Disclaimer: I own nothing but the mistakes as always.

Chapter 9

Mercedes

The following Wednesday I met with Tina for a hip-hop dance class. I was proud of us for keeping up with our weekly routine. I was starting to get used to working out and eating more whole foods. My clothes were fitting better and I could feel a difference in my overall energy levels. Some days I struggled with not wanting to workout, or not sticking to my meal plans, but I'm human. I made sure to allow myself treats here and there so I didn't completely lose my mind. Let's face it, I wasn't living life without pizza. Not happening.

The class was an hour long and by the time it was over I was dripping sweat. I felt like I had burned about a billion calories. We chugged water and headed out to the lobby area.

I saw him before he saw me. He was speaking to a member at the front desk. The girl was leaning over the counter listening intently to what Sam was saying. He was behind the counter a few feet away from the woman. I took a moment to admire him. He was so beautiful. Sometimes I still couldn't believe that he was mine. He wasn't just nice to look at, he had such a kind heart. He cared about other people, and that was one of the things I admired about him. most.

The woman at the counter was doing everything in her power to keep Sam's attention on her. Never wanting to disappoint or turn a client away I knew that Sam would give her his undivided attention with any health or fitness questions she had.

We were a couple of feet away when Sam spotted us. He waved and when I reached the counter he asked the woman to hold on just a moment.

"Hey," he said as he leaned over the counter and kissed me.

I was still getting used to the whole PDA thing. We weren't obnoxious, but Sam wasn't afraid to hold hands or give me a peck in public. I secretly liked that he staked his claim.

"How was your workout?"

"Exhausting, but good."

"That's always a good sign. Give me just a second. Penny had a few more questions. Let me finish and I'll walk you to your car. I still have a little while left for my shift, but I can stop by when I get off."

He turned back to Penny to finish up their conversation. Her whole demeanor changed. I assumed it was due to the fact that she now knew that he wasn't up for grabs and her efforts were wasted. I'd say I felt bad for her, but I'd be lying. With her new found knowledge their conversation ended quickly.

Sam walked me to my car and gave me a more intimate kiss than the one from earlier.

"I'll call you when I'm on my way to your house."

"Sounds good, Tina is coming over and I'm cooking us dinner. I'll make enough for you so that you don't have to cook tonight."

"Thanks, babe, I really appreciate that."

About forty-five minutes later Tina and I were sitting in my living room eating spaghetti made with spaghetti squash instead of pasta. It was one of the many recipes I'd found on Pinterest.

"So, how are things going with loverboy? It looked like the two of you have gotten things smoothed over since the last time we talked."

"We have I think. I have to admit I do have some concerns with his sister. I had dinner with him, his uncle, and his sister and she was pretty standoffish with me. I don't know if it's because she doesn't know me or if she's used to being number one in Sam's life."

"Hmm, it could be either or both. Especially if he's always been there for her, she may be threatened by you. She could be afraid you're going to take her place."

"It makes no sense though because she hasn't even seen him in years. He could have been married with children by now. What would she have done then?"

"You have a good point there. I can't see how she wouldn't warm up to you, Cedes. You're freaking awesome. I mean you're friends with me so clearly you have good taste."

"Your head couldn't get any bigger if it tried. Anyway, another concern I had was she was in rehab for drug use, but she only stayed for a week. She insisted on getting out. Sam and his uncle were against this. Then instead of staying with her uncle, she begged Sam to stay with him. I think this may be a recipe for disaster."

"Yikes, it doesn't sound good. No one gets over an addiction that quickly. Sam is going to have to grow a backbone when it comes to that girl. It sounds like she's ready to come in and take over."

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of. I'm trying to give her the benefit of the doubt because I've only met her once. I'm definitely going to stay on guard. I just get a bad vibe."

A knock sounded at the door and I went to grab it. I knew it was Sam. As soon as the door opened he grabbed me and pulled me into a kiss. His hands roamed to cup my behind.

A throat cleared and Sam pulled back.

"Oh, hey Tina. Sorry about that."

