A Painful Memory

Author's Note

This is my first time writing Ejami. I saw some clips from 2003 when Sami had her accident at the Dimera mansion and was inspired. This story is going to be slightly AU. Sami not only loses her voice but also her memories, and I'm going to be doing more with the a relationship that the writers started at that time but abandoned for some reason because I thought it was interesting (it could be a little shocking but bear with me I think it adds an interesting dynamic.) Lucas may also be involved. This is an Ejami fic however so don't hate me during those chapters (if anyone actually reads). I'm just setting this up in case it seems a bit confusing. Ej is going to show up a few years earlier than on the show and sparks will fly because hey it's Ej and his Samantha. This will have smut (my first attempt) so I'm just going to post the entire fic here because I'm unsure how to separate it out like I've seen done. IDK if I'm doing anything wrong by just posting without asking someone first so if I am someone please tell me.

Prologue

Sami stared down at the object in her hands twirling it through her fingers trying to decide what was the right thing to do. She wished there were a way to make everyone happy but knew no matter what she did someone would be hurt by her actions and it broke her heart to think about it. She continued twirling the object before impulsively putting it on. It was an exquisite diamond engagement ring designed especially for her at the request of an amazing man.

He had done so much for her and he truly loved her. She could picture a future with him so clearly that any normal woman would be able to give him a quick and decisive yes. If he had asked her a week ago that would have been exactly what she would have done.

That was before she had met him. A handsome stranger that had swept her off her feet exactly six days ago at the Cheating Heart. A stranger that had never even given her his name. She had been sitting at the bar trying to drown her sorrows when he'd walked in. She had never seen a man as breathtakingly handsome as this one.

Sami had been setting at the bar indulging in a glass of wine trying to understand how her life had become so crazy. Everything was so confusing and she just wished that she could go back in time to when she knew who and what she was. She turned on her stool deciding she need a distraction and people watching had always calmed her. She could imagine what their lives were like and made a game of trying to decide if they were someone she might have known. It was at that moment that he came in scanning the room and it was like everyone and everything else in the place just disappeared when his eyes locked onto hers. He stalked through the crowded bar with a clear purpose coming straight towards her. He was the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome. She flicked her hair back and glanced behind her there must be some exquisite model standing close by or something there was no way that he would be interested in her. Was there?

Her question was answered quickly. When he walked right past her and settled in a seat at the opposite end of the bar. It must have been her imagination when she had thought that he had been staring at her. Sami shook her head and went back to starring at the bar's crowd. It was a good thing that hadn't been looking at her. The last thing she needed was more complications and that's what this Adonis screamed.

She took another drink as she leaned back against the bar starring at a couple in a booth at the back of the bar. It looked like they were having a heated discussion and Sami guessed that someone was about to be dumped. That was until the girl made to slap her partner and he caught her hand pulling her into a passionate kiss. Sami knew she should avert her eyes but couldn't stop starring. She didn't understand how that could happen. How could two people go from shouting to an intimate embrace? They looked so passionate that Sami's heart ached from watching them. She wondered if she had ever felt passion like that. What would it feel like to love a man like that?

Sami was startled out of her thoughts by an amused voice, "You know, sweetheart, it isn't polite to stare. I believe those two are trying to have a private moment."

Sami jumped in her seat ashamed turning back toward the bar quickly. As she turned her glass ended up hitting the stranger in the chest, Sami gave a gasp of dismay as she watched her wine spill down his crisp, clean dress shirt and silently berated herself for going with red instead of white. Without thinking she grabbed for some napkins and to start dabbing at the spill. She couldn't believe she'd done this. Not only did she get caught openly gaping at a couple during a private moment but she just spilled her wine all over the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. She started dabbing with the napkin never daring to look up at him too embarrassed. The moment her hand made contact with his chest she felt a jolt move through her and she looked up bewildered. The stranger looked just as startled as she did. Absentmindedly she kept dabbing at his shirt until he brought his hands up to still their movement. He brought one hand up to caress her check. He opened his mouth to say something, and Sami began to panic. She had no idea what had gotten into her but she shoved away from his warm caress jumping from her perch and practically flew out of the bar onto the street.

