by Lois Kasznia
“Ian, it’s me.” Sam broke down to call him first. She knew he had been busy.
“Hey, me,” Ian answered happily. “I wondered if you had forgotten about me?” He knew he had been busy, but he still teased Sam.
“I thought it was the other way around,” said Sam. “I don’t think the gal should be calling the guy.”
“Sam, you can call me anytime and you know it.” Ian smiled into the phone. “You horny?”
“Ian, stop!” laughed Sam. “I am, but that’s not why I called you. Remember my parents are coming in tomorrow. Of course, they want to meet you. What does your schedule look like?”
“I’m free for the first part of the week, but tonight I plan on seeing you. It’s been way too long since I’ve seen you.”
“I know,” whispered Sam longingly. “I know we’re old enough, but I feel funny about staying at your house while they are here.”
“I understand. This will be a test for us, that’s for sure.” Ian shut down his computer. “Mind if I come over now?”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” said Sam, smiling ear to ear.
“I’ll be there in ten. Can’t wait to see you.” Ian disconnected the call, grabbed an overnight bag and headed over to see Sam.
Sam smiled as she raced through the house straightening everything. She felt confident about the arrangements for her parents. Just getting through to them is what she dreaded. She brightened as the doorbell rang.
“Hey, gorgeous,” said Ian as he possessively claimed Sam’s mouth.
“A girl could get used to this,” murmured Sam as she clasped her hands behind Ian’s neck. “Want to come in and get reacquainted?”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Ian picked Sam up and carried her to the bedroom.
“Now, where were we?” asked Ian as he started taking off Sam’s sundress that had nothing underneath. Ian touched her fondly. He stroked her arms and settled on suckling her nipples. Sam made little noises in the back of her throat which drove Ian crazy. His hands traveled down Sam’s flat stomach and nestled in the opening between her legs.
“Oh, Ian.” Sam gasped. “Don’t stop.”
“I won’t, baby.” Ian thrust his shaft into the warm folds and he lost all control. Both he and Sam climaxed at the same time, their breathing hard.
“Oh, Ian. A whole week where we have to behave. I don’t think I can stand it.” Sam propped her elbows so she could stare at Ian. Sam smoothed a lock of hair that had fallen across Ian’s forehead.
“I know, but we can do it. I want your parents to really like me,” admitted Ian. “I want them to know that I am taking good care of their little girl.”
“What’s not to like about you,” asked Sam as she fondly stroked his face.
“Jordan has told me horror stories, so I am a bit nervous,” admitted Ian.
“Well, you can count on me. They are my parents, and I know how to handle them. Look at you. You’re a famous architect, you work with children and you’re a Seal.”
“Don’t tell them that part,” warned Ian. “That would scare them off.” He pulled up the covers and snuggled next to Sam.
“You’re right,” sighed Sam as she felt warmth from Ian’s body. “What’s going on with Drew?”
“I knew you were going to ask that,” sighed Ian. “He’s under investigation and the police are watching him pretty heavily. They were able to get prints off of the scene at Jett’s house and my coworkers are on it.”
“I hope Drew knows he’s being watched because I want nothing to happen when my folks are here. Can you promise me that?” asked Sam.
“Like I told you before, I’m here to protect you,” said Ian tenderly. Sam’s look was all that he needed and Ian’s hands once again traced her body, which made him hard with desire.
****
“Mom, Dad over here!” cried Sam as her parents walked into the airport. They looked a little bewildered seeing the greeters with their lei’s, time share reps, porters, customs officials and the police. Sam felt sorry for them, knowing they hardly ever travelled.
“Sam,” breathed Bunny. “How are you?” Bunny looked at her twice. “Goodness, you’ve changed. You’ve lost weight, and look at your hair and your tan? Maui must agree with you.” Bunny gave Sam a big hug.
“Thanks, Mom. You look great too,” said Sam as she kissed Bunny on the cheek. “Dad. It’s so good to see you guys.” Sam noticed their attention focused on Ian. “Gosh, where are my manners? Mom, Dad, this is Ian.”
