Sam was crossing the floor to the kitchen for a drink of water when the knock sounded at the front door, surprising her almost as much as the quick skip of a heartbeat. Masking the excitement that had been steadily building as the time grew closer, she was betrayed when an involuntary smile rose from within her anyway, the moment she laid eyes on his tall frame leaning against the frame. Appreciative eyes roved her face and Sam could feel the heat multiply.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself. Didn't we say seven?"

She moved aside to allow him entrance when he pushed himself upright and took a step forward.

"We did."

Hands thrusted inside his jeans pockets, he tilted his head slightly. "Not that I mind you in any state of undress whatsoever, but you'll need to dress warmer than that." The slinky shorty robe parted slightly to hint at treasures beneath.

"Well, since you didn't bother to tell me where we're going I figured I'd wait for you to show up to see how I should dress."

Nodding doubtfully, he followed when she turned towards the stairs. "Whatever you say. It's not like you're just running late as usual, I'm sure."

She'd forgotten how well he knew some things about her even while he'd forgotten others. After a quick chastising look back, Sam ambled up the stairs to get ready, descending minutes later in jeans and a long sleeve black tee to match his attire sine he wouldn't tell her anything. Jason was waiting by the door with her scarf and jacket in hand.

"Gotta button you up - it's cold."

She pushed her arms through the jacket he held open for her then lifted her long lochs over the collar. "It's almost Spring and we're not going to be outside for long, are we?"

Instead of answering he opened the door and guided her out.

"Jason, where exactly are we going?"

Pushing the button for the elevator, he answered calmly, "For a ride." That was all she got out of him until she got to the garage and realized he was riding the bike.

"Are we taking my car?"

He got on and held an helmet back to her. "Nope."

"Jason, it's freezing. We can't ride your bike in this weather."

"You said it yourself…it's almost Spring. It's not that cold and where we're going, the view is much better from the bike. Are you getting chicken on me?"

After slipping the helmet in place, she climbed behind him and looped her arms around his waist. "If it's chicken to not want to die of pneumonia or have my face freeze in place from ninety mile whipping wind, then yea - I guess I am."

"Well, don't worry - I promise to keep you very warm."

When he exited town not long after and steered them towards the woods, it was all familiar for awhile but he then took a tiny road she didn't know. Her body leant snugly into him and her head rested at his back, while gloved fingers splayed softly at his waist. It was cold but not unbearably, and the unevenness of the road slowed them as Sam listened to the quiet, relishing the feeling of being truly alone together, blissfully reminiscent of so many rides spent just like this. When he stopped the bike at the beginning of a path that went on into a cluster of trees and brushes, she alighted and marveled at the solitude around them.

"Where the heck are we?"

He followed and took her by one hand, taking her helmet with the other to rest it on the seat of the bike, asking with a soft squeeze, "Do you trust me?"

"Without hesitation." She smiled at dancing blue eyes that were pleased with her answer. "Yes!"

"Good. We're about a mile that way." His head jerked in the direction of the trees as he squeezed her fingers again and began to pull her with him.

"So we brave the cold on bike-back into the woods to go hiking? Oh, I can't wait for this." Mild skepticism tinged eager anticipation that was growing as she reached forward to clasp her hand over the one he held as he led her behind him then under an arm that wrapped her securely, a childlike excitement taking hold within her.

"Are you cold?" He rubbed a sleeved arm vigorously and pulled her closer.

"No, no, I'm fine. Just really curious and getting more so."

"Good. The short walk will warm you up but I promise to happily take care of it if that does't work."

"Oh, really? If the bears don't eat us first? When did you start coming to the woods at night?"

"I've actually only been here during the day but it was so beautiful I've wondered what it would look like at night. We could've waited until it got warmer but I wanted to show it to you tonight."

Hearing he wanted to share something he enjoyed with her brought the same warm feeling it always did in the past when he would let her into parts of him other people never got to see. "I'd go anywhere with you, day or night. Our son's tucked away at his grandmother's with his aunts spoiling him rotten, so he won't miss us for awhile even if we get eaten. But you could've warned me to wear hiking boots…these heels ain't exactly made for walkin."

