Chapter NINE
"Holy crap," said Chloe in amazement, taking in the tableau of EJ, Sami and Nicole up the front of the church together, "I'd forgotten how much fun Salem weddings could be."
"Especially when Sami's involved in some way," said Lucas dryly, happy to see that she was alright and glad for once that he wasn't involved in the middle of this latest Sami plot.
"What's the matter Nicole?" asked Sami mockingly, to the deathly pale woman clutching her bridal bouquet to her chest, "You look like you've seen a ghost."
oooOOOOooo
Sami stepped out of the hidden passage way and into her old bedroom. It was another one that opened directly into the room. She started to head towards the wardrobe, intent on getting out a change of clothes when she distractedly caught the edge of the bedside table. The lamp on it toppled to one side and clattered to the ground. Sami grimaced, freezing on the spot least she had the bad luck that someone might have heard that. When no one burst through the door Sami blew out a relieved sigh, righting the lamp and continuing on to the huge walk in wardrobe. A few minutes later she walked out of the wardrobe, absently sorting the clothes she had in her hands while she planned her next little prank on Nicole.
"So this is the little mouse who has been sneaking around my house?"
Sami's heart practically gave way at the calmly asked question. Her head snapped up and her mouth went dry to see EJ standing by the bed, looking at her unblinkingly. Apparently she hadn't been unheard after all. EJ must have heard her knock over the lamp, so it appeared her luck hadn't changed that much after all. Sami had thought about this first meeting endlessly, all the things she'd say, how it would happen but now that it was sprung upon her so suddenly her mind went totally blank.
"E... EJ," she stammered, frozen to the spot and her eyes looking stricken, "I... I... can explain."
"Can you now?" asked EJ quietly, walking towards her.
"Ah yes," said Sami hastily, taking a step back as EJ advanced on her, having almost forgotten how big he was this close up and feeling suddenly very tiny and defenceless in comparison, "It... I..."
Sami didn't get any further than those few stumbling words because EJ was suddenly pulling her into his arms and kissing her like his life depended on it. She gasped in surprise, not having expected this kind of greeting at all. She'd expected him to be shocked, have recrimination and, questions, anything but this. He was with Nicole now and she knew she should be outraged at him kissing her like this, screaming at him to stop. Sami really did try to feel just that but as EJ slipped his hand into her blonde hair, allowing him to deepen the kiss all she wanted was more. Sami dropped the clothes she was holding, her hands clutching at his shirt front, trying to steady herself as his kisses continued. EJ kissed her like a man desperate for the taste of her and Sami returned his passion willingly, letting him feel the hunger she had for him as well.
This was crazy, there were a million things that she had to say to him, so many things that were between them but as EJ backed her up against the wall and continued his assault on her mouth Sami couldn't think of one single thing important enough to stop this. Some horribly practical part of her mind wondered if EJ was doing this because Nicole hadn't let him in her bed for months now and the thought turned Sami's stomach. She wouldn't be anyone's substitute ever again. She'd suffered through that with Austin and Carrie and she couldn't bear to be second best to EJ as well.
"Samantha," he moaned against her neck, having finally broken the kiss even as he ground his body into hers as he held her against the wall.
Sami could feel his arousal pressing against her stomach and the way he'd said her name told her that she was the only woman he was thinking of right then. It had been desperate and needy; full of aching hunger and a silent question to which Sami only had one response despite how impossible this whole thing was.
"EJ yes," she hissed as his hands dropped to her hips and then cupped her backside.
She saw his eyes flare, brimming with desire for her and only her. He was looking at her like she was the only woman in existence and it was her undoing. She went up on her toes, dragging his head down for more heated kisses even as she felt EJ suddenly scoop her up in her arms and walk towards the bed. Nervous butterflies burst into life in Sami's stomach at the thought of her and EJ making love again but it didn't stop her from her hands going to his belt buckle once he'd laid her oh so gently down on the bed.
There were so many reasons why she should be stopping this, not least of which he was engaged to the woman who had stolen their baby and tried to kill her but Sami couldn't think beyond the moment right then. Since admitting to herself that she really did love EJ despite all her best attempts not to, this was all Sami had dreamed of, to be in EJ's arms again and let him know how much he meant to her. She had so much bitter regret about many things when it came to him and Sami just wanted to show him in that moment how sorry she was for her part in it all so she gave herself over to him totally, eager for him to feel how much she wanted this and him and sick of all the pretence between them.
She didn't protest as EJ removed the clothes from her body but felt her nervousness grow as each item of clothing was discarded but EJ soothed her with mind numbing kisses and Sami was finding herself very distracted by EJ's increasingly unclothed state as well. Sami lay trembling in anticipation on the bed as EJ moved onto the bed properly after having stripped them both naked. She was grateful for the low lighting in the bedroom but then EJ turned a bedside lamp on and she sat up, opening her mouth to protest but he stalled her.
"I want to see you," he said roughly and there was something so desperate in his voice that Sami couldn't deny him.
She lay back down shakily, very nervous about him seeing her again after having just had a baby. Sami was quietly proud how well her body had gotten back into shape despite being bedridden for a month. She could fit into her old clothing and whilst not as flat as it was before having Stella, her stomach only had a soft curve to it now. Sami knew her whole body was a little bit fuller than when they'd last made love and she was anxious about what EJ would make of that or if he'd find it a bit of a turn off. His eyes swept hungrily over her naked body, taking in every curvy inch of her.
"Oh god but you're glorious!" he groaned shakily, unable to keep his eyes off her body it seemed.
EJ finally dragged his eyes up to meet her quietly anxious ones.
