Chapter Eleven

Carter walked into Sam's bedroom, she was still sleeping. He had woken up in the middle of the night to find himself on Sam's bed with Sam in his arms. Once he remembered how he had ended up like that, he covered her with the blanket and left. He stood at the foot of the bed watching her sleep, knowing that he would love to wake up next to her. But, that would never happen.

As he was watching her, she started to wake up. She rolled over and slowly opened her eyes. She could make out someone standing at the end of the bed. After rubbing her eyes to make them focus, she saw that it was Carter. The same Carter who just last night had told her he was falling in love with her. It should have been awkward but it wasn't.

"Good morning," she said sitting up.

"How are you doing this morning?" he asked.

"I feel good, thanks."

"Luka called, wants to know if you're going to meet up with him today. I hope you don't mind but I told him to come over, I thought you might want to see him." It had been so hard to give Luka that invitation, he was half hoping she would tell him to ring back and cancel.

"That's okay; it's just that Alex isn't exactly Luka's number one fan at the moment." She frowned.

"I'll take Alex out for the day if you want?" He really hated the thought of Luka and Sam being together in his house, but she had been in a really bad state last night and he figured she could do with having Luka with her. Right then he was cursing his giving nature.

"You don't have to do that, besides Alex is supposed to be grounded."

"Look, you had a tough day yesterday. Why not have some fun with Luka and I'll take Alex out of your hair, you deserve it."

"I don't know." Sam felt bad taking him up on the offer; he had done so much for her already.

"I won't take no for an answer." He had seen the little glimmer of hope in her eyes on thinking of being alone with Luka. Damn his giving nature.

"Thanks!"

"Don't mention it. You should get ready; he'll be here in an hour."

Sam sat for a minute after Carter had left. She was feeling so nervous about Luka coming over. She wasn't sure why, they had lived together. But things were different now, and for the first time since that time she had turned up at his apartment and they ended up having sex for the first time, she was nervous about seeing him.

Alex was the one to greet Luka. His mom had told him that Carter was taking him out for a while but she hadn't mentioned that it was so she could be alone with Luka. He was doing his best to keep the two apart but it wasn't easy. Luka just kept coming back, if only he could convince him that Sam didn't love him anymore.

"Hey Alex," Luka said greeting Alex.

"Hey," Alex answered scowling.

"Where's your mom?"

"Upstairs with Carter," here was his chance, "do you know that Carter spent the night in mom's room? I saw him come out of the room this morning wearing the same clothes he had had on the yesterday."

Luka's jaw dropped, Sam and Carter? He didn't believe that, but why would Alex lie to him? Sure Alex lied sometimes but never about something as big as this. His mind immediately ran to what they might have been doing in her room. It was definitely a place he didn't want to be in, not when he was about to finally get some time alone with Sam. But the images were hard to keep out of his mind.

Alex smiled at his handy work. He could tell from the look on Luka's face just how cut up he was about his piece of news. There was no way Luka would stay with his mom now.

Carter came in to take Alex out. He told Luka to go on up to Sam. It hurt him to think of what they'd be doing while he entertained her son. He just hoped that Alex's hyper nature would be enough to keep his minds off such thoughts. Otherwise, he was sure to drive himself insane.

Sam was brushing her hair when Luka entered the room. He walked up behind her and took the brush from her hands. He started brushing her hair. Neither of them said anything, Luka just brushed Sam's hair and she shivered slightly at the sensation.

When he was done, he wrapped his arms around her waist and started kissing her neck. Sam closed her eyes and licked her lips. He heard her groan slightly and that was enough, enough to push any thoughts he had about her and Carter to the back of his mind. He turned her around in his arms and stared at her face. Sam got inpatient and leaned forward to kiss him only to have him pull back. He smiled at the frown that she gave him.

Sam pulled his head down and crashed her lips against his. Every thought lost in the moment. This time she pulled back from him, and pulled back even further when he tried to kiss her again. Ever so slowly she pulled her T-shirt over her head and flung it to the floor. Luka watched, fascinated, and desperate to have her. She seemed to take a life time. Once she had it off he pulled her back towards her. His mouth exploring hers, his hands moving towards her bra clasp.

As he flung that to the floor Sam removed his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders to reveal his chest. She ran her hands over that chest and he picked her up, so that her legs were wrapped around his waist. Luka staggered the two feet over to the bed where they fell down, him on top of her.

The kiss deepened and Sam ran her fingers softly underneath the edge of his trousers, feeling the boxers underneath. Luka couldn't help the slight groan that came from his lips. Sam took that as a sign and snapped off his belt buckle, before unzipping him.

Luka wasted no time in taking off the trousers. He then started kissing his way down her body, stopping at her breasts, taking them in. Nipping slightly at her nipples, Sam threw her head back in pleasure. Luka looked up at her face, finding her pleasure a turn on. He moved on down to her stomach, stopping again at her jeans. He slowly undid them and ever so slowly peeled them off her legs along with her panties.

Sam gripped onto the sheets as Luka kissed her inner thigh, his hand playing with her breast. She wasn't sure just how much more she could take. She needed him.

