Only You (Stevens Book 12)

Chapter 15

When Sam got home that night, he greeted everyone in his usual friendly way and then excused himself to work out before dinner. Mave knew he was still upset from earlier, and she had already had enough of Henry moping around all afternoon. She refused to eat dinner with two men who were out of sorts.

After about half an hour, Mave wandered down to the lower level of the house to find Sam.

As she reached the last few steps, she was caught by the sight of Sam lifting weights. He wore a sleeveless shirt and baggy shorts, but he still looked unreasonably sexy as his hair flopped over his forehead.

He hadn't noticed her entrance, so Mave sunk onto the bottom step and watched him, mesmerized by all his muscles. If any man was close to perfect, it was Sam, and the fact that he wanted her above all others mystified her.

"Did you need something, Mave?" he asked, putting the weight down and then sitting on the end of the bench.

Mave didn't realize he knew she was there, but why wouldn't he? She didn't sneak in and was subtle in her attention.

"I'm just enjoying the view," she sighed.

"Normally, I would be flattered, but I'm not in the mood." He reached for a towel and wiped his face.

"You're mad," Mave said.

"I'm not mad. I'm frustrated. I want you safe, and I can't seem to make that happen. I called Henry in to protect you, and even he can't seem to manage it."

"Sam, trust me when I say he feels worse than you could ever make him feel. Fiona and I have been telling him it's not his fault all day, so please don't say it is." Mave stood and walked toward him.

"I don't doubt that he does feel bad. He loves you, but he made a rookie mistake and let his guard down. I'm not a trained SEAL, but even I would have known to walk behind you climbing stairs."

"And what would have happened if she had been waiting at the top with a knife or gun and I had been the first to the top? Who would have protected me then if Henry was behind me? Henry was in the perfect place. He caught me before I fell all the way down the stairs. He just couldn't catch me before I fell. He did his job. I don't have a broken neck."

Mave knelt in front of Sam, taking his hand in her good one and rubbing her thumb over his palm.

"There is someone who wants to cause me harm. She'll find a way to do it one way or another." Mave kissed his palm. "I want to talk about something else."

"What?" Sam asked, his voice husky.

"Those nurses you work for, the cute ones, are you sure you've never gone out with any of them? Some of them are quite beautiful." She couldn't help her jealousy.

It was Mave's turn to lose her breath as he reached up, tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, and traced her cheek and jaw.

"I'm sure, Mave. They're all very nice and sweet, but I haven't dated anyone other than you in over sixteen years. You're my heart."

"You kissed me in front of them today. Are you worried about what everyone will say tomorrow?" Mave didn't want him to regret kissing her.

"Why would I regret kissing Mave Stevens, the internationally renowned movie star?" Sam stood and pulled her against him. "It's more likely that you'll regret kissing me."

"Why would I regret kissing a nationally renowned heart surgeon, who looked sexy as hell in his scrubs and then rushed off to perform a lifesaving surgery?" Mave asked, lifting her face to his and letting her lips barely brush his. 

"Aww shucks, I ain't all that," he whispered just before his lips landed on hers.

"Neither am I," Mave said after he broke the kiss.

"I wish you would let me show you how beautiful you are?" Sam whispered.

"Soon, I'm a little stronger every day," Mave promised.

"Then we had better go to dinner to take my mind off your delicious self."

*******

An hour later, Sam was showered and changed, and they were sitting in a booth at Sam's favorite restaurant. Sam and Henry had a heart-to-heart before they left the house, and whatever Sam had told Henry seemed to do the trick because both men seemed much more relaxed.

"What's good here?" Henry asked, grabbing a menu that was on the table.

"I liked the burger," Mave told him as she, too, grabbed a menu.

They spent a few minutes discussing the menu when a waiter approached them to take their drink order.

"Where's Tammy?" Sam asked.

"She's stuck behind the bar tonight," the young man said.

Sam looked over his shoulder and saw Tammy, who waved at him as he waved back.

"That's Tammy; she's Tom Brooks's brother. Do you remember him, Mave?" Sam asked as he turned his attention back to the table.

"No," Mave shook her head, looking over at Tammy. "She doesn't look familiar."

Fiona got the drink order rolling, and dinner was off to a good start. Mave felt herself start to relax as they began to reminisce about their younger days. They were tucked into a quiet corner of the bar and went unnoticed by everyone. The burgers were good, and Mave splurged and had a milkshake.

She was halfway through it when she started to feel woozy. "You didn't get me an alcoholic milkshake, did you?" Mave asked, not realizing she had slurred her words a little.

"No," Sam looked at her oddly before he lifted her wrist and then looked at her eyes. "What kind of pain meds did they give you?"

The world was getting farther and farther away, like she was slowly sinking underwater. "Sam." Mave was trying to talk, but her lips wouldn't work.

"Mave?" Sam shook her, but Mave just flopped around like a rag doll.

"Get the truck, Henry?" Sam commanded.

It was funny; she could hear everything just OK but couldn't respond. It was like she was paralyzed.

"Oh dear! Is she all right, Sam?"

Mave's heart rate rose. She knew that voice. She wanted to hold on to Sam, to tell Sam that Angel was here, that she was next to her, that she was going to take her again, but she couldn't move, she couldn't scream.

"That's Mave, isn't it?" the voice asked.

If Mave had been in doubt before, now she wasn't. The way she said her name was the same.

"You must stay calm, Mave. We must keep you healthy." It was the same voice, the same woman, but it was so soft, she must be the only one to hear it. Was she imagining it? Mave tried to open her eyes and see who it was, but she couldn't.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as her mind continued to fight whatever drug she had been given.

Sam and Fiona were lifting her from the booth.

Sam cradled her in his arms and started walking toward the door as the Eurhythmics' song, 'Sweet Dreams' began playing in the background.

This was a totally new hell that Angel had made for her—a hell where a basement and chains weren't necessary.