question, Lily turned back to him. Marc had stood and was reaching inside his coat pocket for his wallet. “Yes.” “Good.” Dropping a twenty on the table, he eased out of the booth and came to stand next to her. Lily’s heart quickened as he looked down at her. It was almost like he could see inside her very mind. Marc leaned forward and lifted his hand to her hair. For a moment Lily was worried he was going to try to undo her bun, but he didn’t. In fact, he didn’t even touch her hair, just raised his hand to it and then stopped. Her eyes widened as he brought his hand back to his side, brushing her lightly on the arm. Lily’s nipples tightened in response, and she fought the need to cover herself. “There’s no health code out there.” He nodded in the direction of outside. Not knowing what to make of that comment, Lily simply said nothing and watched as he exited the diner. “What was that all about?” questioned Nichelle, coming up from behind her. “I have absolutely no idea,” Lily admitted, feeling slightly in a daze. Marc was more potent than he had been as a teenager, and he still had the same effect on her. He came, he saw, he conquered, all within a span of fifteen minutes. Shaking her head, Lily had to admit he was good. “At least you got the good-looking one instead of the loony.” Nichelle gestured toward the booth in the back corner.

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Lily glanced over quickly and saw a middle-aged man with bushy gray hair. “So what’s loony about him?” Lily whispered, worried about being overheard. “It’s his eyes. You can’t see it from here, but he’s checking everything out. Makes me feel all creepy.” “I’ve never seen him around town, have you?” “No, and that’s what makes it even weirder.” The doorbell jingled, announcing new customers, and Lily and Nichelle headed back to work.

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Chapter Eleven

Steven was obsessing. He knew it, but he also knew he couldn’t stop. He wanted -- no, he needed -- to find out who was sending Sammy these hateful messages. And as much as he hated to admit it, his father was a viable suspect. Steven had always known his father was a racist bastard. Hell, it was one of the reasons he had left town right after high school. A vain attempt to protect Sammy from the shit his dad was always spouting. But he’d never thought his father was more than a stupid drunk who would try to hurt her with his words. His father had never physically abused his mother when they were growing up. But Mike had been very good with the verbal and mental abuse. It wasn’t until the incident with Evie and Logan that Steven realized what a violent man his father had become. Sighing heavily, he got out of his car and headed up the walk to Lily’s apartment. He shouldn’t have been surprised when he’d called Lily and Mike had answered the phone. He was just disappointed that Lily would allow herself to get sucked in by the bastard. Knocking on the door, he heard someone stumbling around and cursing. Mike was in his usual form, drunk before noon. The door swung open, and a bleary-eyed Mike squinted up at him. “What d’you want?”

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Steven pushed the door open and strode past Mike, who was blustering about ungrateful children. Steven turned on him with purpose. “Don’t even start with me, old man. I just have a couple of questions for you, and I’ll be out of here.” Mike snorted before flopping into the nearest chair and picking up a half-empty beer bottle. Taking a healthy swig, he gestured with the bottle, “So ask your questions and then get the fuck out.” “What have you been doing since you got out of jail?” Steven stood stiffly, staring at his father. He hadn’t seen him since that fateful day at his parents’ house when Mike had admitted to threatening Evie’s family. That day he had washed his hands of his father once and for all, and it was killing him to see his sister tied back up with the bastard. “What the fuck do you think I’ve been doing, going to tea parties?” Mike looked at him incredulously. “Why, you planning on helping me with my defense?” Steven ignored his comments. “I want to know if you have been anywhere around Samantha Turner?” “What, something been happening with your little brown sugar?” Mike asked snidely. Steven clenched his fists, but said and did nothing. It would be he hard for his father to talk with a busted lip, and that was the only thing keeping Steven off him. He knew from experience that his father loved to brag, especially when he was drunk. If he had anything to do with Sammy and the threatening notes, Mike would eventually incriminate himself. He had always been his own biggest downfall. “I heard she up and got herself engaged to some fancy basketball player. And since they don’t let white men play basketball anymore, you gotta figure he’s black. Guess you just didn’t measure up.” Mike began laughing at his own joke, and Steven had to mentally control himself from throttling his own father. It didn’t matter that his father was just trying to goad him; Mike’s words still bothered Steven. “Just answer the question.”

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“Oooh, don’t go all lawyer on me.” Mike grinned at him slyly. “How about we make a deal?” “No way. I don’t make deals with scumbags.” Steven was beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake coming here. It was accomplishing nothing, only further proving to him what a waste of life his father was. Mike struggled to get up, and Steven decided he’d had enough. Pushing Mike back into the seat, Steven leaned over him menacingly, bracing himself on the arms of the chair. “Look, I will not defend you, so you can forget about any deals. I just want to know if you’ve done anything to Sammy.” “I ain’t touched the bitch,” Mike spat. “But what do you care? She’s with her own fucking kind now. She ain’t yours no more.” Steven pushed himself away from Mike, putting some room and distance between them before he killed his father. “I don’t want you saying her name, looking her direction, breathing her air. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from her. Or there won’t be anything left for them to find.” “I’m not afraid of you, boy.” Mike’s bravado was sickening. “Then you’re more of an idiot then I thought.” He could barely believe that the man was his father. But fortunately for Mike, Steven believed that the man didn’t have anything to do with the letters. There was no evidence either way, just a feeling he got. Mike would have never been able to hold it in. His mouth always got him in trouble. Steven started to walk out of the apartment, but then stopped and turned back to his father. “And while we’re on the subject, why don’t you stay away from Lily and Mom, too? I suggest you find somewhere else to stay until your trial date.” “You can’t tell Lily what to do, Mr. High-and-Mighty. She’s a grown adult.” “Yeah, well, just consider this -- it might be healthier for you if you do what I say.” Steven spun on his heel and walked out the front door, slamming it behind him.

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This had turned out to be a wasted trip. He couldn’t decide if he was glad to discover Mike wasn’t involved, or upset to realize that if it wasn’t Mike, then there was still someone out there threatening Sammy. And, to top it off, he’d had to listen to Mike’s racist rhetoric. Although he tried not to think about it, his father’s words rolled around in his head. Was race one of the reasons Sammy had broken things off with him? Steven just couldn’t believe she would feel that way. It had never seemed to matter to either of them. But what if that was only on his side? Getting back into his car, he stared at Lily’s apartment, thinking about Mike and the things he had said, before finally starting the car and pulling away. Steven continued to brood about it all the way back to the office. Once there, he still couldn’t let the comments go. Picking up the phone, he called over to the diner. “Sammy’s Diner, this is Nichelle. Can I help you?” Steven could hear the busy lunch crowd in the background and started to rethink his idea of calling Sammy to hash this out with her. “Hello, is anyone there?” “Sorry, Nichelle, this is Steven. Is Sammy there?” A heavy sigh greeted his question. “What do you want, Steven?” “I want to talk to Sammy. Is there a problem?” Another heavy sigh. “No, no problem. Hold on.” Nichelle put the phone down, but Steven could still hear the lunch crowd in the background. He heard Nichelle call Sammy to the phone. “Hello?” Sammy sounded breathless and irritated. “What’s with your sister?” Steven knew he shouldn’t ask, but the question had come out before he could stop it. “Steven, is that you?” “Yes, it’s me.”

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“What’s going on?” “What’s up with Nichelle?” he questioned, annoyed. Not that Nichelle had ever been his biggest fan, but she’d seemed more bitchy then usual. “Please do not tell me you called to ask me about my sister. I so do not have time for this right now.” The irritation in her voice was ratcheting up. “No, I didn’t call to talk about your sister. I wanted to ask you something, but now I’m thinking this wasn’t such a good idea.” Like all of his ideas of late. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. Hold on a second.” Samantha put the phone on hold, and Steven was subjected to elevator music for a few minutes before she picked up again. He no longer heard the busy lunch crowd noise in the background and assumed that she had gone into her office to take the call. “Okay, so what’s this oh-so-important question that you had to call me in the middle of the day?” “Don’t get mad and take this the wrong way. Just answer me honestly.” Sammy interrupted him almost immediately. “If you even start with ‘what am I wearing,’ I swear to God I’m going to hang up.” Steven couldn’t help the smile that came to his face. She knew him too well. “Not this time, princess. I called about something else.” “Today, Steven.” “Did our break-up have anything to do with the fact that I’m white?” “What?” Sammy almost screeched, her voice so strident that he had to pull the phone away from his ear. Moving the receiver slowly back to his ear, he could hear her calling his name. “Steven, Steven, are you there?” “Yeah, I’m here.”

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“You better count your lucky stars you decided to call me and not come over here to ask me such a stupid question, because I might have had to embarrass you in front of the entire town by kicking your ass to kingdom come.” “So, I’m guessing that’s a no?” Tension that Steven hadn’t even been aware of slowly began to ease from his shoulders. A part of him, be it ever so small, had always wondered if that had meant anything to Sammy. They had never talked about it, naïve about the ways of the world when they were younger, and when they had gotten older, they were too busy fighting their own battles. “You’re damn right it’s a no.” Sammy sighed before continuing in a much softer tone. “Steven, we had a lot of problems in our relationship, but race was never one of them. At least, it was never a problem for me.” “It was never a problem for me, either,” Steven denied heatedly. Never once had it mattered to him, and he didn’t want her to think that it had. “I had a talk with my father today, and he said something that got me to thinking, that’s all.” “Your father? I can’t believe you would listen to anything that man had to say. He’s poison, Steven -- his heart, his body, and his mind. The best thing that any of you can do is to stay as far away from him as possible.” “I couldn’t agree more.” He muttered, ashamed that he’d allowed his father’s words to get to him. He should have known better. “Why were you even talking to him?” “I went to confront him to see if he had anything to do with sending you those letters.” He was now wondering if he could start this entire day over, because it seemed like nothing was going right. “Oh, my God! I can’t believe you decided to try confronting him by yourself. Are you crazy? The man is a maniac.” Gone was irritation, replaced instead by worry.

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“Nothing happened. There’s no reason to get all riled up.” Oh, yeah. This was definitely a do-over day. He was upset. Sammy was upset. It was just a win-win all the way around, he thought sarcastically “Steven Michael Weller, I am going to say this one time and one time only. I love you. White, black, or purple, it never mattered to me.” The words washed over him, and Steven wondered if she even realized that she had spoken in the present tense when she declared her love for him. “I love you, too, baby,” he responded, smiling as her words warmed his heart. There was silence on the other end of the phone for a minute, before he heard Sammy growling. “Are we done with this conversation?” she finally asked, shield firmly back in place. “Yes. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.” Steven said his goodbyes and then sat at his desk knowing he had a big, shit-eating grin on his face. Sammy had admitted to loving him. He was breaking her down.

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Chapter Twelve

She was an idiot. Samantha sat down in her office chair and cradled her head in her hands. How the hell had that slipped? It was bad enough she had just admitted to herself that she loved the numbskull. Why in the freaking world did she have to admit it to him?

