Act Two // Book One

Chapter Thirty Six

Harry would not allow Samantha out of his grasp for the rest of that night.  He kept her close.  She didn't mind.  Being enveloped in his warmth was intoxicating.  And she didn't just mean his body temperature.  Harry was affectionate in a way that wasn't overpowering but was still overwhelming.  Probably because it was so deliberate.  He wasn't afraid of this moment.  He hadn't shied away from Samantha's own grasp.  He was one hundred percent with her.

She had emerged from the bathroom in one of his white t-shirts, prompting a pronounced pout from him when she slid back under the sheets,

"Covering up means we're done then?"  He inquired with a quirk of his eyebrow.

Samantha turned towards him, a bright smile on her face,

"No.  Just trying to afford myself a bit of modesty."

Harry pushed the edge of the shirt up to expose the fact that while she was covered she still hadn't put her panties back on,

"No need for modesty around me, Nava.  I think you're beautiful all over."  He leaned down to press a kiss to her hip, noticing the bottom half of what looked to be a tattoo.  He looked up at her and then back down, pushing the shirt the rest of the way up so he could see it was, in fact, a tattoo emblazoned on her hip. 

He scooted down the bed so he could get a closer look, pushing her gently onto her back so he could get a clear view of the whole thing.  How on earth had he missed it last night?  He supposed he had his mind on other things,

"What's this?"  He asked softly, his fingers brushing over the skin.

Samantha smiled, though she was still coming down from the high of her last orgasm his fingers on her skin lit her up all over again,

"It's a tattoo."
Harry shot her a look,

"I know it's a tattoo, Nava."  He looked back down at her hip, "Awake and unafraid..."

Samantha giggled,

"Self explanatory don't you think?"

"No."  He answered without hesitation, "No, I don't think."  He looked up at her, "Explain."
Samantha lifted her fingers to play with his hair,

"Tabitha.  Her favorite band was My Chemical Romance.  Her favorite song was Famous Last Words.  She always wanted to get those words tattooed on her..."  Samantha's smile faded slowly, "But she died before she could.  Darrin and I went and got them as soon as we were both old enough.  His is on his shoulder."

Harry's heart squeezed in his chest as he watched her speak.  There was still so much sadness yet so much joy in how she spoke about her sister.  He hoped to one day get to that point when he spoke of Gwen.

He looked back down at her tattoo, his fingers brushing over it again.  He leaned down and pressed the gentlest kiss to her skin.  She smiled,

"Are you shocked?"
He nodded, taking one more moment to study the ink before he looked back up at her,

"But you surprise me every day so..."

"Is that a good thing?"
He crept back up her body, slotting himself between her legs,

"It's a great thing." 

He settled there, his thumbs running over the edges of her forehead while he studied her face.  He never expected this.  Never expected her.  He never expected to be able to open up again and try love.  He had sworn his loyalty to Gwen and another woman had been out of the question.  But Samantha wasn't just any woman.  And Gwen probably would have loved her as well.