"You're perfect," he rasped, immediately covering her body with his and Sami revelled in the feeling of his entire hardness pressing into her new softness.
EJ held most of his weight off her then, returning to kissing her while his hands moved all over her body, finding new places to touch and caress endlessly. It always amazed Sami how this hugely powerful man could be so heartbreakingly gentle with her like he was being now. As much as she loved EJ's fierce lovemaking the last time they'd done this, after having just given birth Sami needed him to be more tender with her and it was as though EJ instinctively knew that somehow.
He touched her like she was utterly precious to him and delicate, as though he was frightened that he'd break her somehow. It made Sami want him even more and she wrapped her legs around his waist, rubbing her body against his and causing a choked moan to escape EJ's lips. EJ drew back then, looking down at her with a savagely hungry look in his eye but Sami could see how much he was struggling to control himself.
"Are you sure?" he asked her achingly, searching her face for any sign of hesitancy on her behalf.
There seemed to be a hundred meanings behind that simple question but Sami couldn't fathom that right now, all she knew was that she needed EJ in the worst possible way and that her body was unbearably eager for that intimate coupling, that pleasure that only he could give her. Whatever happened after this Sami told herself, at least she'd have this precious memory to cling to, this one perfect moment if EJ ended up hating her for what she'd done. She'd kept her pregnancy from him and had intended to do the same with his daughter. Her motives may have been pure in trying to protect their child from Stefano but Sami just didn't know if EJ would see it that way. She determinedly pushed those heavy thoughts out of her mind right then, just wanting this intimacy with EJ right then and ignoring the protests of her reason.
"Yes," she said breathily, letting him see the need and eagerness on her face.
EJ gave a rasping moan of excited approval and then Sami felt him slowly begin to claim her body. She could sense what it was costing him to hold himself back this much, EJ's body rock hard as his muscles strained against simply finding his place inside of her hard and fast. Sami's body quickly adjusted to him as EJ inched his way into her body, a choked sob escaping her lips at how good it felt.
All her nerves at this first union after giving birth dissolved away into nothingness once he was fully sheathed in her body. EJ looked down at her then with such a look of passionate wonder and awe as they were joined as one again that it stole her breath and Sami felt her heart swell to breaking at his expression. Sami closed her eyes, her nails digging into the flesh of his back as he began to move slowly inside of her, giving herself over to EJ's lovemaking utterly with a pleasured groan, losing herself completely in him as he whispered her name in a loving mantra against her lips...
oooOOOOooo
Nicole looked back and forth between EJ and Sami and just prayed that this was some kind of terrible nightmare that she was going to wake up from any minute. As the seconds ticked by though and people began to murmur in the church pews, obviously captivated by the little drama being played out in front of them, Nicole had to accept that this was unfortunately very real.
"What... when... how... why...?" stammered Nicole, her tongue feeling strangely numb after the shock she'd just received.
There was no way Sami Brady could be standing there looking at her with that smug expression on her face Nicole told herself but there she was, as large as life and twice as ugly. Nicole looked over at EJ helplessly, desperately trying to read his expression even as she fought the urge to throw up.
"They are all excellent questions Nicole," said EJ smoothly, giving her a telling look, "But not one I'm thinking you'd want answered in front of all of these people."
EJ turned to address the congregation then and gave them all a charming smile.
"I'm sorry for this everyone but if you'll just bear with us for a moment?" he requested of them, "We just have to beg your indulgence for a little longer while the three of us have a little chat in private."
He turned to look at the calmly smiling Sami and the shell shocked Nicole.
"Perhaps in the bride's waiting room?" he suggested and Sami nodded.
Nicole meanwhile felt like she was having some kind of acid trip as the surrealistic quality of this situation continued to grow. Sami and EJ were acting as though this was something that happened every day and everyone else in the church seemed frozen to the spot with their own shock. Nicole didn't protest as EJ ushered both her and Sami from the altar back through the door Sami had just walked through and back into the bride's room. Once inside she whirled around and faced them, not sure what to say, only knowing that she had to find a way out of all this.
Nicole didn't know yet how much EJ knew and thought desperately for a way to salvage this situation. Sami must have gotten to him just before the ceremony because there was no way EJ had known about this beforehand. He'd been too loving and attentive with her for that, Nicole was sure of it. Nicole prided herself on the fact that she wasn't one who got played, she was always the player and when EJ had come to her before the ceremony and said those sweet things to her he'd meant it, Nicole would bet her life on it. Besides, there was no way EJ would be cruel as to have put her all through this, the preparation for the wedding, letting her get that excited about it all only to tear it away from her at the last moment.
She knew EJ and despite him being a DiMera he just didn't have that kind of ruthlessness in him. Somehow Sami had gotten to him between him visiting her in the bride's room and the altar, poisoning him against her. That meant Nicole still had a chance to swing things to her advantage if she could just pull herself together and meet this latest crisis head on. After all, Nicole wasn't exactly a stranger to having to think on her feet and getting herself out of sticky situations. She'd been in worse scraps before and always managed to pull something out of the bag and she was confident she could do it again.
"EJ," began Nicole hastily, her heart beating wildly in her chest as adrenalin coursed through her body from the fear of being discovered, "I don't know what Sami's told you but I can promise you, none of it is true. You have to believe me! She's a crazy, twisted, vindictive witch who just wants revenge on me because you chose to marry me and not her!"
"Actually Nicole," said Sami with a little smile, obviously amused by her outburst, "I didn't tell EJ anything."
Nicole frowned then, the wind taken out of her sails as she looked between them in confusion as her next words died on her lips. If Sami was telling the truth then Nicole was beginning to suspect that this was far worse than she could have possibly imagined...
