Love me if you dare (2 page)

The
moment Shona’s eyes started to flutter Samantha stepped back from the couch,
where she found herself the moment Nicolas gently laid her mother down.

Nicolas looked up, frowning at the
totally void expression on her face.  His mind still reeled with the
realization that the stunning woman at the graveside that blew his mind was
none other, than the beloved long lost daughter of not just his business
partner, but best friend. An image of multi-colored spiked hair, black make-up
and skimpy clothes flashed through his mind, and his lips tightened.  He
wrestled to come to grip with her physical transformation and the effect she
had on his senses, even though he knew even back then that there were more to
her than she allowed the world to see.  That was what had attracted him to
her.  The challenge she presented to uncover the real woman behind the façade.

“Mommy … are you all right?”  Elaine
was on her knees next to the couch with Shona’s hand clasped between hers. 
Samantha watched her mother take a moment to focus her eyes, and grimly tightened
her lips when the light of remembrance hit her.  Her eyes searched the room and
came to rest on Samantha.  She pushed herself to her feet and slowly walked
towards her.

“Samantha? Sam … oh Sam … is it really
you?”  She reached to stroke Samantha’s cheek.  Her eyes clouded when Samantha
flinched at the gesture and moved a half a step backwards.

Nicolas frowned and noticed that her
face was still expressionless, but her violet eyes were … scintillating.  He released
the breath he was holding.  Thank God, for a moment he thought she would entirely
refute her mother.  Almost in harmony with the notion running through his mind,
he noticed Shona’s hand fall back to her side, while her other hand covered the
sob escaping her lips.

His eyes clashed with Samantha’s; his
just released breath got trapped in his throat again. The glittering in her
eyes he mistook for tears were in fact something else.  They were glittering
yes, but glittered as hard and as cold as diamonds shrouded with shreds of
hatred.

Shona kept her eyes focused on the
hard violet glower of her daughters’.  She forced the sob back and closed her
eyes for a moment.  She hated her … oh God … her own daughter hated her!  She
reached a pleading hand towards her again.

“Sam … my darling … please!  I am so
happy to see you!”

Samantha’s top lip curled in disgust,
her tone sardonic and dubious.  “Happy and me in one sentence, mother dear? 
Somehow I find that hard to believe.”

“Samantha … it has been years … your
father …” Her voice ended in a sob and she swallowed hard.  Still, Samantha’s displayed
no expression or any kind of emotion towards her grieving mother.

“Mommy!  You see what I mean!  It’s
her again!  Once again she is the cause of your pain!  Why are you here!  Why
did you come back?”

Anticipating a scathing remark from
Samantha, Nicolas stepped forward and pulled Elaine away from her mother. 

“I think everyone should calm down. 
It is Alexander’s wake and not the time for this.”  An arctic laugh escaped
Samantha’s lips.

“I can’t think of a better time, Nicolas,
my love …”

Elaine turned on Samantha, her face flushing
red in fury.  “He is not your love!  How dare you!”

A perfectly formed eyebrow shot up,
her eyes smoldered and her lips bowed in a sensual smile.  Slowly her eyes
moved from Elaine to Nicolas, and the heat of the violet gaze scorched him, as
it moved down and then up his body to meet his blazing eyes; his groin
hardening instantaneously.

Without taking her eyes from his, she
slipped her hands in her pant pockets and literally purred, “Oh, I don’t know
little sister … he could very easily be …” Pinning her sister with a violet
flame, finished, “Mine…”

His eyes spurted fury at her, feeling
as if all his blood flooded into his shaft that tightened painfully at the
completeness of it.  Then he allowed a tight, but sensual grin to tweak on his
lips, indicating his acceptance of her challenge. 

Samantha could kick herself, realizing
what that look meant.  She forgot how his eyes could always cut through her,
how ruthless he was when he wanted something and how he thrived on challenges …
and he now saw her as a challenge.  Damn … she should think before she allowed
her mouth to run away with her!  But Elaine was grinding on her nerves, and she
reacted on instinct, tired of being branded as the source of everyone’s misery.