Because you love him, her traitorous conscience reminded her. It was all Steven’s fault. Everything that went wrong in her life was Steven’s fault. It wasn’t true, but it made things so much easier when she could pretend that it was. Arrggh. She groaned, squeezing her eyes closed tight. I’m in love with an idiot, and the

idiot loves me back. Sitting up suddenly, Samantha reached for the phone, ready to make that final move that she’d been putting off for ten long months. Dialing Aaron’s number by heart, she took several calming breaths, trying to slow her pounding heart. She wasn’t one for confrontation, unless it was with Steven, and despite the distance and the use of the phone, she was so not looking forward to placing this call. The phone seem to ring for hours, and just as she was about to hang up, a harassed voice came over the line. “Hello.”

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Groaning, she sat back in her chair. Didn’t it just figure? The only other person besides Aaron that she didn’t want to talk to had answered the phone. “Hello, Theodore. May I speak to Aaron, please?” “Who’s this?” he taunted. Samantha damn well knew that he knew who she was. Theodore couldn’t stand her, and the feeling was more than mutual. “I’m sorry, Ted.” Samantha stressed his name, knowing that he hated to be called by the shorten version. “I thought you caught my voice.” “Oh, sorry, Samantha, I didn’t. What can I do you for?” Rolling her eyes, Samantha sat back in her seat. “You know, Ted, I could have sworn that I called Aaron’s phone.” “You did.” “Then logic should tell you that I want to speak to him.” Theodore let out a harsh chuckle. “Sorry, doll face, but he’s being ... detained at the moment by two very lovely fans. You know the way it is. Boy will be boys.” If Theodore thought he was going to hurt her, he had another think coming. First, she didn’t care, which said something about the state of her and Aaron’s relationship. And second, she didn’t believe him. Theodore had had it in for her from the moment they had first met, and she wouldn’t put anything past him. “Ted, let me ask you a question.” “What’s that?” The cockiness of his tone just set her nerves on edge. “How long do you think Aaron is going to let you drive from the back seat? One day, and hopefully soon, Aaron’s going to wake up and realize that you’re a sadistic little shit, with your hand up his ass, leading him around, and when he does, whose ass will you kiss then?” “Listen, you little bitch ...”

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“Tell my fiancé to call me back when he’s done entertaining his fans.” Slamming the phone down, Samantha swore aloud. She had let him get to her. Despite her better judgment, she had gotten into a pissing contest with him. And the worst part was that it was all for nothing. She wasn’t fighting for her respect or defending her oh-so-over relationship with Aaron; she was fighting with him out of sheer pettiness. It wasn’t like her, more like she had been channeling Nichelle or something. In the middle of her inner rant, her phone rang. She grabbed it and brought it to her ear. If it was Aaron, not only was she going to dump him, she was going to give him a piece of her mind. “What?” “Nichelle?” Samantha roared with laughter. That was exactly what she needed to bring her out of her sour mood. The fact that someone had mistaken her for her sister only proved how evil she was feeling. “Sorry about that. This is Samantha.” “Oh, you had me afraid for a second there. It’s Evelyn.” “Evelyn, how are you?” Samantha hadn’t talked to Evelyn in a while. Not since that nasty incident at her diner a couple of months ago. She hadn’t been much of a friend lately. “Better than you, I’d say.” The laughter in Evelyn’s voice only made Samantha smile wider. “Is my dear, sweet brother-in-law giving you hell?” “Ha, if life was only so simple. I can handle Steven.” “Yeah, that’s what I used to say about Logan. I finally had to marry the man to get him to shut up.” Samantha joined Evelyn in her laughter. Logan and Steven were a matched pair, both hotheaded men who loved their women. Shaking herself out of that train of thought, she got back to Evelyn and the phone call. “So, what’s up?” “Nothing much. Logan told me about what you were going through. I just wanted to call and check on you.”

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“I’m okay. I’m not too worried.” Okay, that was a bit of an understatement, but hey, no use worrying friends and family. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t take this too lightly if I were you.” Evelyn sounded concerned and worried. “Steven says he’s taking care of things, so I’m letting him handle it.” “Really, and what does Aaron think about it?” Aaron. Damn, she’d forgotten about him already. She really was quite pathetic sometimes. “Aaron, well, that’s a whole ’nother story.” “Oh, do tell. You know how much I love good gossip.” Samantha could almost picture Evelyn settling into her chair and propping her feet on the desk, awaiting the juicy tidbits. “I’m going to break off my engagement to Aaron.” Now that she had actually said it aloud, Samantha felt the weight of the world lift off her shoulders. “Woo-hoo,” Evelyn whooped into the phone. “Oh, wait, is this one of those you-can’ttell-anyone things?” “I’m afraid so, since I haven’t even told Aaron yet.” “Damn it, you take all the fun out of hearing good gossip. Okay, my lips are sealed.” “Sorry, but you know how it is.” Samantha knew that Evelyn would stick to her word and wouldn’t tell a soul, even Logan. “Okay, okay. Now I want to hear the good stuff. When did you realize you’d made a mistake and that you really loved Steven all along?” “You’re assuming an awful lot, aren’t you?” Samantha wasn’t sure she wanted the fact that she had made so many bad decisions out there for public consumption. “Shut up, girl. Everyone knows you’ve loved Steven forever. I am not surprised at all. I was more surprised when you came home engaged to Aaron.”

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“Well, you could have told me. I feel like an idiot. And I still don’t know what’s going to happen with Steven and me.” Samantha knew that was the true crux of her problem. Even without Aaron in her life, she had to decide if she was willing to open her heart again to Steven. “I can’t tell you it’ll always be perfect, but you’ve got to try.” “Thanks, Evelyn, I appreciate your support.” “Now that I’ve heard the gossip, I can do what I’ve been wanting to do all week.” “What’s that?” “Invite you and your sisters over for Thanksgiving dinner.” They talked for a few more minutes, making plans for the holiday meal. Samantha was glad she’d revealed her plans to someone and unloaded the heavy burden she’d been carrying. Reaching across the desk to return the phone to its cradle, she paused, startled that her engagement ring wasn’t on her finger. She snatched her hand back as she tried to think back to the last time she could remember having the ring on. The clearest memory was when Aaron had visited, and then ... “Oh, shit!” The words burst from her lips as comprehension came crashing back with a bang. She knew exactly where her ring was and who had it.

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Chapter Thirteen

“I’m telling you, Lily, having Dad stay with you is not a good idea.” Steven held the office door open for Lily, ushering her inside ahead of him. This was not the way he had envisioned the conversation between the two of them going -- rushed and in the middle of the street -- but there just hadn’t been a good time lately. “It’s going to end badly.” “Steven, it’s not up to you, so drop it,” she replied crossly, taking off her jacket and tossing it onto a nearby empty chair. Lily ran her hand through her windblown hair, pushing it back out of her face. It was a gesture as familiar as time, and it almost made him forget why she was there. Almost. “I’m not going to drop it. I worry about you, peanut.” The childhood nickname brought a quick smile to her face, a smile Steven hadn’t seen in a while. “I can handle Dad.” Not only did she resemble their mother, she was beginning to act like her. “Where have I heard that before?” The words came out before he could stop himself, and the look that crossed Lily’s face made him want to kick his own ass. “Peanut ...” “Look, instead about worrying about my life so much, why don’t you try to fix your own?”

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“There’s nothing wrong with my life.” The lie slid off his tongue as smooth as butter, but from the look on Lily’s face, she wasn’t buying it. “Yeah, that’s why the love of your life is marrying someone else, and you spend all your time in this dingy little office.” Affronted, Steven glanced around his office. His love life might have been in the shitter, but his office wasn’t dingy. “My love life, or lack thereof, isn’t the issue. Sammy and I will work ourselves out, and my office isn’t little or dingy.” “Yeah, right, look at this place. Does Tess even dust?” Looking around his deserted office, she turned to him with a frown. “Speaking of the nitwit, where is she?” The partially opened door of his office came all the way open, and out stepped a darkhaired man in a gray pinstriped suit. “She had to run over to the post office.” Steven instantly tensed when the stranger walked out of his office, and grabbed ahold of Lily, placing her behind him. The way things had been going lately, he didn’t trust anyone he didn’t know, and hardly trusted the ones he did know. “Who the hell are you? And what are you doing in my office?” Lily shrugged his hand off her arm and stepped toward the man with a smile. “Marc.” Quickly glancing at her, Steven frowned and looked back at the man. If he didn’t know who the hell the guy was, how did Lily? “Marc who?” Now it was Lily’s turn to frown. She looked over at Steven as if he had kicked the guy, instead of asking a perfectly reasonable question. Besides, it was a lot nicer than, “Who the fuck are you, and why is my sister smiling at you?” “What do you mean, ‘Marc who?’” Lily asked, confusion evident on her face. “Not everyone has a keen memory like you, Lily,” the Marc guy replied with a slight smile. A smile Steven didn’t think was as pleasant as it should be, especially since it was directed at his sister. “I’m glad to see I was right about your hair. It’s remarkable.”

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Steven looked again at Lily, who had brought her hand up to her loose, flowing hair. She blushed slightly at the remark, and as far as Steven was concerned, that was the final straw. “Marc who?” he repeated, his voice as hard as the look he was sending the interloper. Turning bored eyes in Steven’s direction, Marc slid his hands into his pants pockets and smiled slightly. “That’s funny, with all the investigating you’ve been doing in the past few months, I would have thought you would have been a bit quicker on the uptake.” Investigating. Steven eyes widened at the possibility. “Idiot, he’s Marc Gossnor,” Lily replied, annoyed, at the same time as Steven said, “Grossman Corp.” A cocky smile bloomed across Marc’s face. “One and the same.” “What?” Lily looked between the two of them, confused. “What’s Grossman Corp.?” Steven was too busy staring at Marc to answer her question. He had finally connected the face of the teen from the past to the man who stood before him. The same man who had been behind the terrorist tactics that had injured Evelyn’s father and bankrolled Steven’s father. Annoyed, Steven wondered where the hell Lily had been for the last year. “Grossman Corp., Lily. The same people who railroaded everyone out of their homes and businesses and damn near destroyed the Grays.” “That’s not exactly correct, but close enough, I guess.” Marc took his right hand out of his pocket and walked over to Steven with it extended. Steven looked down at the proffered hand like it was garbage and back up at Marc with the same expression on his face. Instead of being insulted, Marc merely looked amused. “And here I was thinking you were going to be a lot happier to finally meet me.” “Grossman Corp. ...” Lily repeated as if coming out of a daze. “Why do I feel like I’ve just been Keyser Sözed?”

