Chapter TWENTY-FIVE
EJ came partially awake, reaching out with a groggy hand to feel for the warmth of his wife's body lying beside him but instead only encountered cold sheets. He came instantly awake then, his eyes snapping open as he sat up and looked around their darkened bedroom. He jumped out of bed, quickly checking the bathroom only to find she wasn't there either. EJ practically ran now from their bedroom across the hall to the twins room and the first thing he saw when he got there was Sami leaning over Ali's cot and tucking her in. He slumped against the door frame with the relief of seeing his family safe and sound.
"Hey," she said softly, looking up to see him standing there.
"Is she alright?" he asked worriedly, straightening up and walking into the room, keeping his voice low as well.
"She's fine honey," Sami reassured him with a little smile, "She just gave a little squawk when she kicked her blankets off. She didn't even wake up really."
"I'm sorry," said EJ with a frown, annoyed at himself, "I didn't even hear her."
"That's because you're exhausted," his wife chided him gently, "You haven't stopped since all of this started."
This was the third night that Ali had been home from the hospital and just over a week since she'd had her surgery. Her surgery had gone well and the doctor's didn't need to remove her spleen. She was recovering quickly much to the joy of her parents who were not quite so readily bouncing back, the trauma of the last couple of weeks taking their toll on both EJ and Sami. The day after her surgery Ali had been moved back to Salem hospital and she'd spent four days there and basically Sami and EJ had barely left her side.
There had been a steady stream of aunts, uncles, grandparents and well wishers visiting her the whole time but it was her brother that had elicited the most ecstatic response. The first time EJ had bought Johnny to see his twin again it had been so cute. Both squealed excitedly to see the other and launched into an animated chatter that only they understood, their own secret twin language. It had been so wonderful to see how happy they were to be together again that EJ was loathed to see them separated again. He used all of his considerable charm to sweet talk the nurse manager into letting he, Sami and Johnny all stay overnight with Ali in her room. It had been pretty disruptive to their routine but it was worth it to have his family together again in one room for the next three nights.
Every minute that wasn't spent at the hospital with Sami and the twins, EJ was trying to catch up on his workload from the office which he'd basically just let go when his family had gone missing. Even when they'd brought Ali home from the hospital and EJ had hoped that things would settle down a bit he'd found that he'd spent the first night lying awake and listening for any little noise his daughter might make throughout the night and missing the comfort of knowing that help was just down the corridor if something should go wrong with Ali. The second night hadn't been much better and tonight he'd just collapsed in a heap and was fast asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Sami saw the tired, worried look on EJ's face and felt her heart nearly burst with love for this man. She put her hand out to touch his chest and felt the still erratic hammering of his heartbeat under her palm and knew he'd gotten a fright to wake up and found her gone again. He had been unbelievable through this whole thing, not letting her worry, always having the right thing to say at the right time. He'd been her rock and she wouldn't have known what to do without him but now Sami could see that he needed her. He'd been strong long enough for both of them. Ali was home and recovering so well that they actually had to stop her from racing around madly with her brother, Lucas was in prison where he couldn't hurt them anymore and they were altogether – it was time to relax a little and enjoy being a family again.
Sami went up on tip toes, spreading both her hands out over his chest as she did and whispered into his ear.
"Come to bed."
She sunk back down to the floor, tilting her head back to look at him and gave him a soft little smile, slipping her hand into his and taking a couple of steps backward out of the room, taking him with her. EJ gave a last quick look at the twins over his shoulder but then let Sami draw him out of the room and across the hall and back into their room. She walked them over to the bed and pushed on EJ's chest, making him sit on the end of the bed. Sami moved closer to EJ and he parted his legs so she could stand between them as he sat on their bed.
"So I'm wide awake," she said with a little sultry smile, "How about you?"
"Me too," agreed EJ with an answering smile, his hands going to her hips and beginning to massage them gently over the satin of her negligee.
"So what do you think we should do about that?" she asked him, coyly looking at him through her lashes.
"Well I've gotten quite good at cards recently," he said straight faced, "I could always turn my hand to dealing a few rounds if you like."
Sami gave him a knowing look and then moved closer to him, pressing herself more fully against him as she stood between his legs, moulding her softness against him.
"I've got a different use in mind for those hands of yours," she half purred, half growled up at him.
She grabbed at the material of his pyjama shirt, bunching it in her hand and pulling on it, making his head come dangerously close to hers. They stood there, her between his legs; him leant forward and regarding her with heavy lidded eyes. Their first kiss a promise between them both, each savouring the expectation of that initial touch. Sami slowly whet her lips and his dark eyes followed each tiny movement of her tongue, fixated. EJ felt his breath begin to roughen and his body start to throb in anticipation of touching this woman again. Sami's lips, now glistening ever so slightly from her own doing, quirked ever so slightly, feeling the growing tension in his body and the answering tightening in her core.
