“It’s getting better,” Chan said, sipping her hot chocolate and staring at him over the rim of her mug, her eyes admiring the handsome man. God, he was good-looking. Dark hair, warm brown eyes, broody features, tall, well-built with toned muscles; he was every woman’s fantasy.
Sam was watching her, too. He couldn’t help but want to pull her into his arms and onto his lap. Then maybe kiss her until she was senseless.
Of course, the moment he’d seen her walking through the door and complaining about her pain, it both pleased and surprised him. No, that wasn’t it. The pleasure and surprise at seeing her was nothing compared to the excitement he felt the moment he’d seen her in her sleeping garments. Flimsy, white tank top, short-short sleeping pants, and bedroom hair, she was exquisitely beautiful.
Yes, the sight of her alone was an invitation, seducing him, making him weak with wonder. Shit! But the woman was disarmingly alluring, and she didn’t even know she could bring men to their knees.
“That’s right,” Soriya said. “Sam said he’s here to take you to get it checked. Your ankle, I mean.”
Chan flicked her gaze to her sister. “Huh?”
Sam said, “I made an appointment with Adam last night.”
“What? Who’s Adam?” Chan turned her question to Sam. “But it’s a Sunday.”
“Adam’s our family doctor and a friend,” he said, then changed subject. “Do you want help getting back upstairs to get ready?”
At this query, both Dara and Soriya turned their attention to their sister expectantly.
“Err… Now, you mean?” Chan asked. “But it’s a Sunday. No clinic works on a Sunday.”
Sam got up and leaned toward her. “We’re going to his house.”
“Oh?” Chan responded.
“Come on,” he said, scooping her into his arms.
Chan gasped out in surprise as he lifted her into the air and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Dara and Soriya looked at each other and then smiled.
Sam was just carrying her past the door and heading toward the stairs when he said something that tugged deep in her heart. “Lilly is waiting for you.”
She turned to look at him. “Lilly? You told Lilly about me?”
Sam knew he hit the target and smiled. “Hmm, she couldn’t wait to see you.”
Chan tightened her hand around his shoulders, feeling a lump in her throat. She both wanted yet did not want to see the little girl. Surely, if she were to meet with Lilly once again, that meant she’d get to meet Lilly’s mother as well. That blonde she’d kind of met last night in the restroom.
Chan had the feeling she and the woman were not likely to get along. Then, of course, she remembered the glare she’d received from her last night, and it made her shiver in trepidation.
No matter how she looked at it, Chan knew she was already in the deep end, and she was in trouble. Very big trouble.
“Chan’s room is that way,” Dara said, pointing to the end of the hallway behind them.
Sam made a sound that drew Chan’s attention. There was something about his broody expression that made her grow warm on the inside. There was a sense of this nostalgia about his countenance. It was as though he were revisiting old memories and felt both happy and regretful at the same time.
Sam was indeed revisiting old memories. Ever since he’d found out from Soriya where the sisters were living, he’d been both shocked and pleased. To have learned the woman he was interested in was living in his apartment and he was their landlord, that was an advantage to him. Then when he’d stepped into this particular dwelling only some half hour ago, old memories of his previous life with Sarah rushed back to him in full force. It was nostalgic to say the least.
Now they were heading to the master bedroom, his bedroom he’d shared with Sarah some four years ago before she’d passed on.
As they came in through the door, he noted the arrangement of the beds and furniture was completely different. The way Chan arranged everything was simple, cozy, and very feminine.
He gently placed her on the bed and stood back. “I’ll wait downstairs,” he said, turning on his heel.
“Err… Thanks,” Chan said, watching him exit.
The moment he was out of sight, her sisters came rushing in.
“Want some help getting ready?” Dara asked.
“No, I’ll be fine,” Chan said, dismissing her sisters and heading over to the bathroom, limping and wondering why she had the feeling Sam knew his way around the house. Then she also wondered why he had that particular dark, forlorn look on his face. It made her heart ache both for him and with him. It was weird, and it stayed with her as she struggled with getting herself ready.
As slow and laborious as she thought she was in getting herself dressed, she was actually done some twenty minutes later, wearing a loose T-shirt and gray shorts. She managed to quickly do a quick, light makeup as well as braiding her long hair before heading downstairs again.
She was halfway when Sam appeared. He shook his head with a dark scowl as he headed her way.
“Honestly, woman, why are you so stubborn?”
Chan was offended. “Excuse me?”
He roughly scooped her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way down the stairs.
