22.
AN: I changed the name of Mia's assistant from Clarissa to Clair. I had forgotten that Mia's grandmother was Clarissa, and having two Clarissa's was going to be too confusing (for me, at least). I also changed her ethnicity for no other reason than I wanted to. See the end for more notes.
Finally, alone, Sam held her breath as Mia stepped into her personal space. She let the breath out as a contented sigh as Mia's hand landed on her hip, and she pulled Sam close. Their lips met in a sweet kiss that quickly grew in intensity. By the time they parted, both women were a little breathless.
"I've missed you," Sam said, feeling content for the first time in weeks.
"Oh, you have no idea, Samantha," Mia answered back.
Mia drew Sam close again, and the couple shared another kiss. Sam smiled into the kiss, and she felt Mia's hand migrate south from her hip. It was a bit of an inside joke between the couple, as Sam would suddenly find Mia's hand on her ass, and they would both pretend it was an accident.
Sam knew the truth, though, Mia loved her ass.
Sam's smug smile was soon wiped away as Mia's tongue began to work its magic.
Their intimate embrace came to a sudden and premature end when they both heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
They looked in the direction of the echoed steps to see Mia's flustered assistant approaching fast.
"There you are. Do you have any idea how worried I was? First, we are on the plane then you disappear, and I have no clue where you were. Luckily a very nice Marine Captain offered to ferry me to Arendale."
"Clair, I am sorry for worrying you," Mia said in a placating tone.
Mia's apology went unnoticed as Clair began to wind up for another verbal salvo.
"And, another thing…" The Genovian woman with Pakistani roots began.
Sam thought that now was a good time to make a graceful exit but found her way blocked by Mia's hand, which was still resting firmly on her ass. The other woman even gripped a little tighter, signaling that her actions were intentional.
"Claire, you remember Samantha; don't you," Mia said before her assistant could continue her lecture.
From the look on Claire's face, it was clear that Sam's presence had gone unnoticed before now.
" My apologies," Claire said.
She was mortified that someone she hardly knew had seen her talking to the Queen in such a familiar way. Her mortification gave way to curiosity as she noted the two women stood far closer than polite society customarily allowed.
As a matter of fact, one could consider their current position as intimate. Not one for gossip, Claire had chosen to ignore the rumors spreading around the royal palace about her boss and the pretty American spending an awful lot of time together.
Now she was being presented with nearly irrefutable evidence that the royal affair was indeed a reality. She took a moment to consider how this would play politically. There were some risks here, but not related to the same-sex nature of the relationship. Genovian society had long ago accepted the mantra that love was love. The danger had everything to do with Mia's status as an outsider in the eyes of some. Choosing an American as her, what girlfriend, lover, Queen. The mind boggled. Anyway, selecting an American as her whatever could send the message that a Genovian woman was not good enough for the American Queen. On the other hand, look at her; Sam was stunningly beautiful and smart form what she had heard.
"If she has even one ounce of charm, this could work out nicely," Claire concluded in her few seconds of contemplation.
She gave the apparent couple a regretful look before saying, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we just received word that Ambasodore Ambrose needs to speak with us before the commencement of tomorrow's trade negotiations."
Sam could see the conflicted look in Mia's eyes, so she gave her a smile and a nod, letting her know that no matter how long it took for her to deal with matters of state that she would be awake and waiting for her return.
Mia beamed back at her then did something Sam was not expecting. She leaned in and gave Sam a no so chase kiss on the lips, then whispered, "I had your luggage taken up to the Royal Suite." With one last squeeze of her girlfriend's ass, Mia allowed Claire to lead her way to do her country's business.
Reluctantly Sam turned and headed up the stairs towards the east wing and Mia's suite. As she walked down the third-floor corridor, she noticed light coming under the door to Miranda's room. Taking a chance, Sam tapped lightly on her friend's door. It was opened a moment later by Miranda, who clearly hadn't been sleeping.
Sam stood there for a moment awkwardly as she tried to come up with words to explain why she was there. Before she could, though, Miranda stood back to allow her to come in.
It wasn't until she was inside the other woman's room, that Sam realized Miranda had already changed for bed.
"Nice gams," Sam said, looking at Miranda's legs below the hem of her nightgown.
Despite herself, Miranda laughed, not sure what it was about her young friend that tickled her funny bone just so.
"Well, just don't stand there," Miranda said, inviting the woman further into her room.
