For the Love of Sami Read online

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

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

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

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

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

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

  "Is there a problem?"

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

  "I’d like to see it."

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

  "In size or in shape?"

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

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

  She shrugged. "Maybe."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  "Oh, don’t!" She shrieked with laughter. "I’m sorry, I’m sorry."

  "My perfection, huh?" Without letting up on his relentless tickling, he asked, "Why couldn’t you be so-o-o impressed with my prowess as a lover instead?"

  "Oh, I am, I am," Sami assured him, collapsing onto the floor in gales of laughter, and Daniel followed her down. "You’re the most wonderful lover in the whole wide world!"

  All the laughter died out of Daniel. "Believe it, because you’ll never get a chance to find out any differently. Not as long as I have a breath in my body."

  At the wildly hot look in Daniel’s navy eyes, a new exhilaration replaced Sami’s breathless hilarity. His hand went to the tie holding the skirt around her, and the skirt fell away, leaving only a pair of thin lace panties on her body.

  "Dear Lord!" He groaned and cupped his hand under her breast, just looking at it for a moment. The nipple tightened under his gaze, and Sami’s lips parted on a ragged breath of expectation. Lowering his head, Daniel nibbled around it, producing tingles of fire that rayed out from the area until she writhed beneath his mouth, little whimpering cries of passion coming from deep in her throat. Finally, and at last, his mouth moved over the tip. Taking it between his teeth, he picked gently at the nipple until it stood rigid and hard.

  Sami’s stomach contracted, and she sighed. "Oh, Daniel, kiss me."

  His tongue licked over to the division between her breasts and up her chest to the column of her throat, leaving behind wet, scorching streaks. "You taste so good, so sweet," he muttered hoarsely, taking occasional bites of her as he went.

  "Daniel, kiss me!"

  He did, at once fierce and soft, urgent and gentle, but above all, with absolute completeness, his tongue, arms, and legs entwining with hers.

  From a distance, Sami heard the insistent ringing of the doorbell. "Daniel."

  "Ignore it," he commanded roughly. "They’ll go away." With one hand, he secured the two of hers above her head, and with his other, he stroked a blazing path down her body to the smooth, silken skin of her stomach, where he slipped his hand under the edge of her panties.

  "I don’t think so," Sami gasped, the erotic sensations he was creating within her making her almost mindless. "They’ve . . . Ahhh . . . Oh, Daniel! . . . Uh, they’ve been ringing the bell for at least five minutes."

  His mouth journeyed back down to her breasts, and his words fanned warmly over her skin as he spoke. "Damn it, Sami, do you time everything?"

  "Hardly anything," she moaned weakly.

  "I’m going to throw out every clock in this house," he growled, his tongue gliding over to the other breast to brush lightly around it with soft, hot strokes. "Right after I rip that damned doorbell out. Hell!" He jerked to his feet. "This had better be important."

  Sami sat up slowly and watched Daniel stride out of the room. Wondering who could be at the door, she pulled the skirt across her breasts and tied it to one side in a bow. As it turned out, she didn’t have long to wait.

  Daniel was back soon, with a strange expression on his face. "There’s a man in the entryway who insists he must see you, alone."

  Worried, Sami came quickly to her feet. There were only two people who knew where she was: Morgan and Jerome. The man must be either Jason or Jerome. Something must be wrong with Morgan! Walking quickly to the door, she was stopped by the sound of Daniel’s voice.

  "Sami?"

  She looked back at him inquiringly.

  "I’ll be right here. Call me if you need me."

  Now she was even more perplexed. She hurried into the entryway. There, waiting for her, stood a huge, heavily muscled man whose head seemed to disappear into his shoulders. She recognized him immediately. A veritable mountain of a man, he was one of Edward Thorsson’s bodyguards.

  "Eugene!"

  The man-mountain dipped his head slightly in deference. "Miss Adkinson."

  He knew her real name, as did Edward Thorsson. It had never bothered her. Edward and his men were experts at secrecy. "What’s wrong, Eugene? Why are you here?"

  "Mr. Thorsson sent me. He wants to see you."

  "Why? Is something wrong?"

  "I really can’t say. Mr. Thorsson just wants to know if you’ll meet him in the park tomorrow at one."

  "But can’t you tell me what it’s about?" Staring at his expressionless face, she twisted a long strand of hair around her finger and tried to guess what could be so important that Edward Thorsson would send one of his bodyguards for her. But as Eugene remained silent, she gave in. "Oh, all right. Tell him I’ll be there."


