Mercedes glanced around the full bar and felt Sam's eyes on her. She had felt him the last few days but still hadn't located him. Once the crowds started to die down, she let her manager take over and went to the back to finish up payroll for that week.

"I thought you weren't leaving New York."

Mercedes sighed. "You know why I left? My dad fell, and I had to make sure she was okay; it kind of paid off with Sam coming here. Even if he won't show himself."

"If you know he's here, why won't you seek him out? He doesn't chase anyone, so the fact that he's here says a lot." Quinn said, appearing on her desk.

"There is no proof that he is here, just a little feeling."

"A feeling that can't deny. I see the effect he has had on you."

"What effect? I left. I am chasing a different angle to find you; Artie thinks he got a lead; there was a photo of you in Cleveland. You were close to home but didn't bother coming to see me."

"And what would I have said?"

"That you went to see your father, maybe got some answers; he said you asked him why he hurt you. Why he couldn't be the father, you needed."

Quinn picked up a paperweight and sighed. "And he spouted nonsense about loving me but being unable to control his anger. He hated you for taking me away."

"Hate me all he wants; I protected you from him; I could have protected you from this, whatever the mess is, Q."

"Do you usually talk to yourself?"

Mercedes looked up and swallowed as she took in the man who had been on her mind since she left New York. "Sam." She breathed. Shaking it off, she cleared her throat, subtly grabbing her ear pod from her pocket. "I gotta go. I will call you later." She said, pretending to be on the phone. Going under her hair and pretending to pull the pod from her ear, she took a breath. "Why are you here?"

"Unfortunately for me, I couldn't get you out of my mind. So I wanted to see you."

She cut her eyes at him as she closed her ledger. "You have been here almost a week; why choose right now to see me?"

Sam smiled. "So that connection wasn't just me, and you felt it too? Good to know."

Mercedes ran her hands through her hair. "You told me to leave, and I did; why fly to Ohio just to bother me?"

Sam walked around her office. "This is a pretty cool bar; it seems like you have a little bit of everyone showing up."

Mercedes folded her arms across her chest. "When my father started the bar, he wanted to be inclusive, and I adapted that concept. Now answer my question, why are you here?"

Sam shook his head. "That's not how this works." He walked over to her, pulling her up from her seat, and sat down, sitting her on his lap.

"I am not doing this with you." She said, trying to get up, but Sam held her next to him.

"I didn't say you could move." He turned her face to his. "Why did you leave New York?"

"You kicked me out and told me to leave while I stood naked in your place; I didn't think there was anything left for me." She said, giving him half the truth.

Sam moved her hair from her face. "Every time I think I have perfected your beauty in my mind, I lay eyes on you and realize that you are far too beautiful for my mind to comprehend."

Mercedes laughed. "Yeah, that line might work on other women, but I am not some self-diluted debutant who can be swayed by pretty words."

Sam brushed his lips over her ear. "Trust me, I know you aren't. They don't taste nearly as good as you."

Mercedes closed her eyes, trying not to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had affected her. "Sam, is there a reason you are here?"

He turned her face towards his and searched her eyes. "I needed to see you. Wanted to see you. You have got this hold on me; no one ever has. Which makes you dangerous. But I can't seem to get you out of my mind."

"That sounds like a personal problem." She said, finally breaking his hold and getting off his lap.

"Come off, your tough woman, act Mercedes. You want me; I can see it." He said, standing. "I can feel it."

"I don't care! I…you sent me away, so what the hell do you want from me!"

Sam stalked towards her and cupped her face in his palms, placing a bruising kiss on her lips. "You." He said, kissing her again. "I just want you." He backed her up against the wall, running his hands down her ruffled top and to the top of her jeans, unbuttoning them.

Mercedes wanted to fight it; everything about this was wrong; she and Sam were not supposed to be together, and she was only getting to know him so she could find out what had happened to Quinn. So why could all she think about when she was near him was being with him.

Sam moved his lips to her neck as he tugged down her jeans, exposing her lower half in the best way. His hands traveled towards her backside as she moaned, unbuttoning his slacks. Maybe they just needed to get out of each other's systems, or maybe she could lure him in with sex and tie him, making sure that he told her the truth.

