While knocking on the door of the Dimera mansion, Sami fought to suppress the grin that automatically came to her face. Images flashed through her mind of her visit there under the cover of night. She flushed as desire flowed over her, hardly believing that she had been so wild, so uninhibited in the face of EJ's lust. He definitely brought out all her bad girl tendencies, a thought that had scared her for far too long. It didn't scare her anymore. Now, she was more than willing to fight with him and for him, unfortunately there was still Nicole.
The woman had reared her head at the most inopportune time, not that there ever would have been a day or time Sami would have taken the news of Nicole pregnancy well, but it didn't matter. That woman would regret setting her eyes on EJ Dimera, the trick with the rats was just the start.
Sami smiled as Rolf answered the door, "Hello Zamantha."
"Hey Rolf, is John here?"
"No, Mr. Dimera haz gone to meeting."
"Oh, um, can I leave a message for him?"
"Ya, in hiz ztudy."
"Thank you," she dismissed the older man who just shrugged leaving her alone.
Immediately Sami zipped through the halls, entering the secret passage once again. Luckily Nicole was not in her room or in the hallways. So Sami, taking a moment to cringe in sympathy, doubled up on gloves and removed the offending package from her bag. She actually felt slightly bad for what she was about to do, but reminding herself of the number of awful things Nicole had done over the years steeled her resolve. Wincing, she opened the other woman's underwear drawer and dusted the itching powder into it, just a dose big enough for discomfort. Closing it back, she escaped quickly from the room, stuffing the itching powder and gloves into a sealable bag. It was unfortunate luck that she met Nicole coming down the hall. She had hoped to avoid seeing the woman all together, but luckily she was not in EJ's wing anymore.
"What the hell are you doing here, Sami?"
"I should ask you the same thing, freeloader," she went on the defensive. "For your information, I came to see EJ, but Rolf just told me he wasn't here."
"Yes, well, if you had called," Nicole taunted pointedly, a smug smile coming to her face, "you would know EJ is still at the office. I'm actually on my way to meet him for lunch to talk about our future with our baby."
Sami actually laughed out loud, first at her pathetic attempt to make her jealous and two at how she had even felt sorry for putting itching powder in the her underwear. Nicole Walker was and always would be a bitch and there was no civility to be had with the woman.
"Somehow I doubt that, but I'll leave you to your delusions. Besides, shouldn't you, I don't know, be keeping a low profile, there is an assassin after you." She tapped her chin in thought, smirk on her lips, "Actually, forget I said anything."
Sami walked away, once again moving quickly as soon as she was out of sight. As she finally reached the main staircase, she met John and let out a low curse. She wondered if she was going to get out of this house today.
"Hey, John."
"Samantha," the man's blank eyes looked back at her.
"I was just leaving you a message."
"Yes, Rolf told me, in the study." It wasn't even said with a meaningful tone. It just was.
"Yes, but I needed to use the bathroom," She lied.
"You didn't see any rats, did you?"
"W-what?" Sami sputtered, caught off guard.
"Seems we have an infestation. I actually caught one on video, running about in the garden."
Well, shit. She thought, but in an even tone as she could muster, answered, "Is that so?
"Yes, but they, the rats I mean, seem pretty content to bother only an unwanted houseguest, so I think I'll leave them alone for now, but if they, the rats I mean, cause any more damage to say… Elvis, for instance, I might have to do something about it."
Did she just get some kind of approval from John?
"That sounds fair, John."
"Good. So the message?
"Oh, um," She came up with something on the fly. "I just thought my mom would enjoy having a visit from you."
"I thought she was taking care of your little ones."
"I am actually going to pick them up now, and her afternoon will be free."
He stared at her for a long moment and Sami got the impression that this was John's thinking face. It rarely didn't differ much from happy, sad, angry or 'Oh look, it's Tuesday!'
Finally, he nodded and spoke, "I'll take it under advisement."
With those parting words, she sidestepped the older man, finally breathing a sigh of relief when she was outside.