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The two men turned to look at her like she had lost her mind. Lily just shrugged her shoulders. “You know, The Usual Suspects, the bad guy wasn’t really the bad guy, fooled-you kind of thing.” Steven looked at Lily, confused. “What the hell are you talking about?” “It was a movie, very popular ... Oh, never mind.” Marc was chuckling and looking at Lily, bemused. “Good movie, but I assure you my reputation is a bit overexaggerated.” “Tell that to the Grays, or, better yet, tell it to Logan. I’m sure he’ll have a few choice words to say to you on their behalf.” “I had nothing to do with what happened to the Grays.” Marc looked sincere for the first time since coming out of Steven’s office. “You might not have thrown the rock, but it was your fault.” “Don’t you think you should place the blame on your father’s shoulders and let him pay for his mistakes?” Marc’s eyes narrowed in anger. “I’m willing to take the blame for things I’ve done, but I refuse to be held accountable for other’s mistakes.” “That’s what happens when you’re Mr. Big. You are responsible.” “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Marc looked Steven over slowly, as if in contempt. “Aren’t we all?” “Then you, too, are responsible for what happened to the Grays. It was your father, after all.” Steven’s stomach tightened at Marc’s words. Deep inside, he’d always felt responsible for his father’s sins. It was one of the reasons he’d pushed Sammy away when they were younger, but he didn’t need any pissed-off, reformed poor boy telling him what he already knew. “Listen, asshole.” Taking a step forward, Steven had every intention of wiping that smug look off Marc’s face, when Lily stepped between them.

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“Boys, boys, boys.” “Move out of the way, Lily,” warned Steven. He was looking forward to knocking Marc on his ass. “Yes, why don’t you?” Marc reached out and took Lily’s arm in his hand and gently pulled her, trying to move her out of the way. “Don’t touch her.” The anger in his voice surprised even him. Something about this guy, the possessive way he touched and talked to Lily, didn’t sit well with Steven. “Steven,” Lily cried, shocked at his tone. Marc released his hold on her arm, but he did it very slowly, making it almost into a caress. “I want you out of this office and out of this town.” Smirking, Marc crossed his arms over his chest. “Seeing as how I own a majority of this town, I think you’re going to have an awfully hard time kicking me out.” “Your family was kicked out before.” Steven sneered. “I’m sure we can find a way to make history repeat itself.” “He didn’t mean that,” Lily denied, stepping in front of Steven. Steven wasn’t sure if she was trying to protect him or Marc, but he wanted her out of the middle. “I can speak for myself.” “Yes, let him,” Marc coolly remarked. His voice was a vast contrast to the fire brimming behind his glasses. “Steven ...” The phone rang, startling everyone. All three of them looked across the room to Tess’s desk, toward the offending noise. “Are you going to answer that?” Lily asked by the fourth ring. “It could be something important.” It better be, Steven fumed to himself as he stormed across the room. Snatching up the phone from the cradle, he yelled into it, “What?” “You expect to get business that way?” questioned an amused-sounding Ron.

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“What do you want? Make it fast!” Steven demanded, turning so he was facing Lily and Marc. There was no way he was going to leave that manipulator alone with his sister for a second. “You said to call when I had news.” “Yeah.” “Well, I have news.” “Well.” “You’re looking in the wrong direction with this Grossman Corp. thing. The company is headed up by a Marc P. Gossnor, which, coincidentally, is an anagram for Grossman Corp. Kind of clever.” Steven narrowed his eyes, watching the way his sister was looking at Marc. “Tell me something I don’t know.” “As far as I can tell, he has nothing whatsoever to do with the letters Samantha has been receiving.” “How can you be sure?” “Several reasons. One of the main reasons is lack of motive. He already owns the building she’s leasing, and he’s made no move to close her down. He has sent Collingwood’s and River Bend Federal Trust their walking papers, though.” Marc was watching Steven as he listened to Ron, as if he could tell what the other man was saying. “Hold on,” Steven spoke into the phone, bringing it down from his ear. “I have to take this call.” “Don’t let me intrude. We can finish this --” Looking between Lily and Steven, Marc raised a brow. “-- another time.” Pompous ass, Steven thought, tightening his grip on the phone. “I’ll see you out,” Lily chimed in, touching Marc on the arm. He smiled down at her, and Steven’s blood began to boil.

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“Lily,” Steven called out to her, but he knew it was no use. She was as stubborn as she was beautiful, and it was going to get her into trouble. “I’ll call you later.” Lily tossed over her shoulder as she and Marc headed out the door. Putting the phone back to his ear, Steven sat down on the edge of Tess’s desk. “I’m back.” “Like I was saying, since taking over the lease of several businesses, he’s begun the process of closing down twenty-five percent of them, restaffing most.” “And Sammy’s diner.” “He’s left it alone.” “Why?” It just didn’t make any sense. It was more than obvious that Marc had a grudge against River Bend, and thinking back to the way his family had been black-balled after his father’s death, Steven wasn’t surprised. The Gossnors had practically been run out of town. It had been wrong, but it had been over twelve years ago. It seemed like Mike wasn’t the only one who couldn’t let things go. “Not a clue, but I’m working on it.” Steven sighed in disgust. “Is there anything you do have an answer to?” “Yes. We were able to lift a print from the photos. Several, in fact. They were yours, although you’re still protesting your innocence.” Steven grimaced in annoyance. Ron apparently was working at the Apollo in his spare time. “Aaron’s and Evelyn’s, of course, but also prints belonging to a DUI perp by the name of Theodore Green.” “Who’s that?” “You’re probably not going to believe this, but he’s Aaron’s partner.” “So, Aaron is behind it.” Finally, Steven had the proof to bury the bastard. “I didn’t say that,” hedged Ron. “What do you mean, you didn’t say it?”

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“I said his partner’s prints were on them, but not just the pictures -- the outside envelope and the note, as well. And unless Aaron showed him the pictures and the note, I think we have a viable suspect.” Viable suspect, my ass, Steven thought, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. As far as he was concerned, whether Aaron was behind it or not, it was all his fault. He was the one who worked with that sick fucker, and he was the one who’d put Sammy in danger by having her near him. “That’s great, Ron. Good work.” “Actually, there’s more.” The smile that had been spreading across Steven’s face froze. “What do you mean, more?” “We compared the handwriting from the note in the first delivery to the whorecondom surprise package, and they don’t match.” Steven’s blood turned to ice in his veins as a feeling of dread crept over him. “What do you mean, they don’t match?” “I mean we’re dealing with two different people here.”

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Chapter Fourteen

This is useless, Samantha thought as she put aside the book she had been trying to read. “Trying” would be the key word, seeing as how the words were all beginning to run together. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t concentrate. She had been trying to get ahold of Aaron all night to get the “discussion” over with. Now that she had admitted to herself and practically the entire freaking world that she was still in love with Steven, she wanted to end things with Aaron once and for all and move on with her life. Whether that included Steven or not still remained to be seen. She knew that she loved him, and more than likely always would, but love had never been the problem between them. The problem right now wasn’t about love; it was about making the first move, and she had tried ... more or less. She had picked up the phone probably four or five times that evening, trying to work up the nerve to call him. She’d even dialed his number a couple of times before she chickened out and hung up. Sighing, she looked down at the tool in question and tapped her fingers on the arm of the couch. She had no idea why the thought of making this call was so hard. It wasn’t as if Steven had made a secret of the fact that he wanted to get back together with her. She just couldn’t quite gather the nerve to call him first and admit he was right. Not that he was

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completely right, of course, but he was right about a lot of things, mainly about her. Giving in, Samantha swallowed her pride and had picked up the phone to dial his number when the doorbell rang, interrupting her. Ugh. She groaned. Just her luck, when she was finally ready to take the plunge, she was stopped. Almost like divine intervention, she thought with a smile. Setting down the phone, Samantha frowned at the loud banging noise as the impatient visitor pounded on the door. Standing up, she walked over and opened the door, barely jumping back in time to avoid getting knocked out by Steven’s fist on the door. “What took you so long?” he asked, exasperated. Smiling at his impatience, she could only shake her head at her luck. Exactly the person she had been looking for. Maybe it was divine intervention after all. “What are you so worked up about?” “We need to talk,” Steven declared, walking into her apartment with a harassed look on his face. “I agree.” Steven turned around at her words, surprise written all over his face. “What?” More than likely he had been expecting an argument. Funny, for once Samantha was all argued out. “I figure you’re here to discuss my engagement ring.” A smile spread across his face. “It’s been three days, Sammy. Are you telling me you just figured out you missed this ring?” he teased as he pulled the ring out of his pocket. Chagrined, Samantha realized he was right to taunt her. “Well, I, ahh ...” This was the very reason she had avoided the phone call with Steven. She really didn’t want to have this conversation. She never wanted to admit she was wrong, and she rarely liked confessing to mistakes. “As interesting as this conversation is, it isn’t the reason I came to see you.” “It isn’t?”

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“No, I have some news about the pictures and notes you’ve been getting.” This was a surprise. Samantha had been expecting heartfelt declarations, hot, nasty sex at the very least, not Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Gesturing to the couch, Samantha flopped down at one end, adjusting the pillow behind her. “Okay, let’s hear the down and dirty.” “You know Theodore Green, Aaron’s partner?” More than she wanted to. “Yeah ...” “Ron found his fingerprints all over the pictures and envelope. So unless Aaron was passing those pictures around, Theodore must have been the one who sent them.” What the fuck! To think she had considered it was Steven, or worse, Nichelle, and it had been that weasely, self-righteous prick the entire time. Sitting up and grabbing the pillow behind her, she threw it across the room. “Are you fucking kidding? That weasely bastard was behind all of this. How dare he have me followed?” Samantha was pissed off beyond all belief. He had made her doubt everyone she’d ever known, and all for what? To get her to break up with Aaron. Samantha was going to kill him. “Why does he hate you so much?” Snorting, Samantha crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. “How much time do you have? Ted doesn’t think I’m good enough for Aaron. Plus, I live here, and I want to stay here. He doesn’t want Aaron to live in Backwater, Ohio. If he had his way, I think he would try to convince Aaron to move to California.” It was all so simple now, so simple that Samantha felt like an idiot. Why the hell hadn’t she thought of him to begin with? He was dead. Deader than dead. “He’s an asshole.” That was putting it lightly. “Just one more thing I have to talk to Aaron about.” As if she hadn’t been dreading this conversation from the beginning. Just another thing to fuck Ted up for.

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“One more thing? What else is there?” Steven asked, catching on to what she had muttered. Samantha sighed. “You know what? I can’t keep ignoring what’s between us, but I’ve got to talk to Aaron. And face to face, not over the phone.” Samantha was expecting something from Steven; she just wasn’t sure what. But he was silent, not responding to her comments, just sitting there, mulling them over. Finally he spoke, but instead of a retort about Aaron, he threw her for a loop with his remarks. “I hate to give you more troubles to worry about, but we have another problem.” Her heart gave a little thrill when he said “we,” but the remark also worried her. “More than my fiancé’s partner trying to blackmail me?” “The second package didn’t have fingerprints, so Ron compared the handwriting on the notes from both packages. Unfortunately, the handwriting didn’t match.” “It didn’t match?” “They were sent by two different people, Sammy. I’m sorry, baby.” “I can’t believe this. What the hell is wrong with me that I have two psychos after me? I’m a good person.” Every time Samantha thought things couldn’t get any worse, fate just proved her wrong. Steven groaned and pulled her into his arms, stroking her back as he tried to comfort her. “There’s nothing wrong with you, baby. It’s these bastards that have something wrong with them.” She knew it was wrong, but sitting together on the couch with Steven, she leaned into his embrace, feeling comforted by arms around her and the words he whispered against her hair. It just felt right. Like coming home after a hard day of work. That’s what Steven was to her. Her home. As her tension began to melt and her body to absorb his energy and strength, she felt him tense up and begin to pull away.