"No need to apologize. It was kind of hot. I need to go find a guy to manhandle me like that."

"Good grief Tina. Have you no shame? Wait nevermind, I've known you forever and I know the answer to that question."

Sam just laughed.

Tina had her purse in hand and slid past us and out the front door.

"Text me tomorrow, Cedes."

With that, she was gone.

"If you want to sit on the couch, I'll bring you your dinner."

Sam made himself comfortable while I went into the kitchen to fix him a plate. When I returned, he was flipping through the channels. He wasn't staying on any one channel long enough to even see what was playing. His attention wasn't on the T.V.

I set the plate and a bottle of water on the coffee table. I tucked one leg under me and sat facing him on the couch. My hand ran up his muscular arm and began to knead his shoulders. They were full of tension.

"Is everything ok? Do you want to talk about anything?"

He let out a long breath.

"It's just everything that's going on with Stace. Although her moving in with me wasn't my number one option for her I didn't want to say no, you know? I know she's been gone a while, but she's still my baby sister. I'll always love her."

"I understand that. You're in a stressful situation."

I wanted to be open minded about everything and not put too much of my two cents into the matter. I wanted him to know I was there for him, but family matters could be a touchy subject. I knew that all too well.

"I just hope that I'm making the right decision. I love my sister, but I also don't want anything else to interfere with me being able to spend time with you. Having my little sister in my house is a bit of a cock block."

I had to giggle at that. Sam was rarely that blunt. I kind of liked it.

"Well my door is always open, and so is my bed." My voice was playful.

I saw heat flash in Sam's eyes.

"Is that an invitation, Miss Jones?"

"It's whatever you'd like it to be."

His lips were on mine before I could blink my eyes.

He gently laid me back on the couch. The weight of his solid body felt good on my softer one. I felt myself getting wet. I hadn't expected anything other than hanging out tonight, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about our first time together every day. I wanted to help relieve his stress. If only for a little while.

I broke the kiss and motioned for Sam to sit up. Frustration flashed on his face before he schooled his features. I started to stand up. He grabbed my hand and cocked his eyebrow in question. Instead of answering him I kneeled down in front of him.

My hands skimmed up his tights and under his basketball shorts. His breathing became more labored. I peered up to see his eyes were half closed. His hooded gaze was on me. More accurately down my shirt. He smiled a sexy grin when I caught him looking.

I cupped his erection through his boxers and his breath hitched. I loved the sounds he made when he was turned on. I removed my hands from his shorts and hooked my fingers in the waistband. He lifted his hips and allowed me to slide his boxers and shorts down his legs. His hard-on sprang to attention as soon as it was free.

Licking my lips I looked up at him through my lashes. His head was rested on the back of the couch and his eyes were closed. He looked so relaxed. That's exactly how I wanted him. My tongue licked from the base of his cock to the tip. He gasped and I took that as a sign that he liked what I was doing. Taking his full length in, I worked my mouth and tongue drawing pleasure filled moans from him.

"Oh hell, Cedes. Your mouth is perfect."

His hips began to buck feverishly. I knew he was getting close. Hell, I could feel my own panties becoming soaked. Seeing him so free and turned on was satisfying. I loved that I could make him feel good and forget about his stress for a moment.

"Mercedes," Sam rasped out before he took me by my forearms and pulled me up.

"Why'd you stop me?"

"I'm not stopping you, sweetheart. We're just getting started. I when I come, I want to come inside of that beautiful body of yours. The way things were going I was about to explode."

I knew my smile was taking over half of my face. Someone as beautiful, kind, and as smart as Sam coming undone by me was one of the best compliments I could receive.

"Straddle me, Cedes. I want to see your gorgeous breasts while you ride me."

I'd never been on top before. I was a little nervous to try. Sam must have seen the uncertainty on my face. He leaned forward and pulled my shorts and panties down like I did to him. His fingers grazed across my slit.

"Cedes, baby you're so wet." He brought his fingers to his nose and inhaled. As if that wasn't enough, he stuck his fingers into his mouth and licked my juices off. "Delicious."