She felt one of his hands move from her hip to the tops of her thigh, sliding up determinedly under her short satin negligee until he was at her at her backside, slipping under the scrap of lace that served as her underwear and cupping one luscious bottom cheek. He squeezed his prize then and she smiled at the pleased look on his face. EJ lifted his free hand and traced the smile, his fingers gliding easily over her still moistened lips. Sami's tongue darted out and licked at his fingers. EJ rested his index finger against her lips and pressed for entrance which she granted, letting him slide the digit into her mouth where she sucked on it, stroking it with her tongue.
She held his gaze as rolled her tongue around his finger, watching the growing arousal on his face over such a simple act. She could feel his rapidly hardening erection against her stomach and her body reacted as it always did, feeling the fresh wetness flood out of her core, saturating her panties utterly. Still they hadn't kissed yet and EJ finally pulled his finger from her mouth, her sucking hard on it as he did until it had escaped it's moist prison with a little pop sound. He dragged the knuckle of that finger down her chin, then her long neck and then between the valley of her satin covered breasts. Her nipples hardened pleasingly for him, their puckered tightness standing out markedly against the clinging material.
It was EJ's turn to whet his lips now, giving in to their allure and attaching himself to one pert bud through the satin of the negligee. He lapped at the sensitive peak, alternatively suckling hard and then soft, nipping playful at it until it was almost painfully taut from what he was doing to it. The material around it became wet through from all of his ministrations, sticking to her body even more before he turned his attention to her other breast.
Sami's head lolled back at the feeling of his mouth on her breasts, revelling in his skill of being able to excite her so completely with such a minimal touch. She felt her centre begin to throb, a pleasing pulsating sensation beginning between her legs and she knew her body wanted to come. Sami bit her lip and buried her hands into his short dark hair, looking back down at him with hooded eyes now. EJ looked up at her through his lashes, still worshipping at her breasts and could feel that she was getting close despite him barely touching her yet.
He pulled at her panties, sliding them down her legs and she dutifully stepped out of them. EJ reluctantly relinquished his prize briefly so she could strip his tank top off him and he hastily discarded his pyjama bottoms before sitting back on the edge of the bed. He hooked a finger each under the straps of her night dress and pulled it from her shoulders, letting the delicate material slide off her body, pooling around her ankles. EJ surveyed his handiwork loving the way her pale skin was practically luminescent in the low light, glowing from the fire that was Samantha DiMera. She was a goddess naked and he'd never tire of looking at her, drinking in her loveliness.
Sami thrilled at the way he was looking at her, like she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen and couldn't take the slow pace any longer. She pressed on his chest, making him sit further back but still on the end of the bed. Using the extra space to her advantage Sami climbed on the bed, her knees either side of his thighs, straddling him but keeping herself above him. She looked down and saw how ready he was to possess her and bit her lip in anticipation. She put her arms around his neck, leaning down and intending to kiss him at last but he pulled back a little and gave her a teasing look.
EJ's hand moved to the apex of her thighs, rubbing the back of his hand against her folds and she made a pleased little sigh at the sensation. He turned his hand over, inserting two fingers into her which she obediently rode for a few minutes before needing more. EJ withdrew his hand and position her over his by now hugely engorged member. Sami sank down on him slowly feeling her walls have to distend an almost painful amount to accommodate his girth.
"Samantha," he said raggedly at the sensation of being taken inside her body again, her tight heat enveloping him inch by inch until he was completely consumed by her.
Sami gave an answering whimper feeling overwhelmed by both the emotion and sensations of the moment.
"Home," he whispered to her achingly and she nodded painfully.
"Home," she sighed back, so happy in that moment she couldn't bear it.
EJ lifted a hand to her lips, his fingers still wet from having been inside her and painted her lips with the juices of her own body. Sami quivered at the taste of herself on her lips before he could stand it no longer and captured her lips in the kiss they'd both been craving. The kiss was desperate and needy, almost too rough in it's intensity but neither cared. EJ licked the taste of her off her lips before plunging his tongue deeply into her mouth, letting her experience herself utterly, showing her the flavour that delighted him so. She moaned into the kiss, the sensation so erotic that she felt herself clench violently around him causing him to groan as well.
EJ's hand went to the back of Sami's head, holding her in place as he plunder her mouth. Even as they continued their fervent kiss Sami moved so that her legs were around his waist now causing him to penetrate her even more deeply, feeling the sensation deep in her womb. She began to rock against him, needing that friction to satisfy the ache in her core. EJ met her with increasingly powerful thrusts, the tension building between their bodies.
They held onto each other so tightly it was only the fact that their bodies were slick with sweat from their exertions that they were able to move over each other at all. How close they'd come to losing one another driving them to hold each other ever closer.
