The Winter of Temptation Ch. 08

"Having fun?"

Samantha glanced at him quickly, with a smile gracing her lips.

"Yeah. I'm really enjoying this." She replied.

Ian's large arms were folded against his chest, as he grinned in returned. His large body leaned against the machine as he observed her gameplay. She glanced at him once more, and noticed that his lips were pursed, and his brow was drawn down into a frown.

"Sooo..." Samantha started. "I got your letter."

Ian looked at her nervously before he straighten his composure. He cleared his throat. "What did you think?"

Samantha shrugged her shoulder as she diverted her attention away from the game.

"I don't know what to say Ian."

"You don't have to say anything, Samantha. I just wanted you to really understand how much you mean to me." Samantha forgot about Rambo. She could only stare into Ian's eyes as he expressed this.

"I want us to continue this." He made a motion between them. "No matter what. I never want to lose this."

Samantha felt the same way, yet she couldn't express it in that moment with words. So she did the first thing that came to mind. She walked to him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. A surprised Ian engulfed her. The embraced was a comforting one. Neither had their mind on anything other than how nice the normalcy felt.

"You won't Curly." She whispered, into his chest. After a moment she pulled away, placing her hands on her hips. "Now, are you ready to get whooped, in 'Down the clown'?"

Ian chuckled. "Sammy, you can't touch me in 'Down the clown'"

"We shall see."

*

In the prize redeem shop, Samantha tried to decide on which stuff animal she wanted. She couldn't decide on whether she wanted the big pink gorilla, or the cute big brown one. Hearing snickering behind her, Samantha turned around to stick her tongue out at her friends.

"Come on, pick one, Sam. They are exactly the same." Caroline said.

"Hush." Samantha finally pointed at the big brown gorilla. "I want the brown gorilla."

"Finally!" Caroline groaned.

"Well, which one do you want?" Michael asked Caroline.

He and Ian had given the girls their tickets, and now waited as they picked out their prizes.

"I'll get the big banana, and the cute little key chain."

Michael shook his head, and laughed. Moments later they exited the establishment with their prizes, tucked closely to their body. They chatted happily amongst each other, as the guys followed behind.

"Dude, do you and Caroline have something going on?" Ian asked.

Michael hesitated mid-step. "Wha- no, Nah. It's not like that man."

Ian howled with laughter, at the way Michael stuttered over his words. Samantha and Caroline looked at him curiously, before turning back to their own conversation.

"Man, you are totally feeling her. It's obvious."

Michael shrugged his broad shoulders.

"So, are you saying that you don't find her to be attractive?"

Michael chose to ignore him, as he hopped into the car, where the girls patiently waited inside. Laughing Ian jogged around the car, and got behind the wheel.

~~~*~~~

Ian stood outside of the center hanging lights. It had been a couple of day since he had last seen Samantha. His Mom and Dad kept him busy with handy work, or 'Talk sessions' with his dad. He missed her though. She was never too far from his thoughts, and it made him more ready to see her. Quickly putting up the last string of lights, he came down from the ladder to grab another box of decorations his mother wanted up.

"Mom?" He called out,walking into the center. She appeared at the kitchen door, where she prepared the children's lunches.

"Yeah?"

Ian gestured to the box he held. "Where do you want me to put this stuff?"

"You finished the lights outside?" He nodded. "Well put the Christmas decals in the windows, and on the doors."

Ian nodded, and walked over to go through the assortment of decorations.

"Michael!" She called, and he rounded the corner from the kids entertainment room covered in sweat and pine needles. He looked tired, and breathless, from wrestling the three real Christmas trees Lauren wanted throughout the center. Ian stifled a laugh, as Lauren giggled.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Honey, you look tired. Take a break, and come get you a nice glass of coco."

Ian stifled laugh, halted. "Hold on a sec. How come I can't have a break, and some coco?" he frowned.

"Ian hush. Get that done, and hurry. The children will be back in soon, and I want this done to surprise them." Lauren said sternly. It was Michael's turn to laugh, as he gave Ian a 'that's what you get, asshole' look. Flipping Michael off, he did his mother's bidding.

It took a total of fifteen minutes to finish up the windows and doors, and place the countless knick knacks around. Afterwards he proudly walked into the kitchen. Lauren was at the stove finish off her home cooked meal, and Michael was finishing up on his cup of coco, and what looked to be a plate of his mother's fresh homemade snowball cookies, with chocolate chips. Ian glared evilly at a cheesing Michael.

"Everything is done, Mom." Ian stated.

Lauren turned to him, smiling. "Thank you baby boy." She kissed his cheeks. "Grab a snack, and then I want you two to go and meet the girls at the rink."

"Oh they are already there?"

"Yes, son. So I want you two to go and finish chaperoning with them. The children have another half-hour at the rink."

Ian smiled as he thought about Samantha on a pair of ice skates. For a girl born and raised in Boston, she couldn't ice skate to say her life.

"Sure mom. No problemo. "

Grabbing an inviting cookie from the plate. He grabbed his keys, and waltzes out the kitchen. "Love you ma!" He shouted over his shoulder as he and Michael left.