He hadn't thought of that. Easy enough fix though. "Here…" he guided her behind him to climb onto his back, smiling when she giggled in the hoist and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're light as a feather, you know that?"

Rippled muscles caressed her arms as she locked her legs in place in front of him, and Sam had to admit she completely enjoyed her new perch and the view from up high. Their way was lighted by the half moon lending its ethereal beauty to the night.

"What's that sound?"

"You'll soon see."

Craning her neck to see up ahead, she gasped when they emerged from the trees. "Is that…?" She eased from his back to walk around in front of him, filled with wonder at his beautiful surprise. "A hot spring? Here?" She spun to face him. "How did you find this?"

"Same way I found the cabin the first time. I was on a ride and the trail was just familiar somehow, so I followed it and this is what I found."

"I had no idea." She was already removing the scarf, sending it falling to the ground to be closely followed by her jacket, top, boots and jeans. "You coming?" She walked to the very edge and dipped a toe in, pulling it back slowly as she reached behind her to unclasp the bra.

"Please…" Cool fingers replaced hers against her skin that tingled where they touched, "…allow me."

The clasp fell away and Sam turned to face him again as she lowered her arms to let the lacy fabric fall and her fingers followed his kneeling to push the matching panties to her ankles, her eyes never leaving his face as he wordlessly watched them flitter to the ground.

She was standing before him, naked and ravishingly beautiful to his hungry eyes, in the middle of nature, kissed by the moonlight and unfazed by the cold as she reached a hand out for him getting back up again. Jason guided her steps to the edge to let go and watch her dive in, disappearing for a few seconds before she resurfaced and laughed out loud.

"This is amazing! The water's wonderful - come on!"

But he couldn't move for the longest while. The picture she presented, radiating hotter than the steam coming off the water with the moonlight casting her in the softest glow, and he soon realized he just wanted to watch her. She looked happy and free and he loved seeing her this way.

"What are you waiting for? Come join me."

"I just want to stand here and look at you."

"But I'm lonely."

He watched her hands threading water as she dipped her chin to conceal a devilish grin and he soon found he was wearing one too.

"Well…" Already at the edge, he dropped his jacket and flipped the t-shirt over his head, "…can't have that."

The heat of the water kissed his skin when he joined her, reaching out simultaneously to her arms already wrapping his neck. Up close, with wet hair sleeked back from her face, Jason was reminded once again how overpoweringly striking she was. One hand traced her side beneath the water to pull her closer still, studying each contour, each feature that took his breath away.

"You're a beautiful woman, you know that?" The smile that widened and radiated from her only added to that allure.

"Flattery and a hot spring, Mr. Morgan, will get you everywhere." Squishing naked breasts to his hard chest, Sam brushed his ready lips with a soft kiss, lingering to trace slowly, before she eased back to search his face. "And it will definitely get you laid."

The smirk-smile appeared effortlessly. "Well…in that case…have I told you lately how smart, and sexy, and incredibly fierce you are?" The way her head fell back when she laughed out loud again delighted and aroused him.

"Careful. You don't want to lose that edge of truth."

"Never. That's only a few of the words that come to mind every time you do."

She felt so bubbly inside with a tingle now joining the mix to broaden the smile stuck on her face all night. She was happy and alone with the one man who knew her…knew what it truly meant since he'd always been the only one to elicit that rawness from her. When she kissed him again the night fell away, sounds of the woods and softly rippled water fell silent and she was floating in a mist that tickled her insides and emptied her mind. His lips burned where they touched and his tongue played idly with the roof of her mouth, leaving a trail around her tongue and the insides of her cheeks, plundering to own her like he did. When they left her mouth to lead him to a nipple, Sam moaned in ecstasy and pushed instinctively against the pull of her skin that filled his mouth. She was wet and not only on the outside anymore, groaning again when a finger found its way inside her, stroking the building heat that wanted it replaced by something much, much bigger. He was ahead of her in thought, planting himself at her entrance to push his way in with the next stroke of his tongue on her breast, moving in tandem to thrust her fully.

"Hm!" The mumble tickled her breast when he groaned against her skin then rested his forehead there and shook his head in wonder. "You always feel so fucking good!"