At that moment the door opened and a
tall, grey haired man walked in.  Samantha’s eyes misted over when she
recognized her uncle Jamie.  The only one that stood by her all those years ago
and refused to believe what everyone said.

“I am sorry to interrupt, Nicolas,
Shona, but Alexander was adamant that his testament be read at his wake.”

Shona turned to him with a gasp.  “But
why … it is too soon!”

“Samantha is a beneficiary in his estate,
and he wanted to guarantee she is found immediately so she could be informed of
her inheritance.  He did not want there to be any delay with that and he was
very adamant about it.  That is why he made you call me to the hospital the day
he had the heart attack.  He made me promise.  I am sorry Shona, but I have no
other choice.”

Samantha took a step in his
direction.  “Uncle Jamie …” Her voice rang strained and vulnerable.  His eyes
swung towards her and he froze.  He shook his head in disbelief and then held
out his arms.  She flew into them without any hesitation and he wrapped them
around her protectively.

She pressed her eyes tightly shut and banned
the emotions coursing through her body to the dark recesses of her heart,
knowing that she could not allow them to rise to the surface.

Gripping her by the shoulders Jamie
pushed her back, shook his head and almost immediately pulled her back for a
quick hug. 

“Sammy … my darling Sammy … I can’t
believe it is you!  And at long last the real you … such a beauty!  If only
your father could have seen you like this.”   He looked at her, touched her
glossy hair and let it slip through his fingers.

Nicolas fisted his hands and forced
his feet not to move forward to yank her and her hair from his hands.  He was
the one that wanted to feel her pressed against him, have her hair fall through
his fingers … and here he had to stand … Disgustingly he snorted softly.  Where
did those thoughts come from! 

“Well, this is so much more than we
could have hoped for.  I am so happy you are here, my dear.”  He glanced at
Shona and noticed she was extremely upset; he wiped a weary hand over his eyes
and squeezed Samantha’s arm.

“Seeing as Samantha is here … and if
you are all in agreement, why don’t we leave the reading of the testament until
tomorrow morning?  Let’s say around eleven?”

Shona closed her eyes and tears squeezed
through her eyelids.  Seeing Samantha fly into her brother-in-laws arms with so
much abandon and love tore her heart apart.  How was she ever going to breach
this gorge of resentment and … hatred that existed between them?

“I would appreciate it, yes.” 
Everyone agreed and Jamie left.  She turned towards Samantha.  “Sam … your room
is still …”

“Oh please!  Do not tell me … still as
I left it?”  The defeated look on Shona’s face nearly caused a fracture in the
ice around her heart … nearly, but not quite.

Shona looked at Nicolas, then back at
Samantha. “Sam, please…”

Nicolas stepped closer, his eyes
locked on hers.  Anticipating that he was on the verge of interceding, with of
course sympathy towards her mother, she held up her hand. 

“Thanks, but no thanks. I have no
intention of staying here … in this house … not tonight … not ever again.”

Amidst
her siblings collective gasps she turned back at the door and her gaze touched
each one of them, resting for a moment too long on the hard blue eyes shooting sparks
at her.  “I’ll be back at eleven.”

“I
knew she would not be here!  She is manipulating all of us so she is the
important one!  It is always her.  I don’t see why we should wait for her!
Uncle Jamie, read the testament.”

Jamie sighed and ran his hand over his
eyes.  “It is only ten minutes past. Surely we can wait a few minutes longer?”

Elaine stomped back and forth.  “So
typical of her.  Everything must always be arranged to suit her!  I’ve had it,
for once can we ….”

Samantha paused outside the door
listening to her sister’s tirade.  This is turning into a real circus,
something she really did not need in her life right now.  She sighed, pushed
open the door and walked in, drawing all eyes to her.

