An AU of how Drew and Sam might have met before either of them came to Port Charles. Set in the fall of 2001 Sam McCall is still a con artist and Drew is a Navy Seal docked for a few days – what happens when Drew and Sam wage bets neither of them is willing to lose? I don't own the characters or their history on General Hospital.

Sam McCall entered the crowded Monte Carlo Casino looking for a new mark. Her funds were quickly depleting after moving around so much and Danny's school tuition was mounting with each month. Sam felt terrible that she wasn't able to keep him with her and that she had not seemed to escape the distasteful life Cody brought her into, but a girl's gotta eat.

As she scoped out the players at each of the high roller tables her eyes immediately zoomed in on their left ring finger and if it was naked or sparkling, not that it mattered either way it just could make finishing her plan a bit more tricky.

A loud roar of laughter caught her attention from across the room as a sea of dashing men in white uniforms cheered. She immediately spotted the focus of their praise, there stood a tall light-haired man in a very decorated outfit that hugged his toned muscles and she was transfixed by his sparkling smile and eyes that were soft like the gentlest sea she had ever sailed. Sam was so caught off guard by the allure of this man that she didn't even notice herself being pulled towards the table.

The husky voice bellowed through her body as she rounded the table to get a better look, she didn't know what had come over her and felt the urge to pounce on him. She stalked around the table and stopped dead in her tracks when he leaned over to collect his latest winnings. The man's ass was so firm and round she couldn't look away and licked her lips at a passing thought of what the rest of him would look like disarmed.

To say that she was intrigued was an understatement and just when she was about to approach an open seat she caught two tall blondes with stitches of barely there clothes gripping their bodies circle the man whispering in each ear. Sam scoffed to herself thinking of course there was a sucker born every day and she wasn't sure why there was a twinge of jealousy at the display of obvious seduction. She decided that with his sizable earnings it might be just the challenge she needed for the night and she never considered herself anything but not resourceful.

Sam slowly sat in the seat directly across from the object of her desire placing her small clutch on the table and leaning forward just enough to heave her firm breasts tightly in her dress. "Deal me in."

Drew felt a jolt of electricity as soon as this mysterious brunette sat down and was drawn into her siren like beauty. He shrugged off the blondes that seemed to be more like fruit flies at the moment to him with all of his attention centered on her. He briefly heard his name being called off in the distance but had all of his focus elsewhere.

The dealer tapped the table and asked with annoyance "sir will you be wanting dealt in as well?"

Drew finally came back to his senses and placed his bet with his eyes never leaving hers and he marveled at the look of mischief and temptation she gave with a small smirk forming at the corners of her mouth.

"Yes…umm sorry I got distracted for a moment" Drew picked up the chips and laid several down to match her substantial buy in. This game suddenly became a whole lot more interesting and lucrative if he played his cards right in more ways than one.

Several hands later Sam found herself down $5000 and chewing thoroughly on the straw of her third whiskey sour. She couldn't understand how this possibly happened she was an expert at counting cards and she had never lost this big in such a short amount of time. It didn't help matters that the man that had one upped her had such a satisfied and smug look beaming all over his face. After this last hand she decided to call it quits for the day and it was abundantly clear that this was costing her financially and dwindling on her confidence.

"I'm out" she gathered her few chips still placed on the table and glared at the cocky sailor who seemed to have shaken her stride.

Drew was surprised to say the least that he had not only come out so far ahead, but that the woman who had kept him glued to the table quit so abruptly. A part of him caught on that she was trying to work the table and him for that matter and if he was truly honest with himself he liked the extra thrill it gave him to win each hand, but it faltered as soon as she left. There was something about her that told him he shouldn't let her just walk away at least not without a proper introduction and less deception.

"Can you cash me out?" he asked the dealer and he nodded to the request. "Hey guys can you grab this for me I'll be right back there's something I need to take care of and I'll meet you in the lounge, buy a round." Drew's Naval crew stepped up and carefully collected the chips and smiled brightly with the thought of how much celebrating they were about to do with their good friend's haul.

Drew found her at the main lounge staring at the swirling ice cubes in her half empty drink while she chewed absently at her lower lip. He could guess that she was worried as it wasn't difficult to imagine one would be after losing $5000 in an hour and a half. There was something else though behind her eyes just before she left the table a sadness and he felt compelled to comfort her for some reason.

Sam was lost in thought completely bewildered at the turn of events that occurred over the past few hours never had she had a mark turn out so poorly so quickly. Sure, she had to cut her losses when a con had gone bad, but there was something about this man that rocked her to the core. There was something magnetic about him that she couldn't escape from and with each passing glance she was lured deeper into his grasp and it scared the hell out of her. Sure, he had dazzling good looks and a smile that could brighten the darkest day, but the attraction to this man ran so much deeper so much that she could feel her walls crumbling and that was a risk she wouldn't wager.

Drew was transfixed and what compelled him to go after this woman was a mystery, but he knew he would regret it if he didn't at least try and reach her. The entire time of sitting at the table there was this sensual dance they played with one another, silently trying to take the lead all the while each one stayed rooted in their course. This game of cat and mouse was possibly the most appealing indirect exchange he had ever had and the view was one that would haunt his dreams.

This woman aroused him in ways he had never known were possible with her deep brown eyes that reminded him of a rich delicious coffee he wanted to drink in. Her thick cascading hair that framed her perfectly oval face that he imagined running his fingers through the slightly curled locks in a heated embrace. Then she would speak and his eyes would be mesmerized by the luscious pout of her plump lips and the when she lightly chewed on her lower lip when she was concentrating was his downfall. Next was the way the blood red dress gripped her every curve and when she leaned forward he instantly wanted to be buried in her bosom.

His pants were snug at each turn and he was grateful that the table masked his full arousal she provoked in him and there was no escaping the spell she had cast on him. Drew had never really been one to pursue a woman, not to be cocky or anything they seemed to naturally clamor to him so the fact that this vixen had drawn him in and he was literally chasing after her was something to be commended.

Sam's back was slightly to him as he stalked forward leaning gently over her left shoulder a mere few inches from her ear she could definitely sense a shift as though she had been shocked with electricity surging through her body she instantly sat up straight and that's when she knew it was him.

"You know it's a shame?" Drew said in a low husky voice.

Sam felt a shiver go down her spine all the way to her toes at the question "What's that?" she asked back pointedly thinking that she had escaped his grasp.

"You're so lost in thought sitting hear chewing on that lower lip, I could think of a much better way to put those teeth to use I almost feel…bad for that luscious lip" he purred out.

Sam immediately sucked in her breath deeper that she was holding with his sexy offer.

"I just thought I would do the gentlemanly thing and offer you a chance to win back your money."

"What's the catch?" Sam retorted.

"The only catch is that you give me an opportunity for a proper introduction" Drew extended his hand to her "Chief Andrew Cain, Drew is my preference, but I allow you to find what rolls naturally off your tongue."

Sam licked her lips slowly and smirked and took his hand "Samantha McCall, Sam is my preference and as for what rolls we'll just have to see where the dice land Chief Cain."