Thank you guys for the reviews, I love readying them and getting your opinions. Stay blessed and enjoy!
Harper Holland is Christian Keyes FC
Sam didn't care what his sister thought, Mercedes was a baby rabbit in her den with a fox. She was too innocent and trusting. He would expect Duncan or Cameron to keep an eye on Stacy if she was in a situations he couldn't handle, so he would do the same. As people began to leave, Sam and Stevie helped the women carry their purchases to their cars. Every time he came in he would search for Mercedes. She wasn't difficult to locate, since she and her date were always surrounded by several women. If this was a different time and place he would have thanked Harper for taking the attention off of him, but he was worried for Mercedes.
Finally they were down to the last few people. Paula Rails had come in second place, and was happy to find Stevie and make sure he knew he could come over at anytime. She enticed him by telling him she didn't have room in her car and needed him to follow her home, he agreed with a wink to Sam and Stacy. Stevie had no intention of doing anything with her but talk but he was a gentleman first and foremost.
Sam's hard glare turned to Harper, he made a point to say he was leaving in the morning, so where was he staying tonight? Sam sighed with a troubled mind as he picked up the last item on the silent auction table, a set of cast iron cookware. Mercedes had been the highest bidder, as she had been the year before. Sam smiled to himself, it didn't matter what she won, she always gave it right back to the Women's League to a family in need. She was such an amazing woman too good of a woman to let some man use her.
Sam started toward her and noticed they were alone. "Mercedes here is the set of cookware you won."
Harper extended his hand. "I can take that, perhaps you will cook me a meal?"
"It will be my pleasure."
Sam handed the box to him and smiled as he had to shift because of the weight of the box. "I hear you are flying out soon, what time?"
"Too soon if you ask me, but there is an important reason for me to return. In fact, you couldn't keep me away." he said smiling at Mercedes.
"You are such a gentleman Harper."
"How can any man be otherwise around you?" Harper said softly.
Sam snorted at the crap that spewed out of Harper's mouth. That sounded like something he would say in high school. Mercedes looked at him and he saw the look in her eyes before she looked away from him, she thought he was disagreeing with Harper.
"I think we should go." Mercedes said softly before she turned to leave. Harper looked at Sam and rolled his eyes.
"You might be a great chef, but you need to work on your manners. Ass."
He turned to leave and Sam just stood there looking after them, He would never hurt Mercedes and yet that is just what he did.
Sam had learned patience at an early age, and he always prided himself on it, until tonight that found himself checking his watch every couple of minutes as he cleaned up his work area.
"Is everything alright Sam?" his mother asked coming over to help him.
Against his wishes she stayed to help him clean, as she always did. She would send his dad with the appliances to the Women's League and they would work together on cleaning everything. He was grateful that she was behind him so she couldn't see his reaction.
"Everything is great, Penny called a bit ago and everything is well."
"It's about time you let her do her job, why hire a manager if you aren't gonna let her manage. And now you can take more time off."
"I took tonight off mom. I am almost finished and I can walk you to your car."
"She sighed heavily. "Are you going back to the restaurant?"
"Yes." He said as he glanced at his watch. Even though they closed in five minutes he wanted to see for himself that all was well. He didn't like leaving his place in anyone's hands, His nights even off were spent doing a walk through of the restaurant before going to his apartment. But tonight would be different, tonight he would see Mercedes first.
"Finished." Mary said as she placed her carry all container with cleaning supplies on the all in one oven. Sam nodded.
"Same here. Thanks again for helping mom, you must been tired, you have been working for two months to get ready for tonight and it was a hit."
He said grabbing her things, then his.
She fell into step beside him. "It paid off. Thanks to the hard work of a lot of people that included you and my other children."
"You know we don't mind helping at all."
Locking the front door, of the cooking school that he did his demonstration in, he took his mother's arm in hers and guided her to the red Kia next to his vintage Porsche in the parking lot.
"You know Sam, if you had a wife you would be going home to her, Simon didn't even come due to spending time alone with Marley."
"I am happy mom."
She opened the door to her SUV and sighed. "If you are as happy as you say you are, then how come you haven't smiled in the last hour?" His eyes turned sad and she nodded. "Goodnight baby."
She was hurt, her heart was hurt. She always thought if Sam could see her, truly see her then she stood a chance and could show him how perfect they were for each other. The things he did for her had made her think that somewhere inside he felt the same, but now she knew, he would never see her as anything more than some friend.
She tried to reason, he hadn't meant to be cruel he just saw her differently. Tears fell from her eyes as she tried to shake off the feeling. So she wouldn't get Sam, Harper gave her his number in case she really wanted a date, and she had other things to be thankful for. One disappointment wasn't so bad.