“He’s right, you know,” Dara chimed in. “You’re awfully independent.”
Chan frowned at her sister. “You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.”
“Where Mr. Harrington’s concerned,” Soriya put in, “it is, darling.”
Noting both her sisters had their bags with them, she assumed they intended to tag along. “I see you two are coming as well?”
They were heading toward the door now, and Soriya said, “Why not? Sam said Marian is preparing lunch for us.”
Chan turned her attention to Sam. “Who’s Marian?”
Oh God! This Marian had to be his wife. She had no doubt about it.
“Marian is great,” Sam said. “She’s a darling, and Lilly loves her to bits.”
Chan felt a lump in her throat. She just knew it. Marian was that blonde woman, Sam’s wife and Lilly’s mother. Suddenly, she didn’t want to go anymore. Her sprained ankle could rot for all she cared.
“I don’t feel very well,” she said, turning her face away from Sam. Then she proceeded to make him put her down by struggling in his arms. “I want to go to bed.”
She knew she was a coward and sounded like a baby, but she couldn’t help herself. She just couldn’t face the fact that soon she’d be hanging around Sam’s family. She’d see him doting on his family. Yes, it was fine he doted on his daughter. It was expected. In fact, it’d make her like him even more for doing so. There was just that something about men who loved kids that made her heart melt. But such endearing action toward the wife? Seeing it happening before her very eyes would only hurt her, making her feel like a third wheel.
Sam tightened his arms about her, ignoring her attempt at escaping. Dara and Soriya looked at each other, both suspicious and concerned.
“Then all the more reason you need to see a doctor,” Sam said, walking out the door.
Chan grimaced. He wasn’t listening to her. How dare he? Why was he acting like they were related, for God’s sake? More importantly, why was he acting like she was his girlfriend? Carrying her around and taking her to see a doctor of all things.
No. No. No. She wanted to get back in the house. The group, however, was walking hastily toward the lift, and Chan groaned inwardly, knowing there was nothing she could do to make them commiserate with her secret emotional turmoil.
In the elevator, Chan succumbed to her inability to change Sam and her sisters’ minds and proceeded to sulk, waiting in dread for doom to come.
They were outside the apartment building when Soriya said, “Wow! That’s a very nice car.”
“Maserati,” Dara said. “Nice.”
Sam chuckled as he clicked on the automatic button on his key. The door unlocked, and he said, “Get in.”
>
Dara opened the front door of the passenger side for him, and he gently placed Chan onto the leather seat. A few moments later, they were on their way.
“So tell us about Lilly,” Dara said from the backseat. “Help us get some idea of what she wants for her presents.”
Sam chuckled. “You can interrogate her when you see her.”
Dara nodded. “Okay. We’ll do that.”
Soriya rubbed her hands together and laughed out evilly. “Muah-ha-ha-ha-ha… We shall use rope. It needs to be in a dark room…”
Chan rolled her eyes. “Your imagination is going haywire again.”
“As if yours hasn’t,” Soriya said. “I heard furious tapping of keys late into the night, darling.”
Chan blushed and took a peek at Sam. Hopefully, he didn’t suspect she was an author of children books. More importantly, she hoped he would never find out she’d started penning a very adult book that probably set the pages on fire, and the very first one was starring him, or what sounded like him, as the sizzling hot hero.
Sam glanced at her. “So what do you ladies do for a living?”
Dara chimed in proudly. “As you know, I’m an interior designer and decorator. As you also know, I work for Cooper & Hunter and will be working on your next hotel.”
Soriya was next. “I’m still a student, doing IT. Only one more year to go until I graduate. I’m interning at Johnson and Mason, Ltd., internet design and all that jazz.”
“Sound interesting,” Sam said. “And you, Chan?”
Chan licked her lips. “My job isn’t as interesting.”
“She’s a writer,” Soriya put in. “She used to be an elementary school teacher before that.”
Chan blushed. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Sam smiled. “Good on you.”
Chan flicked her gaze to him. Oddly enough, his words sparked a glow in her heart.
“Thanks,” she said.
About forty minutes later, they arrived at an immaculate suburban neighborhood full of nice, medium-size houses perfect for upper-middle-class families. Sam parked the car along the street and came round to help Chan out. She protested wholeheartedly, telling him she could walk. Sam, however, was having none of it. In the end, she found herself in his arms anyway.
“Woo… Nice neighborhood,” Soriya said as they headed up the driveway. “When I get myself established, this is the type of place I’ll be living.”
