***
S: Have you left the station yet? X
Luciana glanced down at her phone in her hand and smiled. She’d left the station on time but had since been sitting outside Sam’s apartment building. For twenty minutes, she’d sat and thought about the woman upstairs, how good she was for her. For twenty minutes, her heart constricted in her chest when she thought about ever losing her. In those twenty minutes, Luciana had come to only one conclusion: She was falling in love with Sam. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be, not so soon, but nobody had ever shown her so much respect or compassion, and Luciana knew that what she felt was genuine. It wasn’t simply because Sam wanted her around—she wasn’t that desperate to fall in love—but it was because everything felt so natural between them. It felt real and honest. For the last week or so, the thought of their age difference hadn’t once entered Luciana’s mind. It didn’t matter to her. If people chose to talk, to judge, those people had little else to deal with in their tiny lives. The issue Luciana faced right now was that she was scared to go upstairs for fear of opening her mouth and those words falling from it.
L: Yes, I'm on my way. X
S: ETA? X
L: 10 minutes? X
S: Perfect. Dinner is almost ready. X
Luciana climbed to her feet and took her rucksack from the floor beside her. Checking her car was locked, the lights flashed and she turned, slowly walking towards the apartment block she’d spent the best part of a week residing in. Yes, she would one day have to go home, but for now…here was perfect. Until Sam kicked her out, sick of the sight of her, Luciana would continue to shower her with the same love and affection she’d been receiving.
She took the spare keys Sam had given her and used the fob to gain access to the building. The automatic lighting lit up the entrance immediately, shocking Luciana’s eyes as they adjusted to the brightness of them. Just another minute and I’ll be safely inside with her. Luciana sighed, smiling at the thought of being with Sam tonight. Her girlfriend may have promised to be waiting, completed by a suit, but just sharing dinner was good enough. It always would be.
Luciana took the stairs slowly, a mental image of her time spent with Janet flashing in her mind. Nothing had ever felt real with the interior designer, nothing worth holding onto, but Luciana recognised that long before today. It was the reason she’d never pushed to contact or find Janet once she fell off the radar. When her ex-client stopped calling, booking her, Luciana had felt a relief. With Sam, the opposite had happened. She knew she had to cut ties with her for her own sanity, but once she learned how Sam felt, that she wanted to continue seeing her, Luciana couldn’t stay away. Their first meeting clouded her thoughts of Janet and a sense of happiness washed through Luciana’s entire being. This, right now, was where she was supposed to be. Whether it lasted a year or a lifetime, Luciana was here and she planned to cherish every moment with Sam Phillips.
As she slid the key into the lock, the sight in front of her when the door opened caused her breath to catch in her throat. The lights were dimmed, and the strong aroma of Italian cooking sent Luciana’s stomach into a frenzy. Sam stood with her back to her as she poured red wine into each glass on the table, dinner ready and waiting on the plates beside them. Sam’s hair was pulled up into a ponytail, giving Luciana a hint of her neck. Oh, wow. But what caught her attention more than anything, was the same black suit from this morning. High-waisted navy pants sat around her mid-section, an ivory silk shirt tucked into them. Her blazer had been shed, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was that Luciana’s heart was beating out of her chest, her brain having the inability to even croak out any sort of word.
Sam turned around, a ringlet of hair falling down the side of her face as she smiled. “That was quick.”
“Y-Yeah.” Luciana dropped her rucksack as she closed the door. “Didn’t take me as long as I thought it would.”
“Just in time for dinner.” Sam crossed the room and stopped in front of her girlfriend. Her eyes were tired, her shoulders slightly slumped, but this was her favourite version of Luciana. Here, laid bare, was when she felt most connected to her. While Sam was fond of the first impression she had of Luciana, done up in her escort persona, nothing beat this. “Why don't you take a seat and I’ll join you in a moment?”
“Okay.” Luciana nodded slowly, unable to take her eyes off Sam. “Thank you for doing this.”
“It’s just dinner.” Sam cocked her head. “Is everything okay with you?”
