Sam shivered slightly as she woke up; without opening her eyes she reached out a hand for Martin, knowing his warmth would help her get back to sleep. She shuffled slightly and propped her chin up when her search found nothing, then looking around the room she found she was alone in her giant bed. Clearing the sleep from her mind she noticed low murmurings and a distant light coming from outside her room, so she slowly eased herself out of bed, wrapping the giant doona around her as she went in search of him.
"Hey," she whispered hoarsely when she saw him stretched out on the couch watching TV.
"Hey," he said looking up at her from the couch, "Sorry I didn't mean to wake you," he continued as she shuffled over towards the couch.
"You didn't, I was cold," she replied, sleep still evident in her voice. "What are you watching?" she asked as she squinted at the TV before carefully climbing onto him.
"World Cup soccer," he replied, easing himself down the coach so she could curl up on top of him. "Australia verses Japan, it's a pretty good game- its 2:1 and there is only a few minutes left."
"Hmm," she murmured, not really listening to him as she settled against his chest as he pulled the doona up around her shoulders.
"This is nice," he whispered as he ran his hands up her naked sides under the warm doona before settling them around her waist. Looking down at her he smiled, she had basically fallen back to sleep as soon as she laid on him, now that the game was over he was pinned to the couch; but rather than trying to move her he stretched out for the remote, turning the TV off, and then sunk into the cushions, wrapping his arms around her as he drifted off to sleep.
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The next morning Martin leant over the couch to kiss Sam good-bye, he let out a light cringe as his body proved its irritation at sleeping on the couch. Luckily at some stage during the night Sam had slipped to his side so he was able to escape her clutches without waking her when he got up.
"You off?" she asked sleepily as his lips touched her forehead.
"Yeah, I'm meeting Danny in fifteen; I'll come back after the game, have a good sleep."
"Okay," she murmured, as she snuggled back into the warmth of the couch.
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"Your late," Danny greeted with a smile as Martin rounded the corner into the courts, "How is Samantha?" He added, still reveling in his knowledge of Martin and Sam's relationship.
"Sorry," Martin apologized, but before he could rebut to Danny's other comment Tom, their other teammate inquired…
"When are the rest of us going to meet the Famous Ms Spade?" Having heard a lot about Martin's new girlfriend but never having had met her.
"I'd give up Tom," suggested Danny, "The famous Ms Spade is very secretive about her's and Marty's romance. I work with them, and I tell you what- unless I hadn't practically caught them in the act, I wouldn't have guessed they were dating. I have a feeling they like to wrap themselves in each other and hide away doing the naughty," he chuckled, trying to rile Martin up.
"Actually," Martin interjected rubbing his neck, "Yesterday, we spent the day in the park then actually stayed out for dinner- at her request," he stated with an eyebrow raised at Danny.
Turning more somber Danny smiled, "That's great man," he replied, knowing that the thing that broke Martin and Sam up last time was her unwillingness to be seen out in public together. "What's wrong with your neck?"
"Couch," Martin replied as he finished tying his shoes.
"So were you naughty or nice to have that privilege?" Danny asked amused.
Martin just grinned in reply, "Okay, enough of the chick talk everyone, lets play," stated Tom as he threw the ball at Danny and headed onto the court.
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The guys had been playing for about an hour when Danny saw a familiar blonde ponytail in the distance, "Hey, Hot-Stuff!" he bellowed in the blondes direction with a big wave, causing the other guys to turn around as Sam jogged towards them.
"Hey there," she smiled as she met a sweaty Martin through the fence and gave a wave in Danny's direction.
"Hey, I thought you were sleeping in," he smiled, leaning to kiss her though the criss-cross wire, an action which was met by howls and hoots from the other guys at the courts. Martin turned back to them and grinned before waving them off in an attempt to get some privacy.
"I was, but I couldn't get back to sleep after you left and then I started to feel guilty about not having run for ages…" she replied, wrapping her fingers around Martins, which were holding onto the fence. "I didn't know you were playing at these courts," she smiled, "How much longer you here for?"
"Bout half an hour or so."
"How bout I finish my run and meet you back here and we can walk back to mine together," she offered.
"Ok, I'll see you later," she smiled, leaning into steal another kiss from him before nodding in the direction of Danny and the other guys, plugging her ipod back in and running back towards the path.
"You never said she was hot Fitzy!" exclaimed Tom as some of the others agreed, "I mean Danny said she was pretty, but damn Fitzy that girl is stunning!"
"I'll have to tell her you think she's pretty," Martin chuckled at Danny.
"Hey, the chick is like my sister…guys do not think their sisters are hot!" Danny exclaimed, shuddering at the thought as they headed back towards the court after Sam's distraction.
Secretly Martin was pleased, of course he thought Sam gorgeous, but actually hearing it out loud made him feel just that little bit more proud to call her his; it was kind of like when other guys checked her out- he didn't like that they were doing it as such, but he was flattered in the same way.
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The guys were gathered around the benches cooling off when Sam next appeared, matching their sweatiness after finishing her run, "Hi," she greeted as she climbed up on the bench and sat behind Martin, leaning forward and kissing him on the cheek with her hands resting on his shoulder, massaging them lightly.
"Hey," he relied, happily accepting the kiss before offering her some of his water, which she greatly accepted.
"Don't we get an introduction?" questioned Brent as he walked up to the benches with Danny and some of the others guys.
"Sorry," Martin smiled, "Ok so Sam this is, Brent, Tom, Matt, Timmo and you know Danny…everyone this is Sam," Martin said, pointing to each of the guys as he said their name.
"Hi," she smiled with a small wave.
"So Hot-Stuff, are you joining us for lunch?" Danny asked climbing up next to Sam and wrapping a sweaty arm around her.