Just screw me now please.

He leaned forward and grabbed my ass with both hands pulling me down on top of him. He pulled my shirt over my head exposing my bare breasts. Strong hands kneaded them while while his mouth went back-and-forth licking and sucking each nipple. I thought I would cum just from that alone.

"Sam, I can't take anymore. I need you, please,"

My voice was pleading. I couldn't help myself. I'd never felt a need this intense, this raw.

He released my breasts and grabbed for his wallet he'd set on the side table. He pulled out a condom, opened it, and rolled it on at record speed.

"After our first time, I made sure I'd always be prepared."

His hands went to my hips. He helped guide me onto his cock. I lowered onto him allowing him to fill me. He felt so good. We moaned in unison when he was snug inside of me.

"Cedes, you're so damn tight."

I rocked my hips back and forth in response. His mouth found my neck, and he trailed open mouth kisses down to my collar bone. His hands were still on my waist moving with my body. A warmth was slowly building from my core and working its way up.

The sounds of our bodies colliding together filled the room. I closed my eyes, savoring every second. I began to move quicker using my legs to help propel me up and down. He hips lifted from the couch matching me thrust for thrust.

I could feel the orgasm building with every move. A scream escaped, and I gripped Sam's shoulders. A wave of emotion overcame me as my orgasam took over. My body began to tremble, and tears formed in my eyes. I was overcome with pure pleasure and joy.

Sam wasn't far behind letting out a very manly grunt.

I collapsed onto his chest. I was spent, but I loved it.

Sam held me and rubbed his hands up and down my back. My head rested in the crook of his neck. One of his hands came up to my face and he wiped his thumb under my eyes.

"Why are you crying, baby?"

I sniffled and took in a big gulp of air.

"I don't know. I'm just really happy I guess."

"So those are tears of happiness? Not tears because you want to kick me out of here?"

I lifted my head and looked into his eyes.

"They're definitely tears of happiness. I don't want you to go anywhere. You make me feel ways that I never imagined I could. I don't know how to deal with these feelings."

Sam kissed my forehead and pulled me in for a hug. His chin rested on the top of my head and I relished in the feeling.

"Sweetheart, you deserve to feel these types of feelings. You are so special. I'm both happy and privileged that I'm the one that gets to make you feel this way. You make me feel things too."

"I do?"

"You do. Things I'm probably too scared to admit to myself right now."

Oh, my goodness, what did that mean? Could it be possible that Sam loved me? I didn't think so. We hadn't known each other long enough. If I was honest with myself my feelings were probably past the like phase. I couldn't think about it right now. It was too much, and I was already feeling some raw emotions.

We stayed like that on my couch holding each other and talking quite a while. Sam's phone buzzed breaking our intimate bubble.

"It's Stace. I better answer it just in case."

The conversation was quick. Sam's demeanor shifted.

"Babe, I'm so sorry, but I think I have to head home. Stace seemed kind of weird on the phone. I don't know if she was scared or what, but I better not leave her alone."

My heart sank, but I forced myself not to pout. .

"It's ok. I know you have responsibilities."

Although I knew it, I still didn't like it.

He slid his clothes back on and I walked him to the door. He gave me a lingering kiss that I felt to my core.

Cupping my face he said, "I'll call you tomorrow."

When I went back into my living room, I realized he'd never eaten his dinner.

Things seemed to be getting back on track with Sam. He'd been making an effort to text me in the morning and throughout the day. We saw each other several times over the next week. The days that we didn't get to see each other he made sure to call me before bed. We hadn't gotten to have any more sleepovers. I was a bit disappointed. I enjoyed snuggling up with him at night, but I knew that it was a crucial time for his sister.

I was deep into one of my latest projects when my phone rang. I had half a mind to ignore but decided against it. I had been working for a solid two hours. A little brain break would do me good.

"Hello?"

I couldn't deny the giddy feeling I got when I saw his name on my screen.

"Hey beautiful, how's your day going?"

"So far so good. I've been pretty productive so I'm happy about that."

