I know it's been a while, life has been crazy lately and I've had some major writers block. Anyways, I'm back and hope you are too. Enjoy :)

Chapter 10

Quorra P.O.V.

I awoke with a start, my body lurching upward as I felt something cool rest against my hip bone. I braced my elbows against the pearl white sheets to steady myself as I looked blankly around the bedroom.

"You act like you just saw a ghost," I heard Sam murmur with the hints of a light chuckle in his tone. I turned my head slowly to meet his questioning gaze. "It's just me."

I flopped my head back onto the feathery soft pillow and huffed aloud, staring up at the plain ceiling. "Just you…" I echoed as I turned away from him and looked out the window at the cloudy sky.

"Bad dream?"

"No, you just startled me is all," I lied as I curled up against myself.

"I never startle you," he stated, his voice sounding somewhat confused.

I couldn't help but smile at the truth in that statement before I realized what time it was. "Day off?"

"Not exactly, I'll head over there during the afternoon and probably stay until nine," he answered as I felt him shift. I felt his warm breath caress the skin on the back of my neck. His hand wrapped around my right knee, squeezing gently.

I tilted my head slightly to gaze over at him. His ocean blue eyes bore into mine and I could see the smile playing at his lips "So…what's the catch?" I questioned carefully as my eyes narrowed slightly. He never randomly took days off and I knew that Monday's would not be an exception to the rule.

"No catch."

His tone was effortlessly simple but I could hear the wariness behind it.

I scoffed at him, rolling my eyes and swinging the covers away from my form. "Liar," I grumbled in an accusing tone as I rolled out of bed and stalked into the closet.

I sifted through a few drawers, looking for something simple to wear. I caught my reflection in the mirror with my right eye and I turned to look myself over.

I was wearing a deep purple cami with frilled edges and small sequins along the sides as well as a pair of black underwear. I sighed but couldn't help the warm smile that spread over my lips as my thoughts floated back to last night.

Last night and every other night for the past two weeks.

I swallowed, running my fingers through my hair slowly.

That familiar burning sensation crawled against my lower stomach and I shivered, trying to shake the feeling.

The sound of his familiar footsteps moving closer brought me back to the present slightly. I leaned against the dresser as I locked gazes with him through the mirror. "You okay?" he pressed as he leaned against the doorway.

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

He moved across the closet until he was standing behind me. He placed his hands on my hips and pulled me against him.

I felt the burn resurface.

"You're insanely beautiful," he mumbled against my neck as his hands trailed up my torso and cupped my breasts, methodically squeezing.

"Insanely?" I questioned quietly as my mind began to cloud.

He nodded. "Precisely."

He squeezed again and I could start to feel that tingling burn creep through me.

I took a breath. "Mmm…stop…" I breathed out.

"What?" he asked as he laughed softly. "I can't hear you," he said as he grinned, letting his hands work in a massaging rhythm.

I turned around, letting his hands glide to my back as he continued his rhythm. "I said…stop it," I mumbled as I pressed my hands against his bare chest.

I didn't mean it though, that much he knew. My actions told him that much

He kissed my forehead and chuckled softly as his hands moved down my back, stopping at my lower back. "Lust…" he started as he shifted and squeezed my butt, grinning at my reaction. "Isn't a bad thing. Don't fight the feeling, just relax," he said as he ran a hand against my thigh.

"I know, I just…" I trailed off as I ran a finger along the waistband to his boxers. "You're fighting it," I shot back as I frowned. "You're holding back."

He shook his head. "I'm not fighting the feeling," he said to me as he ran a finger along the inside of my thigh. "I'm fighting the urge to have sex with you," he stated.

I could feel a tingling sensation in my palms. "How is that going for you?" I questioned him as my eyes narrowed slightly.

I already knew, of course.

"It's really difficult," he admitted as he lifted a hand and placed it on the side of my face.

"No one is stopping you, you know."

"I am."

I huffed at him in disagreement. "I want to experience it," I murmured as I met his gaze.

He smiled softly. "And you will."

I rolled my eyes, scoffing at him. "Whatever," I grumbled as I pulled away from him and moved back to picking out clothes.

He turned so he was facing me again. "Someone got out of bed on the wrong side today."

I looked at him, raising an eyebrow lightly before turning my back on him again. "I always get out of bed on the same side so I don't know what you're talking about," I stated as I pulled a t-shirt over my head.

"It's a metaphor," he said with a soft chuckle as he leaned against my dresser.

"You're a metaphor," I teased as I glanced at him again and pulled on a pair of yoga pants. "And stop watching me get dressed," I added as I pulled an old Cal-Tech t-shirt out of his drawer and threw it at him.