EJ smiled as he heard Samantha's laughter through the brush. It was an automatic response, her joy brought out his own, especially when their children were involved. He knew Allie wasn't biologically his, but she had never felt any different to him from the beginning. She was Johnny's sister and Samantha's daughter and that meant he loved her, just the same. It was the equivalent with William, though he had given EJ trouble in the beginning, just like his mother. There was quite a bit more of Samantha in him than he initially admitted and he loved William all the more for it.
EJ stopped a few feet away, taking them in. The twins were leaving smacking, drooling kisses their mother's cheeks and she was stretched out on a blanket, sun shining down on her ivory skin and golden hair. Her smile lit up the entire park and it was a scene he would never forget.
The clearing of the throat behind him reminded him that he had Mary with him so stepping forward, he said, "What's all this ruckus?"
"Dada, Dada," his son began chanting and soon, Allie followed.
It was literally the best thing ever seeing them holding chubby little arms out to him.
"Hello, my boy and hello, my beautiful girl," he greeted, scooping them both up in his arms.
The twins started chatting away in his ear and he animatedly answered their babbling as though in conversation. EJ, all the while, kept an eye on Samantha. The truth was he couldn't tear his eyes off her if he tried. The flared coral sundress she was in drew his gaze, as she chatted briefly with Mary.
When the twins wanted down, he put them once again on the blanket and Samantha immediately settled in next to him.
"We should do this more often," he remarked to her as she sat, shoulder brushing his as the twins played with their blocks.
"Anytime, Dimera." She smiled up at him.
"Anytime," his voice lowered an octave and he watched as Samantha blushed. "I can't believe you're blushing after…"
"EJ!" She scolded, hand coming to his mouth to stop him, all the while blushing some more.
He grinned at her, before speaking to Mary, "Mary, would you mind taking the children for a stroll?"
"Of course, Mr. Dimera." She smiled at them both before picking up the twins and putting them in their stroller.
"You know, Mary is going to think we need some alone time."
"I know I definitely do," He admitted, drawing her closer, "but the things I want to do to you, would get me arrested darling."
"Oh really?"
"Yes, but first we need to talk."
"Talk?" She teased, leaning in close enough that they were sharing breath. "I thought you wanted to touch me."
"I want to do a hell of a lot more than touch you, Samantha, but I think we need to talk about what this means, us, last night, this morning, being together."
"What do you want it to mean?" She drew back, looking in his eyes.
"It's the same thing I've always wanted Samantha, a family, with you and our children. So if this is just some romp to pass the time until Lucas comes to his senses or the next Brady-approved man comes into your life I want no part of it."
"Is that what you think?" She actually looked hurt and for a moment EJ was contrite, until he remembered the many times they had been here before.
"Samantha the last time we talked about us you said there was no - us."
"And you got into an elevator with that skank." She hissed, standing up, putting distance between them. "Congratulations, EJ, you're three for three because you got her pregnant."
"And you don't think I regret that, that if I could I would take back that awful night!" He stood as well, his voice rising in volume. "I was sick of being pushed and pulled by you Samantha! Nicole wanted me…"
"And that's such a novelty for the great car-racing EJ Dimera!"
"It was… since I met you!" He bellowed, before stopped himself, "I don't want to fight Samantha. I want to spend time with you and our children on a beautiful day, but I need to know what you want."
"I want you, you idiot! I have always wanted you!"
EJ felt as if everything had burst forth from her with that declaration and he pulled her to him, lips finding hers for a devastating kiss. God, all he had ever wanted from her was that admission and now that he had it, he felt like they could tackle anything.
After a moment she pulled back, "No, I… I need to get this out."
EJ reluctantly let her go, knowing that they needed to get it all out if they were truly going to make a go of it.