~~~*~~~

"Whooaa!"

"I got you Ms. Wilson!" a small voice shouted. As a pair of small gloved hands grabbed hers, to steady her unsteady balance. Once balanced, she looked down into a pair of bluish clear eyes. Eyes that reminded her so much of a special person in her life.

"Thank you so much Caleb!" she beamed. As the little sandy blonde grinned up at her.

"You don't know how to ice skate Ms. Wilson?" Samantha shook her head with a smile.

"No, I'm not very good at it."

The little boy looked surprised, before he got excited. "I can teach you Ms. Wilson. I can. Watch this!"

The young 6 year old, speed ahead of her and kicked his leg up behind him. Balancing his weight out perfectly. Samantha was in awe, as she let go of the half wall to clap for Caleb. He spun in circles, and did little tricks Samantha herself wouldn't have dreamed about. Before he glided back to her.

"See! Come on I'll teach you." He grabbed for her hand.

"She's going to need a bit of practice before she's able to do that, Junior."

Samantha looked over her shoulder and saw Ian standing directly at her back. She could only stare, as she tried to figure out how he had come out of nowhere, directly up to her, without her noticing at all. Ian's attention was currently on the little boy, so she was free to stare at his handsome face without fear of being caught.

"I see you've been practicing Junior. You killed it." Ian bumped his fist, and laughed as Caleb's face lit up even more if possible. From the corner of his eye he observed Samantha as she boldly eyed him. With a smile he glanced at her, and saw how she immediately jumped and averted her eyes.

"Keep practicing on that catch foot trick that I taught you. I'll continue to teach Ms. Wilson for you."

"Well, what if I want Caleb to teach me." Samantha teased. Caleb gave her a toothy grin. "Your better than him right?" She asked, grabbing the little boy's hand, as he looked up at her in fascination.

Ian looked at them with a playful scowl. "Hey, hey. Don't try to use that little boy charm on her to steal her heart. I'm not going to let that happen."

"Well she chose me to teach her, so you're too late." Caleb said. Surprising the hell out of Samantha, she couldn't contain the howl of laughter that exploded from her.

"Why you little, menace." Ian said, as he grabbed the little boy. "Come here."

Impishly he used his knuckles to gently ruffle the boy's unruly hair. After they playfully tussled for a while. Ian let him go, and placed the child's toboggan back on his curly head. "Go play." He commanded, still grinning.

"Alright." Caleb skated off and joined a group of other children his age.

"So... taking lessons from a six year old?"

Samantha playfully rolled her eyes. "Don't be picking Queen."

He threw his head back with laughter. "Come on babe." He reached for her hand. Samantha hesitated and pulled back. "I got you Sammy. Trust me."

"Easier said than done." Samantha tentatively placed her hand inside of his. Gripping her hand tightly Ian tugged her into his side, while placing his arm around her waist.

"Relax, Sammy." He whispered next to her ear. Causing a shiver to race throughout her body, from his warm breath. "Are you cold?"

Samantha suddenly lost her voice. Instead she shook her head vigorously.

"Just follow my lead, and I promise I won't let you fall."

Samantha took a deep breath, as she relaxed her body. Allowing Ian to pull her farther, and farther away from the safety of the wall. They started out slow, but that quickly changed once Samantha actually started to enjoy herself. Her fear of bursting her ass disappeared.

