Chapter TWENTY THREE
Nicole returned EJ's calm stare with icy daggers which seemed to not concern him one bit. He'd come here with one express purpose and just wanted to say what he had to say so he didn't have to look at her ever again.
"I don't believe you'd have the nerve to show your face here after what you did, EJ DiMera!" she spat out at him angrily.
"Save your histrionics Nicole," said EJ coolly, "You've had your day in court already."
"For a crime I didn't commit!" hissed Nicole, "That whore of yours is still alive!"
EJ eyed her up and down then, not saying anything for a long minute.
"You know Nicole," he said with a humourless quirk of his lips, "I'm thinking that you'd rather serve your entire sentence and Samantha still be dead rather than how things have worked out."
"You bet I would!" she said in disgust.
"Sit down," EJ ordered her emotionlessly, "You're making the place look untidy."
Nicole scowled at that but took a seat across from EJ in the little visitor's room that he'd organised for them to meet in. He looked her up and down again now that she was closer.
"I'd like to say that prison agrees with you Nicole," he said with a cold little smile, "But it's quite apparent that it doesn't."
EJ was used to seeing Nicole meticulously groomed but obviously prison didn't exactly lend itself to such trivialities. Suddenly Nicole looked much older than her thirty two years would suggest. Not that EJ cared of course. He wished nothing but pain and suffering on the woman who'd caused so much harm to Sami. EJ knew that for Nicole to lose her looks would be a particularly savage blow for her and it was with a grim satisfaction that he wished that upon her.
"What are you doing here EJ?" she asked him bitterly, "You've got your little slut and I'm stuck in here for another four years – what more do you want?"
No one had been thrilled that he'd kept the information about Sami still being alive to himself for three months but EJ had gotten several prominent doctors to attest to the fact that it was in Sami's best interest. It had taken some fancy legal foot work on EJ's behalf and several impassioned letters to just the right people but he had managed to ensure that Nicole still served five of the seven years she'd been sentenced to. A less than noble part of EJ wished he'd been there to see the expression on Nicole's face when she'd learnt that Sami was still alive and even more so when she'd been told that she still had a lot of jail time to face.
"You seem surprised that should be the case," commented EJ almost idly, unable to resist turning the knife.
"More like outraged Junior!" snarled Nicole, "I'm in prison while that whore gets to swan around, living my life!"
"You can't really believe yourself the victim in all this Nicole?" asked EJ in amazement as he shook his head at her in disbelief.
"You bet I am!" snapped Nicole.
"You attempted to bludgeon a defenceless young woman to death and then threw her off a bridge and you're the victim?" asked EJ scathingly, "You really are a piece of work Nicole."
"Look who's talking," sniffed Nicole, "I bet you've probably already cheated on that pathetic little sap already. Well, she's welcome to your whore mongering ass, EJ DiMera – you two deserve each other."
"Always such a lady," said EJ sarcastically and let the contempt for her show on his face.
It was like a slap in the face the contrast for him between Nicole and Sami. His ex-wife was coarse and abrasive and EJ could feel his nerves being stretched just by being in her presence. With Sami though it felt a peace the likes of which he'd never experienced with anyone else in his life and it just made him want to get this over with and hurry back to her arms. He saw Nicole eyeing him a bit worriedly then and knew what she was thinking.
"So are you still planning on getting your revenge EJ?" asked Nicole and she tried to say it defiantly but EJ saw the underlying fear to her question.
"Without a doubt," he said steadily, "You can count on it Nicole."
"If anything happens to me EJ I'll make damn sure that it is your door the cops come knocking on first," she threw back at him a little unsteadily, "You'll be sitting exactly where I am soon enough!"
"I wouldn't count on it sweetheart," EJ replied and he somehow managed to make the term of endearment sound utterly derisive, "Because my revenge is going to be living a long and happy life with the only woman I've ever loved – Samantha. We are going to be married the moment her divorce is through and then we are going to set about filling our home with children."
EJ saw Nicole's face twist with pain at the mention of children and was glad that he'd not been so much of a fool to bring a child into their hateful situation despite her repeatedly nagging him for one.
"My revenge, Nicole, is going to be Samantha's and mine's happiness and there is not a damn thing you can do about it," continued on EJ smoothly, not letting her look away from his fierce gaze, "When you finally get out of here and get to return to your miserable, loveless existence where you'll no longer be able to trade on your looks to get what you want you can think of the two of us, having a full and happy life together."
EJ gave her a little cold smile then.