"Luka, please!"

Luka started making his way up her body with his tongue, taking his time, enjoying the effect he was having on her. When he was at her neck she put one hand either side of his face and pulled him up to her, briefly looking into his eyes before kissing him.

She could feel 'him' pressed against her stomach and it was almost too much. She whimpered into his mouth and raised her hips up to his.

Luka smiled at her and kissed her. Then, looking intently into her eyes her entered her. Slowly at first, almost as if he was afraid to break her. Sam's eyes rolled back into her head and she yelled out. Luka found himself saying her name over and over.

When they were done Luka flopped down beside Sam, pulling her body close to his so that he was holding her in his arms.

"Hi," Luka whispered into Sam's ear.

"Is this how we're greeting each other now?" Sam asked.

"I'm not complaining," he answered giving her a cheeky grin.

Sam rolled her eyes at him and snuggled into his chest. He wrapped his arms tighter around her.

Sam awoke to find Luka fully dressed and looking out the window. She got up, pulled on a large T-shirt and went over to him.

"What are you thinking?" she asked

Luka picked Sam up and placed her back in the bed.

"You," he said kissing her nose "should be resting."

"That's not answering my question." She frowned.

"If you really have to know, I was thinking about you." It was partially true; he had been thinking about her, he had just been thinking about her and Carter.

"If you were thinking about me, why the serious face?"

"Alex told me that Carter spent the night with you last night."

Sam didn't know what to say, he obviously thought she had slept with Carter. She felt guilty and then she felt angry. He had just made love to her thinking she had slept with Carter the night before. Didn't that affect him at all?

"Yeah, he did, all we did was sleep though."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it." Luka answered.

"That's all? You're not mad?"

"No, I'm just happy to be with you." Luka said taking Sam's hand.

"So, Carter spent the night in my bed and you're happy?" Sam almost spit out the words.

"What?" Luka could see where this was going.

"Don't you ever feel anything other than happy?"

"I love you, that's a feeling."

"Yeah, but there are tons of other feelings. Like hurt, anger, jealousy, all of which I wouldn't blame you for feeling right now."

"Except I don't feel them right now. What's so wrong with being happy all the time?"

"Nothing Luka, if you really are happy all the time. But you aren't, you hide your real feelings."

Luka stared at her, doing his best to contain his anger. What he really wanted to do was to throw something, but he didn't want her to know that. He remembered her face when he had thrown the chair when she had been in the hospital. He didn't want to see that look every again. He forced a smile, but it didn't reach up to his eyes. His eyes still held his anger and hurt.

Sam watched Luka; she could tell from his eyes what he was really feeling. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that smile off his face. Why was it so hard for him to just say he felt angry?

"You're angry," she said.

"No, I'm not. Stop telling me what I'm feeling."

"Oh, so it's okay for you to tell me what I'm feeling but it's not okay for me to tell you. Talk about a double standard." She could feel her frown deepening.

"I just worry about you; you don't always tell me what's going on." He answered.

"Sometimes I keep things from you, I'll admit that. But you keep everything from me."

"I do not." The rising anger in him was ready to explode; it took all of his self control to keep it inside.

"So then you're completely fine with Carter sleeping in my bed? That during the night our bodies would have touched, that's okay with you too?"

Luka didn't answer, just stared at her. Sam was too mad to stop herself, part of her knew she shouldn't push so hard but she felt as though she had no choice.

"What if we had actually slept together? That would be okay too?" She asked, "Our hot sweaty bodies, writhing in the very bed that you are now sitting on, you would just be fine with that?"

Luka was breathing very heavily, he looked at the bed and he could see them there.

"Say your angry Luka; say you mad at me, even just a little bit. We'll talk it out and move on, like a healthy couple." She was begging him. If he didn't come through this very minute she knew that she would force him out. She couldn't take this anymore.

Luka stood up and walked towards the door.

"Luka if you leave now don't expect to be allowed back, because now is your last chance." Sam yelled at him.

Luka turned around and took one last look at Sam before exiting the room. Part of him felt relieved, he was leaving now before things got too bad. He had been having nightmares a lot recently, where he had to choose between Alex and a pregnant Sam, and is family, Danijela, Jasna and Marko. He could only save one family from death and he'd wake up every time before having to make the choice. The last thing he wanted was to lose another family like that, and by leaving now, he would never have to. It hurt, hurt more than he ever thought possible, but at least he didn't have to watch Sam die. That would hurt even more.

Later, Sam was downstairs watching TV. She felt surprisingly calm about what had just happened. Luka was gone, but at least they wouldn't fight anymore. Her baby was now the most important thing, children never hurt you, and men usually did. That was what she had believed; Luka was the one who stopped her from thinking that way. And now, he was the reason she went back to her old beliefs. Her children were all that mattered now.

"Is Luka still here?" Alex asked coming into the room and sitting down beside his mom.

"No, he's gone; I don't think he'll be coming around anymore." Sam answered.

Alex just nodded and sat silently with his mother. He had succeeded in cutting Luka out of their lives. Step one was complete.