Reading really wasn't that entertaining. It was a lot of work: a lot of focus and time. Sam, at least, had the latter in heaps and baskets. It was the former that eluded her. She flipped over to a new page, hoping maybe something there would catch her eye. Maybe something resembling a plot. Not surprisingly there was nothing but meaningless words to greet her. Sighing, she closed the trashy paperback romance novel and sat up, tossing it carelessly on the table.

The pent house felt particularly empty that late afternoon. It wasn't unusual for Jason to be away from the house at this time, considering his employment, but this was different. Jason wasn't just down at the docks or over at Sonny's, he was out of the state. Out of the country. She didn't know how to contact him, and she had at least three days before he got back.

But that was the price she had to pay for being involved with someone in the mob. For all she knew he might not even come home at all. She shook her head. Bad train of thought. Standing, she admitted to herself that she understood the limits of personal and professional life. There were some things she wasn't allowed to know about. She could deal with that, theoretically.

She just missed him. A lot.

That was one of the many things that surprised her about falling in love. She missed him every moment he was out of her sight. Some times it wasn't even a conscious thing. It was like this pressure in her chest the settled when she wasn't watching and remained there, aching with every beat of her heart, until Jason's blue eyes captured her and his warm, soothing voice filled her ears. Then it would lift like a weight as he lifted her from the floor, his strong arms around her waist, their lips connected in a classic, almost routine but never cliché expression of their feelings.

She leaned back on the sofa, putting her feet up and resting her head on the arm, staring up at the ceiling without actually seeing the color or texture. Jason filled her mind, and she found it far more interesting than the book, to be sure. She closed her eyes and slipped recklessly into her fantasy, a smile creeping across the fine features of her face.

While she mused and drifted towards sleep the front door eased open and closed without a single creak. Dress-shoed feet crossed the entryway silently, foot steps muffled only by practiced stealth. He saw her resting on the sofa, looking angelic with a smile that seemed to not only light the room, but lend to the sun outside. Slowly he eased himself into a kneel beside the sofa, wanting to touch her but unwilling to rouse her from her blissful daydream because it would mean losing that priceless expression.

Jason couldn't help but smile at her. His original plan had been to surprised her in a mean way, startling her from behind when she least expected it. This moment was perfectly set up, but he didn't have the heart. Now all he wanted to do was kiss her. He bent over her, his face a breath away from hers, his lips brushing hers with tantalizing softness. She let out a sigh, stirring gently, her eyes moving under her eyelids but she did not wake up.

He drew in a breath, tasting the sweetness of her skin as he did so. He kissed her cheek gently, barely perceptibly, then let his eyes wander down. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, her breathing deep and peaceful. Jason kissed the slender bend of her collarbone, following it with tender care to the center of her chest. He smiled and looked up as she moaned, her eyes fluttering as she mumbled something incoherent.

Jason smoothed his hand against her elegant cheek, brushing the familiar wave of her hair from her face and tucking it carefully behind her ear. He gave such attention to making sure he didn't wake her up, his eyes following the motions of his hand, he didn't notice her staring up at him, her eyes glistening with a smile.

She took his face in her hands, placing either one on each side of his chin, and guided his lips to hers. He looked surprised for a moment, but soon lost himself to the kiss, his hands lost in her thick, beautiful hair. She pulled back, bowing her head slightly so that their foreheads were touching without opening her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She exhaled, suddenly aware that she couldn't catch her breath. Jason found himself in the same situation, his lungs screaming at him while he was unable to do anything to appease them. He swallowed hard.

"I finished business early. I wanted to surprise you…"

Sam sat up, moving her legs so that he could sit on the sofa with her, instead of teetering on the edge. He complied, putting his arm around her shoulder so that she could lean on him. She let her ear rest against his rib cage so that the beating of his heart acted as a soothing drum beneath their conversation.

"You did surprise me," she said, her voice low and tranquil.

"Wow. You're easy."

"Just what every girl wants to hear," She looked up at him coyly, keeping her chin on his chest. He found her impossibly adorable, and he couldn't resist the urge to lean forward and kiss her. It turned out far more passionately than even he anticipated, his hand on the back of her head to keep her with him. She needed no coaxing, giving herself to him by wrapping her lithe arms around his neck and pulling herself up. They fell back onto the sofa, Sam on top of him.

He broke the kiss by putting his hand against her cheek and easing her back. She looked at him in surprise.

"You're really distracting," he said, moving so that she had to climb off of him. He stood, fixing his tie, and Sam, staring at him while slightly irritated, finally noticed his clothes. Thought slightly ruffled from their encounter, he look sharp in a newly pressed and fitted tailored black suit. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, because Jason wasn't Jason if he was uncomfortable, while his sleeves were neatly cuffed.

Sam stood up to meet him, suddenly feeling underdressed in her own home, her pajamas nondescript and, in the presence of such a handsome and clean cut man, completely embarrassing. Her ears and nose slightly red, she nodded at his get up.

"What's with the suit?"

Jason smiled at her, his clear blue eyes bright with hidden intention. He waved his hand nonchalantly and shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe if you get dressed you'll find out."

"Taking me somewhere?"