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“I better get going.” He stood up and moved toward the door. “I don’t want you to worry, Sammy. I’ll keep Ron on the job, and we’ll both be watching out for you.” “You’re leaving?” Samantha couldn’t believe how she sounded, wounded and a bit whiny. But damn it, he had been chasing her this whole time, and now that she was ready to be caught, he was leaving? “I think it’s best, don’t you?” He sounded tired and worn out, and Samantha knew she was the cause of it. No, she didn’t think it was best. But how to convince him? Her face blanched when he reached into his pocket and pulled out her engagement ring again. “I guess you’ve been waiting for this?” Taking the ring from his outstretched hand, she looked at it for a moment before setting it down on the end table. Reaching up, she grabbed his shirt. “No, I think I’ve been waiting for this.” With that, she pulled him down for a kiss. Although he didn’t resist her, he didn’t ravish her mouth, letting her set the pace. Ending the kiss, she gazed into his eyes, trying to put all the love she felt for him into her stare. “Are you sure? ’Cause I don’t want any regrets later. It’s not like we haven’t been here before.” “Here?” she asked, confused. Steven stroked her arms almost absently as he answered. “You, me, all hot and heavy one minute and arguing five seconds after I have you coming in my arms.” Samantha glanced down with regret, knowing she had made him hesitant about them being together. “I know I’ve been acting like someone with a split personality lately. But before you came over tonight, I had already made some decisions. I was getting ready to call you when you knocked on the door.” He looked at her quizzically, his eyebrow cocked, as if he was trying to decide whether or not to take the plunge.

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“I know we still have a lot to discuss, but, yes, I’m sure. No regrets.” Steven took her completely by surprise, picking her up in his arms and flipping her over his shoulder so that her ass was in the air. He smacked her butt lightly and laughed at her shocked gasp. “That’s just the beginning. You’ve put us through hell.” “I know, I know. I got some splainin’ to do, right?” He walked down the hallway toward her bedroom, lightly caressing her thighs. “Not tonight, Lucy,” he replied in a really bad Cuban accent. He juggled her body while opening the bedroom door, his hand slipping higher until it ended up wedged tightly against her crotch. She gasped at the friction of her jeans against her dampening panties. “No, definitely not tonight,” she responded breathlessly. Steven flipped her over and lightly dropped her on the bed. Stretching her arms over her head, she tried for her most seductive pose. “So, big boy, whatcha looking at?” “One sexy woman, that’s what.” Samantha got to her knees and hooked her fingers into the loops of his jeans. She pulled him close and reached for the fastening. As she unfastened his jeans, she stared into his face and licked her lips. His eyes flared with passion. She slipped her hands into the opening and leaned close to breath in his essence. Eager to touch him, she pushed his jeans and briefs off his hips and grasped his cock. It was hot and throbbing in her hand, and she slowly slid her hands up and down his shaft before reaching his balls. “Oh, yeah, just like that,” he encouraged. Rolling them in her hands, Samantha massaged his balls gently while flicking her tongue teasingly over the head of his cock. “Suck it, baby, take it in your mouth.”

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Opening wide, she sucked him hungrily into her mouth. She really wanted to make this last. Now that she had finally admitted to him and herself that she wanted him, she wanted to enjoy their time together. Steven ran his fingers through her hair, holding her head as he rocked into her mouth. He slid his cock deeper and groaned when it hit the back of her throat. Wrapping her hand around the base of the shaft, she hollowed out her cheeks and sucked eagerly. Her own arousal was at a fever pitch as she rocked her hips in rhythm to Steven’s thrusts into her mouth. “Enough.” He pulled back slightly. She moaned and tried to follow, not wanting to release him. Unfortunately, she discovered it wasn’t in his plans to let her have her way. “Time to get you out of those clothes.” She happily complied, kicking off her shoes and socks before enthusiastically pulling off her T-shirt and stripping off her jeans. She stopped for a moment when she realized he was still standing there, pants around his ankles, just looking at her. “What?” She felt embarrassed for a moment, as if her eagerness was something to be ashamed of. “You’re beautiful, you know that?” Her embarrassment washed away, and she knew he was crazy, or in love. She had on plain cotton undies and not a bit of makeup, nothing special. “Hey, I’m not the only one stripping here,” she complained, uncomfortable with the subject of her beauty. “It’s time for you to get naked, too.” “You’re not naked yet,” Steven pointed out, looking at her bra and panties. “You first.” Steven toed off his shoes and kicked off his pants before pulling his shirt off. Damn, he was ripped. It never ceased to amaze her just how handsome he was, or how much his body turned her on. “Now you.”

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Laughing, she reached behind her, unhooking her bra and tossing it over the side of the bed. Lifting her hips, she shimmied out of her panties. Steven pulled them out of her hands and threw them over his shoulder before kneeling down between her legs. He cupped her breasts and rubbed his thumbs across her nipples, watching her as the hard little nubs fill with blood. Samantha gasped and moaned, enjoying the tingle of pain. He turned her in his arms and tilted her head back until she looked up and saw he had placed them in front of the mirror of her dresser. She sucked in her breath, knowing he was fulfilling one of her favorite fantasies of being able to watch herself. He knew her so well, and she realized she had missed that connection when she had been with Aaron. She had never felt comfortable confiding her fantasies to Aaron. Steven reached around to cup her breasts, and the contrast of his white hands and her cocoa skin was an erotic turn-on for her, as well. He grasped her nipples between his fingers, pinching, pulling, and tweaking them, driving her absolutely mad. She could feel his cock pressing up against her, rubbing between the cheeks of her ass. It was a toss-up trying to decide if she would lean back and rub against his cock, or push her breasts forward into his hands. He licked at her neck, sending shivers down her spine. “Are you getting off, baby, watching us?” Unable to speak, she nodded, caught up in the haze of passion. She watched in the mirror as his hand snaked down her body, slipping between her thighs. She had been wet since he had thrown her over his shoulder, but she was literally dripping when he touched her. Stroking his fingers in her slit, he rubbed her clit lightly before thrusting a digit into her pussy. “You are so ready for me, baby.” “God, yes.” Dazed with the passion he was arousing, her eyes were glazed, but she continued to watch them in the mirror. Steven gently pushed between her shoulder blades, pressing her

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down to the bed until she was on her hands and knees and he was kneeling behind her. Stroking down her back to her ass, he massaged her globes. “Steven, please,” she begged. He grabbed his cock and guided it into her pussy, relentlessly pressing inside until he was fully sheathed. Sobbing, she squeezed her vaginal muscles, enjoying the feeling of fullness. As much as she loved it when he tortured her nipples or diddled her clit, the feeling of his cock inside her was the ultimate pleasure. Slowly pulling back, he began thrusting, not hurriedly, but with even strokes, in and out of her. His even, measured plunges were driving her mad. She wanted him as crazy and out of control as she was. She thrust her ass back with each of his strokes and squeezed his cock with her internal muscles. “Damn it, Sammy, you keep doing that, and I won’t last long.” She looked into the mirror and caught his eyes, smirked, and continued her motions. Growling into her hair, Steven pulled back as if he was going to withdraw, and then thrust hard, propelling the breath out of her. He thrust back and forth, no longer in his steady pace, his balls slapping in time with the driving force of his cock. Reaching around, he grasped her clit between his fingers and squeezed, “Come for me,” he ordered as he made his final thrust. That pushed her over the edge, her arms collapsing in front of her as her body began spasming with her orgasm. He pulled out and came all over her back and ass before crumpling up next to her. Samantha was boneless, unable to move. She was surprised when Steven stood, then pulled her up and swung her into his arms. He walked into the bathroom and started the shower, adjusting the temperature before stepping in and pulling her in with him.

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Gently washing her, he took care of her as if she were a child, washing her body and then toweling her off after their shower. Carrying her into the bedroom, he pulled her into his arms, where she fell asleep.

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Chapter Fifteen

Steven decided that being in Sammy’s bed after a night of mind-blowing sex was one of the absolute best places to be. He realized he had missed the closeness they had together. Although they hadn’t talked out all their problems last night, he still felt content that things were on the right track. But his happiness soon turned to regret when he rolled over and realized he was in bed alone. Groaning, he felt like pouting He had hoped to give her his own special wake-up call. Lost in the haze of his wake-up-call fantasies, it took him a minute to realize the doorbell was ringing. Glancing at the alarm clock, Steven noted it was only seven in the morning. Who in the hell would be coming over this early? And it wasn’t as if someone had just rung the bell. Someone was actually leaning on the bell as if they were trying to wake the dead. As soon as the ringing stopped, Steven heard loud voices, further heightening his concern He quickly jumped out of bed and hunted around to find his pants, then pulled them on, intent only on getting to Sammy. Not bothering to button or zip his pants, he headed out to the living room and down the hallway, and the closer he got to the front, the louder the

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voices became. He didn’t want to enter if he didn’t have to, but he definitely was going to see what was going on. He was able to distinguish Sammy’s voice. Then, “Yeah, then why aren’t you wearing your ring?” growled Aaron loudly. Damn it. As he strode into the living room, Steven’s anger rose to higher levels as he saw Aaron gripping Sammy’s arm. “What the fuck is going on?” Steven bellowed, startling them both. Aaron’s face went from anger to disbelief and back to anger. Steven heard him mutter “Son of bitch” under his breath. Sammy turned with a look of desperation and relief on her face, while Aaron looked at him with loathing. “I guess Ted was right, after all.” Aaron turned back to Sammy, dropping her arm as if she had a dreaded disease. “You’re nothing but a wh--” Before Aaron could finish the insult, Steven moved across the room with lightning speed and threw a punch at Aaron’s jaw. Totally unprepared, Aaron stumbled back, knocking over Sammy’s end table and toppling the lamp to the floor. Sammy screeched, jumping back as shards of the broken lamp grazed her bare legs. Fury radiated from Aaron in waves as he struggled to stand. “How dare you?” Sammy accused. “At least Ted was truthful. You’re a lying, deceitful bitch,” Aaron spit back at Sammy. Steven could actually see a vein throbbing in Aaron’s forehead. He grabbed Aaron, pulling him to his feet. “Haven’t you learned to watch your mouth yet?” Turning to Sammy, he ordered, “Open the door.” She rushed to the door and opened it. As Steven shoved him out the door, Aaron stumbled, falling back to the floor. Slamming the door in Aaron’s face, Steven felt very satisfied as it rocked on its hinges. Surprisingly, Sammy immediately pulled it open again, grabbed her engagement ring off the floor, and flung it in Aaron’s face before slamming the door again.

