Hi hi, guys, so I am trying to get some of all of my stories out. I am going to add another one to this, so look for that, and then I am going to post on CEO, and then maybe I will give you a new one. I love ya; thanks for keeping me sane. Cause I'm struggling sometimes, ya'll.

Mercedes slipped into her heels, running her hands down the silk gold dress that looked almost like a slip. The beautiful dress clung to her like a second skin. Her hair was up in a twisted bun with tendrils that fell over her face.

She turned to Santana and Jane and smiled. "Okay, what do we think?"

"That man is gonna tear that off of you," Jane said as Santana purred.

Mercedes sighed heavily. "I wish! That man sets off a fire in me that I have never felt before, but every time we get together, it gets so hot and heavy, and then he pulls away."

Santana raised an eyebrow. "Pull away how?"

"Yeah, cause Stevie doesn't pull away; that man goes full steam ahead," Jane added with a giggle.

Mercedes sighed. "Well, Sam does."

"He won't pull away tonight. Where are you going?" Santana asked.

"He wants me to come over for dinner. We never really go anywhere, which I don't mind." Mercedes sighed. I just wish I knew what he was thinking."

"You are falling hard for this one," Jane smirked.

"What!?" Mercedes whipped her head around. "I am just enjoying myself."

"Lies, you tell," Santana said, putting the diamond tear drop earring into her ears. "You are smiling more, and you are laughing and dancing more. Singing again. You are falling for him hard."

"We both know it. And I can tell you are sad that he's gonna be leaving because I am sad that Stevie is leaving." Jane added.

"That man got under your skin." Santana teased as she laughed.

"Look, I don't know how that boy bander got to me, but he did." Jane chuckled. "And sex or no sex, that man is skilled, so I know his brother has to be."

Mercedes slipped into her heels and ran her hands through her hair. "I am falling in love with him…and I fought it. I tried so hard to fight it because love doesn't exist for my family, you know it. But Sam is...ugh, I love him."

Santana sat with her, taking Mercedes's hand. "He won't hurt you. I know you've had bad experiences in the past, but Sam doesn't seem like he likes them. Or like your family."

"San, I attract crappy men. I am so scared the other shoe is going to drop, and I am going to end up heartbroken."

Jane sat next to Mercedes, taking her other hand. "Merce, no matter what happens with us and these brothers, we have each other. That's what matters most. At the end of the day, you can either let the fear define you, or you can take a chance."

Mercedes nodded as she stood tall, taking a breath. "I need to go so I won't be late for my date."

Sam lit the last candle as his phone rang. Hearing the ringtone, he knew it was his father calling. Hesitating for a moment, he answered. "Hello, Father. I thought I wouldn't hear from you until next week."

"What is this mess about you firing Puckerman? He was your head of security for a reason."

"He is a liability father."

Dwight laughed. "Uh huh, or were you just upset you found him in bed with the girl you both were seeing? Do you know I had to threaten him not to tell Lady Quinn?"

"Wait, what? Father, what are you talking about? That is not why he got fired. Puck was hitting on St. James' wife in public. He ignored my requests; he wasn't working."

"And the woman?" Dwight questioned.

"Neither one of us was or is sleeping with her. I was, however, seeing her."

"Oh? Were you? And then she left you for him?"

"Of course not! He hit on her, and she saw me." Sam took a deep breath. "She's… different, Father. There's something genuine about her, a kindness that's rare, even here in the palace." He hesitated, almost afraid to continue. "I didn't tell her who I am, and I know it's only making things more complicated. But I can't ignore the connection I feel with her."

Dwight sighed. "Connection is one thing, Samuel, but loyalty to your people is another. A prince does not have the luxury of letting his heart lead. You're destined for more than this dalliance with a woman who has no understanding of your responsibilities."

Sam gripped the phone tighter. "It's not a dalliance, Father," he replied, his voice steady but soft. "She isn't some distraction. She's smart and ambitious, and… she brings out a better version of me—just like Mother does with you."