"I want you more than I have ever wanted anyone in my life. You're so beautiful." He said, kissing her again as he lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist. "I am clean, and I know you are; you just had a check-up, and I would very much like to fuck you raw, Ms. Jones. I need to feel all of you."

His cock brushed her lower lips, and she shuttered. "Ho-how do you know?"

He sucked her bottom lip, teasing her against the door. "I did my research when I searched for you. Tell me I can have you…Tell me now, Mercedes."

"You can have me, Sam…get inside of me now before I change my mind." She demanded.

Sam laughed. "It's cute you think you are in charge here. Let me show you why women call me big man."

Mercedes was about to protest when he pushed the tip inside of her. "Oh my Go-!" She gripped his shoulders as he continued to move until he filled her completely.

"It really has been over a year since a man's taken care of you, hasn't it?"

Mercedes rolled her hips against his. "It's not fair that you know so much about me, but I don't know anything about you."

Sam shook his head. "Now? Like right this second, when I am about to make you feel really good, you want to have this conversation?"

Mercedes shrugged. "Just answer me this, and I will let you please me all you want. When was the last time you were in a relationship? You had sex?"

Sam sighed as he slowly thrust into her. "That's two answers. I haven't been in a relationship in a year, not since Qu- not since my ex left me, but I haven't had sex in longer than that; I haven't really wanted to, until now."

Mercedes stared at him; she didn't even have to wonder if he was telling the truth; she knew he was. She moved her hands from his shoulders, wrapping them around his neck.

"The man six months ago, I almost fell asleep; it was that bad. You are already miles ahead of him." She said, kissing him as she pulled him impossibly further inside of her with her thighs.

"Hold on tight, baby," Sam said as he gripped her ass with one hand and braced himself on the wall with the other. He thrust hard and fast, kissing her hungrily as she tugged his short hair. "Fuck, you feel incredible."

"Oh, Sam! Don't stop, I'm so… keep…." Her head fell back as he thrust up with a curve, so he brushed her clit with every motion.

"You wanna cum for me, don't you?"

"Uh-huh." She mumbled as he moved faster.

"I want to hear the words, say it, say you wanna cum for me!" He commanded.

"I wanna cum for you, Sam!" She cried out, feeling herself move closer to the edge.

"He really is good at that, isn't he?" Quinn smirked from Mercedes's desk.

"OH MY GOD!" Mercedes yelped, seeing Quinn.

"That's right, I feel you pulsing for me, baby; I'm so close." Sam smiled, kissing her neck.

"The man may be an asshole, but his dick was magic; shame I didn't get to have one last ride." She laughed. "But I see you are enjoying it."

Mercedes held on to Sam, trying to ignore Quinn, but she couldn't blink her away as Sam thrust faster.

"You are definitely a brave one; I would have never let him touch me without a condom…then again, he never offered." She sighed. "He must have it bad for you. I don't know why but neither do you. So the question is, are you having sex with him for you or for me?"

Mercedes closed her eyes as Sam came, kissing a trail up her neck.

"Close your eyes all you want. I am still here. You are feeling guilty for fucking Sam, knowing he was mines first. But as he told you, I left him. So should you really feel guilty? Look at you, using me to rationalize if you should invite him upstairs or make him leave. Don't kick him out on my account. I am enjoying the show.

"I'm staying the night," Sam said as he put her down, reaching for her jeans and handing them to her. "Invite me upstairs."

"Go ahead; you are so good at doing what he says." Quinn taunted.

Mercedes stared at him, hesitating, and he kissed her soundly.

"If you are worried about my guys, they are here, but not here. They won't bother us." He assured her.

"Damn, he never let his men out of his sight with me. I told you it was one of the many things that annoyed me."

"Does this mean you trust me? That you believe I am no threat."

Sam lifted her hand to his lips. "Mercedes Jones, you are most definitely a threat, just not the kind my men can protect me from."

"Damn, the man is smooth. So what is it gonna be, Merce?" Quinn questioned.