She ran to her car and started it quickly before driving away. As she drove by the entrance she saw the stranger standing there with a bewildered look on his face. After driving a few miles she pulled over to the side of the road. She couldn't breathe. It felt like she was having some kind of panic attack. She banged her head against the steering wheel berating herself. Could she look like a bigger fool? She had no idea what had gotten into her. She just felt like she had to get out of there like something major was about to happen and she couldn't handle whatever it was going to be. Once she had calmed down she drove slowly back to her mother's townhouse trying to forget the strange encounter.

That had been six days ago and Sami couldn't get the man out of her mind. She hadn't even been near him for more than ten minutes and he said two sentences to her in total, but his accent played over and over again in her mind, and that jolt. When he touched her she felt something monumental shift within herself, but she had no idea what it meant. She hadn't even realized he was British until later that night when the encounter had replayed itself in her dream with a much different outcome.

In her dreams the stranger stopped her frantic dabbing of his shirt simply shrugging out of the offending garment. She stared at him in shock not believing that he had just done that. She glanced around and found that somehow during the encounter the rest of the patrons had disappeared. He stepped closer to her and lifted her from her seat on the stool and placing her on the bar evening out their height difference. She starred at him not knowing what to do. He placed his hands on either side of her before leaning over her bringing his face so close to her own running his nose over her check and breathing her in. He stayed there like that hovering clearly giving her an opportunity to push him away but she didn't. He was so close that it made it hard to breathe and she didn't want to she simply wanted him then and there. She brought her hands to his face bringing him down for a searing kiss bringing him down onto the bar with her. His hands moved to her waist sliding up her shirt before tearing it off kissing his way down her neck and chest. Her nipples pebbled painfully when he paid attention to them through her bra. She couldn't stand it letting out a moan at the contact. He growled in response before kissing further down her chest and stomach. He slid her skirt from her body before making his way back up her body kissing everywhere that he could reach. She reversed their positions and copied his movements. Sucking his nipple into her mouth he hissed out and she glanced up at him through her eye lashes. She finished kissing her way down his chest coming to his belt. She straddled his legs glancing up at him as she ran her hands up his thighs before coming to the belt. Slowly she started to undo the buckle before working on the snap and zip of his pants. She put her hands in the waistband pulling them down and just before the rest of him was revealed…

She woke up. It had been the same dream every night with some slight inventive variations and every night for the past six days she had woken up just before the dream could move any further. It was ridiculous how focused she had become on some man she didn't even know. Frustrated she got up from her seat and started pacing across the length of the room. She went to a table that had a vase of flowers and lifted it to sample the sweet aroma hoping that it would to calm her down. She needed to forget about some strange man who probably thought that she was some crazy woman if he even thought about her at all, which he most likely didn't. She began to pace nervously without realizing the vase was still in her hands, actually clutched in her arms as she hugged it to her chest searching for some form of comfort from her thoughts. She was so distracted that she hadn't heard the front door open and was startled when she hear a voice calling her name.

She released the vase and it crashed loudly to the floor. She glanced up and saw her possible fiancé standing there a look of dismay on his face. She dropped to her knees and started to frantically try to clean up the mess.

"Sami, darling, I didn't mean to startle you." Sami began to relax as his smooth accented voice washed over her. He came to crouch down beside her still her hands as she attempted to clean up the mess. "Sami, you don't have to do this. We have servants that will take care of…" His voice trailed off when his eye caught the ring on her finger. She followed his gaze and gulped nervously. He looked at her hopefully before dragging her into his arms say, "Darling, you have no idea how happy you've made me." He finally let go and she smiled nervously not knowing what to do. He saw the hesitant look on her face and his smile dropped. "You have made a decision haven't you?" She looked at his crestfallen face and quickly made a decision. Here was a good, decent man that loved her. Who was she to hurt him after everything he had done for her? And she did care about him. She quickly nodded her head pointing to the ring and smiling brightly. Her new fiancé let out a laugh before swooping her into his embrace and kissing her passionately. They were so caught up they didn't even hear the footsteps as their private moment was interrupted.

They heard a throat clearing and slowly drifted apart before Sami heard an eerily familiar voice.

"So am I to guess by this display that your lady love finally gave you an answer, brother?"

Sami looked over her fiancé's shoulder and gave a slight gasp. Standing there in the flesh was the stranger that had been haunting her dreams. As she looked at him she saw his eyes widen in recognition as well before quickly looking back and forth between herself and…(wait did he say brother?) and the mess between them both.

The stranger gained his composer first.

"So Tony are you going to introduce us?"