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Steven watched Sammy as she stood by the door, covertly listening to Aaron struggling to get up and cursing before he was finally gone. She didn’t move from the door, and he started to worry. His brain had shut down when Aaron had grabbed her arm and then started to insult her. He should have thought about Sammy and how it would affect her. Damn, he noticed her body was shaking, and he feared she was going into shock. “Sammy, baby, are you okay?” Steven walked over to Sammy and tipped her head up, fingers under her chin. Tears were glittering in her eyes, and at first he thought she was mourning the loss of her fiancé. Then he realized her body was shaking with laughter and the tears were ones of amusement. “Did you see his face? Even though he came here to accuse me of cheating, I don’t think he ever really expected to see you walking out of the bedroom. Especially not like this,” Sammy teased, trailing a finger down his chest to the open fastening at the top of his jeans. “And I’m sure he never expected to get decked.” Steven let himself be distracted for a moment, enjoying the stroking of her soft hands on his chest. He finally focused on her words, however, asking, “What do you mean, he came over to accuse you of cheating?” “I got up this morning with the intention of fixing you breakfast in bed. Sorry about that, by the way.” Sammy grabbed his hand and led him over to the couch, settling them and continuing her soft caresses. “That’s okay, but what about Aaron?” “When the doorbell rang it was as if I knew who it was. Woman’s intuition, I guess. I opened the door, and the first thing he asked me was if I was going to invite him in. I immediately started to tell him about Ted and the pictures, but I didn’t get very far.” Steven had to persist in dragging his attention from her fondling hands and back to her story. “Oh, yeah, why not?”

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“Aaron told me Ted had called him last night. Told him I was cheating on him and that you were over here. Aaron said he decided to come check it out for himself.” “How the hell did Ted know I was over here?” “I asked the same question. Seems Ted has had a private investigator watching me when he couldn’t be around. With all the people stalking me, I’m surprised they don’t all run into each other,” she said with disgust. “Anyhoo, I told him I had been wanting to talk to him for a while, but that it wasn’t the kind of conversation I wanted to have over the phone. Taking his hands in hers, she gazed into his eyes. “Steven, it was awful. I could see the awareness wash over him, as if he knew what was coming. I felt so bad, and then he got angry. He demanded to know where my engagement ring was. You know the rest. I never wanted to hurt him. I just wish things hadn’t turned out this way.” Steven didn’t know what to say. He was ecstatic things had turned out this way. No, he didn’t want to deliberately hurt another person, but he was very happy Aaron and Sammy had broken up. And he wasn’t going to pretend he didn’t care how it had happened. “This is all your fault, you know.” “My fault? And how is this my fault?” Steven didn’t want to get mad, but if she was trying to backpedal out of them being together, he was going to have to tan her hide. Sammy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in tight for a kiss, effectively turning his anger into passion in seconds. “Don’t get all huffy. I was just thinking that if you had gone with me to that conference, I never would have met Aaron, and so on.” “I suppose before we can move forward, we should probably clear up the past.” Steven had never been one to talk about his feelings, but he wasn’t willing to lose her again because of it. “I never should have gotten engaged to Aaron. I realize that now. I was lonely and hurting and thought, why not? It was stupid.”

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“I don’t blame you,” Steven said, laughing at her look of disbelief. “Okay, maybe a little, but I know I didn’t do all that I should have.” “Like what?” “Like telling you the truth, that’s what. I broke up with you when we were kids to protect you from my dad. He made one too many insinuations, and I decided to leave town and go to college. I knew if I stayed, he would do something, hurt you, I don’t know what.” “Why would you think that?” “Because he was, and still is, a racist bastard. He’s a mean drunk and no good.” Steven didn’t like to admit Mike was even his father. He worried that he had too many of the man’s genes. “Okay, I guess I can accept that. We were young, and our time apart during college was probably a good thing. But when both of us moved back home and we started seeing each other again, I thought we would be together forever. What happened to us, Steven?” He could tell she was truly upset. She was trying not to cry, but he could see the moisture glimmering in her eyes. “We were stupid, both of us. I thought if I worked really hard, I could afford to wrap you in gauze and protect you from all the bad things in the world.” Steven laughed derisively. “What a joke, huh? I should have realized you’re strong enough to face any bad things that come your way. I should have been at your side to face them with you.” “And just how was I stupid?” “Baby, if I could read minds, I wouldn’t have to work hard to make money. I would have it falling out of my ass. You always assumed I would know what you wanted and needed. But I’m a jackass sometimes, and I need you to hit me over the head with it.” Taking him at his word, Sammy grabbed the pillow and bopped him on the head before pushing him down on the couch and throwing her body over him. “Duly noted. So now what?”

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He slipped his hands under her shirt and cupped her ass, pulling her body tighter to his. “Damn, woman, you’re not wearing any underwear. You opened the door to Aaron wearing my shirt and nothing else. Are you crazy?” “In the spirit of my newfound knowledge of communication, yes, and sometimes yes,” Sammy answered with a giggle, grinding her pelvis against the now straining opening of his jeans. He swatted her behind, eliciting a squeal from her. “Well, get up. I’m not letting a little thing like no panties distract me.” As she rolled off him and stood up, he could tell she was eyeing him warily. “Distract you from what?” “You’ll see. Stay here for a minute. I’ll be right back.” Steven grabbed his shoes from the bedroom, shrugged on his coat, and ran outside. When he reached his car, he glanced back and saw Sammy looking out the window. As soon as she realized he saw her, the curtain twitched back into place. Steven chuckled. She had always been a little bit nosy, wanting to know what was going on before anyone else. After grabbing a package from the car, he returned to the apartment, where Sammy was waiting for him at the door with an afghan. Slipping his coat off, he threw the blanket around his shoulders and sat down in the comfortable chair. Snagging Sammy, he pulled her down, settling her onto his lap. “Okay, back to your previous question.” “I forgot what I asked now,” she retorted sarcastically. “You said, and I quote, ‘so now what?’ I love you, Sammy, I always have. I let you go once, but I’m not willing to do it again.” With that declaration, Steven pulled a box out of the package and placed it in her hands. “I bought this two days before you left on that conference all those years ago. I’ve kept it ever since, hopeful.”

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Sammy was crying, silent tears streaming down her face. Slowly opening the box, she gazed at the ring nestled inside. Steven knew it wasn’t as big or ostentatious as the one she had just thrown in Aaron’s face, but he was praying he had read all the signs right. However, as the silence stretched on and Sammy didn’t react, he started to get a little worried. “I can always buy you a bigger one,” he offered, starting to pull the box out of her hands. “Don’t you dare!” Sammy yelled, snatching it back from him and holding it close to her chest. She said nothing more, just continued to hold the ring box against herself. “Well, don’t you have anything to say?” Steven finally asked, unable to stand the suspense. “I was just thinking of all the time we’ve wasted.” “Is that it?” he asked, a bit perturbed. Smacking him upside the head, she continued, “Well, if someone would ask me a question, I might just have an answer.” Steven grimaced with disgust at his own stupidity. “Sammy, love of my life, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” “Yes,” she squealed, seizing the ring out of the box and slipping it on her finger. “I love you, Steven Weller.” Leaning in close, she pressed soft, wet kisses along his neck, working her way up his jaw line. Steven growled menacingly at her teasing, but knew from her sexy chuckle that he would have to take matters into his own hands. Unfortunately, fate took matters into its own hands as his jeans started to vibrate. “Oooh, is that a vibrator in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” she taunted. “Stupid cell phone.”

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“Hey, babe, I’m gonna take a shower before I head into work. If you hurry, you can join me.” Sammy got off his lap so he could fish the phone out of his pocket. He watched her saunter down the hall and determined to make this a five-second phone call. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw that it was Ron calling. “This better be good.” “Good morning to you, too, sunshine. Spending the night at a lady’s house should ensure a better mood.” “Get to the point. I’m busy.” “If I didn’t know you spent the entire night there, that comment would put you right back on the suspect list.” That remark had Steven’s radar on high alert. “What’s up?” “I found another package.”

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Chapter Sixteen

Things were looking up. Samantha couldn’t remember the last time she had left her house in such a good mood, but today she had, and she was walking around looking like a fool, with a huge grin on her face. Last night had been good -- great, even -- but today had been ten times better. Looking down at her new-and-improved engagement ring, she couldn’t help but smile. Her finger had never felt so light in her life. Although the other ring had been large, bordering on gaudy, this one was more her style, just like Steven had known it would be. Things were going so well, she wasn’t even going to allow the fact Steven had rushed off this morning get to her. He had seemed a little harassed and told her he would explain it to her later, and for once, she was going to let well enough alone. Although she’d like to ride her high horse, Samantha knew she had just as much to do with their past break-up as he did. The fact that his father was a racist bastard wasn’t news to her. It was something she’d made peace with a long time ago, but she wasn’t going to stop loving Steven just because he shared genes with the bastard. Mike, love him or lump him, was his father, and she had to take the good with the bad, even if the bad was an aging alcoholic.

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The only thing raining on her perfect parade was the whole incident with Aaron. She did feel a bit bad about the way things had gone down with him, but not as bad as she would have felt if she had ended up married to him. They just weren’t compatible. Not that she and Steven were Afro-puff Barbie and Malibu Ken, but they were in love, which was more then she could ever say for her and Aaron. “Morning, ladies,” Samantha said as she entered the diner. It was still too early for customers, but the rest of the morning crew was there already, setting up for the day. Tossing her purse onto the counter, Samantha pulled out a stool and sat down. Nichelle, in her usual great morning mood, scowled at Samantha as she continued wrapping napkins around silverware, but Cory and Lily sent her welcoming smiles. “How is everyone on this fine day?” “Apparently not as good as you,” Nichelle remarked, slamming the silverware down. “Where have you been? You’re supposed to help set up.” “It’s not like we’ve been overrun with chores.” Cory rolled her eyes at Nichelle. “Lighten up. You know you were all smiles before Samantha came in.” “Thanks a lot.” That didn’t surprise Samantha at all. She had come to the conclusion that if Nichelle wasn’t trying to make her miserable in some way, shape, or form, then she just didn’t see her day as complete. It was annoying, but that was her sister, and there wasn’t much to be done about her now. Smacking Nichelle lightly on the back of her head, Samantha walked around the counter, dodging a return, teasing blow. She peered through the opening between the diner and the kitchen and smiled at Billy, who was warming up the grill, a look of concentration on his face. “Morning, Billy.” Billy looked up from the grill and smiled one of his slow smiles at her. It always seemed vacant but sweet, like he wasn’t all there, but wherever he was, it was a nice place to be. “Morning, Ms. Turner.”

