Everything Changes
Chapter 29
Sam let herself be lost in the moment. The warmth from Mike's hands and lips washed over her body like tropical waves. She felt the numbness she had been feeling disappear entirely and she felt warm and tingly all over. From the moment she had first laid eyes on Mike she had felt something powerful and amazing deep inside her self and she knew he was the one who would complete her.
Mike stopped kissing Sam to look into her eyes. He wanted to be sure she was okay and still wasn't sure he shouldn't insist on waiting. He was more than ready for her, but he wanted to be sure she felt as strongly as she said she did. He did not want this to end up badly. There was no going back. This was a commitment. Either that, or it would have to wait.
Sam felt his hesitation and reached out, pulling him close to her. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing. I'm just not sure we're making the right decision," he said softly.
Sam sighed softly. She wanted so much to just make love but now that he had been willing to and again had second thoughts, she knew she needed to respect that. She put her hand on his face and slid it over his cheek to his ear, smoothing his hair back and then kept her fingers entwined in his hair while she softly caressed just in front of his ear with her thumb. "Okay, let's talk about it some more." She said it softly and calmly.
Mike felt relieved that he hadn't heard frustration in her voice. He loved her and wanted to make her happy. "I am glad you said that," he said." Come here." Mike rolled away from her but pulled her with him so that he could lie on his back and hold her with her head on his chest. Holding her like this felt very natural to him.
Sam felt comfortable in Mike's arms and as he held her she could hear his heart beat, which she found very comforting. "Tell me what you're thinking."
"Oh, Sam…" Mike sighed softly. "I told you before, I'm kind of an old fashioned guy."
"I know. I like that about you even if it is frustrating."
"Why is that so frustrating?" he chuckled as he asked her.
"Because. I understand where you're coming from and it is logical and gentlemanly and very knight in shining armor like. But I already know… I can feel it in my soul that I want to be with you. And I don't mean just physically. Somehow, from the first moment I saw you I knew we were meant to be together."
"Really? The first moment?" Mike was surprised. He had felt it too but he hadn't expressed it to her. "How?"
"How did I know?" Sam pulled her head away to look up and into his face as he looked back at her. "I don't know exactly. When I walked in to the station that first day, I looked at you standing there with the other men and all of you were staring at me, dumbstruck because you hadn't expected a woman in the uniform. I looked each one of you in the eye and when I got to you it was like… a heated blanket had been wrapped around my shoulders, and my heart skipped a beat. I just knew right then that we were going to be together. And then when we kept bumping into each other by accident, any last doubt in my mind disappeared. Then you kissed me. I've never felt such passion in my life."
"Wow!" was all Mike said.
Sam raised an eyebrow at him and stared in his eyes for a moment. "Wow? That's it? Wow?"
Mike smiled. "I guess I'm just amazed that you knew so quickly how you felt about me, about us I mean. You hadn't even met me yet and you felt like we were meant to be together. And then all of our awkward moments just reaffirmed that for you didn't they?"
"Yes, they did."
"I felt it too."
"Felt what?" Sam asked putting her head back on his chest and listening to his heartbeat again.
"Almost what you described. I felt like I was standing very close to a large campfire and its heat was radiating over my body. And my heart felt like it skipped a beat too."
"Oh, wow!" Sam said.
"That's it? Wow?" said Mike and they both laughed.
After they stopped laughing Sam changed positions, rolling onto her stomach and propping her self up on her elbows. Mike rolled to his side propped on an elbow facing her. "So now what?" Mike asked her.
Sam looked him in the eye not answering right away. She knew what she wanted to say but didn't know how he would take it. For once she felt a little intimidated to say what was on her mind. When she finally opened her mouth to speak she couldn't bring herself to say what was on her mind and closed it again.
"What? What do you want to say?" Mike encouraged her to speak her mind.
Do I ask or don't I? Sam thought to herself. She couldn't decide. "I love you."
"I love you too, but that doesn't answer my question. Where do we go from here?" Mike asked her again.
In her mind, Sam flashed back to the day of the football game at Mike's place. I'm kind of an old fashioned guy. I kind of like the chase. She heard those words again as if he was saying them out loud to her at that very moment. She realized then that she should not say what was on her mind. She needed to allow him to lead. No matter how sure she was and no matter how badly she wanted to be forever one with Mike, she knew she had to wait until it was his idea.
"Wherever you want to," Sam said. "I'll wait as long as you want me to."
Mike smiled broadly. "Lady, you are amazing!" Then he gathered her back in his arms and kissed her gently. They stayed there cuddling and talking most of the day. And finally, Sam was at peace with it all.
When she opened her eyes, Sam slowly realized that she had been asleep. It was dark in the room and she gradually became aware that she was alone. She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands then smoothed her hair back and stood up. She walked to the door and wandered off to the living room where she found Mike sitting in his recliner watching the news. She walked over to him and settled herself across his lap in the chair and put her head on his shoulder. Mike wrapped his arm around her and kissed her on the forehead.
"Hey Beautiful. You woke up."
"Mmm hmm."
"I was surprised you slept so long."
"I felt comfortable. And I was having good dreams."
"What about?"
"An amazing and sexy firefighter with a nice ass."
"You know her too?" Mike asked, playfully turning the table on her.
Sam smacked him on the shoulder in return.
"Are you ready for dinner?" Mike asked Sam, changing the subject.
"I am. What are we having?"
"Shrimp salad and crab cakes."
The two of them enjoyed a quiet, candle lit meal complete with wine and soft music then shared another hour of slow dancing and talking before Mike took her back home to Miss Milly.
Mike walked her to the door and after she fished her keys out of her purse, he unlocked it and held it for her.
"What, no kiss goodnight?" Sam asked.
Mike closed the door that Sam had not entered through and wrapped his arms around her. He planted a three-alarm kiss that left Sam breathless and said, "Have good dreams!" Then he turned and walked back to his truck. He left her happy and flustered at the same time. From his truck he watched to make sure she was safely inside the house and then drove home to take a cold shower.
*Thanks again for the amazing encouragement and honest feedback all of you have been so generous with. Please keep it up! -Hotflash