“Perfect. Great.”
“Bad day?” Sam took her hand and guided her towards the dining table. “You look tired.”
“I can push through.” Luciana sat down, her grip tightening on Sam’s hand. “Seriously, this food looks amazing.”
“I figured I couldn’t go wrong with Italian.” Sam winked. “After all, I'm dating one…”
“Mm.” Luciana smirked. “You are.” She tugged Sam’s hand, motioning for her to come a little closer. As Sam dipped her head, Luciana kissed her harder than she ever had. If Sam was surprised, she didn’t show it. Instead, she moaned into her mouth, smiling against her lips. “I’ve wanted to do that all day.”
“The suit, huh?” Sam pulled back.
“No. Just you. Everything about you.” Luciana closed her eyes, savouring the taste of Sam on her lips. Moments like this mattered to her, more than she ever thought they would. Moments when the outside world didn’t matter, just Sam and her devastating smile for company. “Hurry up. Dinner is getting cold.”
“I’ll just get the salad.” Sam threw her thumb over her shoulder, refusing to break contact with Luciana’s eyes as she slowly backed away from the table. “A-Anything else?”
“You,” Luciana breathed out, every fibre of her being screaming to reach out and touch Sam once again.
Sam returned to the table and placed their salad down, sitting opposite Luciana. “Tell me about your day.”
“Pretty standard.” Luciana tore an edge from the focaccia bread sitting between them. “We had a Joey that we could have done without.”
“A Joey?” Sam clasped her hands beneath her chin, listening intently.
“A hoax call.”
“People actually do that?” Sam scoffed. “Do they have nothing better to do?”
“It’s more common than you’d think.” Luciana shook her head. “I fucking hate them.”
“I can imagine,” Sam said. “It must be infuriating.”
“I used to get really wound up about it,” Luciana agreed. “You know, I’d go home thinking about it and what could possibly possess someone to be so stupid…”
“Understandable.”
“But tonight, I didn’t.” Luciana smiled, reaching her hand forward and taking Sam’s. “Tonight, I left work at work, knowing I was coming back here to you.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Now, I wanna hear about your day.” She squeezed Sam’s hand. “Anything interesting?”
“Actually…” Sam lowered her eyes. “I have to go away for a few days late next week.”
“Okay.” Luciana noted the shift in Sam’s mood. She understood that being a businesswoman involved trips away and times when they couldn’t be together. She’d always understood that. “You don't look too happy about going away.”
“Can’t say I'm looking forward to leaving you.” Sam picked up her fork, bringing pasta to her mouth. “I’m hoping I’ll only be gone for three days. Two if I can get everything out of the way quicker.”
“Hey, don't worry about it.” Luciana offered Sam a full smile. “I’ll be waiting for you when you come back.”
“You’ll be okay?”
“I know you're worried about her, Sam. She hasn’t been in touch, I promise.”
“I’m not worried about her.” Sam sighed. “I should have told you last week, but it wasn't my business and I didn’t know if I’d done the right thing getting involved.” Sam felt an anxiety settle within her
. Luciana had asked her not to get involved, and while it seemed like a good idea at the time, she wasn’t so sure now.
“You’ve lost me…”
“The night after it happened, I had that meeting.” Sam glanced up, gauging Luciana’s reaction. “Well, I’d arranged to meet Janet.”
“You’re going into business with her?”
“Oh, no.” Sam laughed. “I arranged to meet her after I’d been to your flat.”
“O-Oh.” Luciana’s face fell. She wasn’t sure where Sam was going with this conversation, but panic coursed through her.
“I’m so sorry.” Sam held her head in her hands. “I overstepped, but I believe I did the right thing. She’s gone, and I don't regret doing it.”
“Doing what, exactly?” Luciana dropped her fork to the plate and sat back in her seat.
“I threatened her with the contract she has in London.” Sam cleared her throat. “That I knew what she’d done to you and I’d make the call to have her off the project.”
“You did that for me?” Luciana’s voice wavered. “You put yourself on the line…for me?”
“I explained that she could lose everything, that’s all.”
