wasn’t sure he believed it. Laughter made him realise Laila didn’t believe it either.
“You and Sam? Oh, Roxi, that’s a good one. Why didn’t you just say you hadn’t any clue?”
Sam caught the slight tensing of Roxi’s body, even from this distance. Apparently Laila didn’t. Her laughter bothered Roxi. Why?
“I did tell you, Laila.”
Laila’s smile grew. “So you did. I just…” More laughter. “… Oh, God, you and Sam?”
“This is funny to you?”
Laila sobered. “That’s a good one. I don’t mean to laugh, Roxi, but…”
“But you are. I get it, Laila. I get it.” Roxi walked towards the kitchen, each step breaking his heart a little more.
He’d never seen Laila so callous before.
Laila peered down the hall again as if unsure, then she headed in the direction Roxi had gone. He sneaked to his room and grabbed his shoes, only to creep out and do a short jog. The house was quiet when he got back. He paused in the entryway and listened for any voices. Nothing. Alert, he cautiously made his way in. Peering in the kitchen, he noticed a figure at the table.
He had to be honest. Seeing Laila wasn’t what he’d expected. She sat there, leafing through a magazine as she drank coffee—judging by the smell.
“Laila?”
Her head snapped up and a grin crossed her pretty face. “Hey. Where have you been?”
“Running.” He lowered his head and looked over his sweaty body.
Her fingers flexed around the mug as if she waited for him to say more. Or had the wish to say something herself. When she didn’t speak, he turned and headed to his room. He was aware she followed him but didn’t stop until she touched him. The feel of her fingers upon him did nothing sexually for him, however he did halt. Silent, he rotated to see her with worry in her expression.
“Everything okay, Sam?”
He’d detected honest concern in her tone. “Yes.”
“I know this hospitalisation isn’t easy on you.”
“Not easy on anyone.”
“I know that, but it’s harder on us than many.” She squeezed his arm then released him. “I’m sorry I didn’t stand up to Dean and the others for you to stay with me.”
“It’s fine.”
She wrung her hands and when her lower lip trembled, he knew he was screwed. He’d always hated seeing her cry. He drew her close and hugged her. She easily returned the hug, despite him being sweaty from his run.
“You’re coming for Thanksgiving dinner.”
“Of course.”
“I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you to fall back on, Sam.”
He brushed his lips along her forehead. “You’ll never have to worry about that, Laila, we’re family.”
She nodded against his chest and held him tighter.
To his right, movement caught his eye and he saw Roxi step from her room, her hair drawn back and loosely captured at the base of her neck. She’d dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved Seattle Sounders shirt. The smile she gave him almost had him stepping from Laila’s embrace to her own. As she walked by and up the hall, he was mesmerised by the sway of her ass and the booted heels she wore.
“Roxi?” Laila said from his embrace.
“Yeah?” She peered back.
“Want to do dinner tonight? For all?”
Sam caught the tensing of Roxi’s jaw. “Sure, we can do it. Your house, just let me know what time. Preferably by lunch, so I have time to make something.”
“Great.” She stepped away from Sam and reached up on tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. Nothing new for Laila to do, yet this time he never took his gaze off Roxi. “I’ll see you later, then. Both of you.”
When Laila captured his face in her hands, he glanced at her.
“Have a good day, Sam.”
Then she was gone. He took a quick shower and came out to find Roxi measuring the doorway to her laundry area. He watched her in silence, waiting for her to notice him. She stared at him before shrugging.
“Measuring. I have to run to the building supply store anyway and figured I may as well get a
“You and Sam? Oh, Roxi, that’s a good one. Why didn’t you just say you hadn’t any clue?”
Sam caught the slight tensing of Roxi’s body, even from this distance. Apparently Laila didn’t. Her laughter bothered Roxi. Why?
“I did tell you, Laila.”
Laila’s smile grew. “So you did. I just…” More laughter. “… Oh, God, you and Sam?”
“This is funny to you?”
Laila sobered. “That’s a good one. I don’t mean to laugh, Roxi, but…”
“But you are. I get it, Laila. I get it.” Roxi walked towards the kitchen, each step breaking his heart a little more.
He’d never seen Laila so callous before.
Laila peered down the hall again as if unsure, then she headed in the direction Roxi had gone. He sneaked to his room and grabbed his shoes, only to creep out and do a short jog. The house was quiet when he got back. He paused in the entryway and listened for any voices. Nothing. Alert, he cautiously made his way in. Peering in the kitchen, he noticed a figure at the table.
He had to be honest. Seeing Laila wasn’t what he’d expected. She sat there, leafing through a magazine as she drank coffee—judging by the smell.
“Laila?”
Her head snapped up and a grin crossed her pretty face. “Hey. Where have you been?”
“Running.” He lowered his head and looked over his sweaty body.
Her fingers flexed around the mug as if she waited for him to say more. Or had the wish to say something herself. When she didn’t speak, he turned and headed to his room. He was aware she followed him but didn’t stop until she touched him. The feel of her fingers upon him did nothing sexually for him, however he did halt. Silent, he rotated to see her with worry in her expression.
“Everything okay, Sam?”
He’d detected honest concern in her tone. “Yes.”
“I know this hospitalisation isn’t easy on you.”
“Not easy on anyone.”
“I know that, but it’s harder on us than many.” She squeezed his arm then released him. “I’m sorry I didn’t stand up to Dean and the others for you to stay with me.”
“It’s fine.”
She wrung her hands and when her lower lip trembled, he knew he was screwed. He’d always hated seeing her cry. He drew her close and hugged her. She easily returned the hug, despite him being sweaty from his run.
“You’re coming for Thanksgiving dinner.”
“Of course.”
“I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you to fall back on, Sam.”
He brushed his lips along her forehead. “You’ll never have to worry about that, Laila, we’re family.”
She nodded against his chest and held him tighter.
To his right, movement caught his eye and he saw Roxi step from her room, her hair drawn back and loosely captured at the base of her neck. She’d dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved Seattle Sounders shirt. The smile she gave him almost had him stepping from Laila’s embrace to her own. As she walked by and up the hall, he was mesmerised by the sway of her ass and the booted heels she wore.
“Roxi?” Laila said from his embrace.
“Yeah?” She peered back.
“Want to do dinner tonight? For all?”
Sam caught the tensing of Roxi’s jaw. “Sure, we can do it. Your house, just let me know what time. Preferably by lunch, so I have time to make something.”
“Great.” She stepped away from Sam and reached up on tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. Nothing new for Laila to do, yet this time he never took his gaze off Roxi. “I’ll see you later, then. Both of you.”
When Laila captured his face in her hands, he glanced at her.
“Have a good day, Sam.”
Then she was gone. He took a quick shower and came out to find Roxi measuring the doorway to her laundry area. He watched her in silence, waiting for her to notice him. She stared at him before shrugging.
“Measuring. I have to run to the building supply store anyway and figured I may as well get a
Similar Books