"That's good, babe. Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"No, I haven't. I lost track of time, actually."

"I'm in your neck of the woods. Would you want to have lunch with me?"

Was he kidding me? Of course, I'd like to have lunch with him. I'd love to have him for lunch, but I'd take what I could get.

"Sure, where do you want to go?"

"I don't care. Wherever you want to go is fine. I'm downstairs in the lobby. We can walk somewhere close from here."

My heart picked up speed knowing that he was so close.

"That sounds good. There's a little deli that sells soups, salads, and sandwiches. We can walk over there. I'll be right down."

I grabbed my purse and headed to the ladies room for a quick freshen up. I checked my makeup in the mirror reapplying my lipstick and adding a coat of mascara. I didn't know why I was nervous to see him. He'd seen me sweaty in workout clothes a ton of times.

He was sitting in a chair by the window when I got to the lobby. When he saw me he stood up and started toward me. His smile was radiant and all for me. Oh hell, I felt lucky to have such an awesome man that cared about me.

When we reached each other, he wrapped me up in his arms and kissed me with passion and an unspoken need. I knew because I felt it too. I forgot that we were in my place of business and melted into his touch. When he pulled away, I looked down at my feet.

"I can't believe I just did that in the lobby of my office building."

He raised my face to look up at him.

"Never be embarrassed to express how you feel. Who cares if it's at work. At least they know you're happy. Plus it's not like we were getting it on for all the world to see."

"Sam!" I couldn't help but laugh at his bluntness.

He gave me his gorgeous smile, clasped his hand with mine, and pulled me toward the door. The sun was high in the sky. There were a few white puffs scattered across the otherwise blue sky. I tilted my head back and allowed the sun to warm my face. I wanted to laugh. I felt like a complete lunatic because there wasn't anything funny. I was just truly happy. That was something I hadn't felt in a long time. I had Sam to thank for so much of that.

"What has you over there smiling and giggling?"

I swung our arms back and forth between us as we walked.

"I'm so happy. This is the happiest I can ever really remember feeling. You make me happy, Sam."

He stopped walking and turned toward me. There were people walking that had to go around us. He placed his hands on either side of my face and stared into my eyes. It was like he was trying to see into my soul, and I wanted him to.

"Mercedes, you have no idea how happy you make me. Hearing you say I do the same for you is the best thing anyone could ever say to me. I haven't felt this kind of joy since before my parents died. You make me feel like life has a purpose, like I have a purpose."

Without giving me a chance to reply he kissed me. There were no open mouths or tongues. Just a sweet lingering peck. It was perfect.

We reached the deli, and it was pretty packed since it was lunch time. There was a two top table toward the back that was open. I told Sam my order and I want to grab the table for us. I played on my phone while I waited for him to come back with our food. It wasn't long before he was setting out tArtie down on the table.

"This smells amazing. I can't wait to try it," he said as he settled into the seat across from me.

"It is really good. It's my go to place if I happen to forget my lunch or want to change it up. It's nice because they have a lot of healthy options that fit into my new lifestyle."

"I'm so proud of all the progress you've made. Not just physically, but mentally. Changing your relationship with food is probably the hardest part of a lifestyle change. It wouldn't bother me if you didn't lose another pound. Your body is beautiful. Your curves are perfect. Your heart and mind are extraordinary. As long as you're happy and healthy, that's all I care about."

Was it getting hot in there or was it just me? I wanted to knock our trays on the floor and lay across the table as an offering to him. I figured that wasn't the most classy move in a busy restaurant so I settled for a thank you. I'd never been good at taking compliments, the few I received, but I wanted to believe them coming from Sam.

We dug into our food. Sam enjoyed his first meal at the deli. I hoped that this would be the first of many impromptu lunch dates.

Sam wiped his mouth with a napkin and pushed his clean plate away.

"I wanted to ask you something. One of my co-workers is getting married, and they're having an engagement party this weekend. I wanted to see if you would like to be my date."