“Still, you didn’t have to do that. I mean, why would you do that for me?” Luciana’s pulse thrummed in her ears, the idea that she could fall for Sam only growing stronger as the minutes passed between them.
“Because I care about you, baby.”
God, don't say things like that, Luciana thought as her entire being ignited with a sense of love she’d never felt before. It’s too soon to feel this way. Far too soon. Luciana simply smiled, removing the image in her head of putting her foot in it and telling Sam something she couldn’t possibly want to hear.
“And I know you're strong and someone who doesn’t need my help, but I couldn’t sit here night after night without telling that bitch what I thought of her.”
“Thank you.” Luciana pushed her seat back and approached Sam. “Thank you so much.” She got down to her knees between Sam’s legs and leaned up, kissing her softly. “You have such a beautiful heart, Sam. Don't ever forget that.”
“As do you.” Sam cupped Luciana’s face, her bright smile widening. “I’m sorry I have to go away.”
“Don't worry about it.” Luciana dropped back on her knees, shrugging. “It’s only a few days and maybe it will do you some good.”
“Do me some good?” Sam arched an eyebrow. “Why would it?”
“I’ve been around a lot lately.”
“I’m aware of that.” Sam nodded.
“And I don't want this to burn out because you're sick of the sight of me. I have tomorrow to get through in work and then I'm all yours for the weekend.”
“What are your shifts next week?” Sam asked as Luciana climbed to her feet and returned to her seat. The idea of asking her girlfriend to join her on her trip away had entered her mind, but she wasn't sure Luciana would go for it. With shifts to work, Sam wasn't completely up on the days and times she would be available.
“I have two earlies and two lates next week. Monday to Thursday. Once I finish on Thursday, I’ll go home and sleep then head to Mum and Dad’s on the Friday afternoon.”
“That sounds nice,” Sam said, returning to the food on her plate and attempting to seem as nonchalant as possible. “So long as you have plans.”
“Well, I don't, but since you’ll be gone, I should make use of that time to at least show my face to my parents.”
“I just… I thought…” Sam paused. “Never mind.”
“Is everything okay?” Luciana helped herself to a little more bread. “Babe?”
“I was wondering if you wanted to come with me on my trip?”
“Me?” Luciana asked, her eyes narrowed. “You want me on a business trip with you?”
“If you’d like to join me…”
“Wait! This isn’t like an escort kinda thing, is it?” Luciana asked. “I mean, I'm going there as me. Not a friend or whatever?”
“You’d be joining me as my girlfriend,” Sam said. “I’m not one of those women who require someone good-looking on her arm to make an impression. I made my impression in the business world a long time ago.”
“That’s hot.” Luciana pointed her fork at Sam.
Sam blushed. “At least say you’ll think about it?”
“I’d love to join you.” Luciana’s eyes lit up. “But I’m working until eight on Thursday night.”
“I was originally going to leave Thursday but the next morning will be fine.”
“You’d wait around for me?”
“Something tells me that you joining me on my trip will be beneficial.” Sam hummed; just having Luciana’s company would be a welcome relief.
“Oh, I’ll make it worth your while. Don't worry about that.”
“I don't doubt it.”
Eighteen
Sam focused on the black clouds rolling in, her mood currently better than it had been since Lucia died. Those two years since her death had been excruciatingly hard and lonely, but something good had come out of it. The nights when she lay awake, wondering if she would ever be happy again, had resulted in this. Luciana. A woman she had an immense amount of time for, and a woman who made Sam feel incredibly happy. Her nightmares had stopped, her anxiety had lessened, and her general mood had lifted. She no longer felt on edge, or short with people. Luciana had brought something out in her, something she thought had long gone. Over the last few days, Sam had tried to keep her feelings at bay, feelings she wasn't sure she deserved, but she couldn’t. As she stood here this morning, she thought about her future. One that Sam wished would include Luciana.
The sound of humming in the kitchen made her smile. As she turned around, it widened when she caught sight of her girlfriend prancing around in nothing but a robe. A robe which left very little to the imagination. A robe which would, in moments, be on the floor.