"Can't sleep, either?" Miranda questioned.
"More like don't want to," Sam replied before explaining how Mia had been called away.
"That must be difficult," Miranda said, imagining how she would react to her and Andy's reunion being disrupted.
Miranda retreated to the couch where she had been reading before Sam's arrival.
"I can let you get back to your book," Sam offered.
"Don't be ridiculous, you wanted some company to take your mind off of other things," Miranda accurately guessed.
"Besides, I've read A Tale of Two Cities more than a dozen times.
Have a seat."
Sam moved to do just that but had a better idea.
"Have you found the wet bar?"
Miranda perked up, causing Sam to grin. She opened an eighteenth-century cabinet to reveal a wide selection of spirits.
"How about a Talisker," Sam said, holding up a bottle of ten-year-old Irish Scotch Whiskey.
"With a splash of water," Miranda said, accepting Sam's suggestion.
Liking the sound, Sam added a splash of water to her own two fingers worth of the amber liquid.
She took both glasses to the couch, handed one over, then took a seat next to Miranda.
Sam took a sip of her drink as she tried to organize her thoughts. Finally, coming to grips with what was bothering her, she spoke, "Something weird just happened."
Miranda took a sip from her glass before prompting, "Weird."
"Mia kissed me..."
Before Mia could finish her thought, Miranda spoke up, "I know that I am new to the whole lesbian thing, but isn't that supposed to be how it works."
Sam gave Miranda a dirty look before saying, "If you had let me finish, you would have heard me say in front of her assistant, Claire. And, I'm pretty sure her grandmother knows about us too."
"I take it that your relationship has been a secret," Miranda offered.
Sam was thoughtful for a second before saying, "I guess so."
" You guess," Miranda countered.
"Well, we haven't really discussed it," Sam responded.
Miranda took a moment to take in Sam's words before asking the question she thought was at the heart of her friend's dilemma, "How do you feel about your relationship becoming public?"
Sam's face broke out into a bright smile that said it all.
Miranda felt a pang of jealousy as Sam's face spoke of everything young love was supposed to be. It reminded her of the time she'd spent with Emily's father. She did not doubt that Andy was the true love of her life, but there had been something so pure about finding love before the world had a chance to disappoint and infect her with its cynicism.
"I suspect that your Mia feels the same," Miranda pointed out.
Sam took a moment to digested her friend's words. There was a certain kind of logic that she had apparently missed. Why wouldn't Mia want to share their relationship with her family and friends? The complicating factor, of course, was that she was dating one of the most famous women in the world.
"The international press is already obsessed with the 'American Queen,' so they are going to go nuts when they find out about us," Sam said, speaking to her real fear.
"Are you prepared for that level of scrutiny?" Miranda asked.
"No, it scares the shit out of me.
I worry about making a fool out of myself and embarrassing Mia in the process."
"I don't believe that will happen," Miranda said reassuringly.
Despite Miranda's confidence, Sam still looked dubious.
"I have some experience with the press. So, I could give you some pointers." Miranda offered.
The look of relief on Sam's face made a laugh bubble up Miranda's throat.
Sam gave her another of her dirty looks before joining the laughter.
Before the conversation could resume, Miranda asked a question that had been weighing on her mind.
"Why didn't you tell Andy about your relationship with Mia?"
Sam gave Miranda an odd look before saying, "It's complicated."
While Miranda was hoping for a more complete answer, she didn't want to push, so she said nothing.
"I'm not proud to admit this, but for a time after our breakup, I was really angry with Andy."
Miranda remained quiet, sensing there was more Sam needed to say.
"Andy had utterly logical reasons for why we shouldn't get married. When she laid all of them out, I can't even say that I entirely disagreed with all of them.
But, none of that mattered to me. I loved her, and she loved me and that should have been enough."
As Miranda watched tears gather in the corners of Sam's eyes, she felt uncomfortable with the pandora's box she'd opened.
"Eventually, I got over the anger, but it wasn't until I met Mia that it all made sense to me.
Andy had a sort of blind spot in how she saw me. Her feelings for me ran deep, and I don't doubt that she loved me, but she couldn't me as I am. She recognized my strengths, and she could see my vulnerabilities, but she thought of them as separate aspects of my personality, like sides of a coin.
Heads, I was the Mighty Athena, invunlearble hacker goddess.