"I understand that! But you have a wife waiting for you. Samuel, Lady Quinn, and yourself are due to marry in six months."

"Si-six months? Why that soon?"

"Your Mother and I feel the longer you wait, the more things could hurt your future.

Sam sighed. "I understand what you're saying. That's why I've made up my mind; I am going to tell her it's over and keep my distance until we leave, no matter how hard it is. I know you don't get it, but she is…"

"You know there was a woman before your mother..." Dwight said wistfully.

"Th-there was?"

"She was beautiful and fun, and I fell in love with her."

Sam frowned, sitting down. "But you married Mother."

Dwight sighed. "I did. I chose duty over love, and I learned to love your Mother. So I do understand."

"I never meant to fall in love with her. She gets me, not the me destined to be King, but the me that likes strawberry shortcake ice cream, mushrooms, and sausage on my pizza. We talked, and she got me to sing, and I didn't feel the weight of my responsibilities; I just felt..."

"Happy." Dwight finished for him.

There was a silence on the line, then a low chuckle from Dwight. "It seems she's left a mark. Samuel, I know that she makes you feel these things, but keep in mind that every decision you make affects our entire kingdom. You can not afford to think just for yourself; Cordova is watching you. And if you keep on with her, knowing that you both have these feelings, she is going to be the one that's hurt when you leave."

Sam rubbed his temple, feeling the weight of his father's words settle heavily on his shoulders. "I know, Father," he whispered. "I'll do what's right."

"I wouldn't have picked you as my successor if I didn't think you could do the job, Samuel. We make the tough choices for the betterment of our people."

"And there's no way around the 'Only marrying women from the court?" Sam questioned.

"Samuel, it's that way for a reason. Women of the court are raised for the very purpose of being your Queen. Lady Quinn was picked and placed under your Mother's tutelage to become your bride."

"I know, I guess I was just...hopeful."

"You may not be able to be with her, but maybe there is something we can do to compensate her for helping you while you were there. It's something, " Dwight said.

Sam didn't like the thought of paying off Mercedes, but knowing the way she helped everyone out but herself. "Thank you, Father. I think that would be a great idea."

After hanging up with his father, Sam went to work finishing setting up the condo.

He ordered dinner and plated everything as perfectly as he could, his mind racing, knowing his father was right. As much as he wanted her, as hard as he was falling for her, it was selfish to keep leading her on.

As he stood looking at the romantic setting, dread fell upon him. Tonight was the last night he would spend with Mercedes. He wanted to give her everything he had but wouldn't look back once she walked out of his life.

A knock interrupted his thoughts, and he quickly turned his playlist on before he opened the door, taken aback by the sight of her in that shimmering gold dress. She was radiant, her smile breaking through his doubts.

"Hi," she said softly, her gaze flickered over the room. "Looks like you went all out for dinner."

Sam chuckled nervously, gesturing for her to come inside. "Yeah, well… some things are worth the effort."

Mercedes stepped closer, her fingers brushing his hand. Sam smiled at the gesture, pulling her gently towards him and kissing her deeply.

After a few moments, Mercedes pulled away with a smile on her face. "Your kisses give me life, Sam."

"Yours do, too." He said, nipping her bottom lip before kissing her soundly. When he finally pulled back, he gave her a warm smile. "Let's eat before I forget I made dinner."

Laughing, she nodded, allowing him to lead her to the table. Sam pulled out her chair, and she beamed at the beautiful spread before her. Sam looked over to her as he filled her wine glass, and as it always was with them, they fell into the natural rhythm of conversation.

"Okay, so I know you and your friends are traveling diplomats for your country, but that can't be a true story," Mercedes giggled.

"Oh, but it is; she thought Blaine was hitting on her, and Blaine just assumed she wanted to talk about the treaty deal, so we show up to her office, and she's sitting on her desk, naked. Needless to say, we were all mortified." Sam stated,

Mercedes shook her head. "Wow, that is…that is..wow."

