Chapter TWENTY FIVE

"Do you, Samantha Gene Brady, take this man, Edward James DiMera, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

The words seemed to be coming to Sami from a great distance as she stared blankly at the expectant looking priest in front of her. They were all in a little church not far from the hotel they were all staying in. She was wearing the same cream dress she'd changed into earlier in the day, having nothing else vaguely suitable. A small bouquet of star jasmine had been delivered to her room with a note – For my bride to be. Despite herself Sami had been touched by the gesture until she forced herself to remember EJ was only doing all of this for the diamonds. Her father and brothers were sitting in the front pew and Tosh was standing beside EJ. EJ was facing her, dressed in his dark suit, this time with a tie and smiling at her. I know this is all fake but how can he look so calm? This feels so real even though I know it isn't.

"Samantha?" EJ prodded her softly. "The good Father asked you a question."

"Umm..." Sami threw a furtive look at her father who was staring at her unblinkingly. Can I really marry a man who doesn't love me? I swore I never would. She looked back at EJ, her hand instinctively reaching her necklace. EJ intercepted it and held both of her hands securely in his. Sami looked up at him and tried to stop her heart from fluttering at the way he was looking at her. Just remember you're doing this for Will. Sami took a deep breath. "I do."

The tension in the room seemed to visibly dissipate.

"And do you Edward James DiMera, take this woman, Samantha Gene Brady, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

EJ didn't hesitate. "I do."

"Do you have the rings?"

There was a long silence. EJ nudged his best man. "Tosh."

"Oh right, that's me," said Tosh, reaching inside his jacket pocket. He took out the rings and EJ went to take them from him, but Tosh's hand seemed to freeze and he wouldn't let them go.

"Tosh," EJ growled under his breath as he tried to wrestle the small bands of gold from his best friend.

Tosh protested his innocence. "It's not me, I swear, it's a sign from God." EJ flicked his ear and Tosh gave a yelp of pain. EJ grabbed the rings from him as Tosh nursed his ear. He gave EJ an indignant look. "Offside, old boy."

"Behave," EJ warned him. He handed the rings to the bemused looking priest. "Sorry Father, technical difficulties. My best friend is an idiot."

"Funny coincidence," noted Tosh sourly, "so is mine."

Sami held her bouquet of flowers up to her lips to hide her smile. They're like children together, it's kind of cute.

The priest had obviously decided to ignore them both as he addressed Sami. "Take the ring child."

Sami picked up the smallest of the two rings.

EJ gave her a teasing wink. "I think he meant my ring, sweetheart."

"Oh," said Sami as she blushed. She hastily picked up the other ring.

"Place the ring on Edward's finger."

"Edward," Tosh snickered which earned him a kick from EJ.

Sami tried to stop her hand from trembling as she took EJ's offered left hand. The ring slipped onto his finger easily. I wonder where he found rings at such short notice? Probably stole them.

"Repeat after me, with this ring, I thee wed-"

"With this ring, I thee wed."

"With my body I thee worship-"

Sami swallowed hard, her voice shaking badly. "With my body I thee worship."

"And with all of my worldly goods, I thee endow."

"And with all of my worldly goods, I thee endow."

The priest gave a pleased little nod. He then turned to EJ. "Edward, please take a ring."

EJ picked up the Sami's wedding ring and slipped it on her finger. Again it was as though it had been made for her.

"Repeat after me, with this ring, I thee wed-"

EJ didn't seem to need any prompting. "With this ring, I thee wed, with my body, I thee worship, and with all of my worldly goods, I thee endow."

Sami didn't want to look into his eyes as he said those words to her, but it was impossible not to. Those warm depths kept her captivated and her heart began to beat erratically.

EJ took both of her hands and held onto them tightly, his voice low and husky. "Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love."

Sami's heart skipped a beat at the beautiful words, forgetting completely for a moment the whole wedding was a sham. Her eyes filled up with tears, but EJ was already pulling her towards him, sealing their vows with a soft, lingering kiss.

