Greta and Austin stopped at an outdoor café and ordered cappuccino. She
tried to keep the conversation light, but it was obvious that she was a
total wreck. Austin finally had enough and once the waiter delivered the
cappuccinos, he asked, "What's going on? Are you calling off the wedding?"
Greta shook her head no, but didn't answer the question directly. Instead she said, "I invited most of Salem to come early since they are looking for Eric. You're brother and Sami are coming today too you know as well as others. I felt that I should warn you since you are my friend."
Austin cut her off and asked, "Is this about Eric? Is that what's troubling you?"
Greta felt it necessary to mention Carrie to Austin. Greta was friends with Austin, and she never met Carrie. So her loyalties would be to Austin, the man who flew 2000 miles to help her get through her wedding jitters. She replied, "Eric's isn't what I want to talk about right now. Sami and Lucas are bringing family with them. You shouldn't be surprised when."
Austin cut her off again and told her, "Yeah I know that they are married. When Lucas told me I didn't believe him and I was rude about it. I'll apologize when I see him. But I'm here to see you. Have you run into Eric?"
Greta closed her eyes and remembered how alive she felt being with Eric on that brass bed. With her eyes closed she could almost still feel his touch on her bare skin. She reopened her eyes and told Austin, "Seeing Eric again would be disastrous."
Austin told her, "I want to meet your fiancé. You hardly mention him whenever we talk."
Greta replied, "Oh really? Nathan's at home right now, working on something."
Austin asked her, "Are you in love with him Greta? If you are not don't marry him!"
Greta responded like she was criticized, "You were in love with Carrie right, and your marriage didn't work last. I respect Nathan and I value his good opinion and friendship. Real love take years to build."
She was definitely not happy, but she wasn't going to admit anything right now. Austin told her, "I didn't mean to offend you. You know I just want you to be happy."
Greta nodded her head and told him, "I want you to be happy too Austin." ~*~
Limos met the crowd of Salemites at the airport. John rented the townhouse across the street from Greta's for the duration of the trip. The place was as big as a museum and during the height of aristocratic grandeur the house could hold hundreds of guests where no one would run into each other if they didn't want to.
Sami and Lucas shared their limo with Carrie, Belle, Mimi, and Shawn for the short ride to the residence. Sami invited them to ride with her and Lucas secretly claiming to Lucas that she wanted to keep an eye on Carrie, so they could plan the first meeting of Austin and Carrie down to the last detail. However, she never mentioned aloud that she wanted the audience to remain because she was afraid that he wouldn't pretend to be the romantic and jovial husband without them. She knew Lucas was a good decent person, but she needed to keep him interested in her body. If she could seduce him, then he would admit his feelings for her. Lucas was always the sex for breakfast, and emotional attachments later type. So as the door to the limo closed behind them, she entwined her legs with her new husband. He put his arm around her so she could cuddle closer. Once she had her way she asked him in a whisper, "Have I tortured you enough yet babe?"
His body was definitely responding to her seduction routine. He licked his lips automatically in a physical response. If she continued holding onto him, rubbing him and planting little kisses on him every so often, he was never going to accomplish his goal. He needed her to admit that she loved him because without that he wasn't sure that he could tell her how he felt about her. If she was anyone else, he would not have insisted on waiting, but it took them years to get to a reunion of sorts because he let his hormones control him them. This time Sami was going to be won over completely before he gave in.
The limo pulled up to a sprawling mansion. The occupants all stepped out and wandered off in search of their rooms and luggage. Lucas continued to hold on to Sami as they found their room. Once inside their room Sami looked ready to pounce on him. The hungry look in her eye had been there for hours now. He sighed as he stepped away and looked out the window before telling her, "We need to talk."
She walked behind him and put her arms around him, resting her head on his neck before answering, "I'm sick of talking. All we do is talk lately. Haven't you had your fill of making me chase you yet?"
He turned around and said, "Chase me? I never wanted you to chase me. I want you to be yourself, and not pretend to be someone that you aren't Sami."
He was upset. She was upset that he was upset because she didn't know how to respond at first. She finally said, "No one ever liked that person."
Lucas put his hand on her chin and asked her, "Why did you marry me then? I'm the guy whose known you since you were 15."
She asked him wanting to know the same thing, "Well, why did you marry me?"