Tails, I was her good little submissive.
I'm not a coin, and she couldn't see that I was all of those things and more all of the time.
When I met Mia, she could see me, all of me. She knows that when I am at my strongest, I am still vulnerable and that when I submit to her that I am still strong."
Miranda took a moment to consider Sam's analysis. It concerned her that one day, Andy would approach her with well thought out reasons why they could no longer be together. Before that, fear could find purchase; she remembered what it was like to be with Andy.
When Andy looked at her, she saw the truth of her in a way; no one ever had; not even Charlie in his untainted love saw her complexity and rose-colored glasses distorted reality.
It was then she realized that despite the hurt she'd caused, there had been method behind Andy's madness. And, judging from the contemplative look on Sam's face, she thought the young woman was coming to the same conclusion.
"I guess I needed to get that off my chest," Sam said, wiping away tears.
"I think that maybe you and Andy need to have a conversation," Miranda suggested.
"I'll give it some thought. I'm sorry for dumping all this on you and for kinda insulting your wife." Sam said, giving Miranda a sheepish grin.
Miranda reached over and gripped Sam's hand reasurignly. She also realized she had been unfair when she had categorized her friend's feelings as young love. Sam had analyzed the potential pitfalls and had concluded that Mia was worth it.
"Thanks for letting me bend your ear for a little while," Sam said, getting up to leave.
Miranda stood up and pulled the young woman into a hug.
"Any time," Miranda said into Sam's ear.
Sam let herself out of Miranda's room, feeling surprisingly well. She had not realized that she was still carrying baggage from her relationship with Andy. Talking to the woman that technically replaced her in Andy's heart may have seemed like a weird choice, but it had actually helped. It gave her some needed perspective on her past and left her feeling more appreciative of her relationship with Mia.
She slipped into the royal suite but was not surprised to see that it was unoccupied. She walked into her side of the closet to find the items she'd brought in her luggage hung neatly or folded in a nearby dresser. She also noticed a couple of new dresses that she hadn't seen before. She took a moment to admire the lovely gowns wondering what Mia had in mind for them.
She stepped through the closet and into the adjacent ensuite. She eyed the ginormous tub remembering the last time she and Mia and shared a bath together. It had been one of the single hottest experiences in her life.
"Why not," She said to herself before opening the taps to fill the tub.
She added a lovely smelling bath oil to the nearly scalding hot water, then slipped out of her clothes and climbed in. The warm water quickly did the job of unknotting tense muscles. She flexed the ankle and wrist that had borne the brunt of punishment during her fight with the four highly paid thugs.
A half an hour later, she decided that if she didn't get out now, she might fall asleep and drown. Stepping out of the tub she spotted a robe hanging on the back of the door. She slipped into the plush garment, liking how it felt against her skin. She reached for the robe's lapel, brought it to her nose and inhaled the remnants of Mia's intoxicating scent.
She temporarily considered walking down stairs and hauling Mia out of her meeting. Feeling a little light-headed, she walked over to the sink placing her hands on the cold marble surface. She looked at herself in the mirror and thought, "I've got it bad."
She shook her head to clear it then turned her mind towards completing her nightly routine. She found a brand new toothbrush in her vanity, which she used to brush her teeth. Next, she removed the little makeup she wore. Finally, she brushed out her damp hair, then made her way back into Mia's bedroom. She grabbed her laptop, thinking she could do some more digging into Mia's traitorous cousin. Unfortunately, Mia's bed was far too comfortable, causing her to lose her battle with sleep in moments.
Mia tried her best not to lose her cool as Ambassador Ambrose made the same point for the fourth or hell; maybe it was the fifth time. Thankfully for him, she'd grown up with her down to earth mother in laid back San Francisco. She shutters to think of how she would behave if she'd grown up as the spoiled kid of the Genovian King. Despite all, she'd learned about patience from her mother, and later her grandmother, the Ambasador, was doing his best to test those skills.
She had already tried to end the call twice but had been cut off by the officious little man. Her body wanted to be with Sam even as her mind forced her to stay on task.
Moments like this made it clear that she needed to get Allie more involved in leading their countries government. She trusted her cousin implicitly and knew that the Duchess, like her, would always do what was best for their country and it's people.
Finally, reaching the end of her rope, she said, "Ambassador Ambrose, I believe you have made your points, and I thank you for sharing them with me. But, the hour is getting late, and I would like time to consider your perspective ahead of tomorrow's negotiations."
