“No, that’s normal when you’re smitten with someone.” She looks at me with an eyebrow raised and just laughs when I stare back at her.
Smitten.
Maybe I am. I look at Dean one more time and run my finger over his cheek before following Jess back into the kitchen.
Chapter 23 – Dean
The pounding in my head is what wakes me up. Either that or the sun beaming down into my eyes. Maybe it’s the unfamiliar voices that do it, but all I know is that when I wake up I have no idea where I am. I open my eyes slowly to see a little boy inches from my face. He has a bead of drool hanging off her chin to an incredible length and I back up in shock. The back of my head hits the end of the sofa and I wince as the throbbing in my head increases. I look around in panic, not recognising anything around me.
The little boy giggles and reaches up to poke my face. His tiny fingers sink into my cheeks and he giggles some more.
“Who are you?” I whisper as he laughs at me. I groan and try to swing my legs off the sofa. I frown as I look down at my clothes. I’m still wearing a full suit, and my sling is folded on the coffee table beside me. I reach over to start putting it on my throbbing arm.
“He’s alive!” comes a voice from behind me. There’s something familiar about it, and I turn to see the mom from my last birthday party. Sam’s friend. I glance back at the kid and recognise the one with the killer aim. I groan.
“Here,” she says as she hands me some water and painkillers. “Have these. You were pretty drunk last night.”
“Did I come here on my own?” I ask as I take the glass and pills from her. She laughs. I can’t quite remember her name. Something with a J?
“You were desperate to see Samantha,” she says with a grin. “You want some coffee?”
“Fuck,” I say and then look at the little boy. “Sorry,” I say, looking back at the woman. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s what Sam kept saying too,” she says. “I said you’d probably have the apologies covered when you woke up. Don’t worry about it. I think it’s cute.”
“Cute?” I ask as my eyebrows knit together. She laughs.
“Call me a hopeless romantic. What’s more devoted than showing up at a girl’s house completely plastered telling her how beautiful she is.”
I groan and put my hand to my head. “Don’t tell me, please. Don’t tell me anything. Where is she?”
“She’s at work. Don’t worry, Dean, you weren’t that bad.”
“Work?” I ask, frowning. “She got a job already?”
“She’s very resourceful,” the woman says – Jess! That’s her name. “She knew some people in town and they offered her a good job if she could start right away.”
“That’s great. That’s really good. Fuck, and the night before she starts I show up like this. Oh my god,” I groan.
Jess puts a hand on my shoulder and smiles kindly. “Don’t worry about it, Dean, really. I think she was flattered.”
“I’m an idiot,” I say. My head is still throbbing and I reach for the glass of water again.
“Yes, but we won’t hold it against you,” Jess says with a laugh. I try to smile but it feels like my face is cracking when I move. “Here, I’ll grab you a towel and you can have a shower. Do you remember where your car is? I can drive you to it when you’re ready. You’re welcome to stay here and wait for Sam to get home, it should only be a couple hours.”
“And re-live this embarrassment all over again?”
“You’ll have to re-live it next time you see her anyways, she says as she walks towards a closet in the hall. “Here.”
I take the towel she hands me and take a deep breath. “Thank you, Jess. You and Sam – you’re both so nice. It’s.. I just… thanks.”
Jess smiles. “It’s the whole small town thing, I think.” Her face settles into a serious expression as she stares at me. My heart starts beating a bit faster and she opens her mouth to speak again. Her voice is low and emotionless.
“If you break her heart, I’ll break your legs. Do you understand me?”
I would laugh if she wasn’t so serious. I nod slowly. “Got it.”
“Good,” she says, smiling again. “Bathroom is down the hall to the right. There should be soap and everything you need in there.”
“Thanks. Small town kindness, hey?” I ask with a grin.
“Don’t take my kindness for weakness,” she responds with a smile. “Or Sam’s.”
