Chapter 9 Sam #3
Roz shifted just slightly, and Sam tilted her chin up, catching the faint curve of Roz’s smirk in the soft light. “You slept like a rock,” Roz teased, brushing a lock of Sam’s blonde hair back from her forehead. “I should tell you more often how pretty you look when you sleep.”
Sam felt her cheeks flush, though she scoffed softly to cover it. “I’m sure you were perfect and poised all night, huh?”
Roz hummed, clearly pleased with herself. “Of course. I never have a hair out of place.” She leaned closer, her lips brushing Sam’s temple, the touch light but lingering. “But you”—Roz’s voice softened, her fingers tracing the line of Sam’s jaw—“you were perfect.”
Sam blinked up at her, feeling vulnerable under Roz’s gaze, a gaze that seemed to see straight through her defenses. “Stop that,” she said softly, unable to keep the slight quiver from her voice.
“Stop what?” Roz asked, though there was no denying the playful challenge in her tone.
“Looking at me like that.”
Roz’s smile widened just a fraction, her thumb brushing over Sam’s cheek with deliberate slowness. “I’ll stop when I want to,” she said simply, a quiet authority in her voice that left Sam breathless.
Sam felt her pulse quicken, a warmth spreading low in her chest. Roz always had this effect on her, a mixture of calm and chaos that left her unsteady in the best way.
Roz was in control, always, and Sam found herself willingly leaning into it, letting Roz take the lead in a way that Sam rarely allowed anyone else to do.
Roz shifted again, moving so that Sam was pinned more firmly beneath her. “I’ve been kissing you all night, you know,” Roz murmured, her lips grazing Sam’s jaw, then her cheek, moving deliberately slowly.
Sam tilted her head, giving her silent permission, her breath hitching. “You have?”
Roz’s lips curved against her skin. “Mm-hmm.” Her hand drifted down Sam’s side, tracing light circles along the curve of her hip, making Sam squirm. “Even when you were dreaming, you kissed me back. Isn’t that sweet?”
Sam bit back a sound, half laugh, half gasp, as Roz’s fingers toyed with the hem of her shirt. “You’re making this up.”
“Am I?” Roz whispered, her tone both teasing and tender. “You’re such a good girl when you sleep. Soft, sweet…” Her hand moved just a fraction, fingertips brushing bare skin beneath Sam’s shirt. “And so pretty.”
Sam’s breath hitched again, her pulse a steady drum in her ears. “Roz…”
Roz leaned back just enough to meet Sam’s eyes, holding her gaze for a beat longer than necessary. “You don’t have to say anything,” Roz said quietly, her voice softer now, less teasing. “Just…let me take care of you.”
Sam swallowed hard, her throat tight, but she nodded. In Roz’s presence, in Roz’s hands, Sam felt safe, seen, and cherished, even if she couldn’t quite find the words to admit it.
Roz smiled faintly, satisfied, before pressing her lips to Sam’s forehead in a lingering kiss.
She tucked Sam back against her, holding her close once again, and this time, Sam let herself relax fully.
She wasn’t used to letting go, to allowing someone else to be in control. But with Roz, it felt different.
“Close your eyes,” Roz murmured, her fingers now gently brushing through Sam’s hair. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Sam did as she was told, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she felt herself drift again, safe in Roz’s arms. For now, that was enough.
Sam wasn’t sure how long she lay there, the steady rise and fall of Roz’s breathing grounding her in a way nothing else ever had.
She didn’t need to move, didn’t need to speak, Roz had made sure of that.
It was rare for Sam to let anyone shoulder even a fragment of the weight she carried, but here, in Roz’s arms, it wasn’t a burden she had to fight. For once, she could simply be.
Her mind drifted back to everything that had brought them to this moment, the tension, the frustration, the arguments that still simmered just below the surface.
Yet, it was these quiet spaces, when Roz let her guard down and gave her this version of herself, tender and unwavering, that Sam found herself falling deeper into something she wasn’t ready to name.
Roz shifted slightly, her fingers tracing slow circles along Sam’s back. Sam’s eyes fluttered open, and she tilted her head just enough to look up at her. Roz’s gaze was already there, steady and sure, a faint smirk playing at the edges of her lips.
“Still awake?” Roz’s voice was low, a quiet hum against the stillness of the room.
Sam shrugged, trying to fight the warmth rising in her chest. “Maybe. You don’t exactly make it easy to relax.”
Roz raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “I’d like to think I make it very easy to relax.” Her hand moved in a slow, deliberate pattern, her touch both soothing and possessive. “You just don’t like giving up control. Even now.”
Sam huffed softly, her lips curving into a reluctant smile. “You’re impossible.”
Roz tilted her head, eyes gleaming as she studied Sam. “And yet, here you are.”
Sam didn’t argue because Roz was right, she was here, in Roz’s bed, wrapped in Roz’s hold, and not an inch of her wanted to leave. She let out a quiet sigh, the weight of her emotions pressing against her ribcage. “What are we even doing, Roz?”
Roz’s expression softened just slightly, the teasing edge fading. She brushed a knuckle along Sam’s cheek, her touch reverent, thoughtful. “We’re figuring it out.”
Sam swallowed hard, her heart beating a little faster. “Are we? Because it doesn’t feel that simple.”
Roz’s lips pressed into a faint line, as though she wanted to say something but stopped herself. Instead, she leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Sam’s forehead. “It doesn’t have to be simple. It just has to be this.”
Sam blinked up at her, caught off guard by the quiet certainty in Roz’s voice. This, whatever it was, wasn’t something either of them knew how to navigate, but at least in this moment, it was enough. For now.
Roz settled back, pulling Sam closer against her chest. “Close your eyes, Sam,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Sam’s lips curved into the faintest smile as she shut her eyes, letting Roz’s words sink in.
There were no promises, no declarations, just Roz’s steady presence, holding her in a way no one ever had.
It was dangerous, Sam knew. She wasn’t sure what they were building or how it would end. But right now, she didn’t care.
For the first time in a long time, Sam let herself rest, lulled by the warmth of Roz’s touch and the quiet truth in her voice. Whatever came next, she’d figure it out later.