Nicolas’s heartbeat increased as his
eyes stroked down her body.  She wore tight fitting jeans, with a white tee shirt
that hugged her full breasts.  Her hair hung loose around her shoulders and she
hardly wore any make-up. Their eyes caught and the now familiar tightness
around his heart and groin started a low fire in his stomach.

She dragged her gaze from his and went
to pour some coffee at the side table, then sat down in one of the arm chairs,
still not saying a word.  Jamie cleared his throat and asked everyone to take a
seat so they could get started.  Elaine’s mumbled, “Not even apologizing for
being late,” ignored by all.

First all the general beneficiaries
were dealt with, staff, Jamie and welfare, then he cleared his throat.  “I need
to inform you all that Alexander amended his testament shortly before he died. 
Everything was signed and finalized prior to his heart attack so this testament
is the most recent and legal one. He was quite adamant about this and his final
wish was that no one opposes his last wishes.”

He gazed at everyone; his eyes meeting
the four pairs of eyes across from him and at the end came to rest on
Samantha’s.  Her compressed lips told him she was not ready for this.  Just as
she moved to pull herself up Jamie shook his head.  “No Samantha, this is
important.  Please stay.”

She fell back against the chair and
emotionally prepared herself for what was coming.  Jamie cleared his throat and
started reading again.

“Firstly, the beach property in
Swakopmund at Long Beach is bequeathed equally to Shona, Samantha and Elaine.
It is where we spend so many happy holidays together as a family; therefore it
is my wish that it remains family property.”  Elaine speared a disgusted look
in Samantha’s direction, but she ignored her.

“To my dear wife Shona, I bequeath the
Beach house in Ballito Bay, as well as her share of my investments in the
offshore oil company to the value of fifty Million Rand. She also receives five
percent shares of the company, Global Consultancy and Co.  It is important that
she remains part of the Exco team and be known in all major decisions made. To
my lovely daughter Elaine, I bequeath her share of my investments in the
offshore oil company to the value of twenty Million Rand. Nicolas Forrester
will be the Executor of her money and manage and decide on the amounts drawn,
until she reaches the age of thirty.”

Elaine jumped up and shouted at the
top of her lungs, “That is preposterous!  I am nearly twenty six!”

Shone pulled her back in her chair,
her voice dry, “And we all know how you spend money!  Your father was only
looking out for you.”

Jamie waited patiently for her to calm
down.  Elaine sat stiff and upright, her lips compressed in a straight line. 
“What about the rest of the company shares and this estate?”  Jamie ignored her
and continued reading.

“To my eldest daughter Samantha whom
we all so heartlessly alienated from the family, something I have always
regretted, I bequeath the main family estate on the outskirts of Sandton.  She
also receives all of my
Swiss
investments,
to the value of eighty Million Rand, and forty percent of the Company, Global
Consultancy and Co shares.”  He ignored Elaine’s interruption.

“I urge you, my daughter, to allow
your mother and sister life time rights to stay at the main estate.  It has
always been their home and it is time to be a family again.”

Ignoring Elaine’s livid screech he
continued, “To my business partner, forty percent shareholder and friend, Nicolas
Forrester, I leave the balance of my Swiss investments to the value of twenty
Million Rand and the remaining fifteen percent of the shares of Global
Consultancy and Co shares.”

Elaine jumped up.  “No!  He did not! 
He did not leave me out of it.  Uncle Jamie!  I saw the draft!  He left that
fifteen percent to me!”  Jamie sighed and speared an angry glare at her.

“That is what one gets for snooping! 
After his trip to Australia a week after the draft was done, he made the final
amendment.”  The look in his eyes warned her not to pursue a further debate. He
hesitated and glanced at Samantha then at Nicolas before he continued.

 “To Samantha and Nicolas combined
ownership of the Country Estate and Stud farm on the outskirts of Pretoria,
with all the horses and life stock, under the condition that they must live
there together for at least one year, before either can sell their share of the
property, or get married to an outside party. ”