“Good morning, beautiful,” Luciana said huskily, her voice still thick with sleep as she stretched. “I have the entire weekend with you.”
“Mm, you do.” Sam leaned against the window. “When you have a minute, join me over here.”
Luciana left her half-prepared coffee on the counter and approached Sam. “What’s up?”
“Thought you could see this view with me.” Sam turned Luciana towards the window and wrapped her arms around her waist from behind. “I know you’ve seen it before—”
“Stop talking.” She rested her head back on Sam’s shoulder. “This is the perfect morning.”
“It’s Saturday. Shouldn’t you be waking up with the world’s worst hangover?”
“Um, why would I?”
“Because you're twenty-five, not fifty.”
“It never appealed to me.” Luciana tilted her head up, those blue eyes shining brighter than ever. “But morning kisses from an insatiable woman always appeal to me.”
“Smooth.” Sam smirked against her girlfriend’s lips. “And gorgeous.”
“Are you trying to instigate something, babe?”
“I’m not sure I ever have to instigate anything.” Sam slid her hand inside Luciana’s robe, her fingertips brushing a hardened nipple. “Have you been thinking about me this morning?”
“I'm always thinking about you,” Luciana replied breathlessly. “You and your hands.”
“Yeah?” Sam nipped her earlobe. “And what exactly where you thinking about?” She lowered her voice as her hand travelled south, her palm stroking a solid stomach.
“Mm, this,” Luciana said with a whimper. “You. Touching me.”
“I’d spend forever touching you.” Sam smiled against Luciana’s neck. “God, I'd give anything to always be doing this with you.”
“Nothing stopping us…”
“Just let me give you what you need right now.” Sam’s fingers rolled over Luciana’s clit, a moan slipping from both their mouths.
“Fuck, t
hat feels good.” Luciana’s knees weakened as she felt her arousal coat Sam’s fingertips. “And we will be doing this forever,” Luciana said. “Make no mistake.”
“Baby.” Sam held Luciana against her, tugging her robe open. “You feel so good.”
Sam’s free hand slid up her girlfriend’s body, her thumb rolling over her nipple. She felt Luciana shudder as her fingers moved lower, stroking the inside of her thigh. She meant it when she told her she wanted to keep doing this, regardless of the fact it was all too good to be true, so Sam closed her eyes and gave the woman against her exactly what she knew she wanted. Pleasure. Release. A relief from the need they both felt. Her fingers pushed inside Luciana, eliciting a gasp.
“Sam, please…”
“What do you want?” Sam breathed against her ear. “Tell me what you need.”
“You. Fuck, I need you.” Luciana’s mouth fell open as Sam pushed her forward and towards the window. Her palms found the glass, her body bent slightly at the hip. “Oh, God.” Luciana’s head fell between her shoulders. This woman, the woman who was now removing her robe and placing kisses down her spine, meant the entire world to her. One day, she would have to know that. “O-Oh.” Sam’s lips found the Buddha tattoo on Luciana’s right thigh, her tongue trailing further in and to where Luciana needed it.
Sam moaned, her head spinning as her tongue found Luciana’s soaked centre. On her knees, she dipped her head and ran her tongue through indulgent folds. Everything within her screamed to take this woman harder than ever, but she couldn’t. Tasting Luciana, drinking her up, it was quickly becoming her go-to morning routine. While she wanted to really take her girlfriend, she couldn’t pull herself away from the heady scent, her delicate body, the intoxication she felt whenever her mouth was on Luciana’s skin. Sam slipped her tongue inside, gaining a guttural moan. In the short time she’d known Luciana, she’d come to find exactly what she wanted. How she liked to be touched. Everything felt so easy with her, but devastatingly overwhelming too. When she wanted to run in the opposite direction, Sam instead found herself running directly towards Luciana. The only woman to ever spark something within her other than her wife. The only woman to see Sam for herself and not her money. Her power. Her business. Luciana, God…she was everything Sam wanted and needed in her life.
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