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Stevens. Very nice to meet you,” said Ian cordially as he shook their hands.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” said Bunny, now all charm and grace. “Sam hasn’t really told us much about you, so it will be so good to get to know you.”
“Likewise,” said Ian cheerfully. Ian grabbed the bags from Sam’s father and easily loaded them into the trunk. Sam let her father sit in the front with Ian while she sat in the back with her mother.
“I bet you’re tired,” said Sam. “Would you like to relax at the house?”
“We’re not tired,” said Bunny cheerfully. “We are just starving!”
“Say no more,” said Ian. “We can have a barbeque at my house.”
“Why, that sounds lovely,” said Bunny and tapped her husband on the shoulder. “Isn’t that right, dear?”
“Humph,” said Artie, not caring to comment on anything just yet.
“Oh my,” exclaimed Bunny. “Why, this looks just like the postcards you’ve sent me.”
“It’s a beautiful island,” said Ian. “Sam’s only been in Maui, but the other Hawaiian Islands are just as beautiful, each one being distinct.”
“Don’t you get a chance to travel, Sam?” asked Bunny.
“Of course I can, Mom. I’ve only been here what, Ian? Going on three weeks?” Sam looked at Ian for confirmation.
“Something like that,” agreed Ian as he pulled up into the gated driveway of his house.
“T-this is your house,” stuttered Bunny, her jaw dropped
“Yes, not only did I design this, but I oversaw the construction myself,” beamed Ian.
“Oh my. Sam did say you were an architect.” Bunny turned to Artie. “Isn’t this lovely, dear?”
“Humph,” muttered Artie again.
Ian parked the car and they all got out. Sam showed her parents around Ian’s house and the view while Ian prepared his barbecue in the kitchen.
“So, what do you think?” whispered Sam excitedly.
“Is he for real?” asked Bunny. “Oh, Sam, I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Of course he’s for real, and we’re taking one step at a time.” Sam rolled her eyes. “Can’t you be happy for me?”
“We only want the best for you, honey. I just don’t see this relationship going anywhere. Why don’t you come back to Chicago and settle down?” Bunny patted Sam’s arm.
“You’ve only known him for thirty minutes and already you’re dooming this? You are not being fair.” Sam glared at her mother.
“Bunny, call in your claws,” interjected Artie. “If you’re going to behave like this, it will be one miserable visit.”
“Thanks, Dad,” said Sam, relieved that at least her father was on her side.
“I’ll try,” retorted Bunny and stood out and looked at the ocean.
“I think we could all use a glass of wine,” said Sam and led her parents back to the kitchen where they found Ian in his glory making dinner.
“Dinner is just about ready,” called Ian as he headed to the grill. “I have fresh mahi-mahi and steak. For the steak, how do you like it?”
“Well done,” said Bunny, appreciating the aromas and the appetizers. “Ian, this is lovely.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Stevens.” Ian smiled at the compliments.
“You can call me Bunny.” She smiled flirtatiously at Ian.
“Bunny,” repeated Ian and looked at Sam. She gave him the heads up. It appeared that Bunny liked him.
&
nbsp; Dinner passed without any incidents and Ian dutifully answered any questions Bunny asked. She did most of the talking while Artie just watched and listened.
“So, Ian and Sam, what’s going to happen when Sam moves back to Chicago?”
“Mother!” hissed Sam.
“Bunny!” growled Artie.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” responded Ian smoothly, easing the tension.
Finally, Bunny yawned, signaling it was time for them to leave.
“Ian, are you going to take us to Sam’s house?” asked Bunny.
“I’m driving you to my place,” answered Sam. “Ian has to work tomorrow and will be out of town for most of the week, right?” Again, Sam looked to Ian for confirmation.
“Yes. I’m working on a house in Seattle and won’t be home until Friday,” said Ian.
