Chapter 17
By the time they were dressed and organised they were giggling together like crazy but they had no idea what about. When they strolled into the dining room hand in hand their merriment wore of smartly. Two rather grim faced girls sat opposite a just as grim faced Jim.
"Morning Dad." Sam said to her father as she sat down.
"Did they apologise to you?" Jim asked determinedly.
"Not as such." Sam said through a mouthful of toast "But I really don't care." She said breezily and both girls gave her an odd look
"You don't care? That will be the day." Brandy grumbled.
"I realised something this morning my dear sister. You are unimportant in my life and I'm tired of dealing with you. You stop bothering me and I'll stop bothering you. And that includes Chance." Sam quickly added.
"Huh?"
"You heard me." Sam told her determinedly.
"Fine have it your way like usual." Brandy said tartly and Sam sighed.
"Right the four of you, listen up. Sam you're taking the family car to school today. You will drop Beau at the station at lunch time to meet the train. I trust you can find your way home in the same way that you got here." Jim said firmly and Beau just nodded timidly.
To say the ride to school was hell was an understatement. Chance was her only bright light to prevent her from hurting someone. Brandy and Beau sat unhappily in the back of the car constantly complaining to the point where Sam had to pull over and threaten to knock some sense into them if they didn't shut up. Her frustration by the time they pulled up at school was at its peak.
She thought everyone would return to ignoring her at school after her weekend fun at the show but she was very wrong. Every guy she saw wanted to stop and talk to her or ask her out. By the end of recess she was exhausted and heading towards an unaccountable rage. A tap on her shoulder disturbed her thoughts and she turned around furiously only to be overwhelmed by Chance's grin and warm brown eyes.
"I think we need to put them out of their misery." He said while gesturing to all the guys watching her.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
His answer was to kiss her passionately. He pushed her back against the wall, cupped her face in his hands and nibbled her bottom lip til she opened her mouth for him. With a moan, she kissed him back with just as much wild abandon, forgetting she was in the school with everyone watching on.
"Excuse me, Miss Thompson." Sam heard a voice say and she pulled away from Chance finally noticing their audience.
"Damn!" She muttered "Yes Sir?" She said brightly to the Principal who was standing nearby.
"You know how I feel about PDA"s." He said with a raised eyebrow.
"Ah no Sir as I've never been a part of one before." She told him innocently and he chuckled at her.
"Very true but don't make this a habit." He pointed between them but left with a smile on his face.
She leant against his chest as the bell rang "Will this day ever end?" She mumbled.
"I'll see you at lunch to take Beau to the station." Chance told her.
"Yeah that should be a barrel of laughs." Sam said sarcastically as the said individual walked toward her looking surprisingly cheerful "What do you want Beau?" Sam asked as she headed towards class with Beau following her all the way.
"I want to properly apologise to you." She said humbly and Sam almost dropped her armful of books in shock.
"Don't you think it's a bit late?"
"Don't tell Chance this okay, but I'm not really a bitch, it's just the thing I do to piss off my parents and to stay popular in school. Nobody would believe that I'm a quiet person but I am." Beau told her and Sam looked at her sceptically.
"Your point being?"
"You have had every opportunity to attack me as I have you yet you have done nothing. I bet you even organised a flight for me. I completely misjudged you and I'm sorry for the trouble I have caused you." She explained with regret and Sam was floored.
"You're not pulling my leg are you?" Sam asked as she sat down in the classroom.
"Huh?"
"Sorry, you're not joking? Are you telling me this because Dad told you're Grandmother?" Sam asked seriously and Beau shook her head. The teacher interrupted and Sam was left with her own thoughts.
When lunch finally rolled around Sam decided that no other day could possibly be as bizarre as this one. She gathered the others into the car and soon they were driving down the back road to the station. Chance held her hand tightly while Beau sat quietly in the back.
The lone railway track and tiny platform stood isolated in the more desolate part of town. Beau dragged her luggage out of the car and Sam reached into her bag for the ticket she had got for her. She looked at Beau and was surprised to find that she wasn't angry at her anymore, like usual it had been all Brandy's idea that she had been caught up in.
"Here." She handed the ticket to Beau who smiled genuinely at her "This is your train ticket and then you have a three hour gap between that and the flight to get to the airport." She handed her the flight details.
"First class?" Beau asked in shock and Sam just nodded "Why do you keep being so nice to me when I've been such a bitch?"
"Karma bites you when you least expect it, believe me." Sam said wryly.
"I am really sorry; I shouldn't have listened to your sister."
"Beau did you just apologise?" Chance asked in amazement as he caught up to them.