"I think we are done here Nicole," he announced standing up, "I wish I could say it has been a pleasure but I think we are just about done with all the lies eh sweetheart?"
Nicole's jaw hardened at that but didn't say anything, trying not to show him how upset she was but EJ could still see it.
"Don't get up," he said mockingly as he straightened his coat, "I'll show myself out."
With that last little jab delivered EJ turned his back on Nicole and never laid eyes on her again.
oooOOOOooo
EJ paused at the door of the hotel room he was sharing with Sami while they were in New York and took a moment to enjoy the fact that she would be waiting for him behind that closed door. He was still mildly anxious to find out what had gone on between her and Lucas. It was the last piece of unfinished business that stood between them starting their new life together and EJ just wanted it done. He opened the door and walked through to find Sami sitting on the sofa. She looked up when he came in, her face lighting up. EJ laughed as she jumped up and threw herself into his arms, his concerns instantly melting away.
"You're back!" she said delightedly, throwing her arms around his neck, "I've missed you!"
"I missed you too sweetheart," said EJ warmly and hugged her back, "How was your afternoon?"
"Good," she nodded, "Lucas is a real nice guy. He told me lots of stuff about me."
"Like what?" asked EJ curiously, trying not to be bothered about the fact that Lucas might know things about Sami that he didn't.
It was to be expected after all.
"Like when I eat peppermint candy I sneeze," she said knowingly.
"Really?" asked EJ in surprise, "I don't think I've ever seen you eat peppermint candy before."
"I haven't," she said blithely, "Not since my accident anyway but now I want to try some!"
"So it sounds like you really did have a good time," said EJ indulgently.
"I did," nodded Sami and then looked at him, suddenly serious, "How was your visit with Nicole?"
"Final," said EJ simply, "I have no desire to ever breathe the same air as that woman ever again."
"I feel kinda bad for her," admitted Sami with a frown.
"Don't you dare waste a moment's sympathy on a woman that tried to brutally murder you Samantha," said EJ, his voice coming out sterner than he'd intended but he hated to think of Sami giving any measure of kindness to a woman who still wished her dead.
"But she's got nothing EJ and I'm the reason for it," said Sami sadly, "I feel guilty that I stole her husband and now she's in jail."
"Samantha, she's in jail because she committed a heinous crime," said EJ determinedly, "It was her decision to do what she did to you. It was the act of a cold, heartless woman who was only thinking about herself. And you didn't steal me from her. I was never Nicole's except in her petty imagination. A woman like Nicole Walker thinks she can own a person and it is no one's fault when the reality that she doesn't comes home to roost."
"I wish you didn't hate her so much EJ," said Sami softly.
"I can't help it sweetheart," said EJ unrepentantly, "She hurt you, tried to kill you and I'll never be able to forgive her for that."
"I just don't want you to carry all that around inside of you EJ," she said in concern.
"Samantha after today I plan to never think about Nicole ever again," said EJ firmly.
"I'm glad," sighed Sami, "It can't be good for you feeling that way about another human being."
EJ took in her still mildly anxious expression and regretted that his talk of Nicole had put it there.
"Well in that case do you know what is good for me?" asked EJ teasingly, not wanting to talk about Nicole any longer and wanting to cheer Sami up.
"Vegetables?" asked Sami playfully, seeing the look in EJ's eyes.
"I was thinking more along the lines of a kiss from my wife to be," said EJ mischieviously.
"Oh," said Sami, playing along, "Do you mean like this…?"
Sami went up on her toes and EJ ducked his head so that their lips could meet in a searing kiss – a kiss t that left them both breathless at the end of it.
"I love kissing you so much," said Sami, her face flushed.
"Good," said EJ unevenly and then smiled at her, "Because I'm planning to do that as often as possibly can the rest of our lives."
"Take me to bed EJ," Sami requested of him throatily, arching a sexy eyebrow at him.
oooOOOOooo
"Samantha..."
EJ kissed his way down her naked body, her name a reverent whisper on his lips.
"Samantha..."
The sound of what she now knew as her name resonated deeply with Sami. It had been true what she'd told Lucas, that it had still felt a little strange to be called that but right in that moment it was impossibly right. Sami never wanted to stop hearing her name in those rich, accented tones, spoken huskily against her naked skin. EJ travelled back up her body, half pulling Sami into his arms as their legs became tangled together. The coarseness of his hair covered legs rubbing pleasurably against her smoothness. Sami loved to feel the contrast between their bodies, finding a fresh amazement in it every day. EJ claimed her mouth in a languid kiss, full of a need that knew it had much time to find its satisfaction. Sami arched her back, scrapping her hardened nipples against his hair covered chest, again delighting in their differences.