Her eyes begged for the answer, but he hesitated, unsure he should tell her now or wait. He never had this sort of fear hit him like a wave. What if Sami just wanted to enjoy her short term role as his wife and she laughed if he told her why he agreed to the charade? So instead of answering he shot back, "I asked you first."
She laughed. The laugh covered what she was going to admit in an argument. She told him, "Why are we talking anyhow? I told you that I had a better way to relieve the stress. Babe, it will be so easy to fulfill each other. Don't make me beg."
He stared into her eyes and decided his course of action. This was the hardest thing that he'd ever have to do in his life. He stepped towards her and pulled her into a raw needful hard passionate kiss that he wanted to do since the wedding day. He needed to show her that he wanted her with every morsel of feeling that he had, and she responded. She kissed him back, just as hungry, just as needy. The kiss was raw and blatantly sexual foreplay in nature. He couldn't stop his physical desires from surfacing and neither could she. However, before he completely lost his strict control of himself he pulled back and told her, "We can't sweetheart. I won't use you."
He rejected her advances. God she felt like a fool. She lashed out, "Bastard! You kissed me to torture me! I hate you."
The last part was a mental blow. He truly hadn't expected her to hate him. His voice carried his own brand of hurt when he told her, "We went from friends to lovers to enemies back to friends. I don't want to put you through another round of this cycle we started."
She finally understood what the problem was and why her plan wasn't working. Leave it to him to be sweet and loyal and all the other decent qualities that he hid like it was a sin to be good. Understanding the problem didn't relieve the tension or desire, but it was something that she'd have to figure her way around. She wasn't going to give up on her quest for his love, which would end 'the cycle' for them.
He turned to leave the bedroom when she called out, "I don't want to fight with you either."
He nodded his head and told her, "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back in time for bed."
She grasped his unspoken question that he asked her. Did she still want him to come back? She caught his arm before he left to stop him from going, and then in a expressive gesture that came from her heart to prove to him what she was going to say, she kissed him on the cheek and answered, "Come back soon."
He thought that he saw a flash of some deeper emotion cross her blue eyes after she kissed him. Honestly he hadn't heard what she said to him. He just knew that he lips had moved, indicating that she said something, hopefully something nice to match what he saw. But he wasn't sure. He nodded his head like he was saying yes, and walked out the door.
He passed by a few family members in the hallways and living areas as he walked out the front door. He didn't say anything to anyone, but he slammed the door behind him and walked down the street. His heart and brain agreed that he did the right thing, but his body was mighty upset with his other half. Tomorrow he had a plan for her that he knew that she'd enjoy. He could hold off until she was ready to love him, even if waiting caused an early death.
He walked to the end of the street and he wasn't paying attention to his whereabouts, and he walked right into a man who appeared before him. He was about to apologize and go on his way when the man said, "Lucas?"
Lucas focused in on who was standing there and replied, "Eric? You were certainly easy to find."
Eric asked, "Why would you look for me?"
Lucas replied, "My wife was worried about you."
Eric looked shocked before telling him, "You can keep your wife Lucas. I am here to see Greta."
Lucas replied harsher than he meant, "What is wrong with you? Your sister and your family fly over to check up on you and you are too busy stalking a girl you rejected?"
Eric asked confused, "My sister? What the hell are you mentioning her for?"
Lucas answered by showing off his hand and saying, "Sami is my wife. She's in the damned house with your family right now. Take 5 minutes out of stalking Greta and go tell them you're here."
Before Eric might reply, Lucas stormed off. He really couldn't care less about Eric or anyone else right now other than Sami. As he walked toward the river, he started praying that tomorrow's outing helped him win his goal of Sami's love. ~*~
Meanwhile as the door slammed and Lucas stormed out, Carrie showed up at Sami's door and knocked. When Sami didn't answer right away, Carrie called out, "Sami, are you allright?"
Sami opened the door crying her heart out and asked Carrie, "Why doesn't he love me like I love him?"
Carrie hugged her little sister and told her, "I'm sure that he does love you Sami. He looked mighty frustrated a minute ago. Besides why else would he have married you?"
Sami thought to herself rather sullenly that he married her to help her with the plan of reuniting Carrie and Austin. Sami realized that she had no one to talk to about this, so she reached out to her sister and said, "Sometimes I think that he might love me. But why would he? We put each other through hell. How could he return my feelings for him?"