“My, that’s a busy schedule,” commented Bunny. “Well, Ian. Thank you for a lovely meal and your pleasant company.”
“You’re very welcome.” Ian shook Bunny’s hand and then took Artie’s. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.” Ian turned to Sam. “Drive home carefully. Especially watch out for Jennifer or Drew. Call me when you get home.”
“Will do,” said Sam. Her mother and father looked on expectantly so see if she and Ian were going to kiss. Ian gave Sam a slight shake of his head that he didn’t see it as a good idea. He handed the car keys to Sam, just slightly touching her hand.
“This is your car?” asked Bunny as she slid into the backseat. “I thought this belonged to Ian.”
“It came with the house, so it’s not really my car,” explained Sam.
“Can we see Jett’s house? I’d love to see what Ian is doing to it,” asked Bunny now very interested in Ian’s work.
“Sure. We can stop by tomorrow. What would you two like to do while you’re here?” asked Sam.
“I’d like to shop, of course,” said Bunny. “You’re father wants to play golf, right, dear?”
“Humph,” replied Sam’s father.
“There are plenty of golf courses on the island. I’ll see what we can dig up.” Sam pulled into the garage of her house. Her father got the suitcases out of the car and Sam helped him. As they entered the house, the look on her parents’ face was one of astonishment.
“Now you know why I don’t want to go back to Chicago,” asked Sam with a knowing smile on her face. For once, Bunny couldn’t answer. Then, Cracker came into the room and all hell broke loose.
Sam called Ian to tell him she arrived home without any incidents and thanked him for what he had done this evening. Sam felt a little blue knowing that Ian had planned to be out of town all week, but she had her hands full with her parents.
After the call, she put her parents to bed and then stayed up a little longer nursing a glass of wine and thinking about her future. She dreamed of Ian asking her to stay. Did she want to stay? Should she go back to California with Jett? If she stayed with Ian, would he want to marry her? Sam honestly didn’t know what she wanted and became more confused than ever. Sighing, she got up and went to bed and tossed and turned all night.
****
“Sam?” Bunny stood over Sam’s bed, shaking her awake.
“Did I oversleep?” grumbled Sam as she looked at the clock that read seven in the morning, early for her.
“You know your father and I are early risers and we’re hungry. I didn’t know what to do about breakfast. I also didn’t want to go snooping in your cabinets and I can’t figure out how to work the new-fangled coffee maker of yours,” said Bunny, shaking her head.
“Okay,” said Sam as she grabbed a robe and padded into the kitchen with Bunny close behind. “Coffee is in the fridge and it’s really good; Kona from the islands. All you do is this.” Sam got the coffee cup and showed Bunny how to work the machine.
“Oh. You mean we’re not going out to breakfast every morning?” asked Bunny.
“If you want to, you can, but it’s kind of expensive here. I’ve got this kitchen stocked with fresh fruit, juice and all sorts of food. I figured we can go out for dinner. We can even grill outside,” said Sam. “I’ve got a grill outside on the patio, see?”
“Oh,” said Bunny sounding disappointed.
“We can go out tomorrow,” said Sam, trying to appease her mother. Sam started to make breakfast and her father wandered in, dressed in flowered shorts and a golf shirt.
“What’s going on?” he asked, looking at Sam and then Bunny.
“What do you want to do?” asked Sam. “Mom wants to go out for breakfast tomorrow, which is fine. I can drive you around the island and maybe we can set up a tee time for you, Dad.”
“I want to go with him,” said Bunny.
“That’s fine because I have work to do. If you need to, you can borrow the car. I don’t mind.” Sam’s parents agreed and sat down to eat. They chatted about things back in Chicago and Ian’s name wasn’t mentioned at all.
Afterwards, Sam drove them around the island, pointing out places of interest to them. They stopped at two golf courses and made reservations to play. Sam then drove them to Jett’s house where they were awed over the mansion, clucking their tongues about the vandalism. Sam purposely didn’t tell them about her or Ian’s house.