I just nod and head down the hall towards the bathroom. I turn it up so hot the steam starts filling the bathroom. I strip off all my clothes and stick my arm outside the shower to save my cast from getting wet as I let the water wash over me. I groan in satisfaction as the pounding in my head dulls under the water. I wash slowly, trying to breathe some life into my heavy limbs.
By the time my shower is done I feel half-normal. I pick up my suit off the bathroom floor and put it back on, feeling fresher and more alive than I did half an hour ago. I fix my hair and take a swig of mouthwash to get rid of the furry feeling on my teeth before opening the bathroom door and stepping out.
I walk into the living room just as the front door opens and Sam walks in. She sees me and a smile breaks out across her face. The tightness in my chest loosens up and a grin starts to form on my lips.
“Hey,” I say. “You’re back early.”
“They sent me home early after my orientation,” she replies. “You look better than you did yesterday.”
“That’s not saying much,” I laugh. “Listen, Sam, I’m sorry about all that.”
She holds up a hand and kicks off her shoes before taking a step towards me. She puts her hands on either side of my face and pulls my face towards hers. I melt into her, putting my good arm around her and crushing my lips against hers. When she pulls away, her eyes are shining and she clears her throat.
“I’m sorry you lost your job. You want to talk about it?”
“Not really,” I answer in a low voice. “It’s bad enough I showed up here last night.” All I want to do is pull her into me and kiss her again, but I hold back. “Congratulations. At least one of us is employed now.”
“I’ll take care of you,” she says with a wink. “Might not be as glamorous as you’re used to though.”
“Glamorous,” I say with a snort. “Wasn’t too glamorous last night.”
Sam puts her purse on the coffee table and starts pulling out her earrings. She glances at me and shakes her head. “Wouldn’t expect you to go off the deep end like that. I didn’t know you were a drinker.”
“Neither would I. I don’t know what got into me. I’m sorry.”
“Stop it,” she says with a laugh. “You want me to drive you back to your place?” Her eyes narrow and she grins. “Was this all just an elaborate ploy to finally get me back to your apartment?”
“Is it working? If yes, then.. Yeah. I’m a mastermind.”
Sam laughs. “Give me a couple minutes to get out of these work clothes and I’ll bring you back.”
I nod and watch as she heads down the hall. I hear her talking to Jess and I sink down on the sofa again. My heart is racing and I feel like my whole body is electrified. My hangover has disappeared and in its place is that familiar excitement in the pit of my stomach that I get whenever Sam is near.
Chapter 24 – Samantha
“Alright, let’s go!” I say as I grab my keys. Dean nods and gets up off the couch. He runs his fingers through his hair and turns around as I walk towards him.
“Thanks again,” he says to Jess who followed me towards the front door. “And sorry again.” She nods and smiles.
“Happens to the best of us. Glad you’re feeling better.”
We walk out the front door and I nod to Jess’s car which is parked just outside the front door on the street.. “I guess it’s my turn to open the door for you now, hey?” I laugh. I turn to look at him as I walk down the few steps towards the sidewalk. He
grins and then looks beyond me and his expression falls. I turn my head to follow his gaze and my heart immediately drops to my stomach.
“Ronnie,” I breathe. “What are you doing here?” I freeze, squaring my shoulders towards him as he takes a step in my direction. He holds out his hands in front of him, palms facing towards the sky.
“Sam,” he says. “I’m sorry.”
My blood turns to ice and a new anger starts bubbling up inside me. How dare he! How dare he show up here, unannounced, after we’ve signed the divorce papers! Telling me he’s sorry?!
“I don’t want to hear it Ronnie. Go away.”
“Sam, please!” he says again, taking another step towards me. Dean appears by my side.
“She said she doesn’t want to see you,” he growls. Ronnie’s eyes swing towards Dean and his face hardens.
“Who the fuck are you?” he spits. He looks Dean up and down and puffs out his chest, balling his hands into fists. I take a step between them and try to keep my voice calm. I need to de-escalate this.
“He’s my friend. Ronnie, it’s over between us. You have to leave.”
