�OY!� Bryan jumped back from the door, shock written all over his face; Samantha fell away from Kian, and lay sprawled at Bryan�s feet. Kian, because of Samantha�s fall, fell against the toilet seat and had to grasp at his towel quite quickly so it wouldn�t come loose. �What are ya doin�?�

�Er, um, I was just telling him that breakfast was ready.�

�You came in here twenty minutes ago. Does it take that long? I know Kian�s slow, but God--� Kian hit him on the arm; Bryan threw him a hurt expression and rubbed at the sore area.

Samantha stood up quickly and raced towards the kitchen, not looking back.

Bryan winked knowingly. �I think she has the hots for ya, Ki.�

�Yeah,� Kian laughed. �And vise versa.�

Bryan�s eyes widened, and then he regained his composure. �I have to pee. Get out of the way.�

�I�m starkers!�

�Don�t care,� Bryan pushed him out of the bathroom; in normal circumstances, he would just pee with Kian in the room. Because, after all, they were blokes and they peed together anyway, but Bryan thought giving Kian a push in the right direction would be good for him.

Kian stood outside the bathroom pouting, his arms across his chest; it was rather cold standing there with only a towel guarding him from the cold of the room, which probably accounted for why he was shivering.

�You know, the pout doesn�t have much effect if you�re shivering.� Samantha walked out of the kitchen holding a bowl of cereal in one hand and Kian�s jacket in the other. �Here.�

He took the jacket from her, slid it on, and then took the bowl. �Thanks.�

�You�re welcome,� she smiled at him, something he thought he could easily get used to.

�So,� he took a big bite of cereal and crunched thoughtfully while she watched quietly out of the corner of her eye. �Where does this leave us?�

�I dunno.�

�I�d like us to date.� He wasn�t looking at her, couldn�t bear if it she said no.

She laughed. �Me, too.� Kian turned completely to look her in the eyes; she was smiling brightly at him. She reached up and ruffled his still wet hair. �You�re quite adorable, did you know that?�

�You�re just figuring this out?�

�Well, yeah,� she pulled her arm back. �I can�t think someone�s adorable when I want to shove their head in the snow and then kick them in the arse.�

Kian let out a loud laugh, nearly snorting milk out his nose. �Point taken.�

Sam nodded. �Things are different now.�

�Thank God for that.� He finished off the cereal, drank the milk, and handed the bowl back. �I�ve got to get my clothes, but then I�ll come out into the kitchen. We can announce our status to everyone.�

Sam wrinkled her nose. �Do we have to?�

�Yes,� Kian pulled her to him; she tried to wiggle free with muffled protests of �No, you�re all wet!� but he didn�t listen. �They�ll be thrilled, I�m sure.�

�Maddy and Mark already announced that they�d, quote, �gotten it on� last night. Can�t we wait?�

�Everybody knows already,� Bryan stated, coming out the bathroom and adjusting his jeans. �There�s no need for formality.�

�They know?� Sam echoed, looking horrified.

Bryan shrugged. �They should. OY!!!! Sam and Kian are having sex!�

There was a low rumbling noise as all the patrons in the kitchen tumbled together into the living room; Sam ducked her head against Kian�s chest, shaking her head and hoping that his arms were making it impossible for them to see her.

�They are not,� Nicky retorted, sounding annoyed. �I think we need to have the sex talk with you, Bry. �Cause that sure as hell ain�t it.� He turned around huffily and went back into the kitchen to finish off his guacamole eggs.

�How could they have? We were in the same room all night.� Shane scratched his head and then his face whitened and his eyes bugged out. �EW! GROSS! While I was on the CHAIR!? WHILE NICKY WAS LAYING BETWEEN YOU!?!!?�

Sam pulled away from Kian, much to his chagrin, and stomped her foot. �We are NOT having SEX! And we HAVE NOT had sex. Okay? Okay.�

�But we will have sex,� Kian assured them, looking proud of himself. �Just not until we get home.�

Sam turned around, half smiling at him, but trying to make herself look at him angrily. �You are impossible.�

�Yes, but that�s what you love about me.�

Mark groaned and tugged on Maddy�s sleeve so they could go back into the kitchen. �Wait, a minute. I wanna watch this. She hates him. I wanna know what�s going on.�

�I don�t hate him. I never hated him. I didn�t like him for a while, but I�m over that.� Sam sounded so robotic and monotone that Bryan started chuckling and whistled as he brushed past them.