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“Billy,” Samantha chided gently. “You know I’ve asked you to call me Samantha.” A blush stole across his simple face. “Yes, Samantha.” It was a recurring conversation between them. She wasn’t sure if he simply didn’t remember it was okay to call her Samantha, or whether he just chose not to out of respect, but for the past five years, she hadn’t been able to get him to call her by her first name without prompting him. Smiling, she reached up and twirled the order spinner teasingly, jumping when she heard Nichelle gasp. Turning around quickly, Samantha placed her hand over her rapidly beating heart. “What?” “Did you downgrade your ring last night?” Nichelle walked over to her and grabbed her hand. “Because I would have sworn this bad boy was a few carats larger.” Tugging on her hand, Samantha tried to yank it back. “Can I have my hand back, please?” “As soon as we get the story.” Cory came over to stare at her sister’s hand. Samantha rolled her eyes and held her hand out for inspection. She had wanted to savor the moment a bit longer, but truthfully, she should have known better. There was no getting around her sisters, no matter how hard she tried. “Look your fill, ladies.” Lily came over to peer at the ring and looked up Samantha with teary eyes. “My brother’s got great taste, doesn’t he?” “What?” Nichelle’s and Cory’s shocked gasps were almost as amusing as seeing Aaron knocked on his ass. Looking at Lily, Samantha smiled. “I’ve always thought so.” “Oh, my God!” Cory yelled, pulling Samantha in for a hug. “I just knew it.” “I’m glad one of us did.” Samantha laughed, tears of joy flooding her eyes. It was a long time in coming, but it was finally here. She and Steven were going to end up happily ever after, after all.

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“Hmmm.” Nichelle crossed her arms over her chest. “I guess this means I’m going to be having a white brother-in-law.” Cory pulled back from Samantha and frowned. “Will you shut up?” Letting go of her little sister, Samantha turned to her big one and replied. “Yes, you are.” “It’s about damn time.” Nichelle smiled, dropping her arms. Giving Cory a teasing nudge, Nichelle pushed her out of the way and pulled Samantha into her arms. “As long as we’re clear as to who’s going to be the maid of honor.” “Over my dead body,” Cory countered with a raised brow. “I accept.” Nichelle grinned evilly and released Samantha. “So, did you break the news to the old one about the new one?” “Girl, you don’t even want to know.” The morning’s fiasco was a story by itself, and there was no way Samantha would be able to tell it before they opened. “Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.” “That bad, huh?” Lily asked, grimacing. “For lack of better words, oh, yeah.” Looking down at the ring, then back up at Samantha, Nichelle bit back a smile as she stated, “I hope you didn’t downsize your man the same as you downsized your ring.” If she didn’t love her sister so much, she would kill her. “Don’t worry, there is no downsizing in that department.” “See, that’s what I’m talking about.” Cory laughed. “Eww, this is my brother we’re talking about here, people. A little less with the T M and a little more of the I.” Lily shuddered. “Come on, did he get down on one knee when he --” Nichelle butted in with a question of her own. “Were you both dressed?”

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“Do you have to be so crass?” Cory took a sip from her coffee cup. “Yes. And don’t pretend like you didn’t want to know. I ask the questions no one else has the balls to.” “Or the sick mind to think up,” Cory quipped back. A loud whistle halted the conversation, and everyone turned to Lily, who was pulling her fingers out of her mouth. “Ladies, enough with the bickering. I want the goods. Was it romantic?” Before she could answer, Samantha caught a faint scent in the air. The smell of burning plastic began to waft into the room. Looking around, Samantha sniffed, a slight frown on her face. “Does anyone smell that?” “Yeah, it smells like plastic or rubber,” Lily commented, looking around. Gray smoke seeped out from the kitchen. “Shit,” Nichelle yelled, running to the kitchen. “Billy must have left something on the stove.” The other women hurried behind Nichelle, pushing through the swinging doors to enter the kitchen. There was no one there except for them. A spatula with a plastic handle was lying on the grill, melting on the heated surface. “Goddamn it!” Nichelle cried, picking the spatula up with metal tongs. “See what happens when you hire people from the funny farm?” “Watch your mouth, Nichelle. It was an accident.” Turning off the grill, Samantha turned on the overhead fan, trying to suck up as much smoke as possible. “Billy is as sane as the rest of us.” “Sane. Touched. Whatever. All I’m saying is, Rainman could have burned us all down.” Dropping the ruined spatula in the trash, Nichelle grabbed the water spray bottle and began to douse the grill. “Nichelle!” Lily chastised.

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“Speaking of Billy,” Cory said, looking around the kitchen, “does anyone know where he went?” “He was just here.” Samantha frowned as she looked around. “Did you check the restroom?” “Yep.” “Where could he have gone?” “You don’t think he heard what you said and got upset?” Lily asked. That didn’t make any sense. They hadn’t been talking about anything that could have possibly upset him. “Why would he be upset?” “How about the fact that he’s in love with you?” Nichelle’s question stunned everyone else, and they all turned to stare at her. “Come on. I can’t be the only person who’s seen the way he looks at you.” “But Billy is ...” Cory’s surprise was as real as everyone else’s. “He may act like a ten-year-old boy, but he has the body of a thirty-year-old man.”

How could she have been so blind? Samantha asked herself. Billy had always been really sweet to her, but she had chalked it up to his docile personality, not hiding affections. What if he cared for her and had gotten mad about her and Steven getting back together? “I have to go talk to him.” Walking out of the room, Samantha grabbed her purse off the counter and headed toward the door. Following after her, Nichelle grabbed her arm, stopping her from leaving the diner. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I mean, really. What are you going to say? Sorry for not loving you? Sorry for getting engaged twice?” “I don’t know what I’m going to say, but I have to say something. Billy’s like a member of our family. I can’t just let this fester.” Samantha pulled her arm back. “Call John to see if he can cover for Billy. I’ll be back later.”

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“Samantha ...” Nichelle growled as she unlocked the door. “At least make sure your cell phone is on.” “Of course.” Pushing the door open, she walked outside, searching for signs of Billy, anything to let her know where he might have gone. He couldn’t have gone that far. He didn’t have a license, so he had to rely on his mother or sister to bring him to work, which they did without complaint. Normally, his sister, Tracy, dropped him off in the morning on her way to work, and he would open the diner for Samantha, getting the furnace started long before she or her sisters came in. Freezing, Samantha stopped in her tracks. Billy had been there the night she and Steven had made love in her office, and he was also the person who’d opened the next day. He would have had the opportunity to get the condom out of the trash before the cleaning crew got there, and if Nichelle’s theory was right, he had a motive. But that can’t be, Samantha thought, dismissing the idea completely. Billy would never do something that crude. It wasn’t in him. No matter what anyone said, she was going to believe in him. As she rounded the corner of her trunk, she saw boots laid out next to her rear tire. Hurrying around, she gasped aloud as she saw Billy lying on the ground next to her car. It didn’t look like he was breathing. “No,” she cried as she dropped down next to him. Up close, she could tell he was breathing, but it seemed a bit shallow to her. A dark bruise was forming high on his forehead, and blood was seeping out of a wound she couldn’t see in his hair. Leaning over him, she reached out and touched his neck, checking his pulse. It was steady, if a bit slow, filling her with a sense of relief. He might be hurt, but he was going to be okay. Not wanting to waste time, Samantha reached for her purse and pulled out her cell phone. As she flipped up the lid, a shadowy figure appeared over them, and she looked up, hoping for help, but ended up staring at the barrel of gun.

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Chapter Seventeen

Ron tossed the newest envelope down on Steven’s desk, with a smile. “Tell me you love me.” “Hell, no!” Steven picked up the envelope and ripped open the seal. “I barely like you. ‘Toleration’ would be a better description of my feelings.” Even toleration was an overstatement. After the phone call, Steven had rushed to his office to wait for Ron, who hadn’t strolled his ass in until two hours later. If Steven had known Ron was going to take his sweet time, he would have spent some extra time soaping the small of Sammy’s back, the little area right above her full ass, which he loved to nibble. Shifting in his seat, he tried to rearrange his hardening cock. He was horny, irritated, and hungry, and it was all Ron’s fault. “Sure, that’s why you keep hiring me.” Pulling a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket, Ron shook out one, bringing it to his lips. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Steven warned, eyeing the man from across his desk. “I thought you quit.” “This is a celebratory smoke because I solved your case.”

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“Off of this envelope?” Steve asked, shocked. Here he was thinking he was going to kill Ron, and now it looked like he might have to buy him a new car. “Not especially, but I have to say, you and the little lady are very photogenic. You might want to think of taking the loving inside, but, hey, whatever floats your boat.” Not again, Steven thought with a groan as he reached inside the envelope and pulled out a Polaroid of him and Sammy embracing inside of the gazebo. Whoever the son of a bitch was, he was a dead man. “Who?” The word was cold, like the blood flowing throughout his body. The bastard had taken his last photo ever. Ron reached into his briefcase, pulled out another manila envelope, and handed it to Steven. “Meet Jeff Johnson, former vice cop, current scumball PI. And as a scumball PI, I can tell you it doesn’t get much skuzzier than this waste of flesh. He was kicked off the police force for tampering with evidence in one of his cases, and police brutality in 1999, and has been living off the bottom-feeders ever since.” “How is he connected with Aaron?” The man in the photo looked eerily familiar to Steven, but he couldn’t place him. “The arresting officer in Theodore’s DUI incident was ...” “Jeff. Ted hired him to get info on Sammy.” “Bingo.” Ron waggled his bushy brows. “You got it right in one guess.” “So he’s the one who’s been taking the photos of Sammy and me.” Rage filled Steven as he stared down into the face of the man who had been stalking Sammy. He was going to kill him. “That’s not all he’s been doing.” Looking up, Steven frowned. “The note?” “You’re just a guessing fool today.” “But I thought you said the handwriting didn’t match.”

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“It didn’t, but the partial prints that were found on the envelope match the ones found on these last night.” “Then how can they be the same guy?” “I have a theory on that. I figure Jeff sold Theodore the photos, and Theodore is the one who mailed them off. Ted’s writing was found on the packages he sent, and Jeff’s writing was on the packages he sent.” “So, what, this guy’s going gung-ho and delivers two tortures for the price of one?” “I told you he was a bottom-feeder. I’ve heard through the grapevine that Mr. Johnson has a bad habit of playing both sides and tries to get money from his clients and their victims. And, of course, no one reports him, ’cause he’s got these blackmail pictures.” Jaw clenched, Steven was feeling the need to make his fist become one with Jeff’s face. “Where is he now?” “He’s checked in at the Robin Inn.” “The Robin Inn,” Steven parroted, shocked. “That’s here in town.” “Don’t worry. I have a guy sitting on him. He makes a move, we’ll know about it.” “Good. I want that bastard stopped ...” Steven’s cell phone rang, interrupting his rant. “Give me one second.” The name on the ID screen brought a huge smile to his face. It was Sammy. He really needed to hear her voice right now, especially after finding out what was going on. Pulling open his phone, Steven brought it to his ear. “Hey, baby.” There was nothing. Almost nothing, anyway. It was like her phone was on, but she wasn’t talking. Smiling, Steven figured she must have accidentally dialed his number and was about to pull the phone away from his ear when he heard her. “Who are you?” Freezing, Steven pushed the phone tighter to his ear. She didn’t sound like herself. Her voice seemed far away and a bit muffled, but he could make out the tension in her tone. “Just sit down and be quiet.”

