Lou pulled up in front of the bar, putting the car in park and sitting there for a moment, head hanging, before she moved. She glanced up at the lighted beer signs in the window, shaking her head. This was a bad idea. She knew it was a bad idea. Her state of mind mixed with alcohol... She set her jaw, tossing her honey-brown hair back over her shoulder and unfastening her seat belt. Bad idea or not, she was going in. Logic and common sense, for once, be damned.

She walked into the dimly lit room, letting her eyes adjust before heading to a booth. There were only a couple of customers in the place, they eyed her briefly and then turned back to the bar to hunker over their drinks. The bartender, a balding older man, came over and took her order for a beer, brought it over and took her money without uttering more than a few necessary words. Perfect. This was what she needed, to drink and be left alone.

She grabbed a pretzel from the bowl the bartender had set on the table when he delivered her beer, crunching into it, enjoying the bite of the salt before washing it down with the icy cold brew. It did no good to tell herself not to think about it, because she knew that was why she was here. To wallow in the memory, to drown it until it became a dull ache instead of a sharp pain.

Sam parked the Impala next to a little nondescript sedan, climbing out and closing the door behind him, staring at the entrance. This wasn't his usual MO, he didn't drown his guilt or sorrow or whatever was eating at him, that was Dean's thing. But tonight... Tonight he just felt like it. He wanted to drink and brood in peace, without Dean asking him every two minutes if he was okay.

He walked in, eyes scanning over the interior, noting the exits, the customers and where they were, long ingrained habit of a hunter. Always know when you walk in somewhere how you can get out. Always know who's around you, because you never knew who they really were.

There were a couple of men sitting at the bar, probably regulars from the look of them. The bartender looked fairly harmless. There was a woman sitting at a booth on the south side of the room, she glanced up at him briefly as he walked in. She looked lost in her misery. Pretty, though. Really pretty, he thought as she looked up at him again, then pulled her eyes from his gaze, looking back down at her table. Maybe later he'd go over, talk to her. But now, all he wanted was a drink, and to be left alone.

Lou looked up as a man walked through the door, he almost had to duck to keep from hitting his head on that annoying bell at the top of the door frame. She felt her heart skip a beat as he glanced her way. Damn, he was beautiful. His long hair was dark, as was the stubble on his face, and even in the dim light she could see the way his t-shirt clung to his body under the plaid shirt he wore open over the top of it, sleeves rolled up to expose muscular forearms.

She chanced another look, but this time was caught in his eyes, and she felt herself blush a little as she forced her eyes away, glad for the darkness of the room. Hopefully he didn't notice. She downed the rest of her beer and caught the bartender's attention for another.

Sam sat at the side of the bar, nodding his thanks and sliding his money to the bartender as he took the glass of amber liquid from him. He sipped at the whiskey, his eyes wandering over to the woman at the booth once again. She was tucking her hair behind her ear, her hands seemed graceful, somehow. Her earring dangled, sparkling, down to her slender neck, and she was rolling her head from side to side, apparently trying to relieve some stress.

He let his eyes roam down her body, finding nothing to complain about. She was wearing a black dress, and heels, and her legs were crossed under the table, a well-shaped calf exposed beneath the hem of the softly draped fabric.

Her phone rang, and she picked it up from the table, glancing at the number, and answering softly. "No, I'm fine. Just having a drink. No, Claudia, I don't want you to come, I just need to be alone. I promise if I have much more, I'll call a cab. Don't worry. Yeah, see you Monday. Thanks. Bye."

He watched her swipe at her eye, her teeth worrying briefly at her lower lip. When she hung her head, her long-lashed eyes closed, he took a deep breath and pushed himself off of the bar stool, grabbing his whiskey and heading her direction.

"Lou, I know you were pretty close to your patient, and I know you're upset, I should come," Claudia had said, worried about her, she knew, but she didn't want company and told her so. "Well, you shouldn't be driving if you're drinking, girl." She promised to take a cab if she drank much more, getting off the phone as quickly as she could. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and brushed one away impatiently. Damn it. She hung her head for a moment, composing herself, and then a deep voice startled her and she looked up, way up, into the hazel eyes of the tall stranger she had been trying to keep from staring at since he had walked in.