He caught the shirt easily and pouted at me. "If you really had a problem with it, you wouldn't share a closet with me," he told me with a smirk.

I laughed at him. "I suppose that's true enough," I said as I brushed through my hair easily, letting it fall behind my shoulders to my shoulder blades.

We fell into a comfortable silence. He shuffled about the closet as I worked through my messy hair, silently cursing myself for not getting my hair cut last week.

"I want to show you something."

I turned to look at him curiously. He stood near the doorway with a pair of khaki shorts and the Cal-Tech shirt on now.

"What?"

"Where I used to live."

I frowned. "I've seen the container-"

"No," he said as he waved his hand. "Where I lived when I was a kid," he explained as he walked away from me.

It was my turn to follow him.

"When your father lived here?" I asked as I rose an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah."

"But why now?" I questioned him as my mind continued to bubble with questions. "Why not sooner..or later?"

Sam paused with his back facing me and it seemed like an eternity before he actually turned around but finally, he did.

"Q…" he trailed off as his shoulders shifted. "There's so much about me that you just don't know…and I only have a month to try and explain it to you and hope that you won't walk away from it…me," he mumbled as he scratched the back of his neck.

"I don't think I'll run away," I soothed as I leaned against the wall with my shoulder. "I haven't yet, have I?"

He smiled impishly. "That's true," he commented. "So…I thought we'd start at the beginning," he told me. His face looked stern, almost as if he was bracing himself for something.

"There's more to it though," I stated, reading him easily.

"No, well…yeah," he admitted. "The house is under my name and it's still there but the last time I was there was shortly after Gram died," he stated. "It's about time I visit."

"You haven't been in almost ten years?" I questioned him as my eyes widened slightly.

He nodded barely, a saddened look creeping onto his face. "I just wanted to forget everything," he said. "So I never went back."

I nodded barely in understanding.

"So…I get to see where you grew up," I murmured as I rested my hands against his shoulders and leaned towards him. As if on cue, his arms wound around my waist.

It was his turn to nod. "Yeah," he breathed as he ran his thumb down the side of my face. "Then how about we go out for brunch? Or Lunch?"

I hummed in agreement. "Sounds fantastic," I breathed as I leaned in to rest my head against his shoulder for a few moments before I pulled back entirely, dancing out of his grasp.

I heard him laugh from behind me as I opened the door to our bedroom and walked out into the main area. Gracey was curled up against the couch with a blanket and Marvin sitting at her feet as she read a book. She looked over at me and grinned. "Good morning."

"Good morning," I echoed. Sam mirrored me, our voices meshing together like a soft melody.

She closed the book and hopped off of the couch, startling Marvin. "Can we go to the park today with Claire and her Mom?" she asked as she waltzed over to us and hugged my legs.

We had gotten new neighbors about two weeks ago on the floor below us. They were a couple in their early thirties with a daughter that was a year older than Gracey. She enjoyed having someone around her age so close by and the two of them got along very well.

I squeezed her shoulders. "Not today," I murmured.

"Aww but why?"

"We're going on a little road trip," Sam chimed in as I felt his arm wind around my shoulders.

Her eyes widened at once. "Oh! Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

Gracey wrinkled her nose at us and pulled back slightly. "That normally means a day full of doctor visits…" she trailed off as she bit her lip. "I'm not falling for that again."

"No doctor visits," Sam promised her as he ruffled her hair and she squeaked at him, swatting his hand away.

"Promise?"

Sam pulled her into his arms and spun her around a handful of times before setting her back on her feet. "Promise."

"Pinky swear," she said as she stuck out her two pinkies at the two of us.

Sam laughed and hooked his pinky against hers. "You're ridiculous."

"No, you are," she teased as I mirrored Sam's action. She squeezed my finger before releasing it and dropped her hands to her sides.

"You're both ridiculous," I murmured as Gracey leaned into me, burying her head against my leg to hide her laughter. "Now go get ready, we're going to leave soon."

She nodded and hurried into her room and closed the door. I turned to look at Sam but the door opened back up and Gracey poked her head out. "No crosses count," she said as she stuck her tongue out and then disappeared again behind the door.

Sam laughed and strolled into the kitchen as I made a face. "What does that mean?"

"Don't worry about it, Q."

So...what do you think? I decided on a calm chapter since it's been a while. Hopefully you liked it. Review and let me know that you liked it or that there are still people reading this, or if you have any super awesome ideas to throw at me because I love cc. I'll probably do shout-outs next chapter.

I'll be back with an update by next week! Thanks for reading!