"What is it gonna be, Mercedes? Will you let me up or send me away?"

Mercedes looked past him at Quinn, then nodded at Sam as she leaned in and kissed him. "Come on up, and we can get more comfortable and…talk."

"Only talk? Because I am pretty interested in going for another round."

Mercedes took his hand, locking the door to her office and then leading him up the back stairs to her door, pulling out her keys. "Did you just come here to have sex with me?"

Sam turned her towards him and kissed her with a fiery passion that no man had ever kissed her with. "If I wanted sex, I could get it; I wanted you."

Mercedes blushed. "If that was a line, it was a pretty damn good one." She teased, turning to unlock the door. "I don't typically invite anyone here at all. Very few have seen the inside of my place, just my dad because he built it, and a few close friends."

"Well, I consider myself honored," Sam said sincerely. As they walked in, his phone rang, and he sighed. "What?"

Mercedes placed her keys down on the table next to the door and shut the door as Sam walked further into the space.

"Take care of it; why the hell do I keep you around if you can't do the job I need you to do?" Sam said into the phone. "I don't care. I am here for the foreseeable future, so I suggest you figure it out! Or I will take care of you." With that, Sam hung up.

Mercedes looked at him. "You don't seem to care if I hear you on the phone."

Sam moved closer to her. "Should I?" He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"No." She breathed, both aroused and a little scared.

Sam used his free hand to move her hair out of her eyes. "You wouldn't be the first woman sent to me to destroy me. But you would be the one who could get the closest to do it."

"I would never want to destroy you." She said, searching his eyes for belief.

"Why?" He breathed. "Everyone else does. I know you sought me out; I know it wasn't a coincidence that you were on my rooftop. But I also know that something about you makes me not care and is dangerous."

Mercedes placed her hand on his cheek, staring at him. "I don't know what line of work you are in where people want to destroy you, I have my assumptions, but I don't seem to care what you do. I want you more than I have ever wanted anyone, which is dangerous to me."

"Why? He asked softly, rocking with her in the middle of the room. "Why is wanting me dangerous?"

"Because you are exactly who I shouldn't want." Sam wrapped her arms around his neck. And held her waist as he continued to move with her.

"So we are in a pickle then, you shouldn't want me, and I shouldn't want you, and yet here we are wanting each other?"

"Pretty much." Mercedes laughed.

"Tell me something about you, not something superficial," Sam asked.

"Shouldn't you know already? I mean, you did have someone look into me."

"Just your medical history, see if you had any history of violence and your grades in school, but nothing…deeper," Sam said.

"You were just pretty deep." Mercedes teased.

"Come one. Tell me something." He said, twirling her around and then bringing her back to him.

"My mom left when I was younger, and I had to become the family's mom. I tried my best to help, but my brother became an alcoholic, and my dad worked himself to sickness…my best friend up and disappeared. I felt and sometimes still feel alone."

Sam kissed her forehead. "With me, all you ever have to be is you, and you will never feel alone."

Mercedes stood on her tippy toes and kissed him. "Your turn."

Sam smiled. "I didn't know my dad until I turned 15. He met my mom when she was 20, and after he got her pregnant, he left because he was married. She used to tell me that he was a bad guy, but…I didn't believe her because I just wanted to know him so bad."

"And now? Do you know him?"

Sam shrugged. "Now I am him."

"You got a wife out here I don't know about?"

Sam laughed. "No. I just mean I am the bad guy."

Mercedes shook her head. "I don't see a bad guy when I look at you, Sam."

"You should. I do bad things, Mercedes; if you get involved with me, I can promise you won't like the man you see." He tilted her chin up and kissed her softly. "Kick me out. Save yourself from dealing with me, with my life."

Mercedes frowned. "I don't want to…and I am not going to." She said with resolve; as she turned to Sam, she sighed. "I can handle your life, Sam." She took his hand in hers. "I can handle you."

Sam exhaled, and she watched as green eyes turned dark, something she had seen him do before when he wanted to frighten her.

"Trust me, you can't handle me." he growled.

Mercedes swallowed, feeling the shift. "It's not gonna work Sam; nothing you do will make me scared of you."