"There you go!" Ian shouted proudly. "Ready for me to let go?"

His grip slacken at her waist, as if he was about to release her. Samantha panicked, and jerked him back to her. She glared up at him.

"Don't you dare let me go." She barked.

Ian laughed, and squeezed her soft curves into his side. "You have no idea how sexy you sound saying those words." He whispered. "Say it again."

Samantha elbowed him in the stomach, playfully. "Can it, Queen." He doubled over. "Is that Michael right there?" She pointed.

Ian followed the direction she pointed, and saw Michael standing closely near Caroline. Her back was turned to him, as she knelt down to tie one of the children's skate. His face was stout, and he seemed to have a lot on his mind. It was a far cry away from his normally laughing, confident self. Both Samantha, and Ian noticed that their friend couldn't tear his gaze away from an oblivious Caroline.

"Let's go see what's up."

"Hey lovebirds." Caroline sung. "Ian, thank you for finally pulling her off the sidelines. I couldn't believe she didn't know how to ice skate after growing up in one of the coldest winter states in the U.S."

"Shut it." She commanded, not giving Ian a chance to reply to Caroline's words.

"Touchy." Caroline joked.

"Are you two coming back to the center?" Michael questioned.

"Yeah. Going to help serve lunch, and wrap gifts for Ma. The children will be making ornaments,and decorating the tree."

"Well, I'm going to go get some coco for the children." Ian motioned for Michael to come with.

After they ordered every child a drink, they stood back and waited for them to be made. Ian took a seat. Trying to figure out the right thing to say to Michael.

"You okay bro? You looked real serious back there."

"Yeah. I'm cool. I have no clue what the hell my problem is."

"Michael, I'm sure you do know what your problem is. You want Caroline."

Michael's head snapped toward him. On the verge of denying Ian's words, but thought there was no point. Ian took his silence as an answer.

"Have you told her that you're interested in getting to know her more?"

"No, I don't think she would be into me that way?"

"Why you think that?"

"I just don't look like her type." Michael shook his head with a frown. "Besides with everything that's going on with my family, I shouldn't even think about a relationship."

"Man I understand that. But I do have to admit that you two would be great together." Ian added.

Michael grinned coyly. "Yeah."

"Mr. Queen!"

Ian looked up at the cute short brunette with her hair pulled into a high ponytail. He walked up to the counter and thanked her.

"No Problem, sir." She said in her high pitch voice, before batting her long lashes up at him. She probably thought that she looked cute, but it made him feel weird. "Do you need anything else, Mr. Queen?"

"No he's good. Thanks." Samantha snapped.

Ian looked to his side to see Samantha. She wore a fake smile, directed at the clerk, while her hand rested on her hip. He looked back at the girl, and gave an apologetic smile.

"This is all we need. Thank you though." He grabbed the cup carriers, and turned his back to her. Samantha followed suit, and walked at his side. He could see that Caroline and the small group of children were seated at the table he and Michael occupied. "Sammy, you do know that you don't have to worry about anyone else, right?"

She didn't reply. They reached the table, and distributed the drinks to the eager little ones. Ian couldn't take the change in her mood, and so he lightly grasped her elbow.

"Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Samantha gazed at him for a moment, but finally she nodded. He guided her to another table and sat across from her. He grabbed her hand that rested on the table top.

"Sammy, I meant what I said back there." He grabbed her chin, and turned her to face him. "You're the only one I have eyes for, Samantha."

She brought her eyes to his. "You don't have to explain anything to me, Ian." She removed her face from his hand. "I was out of line for what I just done. I'm sorry." She got up quickly and raced to the nearest bathroom before he could stop her.

"Hey what's wrong with Sam?" Caroline asked.

Ian heaved a heavy sigh. "I don't know Carol. But can you please go check on her." Ian ran a frustrated hand through his hair, then placed both hands at his hips. He longingly looked towards the women's restroom, before walking away.

*****

A/N: I would like to thank everyone that as stuck around for my little story. I wanted to let you guys know that I love you, and I wouldn't dare leave you guys hanging. Ian & Samantha will definitely get an ending, so just stick around.