Page 39 of Dr. Roz Harrington
For several minutes, she lay in silence, the faint hum of the firehouse filling the empty space around her. Finally, unable to hold it in any longer, she typed out a message.
Sam:“I miss you.”
Her thumb hovered over the send button, doubt clawing at the edges of her resolve. But the words were already there,staring back at her, mocking her hesitation. Sam swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest as she hit send.
The message disappeared into the ether, the screen staring back at her with maddening emptiness.
Sam turned onto her side, the phone clutched tightly in her hand as she closed her eyes, hoping for sleep that she knew wouldn’t come.
Roz was out somewhere, and Sam couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Roz:“I will see you soon.”
Sam woke to the faint glow of dawn filtering through the windows, her body wrapped in warmth and a sense of calm she hadn’t felt in days. The world was still, but she wasn’t alone. Roz’s arms, strong and sure, encircled her, holding her close. It was moments like these, when control and restraint melted away, that Sam didn’t know what to do with herself.
She shifted slightly, trying to stretch, and Roz’s low, sleepy murmur broke the silence. “Where do you think you’re going?” The quiet rasp of Roz’s voice sent a shiver through Sam, grounding her in place.
Sam let out a soft breath, her head still resting against Roz’s chest. “I wasn’t going anywhere,” she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.
“Good,” Roz replied, her tone laced with subtle amusement. “I like you right where you are.”
The pull between them was always strongest in moments like this, when neither of them had to play a role, when Sam could lean into Roz’s strength and Roz allowed a sliver of her softer side to show. Sam didn’t fight it. She couldn’t.
Roz shifted just slightly, and Sam tilted her chin up, catching the faint curve of Roz’s smirk in the soft light. “You slept like a rock,” Roz teased, brushing a lock of Sam’s blonde hair back from her forehead. “I should tell you more often how pretty you look when you sleep.”
Sam felt her cheeks flush, though she scoffed softly to cover it. “I’m sure you were perfect and poised all night, huh?”
Roz hummed, clearly pleased with herself. “Of course. I never have a hair out of place.” She leaned closer, her lips brushing Sam’s temple, the touch light but lingering. “But you”—Roz’s voice softened, her fingers tracing the line of Sam’s jaw—“you were perfect.”
Sam blinked up at her, feeling vulnerable under Roz’s gaze, a gaze that seemed to see straight through her defenses. “Stop that,” she said softly, unable to keep the slight quiver from her voice.
“Stop what?” Roz asked, though there was no denying the playful challenge in her tone.
“Looking at me like that.”
Roz’s smile widened just a fraction, her thumb brushing over Sam’s cheek with deliberate slowness. “I’ll stop when I want to,” she said simply, a quiet authority in her voice that left Sam breathless.
Sam felt her pulse quicken, a warmth spreading low in her chest. Roz always had this effect on her, a mixture of calm and chaos that left her unsteady in the best way. Roz was in control, always, and Sam found herself willingly leaning into it, letting Roz take the lead in a way that Sam rarely allowed anyone else to do.
Roz shifted again, moving so that Sam was pinned more firmly beneath her. “I’ve been kissing you all night, you know,” Roz murmured, her lips grazing Sam’s jaw, then her cheek, moving deliberately slowly.
Sam tilted her head, giving her silent permission, her breath hitching. “You have?”
Roz’s lips curved against her skin. “Mm-hmm.” Her hand drifted down Sam’s side, tracing light circles along the curve of her hip, making Sam squirm. “Even when you were dreaming, you kissed me back. Isn’t that sweet?”
Sam bit back a sound, half laugh, half gasp, as Roz’s fingers toyed with the hem of her shirt. “You’re making this up.”
“Am I?” Roz whispered, her tone both teasing and tender. “You’re such a good girl when you sleep. Soft, sweet…” Her hand moved just a fraction, fingertips brushing bare skin beneath Sam’s shirt. “And so pretty.”
Sam’s breath hitched again, her pulse a steady drum in her ears. “Roz…”
Roz leaned back just enough to meet Sam’s eyes, holding her gaze for a beat longer than necessary. “You don’t have to say anything,” Roz said quietly, her voice softer now, less teasing. “Just…let me take care of you.”
Sam swallowed hard, her throat tight, but she nodded. In Roz’s presence, in Roz’s hands, Sam felt safe, seen, and cherished, even if she couldn’t quite find the words to admit it.
Roz smiled faintly, satisfied, before pressing her lips to Sam’s forehead in a lingering kiss. She tucked Sam back against her, holding her close once again, and this time, Sam let herself relax fully. She wasn’t used to letting go, to allowing someone else to be in control. But with Roz, it felt different.
“Close your eyes,” Roz murmured, her fingers now gently brushing through Sam’s hair. “I’m not going anywhere.”