"Hey. Look, I know, you probably want to be left alone, and if you do, that's okay. I'm kind of in that type of mood tonight too, but I thought maybe we could just be miserable together." His eyebrows raised in that kind of sad-eyed puppy dog look, and she couldn't help but smile and wave her hand at the seat opposite her in invitation. "Hi, I'm Sam." He smiled at her, she saw his dimples and the way his eyes sparkled, and...she was done.

"Lou. Nice to meet you, Sam. Sorry, I wasn't trying to be unfriendly, not really. It's just been a really bad day."

"Yeah. Me too. Otherwise, why would we be here, right?" She smiled again, and Sam found it hard to pull his gaze from her lips.

"Could you excuse me for a bit? I'll be right back," Lou said softly as she slid from the booth, heading back to the narrow hallway that housed the restrooms. Sam watch the soft sway of her walk in those heels, his blood warming a little at the sight. And those lips of hers, very tempting... But she didn't seem like a one-night-stand kind of girl, and he wouldn't be around much longer. He sighed, and resigned himself to the thought of spending the evening, at least, in a beautiful girl's pleasant company. Definite improvement over spending the night in the motel listening to his brother ask him repeatedly if he was okay. He knew Dean meant well, he always did. But after a while, it just got on his nerves.

He looked up as Lou came back to the table. "You seem serious," she said softly as she sat down. Sam looked at her almost empty bottle, then nodded to the bartender.

"Like you said, bad day. Bad several weeks, actually." Sam shook his head, cradling his glass in his hand. "I, uh, lost a good friend recently. Just weighs on you, you know?"

Lou smiled sympathetically. "I understand. I just went to a patient's funeral today."

"A patient? You're a doctor?"

"I'm an RN. I work with cancer patients. This one, I got kind of close to. She fought for so long. But the damn disease always wins in the end, it seems like." Lou kicked herself for speaking about it, because now her eyes were stinging with tears again, and Sam was looking at her with concern.

"I'm sorry, Lou. We don't have to talk about it. That's why you're here, right? Because you didn't want to talk about it?" Sam looked into Lou's amber eyes, which were now shining with tears, and he reached out to take her hand.

Lou blinked her tears away, and smiled. "True." Sam pulled his hand back, and Lou was glad for the bartender's timing in delivering another, because the sight of her hand in Sam's huge one had sparked thoughts of how it would feel to have them touch her in other places, and her heart had sped up a notch. Maybe another beer wasn't such a good idea. But, on the other hand...what the hell. "So, do you live around here, Sam?"

"No. Just travelling through. I'll be leaving in a couple of days, just had some business here, my brother and I. How about you?"

"I'm just a few blocks away, I have a condo in a building not too far from the hospital. When the weather's nice, I can walk to work." She watched Sam take a sip from his glass, then forced herself to look away. "So, what do you do, Sam?"

"My brother and I are consultants, I guess you'd say. Security issues, mostly."

Lou looked at him, a loud argument going on in her mind, but she squashed the common sense side determinedly, her tongue darting out to moisten her lips before she spoke. "Have you eaten, Sam? I haven't, and suddenly I'm actually feeling hungry."

"No, I haven't. Is there a good place close by?"

"Yes. Mine. I cook a mean omelette. Interested?" She met his gaze full-on, and he hesitated for only a second before nodding.

"Sounds great." They finished their drinks, and Sam followed her outside after tossing a tip on the table. "Want me to follow you?" he asked, and she stopped, looking over her shoulder.

"Yeah. Just park out front. I'll go into the garage, then I'll come to the front and let you in."

She scolded herself the four blocks she had to drive to reach her building. Driving after she'd been drinking, bad enough, although she wasn't even tipsy, but bringing a complete stranger home, no matter how attractive he was? This was a new low for her...or a new high, she'd decide that later, she guessed. She pulled into the garage, shut off the engine and sat there for a moment in stark terror. What was she doing? She could just go up to the condo, not let him in. But she wasn't going to. Sam was stirring her in ways she couldn't remember feeling for a very long time...if ever. And she was usually a good judge of character, right? He seemed so...kind, for lack of a better word. Nice. Sexy as hell didn't hurt either.

