Chapter 33 Samantha
SAMANTHA
I spend the night in Harry’s room after the great but crazy day. As the sun rises and streams in, I notice I’m alone. I see Harry across the room, looking out one the tall arched windows and sipping coffee. He has a movie script in one hand, and it is open.
I rise, rub my eyes, and pull on some of his black boxers.
I pour hot coffee from the second machine and walk towards Harry. I don’t know what to expect after yesterday.
I will either be sent below, and we will be back to normal, or…
Before I can finish that thought, I hear his voice. “You will stay in this room from now on.”
Harry turns, and he is in one of his perfectly pressed navy suits. I sip the hot coffee, holding the cup in my hands. We share a look, and he steps closer, lifting my chin. I smile and nod.
“Good girl. Because you are now mine, and you need to know that.”
I watch him closely, trying to process what is happening. “Today, we will get your things, and we will clear space up here.”
My mind churns, and I try to process the pros and cons.
A million unanswered questions form. Like, does that mean we’re together? Or is this part of the trick for the Japanese?
Still?
It must be showing because Harry tosses the movie script on a leather couch and holds my face in his hands.
“You’re mine now, and no, this is not for the Japanese. This is for us.”
I gulp; it’s almost too much.
“So, it’s like we’re a couple, or like regular people? And like you’re a trucker, and I’m his girlfriend, who, say, works at a diner?”
“Maybe,” Harry says intrigued. He’s good with creative games. “Or you’re a hot female attorney with needs, and I’m like her…”
“Her hunky tradesman boyfriend?”
Harrison smiles. “Exactly. But a tradesman with needs. Very big needs.”
We kiss slow and long, and I calm. I am also alive inside.
“I can live with that,” I purr.
I am also glowing inside, and the feel of his crisp formal suit fabric against my extra sensitive nipples and stomach feels rough but comforting.
Harry’s heart pounds powerfully against my chest, and his strong arms hold me tight against him.
“Worried?” he asks.
“A bit,” I say, holding him tight.
“You don’t need to be. We will be fine.”
“Will we?” I ask, pulling back to look up at him better.
Harry looks deep into my eyes and nods. “As long as we communicate and l—”
“Love?” I ask.
Harry nods slowly. “Love.”
I wipe a forming tear from my eye, and Harry leans down. He then kisses the soft wet patch on the top of my cheek.
Just where it is getting itchy.
“Any other surprises?” I ask, sniffing and watching my man.
“Not that I know of. Oh, we’re going to the city in a few days.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I have some business to do in Manhattan. It’s the signing of the agreements. Time to put the deal to bed.”
I beam as we kiss. “Congrats. Can I come?”
Harry and I exchange a long look, then we both laugh.
“Baby, you will always come, and you will come long, hard, and always with me.”
I lean in and look up. “Yes. Yes, I will.”
We then kiss. Long and hard, as is our way.
By lunch time, we have moved all my things up to Harry’s penthouse in the chateau. Harry has cleared plenty of space, and I start to feel calm and excited.
Harry watches me hang my few dresses, tops, skirts, and other things, and he looks on, intrigued.
He then watches closely as I place my lingerie in a drawer. His black boxers are on the other side of it and it’s kind of hot.
As his eyes start to get dark, I move quickly on and lay my shoes near his. Finally, I stand back, feeling strange.
“A bit weird, huh?” I say.
“A bit good,” Harry says, walking up and hugging me.
“Now, let’s get some lunch. We’re going out.”
“Where?” I ask.
“Surprise.”
Thirty minutes later, over wine, firelight, and the smell of incredible French sauces, we talk, eat, and make plans.
After the late lunch in the ultra-private rural restaurant, we lie against each other on a large couch.
We enjoy dessert, fireside, and we have some kind of exotic coffee. Our feet are up on an old wooden chest.
We are next to the restaurant’s rear crackling fire, and Harry lifts my feet onto his lap. He plays with my feet as we talk, and I get to see more of his gentle side. His real side.
He is far from the cold, ruthless businessman I’ve seen or the commanding sexual brute in bed. Taking what he wants, taking charge of me, and taking wicked liberties. Harry is almost another man. A gentle human.
A man who likes to hold me, play with my hair, laugh with me, and fool around. There is just one thing that bothers me, and it is time to discuss it.
“Look, just so you know,” I say. “I still feel bad about faking it. What happens if the Japanese find out?”
Harrison inhales, taking his time to reply. “Well, we will just say we were engaged, as we kind of are, and this.” He pauses, and I’m now on edge, waiting for him. “We say you messed it up.”
I whack him hard and shake my head. “As if that would happen, dick.” Harry laughs. “Anyway, that’s just as bad as it’s a lie. And it’s bad karma.”
“Babe, I hear you,” Harry says. “But it’s a bit late now. We were in a corner, and we, well, we did what we did or felt we had to.”
Harry stands at the fire. He looks deep into the flames, unsure what to say.
“What?” I ask.
“Look, there is one other way,” he says, turning to me.
“What’s that?” I ask, turning to face him more fully.
“Marry me.”
“What?” I gasp, sitting up. “You have got to be kidding.”
Astounded, I double-blink and look at Harry wide-eyed. He looks serious. Actually fucking serious.
“You are kidding, right?”
Harry looks deep in thought, and I start to get worried. And nervous. And excited. But also confused.
A waiter walks over, breaking the crazy moment. Harry then cuts him off and explains we won’t have cheeses. He then asks for the bill. The moment is gone for now, and my mind churns a million miles an hour.