"Samantha..."
He said her name into their kiss and Sami tasted her name in his breath and gave a shudder of enchantment at the sensation. She knew no other man's touch but his, no other man's body and could not imagine it any other way. Tears of immeasurable joy sprang unbidden from her eyes, running down her cheeks and staining the bed sheets beneath her with their wetness. EJ lifted his head and frowned down at her in gentle concern.
"Happy," Sami reassured him shakily, "I'm so happy EJ."
A tender smile warmed EJ's face at that and he proceeded to kiss away her tears, tasting the salty proof of her bliss on his lips. The desire grew between them, that seemingly unquenchable need to be as close as two human beings could be in this world overtaking them both. EJ rolled Sami onto her back and moved over her and gently pushed her legs apart so he could settle himself between them. He held himself over her, looking down at her with those brown eyes of his that had her so undone. Sami lived for these moments, when they were both about to become one, the anticipation stretching her nerves pleasurably just as she knew he would stretch her body when she took him inside her at last. They held each other's gaze unblinkingly, drawing the moment out between them. As brown eyes held blue galaxies were born and stars blinked out of existence but the lovers cared not for what the universe in all its magnificent glory might be doing, only seeing each other.
"Tell me again how we met," she breathed into the distance between them as she felt his pulsating manhood rest itself lightly against her opening.
"I walked into the club," said EJ huskily, his voice full of emotion as he looked down at her adoringly, "You were in the cloak room and wanted to take my coat. I saw you and loved you instantly. I couldn't take my eyes off you and you've consumed my thoughts and dreams every moment since."
"I wouldn't tell you my name," said Sami breathlessly, having already gotten EJ to tell her this story several times before, but she loved hearing it.
"No," he said throatily, "You wouldn't tell me your name and it was driving me crazy. I followed you into the back of the cloak room."
"Because you said I'd given you the wrong coat and you wanted to look for yours," said Sami, feeling her core begin to ache at being denied the hardness that was just tantalisingly brushing against her opening.
"No," said EJ with a shake of his head, "Because I wanted to kiss you... I wanted to taste you."
"But I slapped you," she said teasingly, smiling up at him.
"Yes you did my little minx," he confirmed with an answering smile, "But then you told me your name and I knew no other word would ever matter to me as much as that one word."
"And then we kissed," whispered Sami.
"And then we kissed," said EJ, his eyelids drooping at the memory, "And you tasted of life and hope and love."
EJ ducked his head and caught her lips up in a searing kiss then, his tongue thrusting into hers as he tasted her deeply. He broke the kiss and Sami could feel him press a little more of his swollen tip into her now dripping opening.
"You still do," he rasped, his voice roughened from his high emotion and arousal.
"I wanted you," gasped Sami, "It scared me how much I wanted you."
"But you came to me anyway," said EJ unevenly, "You came to me and gave yourself utterly to me Samantha and I was completely undone."
"So was I," she said shakily, feeling the need for them to finally close this last distance between them becoming almost unbearable.
Sami couldn't remember the events EJ was talking about but she remembered what it was like when he first kissed her as Betty and how badly she'd wanted more than just his kisses and knew that it would have been exactly the same for her when she'd met him the first time.
"Please EJ," she begged him in a voice choked with emotion, "Now, please... I can't wait for you any longer."
They both groaned as EJ pushed into her body, slowly sliding himself into her tight wetness and making the sensation last for as long as possible. When he was completely inside of her, as deep as their bodies would allow they stayed like that for a long moment, simply staring at each other, drinking in each other's perfection and the oneness of their bodies. EJ began to move inside of her at last, every thrust filled with worshipful tenderness as he held her gaze unblinkingly, adoring her with his eyes as well as his body.
"Marry me," he asked the question with a voice full of quiet desperation and choked with great emotion.
"Yes," Sami returned achingly, wrapping her legs around his waist and letting all the love that she had for him shine on her face, "A thousand times yes EJ."
EJ gave a choked sob, tears of happiness stinging his eyes as he looked down at her. Their coming together this time had a depth and intensity to it that neither had known before. It was like their souls were at last in utter unity and they were no longer separate beings but rather one creature made stronger and more breathtaking by their union. Every question they would ever need to ask of one another was answered in those moments of life altering love making and EJ and Samantha were reborn – more complete and whole than they'd ever been before.
Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person
having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words,
but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together;
certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping,
and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.
~Dinah Craik~
(A Life for a Life, 1859)