Hi.. someone asked me to come back to this sooo HI!
Chapter Thirteen
Sam gazed at Mercedes before swiftly stepping aside to let her in. She beamed another smile as she took off her coat and kicked off her shoes.
"Where can I put these?" She asked, and he stared at her in disbelief.
"Mercedes, the entire planet is searching for you - if anyone sees us-"
She raised her hand to silence him. "I'm wet and freezing cold. Can we take care of that before anything else?"
Sam shook his head quickly, stepping closer to Mercedes until he had taken her shirt off. "We gotta get you heated up," he mumbled, grabbing her jacket. "Take everything off. I have to go outside to start the generator."
Mercedes smirked. "Or you can just warm me up," She suggested playfully, catching him off-guard before bursting into laughter. She pointed at herself while continuing her taunt. "Don't blame me; you're the one who took my shirt off!"
Sam's mouth opened and closed silently as he slowly nodded. He couldn't help but chuckle afterwards. "I guess bras aren't always necessary," he stammered.
"Wow… you are a dork." She teased, walking down the hall to his bedroom, leaving him standing there dumbfounded.
Sam looked at Lily, who tilted her head. "I can't go after her! She's half naked…. That wasn't an invitation… was it?"
Lily yawned before hopping down and trotting down the hallway. "JUST RUB IT IN!" He shouted, shaking his head as he walked to the laundry room and placed her wet clothes in the dryer. He grabbed his rain jacket and boots before heading out back to get the generator going so he could get Mercedes warm and cook some food for her.
Mercedes sat on the edge of the bed, her bare feet just grazing the floor. She smiled when she saw Lily approaching, but then watched as the old dog hopped onto the bed and rested her head on Mercedes's lap. A wave of sadness washed over Mercedes as she thought about her missing love.
"He's not coming, is he?" she whispered, running her fingers through Lily's fur. "We've been doing this for years. I'm not sure what my plan was when I came here but I guess it didn't work out anyway."
Mercedes looked down at Lily, hoping for a sign or answer from her canine companion. All she received in response was a quiet yawn.
She stood for a moment looking at the trinkets on his dresser, her heart swelling with memories of their time together. She paused as her fingers brushed against the wristband from the carnival, feeling the warmth of his lips on hers after they'd kissed on the tilt-a-whirl.
Mercedes opened a few drawers before finding one with his shirts and grabbing one, feeling comforted by its familiarity as she put it on. She made her way to his master bathroom and carefully removed her pants and underwear, making sure not to make too much noise as she heard Sam pacing back and forth in the hall.
"I mean, I could go back there… it's not I haven't seen her naked before." She heard him say, causing her stomach to twist in anticipation. "Pervert."
Mercedes snickered, knowing what he was thinking even if he wouldn't admit it out loud. "Having perverse thoughts about me?" She asked teasingly as she stepped into the hallway.
He looked at her with an unreadable expression, raking his bottom lip through his teeth. "It's been a long time since you wore one of my shirts…" His voice almost pleading as he begged for something but refused to admit it.
Her lips curled into a smirk. "A very long time..." she said, taking a step closer to him.
Sam couldn't help but glance at her, his gaze slowly crawling across her body as it soon settled on her hands. They were gripping her jeans and panties - a plain black set that made Sam swallow hard.
"If I recall correctly, we were only supposed to touch…" he said, hovering closer. "Something about marriage and Grammys."
She stepped in, her eyes grazing his body. "I did win a Grammy…"
"You have." He breathed out, pressing himself against her until the wetness of her jeans touched his stomach. "But there's still the matter of tying the knot."
She sighed heavily. "True… but I'm not a teenager anymore- my thoughts on that have since changed."
Sam discarded her clothes to the side, raising an eyebrow. "And what exactly changed?" His hands lightly caressed her waist, tugging her into him.
Her lips quivered with anticipation as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I remember how pleasurable it was when you used your mouth… and hands…"
Sam smirked. It was their secret - no one knew about their intimate moments during their stint living together. "So you do remember?"
"Of course, I never said anything, it wasn't anyone's business but ours." She answered flirtatiously.
He nodded in approval, tightening his grip around her waist and pulling her into him more firmly than before. "So, when you said your mind has changed?"