Up at the house, the door was opened even before they reached it. Greeting them was a lovely, plump, middle-aged lady with a big smile on her face, along with the homey, delicious smell of freshly baked bread and Sunday roast.
“Hello,” she said to the group.
Dara and Soriya waved at the woman, radiant smiles plastered on their faces.
Chan tightened her arms around Sam’s shoulders and said, “Hi.”
“Come in,” the woman said, moving to one side.
Dara and Soriya didn’t need to be told twice.
“You smell delicious,” Soriya said. “I’m Soriya, by the way.”
“Have you been cooking?” Dara asked. “I’m Dara by the way. And that one over there is Chandra. You can call her Chan. Not Chan as in the Chinese Chan. Pronounce it with a J.”
The woman laughed. “Oh my, I’ll try to pronounce it right, then.” She turned to Sam. “Well, come along. Let Adam have a look at that ankle.”
Sam, Chan in his arms, nodded and stepped into the house. He brought her into the living area, and the moment he gently placed her on the sofa, children’s noises could be heard—squealing with delight and footsteps rushing into the room.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Lilly came running along with two boys trailing behind her.
Sam picked up his daughter and kissed her cheek with affection. Lilly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back on the cheek.
Chan watched on, her heart aching at the scene she beheld. Both Dara and Soriya were watching as well, their eyes large and their smiles radiant with adoration.
“Aww… That’s so cute,” Dara said.
When Sam put his daughter back down again, Lilly rushed over to Chan and jumped up and down.
“Hi, Chan. You remember me? You gave me money for the monkey show? And you did my hair and gave this blue rose to me in the restroom at the café.” She bent her head a little to show Chan the blue rose in her hair that was messily bound on top of her head. The flower, of course, was off color and brittle. It was quite dead, actually.
“Oh, wow.” Chan was pleasantly surprised. “You still have the rose.”
“So that’s where it is,” Dara said. “I thought you lost the rose that day.”
Lilly finally turned to Dara and Soriya. “Who are you?”
Dara chuckled. “I’m Dara, that one’s sister.” She nodded in Chan’s direction.
“And I’m Soriya,” Soriya said. “Also, that one’s sister as well as this one’s sister.” Then she turned to the two boys. “And who are you?”
The boys laughed. “I’m Timothy,” the older one said, nodding, flashing a toothy grin.
“I’m Jason.” The younger one even posed himself like he was some kind of superstar, also showing a toothy grin.
The brothers reminded the sisters so much of themselves. They chuckled.
“Oh dear, I think we’ve found our clones,” Dara said.
“In a different gender.” Soriya teased.
It was then a lovely female voice said, “All right, kids, time to go play outside.”
Chan turned to the door at the sound of the voice, her heart jumping in her chest. She was pretty sure this woman must be Marian, Sam’s wife, and held her breath for the recognition to ensue. The voice, however, sounded different from the woman in the restroom last night. But of course, she couldn’t really remember the exact tone.
When she made eye contact with the woman, Chan noted she was pretty, but she wasn’t the person she’d seen in the restroom.
A relieved sigh escaped her lips, which didn’t go unnoticed by Sam, as his attention never wavered from her. He wondered why she was so anxious about coming here. The fact she’d done her utmost in changing his and her sisters’ minds about seeing Adam didn’t go unnoticed by him either. Then there was the fact that she looked lovely and enticing wearing a simple T-shirt and gray shorts, that she was so close to him, her arms wrapped intimately around his shoulders, and she smelled like spring in full bloom—all which didn’t go unnoticed by him either. To be sure, the woman was simply alluring.
A man appeared behind her and started shooing the kids out.
“Come on, kids. Let’s go play somewhere else. Let Dad check his patient, please,” he said.
The boys, upon seeing their father, ran out the door obediently. Lilly, after telling Chan they could play together once she’d finished with her checkup, dragged both Dara and Soriya by the hands out with her.
Adam introduced himself to Chan and told her he was Sam’s family doctor as well a family friend. His father used to be Sam’s family doctor before him, too, back in America before they moved here to Australia.
Chan allowed Adam to examine her sprained ankle while Sam sat there watching. As uncomfortable as that might be, she couldn’t tell him to leave simply because… well, she didn’t want him to leave. Then she wondered where Marian, Sam’s wife, was.
Finally, Adam finished. “It’s fine. No broken bones. It’ll be back to normal in a couple days.”
“That’s a relief,” Chan said. “Thanks for doing this on such short notice.”
Adam chuckled. “No worries.”
* * * * *
CHAPTER 26