“Is that how it is? A lifetime of friendship and almost three years of marriage and you’re just going to throw it away! And for what, for ‘a friend’?” His voice is more aggressive now, and I can see that fire burning in his eyes. I take a long breath, trying to keep my own voice steady and ignore the righteous anger that’s flooding through me. Before I can speak, Dean takes a step in front of me.
“She’s not throwing anything away, friend. You’re the one who fucked someone else. Now do what the lady asked and fuck right off.”
Even though I know that wasn’t the right thing to say, even though I know it’ll only make Ronnie angry, even though I know I could have handled it better, there’s still something that sparks inside me when Dean speaks up to defend me.
“What are you going to do, punch me?” Ronnie scoffs, nodding to Dean’s cast. “Go ahead and try.”
“I’ve still got one good arm, asshole,” Dean growls.
“Ok, ok, ok,” I say, stepping between the men. I can almost smell the testosterone in the air and I take a breath, putting my hands on Ronnie’s chest. I look up at his face and wait for him to look at me. My heart breaks for the millionth time as I remember the eyes that I fell in love with, the same eyes that betrayed me.
“Ronnie, I don’t want to do this. Not today, not like this.” I whisper.
His shoulders slump slightly and he brings a hand to his forehead.
“I made a mistake, Sam. You need to forgive me. It was a mistake. I’m so sorry. I need you, please!” The supplication in his voice tugs at my heart and my eyes start filling with tears. Something else grows inside me at the same time. It feels like strength, or fresh air building me up and supporting my whole body. I shake my head from side to side.
“I can’t, Ronnie. I just can’t. Please leave.” It barely comes out above a whisper. Ronnie’s face contorts and twists until he doesn’t look like himself anymore. He turns around and with an animalistic yell, he kicks a nearby garbage can and sends its contents flying down the sidewalk. He yells again and walks to a nearby car, getting in and speeding off down the road. Another car pulls out behind him and I watch them drive off. I frown and exchange a glance with Dean. He shrugs.
I let out a breath as my shoulders slump down. Suddenly I feel exhausted. I walk slowly to the garbage can and set it upright before bending over to pick up everything that spilled out of it. Dean appears by my side and helps me without saying a word. When we’re done, he turns towards me and wraps his arm around me. I bury my head in his chest and a sob rakes through my chest as my whole body trembles. He cooes and rubs my back and kisses the top of my head as I cry into his chest.
The pain in my heart eases and I pull away, wiping my eyes.
“Thanks,” I say. “Sorry.”
Dean laughs. “That’s all I’ve been saying today as well.”
I try to laugh but it catches in my throat. I nod to Jess’s car. “Come on, let’s go.” Dean slides his hand down my back and we walk slowly towards the car. I get into the driver’s seat and he slides into the passenger’s seat as I turn the car on. I take a long, deep breath and let it all out. I swing my head over and look at Dean. He’s looking at me with concern written all over his face. He reaches his hand over and stokes my cheek.
“You were great back there,” he says. “I don’t know how you kept your cool.”
I laugh bitterly. “Lots of practice, I guess. He used to get mad a lot.”
Dean stiffens and searches my face. I hate the way his eyes are boring into me and I pull my cheek away, nodding to the road and clearing my throat.
“Alright, lead the way,” I say. Dean settles into his seat and we start driving. The silence is only punctuated by Dean’s directions – turn left, take a right up here, left at the lights. I just nod whenever he says something, not trusting my own voice. Finally he points to a tall building.
“That’s me,” he says. I pull up outside and take a deep breath. I can feel him looking at me and he clears his throat. “You want to come up?”
I finally look at him again and the strength of his gaze almost knocks me over. His eyes are searching my face as if he wants to know everything about me. The ice that formed around my heart when Ronnie appeared starts to melt and I nod my head.
“Yeah,” I say. “I do.”
Dean smiles ever so slightly and nods his chin down once. “Cool,” he says. I can help but laugh gently and feel the tension in my body start to relax a little bit more.
“Cool,” I repeat.