"I want it all with you, EJ Dimera," she began, stroking her tummy, "love, a family, a home for our children. I have always wanted that and I'll admit that I was too caught up in the past and what my family wanted to realize that you were perfect for me, but you hurt me too. I was real with you EJ. When you first came to Salem, I kept nothing back from you and I thought… I thought you were my friend. I hadn't had a real friend since high school and I thought I could trust you. I thought I could trust you when you said I was smart, when you said I was beautiful. No one had ever said those things to me unless I was trying so hard to be 'good', to be a carbon copy of my sister, but you did. Even when I told you about blackmailing Lexi, you did. Then…"
"You found out I was a Dimera."
"Yes. I hated your father. I still do, he robbed me of years with my parents, but it wasn't even that. It was the fact that everything you ever said to me was a lie, that you were manipulating me simply for Stefano and that meant I was ugly inside and that no one would ever love me unless I changed."
He tried to interrupt to tell her she was wrong, but she held up her hand to stay him and EJ let her continue.
"So, even after you turned from your father, I couldn't believe you, I couldn't because even though I didn't understand it then. You broke my heart."
"Samantha…" he reached out, but she stepped back, visibly composing herself. His voice was soft as he finally asked, "What's changed?"
"I love you." She shrugged, simply, "And I know you love me. I'm no longer willing to let go of that. I've tried with others and I don't want the imitation anymore, EJ. I want a life with you."
EJ pulled her in his arms, his lips touching hers gently, just barely. Her arms slid gracefully around his neck as her lips parted, blooming under his and that was all the encouragement he needed. He kissed her properly their lips meshed together, bodies ground, hard to soft as his arms moved up and down her back in soothing caresses. His tongue darted into the sweet, dark recesses of her mouth and his body jolted at the intimacy.
"Well, look at what we have here", an annoying voice interrupted. "We can always count on Sami to make the dumbest choice."
"Is there a problem, Lucas?" EJ growled, irritated that this simpleton had been one of the men in Samantha's life who had made her feel unworthy.
Lucas ignored him and asked Samantha, "Where is my daughter?"
"She's taking a walk with Mary,"
"I wonder how the judge would feel knowing the days you actually have Allie, she spends it in the company of nannies."
"Lucas," he heard Samantha began, but he squeezed her hand, asking for permission to handle Lucas.
"Actually, I think the judge would find it prudent to have a nanny when Samantha takes care of a teenager, twins and has another baby on the way. Besides, Mary is an excellent housekeeper and nanny and has a diploma in childhood education, something I'm guessing a convicted felon and his former Opera singer wife don't have."
Lucas bristled before taunting, "I guess you finally told him then."
EJ willed himself to not react, but knowing that this man, the one cowardly enough to shoot him in the back at his own wedding, knew about the existence of his child before him, rankled him.
"We're happy about the news, thank you for asking."
"What about Nicole?" It was the first time Chloe had spoken and EJ saw Samantha step forward.
"What about her?" Her voice was cold.
"Well, she's pregnant too. " Chloe shrugged uncaring that she was imparting private news.
"That's rich!" The dwarf laughed, "I guess you are following in your father's footsteps with a slew of bastards all over the place."
"You're so hilarious Lucas," EJ answered sarcastically. "Nicole has no say in my relationship with Samantha."
"And you're alright with that?" Chloe eyed Samantha skeptically.
"The baby's EJ. Even Nicole can't spoil that," EJ looked her way with love and awe. He always knew he had chosen well.
"I'd like to see my daughter," Lucas said, a last petulant display if there ever was one.
"And you will, tomorrow at your pick-up. Now If you'll excuse us, we were quite enjoying our picnic."
It was a dismissal and though the Horton fool blustered he left. EJ looked to Samantha making sure she didn't mind that he took point in the conversation. He would never presume to speak for her, but Lucas Horton just rubbed him the wrong way.
As he faced her, she pulled him down for a passionate open-mouthed kiss, and said, "You have no idea how much I want you right now."
"Really?"
"Really." She replied before her smile turned wicked, "So, if you don't have plans tonight I was thinking we could finish the day together and tonight when the twins are finally in bed, you Mr. Dimera can… touch me."
A kiss to her lips was his answer.