"Oh shut up Chance." She glared at him.
"Why don't you come back for our birthday but make sure you get your parent's permission?" Sam asked and Beau's face lit up.
"Really?" Beau and Chance asked in unison, their voices tinged with disbelief.
"Yes."
"Wow...thanks...um...my details are on here." She handed Sam a slip of paper as the diesel train pulled into the platform.
Sam waved as Beau took her seat and the train left the station. It was always funny the way things seemed to work out, she thought to herself as she put an arm around Chance's waist and hugged him. He hugged her back while looking down at her thoughtfully. There was something about Sam that just seemed to change the people around her and Beau was the biggest example. It was just a shame it didn't work on her sister.
"Why were you so nice to her?" Chance asked curiously "This morning you wanted to punch her remember?"
"It's the age old saying 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'. If she's friends with me then she is less likely to cause me problems by coming up with anymore schemes with Brandy." Sam explained and he smiled at her logic.
"That is very clever." He told her as they got back into the car.
The rest of the school day went by without a hitch and Sam was finally starting to breathe a sigh of relief. If only she didn't have to deal with Brandy's idiocy. Sam and Chance walked together to where they had left the car, which was unfortunately right next to the bus stop. Everyone was standing around staring at the car. Some were pointing in shock while others were laughing.
"What is it now?" Sam asked with dread.
"Geez I don't think you want to see this." Chance told her as he got to the car first.
Sam approached with caution but when she finally saw she just shook her head and gritted her teeth, praying for patience. With quick thinking she pushed the panic button on her keys and the car let out a piercing whistle, which made everyone groan and step back.
She wrenched open the door, took a deep breath and grabbed an arm before yanking and out tumbled Luke, practically naked. She slammed the door shut and locked it with a screaming Brandy on the inside. Thank goodness for child locks, she thought.
"You are seriously pissing me off." Sam told him fiercely "Good luck walking home; I hope someone throws you some clothes."
"Sam just give me a minute." Luke reached out a hand toward her and she just frowned at him.
"Leave now." She hissed at him and stepped as far away from him as she could.
The guys watching from the bus windows started hollering and hooting at Luke left standing there in just his briefs. Sam just sighed knowing the worst was yet to come as she turned to face her sister.
"Don't let him get in the car okay; I need to talk to Brandy." She told Chance who nodded at her. Sam opened the door and got in next to a rather abashed looking but at least dressed Brandy
"Why do you keep doing this to yourself?" Sam asked quietly and Brandy just stared at her defiantly "This doesn't hurt me, it's just damn embarrassing."
"Why do you always get everything your way?" Brandy snapped back.
"God when are you going to stop being so immature." Sam muttered "Tell me something Brandy what do you want to do with your life besides sleep around?" Sam asked and her sister looked at her strangely.
"Why would I tell you?" She said snottily.
"Just bloody tell me." Sam demanded.
"Fine I want a job in journalism." Brandy told her and Sam raised her eyebrows knowing the high marks needed that her sister didn't have.
"Why do you even want to know?"
"If you stop being such a catty bitch all the time you might find out." Sam just shook her head "Let's go home."
Hoping to keep things toned down obviously didn't work, Sam thought as she got out of the car. Luke was yelling ridiculously loud at Chance who was standing his ground but talking quietly back to him. She noticed the Principal further back away watching them carefully and Sam cursed.
"Put your bloody clothes on and leave us alone. I'm tired of getting into trouble because of you." She told Luke as she tossed his clothes at him. He stopped yelling to turn to her with a pleading look
"Luke?" A voice asked and when Sam looked up she froze as Luke's Mum marched up to him "You better have a damn good excuse this time boy."
She snatched him by the ear and he left with a humiliated squeal as he hopped across the car park with his mother holding him ferociously. Sam saw his Mum nod to the Principal who then turned to her and winked. Sam smiled back at him in relief before grabbing Chance's hand.
"Let's get the hell out of here before something else happens." She told him and he nodded.
Brandy was surprisingly quiet on the way home but Sam couldn't bring herself to care. She had no idea what to do with her sister and was exhausted trying to figure it out. She parked the car and got out only to find her father stomping out of the house toward them.
"News travels fast." Sam murmured "It's your problem now." She said to her father who just cursed under his breath while Sam quickly gestured to Chance and they escaped into the house.
Sam was quietly busy finishing her chores when she heard the shed door open. She glanced around to see Chance walking in carrying a box of something. She dropped what she was doing and walked over to him curiously.
"What's that?" She asked smiling up at him.
"I thought you might have had enough drama for today, so that's dinner if you want to eat it elsewhere." He said hopefully and Sam nodded eagerly.