The knock on the door shook her out of her thoughts. She looked at the time, it was almost 10:23pm. Getting up she sighed going to the door, she looked through the peephole and saw Sam standing there. She looked away as if she could see her tears.
He knocked again, this time more persistently. "Mercedes, can you open up please."
Without thinking she took a step back. She'd never been very good at hiding her emotions. As much as he hurt her, she didn't want him to see her like this.
"Mercedes please, I know you are there. I saw your shadow through the curtain."
She bit her bottom lips, still standing there, not moving an inch.
"Okay, can you just listen then. You know I would never do anything to hurt you."
She scoffed to herself, she didn't want his pity, she wanted him to leave.
"We are good friends Mercedes, and that's why when Harper was trying to run game on you I got angry."
"What?" She wasn't sure if she mouthed it or said it out loud, but she moved closer to the door.
"You are too trusting Mercedes, too gullible."
She folded her arms, she didn't like being called gullible, a gullible woman didn't own and run a five star hotel.
"How can any man be otherwise around you?" He snorted. "That man was running game on you."
Running game on me? She thought bitterly. Unlocking the door, she swung it open. "So what you are saying is no man can compliment me and mean it?"
Sam's mouth opened wide, his gaze fell from her head to her toes. It was then Mercedes realized she was in her nightgown and untied robe, this one black silk, and it clung to her curves. At the end of the day she always took a nice long bath and put on her silk nightwear. She was going to step back as Sam continued to stare at her. She might not have much experience with men, but the fact that Sam had stiffened up and his breathing changed she needed to know. "Am I so hideous a man can't desire me Sam?"
Sam gulped then finally managed to look up from the curve of her hips, the fullness of her breast and to her angered face. "W-we we Should talk about this later?"
She jumped with joy inside, maybe he did desire her. "You were the one coming over here and banging on my door so let's talk now." She said.
An unsteady hand swiped across his face. "Umm, okay I will wait here while you get dressed."
She shook her head. "I am not getting dressed just to talk to you for a few minutes and have to get undressed again."
He exhaled deeply as "great" ran through his mind.
"Sam, if you don't start talking, this door is closing in Five. Four. Three. Two. O-"
"I don't want you to get in over your head." He said quickly. "You can have as many dates as any other women but you don't because you are cautious, more cautious than them."
"Maybe I am tired of being cautious." she said frustrated.
Sam stepped closer to her, close enough for her to feel the heat of his body against her bare flesh. "You get that nonsense out of your head about attracting a man. Some men can not be trusted."
For some reason, the combination of seeing Sam so worked up, and feeling the heat from his body caused her nipples to harden clearly under the silk. She folded her arms across her chest, which just made her breast even more alluring to Sam's eyes. He needed to leave and quick.
"Harper and Preston are not two of those men. Good night Sam."
She turned to leave when Sam gently laid his hand on her shoulder to stop her. "I just want what's best for you Mercedes."
She ignored the desire to kiss him that was building. "I know that Sam, but I am a big girl, as its been pointed out to me literally and figuratively. I can take care of myself."
His face showed irritation. "Age doesn't matter and there's nothing wrong with your figure."
"Really? Because you were the one who wouldn't help me."
"I wouldn't help because… because."
His other hand came up to her shoulder and she stared up at him.
Her mind screamed for him to kiss her and all she wanted was for him to take her in his arms.
Sam looked down at her and it would be easy to kiss her. Frowning he stepped back from her. "Mercedes I can't teach you because it's idiotic."
Frustration and unfulfilled desire coursed thought her veins. "Fine, good night Sam." The door closed quickly and Mercedes locked it returning to her room.
Sam slammed the door to his hotel room and went right into the shower, tearing his clothes off as he made his way. He turned the water on full blast and didn't even flinch as the cold water washed over him. He placed his hands against the tile and closed his eyes trying to clear his mind, but all he saw was Mercedes. That nightgown had shown him ever lush, desirable curve. And the bad thing is he might have been able to hold it together had he not touched her.
Her skin was velvety soft, and she smelled like brown sugar and vanilla. Her plush lips called to him and for a moment he would have given anything to kiss her properly.
What was his problem? He shouldn't be sitting there lusting after his friends. He straightened out as the water traveled south down to a part of his body he was sure hated him right now. He needed a release so bad it was turning him into a teenager again. Lusting after her body like the guys he was trying to keep her away from. One thing was for sure. He needed to stay the hell away from her until whatever this was passed.