"Sam, I'm naked under here and we haven't had any physical contact… of that nature since New York."
He grinned before closing the gap between them and pressing his lips against hers. He ran his hands up her sides until he was cradling her face in his hands. His kiss was slow and gentle but with a passion they hadn't been able to explore since they were teenagers in New York. Mercedes ran her fingers through his hair as she deepened the kiss, wanting more from him but not daring to ask for it.
The room filled with the sound of their breathing as they began to kiss more passionately, exploring each other's mouths like they had so long ago. Sam moved one hand down her back and cupped her ass firmly, while running his other around the nape of her neck. Meanwhile Mercedes trailed kisses along Sam's jawline to his neck and lightly sucked on the sensitive skin there, eliciting a soft moan from him which only caused them both to become more passionate in their embrace.
Their hands roamed all over each other's bodies as they continued to kiss, exploring and rediscovering the pleasure of physical contact that had been denied them for so long. Soon enough neither of them could deny their desire any longer and Sam scooped Mercedes up into his arms and carried her to the bed.
Sam gently set Mercedes down on the bed before crawling on top of her, pressing his body against hers as they kissed passionately once again. They teased each other with light caresses until they both decided it was time to take things further. Sam slowly unzipped his jeans and pulled them off, trailing slow kisses down her legs as he did so.
Mercedes shivered in pleasure and ran her fingers through Sam's hair as he moved back up her body, kissing every inch of exposed skin until they were both hot with desire. He paused at her hips as he pushed them closer together before finally letting his lips meet hers again.
At that moment there was no turning back and without saying a word between them they both knew that this night was going to be something special. Sam rolled on a condom before guiding Mercedes into a comfortable position beneath him, their eyes never leaving each other's for the slightest minute.
When Sam finally entered her there was no pain, only pleasure and warmth unlike anything either of them could have imagined prior to this moment. Sam began to move slowly at first, still trying to take in the sensation of being inside Mercedes for the first time. She moaned softly in response to his thrusts, arching her body into him and wrapping her arms around his neck for extra support. Mercedes's hands ran up and down Sam's back, kneading the muscles as his thrusts drove deep into her.
Mercedes' skin was on fire and her body tingled as Sam's thrusts pounded into her. His body was hot and tight against hers and she finally felt complete again. Digging her nails into Sam's back as he pushed into her over and over and over again.
As their rhythm increased, their breathing grew more labored and soon they were both lost in the throes of passion that seemed so familiar yet new all at the same time. Finally with one final push from Sam, Mercedes fell over, her climax ripping through her and moaning his name repeatedly.
Sam felt the warmth of her body and he too reached his climax, calling out her name. He collapsed on top of her and she happily accepted the weight of his body on hers. They lay there in each other's arms, their bodies still intertwined, both exhausted. Mercedes traced circles on his back with her finger as they listened to the rain pattering on the roof.
After a few moments of just enjoying being in each other's arms, Sam finally broke the silence. "What happens now?" he asked softly, not sure if he was ready for the answer or not. Mercedes smiled and kissed him tenderly.
"I think we both know that this isn't a one night thing," she said, her voice gentle yet determined. Sam nodded and pulled her close, burying his face in her neck as his hands moved down her back in small circles. Mercedes closed her eyes and let out a content sigh before drawing back to look at him again.
"I want to be with you, Sam, but I don't want us to rush into anything too quickly," she said, biting her lip nervously. "Let's take things slow and see where they lead us but I need to handle this mess with Tank."
"I'll help you anyway that I can." He said, before leaning in to kiss her again. "But I want you to be here so we can really try to make it work between us."
Mercedes nodded. "I agree... no more running." She said, pulling him back into another kiss.
As their lips met, Sam could feel her body responding to his touch. He traced his tongue along her lips and she opened her mouth, allowing him to explore her deeper. He adjusted, leaning over her, his strong hands gripping her waist. He leaned down to kiss her again, his lips trailing down her neck towards her breasts.
She moaned softly as he flicked his tongue over her nipples, his hands kneading her breasts. She arched her back, pushing herself closer to him, wanting more. Sam's hands traveled lower, tracing circles on her stomach before slipping a hand between her legs. Sam smiled, enjoying the power he had over her.