Sam nodded. "Not the first time one of the men were found in this situation."

They laughed as Sam leaned back in his chair. "So what about you? Did you have any crazy naked stories?"

"Uh, none like yours…I caught my father cheating on my Mother with the woman my brother cheated on his baby momma with, so there's that."

Sam's jaw dropped as Mercedes sipped her wine, her expression thoughtful. "Don't give me that look. That pity look—I got enough of that growing up."

Sam shook his head. "I'm not."

"You are, and it's okay."

Sam moved his fork over his plate. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

"Sam, I got over that a long time ago. I learned pretty young that I had to look after myself—and my mom, too—because my dad and brother… well, they weren't the most reliable regarding relationships. So, I grew up fast."

Sam looked at her with a mix of admiration and empathy. "That must've been hard, but it sounds like it made you strong. My childhood was… different." He paused, almost hesitant. "Sheltered, you could say."

Mercedes tilted her head, studying him. "Well, you seem pretty well-rounded for someone who was 'sheltered.'" She complimented.

As 'Stay' by Rihanna and Mikky Ekko played, Sam stood, a spark of mischief in his eyes as he reached for her hand. "Dance with me?"

She smiled, taking his hand and standing as he pulled her close, turning her in his arms. The music filled the space with a soft, romantic tune.

As they swayed together, Sam's gaze didn't leave hers. "You're beautiful, Mercedes. And I want you to know… that you have made these last few weeks amazing. I never expected to meet someone like you, and now that I have..."

His voice trailed off as her cheeks flushed, and she reached up, pressing her lips to his in a deep, lingering kiss. Sam's arms tightened around her as he kissed her back, his hand sliding up to rest on the small of her back, holding her close.

Mercedes placed her hands on his chest as he pressed closer to her. "Sam, wait…umm, so okay. I am pretty bad in situations like this, and so I don't put myself in them."

Looking at her confused, Sam stepped back. "What do you mean? Is something wrong?"

Shaking her head, she looked up at him with hooded lashes and exhaled before confessing her feelings to him. "I don't know what's going on between us, but I know I haven't felt this way before," she admitted, searching his face. It's like I'm… falling, and I'm terrified you'll be gone as soon as I hit the ground."

He reached for her hand, his voice low. "Mercedes, I'm falling too, so hard. But I need you to know—there's a lot you don't know about me."

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Then tell me. Whatever it is, I'll handle it. Just please… don't leave me guessing."

As he looked into her eyes, Sam knew he'd reached a crossroads. As he gently caressed her cheek, Mercedes's breath caught gazing up at him, her eyes soft and questioning. Sam leaned down and kissed her without another word, his lips lingering on hers as if he wanted to freeze time right there. But after a few moments, he broke the kiss, his expression suddenly serious.

Mercedes frowned, sensing a shift. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

Sam looked away, his jaw tense. "I can't… we can't go further."

Confused, she searched his face. "Why? Is it something I did?"

He hesitated, his struggle evident as he looked at her. "No, it's not you. It's… me."

Mercedes's expression darkened, and she stepped back, grabbing her purse with a scoff. "That's the biggest lie a man can tell, Sam. I thought we wanted the same thing; I thought we wanted each other…I guess I was wrong."

Before she could storm out, Sam reached for her arm, stopping her. "Wait, I know you've been hurt and that all this scares you, but please... God, Mercedes, I do want you; I crave you."

She stared at him, tears brimming her eyes. "Then what's wrong, Sam? You can tell me, and I will understand."

He could see the sincerity in her eyes and knew she would. He was at a pivotal moment in time when telling her the truth would change the course of everything. Caressing her cheek with the palm of his hand, he stared into her beautiful doe eyes. "Mercedes, I can't be with you like that because I…"

"You're what, Sam?" She asked, chewing her bottom lip.

"A virgin." He said, disappointed in the fact he was only telling her a part of the truth.