Blackmailed Merger (16 page)

His hand rising to point to her

“But I warn you ......you walk out that door Sam and we are over”
.

For the first time she had stopped, her face
once more
showing all the hurt that she felt as she had sadly looked back at him
.

“No Dante.......we were over the minute we
met, I was just so stupid, so in love not to know it
. 
I’m only glad I found out before...
”
.

Her voice had cracked once more, the
hurt
deep within tearing so deeply
at
him, as she had been unable to finish her statement.

Looking at her hand, the ring they had chosen only that morning had sparkled brightly as though in mockery.  Feeling the emotions tearing through her once more, she had pulled it from her finger, dropping it on the small table by the door the happiness that had filled her
that
morning nothing more than a
distant
memory.

Moving
forward
once more,
she had pulled
the door open and
stepped
out of his home for the last time, the tears now streaming
unchecked
down her face as she moved down the
lift
to the taxi she had called. 

Dante had stood in disbelief.  He wanted to run after her, to make her see that he cared about her, but pride had kept his feet rooted to the spot.  She would be back he kept telling himself, no women ever left Dante Durant.

Four years later Sam had stood before her
friend
smiling.

“God Sam, look at me ...
did you ever think I would be the one walking down the aisle first
”
.

Kate had chuckled, her whole
complexion
shining with happiness
.  Sam had
grinned
moving forward and hugging her
.

“You look amazing
Kate
” she had smiled
.

“
Kei
is a wonderful man and also a
very lucky
one”
.

She had seen as the other
woman’s
face had become softer, a dreamy look in her eyes
.

“Yes he is...but
I’m
the lucky one Sam”
.

Reaching out and holding her hand
.

“I guess I never really realised what a mess my life was until I met him
” her
eyes so soft
.

“He
never gave up on me”
.

Sam had smiled back
nodding
.

“I am so happy for you both” she had grinned
, Bella moving forward to join them
.

“Hey no group hugs without me” she had laughed, as the three girls had
moved
together to hug, before Sam had stepped back making final adjustments to her
friend
’
s
dress giving
the other two girls
encouraging wink
s
.

“Now let’s do this thing”
, h
earing as the music had began the wedding march filling the church
.

Samantha had walked
alongside Bella,
behind
Kate
keeping the same pace, so ha
ppy to see her
friend so
happy
,
liking Kate’s fiancé
very much.  As they had made their way down the aisle
she
had
concentrated on her dress, making sure not to step on the long train, unaware of the
one
set of eyes that had
been focussed
solely
on
her.

From the middle of one of the pews Dante Durant had watched the bride moving down the aisle, his eyes quickly moving to take in the woman moving slowly behind her, his eyes narrowing.  She was as beautiful now as she had been four years ago, her curvatious figure
showing well in the Grecian styled bridesmaid dress she wore.  Her long auburn hair was loosely pulled up at the back, gathered and then allowed to fall down her neck, the pearl head pins holding it up away from her face showing off her long graceful throat.

His gaze had fallen to her
bare
shoulder the dress
only covering one,
show
ing
the slender curve, her skin so smooth, h
is
mind full of memories of kissing that skin, Dante needing to look away at the way his body reacted to those thoughts.  Beside him his date had grabbed his hand, grinning vacantly up at him, her eyes adoring as she had made a small sighing noise, making him grit his teeth with annoyance.  Why did weddings always bring out the worst in
women
he had thought, his eyes once more falling onto the woman moving down the aisle,
correcting himself, well not all women.

After the ceremony Samantha had been pulled from one picturesque location to another.  Finding herself having to fight off the unwanted
attentions of the best man, Kei
’s
cousin
, who consistently pestered her with his
innuendos
regarding weddings and what happened at them.  She had smiled
stonily
at him shaking her head, her hand grabbing his as he had tried to rest it on her bottom, before hissing at him
.

“One more time and I promise you that you will NEVER need to worry about that kind of thing again”
.

Seeing as he had grinned back at her, moving closer
.

“mmmmm........you can fight it, but I know that by the end of the night......”
.

Sam making an exasperated noise as she had moved away from him.

Seeing Kate
stood alone, Sam
had moved
over to join her, the two women smiling lovingly at each other
.

“Well the deed is done”
.

Her friend
had smiled, looking over at her new husband chatting animatedly
.

“And I have to say Sam..........this time
I
think
I
actually
did
something
right”
.

Sam had smiled back nodding, a soft smile on her face
.

“Yep.........I really think you did” she had agreed,
the two
laughing
happily at each other
. 

“So when will it be your turn
?
” she had said, Sam raising her arms to stop her
.

“Oh no
Kate
....
d
o not start ... you do NOT want to sound like
my father
.... not today”
.

Causing h
er
to laugh
loudly, shaking her head, before something
behind Sam
had caught her attention
, giving a soft groan as her eyes had grown wary
.

“
Sam, there is
something I need to tell you, something I should have told you before, but honestly I really
,
really thought he wouldn’t come, so I didn’t want to upset you
”
.

Her eyes
were looking besee
chingly at the woman before her,
Sam
giving
a confused frown back,

“Told me what Kate
?
”

Giving a mock shocked look
.

“
You're
pregnant!!” she had quipped playfully, as Kate had looked back with a shudder.

“No...but you might wish that that was all it was”
,
h
er face breaking out into a more forced smile, Sam feeling the discomfort
emanating
from her as she had become aware of somebody moving up behind her.
  Turning with a friendly smile on her lovely face, she had felt her whole being go cold, her legs
almost
buckling
at the sight of the man before her, feeling as her body had shaken.

“Sam you remember
Dante Durant
.  Who is also
a good friend of Kei
’s
”
.

Her voice faltering seeing the look on
Samantha’s
face, the way she had gone deathly pale, her expression one of complete shock
.