Greta shook her head no, but didn't answer the question directly. Instead she said, "I invited most of Salem to come early since they are looking for Eric. You're brother and Sami are coming today too you know as well as others. I felt that I should warn you since you are my friend."
Austin cut her off and asked, "Is this about Eric? Is that what's troubling you?"
Greta felt it necessary to mention Carrie to Austin. Greta was friends with Austin, and she never met Carrie. So her loyalties would be to Austin, the man who flew 2000 miles to help her get through her wedding jitters. She replied, "Eric's isn't what I want to talk about right now. Sami and Lucas are bringing family with them. You shouldn't be surprised when."
Austin cut her off again and told her, "Yeah I know that they are married. When Lucas told me I didn't believe him and I was rude about it. I'll apologize when I see him. But I'm here to see you. Have you run into Eric?"
Greta closed her eyes and remembered how alive she felt being with Eric on that brass bed. With her eyes closed she could almost still feel his touch on her bare skin. She reopened her eyes and told Austin, "Seeing Eric again would be disastrous."
Austin told her, "I want to meet your fiancé. You hardly mention him whenever we talk."
Greta replied, "Oh really? Nathan's at home right now, working on something."
Austin asked her, "Are you in love with him Greta? If you are not don't marry him!"
Greta responded like she was criticized, "You were in love with Carrie right, and your marriage didn't work last. I respect Nathan and I value his good opinion and friendship. Real love take years to build."
She was definitely not happy, but she wasn't going to admit anything right now. Austin told her, "I didn't mean to offend you. You know I just want you to be happy."
Greta nodded her head and told him, "I want you to be happy too Austin." ~*~
Limos met the crowd of Salemites at the airport. John rented the townhouse across the street from Greta's for the duration of the trip. The place was as big as a museum and during the height of aristocratic grandeur the house could hold hundreds of guests where no one would run into each other if they didn't want to.
Sami and Lucas shared their limo with Carrie, Belle, Mimi, and Shawn for the short ride to the residence. Sami invited them to ride with her and Lucas secretly claiming to Lucas that she wanted to keep an eye on Carrie, so they could plan the first meeting of Austin and Carrie down to the last detail. However, she never mentioned aloud that she wanted the audience to remain because she was afraid that he wouldn't pretend to be the romantic and jovial husband without them. She knew Lucas was a good decent person, but she needed to keep him interested in her body. If she could seduce him, then he would admit his feelings for her. Lucas was always the sex for breakfast, and emotional attachments later type. So as the door to the limo closed behind them, she entwined her legs with her new husband. He put his arm around her so she could cuddle closer. Once she had her way she asked him in a whisper, "Have I tortured you enough yet babe?"
His body was definitely responding to her seduction routine. He licked his lips automatically in a physical response. If she continued holding onto him, rubbing him and planting little kisses on him every so often, he was never going to accomplish his goal. He needed her to admit that she loved him because without that he wasn't sure that he could tell her how he felt about her. If she was anyone else, he would not have insisted on waiting, but it took them years to get to a reunion of sorts because he let his hormones control him them. This time Sami was going to be won over completely before he gave in.
The limo pulled up to a sprawling mansion. The occupants all stepped out and wandered off in search of their rooms and luggage. Lucas continued to hold on to Sami as they found their room. Once inside their room Sami looked ready to pounce on him. The hungry look in her eye had been there for hours now. He sighed as he stepped away and looked out the window before telling her, "We need to talk."
She walked behind him and put her arms around him, resting her head on his neck before answering, "I'm sick of talking. All we do is talk lately. Haven't you had your fill of making me chase you yet?"
He turned around and said, "Chase me? I never wanted you to chase me. I want you to be yourself, and not pretend to be someone that you aren't Sami."
He was upset. She was upset that he was upset because she didn't know how to respond at first. She finally said, "No one ever liked that person."
Lucas put his hand on her chin and asked her, "Why did you marry me then? I'm the guy whose known you since you were 15."
She asked him wanting to know the same thing, "Well, why did you marry me?"