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“Sammy.” Steven called her name hesitantly, his hand trembling in fear. “Bitch, you’re causing me a lot of problems. I’m not sure you’re worth all the money.” The anger in the man’s voice frightened Steven more than the fear in Sammy’s voice. “Money. Money. I can pay you money, just please don’t hurt us.” “Sammy!” Steven roared her name, jumping to his feet. What the hell was going on? Who was hurting her? Ron followed suit. “What’s going on?” Holding his hand up to silence Ron, Steven pressed the phone tighter to his ear until it began to burn with the pressure. It was going to be okay, he promised himself. Sammy was smart. She would stay alive for him. “I wouldn’t have had to hurt you if you would have just stayed your monkey ass inside. You and this retard have caused me more than either of you are worth. Fucking Ted won’t return my calls. He thinks he’s running the show. I’ll show him.” The blood drained from Steven’s face as he looked over at a confused Ron. Slipping his hand over the phone, he said softly, “He’s got her.” “Who? Who has Sammy?” “Jeff.” “What the fuck!” Grabbing his phone, Ron quickly dialed a number as Steven concentrated, trying to take in as much information as possible. “I can take you to the ATM and get you money.” “That’s all fine and good, but you can ID me, and I can’t let that happen.” “No, really, you all look the same to me. There’s no way I could ID you.” Steven heard Sammy let out a loud groan. That bastard was hurting her. “Where are you, baby?” Steven spoke as if to himself, praying that Sammy could somehow get an answer to him.

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“Stupid bitch. Get up. Let’s take a little stroll to the bank, after all.” Bursting from around his desk, Steven covered the mouthpiece and yelled to Tess as he stormed from his office. “Call the police. Tell them Sammy’s been taken hostage and they’re heading to First National Bank” He ran toward the door, but was stopped by Ron, who grabbed his arm. “Let me go.” Steven growled, pushing at the other man. “I thought you had somebody tailing him.” “Justin’s not answering his phone. Jeff must have gotten to him, too.” Steven didn’t care about anyone else. His only concern was for Sammy. Ignoring Ron, he turned to go out the door, but Ron grabbed both of his arms again and pulled him to a halt. “Listen to me, Steven. If you go running down there like a bat out of hell, he’s going to kill her, and you, too, more than likely.” “I don’t care about me. All I care about is Sammy.” Steven felt like his head was going to explode. Sammy was in danger, again. And he had to get to her no matter what. “And if you want to help her, you’ll listen to me.” “I’m listening, I’m listening.” “I’m going to head down toward the bank. Jeff’s never seen me before. You go around the back and wait. You’ll only get a moment to save her, so use your head.” Steven could barely concentrate. All he could see was Sammy, hurt and lying somewhere he couldn’t get to her. “Snap out of it!” Ron ordered, giving him a shake. “If you don’t get your damn hands off of me, I’m going to throw you through the door.” He had to channel his energy. He had to channel it until he got Sammy safe. “That’s better,” Ron said with a slight smile, releasing Steven. “Give me a five-minute head-start; then go around the back.”

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Nodding his head, Steven put the phone back up to his ear, praying to hear something. Sirens, Jeff crying out in pain, even Sammy being a smart-ass. Anything to let him know she was still with him. “Talk to me, baby. Talk to me,” he whispered over and over again as he paced in front of his door, keeping an eye on the clock. He wasn’t going to wait a second longer than five minutes. The minutes seemed to tick by slowly, and only the sound of Sammy’s muffled voice was keeping him sane. She was alive. And the longer she kept Jeff talking, the longer she stayed alive. The second the hand ticked to five after, Steven burst out of the office building and flew into the town square. The bank was just down the street from his office, and he knew he would make it there before the police, even after waiting the five minutes. His only prayer was that Ron got there before they did. He didn’t know where they were coming from, but he prayed Sammy had been able to slow Jeff down. He had to get to her. Mentally willing people to move out of his way as he dashed past them, he didn’t have time for them even when some called out his name to garner his attention. It was all about Sammy for him, as usual. Dodging into the alleyway, he slowed his pace. He didn’t want to draw further attention to himself and risk Jeff spotting him. When he was about ten feet away from the edge of the building, he pressed his back to the wall and slowly began to creep closer to the corner. As he neared the end of the wall, he took a chance and quickly glanced around the corner, spotting Jeff and Sammy standing in line for the ATM. The early morning traffic drove by as if today were the same as any other day, but it wasn’t the same for Steven. His world was tilted off its axis as he saw Jeff edge closer to Sammy. The bastard had a gun. Steven could tell by the way he was holding his hand close to Sammy’s back. It wouldn’t have been obvious to anyone else what was going on; it just appeared as if Jeff was caressing her lower back. She was standing rigidly, and he knew she

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was scared, but he also knew she was a fighter, and she wasn’t going to give in to that bastard. “Come on, old man!” Jeff yelled, pulling Sammy closer to him. Steven saw her wince in pain, and promised himself to return the favor. He felt his sense of doom lighten when he realized the old man in question was Ron, looking wonderfully haggard, as usual. It was a beautiful sight. “Can’t remember my code,” he mumbled, leaning in to the machine. “Fucking small towns,” Jeff muttered. “If you don’t know it, just move, and let us go.” “Hold your horses, young man. I’ll get it in a second.” “What’s your rush?” Sammy’s voice sounded amazingly calm despite what she was going through. “The money isn’t going to go anywhere. And the way you left Billy, he won’t be ...” “Shut up,” he warned. “If you hurt him ...” “Shut up!” Sammy’s cry of pain was the last straw for Steven -- and Ron, too, apparently -because when Steven barreled around the corner, he saw Sammy on the ground and Ron and Jeff battling for the gun. “Steven!” Sammy cried. Her calling his name shocked Jeff, who was still amazed that a drunken old man was fighting him for his gun. Jerking back, Jeff turned just as Steven flew at him, bringing him to the ground. The gun slid out of his hands and landed on the ground a few feet away from them, but Steven didn’t care. All he could hear was the sound of Sammy’s voice as she’d pled for her life. Slamming Jeff’s head onto the pavement, Steven straddled him and began to whale on Jeff’s face with his hands. The sound of Sammy’s tears was like blood-fueled energy coursing through his

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body. He was going to kill the bastard for ever laying his hands on her. He was going to kill him. “Let up, Steven. I have the gun,” Ron said, stepping into view. He was pointing the gun at Jeff, who was no longer struggling, just lying limply in a puddle of his own blood. Still, it wasn’t enough. He had to pay more. “Let up, Steven,” Ron warned again. “Steven.” The sounds of sirens in the distance still didn’t deter his rage, but the sound of Sammy calling his name did. “I’m okay, Steven. I’m okay.” Breathing hard, Steven felt the pain of his swollen knuckles, bare and bleeding from his attack on Jeff. Looking down at the man, Steven felt nothing for the mess he had made of the bastard’s face. He deserved it, and then some. Steven eased up, delivering a final blow to Jeff’s face, and tried to stand. A police officer came over and helped him up as another relieved Ron of the gun. “I’m all right,” Steven said to the officer as he turned and saw Sammy staring at him. Opening his arms, he almost cried out in relief as Sammy threw herself into him. His heart began to steady, and everything came back into focus. She was alive. Holding her tightly to him, he couldn’t help but tremble in relief. God had granted them another chance, for the third time around, and Steven would be damned if he let the opportunity slip through his hands again. “Still have my number on speed dial, huh?” he teased, his voice as shaky as his hands. “Yeah, I keep meaning to change that.” Crying, Sammy buried her head against his chest. “If I were you, young lady, I wouldn’t do that,” Ron said, coming up from behind them. Winking at Steven, he continued, “See, I told you I always get my man.” “Too bad you forgot to tell him. He normally takes hostages before you do.”

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“You got to read the small print, son.” Smiling, Ron patted Steven on his shoulder. “I received a phone call from Justin. I’ve got to go take my young protégé to the hospital. Seems he somehow acquired a concussion. Hospital fees are expensive, you know.” “Yeah, bill me,” Steven replied with a small smile, more grateful for Ron than he could ever explain. “Did you think I wouldn’t?” Smiling, Ron walked away, leaving them alone again. “I thought I was never going to see you again.” Sammy looked up at him with tears streaming down her face. “I just kept your image in my mind to keep me going. You were like my saving grace.” “No, you’re mine. You’ve been my salvation from the time we first met, giving me a purpose to life.” Dropping his mouth down to hers, Steven kissed her, and the world around them faded. He was never going to let her go again.

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Epilogue

The sun was high in the sky, although the air was brisk with the hint of snow in the clouds. Laughter filled the air as Steven chased Samantha around a large oak tree before capturing her and tumbling her to the ground. “It is too damn cold out here to be playing these kinds of games, Steven Michael Weller.” “Tell me you’re happy I convinced you to delay going to Logan and Evelyn’s house to spend the morning with me, and I’ll let you go.” “Never,” she denied huskily. She watched his eyes flare with desire and knew her voice was as arousing to him now as it had been when they were teenagers. They both knew she was lying. Samantha had been so content the last few days, she wondered how it was that she had survived so long separated from Steven. After the drama their lives had gone through, idyllic romps around the lake and being alone together were exactly what both of them relished. “We’re going to be in so much trouble if we’re late to Thanksgiving dinner.” Although, frankly, she couldn’t have cared less. But she knew Thanksgiving was the time to be thankful for all of one’s blessings, and she had certainly had a lot of them lately. Plus, it was a time for

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family. And now that Steven and she would soon be a family, they got to enjoy blending theirs together on the holidays. Oh, joy, she thought sarcastically. “Well, you aren’t getting out of here that easily. You owe me something.” “This sounds vaguely familiar,” she commented, laughingly, “but I don’t think I owe you anything.” Samantha knew she owed him everything: her life and her love. “Au contraire.” Steven suggestively waggled his eyebrows at her. “What could I possibly owe you?” “How about a kiss?” Samantha had just been waiting for that suggestion and gave in without a fight, pulling his head to hers and slipping one hand around his neck while the other snaked down his chest to the bulge in his jeans. Steven groaned and deepened the kiss, sending tremors through her body as he pulled her hard against him. She teased his erection, lightly tracing the ridge of his cock through his jeans. She spread her legs, slipping one calf up around his hip and trailing her foot down the back of his leg. Groaning, he broke their kiss, breathing heavily. “Your mama always said I was a bad influence on you, but I think she had it backwards.” Laughter bubbled up out of Samantha. “Are you trying to say I’m tempting you?” “Damn right, but I think I’m up for the challenge.” At that comment, he moved down her legs, lifting up her skirt. He moaned when he saw her thong, already drenched from her own juices. Slipping his fingers under the material, he pulled the lacy red scrap down her legs. He made his way across her stomach and down between her legs. “Now this is what I’m thankful for,” Steven teased, spreading her legs wider. Samantha felt happiness and desire to be with him, whenever and however he wanted. She grabbed handfuls of grass, preparing for the onslaught of his ministrations. He started to kiss her inner thighs, slowly running his fingers up and down her slit, slipping his fingers into her

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pussy and lightly thumbing her clit. Pressing her feet against the packed earth, she arched her hips up, begging him for his mouth. “Please, Steven, I need your mouth.” He couldn’t control himself any longer. He succumbed to her pleadings and brought his mouth to her slit, licking up the seam of her pussy. She groaned, arching against him again, silently begging for a deeper exploration. He took her in his mouth, swirling his tongue around her wetness and darting his tongue deep into her pussy. His tongue flicked around her clit as he started sucking. Samantha thought she was going to explode, and her body began trembling. Thrusting with two fingers, Steven gathered her wetness and spread it to her anus, slipping a finger into that dark hole. Sucking harder on her clit, he began thrusting his fingers into both her openings. Lifting his mouth, he ordered, “Come for me, Sammy, do it now.” His words drove her over the edge and she exploded into an intense orgasm. Rolling off her, he lay on his back, his harsh breathing eventually slowing, but his cock remaining rock hard. Samantha, recovering from her intense orgasm, limply straightened her clothes before rolling toward him and draping one leg over his body. She laid her head on his chest and sighed in lazy contentment. “Okay, now we’re really late,” she observed. Looking down at his watch, Steven groaned good-naturedly. “I guess a blow job’s out of the question, right?” She smacked him lightly on his stomach. “No time. You know how you like to lie back and enjoy. You would never settle for a quickie, and then we really would be late. “Damn, you’re right. I promised Logan I would be there when Mom showed up. You know how much it took for him to ask her to dinner.” “I know. And I promised Evelyn I would be there to run interference with Nichelle. You know what a pain she can be.” “Well, you better stop foolin’ around and get up, then,” he teased, getting up and pulling her off the ground.