"No, I just want us to look nice when we have sex. Come on." He took her playfully by the air and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist and hoisting her up. He carried her effortlessly to the stairs and placed her down, motioning for her to go to their bedroom, "put on something pretty. I don't want to be waiting all night, okay?"

Sam grinned at him, eager to know what he had planned. She hurried upstairs and changed as orders, finding a simple, yet incredibly bewitching red dress to slip into. She felt blessed to have just showered, her hair still slightly damp and easy to style. She ran it through a curler so it fell in black waves around her shoulders, some of it secured back in a clip. When she was finished putting herself together, some twenty minutes after Jason shooed her out of the living room, she descended the stairs.

Jason was waiting for her, watching her lovingly as she took the stairs carefully in her heels. He offered her a rose when she reached him, kissing her forehead. She smiled at him, her eyes telling him to be careful with the romance, or they might not make it out of the house and his little joke would become reality. Jason, seemingly understanding this, produced her coat and helped her into it, taking his time slipping it over her subtle shoulders.

"Where are we going?"

"Just come with me and don't ask me questions." He took her by the hand and walked her out of the penthouse, down to his car that was waiting on the street. He helped her into the passenger side, then got behind the wheel. He drove for a while, looking at the clock at every red light, and glancing at the sun at every stop sign. Soon they were near the park and Jason parked the car. Sam followed his example and got out of the car, looking mystified.

Jason grinned at her, a surprise in and of itself. He offered her his hand and when she accepted it he tugged her towards him, spinning her around with a dancers grace so that she came to a stop with her back against his chest. She craned her head to look at him, ask him what the hell he thought he was doing, and a black blindfold cut her vision.

"Jason!" She laughed, wiggling uncomfortably as he pinned her arms, knowing she would try to take the cloth from her eyes.

"Just trust me," he said into her ear. She acquiesced and let him lead her slowly through the park. She couldn't imagine where they were going, her bearings completely thrown off. They came to a stop after what she considered a good hike and Jason left her. She didn't dare to move, unsure as to what was going on, "don't take it off yet, okay?"

Sam nodded and let Jason do whatever it was he needed to. He came back to her a few minutes later, his gentle touch surprising her as he untied the blindfold and let it slip down from her hazel eyes. She found it much darker than she recalled when they set out, the sun slowly disappearing over the horizon. But that was only a fleeting recognition, the sight before her far more captivating.

Jason moved to stand beside her, as if he was worried she might need some support. The area, a small clearing surrounded be trees, was beautiful. There was a gazebo in the center, which Sam was sure didn't belong there. It was carved from a deep cherry wood, decorated with small white lights crawling up the sides like ivy on lattice. Inside there was a table set for two, a dinner already waiting. Candles were burning and champagne was on ice nearby. Just in beyond the gazebo was an area covered with some sort of temporary floor, a CD player sitting on a table. Even the trees surrounding the area were in on the plan, glistening like a canopy of stars in the reddening light of the setting sun.

Sam couldn't say anything for a long time, and Jason began to worry. He looked at her, unsure what to do. He wasn't used to playing the romantic boyfriend, though he tried harder than he would like to admit. He wasn't even sure if Sam would like this sort of thing. He turned to her, taking his hands in his.

"Sam?"

"It's beautiful," she said, snapping out of her trance and looking up at her fiancé with watery eyes. Jason caressed her cheek delicately with the tips of his fingers.

"You had me worried. It's not everyday that you're speechless."

Sam elbowed him in the stomach playfully and took a step forward, keeping her hands in his and pulling him with her. He followed and wasn't surprised when she passed the dinner setting completely and stepped out onto the dance floor. She released him, leaving him standing in the gazebo, as she did a graceful turn. Jason smiled, walking to the CD player and pressing play. Music filled the settling night air and he stepped towards her almost hesitantly, like she might not accept his invitation.

She stepped towards him, letting him hook his arm around her side as she slipped her hands up his back and rested her cheek against his chest. She loved dancing with him because he was so tall compared to her. It somehow felt like they were built perfectly to meet each other in a slow dance. He let his head bow next to hers, the scent of her hair filling his senses as they swayed to and fro to the music.

They moved in perfect harmony, both slowing to a stop in the middle of a song to look each other in the eyes and kiss under the stars. Jason hugged her to him tightly and she moved to her tops of her toes to make up for the height difference. He sighed and eased them back into the dance, running his hand through her hair.

"This is incredible, Jason," Sam said, savoring the heat that his body gave her, "you're incredible. Sometimes I think you're a dream, like earlier… because I can't possibly deserve you."

Jason kissed her cheek and took a step back as the song came to an end, looking her directly in the eyes, "I love you. More than anything. You don't have to deserve me, because that doesn't matter to me. All I care about is you, and as far as I'm concerned you're perfect. No matter what. There is nothing I'd rather be doing with my life than spending it with you."

Sam couldn't contain herself and jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss. He caught her, which was good because she had both her knees bent, feet in the air. One of her high heel shoes slipped off and fell to the floor with a thud, but neither noticed. Jason supported her like she was a feather, spinning her around in his arms as they kissed deeply. He let himself collapse with her on top of him to the soft wood flooring, the dinner waiting inside the gazebo getting cold.

Dinner, however, was the last thing on their minds.