Sam pulled up, parallel parking in front of the building with a clear view of the front door. She'd probably talk herself out of this before she got inside, and Sam fully expected to be driving back to the motel, but he'd give her a few minutes, just to see if she actually came to let him in. He smiled wryly to himself. He shouldn't be doing this in the first place, but there was something about her...and damn, she was beautiful, she had his libido in high gear, and he hadn't been with anyone for a while. He wasn't going to push it, though.

He looked up, and, "Well, I'll be damned," he said under his breath, because there she was, opening the front door of the building. He got out, heading up the walk, and she smiled a little shyly at him as he followed her to the elevators.

She unlocked the door and let him in, and he scanned the room, as usual. "Nice place."

"Thanks," she said quietly. "Don't get to spend much time here, but it's a place to call home." Sam turned to smile down at her, their eyes meeting, and his smile faded slowly at the sad longing in her eyes. He bent to kiss her lips, softly, tentatively, but when she responded, he pulled back.

"I'm sorry, Lou. I didn't come here to..."

She turned away, walking into the kitchen area, her face flushed. "No, no, it's fine, I'm sorry. I...I don't do this, Sam, I'm sorry. I'll just fix us some food, and then you can go."

Sam followed her, taking hold of her arm and turning her to face him. "No, Lou, I didn't mean..." He trailed off, hating the embarrassment in her eyes, and he put his hand gently on her face, tilting it up until she had to look at him. "I didn't mean I didn't want to, I just don't want you to think that's the only reason I came with you. I don't know why, I just...Oh, hell." He bent to kiss her again, grabbing her waist in his hands and lifting her to the counter, then burying his hands in her soft hair as her lips parted to allow his tongue to tease at hers. She sighed, her arms coming up around his neck, pulling him closer as they got lost in each other.

Sam moved a hand to her leg, sliding under the hem of her dress and up her thigh, the feel of her skin, so soft beneath his fingers, making him a little crazy. He felt her hand slip underneath his shirt, and his muscles contracted as she touched his skin, moaning softly as she ran her fingers across his well-muscled torso. He trailed his hand upwards on her inner thigh, and he gently urged her to open to him as he pushed his way between her legs. He slid his hand around under her skirt to her rear, pulling her forward on the counter until she was pressed up against the solid heat of his erection.

Lou sighed as Sam moved his lips down along her jaw and to her throat, his large hand gripping her bottom as the other hand unzipped the back of her dress. He kissed his way down her neck and across her shoulder, slipping the dress down as he nibbled at her skin, nipping at her softly with his teeth, causing a bloom of goosebumps.

She was pulling at his shirt, and he stopped for a moment to help her by pulling first the flannel shirt and then the t-shirt off. She stared at him hungrily, touching him almost reverently as he inhaled, hissing softly at her touch. He reached to take hold of her dress, sliding it down over her shoulders, and she pulled her arms out of the sleeves, letting it hang around her waist as Sam ran his fingers lightly over the curves of her breasts, pushed up over the top of her lacy black bra. He looked down into her eyes, his heart hammering in his chest. "Do you know how beautiful you are?" he breathed, bending to kiss her, then moving his lips to the soft slope of her breast as he worked to unfasten the hooks at her back.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," she whispered, her head dropping back as she moaned softly, his tongue now circling her nipple, her bra discarded on the floor. She grasped at his hair as he sucked first one sensitive nub, then the other, into his mouth, sweetly torturing her with his tongue, and lips and gently with his teeth until she thought she would come apart beneath him.

Finally, he stood, and she reached for his jeans, her hands shaking slightly as she undid his button and slid the zipper down. His hand slipped under her skirt again, his fingers pressing up against her damp panties, and he growled softly, rubbing hard against her as she squirmed. "Sam," she whispered as his fingers made their way under the fabric, and first one finger, then two slipped inside as she bucked against him.

He pulled at her panties with his other hand, bending to whisper in her ear. "Let's get these off," and he reluctantly removed his fingers to pull them down, stepping back only long enough to remove them and toss them over his shoulder. He pulled his jeans and boxers down, sliding his hands up the inside of her thighs and opening her, ready to accept his throbbing length. He pushed himself in slowly, so slowly she thought she would die before he was finally engulfed in her welcoming heat, and her body clenched itself around him as she adjusted to his size.