  Eugene nodded once more and turned to leave.

  "Eugene?" Sami called him back. "When you came here tonight . . . who did you ask for?"

  He looked at her impassively. "I asked for Sami Adkins."

  She let out a breath of relief. "Thank you, Eugene." He nodded, and then he was gone, more quietly and swiftly than a man-mountain should be able to.

  Returning to the den, Sami found Daniel studying her unnervingly. "Everything all right?"

  She nodded. "It was nothing important."

  "Who was that man?"

  "Just a friend."

  Daniel arched his eyebrows. "A friend?"

  "An acquaintance." she amended.

  "I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me what all that was about"—a half smile touched his lips, but somehow it didn’t reach his eyes—"are you?"

  "I told you, it wasn’t important."

  Sami endured Daniel’s penetrating gaze for a minute longer, then began walking slowly toward him. With an almost languid action, she reached up and undid the tie that held her skirt in place. Allowing it to fall from around her, she continued her leisurely progress across the room, her high, firm breasts swaying a little with the movement of her body. Waiting until she was just a few feet away from him, she stopped.

  Daniel seemed to pale a little, obviously already beginning to forget the strange man who had come to see her. Almost lazily, Sami ran her thumbs under the lace edge of her panties, paused for a moment, then with a deliberate slowness peeled them down her legs until they were around her ankles and she could step out of them. Now she was completely naked, her lovely curves totally exposed, and she saw Daniel take a deep, shuddering breath.

  With just a few more steps, she was in front of him. Spreading her hands across his chest, she bent to run her tongue around, first one of his nipples, then the other.

  "God, Sami!" Daniel ground out as his hands grasped her arms and pulled her hard against him. "I’ve taught you too well." His mouth took hers in a devastating onslaught, and together they dropped to the rug.

  #

  The day had turned cool, and the sun had skidded behind the clouds. Autumn was definitely on its way. As Sami crossed the park, she exchanged greetings with quite a few people. Jerome called them "Sami’s Park People," and in a way they were. Sami felt a responsibility for each of them.

  There was Emma Kazlow, the retired schoolteacher, who always brought her knitting with her so that she would look busy. But Sami had seen how lonely she was and had introduced her to Ronald Myers, a former accountant, who, Sami had realized, was finding retirement equally lonely. A romance was now definitely brewing between them, and Sami couldn’t have been happier about it.

  There was also Justine Curry, the young nursemaid for the Carters’ baby, who wheeled her charge around the park on nice days and who liked to talk to John Nance, the young city worker whose job it was to keep the park clean. Sami was trying to talk John into going back to college.

  And then there was Randall. Most people would call him a bum, but she knew him as one of the most interesting and well-educated people she had ever met. She had tried to convince him more than once to go to a shelter, until one day she had realized he was happy living as he did. Thereafter, she saw to it that bags of food and warm clothing were left in strategic places where he could find them.

  Sami heard her name being called. "Hi, Bill." She changed direction and headed toward the squat, middle-aged man standing behind the ice cream cart. "How are you today?" Sami always slipped him extra money so that kids who couldn’t afford any ice cream could have some.

  "I’m just fine, but Mama isn’t so great."

  Sami’s forehead creased with worry. "I’m sorry to hear that."

  "She’s been asking for you."

  "I know, and I’ve been meaning to get by to see her." She felt a stab of guilt. Lately all she had been able to think about was Daniel. "What’s wrong?"

  "She’s really upset, Sami. Seems her apartment building has just been sold, and her new landlord plans to tear it down to build one of those fancy, high-rise apartment buildings."

  "How horrible!"

  Bill nodded in agreement. "She got a notice telling her she has to vacate, and we can’t decide what to do. I think she has to face facts and go, but on the other hand, it’ll kill her if she has to move."

  Sami laid a reassuring hand on Bill’s arm. "Tell her not to worry. I’ll get over to see her just as soon as I can, and we’ll figure something out."

  A look of relief passed over his face. "Thanks, Sami. I told her you’d think of something." The expression on his face changed subtly. "Did you know Edward Thorsson’s been looking for you?"

  "Yeah, I got the message. Have you seen him?"

  "He’s over by the fountain."

  Sami arrived at the fountain to find Edward Thorsson sitting on one of the benches, feeding the pigeons. Even though he appeared to be in his fifties, he was still very fit, with a dark olive complexion and bushy eyebrows. To say that the man had an unsavory and dangerous reputation would be greatly understating the matter. The manner in which he amassed his money was of great interest to quite a few law-enforcement agencies. But Sami never judged people, and it was through his daughter Anne that she knew him.