"Oh god!" gasped EJ, feeling himself tighten and swell one last time, preparing to empty himself into her, "Samantha, god Samantha!"
"EJ!" she moaned, her own body quickening it's pace in answer to the desperate need in his voice.
One final almost violent thrust saw him release his hot seed into her, sobbing as his orgasm ripped through him, wave after wave of fierce pleasure overwhelming him. The sound of his pleasure and the feeling of his final explosion within her tipped her over the edge and Sami screamed her own release for the world to hear. Finally spent they sat there together with him still embedded deep in her, both weak from the force of their combined orgasms, sweaty foreheads pressed together.
"Never leave me Samantha," he begged her achingly when he could finally speak again.
"Never," she promised him tenderly, pressing her forehead harder against his, "Never EJ."
oooOOOOooo
Sami lay on her side in the bed the next morning, head propped up with one hand as she rested on her elbow. She had a big smile on her face as she watched EJ and the twins together. They were all in bed together, the twins between them and EJ was playing 'Peekaboo' with them much to the twins absolute delight. EJ was lying on his side as well, pulling up the sheet over his face while Johnny and Ali watched with rapt attention.
"Peek… a…" EJ paused for effect and the twins trembled in anticipation of what would come next despite this being like the twentieth time in a row EJ had done this.
Would Daddy suddenly appear magically from behind the sheet? Was he even still there? Where was his voice coming from now that they couldn't see him? The waiting was unbearable, their little bodies rigid with excited expectation.
"BOO!" EJ dropped the sheet and the twins gave startled shrieks of excitement.
Daddy was there!
Amazing - how did he keep doing that?! Ali and Johnny waved their fists around excitedly, looking back at Mommy to make sure she was seeing how clever their Daddy was and wanting to share it with her.
"I know!" she said, opening her eyes wide in amazement, "It's Daddy!"
"Da da da!" gabbled both of the twins breathlessly over the top of each other, having mastered Mama and Dada by now.
Sami and EJ laughed at their innocent pleasure which made the twins laugh even harder. EJ threw the sheet over Johnny and Ali now.
"Where is Johnny?" he teased, "Where is Ali? Peek… a…"
EJ pulled the sheet away in a flourish.
"BOO!" and the twins just erupted in hysterical laughter at this new trick which set EJ and Sami off again.
Sami watched as EJ continued to play this new game with the children as they seemed to be showing no signs of tiring of it yet.
"Okay," said EJ finally, "I can't not be cuddling you guys any longer, come here you little rascals!"
He threw out his arms to do a big bear hug of them both and the twins shrieked, laughing as they tried to get away from him, clambering over their mother to try and escape him. They often played this game where EJ would chase them and they loved it when he caught them and scooped them up and would cuddle them and kiss them all over.
"Group hug!" declared EJ, swooping down and wrapping one arm around Sami as she lay there and trapped the wriggling twins between Sami and himself.
He squeezed them to him, making sure it wasn't too tight for Ali's benefit as she was still on the mend, not that you could tell right then as she giggled up at him with flushed cheeks and bright eyes. Sami returned the hug and the twins had nowhere to go, chuckling away in amongst their squeals.
"Okay," said EJ, pretending to be puffed, "Time to settle down now, rest time."
EJ lay back on the pillows and blew out a big breath, closing his eyes and the twins immediately mimicked him, throwing themselves back against the pillows just as he had. EJ opened one eye to look at them sneakily and they giggled and quickly shut their eyes but then opened them again to see if EJ was still watching them. This went on for a little bit until they began to calm down a little.
"What?" smiled EJ when he saw how Sami was looking at him, "What's that look for sweetheart?"
"I'm just remembering something you said to me once," she told him, a soft smile on her face, "And something I have to tell you that is long overdue."
"And what's that my darling?" he asked with a curious frown, throwing a quick wink at the twins as they watched with interest mommy and daddy talking.
"That no part of me regrets loving you," she said quietly, holding his gaze steadily.
EJ swallowed hard, suddenly emotional as he remembered in vivid detail sitting on that sofa in Samantha's apartment a life time ago now and what he'd said.
"I have this dream Samantha," he said, looking at her with great tenderness as he picked up her hand and put her fingers to his lips, his lips brushing against them as he continued to speak.
"We're married and we're lying in bed together, our child between us and you turn and look at me and tell me that there is no part of you that regrets loving me."
"Thank you," he said huskily, unbelievably moved that she would remember such a thing and then grant him his wish.
"Thank you for becoming the kind of man that I can say that about and mean it absolutely," she told him earnestly.
EJ leaned over and kissed her gently then, only breaking away when the twins decided that they'd been ignored long enough and they started to press wet, sloppy kisses to Sami and EJ's face, joining in on the fun. The adults laughed at them which made Johnny and Ali very happy, having the full attention of both of their parents now.
Today was going to be a good day.