Sam gripped her hips, pulling her almost off of the countertop, allowing him to slide almost fully out, causing a pleading, "Sam," from Lou, before he glided smoothly back in, taking Lou higher and higher until she was whimpering with the need for him to drive into her harder."Please," she whispered, and that was all it took to shake loose the rest of his restraint as he thrust into her, holding her hips to give himself the leverage he needed, and she cried out, shaking, as she felt her world explode around her. Sam followed a few seconds later, a loud growl escaping him as he pounded out his release, Lou clinging tightly to him, her nails digging into his back. He bent to kiss her gently, lazily, as they both came down together, until he finally pulled out and bent to pull his boxers and jeans back in place. She suddenly felt a little shy, holding her dress up in place over her breasts, and Sam bent to pick up his flannel shirt, helping her pull it on, then lifting her off of the counter.

"Mind if I take a shower?" he asked, running his fingers through Lou's hair gently as she avoided meeting his eyes.

"No, go ahead." She began to turn away, but Sam took her by the shoulders and bent to kiss her.

"Don't, Lou. Don't feel bad about this. Please."

"I just... This isn't something I do, what you must think of me right now..."

Sam put a finger beneath her chin and tilted her face up, and she reluctantly looked into his warm hazel eyes. "What I think of you, right now, is that you're amazing. And that we just offered some comfort to each other after a really awful day. And that you're way too beautiful to be living here alone. Why do you?"

Lou finished buttoning Sam's shirt and stepped out of her dress, kicking it aside. His shirt came to her knees anyway. She shrugged, going to the fridge for eggs and milk, cheese and ham, and setting them on the island in the middle of the room. "I don't know. Mostly too busy, I guess, and honestly..." She turned to look at Sam. "Honestly, there hasn't been anyone I've been remotely interested in for a long time. Not until tonight."

Sam's mouth curved in a crooked smile, his dimples deepening as he ducked his head, before stepping close to Lou and pulling her into his arms as he bent to kiss her, and then look deep into her amber eyes. "Same here." Then he turned to head for the shower, and she worked on whipping up some omelettes.


Lou sat at a table in the almost empty hospital cafeteria, her hands around a large cappuccino, staring into space. She mentally shook herself once again, for the hundredth time in the last two days, from daydreaming about Sam, and the night they had spent together. She was going to have to face it, she'd most probably never see him again.

Oh, hell, it was break time, anyway. She closed her eyes and let herself drift, remembering every kiss, and touch, and she felt heat in the pit of her belly just thinking about how he had looked when he had returned after his shower, his hair and chest still damp, his jeans hanging low on his hips.

The dishes had gotten left on the table after they ate that night, and Sam had risen from the table, sweeping her off her chair and into his arms, kissing her as he carried her to the bedroom. He had laid her on the bed, straddling her legs, unbuttoning the shirt she wore one button at a time, then bending to kiss and tongue and gently suck at whatever newly revealed flesh was there. His hands had traced over every inch of her, followed by his lips, and when he had settled himself between her legs, and his tongue...

She opened her eyes, glancing around her, wondering if she had made the noise in her mind out loud. "You are losing it, girl," she scolded herself, taking a drink of her coffee, then standing up to leave. She turned and walked directly into a wall...well, at least that was her first impression, but as she looked up she met the warm hazel eyes that she had just seen in her daydreams. "Sam?" She smiled, shaking her head. "What are you doing here?"

He grinned, and she felt that falling elevator sensation in her belly at the sight of those dimples and that bright smile. "My brother, got his hand cut up pretty bad and needed some stitches. I just came down to get us some coffee and saw you sitting there." He bent and brushed a kiss across her cheek, and she felt herself blush.

"I was just thinking about you," she admitted, and another crooked smile curved his lips.

"Yeah. I've been doing a lot of thinking about you, too," he said, shoving his hand into his pocket to keep from touching her, which was what he was itching to do. Several nurses had just gotten in line to pick up their evening meal, and Lou smiled to herself as they eyed Sam's tall frame, a couple of them whispering and opening ogling him.