Harry’s wealthy neighbor passes, and they talk quickly. Three minutes later, he leaves, and we have somehow moved on.
Somehow, we end up discussing the planned NYC trip.
And we agree that we will leave early in a few days. That we will also take the old Jaguar sports car.
We also agree that while Harry attends his boring signing, plus banking and legal meetings, I would attend art galleries in NYC.
Even though I’ve been to NYC, I’ve not been to many of their art galleries.
“So,” Harry says, wrapping up our plans and clapping his hands in front of the fire. “You have fun while I work to keep bread on the table and keep us off the streets.”
I laugh as I stand and tickle him. Harry yanks me in close, and it feels nice. I’m wearing my denim mini, one of his thick, old jerseys, and a scarf. I snuggle in, and I feel safe. Protected and loved.
After ups and downs over the last few years in LA, with the scary ex and wobbly restaurants I worked at, I finally start to feel content and calm.
As we enter the estate, we decide to see Tusk, Harry’s darling tiger. I watch Harry play with him, and I get jealous from behind the fence. After a while, and when Harry isn’t watching, I sneak closer.
I then slip in the self-closing secure door.
As I creep around and behind a big tree, I watch them play. I beam as they do; it’s gorgeous and pure. Relaxing, I start to let my guard down.
If Tusk is like that with some him, he must be like that with everyone. As I hide behind the tree, I smile and giggle.
I think I have fair handle on big cats, but I do not know that tigers have some kind of survival radar instinct. I also don’t know just how fast tigers can move.
As Tusk plays around Harry, he leaps onto a huge old log that is on its side. Simply as a playground obstacle. Tusk then runs along it ultra-fast.
Leaping high and far, he lands in the grass.
There is now only one thing, Tusk is between Harry and me, and Tusk is between me and the door.
I freeze, as I realize... I’m trapped.
Harry’s voice cuts through the silence, and it is calm, loud, and clear. “Samantha!”
I cannot move, say, or do anything.
The huge tiger watches me, and its killer eyes are terrifying. It then drops its head low, walks forwards and growls. The growl is loud, deep, and primal.
“Don’t look afraid, whatever you do.”
I cannot talk, I cannot think, and I am about to pee in my pants. Forcing myself to breathe again, I inhale.
I then try to do the unthinkable. I try to cleanse my terrified energy and trust. I kneel. Then, as if the tiger is a big dog, I do the 'come to me' finger move.
The huge predator moves, and my heart pounds like a huge beating drum in the jungle. The tiger walks towards me, and it growls loudly again. It is feet away now, and I cannot breathe.
When it is a foot away, I close my eyes and accept my fate.
Suddenly, Tusk slides past me, and I feel his fur on my skin.
I next feel him budge against me, like he is a shark playing with something. The predator then walks around me and circles me, slowly.
Harry moves carefully forwards, walking ultra-slowly.
As the huge tiger circles me again, I lie down, just like Harry had.
The tiger watches me and snarls. He then roars and pounces on me.
I scream loudly, but the heavy tiger rolls next to me and partly on top of me. He is simply squashing me but not using his fangs or claws.
I gasp as he lies against me playfully.
Pushing myself to touch and play with him, I run my hands through his thick soft yellow and black coat.
As I do, Tusk makes soft, deep, throaty noises.
Slowly, I calm, and an extremely pissed Harry walks up. He stands above us with his hands on his hips.
He lowers his Ray-Bans, and he is icy cold. “You really are a crazy fucking girl.”
“You like that about me,” I say, busy with my new friend.
“I certainly do not,” Harry says.
“Then you love that about me,” I say before realizing.
My mouth goes wide in surprise, but I quickly cover it with a hand. Harry shakes his head, and then he lies next to Tusk and me. I look over, and I feel alive.
With the tiger between me and my man, I feel alive. Alive, electric, and naughty.
As the sun sets with a bright red tinge, we sit and play with Tusk. We also all watch the sun.
It feels like a picnic, but one with a huge and special friend. In saying that, a friend who could eat us both.
Harry gets Tusk’s brushes, and I sit behind him and groom him. It’s good for me and calming, and I am used to big dogs.
Tusk really is just a big dog, and as I brush him, he growls and enjoys it. Harry and I lean against each other as the beautiful Tusk purrs like a big kitten.
It is a perfect end to a perfect day, and I don’t want it to end. “Can’t he come inside, and say, you know, live in a room?”
“We tried that once.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We also used to have two Golden Retrievers. Note I said used to?”
I look over, my eyes wide. I leap on Harry, and it’s nice when he fools around.
After a long farewell to Tusk and lots of sad looks, Harry finally pulls me away from the fence.
We walk around the lake and enter the large chateau. We then have dinner in bed, in our very own bedroom. Nestled into each other’s arms, we talk, and we talk about life.
Tonight, there are no complications like Tokyo, and the ruse, or my job. I feel calm and safe, and I feel loved. As I lie on Harry’s strong chest, I write on it with a finger. “Guess what?”
“What?” Harry asks as he plays with my fringe.
“I’ve realized.”
“Realized what, babe?”
“That I, ummm… love you,” I say nervously.
Harry looks down, and then he smiles.
“What?” I ask, blushing.
“That’s good.”
“How?” I ask, unsure.
“Because I love you too, darling.”
We share a near-frozen moment, and our eyes search each other’s. Harry then pulls me onto him, and we kiss like there is no tomorrow. And no other day, ever.
We kiss slow, long, and deep, and it’s different than before.
We are different than before.
Later that night, we sleep, and I sleep like I’ve never slept.
Deep, safe, loving, and also loved.