When the man looked like he was going to interject, she gave him a glare that perfectly mimicked the one Sam used when her patience was running thin.
"Very well, Your Majesty. I look forward to hearing how the talks go."
"Thank you, Ambassador. You will be copied on the notes."
As the call ended, Helena spoke.
"That man is an insufferable bore," HG said, causing the room to break out in laughter.
All of them knew how the Ambassador had found himself knocked onto his ass by HG after making a ham-handed pass during a reception at Buckingham Palace. It was said that after HG's impromptu demonstration on how to handle a boorish man, that the Queen of England had even sent over a bottle of good champagne with a note saying, "Rather well done."
When Mia heard, she was livid and had immediately recalled the Ambassador to Great Britain with the intent on sacking him on the spot. Unfortunately, the man had been an ally of Marbry, who successfully lobbied the House of Commons on Ambrose's behalf. So instead of firing him, she'd given him a hardship posting to a county with a dim view on alcoholic spirits. Her ploy had eventually worked as she recently received word that the Ambassador was going to retire from government service.
"Needless to say, I will do my best to unlearn everything he just told me before morning," Mia announced, drawing another round of tired laughter.
She stood, closed her portfolio, and handed it off to Claire. She felt confident that her efficient assistant would type up her notes then file them away in the deepest darkest archive, never to be seen again. She shook her head at the waist of her time, then thanked the women standing around the table before bidding them all a pleasant evening
With her work done and seeing an empty stairway before her, Mia moved quickly, hoping to avoid further delays. She opened the door to her suite and was momentarily thrilled to see that the lights were still on. Her glee came to an abrupt end when she spotted her girlfriend lying on the bed with her eyes firmly shut. She walked over to the bed and relocated Sam's laptop, which was listing at a dangerous angle. She smiled fondly at the sleeping woman who was wrapped in her comfortable robe. Her heart melted upon seeing how adorable Sam looked when she was sleeping. Mia reached down and carefully removed a lock of hair that had fallen over one of Sam's eyes, causing the woman to stir and roll onto her side.
Mia took note that Sam's motion had caused her robe to fall open, revealing Sam wore nothing underneath. She unconsciously licked her lips, unable to stop herself from thinking about what she had planned to do to her girlfriend tonight.
"Alas," she thought dramatically, deciding to prioritize Sam's need for sleep, over her own libidinous desires. So instead, she turned in the direction of the bathroom, thinking that a cool, very cool shower was a good idea.
She slipped out of her dress then placed her crown on a foam bust that had been molded using her measurements at the time of her coronation. She stepped in front of the mirror, still wearing the matching bra and panty set she'd worn with Sam in mind.
"Oh, well," she thought reaching to unhook her bra. Next she took a few minutes to remove her makeup and apply moisturizer. She slipped out of her underwear then stepped into the shower.
As she finished her shower, it occurred to her that Sam was still wearing her robe. She reached for a towel and used it to dry herself. Deciding she wanted to wake up naked with the woman she loved. Mia bypassed the closet walking directly into their bedroom. Sam, who was now under the covers, lay perfectly still. Mia went to her side of the bed and climbed in. She moved close to the other woman easing behind her sleeping girlfriend. Mia let out a happy sigh when her breast came in contact with the warm, smooth skin of Sam's naked back. Her sigh turned to a moan when Sam pushed her ass back against Mia's core.
"Faker," Mia whispered in Sam's ear before taking the lobe into her mouth.
Sam breathed out through her nose as her heart began to hammer in her chest. Sam rolled onto her back, allowing Mia to slide on top of her. Their eyes met in the now darkened room, as electricity passed between the reunited pair.
"I missed you too," Sam said, spreading her legs allowing Mia to sink in between them. She took a moment to enjoy the feel of the older woman's weight pushing down on her. Mia leaned down and kissed her pushing her tongue against Sam's lips, causing the younger woman to open her mouth, giving Mia's tongue full access.
Distracted by the motion of Mia's talented tongue, Sam did not immediately notice how Mia had pinned her wrists to the bed. She only became aware of her predicament when she wanted to pull Mia closer. She pushed her arms up, testing Mia's determination, but found her arms well and truly pinned. Sam grinned up at her torturer, knowing from experience that the woman was stronger than she looked.
