They came into the laundry room a few moments later, and Chan began putting her clothes in. She was hoping Sam would leave her to do whatever he was going to do, but he didn’t. He even helped her put in the washing powder and then start the machine. Of course, she didn’t need help with any of that, but it was very considerate of him.They headed back out together and were on the landing of the second floor when Lilly came running out her bedroom door.“Daddy!” she greeted him with delight.Sam said, “Good morning, sweetheart. What do you want for breakfast today?”“Pancakes!” Lilly said excitedly. “Chan wants to have pancakes, too, right?”Chan chuckled. “Why not?”Sam put Lilly back down and said, “Then you two darlings go and wait downstairs. I’ll just quickly clean myself up.”“Okay,” Lilly said, taking Chan’s hand.Once again, Chan was delighted he referred to her as one of his darlings. She smiled as Lilly led her down the stairs.The two didn’t have to wait long. There must be a
Her sisters were at the door, waiting for her patiently, when Chandra turned up a little later in the morning after Sam and Lilly had dropped her off. She was indeed glad she was now wearing her clean dress and underwear. If she were to come home in Sam’s work shirt and nothing else, her sisters would assume the worst had happened. Not that they’d be unhappy about it, though, considering how they’d happily left without her last night.“So?” Soriya asked, smiling cheekily as they headed toward the living area.Chan queried, “So what?”“How was your sleepover?”Dara looked heavenward.On that note, Chan turned to frown at her sisters. “You guys didn’t wake me. I am so embarrassed. Gosh, falling asleep in another person’s house like a kid.”Dara laughed. “Yeah, well, you and Lilly did look cute sleeping together.”Chan blushed. “Who else saw?”Soriya couldn’t wait to answer. “Sam, of course. Us. Then there’s Jeremy and Nina as well.”“Shit!” Chan muttered. “I can’t believe both Sam and J
By the time the Chandler sisters got home, it was nearly four in the afternoon, and Chan hadn’t checked her cell phone to see if anyone had texted or called her. When she did, she found four missed calls from Jeremy.“Wow!” Soriya said behind Chan. “He must really worry about you.”Chan didn’t know how to respond to that and started dialing back. A few seconds later, Jeremy picked up.“Chan? Thank God! I was beginning to wonder,” he said, chuckling away.“Sorry, Jeremy. I was visiting Grandma Su,” Chan said. “She’s a family friend and lives quite a way out of the city.”“Ah, I see,” Jeremy replied. “I wanted to know if you got home okay this morning after last night.”Chan blushed at the reminder. “Yes, I got home okay. Sam and Lilly dropped me off this morning.”“Yeah, I went to their house, but no one was home. I thought I’d pick you up and drop you off… But I guess I was a bit late, huh?”Chan giggled. “Yes, unfortunately. But thanks for being thoughtful.”“Hey, I was wondering if
Lilly raised her eyes to her father after she’d hung up the cell phone. Sam knew his daughter was more than a little upset about the fact that Jeremy had been invited by Chan for dinner while they hadn’t. Goddammit! He was as well, just a little. But, of course, he couldn’t do anything about that, could he? There was no point in dwelling on it. He was a logical man, and he knew Jeremy was simply making the boundary clear where he and Chan were standing.Sam sighed and wondered if he’d done something very stupid. Hadn’t he promised himself he wouldn’t take a woman his cousin was dating? It had been clear, however, that he’d liked Chan since the moment he’d first met her. What the heck could he do about that? One couldn’t really choose who one loved. It was just innate—a force of nature.“Daddy?” Lilly’s voice reached him, terminating his confused thoughts. “How come Chan only invited Uncle Jeremy for dinner? I thought we showed her we like her more with our kisses?”Sam gathered his da
By the time Chandra woke in the morning, her sisters had left for work. Alone in the apartment, she went about her routine. She had breakfast, showered, and then settled down to writing her book. By lunchtime, she had a couple chapters done, which pleased her immensely. It was after lunch and she was just starting her digital art for her cover, this one of a Garuda, when she remembered Lilly and the books.“Damn! I forgot,” she muttered. But then again, she reminded herself she couldn’t possibly go now since she didn’t have the car. Thus, she’d have to wait until her sisters returned from work. Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long because half an hour later she heard a loud argument from across the hallway and knew Dara and Soriya were home.She headed out the door and folded her arms across her chest as her sisters came her way.“You two are fighting again,” she stated.Soriya looked heavenward. “It’s Dara’s fault. I didn’t start the argument. She did. I don’t know what the heck is
Shocked and confused, Sam simply stood there as he watched the woman he loved run down the stairs and away from him. All he remembered was being very frustrated and restless at work. Thus, thinking being at home would ease his mind, he returned to find himself getting even more frustrated and restless sexually, thinking about Chan. The next thing he knew, he opened his eyes to find Nina sitting on the couch before him, smiling. Then she moved down and kissed him. When he’d heard the thud of books falling to the floor, he shoved Nina back to find Chan watching them.Shit! He raked his hand through his hair. He’d really mucked everything up big time. His intention yesterday was to clarify his feelings for Chan, and now what the hell just happened?Nina chose that moment to enter the scene, a smile on her lips.“Sam,” she said softly. “Is everything okay?”Sam turned around, his eyes dark. “What the hell was that about, Nina?”The dark tone in Sam’s voice didn’t put a doubt in Nina’s min
Chandra stared at the man appearing as if out of the blue before her. The man who managed to make her feel both this unbearable pain as well as this wonderful delight within her being. The man who made her see the brighter side of life, the one who gave her hope that she was much more than she perceived herself to be, that she deserved someone to love and being loved wholeheartedly and unconditionally in return. But that was all a lie, wasn’t it? It was all in her imagination. Now he was here to clarify that.She backed away and rushed to stand behind her desk, putting some space between them.“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice shaking with emotion.Sam wouldn’t let her escape him. He followed and stood right in front of her with only the desk separating them. “I’m here to see you.”Chan glanced away because the intensity of his eyes made her nervous. “Why?”Sam moved around the desk, caught her arm, and pulled her against him. Chan struggled in his embrace and demanded t
When Sam pulled back, his eyes were even darker, and he had a luscious smile on his face. “I love you, Chan, and I’m going to show you just how much.”Chan felt her body quiver in both shock and delight. She licked her lips. “But—”He cut her short by kissing her again. His lips were firm and hot. When he managed to tease her mouth to open for him, he plunged in his tongue and wildly and passionately explored her.“Mmm…” Chan groaned. She was so weak and hot, but she felt wonderful.Still kissing her, Sam bent, picked her up, and carried her to the king-size bed. There, he laid her gently onto the softness of the mattress and kissed her even more passionately.Chan felt like her world were bursting with this wonderful sensation. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, moaning and groaning, her body writhing beneath his.When Sam terminated the kiss, moved back, and stared down at her, he noted she was flushing. And damn, she was exquisitely beautiful.“I love you, Chan,” he said, c