"Let me just finish up here okay?" She asked and he nodded.
He watched as she quickly flitted around and he stood rooted to the spot staring at her. The afternoon had been surprisingly warm and by the end of her chores Sam was hot and sweaty. She pulled her shirt off her back as she made her way back to him. Chance was ogling her with a hot look in his eyes.
"What?" She asked him but he just placed the box carefully on the ground and pinned her in place with his look.
"You are so unbelievably sexy." He whispered to her as his gaze wandered up and down her body provocatively and Sam felt herself blush.
"No, I'm just hot and sweaty." She said with a shake of her head as his arms gathered her in close.
"Trust me you look sexy." He murmured as his fingers unknotted her braid and pushed gently into her hair. She snorted at his repeated words "You should see yourself. The way your clothes are clinging to you showing me your curves. Just watching that...that I can't resist." He finished on a groan.
She had no idea what he was talking about until his head lowered and his tongue darted out to catch a bead of sweat on her collarbone. She moaned with the sensation as he swiped his tongue up her throat.
"Sam you are so hot that it's driving me crazy." He whispered in her ear and she shivered as he blew gently over her skin.
He lifted her up like she weighed nothing at all and she wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling his hardness pressing against her, sending all her throbbing heat pooling in her depths. He gently sucked on the skin of her neck and Sam moaned as he sucked harder.
Then his lips were on hers, his tongue fiercely delving and diving into her inner warmth and Sam squirmed against him. His deep groan rattled through her and she pulled back holding his head in her hands.
"Did you just give me a hickie?" Sam asked breathlessly and Chance just sent her a sexy smirk.
"Hell yeah." He said huskily as his lips closed back over the same spot.
"Oh God that is so good." She told him and his hands tightened against her as his mouth plundered hers again.
A clearing of the throat was all Sam heard before she felt Chance stiffen and pull his mouth from hers. She instantly missed him and tried to pull him back to her.
"What is it?" She whispered to him but he just looked incredibly guilty.
"Samantha?" She heard her father's voice and she quickly unhooked her body from around Chance's and stepped away.
"What's wrong Dad?" She turned to him her face flaming.
"Do we need to have words you two?" He asked quietly with a serious expression on his face and Sam quickly shook her head in mortification "Good. I just wanted to talk to you about your sister."
"I don't want to talk about her." Sam almost snapped at him feeling her great mood leave her.
"Just one question then?" He asked and Sam nodded "How close is she to being cut off?" Jim asked quietly.
"Too close for comfort."
"If we tell her it might give her a different perspective on things." Jim said as he considered what best to do about his reckless daughter.
"We can't, remember. Look I don't want to talk about her anymore. I'm tired of her insinuating things about me, embarrassing the crap out of me and just being a total bitch. She has made her bed and now she gets to lie in it." Sam told him sternly.
"What about her attending University?" He asked seriously.
"As long as she's away from me she can do whatever she wants."
"Money wise Sam?" Jim looked at her and she sighed.
"Enough to cover the basics." Sam said quietly and Jim nodded.
"That's all I needed. Don't get too carried away you two. I don't need another baby trotting around here." He said sternly.
"Don't even go there Dad." Sam said as she turned her father around and pushed him out the door with Jim chuckling all the way.
She turned back to Chance and smiled warmly at him. His look sent shivers through her. She quickly avoided his questing hands and picked up the box. She had an idea for exactly where she wanted to be with him for dinner and it was nowhere near all the crap that seemed to be hanging around here.
"C'mon were going for a drive." She said excitedly as she grabbed his hand and towed him outside.
Sam took a long drive across many paddocks while occasionally sending him quick glances that were so hot he could barely hold himself from touching her. She took him to one of her most treasured places and Chance was suitably impressed as the area was stunning.
A miniature rainforest was contained in a hidden valley surrounded by a huge weeping willow that covered it from view. A waterfall cascaded down over the rocks to fill a natural pool below that was crystal clear. Tall grasses bowed and waved with the gentle breeze whispering through the trees.
"This is beautiful, how come I've never seen this before?"
"It's my favourite spot but I never seem to have an opportunity to come up here." Sam said quietly as she sat at the base of the willow tree.
She sat and looked around appreciating the relaxing beauty of nature. The tall trees that murmured to each other with the green ferns below them dipping their fronds in the water. The spray from the majestic waterfall wafted over her creating a cooling touch on her skin.
Chance sat down next to her. It was obvious that she loved this place. The rapture on her face as she looked around showed him how special it was to her. They sat quietly together as they ate their dinner. When Sam was finished she lay back on the soft ferns and looked up at the trees above.
