Previously, in "Persuasive Guidance", Jess LaCroix has his first session with his daughter Tali's guidance counselor, Dr. Samantha Burnett.

Chapter Two

Loud, squealing peals of childish laughter fill the house as Juliet Valentine tells her three younger siblings and Tali LaCroix a funny story. Standing just inside the swinging saloon doors, in order to let his ears pick up on the sounds coming from the other room of Samantha Burnett's home, is Tali's father Jess. "It's wonderful to hear and see her laughing and smiling with kids around her age," Jess comments, speaking backwards over his shoulder, before turning partially in the doorway when Samantha makes a humming sound in response.

A smile also tugs at the corner of Samantha's lips, however, a gesture that pools every bit of desire Jess has down to his groin. "I think so too," Samantha replies.

Jess barely hears her response, the focus of his gaze solely on Sam's lip movement. A pair of lips so plump and made for kissing. Jess shakes off his impure thoughts about the woman watching him turn toward her, concern etched in her face. Jess waves off her concern and worry before lowering his gaze to the tile floor in a tough effort, on his part anyway, to keep from wanting to kiss her. The timing of Samantha's oldest daughter peeking around the door is impeccably perfect as 15 year old Juliet says, "There's some man here and he says he's not leaving until he talks to Agent LaCroix."

Jess bites back several things he wants Juliet to give Byron LaCroix for his response. But…first things first, also known as the things he wants to get off his chest concerning Samantha. "Tell him I'll be outside in a moment." Juliet nods and disappears from the view of her mother and Jess. Tall and handsome Jess takes a few steps closer to Samantha, which she quickly notices from the corner of one eye, and lowers the tone of his voice a few octaves as he asks, "May I be so bold as to kiss you, Dr. Burnett?"

"Yes," Samantha is able to all but force from her mouth. And so, with an aching desire and longing creating frictional havoc in his groin, Jess takes hold of Samantha's upper arms. Bringing her closer, Jess bends his head ever so slowly closer to her own until his mouth is hovering above hers.

Samantha's hands grasp his cheeks between them and brings his lips closer. Without hesitation the redhead separates the distance that's between their faces and presses her lips to his with eager and earnest yet soft passion.

Jess matches her passion with his desire to claim her since the first email that appeared in his inbox, settling a hand in the area just between her waist and where it made a curving dip into her hipbone.

But then the swinging saloon doors squeak apart, causing Samantha to push Jess away. "You shouldn't keep your father waiting," she says with a soft voice and matching smile.

Jess returns the smile before departing from the kitchen, Samantha's lovely kitchen, slipping past a confused Juliet. The redheaded teenager approaches her mom. "Mom, are you okay? That looked like some kiss to start a dating relationship, or maybe to ebb some of that oozing sexual tension."

"Juliette Rose Valentine!" Samantha scolds her oldest daughter with a smirk and a slight shake of her head. "Honestly, I'm not sure if I should jump into a relationship so quickly after what happened with Allen. It just isn't the greatest option."

"Mom, you can't just give up! Especially since Tyler and Tali have helped bring you two together," Juliet says; speaking the last part in a mumbled, rushed tone.

For most of her life, Samantha had kept herself and her heart safe from any kind of heartbreak. And then Jubal ripped the rug out from underneath her, then Alan nearly attacked Juliet.

Swearing off men for a while nearly worked but then Samantha just had to be assigned to the LaCroix father-daughter duo. Yet a part of Samantha is looking forward to a potential future with Jess, after talking to a friend and colleague of hers about taking over as the grief counselor.

Now, with her heart and courage on her sleeve, Samantha braces herself for a rejection as her slender hand moves up to knock on the dark-painted door which belongs to the house Jess lives in. Samantha doesn't have to wait very long for someone, anyone, to answer her knock. Jess stands before Samantha and is just sticking his arm into the sleeve of his assorted dark-colored checker box flannel shirt. Stepping up into his bubble space, Samantha is quick in silencing whatever question is on Jess' mind by sealing her lips softly to his own. Jess' response to the unexpected kiss is a tad bit slow but he is quick to wrap his sleeveless arm around the back part of her shoulders. He spears his fingers through the locks of Samantha's dark red hair while the palm of his hand supports and cradles the back of Samantha's head as he probes his tongue gently against the seam of her lips.

