Zurlo, Michele - Two Masters for Samantha [Awakenings 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (45 page)

Figurative steam issued from Alexei’s ears. “And I suppose he limited her spending because she had a compulsive need to buy two of everything?”

“Finally,” Stefano said, his voice laced with dryness. “You understand.”

Alexei was quiet for most of the long ride to Samantha’s apartment. As the car turned into her parking lot, he sighed. “I owe Dad an apology, don’t I?”

Stefano shook his head. “You owe Dad a chance. Think about it, Lex. What wouldn’t you do to make sure Sammy is happy?”

“I won’t buy off a gallery owner.”

“No,” Stef agreed. “She’d never forgive us. She wants to earn her success.”

Alexei nodded. “Fine, but we’re going to have to push her. She lacks confidence.”

“Agreed.”

They pulled into the parking lot next to the brick building that housed Sammy’s apartment. Stefano wanted to see her moved out of there within the next few days because the place was small and it wasn’t the safest area.

She had yet to consent to move in with them.

Stefano hopped out of the car and was inside the building first. Though he knew Sammy wouldn’t skimp on the second kiss, he still wanted the first one. Sound of an argument coming through the door stopped him short. He held up a hand to silence any question Alexei might ask.

Pressing his ear to the door, he made out three voices. Two were feminine and one was masculine. He couldn’t make out the words, but the tone the man used pricked his ire, and his temper was difficult to provoke. Nobody talked to his Sammy like that. Twisting the handle, he found it unlocked.

Samantha wanted to die. She knew her face and neck flamed pink. The sudden opening of the door only surprised her for a millisecond. Her heart beat faster because the men of her dreams were in her apartment, not from fear.

They wore identical, tailored Italian suits. The only discernable difference was that Stefano wore a blue tie and Alexei’s was red. That, and Stefano looked ready to kill someone. Alexei held a white box under his arm. He nodded a greeting at Sabrina and Jonas as he slid the box onto her kitchen counter.

The room wasn’t built to fit five full-grown adults, especially not three who were extremely pissed off. Samantha waved her hand at Stefano and Alexei. “Can you wait in the living room?”

Stefano crossed his arms and he glowered at Jonas. Sam had to admit he looked intimidating. However, her brother wasn’t impressed by bravado.

“No, Sammy, we can’t.”

Behind Stef, Lex was doing his best to try to figure out the situation. He looked from Sam to Jonas to Sabrina and back again. “What is going on here?”

Samantha exhaled in a loud growl. “Nothing except my brother sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Sabrina reached out and wrapped her hand around Sam’s wrist. “Sam, this is our business. We’re your family.”

Stefano’s mouth tightened. He stared at the place where Sabrina touched Sam’s arm, and Samantha had no doubt he was weighing the idea of removing it. She hoped to hell he didn’t. Jonas would go ballistic if anyone touched Sabrina. He had always been protective of her. Now that she was pregnant, he was even worse.

“If Sammy says it’s none of your business, then it’s none of your business. You don’t get to have a say in her love life.”

If Sam’s face was pink before, it was scarlet now. The last thing she wanted to do was to talk about this with her big brother present. She’d spent her childhood following him around and idolizing him. His disapproval would kill her.

Jonas’s head cocked to the side. He opened his mouth to say something, but Sabrina elbowed him in the gut. He grunted and sucked air.

“Well,” Sabrina said, nodding slowly. “At least the two of you are being honest this time.”

Alexei stuck his hands in his pockets, an uncharacteristically nervous movement. “And serious.”

Sabrina fastened her gaze on Stefano. “What about you, Stef? I know better than to assume Alexei speaks for you.”

Samantha had never seen either of her lovers look nervous or try to present themselves as a united front before. “It’s serious, Sabrina. We’re taking her to meet Dad tonight.”

Sabrina nodded to the white box. “Did you bring battle armor for her?”

Stefano grinned, but Alexei scowled and spoke. “She won’t need it. I’ll kill him if he so much as looks at her wrong. I’ve already warned him.”

Stef cleared his throat. “She can handle him.”

Sam didn’t understand the undertones in what wasn’t being said, but she knew they were there. She exchanged a glance with Jonas. He had caught them, too. “Honest this time? What exactly does that mean?”

Sabrina answered without removing her eyes from Lex. “Alexei asked a friend of mine to his junior prom. He and Stefano spent the night switching on their dates and those poor girls never knew it.”

The news didn’t shock Samantha. It wasn’t a nice thing to do, but she couldn’t find it in her to be all that upset. If their dates couldn’t tell them apart, they got what they deserved. She squelched a giggle.

Jonas peered down at his diminutive wife. “How did you find out?”

Pink stained Sabrina’s cheeks. “They bragged to Stephen.”

Stephen Galen, Sabrina’s high school boyfriend, was still a friend to Alexei and Stefano, but that wasn’t what caused Sabrina to blush. Sabrina didn’t care to talk about the time she spent dating anyone who wasn’t Jonas.

Sabrina straightened up and shoved a lock of hair behind her ear. She was the shortest person in the room by half a foot, but her confident demeanor easily made up for that disparity. She pinned Alexei and Stefano with one pointed look. “However, we weren’t talking about Sam’s relationship with the two of you. As long as you’re good to her, treat her well, we’re happy for you. Now, if you would be so good as to wait in the living room, Jonas and I aren’t finished speaking with Samantha.”

