The brisk air on his face was exhilarating as he soared up and away from the mountain. The wind tickled his wings as it passed under them, and he would swear he'd never felt freer than this in his life. He'd been stuck underground for so very long that he'd nearly forgotten what it was like to breathe clean, crisp air. The heady scent of fresh pine faded somewhat as he flew away from the mountain and entered the city, but he reveled in it nonetheless. He knew it was dangerous to venture there, but he was careful to stay out of sight of the few souls who were out and about at this late hour.

Though he hadn't consciously intended it, he soon found himself swooping down into the dark back yard of a vaguely familiar home. Once firmly on the ground, his wings folded in on themselves and disappeared completely. Just that suddenly, he was standing on two legs, totally human once again. Wind chimes near the back door tinkled a familiar tone, and he knew instantly he was at Carter's place. He approached the rear entrance silently and turned the knob, only to find it locked. Frustrated, he searched his pockets for something to pick the lock, but came up empty. The overwhelming need to get inside led him to punch out the pane nearest the lock with his fist. The glass gave way easily, much to his surprise, and he was soon standing in her living room. A quick check of the house revealed that no one else was present. With a sigh, he made himself comfortable and settled in to wait. And plan. Yes, his conquest of Major Samantha Carter would be well worth this delay.

An exhausted Sam Carter pulled up to the curb in front of her house and shut off the ignition. Her visit to the infirmary had cost her valuable time on an experiment involving some of the technology they'd recovered on '332, and she'd had to stay late to complete it. Unfortunately, it was a total bust. She was going to have to go back and start from the beginning now, possibly even to the point of rethinking her entire hypothesis as to the device's function.

She exited the vehicle and slammed the door absentmindedly, cursing under her breath at the pain from her injured hand. She used her good hand to open the gate, and as she strolled up the walkway, her thinking returned to the intriguing device she had just left. She'd thought it was a new, compact power source initially, but that theory wasn't panning out. It definitely wasn't a prototype, but perhaps it was a non-functional model. With her mind still on the problem of the alien device, she slid her key into the front door and entered her home.

The lamp in her living room was on a timer, both for nights such as this when she worked late and to give the appearance of someone being home when she was off-world. With its soft glow to light her way, she dropped her things heavily onto the counter that separated the kitchen and living areas. In her dead tired state, she didn't immediately notice the flickering blaze from the fireplace--or her visitor.

The fire popped loudly behind her, the first hint that something was amiss. She was instantly on full alert, adrenaline immediately chasing away her weariness. She spun around to face the living area and was shocked at what she saw there.

"Colonel! What are you doing here? Janet said she wasn't going to release you for several more days."

He took a sip from the wine he'd helped himself to and held out a glass for her. "Um, I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by?" he offered hopefully.

"In the middle of the night, sir?" Her skepticism was obvious from her tone, but he hadn't missed the chuckle she'd managed to contain before questioning him.

O'Neill rose from his seat near the fire and advanced toward her. With the quirky little half-smile that he knew she loved, he handed one of the glasses to her and shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

She smiled and shook her head. "Seriously, sir, what are you doing here? And how did you get here? Your truck was still at the SGC when I left; there is no way you could have beaten me home."

He placed his nearly empty glass on the counter and rubbed a hand wearily across his forehead. With a deep sigh, he reluctantly admitted the truth. "I don't know, okay? The last thing I remember was feeling tired and going to bed. Then I was here, and you weren't, so I decided to wait."

"You blacked out?" She placed her untouched wine on the counter and reached for the phone. "We need to tell Janet about this. We should also let base security know you're here before someone discovers you're missing and reports it--if they haven't already."

Before she could hit the speed dial number, he swiftly and silently snatched the phone from her grasp. "No!" When she tensed up and started to back away, he was quick to rein in his temper and explain. "I mean, just wait a minute, will ya? I think I remembered why I came."

Still wary, she kept her distance and simply nodded, saying nothing. He took it as encouragement to continue, taking a small step toward her. "I think I wanted to, maybe, kind of, apologize. Or something. I think."

She seemed surprised at his awkward admission. "For what happened earlier? Sir, it was an accident."

He sighed again and his eyes went straight to her wounded hand. "Maybe, but I shouldn't have been so short with you. