Brooke shrugged her shoulders. “All I know is that I must have done something right to be with you. You’re stuck with me now, and that means you have to put up with me.” Two dark eyebrows wiggled and a devilish grin surfaced on the older woman’s face.

“Hmm…put up with you, huh? What about your putting up with me? You know that’ll mean more shopping trips to the mall, don’t you?” Sam winked and let a rakish smile of her own come to her face.

“Nope.” Brooke shook her head. “I don’t ‘put up’ with you. It’s more like, I cherish every minute that I spend with you.”

“Brooke…” Sam paused for a moment as she looked deep into her lover’s blue eyes. “Nobody…nobody’s ever said anything like that to me before. Thank you.”

“Said what, Baby?” A puzzled look settled on Brooke’s face.

“That…that you cherish your time with me. I’m nobody, Brooke. I’m nobody special.”

The tall woman grabbed Sam’s hand as she pulled it away. Bringing it up to her mouth, Brooke maintained her eye contact with her lover, as she kissed the back of the small hand. “You’re wrong, Sam. You’re everything special. You’re my everything.”

There was an eerie silence as the two women looked deep into one another’s eyes. None of the background noises of the busy little restaurant seemed to break through to their place of being. Slowly coming down from the lofty high that Brooke had just sent her on, Sam softly asked, “So…what do you do with me?”

As if mesmerized, Brooke answered with a grin. “Anything you want me to, Darlin’.”

Knowing all too well where they were headed, Sam looked around the room. “Ah…Brooke…what do you say we continue this at home?”

“Home?” Blue eyes began to sparkle.

“Well…our dorm room home.” Sam wiggled her eyebrows and smiled, “At least for tonight.”

Brooke let go of Sam’s hand and fished into her jeans’ pocket for some bills. Reviewing the denominations on the money, she threw the cash down on the table and slid out of the booth, offering her hand to Sam.

“Thanks, for dinner, Brooke.” Sam slid over to the end of the booth’s seat and got up.

“Any time,” Brooke winked. “After you, Darlin’,” Brooke motioned with her hand.

“Hmm…now that will be my pleasure.” Sam gave her lover a rakish grin, then leaned into her, whispering, “Remember, you said that.” The blonde picked up her small package and started to walk toward the door, giving just a hint of sway to her derriere.

Brooke grabbed for her jacket, then turned to find the actions of her lover to be most pleasing to her eye. The tall woman sighed, then mumbled under her breath. “After you…” she nodded as she appreciated the view, her lone eyebrow raising in regard, “…always.”

Gingerly, Sam rolled over in the small bed, snuggled even closer than she was before into the long, warm body lying next to hers. The remnants of sleep were still tugging at her tired, but satiated body. Settling against her lover, the small blonde could feel the fervor of energy with which they had made love for over half the night, coiled and waiting to spring into action again.

Brooke let her lover rest a while longer as she clutched Sam’s hand to her bosom and absent-mindedly ran her fingers up and down the petite digits. Searching out the one digit that she hoped would soon hold her dreams and desires for a future, she concentrated her efforts of stroking on that left hand ring finger almost exclusively.

The husky, sleep-laden voice moaned deliciously, then mumbled out, “You still haven’t given up from last night, huh?” Sam felt the careful ministrations continue. “Hmm…I’m not ticklish there,” she turned her head and nuzzled into Brooke’s neck, “…try again.”

Brooke raised her head barely enough to kiss Sam’s forehead, just under the tussle of blonde, unruly hair. “What are you doing awake?”

“Just dreaming of you…me…” Sam let out an almost inaudible sigh that encompassed her next word, “…us.”

The dark-haired woman quirked a little smile at the sound of the last word and repeated it. “Us?” She felt the smaller woman’s shoulders move as if to shrug.

“I was just thinking of how I’d like my father to meet you.”

“Your father, hmm…why?” Brooke gave her young lover a gentle squeeze. “You don’t think he’d have a fit?”

“Him, have a fit?” Sam shook her head. “Actually, Daddy was the cool one out of my parents.” The blonde showed a little more life as she got up on one elbow and opened her eyes to look down at her lover. “Isn’t it every girl’s dream that their father will like the person that they have fallen in love with?” Sam studied the pensive look on Brooke’s face and waited for the reply that she knew was coming.

“I thought it was every girl’s dream that their father walk her down the aisle.” A rakish grin flashed across the woman’s face.

“Oh yeah, like my Mom would let that happen, right?” Sam sank back down onto Brooke’s broad shoulder. The vague look of hopes dashed took over her face and she felt the tears begin to well.

“What?” Brooke sensed the dejection in the limp body of her lover.

Sam stayed quiet for a moment, then slowly lifted her head to study Brooke’s face.

Seeing the questioning look in the young woman’s eyes, Brooke asked, “What is it, Baby?”

Green eyes stared most seriously at the well-chiseled features before her, then gazed intently on the intriguing blue orbs. “Is that your dream?” Sam noticed the dark, furrowed brows, and then clarified her question. “To have your father walk you down an aisle some day, is that your dream?”

“Hmm…” Brooke thought for a few seconds, then continued. “No, I don’t think so. I can’t really see my father giving me away when I can do that just fine all by myself.” The dark-haired woman grinned, then pulled Sam tighter to her. “I always thought I’d be more like the groom, than the one to be escorted by my father.”

“Whew…you had me scared for a minute there, Hon.” Sam turned her head to look at the clock on the bookshelf above her bed. “Hmm…I bet your father’s glad for that. You know, the third time is a charm,” she teased.

“Sam, what did you mean when you said I had you scared?”

“I…ah…I’m not sure myself.” Sam settled back into Brooke’s shoulder. “Maybe I just thought that you wanted something…different.”

Sensing a tinge of insecurity in Sam, Brooke kissed the woman’s forehead and reassured her. “Believe me, Darlin’, if I ever wait for anyone at an altar it’ll be you. I love you, Sam.”

Sam took in a deep breath. “Keep telling me that and eventually I’ll believe it.” Sam smiled, then kissed the shoulder beneath her.

“Oh, yeah?” Brooke’s eyes glowed with devilish delight as her strong body pulled the blonde over top of her as she rolled over, ending up with Sam lying underneath her. “Now tell me…what will it take for you to believe me?” Blue eyes searched the blonde’s face as an evil grin came to her face. “Not saying, eh? I’ll just have to torture you then.” Brooke immediately nuzzled into Sam’s neck, lavishing it with kisses.

“Hmm…now this is torture,” Sam giggled and waited to see the dark head of hair pull away from her, revealing Brooke’s face, complete with wiggling eyebrows.

“Are you ready to talk now?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you need to show me a little more…torture.” Sam’s eyes twinkled with mischief as the cute smile accentuated her face.

Long dark hair acted like a curtain, keeping the rest of the room at bay and Sam’s eyes focused on Brooke as an evil, little laugh erupted from her mouth. Slowly the sound diminished when the older woman began to lick her lips tentatively. “As I see it, there’s only one problem.”

Sam’s nose wrinkled as she questioned the figure towering above her. “And that is?”

Starving blue eyes looked seductively up and down the blonde’s body as Brooke let her tongue slowly wet her lips once more before speaking. “Hmm…where to start?”

Having lingered idly by while watching Sam get dressed for her first class, then dash out the door after a long, good-bye kiss, Brooke now sat on the dorm-sized bed and pulled on one of her boots. When the dark-haired woman heard the sound of the cardkey being slipped into the lock on the door, only one thing came to her mind. Okay, Sam, tell me you forgot something just so that I can kiss you once more. Hurriedly, Brooke shoved her foot down into her other boot, then took the two or three steps necessary to get behind the door, waiting to spring out in surprise.

Slowly the door opened and Brooke’s anticipation grew like a well-watered weed. With the urge to kiss her lover overpowering her senses until like some blur of action, she stepped around to the opening and grabbed the body on the other side, pulling it up into her anxiously, awaiting lips.

The kiss lasted only for a few seconds before Brooke’s sensitive tongue edged forward, trying to gain access to the familiar oral cavity. She felt it odd when access to it was denied. At the same time, two hands planted themselves on Brooke’s arms and pushed her away. Surprised by the action, Brooke’s eyes opened to see C.C.’s confused face only inches away from her own. Blue eyes bugged out as she unhanded her sister and stepped back, looking more confused then ever.

“I…I…” Brooke’s mouth was agape as she shook her head. “You…Sam…C.C.,” with each word the woman’s voice grew louder. Brooke slapped her hand over her mouth and rubbed it thoroughly, as she occasionally turned her head to the side and tried to spit the taste out. “What the hell are you doing, sneaking in on me. I thought you were Sam coming back for another kiss.” Brooke stuck out her tongue, wiping it up and down the sleeve of her shirt.