"I need you, now."
She gasped as he touched her, sending shivers down her spine. He rubbed her clit, teasing her until she was begging for release. He smiled devilishly and moved down her body, trailing his tongue over her stomach and hips as he went. He found his way to the sensitive area between her thighs, licking and teasing until she was writhing in pleasure beneath him. He flicked his tongue around her clit, tracing circles on it before diving in deeper to send waves of pleasure coursing through her entire body. His tongue felt like silk against her skin, caressing every inch of her as if she were a work of art he was admiring.
Her hands tangled into his hair as he explored further, pushing himself against her most sensitive areas. Teasingly he would pull away only to plunge back in again when she begged for more. She cried out with each stroke of his tongue until finally there was no turning back from the bliss that was building up inside of her. He didn't stop until she came undone beneath him, screaming out in ecstasy.
He moved up her body, pressing his lips against hers and feeling the heat of her desire against him. His hands wandered over her curves as they kissed, exploring every inch of her until he could no longer contain himself. With a groan, he grabbed hold of her legs, wrapping them around him and slowly entering her.
She moaned as he started to enter her, pushing forward with slow but steady thrusts. He filled her completely, each movement causing pleasure to wash over them both in waves. She lifted herself off the bed with each stroke to take more of him in, their breathing becoming heavy with passion.
Her grip on his hips tightened as she felt the pleasure building up inside of her again. She gasped and called out his name as she reached the peak of pleasure before collapsing back onto the bed in complete satisfaction. He stayed still for a moment before gently pulling out from within her and holding her close in his arms.
Sam smiled, looking into her eyes, "I love you Mercedes" he said softly.
"I love you too Sam" She replied before they shared another passionate kiss. They lay there for a few moments, just enjoying each other's presence until finally exhaustion overcame them and they drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
In the morning when they awoke their bodies were still entwined and everything seemed perfect; it felt as though nothing else mattered in that moment—just the two of them together in their own little world of blissful happiness. However, the outside world forced itself into their short-lived bliss as both of their phones began going off repeatedly.
"We can ignore it, we can let ourselves have just one full day." He said.
Mercedes kissed him tenderly. "No more running, remember?"
Mercedes gasped, her heart thudding against her chest. She quickly put down the phone and looked up at Sam, who had a worried expression on his face.
"What is it?" he asked her softly.
"It's Tank...he posted something about us." Mercedes replied in a broken voice.
She showed Sam the tweet and watched as he read the post, his brows furrowing in anger. He looked back up at Mercedes, his gaze softening as he saw how distraught she was. He closed his eyes briefly and took a few deep breaths before turning back to Mercedes, who was looking up at him with a worried expression. He reached out and touched her cheek gently.
"It'll be okay," he reassured her as she leaned into his touch. "I'll take care of it."
Mercedes shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "There's no way he... I don't know how he got this." She said, as Sam wiped away her tears and pulled her into a hug, holding her close for a few moments before breaking apart again.
"Let me take care of this, Mercedes. Take today to just rest, give me your phone." He reassured, holding out his hand.
She looked at him before placing her phone into his hands, "How are you going to handle this?" She asked and before he could respond there was a knock on the door.
Sam got up to check who it was and when he opened the door, he saw Monica standing there. She had been Mercedes' previous assistant and she looked just as fierce as the woman herself. Her sharp features were accentuated by her bold makeup, her hair in a sleek ponytail and her red pumps adding a pop of color to her all black ensemble.
"Well, looks like I got some shit to take care of," Monica said nonchalantly as she stepped past Sam into the room. "Mercedes! I know you're here."
Scrambling, Mercedes jumped from the bed and grabbed one of Sam's shirts before rushing down the hallway, stopping when she saw Monica. "Oh how I've missed you!" She said and the two women embraced as if they hadn't seen each other in years.
"I need you to understand that I didn't quit because I wanted to... I needed to get out of the way so I could do some real digging and I couldn't do that with Tank so close." She explained.
Sam stepped forward. "So does that mean you have something that will help us?" He asked and Monica wasted no time unzipping her bag and pulling out a stack of files and folders that were obviously important documents.