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“You just better be nice to me if you want to be thankful this evening,” she retorted before making a run for the car.

Steven relaxed on the couch, watching football with Logan and Bob Gray, Logan’s father-in-law. The ladies were all in the kitchen, preparing the dinner and gossiping. Everyone had given them a hard time when they showed up late. Especially when Nichelle noticed Sammy had grass in her hair. Steven had never seen her blush that badly before. He shook off his recollections and concentrated on the conversation Logan was having with Bob. “So, Grossman Corp. is really Marc Gossnor?” Bob’s voice rose in surprise. “Yeah, weird, huh?” “Especially after the phone call we got earlier this week.” Bob nodded his head as if everything finally made sense. “What phone call?” Logan turned to him with a curious look on his face. “Someone from Grossman called and offered to pay all our expenses for the damages caused by, ahh ...” Bob trailed off, embarrassed. “Don’t worry, Bob. I know exactly what my father is like,” Steven said. “It’s okay, really.” “Steven, should they really be accepting that money?” Logan asked, changing the uncomfortable subject. “It sounds like a payoff to me. You know, ‘we’ll pay you and then you won’t sue us.’” “I know it sounds like a payoff, but I don’t think they have much of a case to sue, anyway,” Steven explained apologetically, smiling at Bob. “At least if you accept the money, you’ll get something out of the whole sordid mess.” “Well, I’m not going to turn the money down, that’s for sure. We could use a new bed.” “Bob, I don’t even want to know,” Logan grimaced.

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“Come on, son, we’re all family here.” “And if I said that about Evie and me ...” “Logan, I don’t even want to know.” Biting back a laugh, Steven gracefully tried to change the subject. “Well, I sure was surprised that Marc Gossnor owns Grossman Corp. I never thought he’d amount to much.” “Sally will be really surprised when I tell her about Marc. It’s been a while, but I know she really liked that boy. We even had him around for dinner a few times after his dad died. To think he would want to hurt ...” Steven interrupted. “I really don’t think he had any idea what my dad was doing.” Even though he didn’t think much of Marc, he didn’t think Marc would stoop to Mike’s level. Still, there was something about the guy that he just didn’t like. “I never liked the guy. He was always staring at Evie and me after I started living at your house,” Logan told Bob. Sally came out of the kitchen, and the three men separated quickly. No use letting Sally hear them talking badly about anyone. That was the one thing she would never tolerate. She asked Bob to help her get some extra chairs out of the car, and they left together. “So how are things going with you and Mom?” Steven whispered, glancing toward the door to the kitchen. Logan looked a bit uncomfortable before answering. “It was a little bit easier than I thought. Evie set it up,” Logan admitted. “What?” “She asked me to meet her at the diner for lunch last week and then called Mom and asked to meet her there. Then Evie never showed up, and we got stuck there, together.” “That Evie sure is sly,” Steven teased. “I asked Mom, and she said yes. Of course, she’s been in the kitchen most of the time she’s been here, so we haven’t talked much.”

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“It’s a step in the right direction.” Steven was happy to see Logan and their mom finally mending fences. It had been too long for Logan to continue holding a grudge. Evelyn had softened Logan a bit, made him more human. A lot like Sammy had done for him. “So what about Lily?” He had been sure she would come to dinner, especially since Mom had come. What else would she be doing for Thanksgiving, all by herself? “Mom said Lily told her she would be coming. And that she had a surprise.” “I don’t like the sound of that,” Steven replied warily. Just then the women all came out of the kitchen, laughing and talking. Sammy came over to him and gave him a big kiss before perching on the arm of the couch. The rest of the family spread out, talking about the football game and how much longer it would be until dinner. Steven noticed his mom was sitting quietly, not saying much. He was about to try to draw her into the conversation, when Logan took her hand in his and started to talk to her. Steven caught Evelyn’s misty eyes and smiled. He figured things would eventually be okay between them. At that moment the doorbell rang. Logan stood up, walked over to the door, and opened it. “Lily, Happy Thanks--” Logan trailed off and stepped back. Lily walked into the house, closely followed by Marc Gossnor. Steven was shocked. He had no idea what Lily was doing with fucking Marc Gossnor, but he knew he didn’t like it. Not one bit.

Liz Andrews I am an Ohio native who loves rooting for the home team. When I can manage to unlock myself from the ball and chain that connects me to the Internet I enjoy reading, going to the movies and hosting dinner parties for my friends. In the real world I have my MBA and work in the hospital business. However, I much prefer to escape into the world of books. I have admired and read various writers for many years and am happy to have finally joined the rank of author. Visit Liz on the Web at www.lizandrews.net.

Lena Matthews Lena Matthews spends her days dreaming about handsome heroes and her nights with her own personal hero. Married to her college sweetheart, she is the proud mother of an extremely smart toddler, three evil dogs, and a mess of ants that she can't seem to get rid of. When not writing she can be found reading, watching movies, lifting up the cushions on the couch to look for batteries for the remote control and plotting different ways to bring Buffy back on the air. Visit Lena on the Web at www.lenamatthews.com.

***** Read on for a tantalizing glimpse of

The Devil’s Triangle by Alyssa Brooks Available Now from Loose Id

The Devil’s Triangle Joe was a tickler. He used his tongue, his fingers, his breath, with soft, barely contacting strokes. As they brushed over her skin, tingles of excitement ran straight to her sex. His every ministration made her arch and twist. Her pussy clenched. Her whole body went hot and needy with every whisper of his attention. The way he touched her, it was easy to imagine he was Josh. Josh had touched her like that. Gently. Teasingly. Just enough to drive her absolutely crazy for more, but never enough to fulfill her heightening needs. Not until he was ready to release her. As she envisioned her late husband, instead of the stranger above her, tingles of hot, wanton need flooded her. Her body had not been touched in so very long. Once started, she could not stop. The switch had been flicked on. She was hungry. Famished. She needed to be fulfilled. Her breasts ached, her nipples having grown so intensely hard they were like two mountainous peaks jutting from her mounds. Every inch of her skin prickled. Burned. Ached. Especially her pussy, which constantly contracted as if begging to be filled. And yet, Joe's every touch felt empty. Not tantalizing enough. Despite the raw need flooding through her, it was Gage her mind wished for. Gage she wanted touching her. The lust controlling her moves felt empty. Driven as she was, it was like apple pie without whipped cream. Just not satisfying. The low-to-the-floor hammock rocked back and forth under them. They sank so close to the ground, her bare ass breezed across the rough wooden floorboards. Joe bent his head to her breasts, juggling them in his grasp as he licked at her nipples. His tongue traced over the areolas, moving so slowly, she wanted to kick him into gear. Forever he licked at her breast, teasing every inch of the sensitive skin. The words burned in her. She wanted to scream, “Enough!” She wanted to beg for something more.

Alyssa Brooks

Maybe she should stop this. Yet, she couldn't. Her body and mind were such a mess, no decision seemed right. Her sex was a hot tunnel, pulsing with need to be fulfilled after all these years. She was so wet, so overtaken by pulsing need. Every inch of her skin was alive, burning with lust at every touch. But her mind was a battlefield of emotions. She needed Joe. She needed Josh. She wanted Gage. And suddenly, to her surprise, he arrived, like her thoughts had hook and reeled him in. She heard him before she saw him, the jangle of the curtain of shells brushing aside. His steps were light, pausing as he stepped in the room. She did not need to see him to know. She could feel him. His ache. Arching her back, she rolled her head to look at him. His lips curled, his gaze that of an animal. Clearly, he was jealous. But even more, his stare was ravenous. “Gage,” she whispered. Joe scooted off her, allowing her to sit. She dangled her feet over the hammock, her heels brushing the floor as it rocked. Joe bent before her on one knee. His hands ran over her legs in his soft way, and she shuddered. The nearer his fingers drew to her pussy lips, running over her thigh where her honey dampened her legs, the more she was flooded by wanton ideas. Gage was here. She was ready. If only ... She couldn't utter the words. Couldn't push Joe away. Didn't want to. Yet ... To her surprise, Joe glanced at Gage with a blank look. For a moment he just stared at him. Hard. Then he continued his hot, ravenous kisses over her breasts. “I want you, Cheri.” He sucked hard, really hard, pulling her nipples between his teeth. They stretched and popped from his mouth. Now they were so hard they felt as if they would explode. His mouth trailed over her, then abruptly stopped. He grasped her sides, lifting her. In one abrupt, unexpected movement, he sat on the hammock and pulled her onto his lap. His

The Devil’s Triangle cock plunged into her, invading so deep he butted up against her womb. Her tunnel stretched to accommodate him, having not had sex in so long. She cried out in shock, pleasure, and even slight pain. She hadn't expected that. Immediately Joe began to ram into her. At the same time, an animalistic growl emanated from Gage. He sounded like a tiger ready to attack. Was Joe trying to start a fight? Joe's thrusts increased, his pace faster and more driven. He reached around to pinch at her nipples, as if to assert his dominance. They rolled under the pressure his fingers applied. “I know you want me. But you want him, as well. I'm willing to compromise, let you get him out of your system now. Because when you're mine, you're mine, and that will be soon. But tonight, I'll share you.” Cheri opened her mouth to speak, her mind whirling. Never had any such thing been proposed to her. She looked to Gage, her insides trembling. How he would react? Surely he would do no such thing. Surely she wouldn't. Would she? What was wrong with her? This wasn't something she'd do. Was it? Gage's tongue flicked over his full lips. “Don't say anything.”

***** What people are saying about

The Devil’s Triangle The Devil’s Triangle is an entertaining answer to the eternal question of what might happen in the mysterious Bermuda Triangle. It’s a keeper that fans of sexy paranormal romances will certainly enjoy! -- Patrice Storie, Just Erotic Romance Reviews