The pleasure building inside her set bells bursting in her head and her body energized by his sword, her legs wrapping tighter to dig her heels into his cheeks and hoist herself to find his lips. "Shut up and kiss me!"

Clamping down to meet her command, he took control of every part of her, grabbing her cheeks to pull against every stab to the meat of her, drawing gasping, erratic moans that sent her nails sinking into his back when the orgasm built to a crescendo then shattered her belly, pulling him with her in a grip so tight it fired the hard slam to spasm his cum inside her.

Again Sam was floating, light, silvery, soft. She opened her eyes slowly to find blue scrutiny smiling at the bliss she was exuding, knowing he deserved however cocky he felt at her obvious state of pleasure, freely giving the praise he'd fully earned.

"That's how I want to keep you all the time - happy and satisfied. From now on, Sam Morgan, it's the only way you're allowed to be."

"Is that a command, Mr. Morgan?"

"It is…and I know you have trouble obeying, but you have no choice…I'm putting my foot down."

"Keep this up and I won't even notice. You've been unbelievably…"

"Unbelievably? Oh, I'll make a believer out of you before the night's out. Let's go." Turning from her, Jason waded towards their discarded clothing.

"We're done? But it feels so good in here and it's cold out there." She splashed water in his direction for emphasis on the pouty last word.

Already half dressed, Jason quickly pulled his shirt on and retrieved her clothes from the ground. "Who said anything about being done? We're just getting started baby, but you have to get out to see the rest."

Intrigued, Sam was still smiling when she followed his lead, allowing him to help her dress and stuff her feet inside the boots. She wrung the water from her hair that was fast getting cold.

"Wet hair on the back of a bike in the snow - for sure now I'm getting pneumonia."

Jason took her hand and started moving. "There's no snow - not yet - and what happened to trusting me?"

When she noticed he was moving off to the side of the clearing and away from the direction they'd come, she looked around him puzzled.

"Sorry - I think I forgot for a second in the cold reality of winter. Where are you taking me now? Why exactly are we going further into the woods?"

Before he could answer, they'd passed the new set of trees and exited to another clearing, where Sam gasped again. There was a tent set up before them and logs ready for a fire. "Jason, what's this?" He was pulling her past the logs over to the tent, where he grabbed hold of the zipper to open for entry.

"Winter camping. Time to get padded Morgan - we're spending the night under the sky." His head nudged upwards and Sam followed his gaze, hers fixing on the riveting night sky loaded with brilliant stars, that thing about being out in nature that made them appear brighter and closer than any city view, bursting on her senses.

"Oh, Jason!" The awed whisper was all she could manage before he was pulling her inside the tent, where he released her hand to find the lantern he quickly lit to brighten their room for the night.

He had everything inside the tent - a stacked cooler, warm layers of clothing with mittens and hats and extra socks. The double sleeping bag set in one corner looked inviting and Sam was about to dive for it to warm up when Jason stopped her.

"Not yet…let's layer you up."

She took the navy down jacket and long johns he held out to her and smiled at him unzipping her jacket to push if from her shoulders. "You went shopping for me?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Touching her shoulder as the jacket fell, he turned her back to him to rub her damp strands with a towel.

"You at the mall is very surprising."

"I don't even think I know where the mall is. No, Maxie may be the most talkative annoyance I've ever met in my life, but she can be pretty resourceful."

"And sneaky, apparently. She didn't say a word to me." She stood obediently allowing him to rub her hair dry.

"People generally don't when they're asked not to ruin a surprise."

"This is not the kind of surprise with Maxie's name on it…she didn't try to talk you out of bringing me camping?"

"Oh, she was horrified I wanted to bring you out here, much less in winter. My ears are still wringing from that lecture."

"Little did she know she was talking to the one person more stubborn than she is."

"Look who's talking? Who's more stubborn than you are?" When her gear was on he layered himself then pulled the wooly hat over her head and pulled the flaps to cover her cold ears. "Let's go."

Sam followed his exit from the tent where he wheeled the cooler close to the piled heap of logs. "What - no more hiking?" But he was already kneeling to make the fire that he got going in a couple minutes, stoking it to blazing glory.

"Hungry?"

From her perch on the stump near the dancing flames, Sam held her mittened hands to the welcome warmth. "I could eat."