Chapter 25 – Dean
Sam looks a bit tense as the elevator dings open and I guide her down the hallway towards my door. I look at her and smile.
“Don’t worry,” I say as I look for my keys. “We’re just going to have a drink. I’m not going to suddenly expect you to sleep with me just because you decided to come up to my apartment.”
Sam’s shoulders relax slightly and she smiles. She nods.
“Okay. Thanks, Dean.”
I laugh as I slide the keys in the door. “I’m not an asshole, Sam. You’ve just had to deal with your ex acting like a toddler having a temper tantrum. I just want you to relax and feel good. I mean it.” I turn to her and smile. She nods again and I tilt her chin up towards me with my finger. I lay a soft kiss on her lips and breathe in that floral scent that I’ve come to love over the past few days. When I pull away, Sam’s smile looks a bit easier, and she lets out a sigh to relax herself.
I laugh. “Come on. What are you drinking? Wine? Whiskey? Coffee? Tell me about your new job.” I step into my apartment and throw my keys onto the table by the door. I strip my jacket off and stretch my neck back and forth, heading for the fridge.
It’s not until I hear Sam’s gasp that I turn to look at her. Her jaw is hanging open as she looks across the room to the wall of windows. She glances back at me and shakes her head.
“You weren’t kidding, the view is amazing.”
“Wait until nighttime,” I say as I open the fridge and grab a beer for myself. “You can see the lights of the city so clearly from up here. What are you drinking?”
“Wow,” Sam says, taking a step towards the windows. She glances back at me. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
I nod and pull out another beer, holding it in the crook of my broken arm to pop the cap off. Sam is opening the sliding glass doors and stepping out onto the balcony, so I bring our drinks out to join her.
“This is incredible, Dean.”
“It’s not bad, yeah,” I reply as I lift the beer to my lips. “Easy to get used to.”
Sam takes her beer and stares at me. She narrows her eyes as she searches my face, tilting her head to the side.
“Dean, how rich are you, really? I mean, all this, the cars…” Her voice trails off as she glances back at the view. I chuckle.
> “I’m not struggling for money. Well, I wasn’t. I never thought my own father would fire me.”
Sam turns back to me and puts her hand on my arm. “I’m sorry. What happened?”
“Just family stuff,” I say, not wanting to talk about it. The less I have to think about Victoria and my family, the better. Sam nods and takes a sip of her beer. The sun is starting to go down and it’s giving everything a golden aura. Sam’s skin looks like she’s been dipped in a vat of gold, and her hair is shining like a halo around her head. I put my beer down on the table and run my fingers along her jaw to tangle them at the base of her head. She groans and takes a step closer to me, running her fingers up my chest to touch my neck.
My whole body feels electric when we kiss. The second her lips touch mine, my feet leave the ground and I’m floating in space. She wraps her fingers around my neck, her other hand still holding the bottle of beer as I pull her closer to me. I can’t get enough of her. I want her closer, I want to taste her more, to feel more of her body against mine. I want to run my fingers over every inch of her and taste and kiss every bit of skin that I can find. I let my lips trail down her neck and across her collarbone as her fingers tangle into my hair. She moans and a thrill passes straight through my stomach. My cock is aching for her.
“Let’s go inside,” she breathes. I pull away and nod. “The couch,” she says. She drops her beer next to mine and closes the sliding glass door when we step through. I sit down on the couch and groan when she swings her legs over to straddle me. Her chest is pressed against my cast, her centre next to mine. I can feel the heat between her legs radiating as my cock jumps up against my pants.
“Sam,” I groan.
“What,” she says, dipping her head down to kiss my earlobe, and then my neck, and then that little bit of space between my collarbones. Her lips come up to find mine again and she grinds against me as we kiss. The passion between us intensifies as she starts to unbutton my shirt, slowly at first, and then more frantically as she gets closer to my pants. She pulls the shirt away from my chest and runs her fingers up my stomach, exhaling as she watches her hand crawl up my chest.
Knocked Up by the Billionaire's Son: A Secret Baby Romance Page 9