She gave a push with her pelvis in an attempt to dislodge Mia, but they both knew that her heart wasn't really into it. Sam could probably dislodge Mia if she wanted to, but what she did instead was to turn her head, exposing her neck. Mia looked down and watched as Sam's pulse began to quicken right before her eyes. She leaned down and attached her lips on the pulse point, eliciting a moan from her girlfriend's full lips.
Sam closed her eyes, allowing her mind to focus on one thing and one thing only. The sensation of Mia's lips and tongue as the older woman marked Sam as hers.
"Oh, Baby, that feels so good," Sam whispered, wishing she could run her fingers through Mia's lush chocolate brown locks.
Instead, she concentrated on the pleasure the other woman wanted to give her. One last nip at her neck, and Sam knew she would need concealer to hide the bruise her girlfriend had just made. It did not bother her one bit; in fact, she liked Mia's occasional passiveness. She reconsidered the concealer, thinking she didn't really care who knew that she was Mia's woman. Her musings were interrupted as Mia moved from her neck to her shoulder, taking a nip with her exposed teeth.
Sam's moan this time was a little louder as she had always loved the balance between pleasure and pain. Mia always seemed to know the line, and she trusted the older woman to always come down on the right side of that equation. The pressure on her wrists lessened as Mia moved down Sam's body. By the time Mia took one of Sam's nipples into her mouth, there was very little pressure on her wrist at all. Of course, at that point, Sam's mind was too occupied to care.
"Did you miss your playthings," Sam purred, sending a shiver down Mia's spine. The monarch was not too proud to admit that she had indeed missed Sam's breast, but since her mouth was otherwise occupied, she chose to remain silent on the topic. Instead, she used her tongue to make it clear that she was delighted to have her woman back in her arms.
Sam began bucking her hips, giving her lover a not so subtle hint that she needed her.
"I need you inside of me," Sam pleaded.
"All good things in time, Samantha," Mia responded in that tone that drove Sam to distraction.
They had not even been lovers on the first occasion Mia had said her name in that breathy tone. It had made Sam want to drop to her knees on the spot. In fact, she almost had even though they weren't exactly alone at the time. Later, when she relayed those thoughts to Mia, the woman had laughed then said, "Given how much you turned me on, I may have let you."
They both laughed, thinking how inevitable their coupling had been in hindsight.
Sam looked down to see that Mia's mouth was currently heading to her danger zone.
"Don't you dare," She managed to get out just before Mia plunged her tongue into Sam's belly button.
Sam let out a shriek that would have woken the neighbors had they any. Mia gave her a wicked grin before going in again. When Sam was nearly out of breath, Mia relented nipping Sam's hip bone, trying to balance the feeling of ticklishness with a little bit of pain. The combination made Sam feel light-headed and giddy and in love.
One look at Sam's now dark eyes told Mia that her moves had had the desired effect.
Those eyes said, "I need you, Now!"
Just Sam had reached the point that she was willing to beg for Mia to fuck her, three fingers were suddenly at her entrance.
"Oh, FUCK, Baby!" Sam exclaimed as two long fingers followed closely by a third were now inside her.
With Mia's hands otherwise occupied, Sam was now free to touch her lover. She ran her hands onto Mia's back, feeling the power emanating from her muscles as she pushed her fingers into Sam over and over.
She wanted to say the words, had wanted to say them for a while now but knew pre-orgasmic professions of love could be fraught. So she just hung on for dear life as Mia, her Mia, fucked her like no one ever had or ever would.
AN: When I initially decided that Sam and Andy had a past together, it was almost a throwaway just to give the characters some context and to add some depth. I think the best stories add enough depth to their characters to make you care if they live or die or fall in love. It wasn't until I got further into the story that I realized that Sam being with a woman that looked so much like Andy might suggest that Sam was settling. I tried my best in this update to explain why Andy made the choices she made and why Sam made the choices that she made and to make it clear that both women are precisely where they want to be.
A big theme in this story is the notion of acceptance. I wanted Miranda to come to the idea on her own. That all she'd gone through, even her own decisions good or bad, led her to Andy and the life they are building together. I believe that now that she has finally come to accept her past, she can move forward with her life, and we'll learn more about the "new Miranda" moving forward.
Speaking of moving forward, expect to see a reunion between Miranda and Andy and her girls in the near future. Also, expect to see what Emily and Allie have been up to in the next chapter. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.