"Sam, let's find somewhere a little more private to talk, okay?" Lou said quietly, and he glanced at the group of women before accompanying her, his hand on the small of her back, which drew a few jealous glances. She knew where there were a couple of empty patient rooms in her wing, and she stepped into the elevator. There was a couple in there with a small child, and she smiled and greeted them, giving them directions to the area they were looking for. They got off on the next stop, and then she and Sam were alone. He wasted no time, bending to kiss her as he pulled her close, and she reeled at the feelings that flooded through her. He kissed her until the elevator slowed, then pulled back and stepped away as the doors opened, letting several people in.

They finally made it to her floor, and she led him down a maze of hallways until they reached her area. There was a surgery prep room at the end of the hall, and she glanced quickly at the chart outside the door to make sure there was nothing scheduled. It was late in the day anyway, and nothing but emergencies happened after about three anyway. There was no one down at this end of the wing, and she glanced around, then pulled him into the empty room, sliding the glass door closed and locking it from the inside, pulling the shades. Sam had her in his arms before she could move away, his lips on her neck, whispering her name. "What am I doing?" she thought to herself, while she could still think, and then she was lost in the sensations he was evoking in her.

There was no bed in the room, but somehow she didn't think Sam considered that an obstacle. There was an oversized recliner that patients sat in while they were waiting for their surgeries, and little else. Sam took her hand and drew her with him as he sat down on the edge of the large chair, pulling her between his legs and lifting her scrub top over her head. He had her bra off in a matter of seconds, and then pulled her onto his lap, straddling his legs. She pulled his shirt off over his head, then pressed herself against him, skin to skin, as she kissed him with everything she had, his hand in her hair holding her in place as his other hand fumbled with the ties of her scrub pants.

He finally managed to get them loose, and picked her up by her waist, setting her to her feet as he undid his jeans, lowering them and his boxers as he sat back on the edge of the chair. She dropped the scrubs to the floor, then Sam pulled her close, slipping his fingers into the top of her panties and sliding them down, sharply inhaling as she ran her fingers along his length. She looked into his eyes, breathing hard, and put her hands on his thighs, lowering herself to her knees, her tongue darting out to wet her lips before she took him into her mouth, her tongue teasing at the tip, and Sam fought to keep quiet, gripping the arms of the chair so tightly that his knuckles were white. She sucked at him, raising and lowering her head, taking him in as far as she could and using her hand to stroke the rest, until he grabbed her shoulders almost roughly and pulled her up, then lifted her and lowered her onto him. She held her breath for a moment, afraid to move, he felt so large inside her, and then she felt herself relax a little, accepting him, surrounding him, and she bit her lip hard to keep from moaning.

She shifted her body, just a little, but it was enough to shred the last vestiges of Sam's restraint, and he bucked up into her, grasping her hips and helping her to move with his rhythm, and she leaned into him as he thrust harder and harder, biting his shoulder to muffle her cries, and as they came undone together, he let out a long, low groan, unable to hold it in any longer. He collapsed back into the chair, Lou clinging to him, their bodies slick with sweat and trembling as their hearts pounded, slowly returning to normal as they sat there, exhausted.

Once they managed to move again, they dressed and Lou walked Sam back to the elevators, giving him directions back to the ER. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm, touching his tongue to it for a moment, and Lou felt herself melt again, her eyes closed for a moment before she stared up into his beautiful hazel eyes. "And now you leave, and I never see you again," she said softly. "Well, Sam, it's been amazing. I'll never forget you."

Sam smiled slowly, then bent to kiss her lips softly. "Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry about that, Lou. I plan to travel through here again. Hopefully soon. If that's okay with you."

"Oh, that's more than okay with me." He had his hand on her face, his thumb gently stroking her cheek.

"Good. If I'm nearby, I'll give you a call." He bent to kiss her one last time, then sighed and shook his head. "Well, I'd better get back. Dean's probably ready to kill me." He stepped onto the elevator, smiling as she stepped back. "I'll be seeing you next time," he said softly as the doors closed, and Lou sighed softly, turning to head back down the hall.