I felt a bubbling of nerves in my stomach. It wasn't like I hadn't met all of his co-workers at the gym. I was pretty sure they all knew we were an item. For some irrational reason, I thought maybe seeing them outside of the gym would be different. Maybe they wouldn't like me. I knew it made no sense, but I'd never been the best at social engagement.

"Do you think they would want me there?"

"Of course, Mercedes. Everyone at the gym loves you, and people usually bring dates to these things. Seeing as you are my girlfriend, of course, you would be my date."

I'd never grow tired of hearing him call me his girlfriend.

"You're right. Okay, count me in."

The night of the engagement party I went through my entire closet at least twice trying to figure out what to wear. I finally settled on a simple black a-line dress and a pair of strappy red heels for a little pop of color. Sam had text me earlier that day telling me to pack an overnight bag. Stace was supposed to be staying the night with their Uncle Dwight. That left Sam with no responsibility and us with the place all to ourselves.

Sam arrived at my house looking delectable in a pair of form-fitting dark wash jeans, a gray button-up and a pair of black dress shoes. He held out his elbow and escorted me to his car. We made the drive to the location of the engagement party. It was being held in a loft that had been turned into an event venue.

The decor was beautiful. There were white Christmas style lights strung from the ceiling and the walls. All the tables were covered in white linens with bouquets of blush colored roses in the center. The whole place was like a dream. I found myself wondering what it would be like if Sam and I ever got engaged. What our engagement party and wedding would be like.

The party was lovely. Everyone was very friendly. I met a lot of new people and spoke to some I knew from the gym. My fears and uncertainty about the night proved to be unwarranted. After a couple of hours of mingling and playing games, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Sam's place.

"That's weird, I know I turned all the lights off in the house."

"Maybe you forgot one."

A light upstairs and in the living room was on.

"Stay here and let me go check it out before you come in."

Sam locked the car behind him. It wasn't even a minute later when he jogged back and opened my door.

"Babe, I'm sorry. Stace was supposed to be at Uncle Dwight's, but she's here. don't know what's going on."

When I walked into the front door, Stace was standing a few feet away from Sam in a pair of leggings and one of his old hoodies.

"Stace, what are you doing here? You are supposed to be at Uncle Dwight's."

"I was, but I had someone pick me up and bring me back here. It's boring over there."

"For goodness sake, Stace, does Uncle Dwight know where you are?"

"I don't know. He was asleep in his chair when I left."

Sam pulled out his phone and sent a quick text before shoving it back in his pocket.

"It would have been nice if you gave me a heads up, Stace. You knew I had plans tonight."

"I know Sammy, but I didn't think you would mind."

I knew he was annoyed, but he tried to keep calm.

"Who brought you home?"

"A friend."

"Stace, what kind of friend? I don't want just anyone knowing where I live. I don't like you having people over when I'm not here. I don't know the kind of people you were dealing with before you came back around. It may not be safe, and I'm sure it isn't good for your recovery."

"I'm allowed to have friends, Sam. Just because I'm not perfect like you doesn't mean that my friends are bad."

Sam ran his fingers through his hair.

"Stace, you know I didn't mean it like that. You can have friends. I just want to be sure that you're safe."

"I am safe. I know what I'm doing."

Somehow I doubted that she knew what she was doing. She flew off the handle a little too quickly when he asked about her whereabouts.

"Fine, but I'm serious Stace. I don't want anyone here when I'm not here. I love you, but this is still my home. I don't want any trouble brought here."

Stace's bottom lip poked out, but she nodded her head in agreement.

"Since you guys are home, do you want to watch a movie or something," Stace asked looking innocent.

Innocent my big black behind.

Sam looked at me with a questioning look. He was conflicted. He wanted to spend one-on-one time with me, but he also didn't want to disappoint his sister. I pasted on the biggest fake smile I could muster.

"Sure," I replied.

Sam wrapped an arm around my shoulder pulling me into him. He bent down and kissed the top of my head.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I get to pick the movie," Stace announced.

It looked like sleeping would be the only thing we'd be doing at tonight's sleepover.