  She had met Anne in the park, and over a period of time had come to know and love the pretty teenaged girl. One day a very bewildered and heartbroken Anne had come to Sami, spilling out the story of her desire to go to one of the exclusive girls’ schools in the East, and of the letter she had just received turning down her application.

  Sami had known it had to be because of Edward Thorsson’s reputation, but she hadn’t said anything. Instead, she quietly set about using her own money and connections to get Anne admitted. Now Anne wrote her once a month, and seemed to be positively thriving.

  Nodding to the three beefy bodyguards standing a discreet distance away, she sat down beside him. "Hello, Edward."

  "Sami." He handed her a package of peanuts and continued to feed the pigeons.

  Waiting for him to tell her what was on his mind, Sami cracked open a handful of peanuts. Eating one herself, she threw the rest out for the pigeons. Glancing around, she saw that people who normally would have walked or jogged around the fountain were taking other paths. Such was the reputation of Edward Thorsson.

  All at once, the hard voice cut through the peace of the park. "You haven’t been home at night, Sami."

  Startled, Sami turned toward him. "How did you know?"

  "Me or one of the boys is usually by your place a few times during the night. If we see your light, we know you’re okay."

  Sami was touched. "I didn’t realize."

  "No reason you should. It was something I wanted to do. Your light hasn’t been on lately, so I’ve been checking. Even though you’re there during the day, you haven’t been there at night. I know that’s not like you, and it’s been a while now. I just wanted to make sure you were okay and didn’t need anything."

  "That was very kind of you."

  "All my power and money couldn’t buy my Anne what she wanted. You saw that she got it. Then you gave her lessons on how to act so that she wouldn’t feel out of place with those rich-bitch girls who got into that school so easily just because their mothers or their grandmothers happened to go there a hundred or more years ago."

  "Listen, Edward, I just gave her a few hints. That daughter of yours is already more of a lady than some of those girls will ever be."

  He let out a long breath, and then, for the first time, his piercing, dark eyes turned on her. "Are you in any trouble, Sami? Do you need any help? Because if you do, just tell me and I’ll take care of it."

  She shook her head mutely, at a loss for words. There were times when she privately acknowledged to herself that she was in a great deal of trouble.

  "If someone has hurt you, he’s gonna pay." It was a flat statement, a deadly statement.

  Edward had said, "he’s gonna pay." Of course, he wo
uld know about Daniel. Eugene had found her at Daniel’s house. "No one has hurt me, Edward. There’s—there’s just a man . . . and sometimes it’s kind of hard."

  "You haven’t told him who you are, have you?"

  The same question had been on Sami’s mind lately. And she was never surprised at what Edward knew. If he wanted to, there probably wasn’t much that Edward Thorsson couldn’t find out, one way or another. "I’m not sure he would understand . . . certain things."

  "What’s to understand? You’re glass, Sami—a remarkable young woman, an angel God sent down to the earth, who constantly gives without seeming to and never takes anything back."

  Sami looked curiously at the hard-bitten face in front of her. "Do you believe in God, Edward?"

  "I’d be a fool not to when I look at you." The thin slit of his mouth softened into a smile.

  She had never seen him smile before. "Thank you, Edward," she whispered, and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

  His voice roughened. "You keep in touch, Sami. If you need anything, anything at all, all you have to do is look around and I’ll be there. Understand?"

  "I understand." Sami watched as Edward walked quickly away, flanked by his bodyguards. She did have a problem, and she knew it. She wasn’t being completely honest with Daniel, and that bothered her more than she could say.

  She no longer thought about whether she was in love with him—she knew it wasn’t in her to sleep with a man whom she was not in love with, and she didn’t need Morgan’s I-told-you-so looks every time she saw her to reinforce the fact. Neither did she spend time pondering why she had fallen in love with such a man as Daniel Parker-St. James. Somehow it had happened.

  She could come at the problem ten different ways, but it wouldn’t change one very important fact: she wasn’t being fair to Daniel. He told her he loved her all the time, yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to say the words back to him. And the reasons why she couldn’t weren’t simple. They were things she didn’t entirely understand herself.

  Deep inside, she was a mass of insecurity. Her parents hadn’t loved her, and they hadn’t wanted her around. Yet despite everything, she had never blamed them. Instead, she had grown up with the impossible burden of guilt that she hadn’t been good enough for them.