Laughing and pushing him off she said, "I don't think I'm invited."
"Well, if Fitzy here doesn't invite you, I will," offered Tom with a cheeky grin and a wink.
"Hang on guys!" Martin said as he wrapped an arm around behind himself to hold onto Sam's leg, "Do you want to give me a chance to ask her first?" he laughed, shooing the guys away. "So want to come to lunch with me and the guys?" he asked leaning back to look at her with an eyebrow raised. Then catching her eye run across all the guys around her he added, "All their girlfriends, wives and kids come as well, it's kind of a once-a-month-or-so thing we do to catch up."
"Ok, sounds good- just didn't want to be the only girlfriend tagging along," she smiled.
"No need to worry about that," Danny interrupted with a wide grin, "I usually have a few extra following me around."
"Okay its sorted then, see you all at the usual in an hour," Timmo called as he headed towards his car with a wave.
There were various farewell calls as the rest of the guys went their separate ways, until just Sam and Martin were left. "So did you have a good run?" he asked, standing up and wrapping his arms around her waist as she stood on the bench.
"Mmhmm," she mumbled against his lips as she went to deepen the kiss and rested her arms on his shoulders until he winced, "What's wrong?" she asked as she lightly massaged him, "Your really tight."
"A little sore from the couch."
"Oops, sorry," she replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Don't be," he grinned leaning into kiss her again, "It gave me a chance to feel you up," he continued as he leaned in for another kiss, bracing himself for her reply.
"Mart…" she attempted to shriek but was cut off when his lips caught hers, his tongue pressing and needy as he picked her up off the seat and started making his way towards the gate. After a few moments she gave up trying to tell him off, instead clinging tighter to him and enjoying the passionate lip lock.
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"So we should probably go," Sam smiled against Martins lips, "I think we are already meant to be there."
"You sure you want to go?" he winged as she reached around him and turned off the shower, "We could just hang out here, head back to bed…"
"Hey I thought you were the one who wanted us to be more public?" She asked with a smirk throwing a towel at him as she started to dry off.
"Urgh!" he groaned, knowing he was beat.
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"Where's Marty and Blonde?" Timmo asked as the group sat around the table at their favourite bar.
"Probably got distracted by each other again," laughed Danny as he put his hand up signaling the waitress.
"Boy, she could distract me anytime she wanted!" added Tom under his breath, a comment that was only met by a scowl from Danny. Sam may have been dating Martin, but she was still Danny's friend and he was incredibly protective of her.
"No offence," interrupted Matt's wife Jess, "But if I were with Marty there is no way I'd be leaving him for you!" she finished with a laugh and a playful shove in Tom's way.
"Here they are," Brent nodded as Martin and Sam entered, still tightly wrapped around each other as they made their way towards the lively group.
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"They all seem really nice," commented Sam as she leaned back against the tub that evening.
"They loved you," Martin replied as he took Sam's legs and wrapped them around himself, "Especially Jess, I thought she was going to leap over the table and hug you when you made that quip about Tom."
"I haven't decided on him yet…I just don't get him," she said as she started to work her fingers over Martins Tender neck muscles.
"Yeah, he's still living a bit in the past, he and Jess dated for a bit and he messed around behind her back the whole time. Then when they split she started dating Brent and eventually they got hitched and had Sarah, so long story short…Tom is still feeling a little sorry for himself."
"Oh, Sarah was cute."
"Yeah, she has got to have the most well documented life, Jess is always really snap happy- we will probably get a whole heap of photos sent through tomorrow, always do after she brings her camera."
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Sure enough the next day at work Sam had an email alert pop up on her screen. When she opened it the screen filled with about thirty small pictures of the group, checking over her shoulder she started opening them up one-by-one to find some of the ones of her and Martin. When one of them in a tight lip-lock opened up she thought back to yesterday…
They had just finished lunch and another round of drinks when she found herself in deep conversation with a rosy cheeked Martin, staring into his eyes she thought she was about to get lost when he suddenly leaned forward and kissed her. Smiling against her lips he whispered, "I thought I'd lost you for a second there."
She just grinned back in reply before holding his chin and lightly pulling him back to her lips. It was then that the flash startled them, but not letting her get away he held onto the back of her head and continued their heated make-out session and she gave in and leaned into him. He put an open hand between their faces and the camera in an attempt to stop Jess amid a roar of laughter from the surrounding guests.
Quickly she pulled herself out of her revive and clicked to the next photo as Viv came up behind her with some papers to be signed. "Who were you making out with?" she chuckled as she looked past Sam to the photo displayed largely on her screen.
"What? Oh, no one," replied a blushing Sam as she swiveled around in her chair and clicked onto the next shot. Catching a glance at the previous photo she was glad Martin had put up his hand, all that could be seen was a very well focused hand and evidence of a blonde, which was obviously herself, wrapped around a guy with short dark hair, however the middle finger obscured his face.
"Oh, that's a nice one," Continued Viv, as she spied the picture of Martin, Sam and Danny wrapped around each other on the dance floor, with cheek splitting grins on their faces.
"Oh, we had I had lunch with them yesterday," Sam shrugged.
"And why weren't we invited?" Viv asked feigning hurt.
"Oh, it wasn't planned or anything…I ran into them at the park and one of their mates asked me if I wanted to join them at the pub for lunch," she replied hastily, trying to dig herself out of her own hole.
Seeing the younger woman's inner struggles' Viv just laughed as she headed back to her own desk. She knew she was inching closer to finding out the truth behind Sam's secret man, all she had to do was figure out if it was Martin or Danny. She had always thought Sam would end up back with Martin, as they just seemed to fit; but after seeing the affection between her and Danny, coupled with them leaving together the previous Friday night, she was not so sure…
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