"Ahh... I know pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss your bride."

The latent invitation of the priest was barely heard by Sami as she dissolved into EJ's kiss, but too soon EJ was pulling away. They stared at each other Sami had to fight to remember they weren't alone.

"Mrs. DiMera," said EJ softly with a little smile.

I wish I knew what that smile meant. She bit her bottom lip and didn't know what else to say. "Mr. DiMera."

"I think I need a lie down and a stiff drink," said Tosh weakly, dabbing his brow, "and not necessarily in that order."

oooOOOOooo

Sami stood in front of the mirror in her hotel room, now hers and EJ's, brushing her hair. She was wearing a neck to ankle white night dress with full length sleeves. It was what had been given to her at her school to wear and she packed it for her journey. After the wedding ceremony her father had taken them all out to dinner and afterwards everyone had retired for the night. EJ had moved his bag into her room and now Sami was hiding in the bathroom, trying to work out what was going to happen next – or rather what it was she wanted to happen next.

She could hear EJ moving around in the bedroom just on the other side of the door. He sounds restless. Sami's heart skipped a beat at the thought. Is he going to want to share my bed? Is he going to want more? Sami gnawed on her bottom lip ferociously. Of course he is going to want more, you idiot. Look at all those women he's slept with in the past. He'll want to prove a point that he can have any woman he wants, and now I'm trapped in this room with him. Sami's chin came up as she glared defiantly at her reflection. Well, he's got another thing coming if he thinks he can just have me with a click of his fingers. I'm going to show him I'm not like all those other fancy women of his who just fall at his feet when he bats an eyelash.

"Samantha? Are you still in there?"

Sami gave a little start at the sound of his voice. It sounded like he was standing on the other side of the door and her nerves tightened at the thought of him being so close. "Of course I am, where else would I be?" she snapped at him.

EJ gave a teasing little chuckle. "With you, who knows, sweetheart, It wouldn't surprise me in the least to find out you can transform into a wisp of smoke and disappear at will."

What does that mean? Does he think I'm really such a freak? Sami frowned at the thought. "The things you say."

"You sound like her."

"Her who?"

"Sister Mary Agnes, of course – your alter ego."

"We're the same person, Mr. DiMera."

"Maybe, but I couldn't have married Sister Mary Agnes."

"You didn't marry me either, Mr. DiMera," she reminded him, "the wedding was a farce."

"But a convincing one, don't you think, Mrs. DiMera?"

Sami began playing with her locket again, staring anxiously at the door. "Don't call me that."

"You're my wife, what else would I call you?"

"Sami, like everyone else!"

"Will you call me EJ?"

"No, why do you keep asking?"

There was a brief pause on the other side of the door, like he was asking himself the same question. "Because I do," he informed her at last.

Sami made a frustrated noise. "That is no kind of answer."

"It's all I have right now I'm afraid, sweetheart, but I have a question for you now. Why don't you want to call me EJ?"

Sami's eyes went wide as he turned the tables on her. Saying your name is too intimate and I can't be intimate with you because-because-. She closed her eyes as memories from the back of the truck bombarded her. Sami remembered her it had felt to be in his arms, what he'd done to her, making her feel turned inside out. She shook her head to try and dispel the wayward memories. Because I want it too much. Sami had learnt long ago not to want anything because she was always disappointed. She'd always wanted her families love and approval but had never gotten it. She'd wanted to be seen by people, to be understood but it had never happened. The only thing she allowed herself to want these days was to be with Will and she was hanging onto that as though her life depended on it. How could she open herself up to more pain and disappointment by letting EJ anywhere near her heart?

"Samantha?" EJ was still waiting for her answer.

Sami lied. "Because it is how I think of you, Mr. DiMera – as an acquaintance."

"You just married this acquaintance."

"I didn't have a choice."