Sam pushed her against the nearest wall with forcefulness that scared her a bit, his right hand moving to her neck, giving it a sharp squeeze. "I am a bad man Mercedes; I have killed; I have been left for dead. People I get involved with in my life end up the same way."

Mercedes gasped, staring at him. "Keep going; this is kinda doing it for me." She teased.

Sam let her neck go and shook her head, moving away from him. "You aren't scary." She turned around as Sam growled lower, more menacing than before, grabbing the back of her neck and tilting her head up with a forceful grip, making her look at him.

"This is not a Mercedes joke, and you will never turn your back on me again if you value your life." He said, his voice booming. "I am not some man trying to pretend to be bad; I am bad; I'm the worst there is."

"Sam, I-"

"That's another mistake," Sam said, pulling her closer as he squeezed tighter. "Thinking I give a fuck about what you have to say right now? What makes you think you can handle any of this? You haven't seen what I have seen or been where I have been. And you damn sure haven't seen what I can do."

He stared at her. "You don't know what I have done. Only what you have learned, but I assure you, it's darker than you think. I am darker than you think." He moved his hand from the back of her neck around to the front and squeezed her tighter, restricting her air. "I could end you right here, right now. And not even blink an eye." He said, his lips brushing against hers while his free hand roamed her body.

"But you won't." She breathed out, hands at her side as she fought the urge to scratch at his hands; she knew this was a test. "If you wanted to end my life, you would have done it a while ago."

Sam hid his amusement at her words. Squeezing slightly tighter, he glared at her. "You sure about that? Have you ever held a man's life in your hands? Know that with a flick of the wrist, poof, and he's gone." Sam said, nuzzling her neck.

"Sam…"

"Sam, what? You really think you can handle if things get rough; you think you can handle my world." He whispered. "If it came to saving me and killing someone in cold blood, do you know what you would choose? There is nothing like that first kill…."

"How…how many have you?"

Sam moved both her hands above her head, holding them above her head. "You just proved you can't handle my life, Mercedes." He said, pressing his body into hers. "You never ask a man how many people he's killed because you will end up being next on his hit list." He pressed his knee between her thighs, pressing his knee against her clit roughly.

"I can think of five ways to end you right here and now and not even leave a mark. Have everyone convinced you did it to yourself."

"You won't kill me." She said, moaning out as he brushed his knee faster against her.

"No?" He asked.

"No. You're gonna fuck me instead." She said boldly.

"Am I? I am not sure about that; you didn't even say please." He said, moving his thigh faster, feeling her breath hitch. "But you are right, I am gonna fuck you, have my way with you, and then I will decide if I am gonna keep you or dispose of you later."

Mercedes swallowed as Sam stared down at her.

"See, I know the truth about you, Mercedes."

She shivered as he continued to move his thigh. "Tr-truth?"

Sam nodded, squeezing her wrists tighter. "You want to be dominated, and you want to give me complete control; let me do whatever I want to you. However, I want. And you will thank me for it."

As bad as it sounded, he wasn't wrong. Mercedes wanted him in the worst way, to Dom her, control her. But she also wanted that control, wanted to Dom him and take what she needed.

"See, a woman like you, who has taken care of everyone, needs someone to take charge and control her body in all ways."

Mercedes stared at him. She couldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he was right; she had to regain her power. "You know what I think?"

"I bet you are gonna tell me."

"You don't have the control you think you do, Evans." She pulled her hands from his, pushing him away. "You can leave now."

Sam stared down at her; the woman was complex and perfect. With a smirk, Sam's lips crashed to hers, picked her up, and carried her to where he assumed her room was in the small apartment. She may have wanted to fight it, but the way he kissed her and held her made her need him.

Opening the door, he smiled at being right and deposited her onto the bed. He smirked down at her shaking his head. "It's time I give you a crash course on what I expect from you if we are going to do this. Now, do you have a safe word?"

"Yes." She breathed, staring at him. "It's Purple.

Sam removed his belt and smiled, snapping it between his hands. "Purple…good to know." He snapped the belt again. "Let's see how little control I really do have, shall we?"