Her eyes begged for the answer, but he hesitated, unsure he should tell her now or wait. He never had this sort of fear hit him like a wave. What if Sami just wanted to enjoy her short term role as his wife and she laughed if he told her why he agreed to the charade? So instead of answering he shot back, "I asked you first."
She laughed. The laugh covered what she was going to admit in an argument. She told him, "Why are we talking anyhow? I told you that I had a better way to relieve the stress. Babe, it will be so easy to fulfill each other. Don't make me beg."
He stared into her eyes and decided his course of action. This was the hardest thing that he'd ever have to do in his life. He stepped towards her and pulled her into a raw needful hard passionate kiss that he wanted to do since the wedding day. He needed to show her that he wanted her with every morsel of feeling that he had, and she responded. She kissed him back, just as hungry, just as needy. The kiss was raw and blatantly sexual foreplay in nature. He couldn't stop his physical desires from surfacing and neither could she. However, before he completely lost his strict control of himself he pulled back and told her, "We can't sweetheart. I won't use you."
He rejected her advances. God she felt like a fool. She lashed out, "Bastard! You kissed me to torture me! I hate you."
The last part was a mental blow. He truly hadn't expected her to hate him. His voice carried his own brand of hurt when he told her, "We went from friends to lovers to enemies back to friends. I don't want to put you through another round of this cycle we started."
She finally understood what the problem was and why her plan wasn't working. Leave it to him to be sweet and loyal and all the other decent qualities that he hid like it was a sin to be good. Understanding the problem didn't relieve the tension or desire, but it was something that she'd have to figure her way around. She wasn't going to give up on her quest for his love, which would end 'the cycle' for them.
He turned to leave the bedroom when she called out, "I don't want to fight with you either."
He nodded his head and told her, "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back in time for bed."
She grasped his unspoken question that he asked her. Did she still want him to come back? She caught his arm before he left to stop him from going, and then in a expressive gesture that came from her heart to prove to him what she was going to say, she kissed him on the cheek and answered, "Come back soon."
He thought that he saw a flash of some deeper emotion cross her blue eyes after she kissed him. Honestly he hadn't heard what she said to him. He just knew that he lips had moved, indicating that she said something, hopefully something nice to match what he saw. But he wasn't sure. He nodded his head like he was saying yes, and walked out the door.
He passed by a few family members in the hallways and living areas as he walked out the front door. He didn't say anything to anyone, but he slammed the door behind him and walked down the street. His heart and brain agreed that he did the right thing, but his body was mighty upset with his other half. Tomorrow he had a plan for her that he knew that she'd enjoy. He could hold off until she was ready to love him, even if waiting caused an early death.
He walked to the end of the street and he wasn't paying attention to his whereabouts, and he walked right into a man who appeared before him. He was about to apologize and go on his way when the man said, "Lucas?"
Lucas focused in on who was standing there and replied, "Eric? You were certainly easy to find."
Eric asked, "Why would you look for me?"
Lucas replied, "My wife was worried about you."
Eric looked shocked before telling him, "You can keep your wife Lucas. I am here to see Greta."
Lucas replied harsher than he meant, "What is wrong with you? Your sister and your family fly over to check up on you and you are too busy stalking a girl you rejected?"
Eric asked confused, "My sister? What the hell are you mentioning her for?"
Lucas answered by showing off his hand and saying, "Sami is my wife. She's in the damned house with your family right now. Take 5 minutes out of stalking Greta and go tell them you're here."
Before Eric might reply, Lucas stormed off. He really couldn't care less about Eric or anyone else right now other than Sami. As he walked toward the river, he started praying that tomorrow's outing helped him win his goal of Sami's love. ~*~
Meanwhile as the door slammed and Lucas stormed out, Carrie showed up at Sami's door and knocked. When Sami didn't answer right away, Carrie called out, "Sami, are you allright?"
Sami opened the door crying her heart out and asked Carrie, "Why doesn't he love me like I love him?"
Carrie hugged her little sister and told her, "I'm sure that he does love you Sami. He looked mighty frustrated a minute ago. Besides why else would he have married you?"
Sami thought to herself rather sullenly that he married her to help her with the plan of reuniting Carrie and Austin. Sami realized that she had no one to talk to about this, so she reached out to her sister and said, "Sometimes I think that he might love me. But why would he? We put each other through hell. How could he return my feelings for him?"