For the rest of the week, the Stevens fell into an easy pattern with Sam working and her parents having the time of their lives. Sam felt a little upset that she hadn’t heard from Ian even though she did hear from Deb, Jordan, Jett and Marvin. Jett’s house progressed nicely and it looked like the move in date would be in a couple of months rather than six months. That had Sam on edge as the date of her leaving drew nearer and no word from Ian. She felt like her life hung in limbo.
****
In the meantime, while Sam dealt with her parents, things really heated up between Deb and Jordan. They spoke frequently on the phone and Jordan convinced Deb to move in with him in California. Jordan took her on tour dates so they wouldn’t be separated for long periods of time. In reality, they had known each other their whole lives and fell into a comfortable pattern. Of course Deb’s family was devastated. In a Catholic family, girls stayed home until they were married. Deb couldn’t wait to speak with Sam, but knew Sam was tied up with her parents. Deb had no idea of the hell Sam was going through with her relationship with Ian.
Chapter Twenty
Ian had been in Seattle for the week immersed in meetings that went into the night. If he thought Jett had been a hard person to please, this author took the cake. Not only did he change his mind once an hour, but nothing Ian did, pleased him. Ian compared it to writing a novel and the author kept changing the direction of the plot. Ian’s mind went back to Sam and he felt guilty he hadn’t called her, but honestly? There hadn’t been time. Part of his reluctance had to do with meeting Sam’s parents. It seemed like a final step in their relationship. Had she been expecting him to propose? That’s what it had felt like and he knew he wasn’t ready for that kind of a commitment. Or was he? He missed Sam terribly, every day without her felt like hell. He put his head in his hands, trying to think straight. He found himself acting like a coward.
“Hey, Sam,” Ian tried to be nonchalant.
“Hey, back,” said Sam cheerfully. “How are you?”
“Really busy,” replied Ian. He tried to tone down his libido just hearing her voice.
“I kind of figured,” said Sam cautiously.
“If I thought Jett was hard to work with, this guy is a piece of work. Makes me feel like quitting my day job and becoming a Seal full-time again.” Ian chuckled. “I don’t know how many times I said that when I had been a full-time Seal.”
“Don’t let Jett know because he takes pride in him being your most difficult client,” laughed Sam.
“Really.” Ian became quiet for a moment. Since Sam didn’t say anything, he continued on, “How have you been? How are the parents?”
“After a rocky start, we’ve been good. They wanted to go out to eat all the time, but I put
my foot down. If they want to, here’re the keys to the car. Help yourself. I think they thought I would be paying for them, but I told them it’s really Jett’s money. But they’ve backed off and have done something every day and night pretty much leaving me alone.” Sam stopped talking.
“Um. Have they asked about us?” asked Ian cautiously.
“No. They haven’t even brought up your name,” answered Sam honestly
“Really? They’re not pressuring you to move back to Chicago?” teased Ian.
“Haven’t said a word.” Sam knew right then, Ian had felt pressured and moved onto a different topic. “Jett’s house here is doing really well,” commented Sam.
“Good to know. At least one of the projects is going well. Have you heard from Jett?” asked Ian.
“No, well, kind of. I have been texting him almost every day about certain things. Emails he has received, that kind of thing.” Sam waited for an answer.
“How’s the surfing coming along?” asked Ian.
“I’m getting better every day,” said Sam proudly. “I make a point to practice faithfully.”
“Ready to surf with me when I get back?” asked Ian, a little more relaxed now.
“I don’t know,” said Sam with a smile. “You’ve had years more practice then I’ve had. Maybe I should put more hours in my practice.”
“It might be a good idea.” Ian smiled for the first time that day.
“Mom and Dad leave in a couple of days,” said Sam. “It will be good to have my car back.”
“I have my car at the airport, otherwise I’d lend you mine,” said Ian.
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine,” assured Sam. “Speaking of which, when do you expect to be back here?”
“Not sure,” said Ian, his guard back up.