�I�m irresistible, you see,� Kian concluded smugly.

Maddy threw a pillow at him, which messed up his hair; satisfied, she strutted away.

As the others drifted back to the kitchen, Kian leaned in to Sam and whispered, �Will you sit next to me on the way home? And not complain about it?�

She grinned, �I�d say that�s a possibility.�

He kissed her quickly and then went back into the bathroom. He shut the door, but left it open a crack; she stood outside it, listening to him talk. �I know you want to see your niece, but can we spend Christmas together?�

�I think it�s a little early in our relationship to be spending nights together.�

Kian peeked through the crack in the door. �We did last night, and we weren�t even together then.�

�Different circumstances.�

�Awww, come on. We can rent a cabin in the woods just to ourselves. We can do it on Friday, that way you can spend Christmas Eve, tonight, and Christmas, tomorrow, with your family.�

�I don�t know--�

�Sammmmmmmmmm,� he pleaded. �I want to spend time with you now that you don�t hate me. Just a couple days. You and me. It�ll be fun.�

�Oh, alright.�

He jumped out the bathroom in just boxers and a t-shirt that proclaimed himself a Sex God. After hugging her, she pushed him away gently and said, �We have GOT to talk about that t-shirt. It�s hideous.�

�It is not. It�s designer.�

�Who designed it? Kid Rock?�

Kian pouted, �No. I like it, though. It speaks the truth.�

She laughed, but was cut off from saying anything more when he kissed her. It was a long, slow kiss that made her go weak in the knees. Luckily, he was holding her up.

Kian pulled away and smiled broadly when he realized he�d left her breathless. �Yup. Crazy bout me, aren�t ya?�

�Go get dressed, you Sex God,� she grinned. �We�re leaving in fifteen.�

*

�You�re spending the weekend with him? You�ve only been dating him for, like, a day.� Maddy plopped down on Sam�s childhood bed and sighed.

�I know, but I�ve known him for years. So it�s a little different. Plus, you haven�t left Mark�s side except to have dinner with your family, and right now, to come bother me.�

Maddy stuck her tongue out. �I can�t believe you like Kian Egan.� She made a disgusted face. �I don�t understand how you can hate someone, and then want to mother their children.�

�I don�t want to mother his children,� Sam argued. �And I never hated him. I told you that.�

A horn sounded outside and Sam�s face spread into a huge grin. �That must be him. Will you run down and tell him I�ll only be a minute?�

�Tell who you�ll only be a minute?� Kian asked, strutting into the room and giving her a quick kiss. �You haven�t made other plans, have you?�

Sam smiled up at him. �You�re not outside?�

Kian looked down at himself. �Er, no. I�m in here with you. Mark�s outside. He rang my mobile and said he didn�t know how I did it, being away from you for 24 hours. He can�t even manage six hours.� Kian jabbed a thumb at the window and turned to Maddy. �You better get downstairs. He might eat his steering wheel.�

Maddy rolled her eyes, but she looked pleased; parting the hug that Kian currently engulfing Sam in, Maddy gave Sam a quick hug and then departed saying, �Don�t do anything I wouldn�t do�which isn�t much.�

�Are you ready?� Kian asked, glancing down at her mostly packed suitcase.

�Just about.� She smiled at him as she tossed the last of her stuff into the bag. �I was thinking last night about you.� Kian raised an eyebrow and sat down on the edge of her bed, bringing her down on top of him. �It was snowing. I�ll never be able to look at the snow the same again.� She put on a fake angry face. �Thanks to you, you arse.�

�Right back atcha, love.� He kissed her neck. �But it�s a good thing, because I never liked snow before I met you.�

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