"There is always a choice, sweetheart, particularly for someone as resourceful as yourself."

Sami glared at the door at the implication. "Are you saying I wanted this? This was all of your cockamamie idea, not mine! I would have just made a run for it."

"It seems to me you've been running a long time, Samantha, maybe it's good you stood your ground for once."

Sami sucked in an outraged breath. "I'm no coward!"

EJ gave a deep chuckle. "Then why are you hiding in that bathroom, my little alley cat?"

"I'm not hiding!"

"Then why don't you come out?"

Sami swallowed hard. "I will," she said defiantly, but then found she was rooted to the spot, her legs refusing to budge.

When Sami didn't immediately appear there was a creak of wood from the door and she guessed EJ was leaning against it now. "Do you know why I gave you star of jasmine for your bridal bouquet, sweetheart?"

Sami glanced over at the pretty posy sitting in a glass of water on the sink. The heady scent of the simple white flowers had filled the bathroom as she'd bathed and gotten ready for bed.

EJ seemed to take her silence as permission to continue. "The jasmine only flowers at night." He paused. "Only when the sun sinks from the sky and the moon comes out does this delicate flower reveal its true beauty. Jasmine shares its fragrance with those patient enough to wait for it to be all that it was meant to be." EJ's voice became low and husky. "It makes me think of you, Samantha."

Sami closed her eyes again as once again EJ's beautiful words made her knees go weak. This is a game, he says these things all of the time to any number of women, don't let him get under your skin. Her internal mantra was useless though, because deep down Sami already knew EJ was well and truly under her skin. She reached out a hand and opened the door, tentatively stepping over the threshold. EJ was right there, standing a scant few inches from her. His eyes went wide at seeing her, as though he hadn't been expecting her to ever come out. EJ looked her over, taking in the tips of her bare feet, the voluminous white night dress and finally, her slightly flushed face. Sami looked up at him, wide eyed and feeling incredibly vulnerable. EJ looked good, too good in fact. He'd shed his coat and tie and was just wearing his white dress shirt. A few buttons were undone to expose the swirl of chest hair beneath.

None of her brothers had hairy chests and Sami found herself oddly fascinated by his. She remembered running her hands through it only last night, and the feeling of his heart thundering underneath her palm. A delicious warmth swept through Sami's body at the memory. Dear God, help me, I know it's a sin, but if he touches me now I won't be able to stop what happens next. Never in her wildest dreams did Sami imagine this kind of pull between a man and a woman. It was as though every particle of her being had suddenly come alive and was screaming for EJ's touch.

"I-I-," EJ rasped, forced to clear his throat, "I should let you get ready for bed."

Sami's eyes went wide at the mention of the bed.

"I'll give you your privacy."

EJ took a step back and almost looked like he was going to stumble, but caught himself in time. He backed up a few more steps, seemingly unable to take his eyes off her. EJ kept retreating until his back hit the door to their room.

Sami could have sworn she could see sweat breaking out on his forehead. Sami gave him a bewildered look.

"Goodnight, Samantha," said EJ with a strangely formal nod of his head as he reached behind himself and looked for the door knob. With another inclination of his head, EJ was disappearing through the door, closing it a little too loudly behind him.

Sami gave a distressed gasp when he was gone. What just happened? Why did he leave? What did I do wrong? Sami covered her mouth with her hand as she realised she'd just broken the very rule she'd sworn only minutes ago to uphold – never want anything. But even knowing that didn't stop her from desperately wanting EJ to suddenly reappear through that door and take her in his arms. Sami held her breath, waiting for that to happen. When it didn't, she started to get light headed, and Sami was forced to take a breath. She walked numbly over to the bed and sat down on it. I don't understand me or him, I don't understand anything. With that morose thought Sami curled up on the bed and let the fact that her family had been right all along sink in. No man would ever really want her, not even some penniless thief. She gave a choked sob and let the self pity wash over her.