"I think I have just the thing to get Tank off your backs and to get you out of that bullshit contract." Monica replied with a devious grin.
Mercedes and Sam exchanged glances. "So I would get control of my voice again?"
Monica nodded. "You'd get everything you are owed, he didn't mess up your ability to sing when or what you liked, he had his hands in deeper than that." She said, grabbing a folder and handing it to Mercedes. "Check the fourth page."
They sifted through the file, locating the page and read it over slowly before Mercedes' head shot up. "No, this… this isn't possible. I had my bank switched three times."
"Or so you thought." Monica said starting to pace. "You see it was tricky at first but that name kept showing up left and right on all of your paperwork. At first I thought it was someone from his label but when I called and asked I kept getting the runaround. Suspicious right? Well shit, that's what I thought too so I kept digging."
"Wait, what does this have to do with her getting control over her voice again?" Sam interrupted.
Monica shot him a look. "Like I was saying, I kept digging and sure enough I found out that Tank was funneling money into a secret account in Mercedes' name. That account had been siphoning off all of the profits from Mercedes' music sales since she signed with Tank. In essence, he was controlling her finances while keeping himself hidden in the shadows."
Mercedes felt a wave of anger and betrayal wash over her as Monica continued. "We can use this information to get you out of your contract and get you back in control of your own career and finances." She paused for effect. "And if we act quickly, we can even get some of the money he stole back for you."
Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You mean to tell me that he's been stealing from her all these years? How could he?" He shook his head in disbelief.
Mercedes looked down at the floor, feeling overwhelmed by everything that had been revealed. She sighed heavily before finally speaking up. "What do you suggest we do now?"
Monica smiled reassuringly at Mercedes before speaking up again."Well first off, we need to file a lawsuit against Tank for breach of contract and fraudulently acquiring your finances." Seeing Mercedes' horrified expression, Monica quickly added: "Don't worry, it won't go public unless we want it to—we'll make sure that Tank keeps quiet about it too."
Sam nodded in agreement before continuing on with Monica's plan. "And then once we're done with that, we'll be able to renegotiate your contract so that you get the terms you deserve—including complete control over your creative vision and earnings."
Mercedes felt a sense of hope as she listened to them discuss their plan—it seemed like she might actually be able to stop Tank but then she frowned. "No... I don't know if you saw what he posted but doing this would seem reactionary."
Monica started pacing again. "I did see that but don't take this the wrong way, that video is technically revenge porn and I don't know how he got that or why you two decided to record that but I'm not here to judge. Plus you two were teenagers so-"
Sam shook his head. "No, we were legal...ish she was nineteen and I was eighteen." He said, running his hand through his hair. "And I might have an idea of how he got it..."
He trailed off, thinking back to the day he had left Mercedes. "I had been so wrapped up in trying to save my clientele that I grabbed my personal laptop and put it in my suitcase. When I arrived in New York, I realized that I'd packed the wrong laptop so when it was time for my meeting I left it on the bedside table before rushing out." He explained,
Mercedes' head dropped. "So what? Someone snuck into your room?"
"When I arrived back, I noticed that my laptop was missing from the hotel room. I searched high and low but it couldn't be found anywhere. It was strange considering that the only other people with access to MY room were housekeeping staff. I tried not to think too much about it but after a few hours I called down to the front desk and they told me that they'd contact the housekeeping manager and get back with an update."
"I didn't think anything of it because they assumed I had checked out. The laptop was returned within thirty minutes of me calling and they apologized for the confusion." He said, shaking his head.
Monica sighed. "So now we need to see if they can check the surveillance for that time frame but most hotels delete footage after thirty days."
"So we're back to square one then?" Mercedes asked, biting her nails.
Sam sighed. "There's another way…" He said, groaning. "I didn't want call again her… fuck!"
Monica let out a deep breath. "Please tell me it's not Santana? She… terrifies me."
Mercedes smiled. "It's not, it'll be good to see my soul sister again."
Sam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, good for you." he mumbled, taking out his phone. "This better resolve everything!" He spat, hitting the dial.
I know I said what happened in those seven month would be reveal and it will be Soooooooon! I hope y'all enjoyed this update! I'm revisiting my older stories so more should come!