Stefano and Alexei looked to Samantha, and she understood that they would give her privacy if she wanted it. Hell, yes, she wanted it. The last thing she needed them to know was…

“Actually, I think they should stay.”

Leave it to Jonas to spoil everything. Lex and Stef perked up, and Sam knew nothing she said would induce them to leave now.

Jonas nodded. “If you’re as serious as you say, then you should be part of this discussion. Tell your submissive that it’s okay for her to accept money to pay her phone bill, turn her electricity back on, and pay her rent.”

Sabrina gasped. “Don’t call her that!”

Samantha wanted to take a step back, to put distance between her and her well-meaning family, but she was stuck between them and the kitchen table that was already pressed against the wall. There was nowhere to go.

Jonas glanced from Sam to Alexei and Stefano. “Fine. Slave, then? Has it progressed that far?” Sam didn’t hear approval in his tone, but disapproval was absent as well. It seemed that Jonas had decided to withhold judgment.

Alexei nodded. “She’s acknowledged a Master/slave relationship. She already has her own room at our place near
Miami
. We’ve asked her to move in this weekend, and we’ll be marrying her once she gives consent.”

Jonas pulled Sabrina away from Sam, clearing the way for Alexei and Stefano to move closer.

Lex reached her first, pulling her into a searing kiss. Stef followed suit. After he released her, neither of them moved away. Lex placed a proprietary hand on her lower back. Stefano threaded his fingers through hers.

Alexei cleared his throat. “It is not okay for her to accept the money.”

“No, it’s not,” Stefano said.

Samantha breathed a sigh of relief. They agreed with her. They took her side. She had already borrowed more than she could repay. Things were going to be tight this next month, but she would survive.

Jonas nodded, his ire completely replaced with an unexpected tranquility. Sam was shocked he gave up so easily. She had spent the past hour arguing with him and with Sabrina. “So, you’ll take care of it?”

Stef nodded. “She’s ours now. We’ll take care of everything.”

Sam tried to jerk her hand from Stefano’s, but he tightened his grip. “I won’t take money from you, either.” It was the primary reason she hadn’t answered them about moving in together. She had no hope of being able to contribute to paying the living expenses.

She tried to argue further, but one look from Stefano silenced her. It was a silent warning. Arguing would earn a punishment. She hadn’t been able to sit comfortably all day. There was no way she was in any shape to endure another spanking just then.

This wasn’t fair. She was going to have her say.

Sabrina stepped forward. Lex and Stef moved away a little to let Sabrina hug Samantha, but they didn’t stop touching her.

“It’ll be okay,” Sabrina said. “It sounds like the three of you need to sit down and talk.” Sabrina pressed a kiss to Sam’s cheek and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Before Samantha could tell her there was no need to apologize and that she understood Jonas and Sabrina offered her money out of love, Sabrina turned her most dazzling smile on Stefano.

“Lex, you always were good at micromanaging.”

Stefano smiled and wagged his finger in Alexei’s direction. Samantha thought Sabrina had done remarkably well until then.

“Right. The ties. It’s been awhile since you’ve done that.” Astonishingly, no blush stained Sabrina’s cheeks. She turned to Alexei. “Lex, you were always good at micromanaging.”

Alexei’s brow rose as he held Sabrina’s gaze, but he didn’t comment.

“A friend of mine, Treva Andreas, owns an art gallery. She’s been trying to get in touch with Sam, which is what prompted Jonas and I to come by today. She’s seen Sammy’s website and she wants you to stop by tonight with her eight best pieces. She’ll choose three of them for a show.”

Now Sam understood the reason for the apology. She wanted to strangle Sabrina for interfering.

Alexei grinned. “I’m already on it. That’s our first stop tonight.”

Sabrina retreated to the safety of Jonas’s proximity and slipped her hand into his. “Are you ready, honey? I have surprise for you when we get home.”

The speed with which her brother and his wife abandoned her amazed Samantha. Soon, she was alone with two very angry men.

Stefano’s mouth set in a firm line, but Alexei did the talking. “Samantha…”

She held up a hand. “I don’t feel comfortable accepting money from you, Lex. I might never be able to pay you back. I already feel bad enough about the money I’ve taken from Jonas.”

Stef’s fingers traveled up the back of her arm, his light caress sending signals down her spine. “How much do you owe him?”

Samantha shrugged. “I don’t know. More than I’ll ever be able to repay. Given how pissed Sabrina got when I mentioned paying him back, I think she might kill me if I tried. It doesn’t make me feel better.”

She sighed and sank down at her table. She parked her head in her hands to hide from those knowing blue eyes. “I always thought I’d be able to pay my own way by the time I was twenty-nine. I honestly don’t know what you guys see in me.”

Nobody said anything for so long that Samantha looked up to see what they were doing. Arms crossed, two sets of electric eyes glared at her.

Stefano raised one eyebrow. “Are we done with the pity party?” He tilted his head in Alexei’s direction. “It’s his turn next. I’ll reserve mine for an actual crisis.”

Lex’s face darkened to that ruddy color that brought out the highlights in his black hair. “Don’t start, Stef. This is about Samantha. This is about the fact that she doesn’t trust us.”