Samantha grants him access with a soft moan as he takes steps backward to bring them both inside as one. Not a single word is spoken between them but then again maybe nothing really needs to be said while Jess quickly rids himself of his shirt without letting Samantha go. He, and she, leave behind a trail of clothing in the hallway that Jess mentally promises to pick up before the sun comes up.

Moments, though it could have been longer than that, later Jess finds himself laying flat on his back with Samantha's slender hands pressed against his chest to keep him there. Not that Jess minded. He loved that Samantha had taken the first step because it mean he didn't have to be the one who did.

Samantha's upper body bends with her as she moves to kiss Jess softly on the forehead but he takes matters into his own hands and gently cups her cheeks, bringing her face down a little. "If I didn't know any better, Dr. Burnett, I'd tell you that you were a tease."

"It truly wasn't my intention. I apologize," she murmurs. "Shall we continue?"

"Yes," Jess replies in a hoarse tone, bringing her face closer. It didn't take very long for the heat and tension to build up and intertwine. Beads of sweat have started to form by the time Jess' teeth mark a trail of soft, sensual nips along the flesh of Samantha's fair-skinned neck. That, along with the gentle caresses of his fingertips gracing the top of Samantha's collarbone before retreating in order to return to squeezing the area just above her buttocks, has Samantha letting out a muttered protest which Jess can barely hear. Jess lifts his head to look at her in confusion. "I didn't catch that, Doc. Did you say something?"

"'Now who's the one teasing' is what I'd said," Samantha replies. Jess merely grins in triumph, making Samantha shake her he head. "Laugh all that you want to, Agent LaCroix, but we both know what I really want…and that's you."

Jokingly Jess replies, "Is that so, Doc? I never would've thought or sus…" The rest of Jess' light and humorous sentence is cut short by a slender hand clamping onto his mouth. Playfully Jess removes it and grins at Samantha once more. "Where were we?"

"Right … about … here," Samantha replies in a whisper-soft tone before connecting, fusing, their mouths together by a caress of the same manner she'd spoken in. It wasn't very long after that their kisses gain intensity and heat as Jess' hands tremble while he's tearing open the outer part of a condom wrapper. Samantha moves both hands up to ever so gently take his with the softest of touches. "Let me?"

Jess nods his permission; watching through a lust-filled gaze as Samantha's strong, delicate hands unwrap the condom from its outside wrapper. After that task is complete, Samantha sits up a little to allow Jess a moment to roll the material of the condom over the length of his erection and readjusts Samantha's position on top of him.

With only a few movements, Jess is soon rocking back and forth; his groin pressed perfectly against Samantha's bottom. She lets free a sound that sort of stumbles out of her mouth, preparing to lower her head toward his shoulder.

But Jess' hand is quicker than Samantha is; gently capturing her chin in a tender, cradling touch. "Look at me," he says in a gentle voice spoken with a thick accent. "Place your hands on my shoulders and hold on for the wildest ride of your life."

Samantha does as he asks, placing her slender hands on his shoulders while gazing directly into his eyes, a mixture between hazel and green blue. Within moments Samantha moans in ecstasy from the way Jess is alternating back and forth between long, deep and thorough kisses to her lips and gentle nips of his teeth tugging at Samantha's bottom lip.

Soon after the diamond-hard tips of Samantha's nipples rub up against Jess' equally hard and muscular chest, both of them still covered in a sheer layer of sweat. Samantha's moans of ecstasy and passion stay in perfect sync with the grunts that come from Jess' throat and chest as their bodies move in perfect rhythm. "Jess! Oh, Jess!"

"Samantha…" The hoarse manner in which Jess speaks her full name has Samantha reaching the peak of her orgasm first with a loud, stuttered moan. "Cum for me, Samantha."

"Yes. Oh, Jess, I love you," Samantha blurts out before clapping her hand over her mouth when the realization of what she'd said hit her with a swift wave.

"You can't take it back now, Doc, so don't even think about it," Jess tells her in a half scolding, half teasing tone.

Samantha only smiles in response, inwardly feeling more awkward about what she'd said.

Early the next morning Jess goes to collect the clothes he and Samantha made a trail of from the hallway's edge all the way to his bedroom interior.

But he pauses by the couch upon seeing his niece Charlotte, whom Clinton and Abby called Charley, before she turns to run back outside while yelling out to someone outside.