"I wish I had the time to come here every day." Sam sighed happily, stretching herself out and toeing off her boots and socks.
"Yeah it's a beautiful place. Are you going to tell me what that was between you and your Dad?" He asked
"Can't." She said dreamily "It has to do with the will."
He looked down at her and she seemed so relaxed with her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks as her eyes closed. Her hair was spread around her falling in luxurious curls. Her eyes were a vivid aqua against the greenery surrounding her while her rosy lips were so full and sweetened with a smile.
He couldn't resist touching her so he reached out and ran a finger across her cheek where her hair curled madly. She gasped and sat up as he leaned toward her and their heads clashed together.
"Ouch that smarts." Sam cried out as she clasped her head in her hands.
"Uh huh." He nodded in agreement as he rubbed the spot where they had hit.
"Serves us right. Dad probably put some keep away from each other curse on us." Sam said with a chuckle.
She got up and walked over to the pond where she splashed her face with the cool refreshing water and had a quick drink. Shyness had come over her after how she had responded to him and she wasn't sure what to say. He followed her sensing her hesitation and wondering how to get past it.
"I guess we had better head back." Sam muttered noticing dusk beginning to descend. She turned to him only to receive a mouthful of water that he had thrown at her "What was that for?" She spluttered.
"Because you're way too hot for words." He said wickedly right before Sam splashed him back "You know what this means don't you?" Chance waggled his eyebrows at her as he reached down to scoop more water into his hands.
"It's war." Sam giggled as she splashed him again.
It became a wall of water as they splashed each other, shrieking and giggling as they tried to outdo one another. Then he grabbed her from behind when she wasn't looking and pulled her into the water with him. He cradled her tightly against him and Sam shivered from the heart coming off him in waves.
"What do you think you're doing?" She asked him throatily.
"Something I think I'm going to need to do every day for the rest of my life." He whispered as he turned her around to face him and pulled her into his embrace. She felt herself trembling as she linked her arms around his neck.
"Oh." Sam sighed.
"Come here." He told her as he ran his fingers up from her waist and up over her arms causing goose bumps in their wake then finally up to cup her face gently between his large warm hands.
Finally with no interruptions he kissed her with a scorching passion. Her fingers plunged into his hair as she brought him closer to her. Her legs wrapped around him tight and Chance groaned at the sensations throbbing through him. She threw her head back as his lips wandered down her throat. He slowly unbuttoned her shirt and almost lost control when he saw her bright pink lacy bra.
He ran his fingers gently over the top of her perfect breasts causing her to shiver and moan. Then she was yanking off her shirt before pulling his off, she crushed them together as she dragged his mouth back to hers. His hands cupped her bottom and pulled her firmly against him as he ground his hips against hers and Sam gasped at the heat that rushed through her. He pulled back just a little and rested his forehead on hers breathing heavily.
"You okay?" He asked quietly and she nodded "You are just so hard to resist." He told her and she smiled.
He noticed goose bumps dotted across her skin and a slight shivering come over her as a breeze chilled her skin, but she didn't release her hold on him
"We need to get out Sammy, you're getting cold."
She held onto him and he carried her out of the water. She didn't want to let go as she breathed in his scent and kissed him again but eventually she unhooked her legs and moved away from him. For a moment he was frozen as he watched her strip off her jeans to wring them out. He almost did a double take at her sexy lacy hipster panties that matched her bra. She heard him groan and turned to face him wondering what the problem was.
"Sammy." He said in a strangled voice.
"What is it?" She looked around her frantically only to notice his eyes were glued to her with a desperate need in his eyes.
It was only then she realised she only had her bra and panties on and her face went bright red. She was so comfortable around Chance that sometimes she just did whatever she would do if he wasn't there.
"Crap sorry." She said as she went to walk past him.
"For what Sammy?" He asked huskily as he grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop.
"Um...." She had no idea what to say "I've...um...got some clothes in the ute."
His large warm hands slid over her bare skin and she moaned as his hands skimmed over her lacy bra before circling back down to trace over the top of the waistband of her panties. She felt her whole body melting into his as he kissed her long and deep.
"We seriously have to get some clothes on you before all my good intentions go flying out the window." Chance murmured hotly as his hands roamed across the soft skin of her back.
Sam reluctantly pulled out of his arms and went to find the spare clothes she had packed in the ute. Chance watched her hips swaying suggestively away from him and had to force himself not to chase after her and kiss her senseless again. There was one thing he knew for certain, Samantha Thompson had him caught, hook line and sinker and he couldn't be happier about it.
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