And eat she did. As she savored strong black coffee from the mug cupped between hands that were now as toasty as the rest of her, Sam smiled at her personal chef in appreciation. She'd expected hotdogs on a stick when he offered dinner, not the gourmet steak tips and Italian herb red potatoes swimming in melted butter he brought from the cooler and warmed over the fire.

"That was delicious - and that was not camping food, by the way."

Jason smirked as he spread the embers and teased the fiery blaze. "We went camping alot?"

"Nope. Never." Sam took a sip then shook a forefinger in conjunction with her head, "Wait, I take that back…we did get stuck in the woods one night after we blew up a van of contraband."

He froze with the stick he'd been using on the fire to stare at her in a daze. "I beg your pardon?"

Laughing off his initial expression of shock, Sam regaled the night she'd broken into the Lopez' warehouse trying to get evidence that they'd burned down a Zacara warehouse that a dirty cop was trying to blame on him.

"You did what?" Somehow he was surprised and not. It surprised him everytime he learned of something daring she'd tackled head-on, guns blazing…right before he remembered that's the woman he'd come to know. "You took on armed thugs by yourself, to prove my innocence?"

"Well, to be fair, I didn't go in looking for a confrontation. The plan was to get in, get the proof we needed to clear you and get out before they knew I was even there."

"So what went wrong?"

"Plenty. Which part do you want to hear first - the part where I had to hide on a shelf when they heard the noise I made, or when I hid in the back of the van they were about to leave in, because I hadn't yet gotten anything incriminating enough, or the part where we barely got out of there when they opened fire at us trying to scale a fence?" A wide smile broke across her face when the look of astonishment grew instead of dissipate. "As you can see, we got outta there…but we thought for sure we were caught when a cop pulled up on us in the stolen van loaded with the stolen goodies, and offered to change the tire for you."

"Wh-a-t?" Jason was laughing now too. He always knew she was far from boring but he apparently had no real idea. "How are you not traumatized by the life you've had, Sam?"

Shrugging and gazing into the lapping flames, Sam thought for a moment before meeting his eyes again. "I used to think I didn't have a thing to ever thank Cody McCall for - he was a lazy, thieving drunk who'd sell his own mother for a pack of smokes - but years of neglect and being used to clear his debts taught me to think on my feet and work my way through anything. Some of life's lesson's were cold, I admit it - but I learned a few things! And then I met you and got to live that wonderful life I had with you - I could face anything after that!"

"Wonderful life? Every other day I find out one more way I almost got you killed. You should have gone running for the hills a long time ago!"

"That's because you don't remember how good we had it, baby. Unfortunately, it's not the first time you forgot and tried to leave me because of it…but we agreed a long time ago that it was the last. You promised to always respect my right to choose, and I chose to be with you."

He studied her silently, her quiet acceptance and soft, yet thundering assurance, saying so very much. "And I'm quite certain I chose to be with you." The soft words rang resoundingly truthful to his ears. He'd choose her a billion times over!

Sam nodded, her eyes never leaving his. "Damn right you did. It was you and me, Morgan…and they didn't come any better."

"I can tell. Still, just how many times did I have you dodging bullets and running from crazy people who sought you out to get to me?"

"Oh, you don't wanna go there - we'll be here all night!"

Jason grunted out loud. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Seriously, Sam - you never tried to talk me out of living like that? I never thought to give you a better life?"

"The one we had was pretty damn perfect, Jason! It was spectacular!" The tone of her voice took on an involuntary edge that she quickly tried to ease. "Look, don't assume the worse about yourself all the time…it pisses me off."

His eyes widened in surprise, her previous tone having caught him that way too. "Why?"

"Because you're taking away from how great you are by choosing to believe the worse. Change your mindset dammit…it's time, don't you think?"

Jason jabbed at the fire that didn't need stoking but gave his hands something to do and his troubled eyes somewhere to land. "I'm trying. It's not always that easy."

When his words echoed empty and hung with doubt, Sam knew what she needed to do. "Fine. Campfires are made for storytelling, so pull your stump up, Jason Morgan…this is the story…of your life...but first, what else is in that cooler? We're going to need something stronger than coffee for this."