Page 19 of Sam
“Yep,” she responds, reaching into the bowl of popcorn as the movie starts. We’re not an hour into the movie when I feel her getting heavier as she leans against me. Turning my head, I see she’s fallen asleep. Knowing that she’s not been getting much sleep, I decide to leave her. Moving the mostly empty bowl of popcorn from between us, I put it on the table and lift my arm to wrap it around her shoulders. Immediately, she snuggles in, head on my chest, arm over my waist, and knee resting on my hip. Instantly, my cock is hard, and I mutter to myself,‘Fuck! I didn’t think this through.’With a sigh, I ignore my cock and go back to watching the movie.
It’s late when I wake to whimpers. The TV is on some random program. Realising I must have fallen asleep too, I look down and see Ally’s face scrunched up as she whimpers in her sleep. Her guttural cries of “no” have my gut clenching in anger that she’s still having nightmares about the dickhead who attacked her. Gently, I run my hand down her head through her hair, massaging her scalp with a light touch and hum softly under my breath. I do this until she comes out of whatever dreams have her gripped in a nightmare.
Ally lets out a shuddering breath and tilts her head on my shoulder, looking up at me with an unfocused stare. Pressing my lips to her forehead, I whisper reassuringly, “It’s okay, baby. You’re safe. Nothing’s going to get to you while you’re with me.”
She shakes off her dream, and her eyes clear. “Sam?”
“I’m here, baby, you’re safe,” I reassure her again.
“Safe,” she whispers, closing her eyes and breathing deeply, and I know she’s asleep again. Switching off the telly, I shuffle out from under her until I’m standing before bending and scooping her up and taking her towards her bedroom. She wakes again as I put her down and pull the covers over her. Her hand clutches mine. “Stay,” she pleads.
There’s no way I can turn away. I don’t think I’d ever be able to say no to this woman. Not with the way she’s looking at me, like I’m the only person in the world who can keep her safe. It’s a heady feeling having the woman you’re falling for look at you like you’re her hero.
Slipping into bed with her, I wrap her up in my arms, smiling a little when she sighs and sleepily murmurs, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, baby. Sleep, I’ve got you,” I assure her. And I do. I’ll always have her because she deserves nothing less.
***
That was the first time she spent the night, but it wasn’t the last. It started a tradition in our generation of Crows. Fridays, we’d finish work early, go for a long ride, and then meet up at the café as per usual before we’d either go home or arrange to meet up at the pub. So far, we’d not done the clubs, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to share Ally with more people just yet.
My life had got infinitely better with Ally in it, and at her urging, Alec and I’d sorted our shit out. I’d missed having him in my life. I’d taken to heart when Ally had reminded me that life was short. Too short to let hurt feelings get in the way of a friendship that had seen me through some of the worst times in my life. I knew she was right, so I’d made the first move, but it had only been amatter of time because Alec had made it clear he was about done with my shit. It was good to have my best friend back in my life, especially with the shitstorm that was circling around my sisters.
While Alec and Bren were fixing all that broke them, Ally and I were working on us. While we’d spent the night together, we hadn’t had sex. I don’t think either of us was ready for that step just yet, but I knew in my heart that it wouldn’t be long.
The quiet, beautiful girl who preferred to fade into the background had crept into my heart. Now, she was firmly ensconced there, and I was never letting her go.
I’d eventually have to speak to her dad, and I can’t lie. I was a little hesitant about broaching that conversation with him. I knew it better be sooner rather than later because I planned on making her mine before long.
And by mine, I meant everything, not just my Old Lady. I wanted to marry her and put my babies in her, and for that, I’d have to have her father’s blessing.
CHAPTER 12
ALLY
The last month had been what dreams were made of. If you were an O’Shea, that is. I’d known it wouldn’t be hard for me to fall for Sam, and I was right.
He treated me like the men in my family treated their women and how his dad and uncles treated their Old Ladies. I spent every Friday evening with him, the rest of the week I spent with my family.
Neither Sam nor I’d broached sex, even though I spent every Friday night in his bed, curled up against him. Not once had he pushed, and I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. It’s not like I was that experienced, only having had one other partner, and that had been in college.
***
Today’s Friday, and I’m in Sam’s flat getting dressed for our bike ride. It has become something we all look forward to.
“Ally,” Sam calls out.
“I’m in the bedroom,” I shout back, pulling a brush through my hair and getting frustrated with it. I still haven’t had it cut. My arm’s tiring from brushing it. I can’t keep putting it off.
“Hey,” Sam appears in the doorway. “You nearly ready?”
“Yep, as soon as I find scissors and cut this mess,” I growl in frustration as my brush gets caught again. It’s mostly my own fault. I’d been in a hurry this morning to get to work so that I could spend some time with Sam before our doors opened, and I’d shoved my hair in a bun instead of spraying it with conditioner and brushing it out.
“No,” Sam’s voice is filled with horror.
“What?” I ask, looking at him in surprise.
Sam walks into the bedroom and takes the brush from me. “Please don’t cut your hair. You can trim it to keep it healthy, but please, I’m begging you, don’t cut it off.”
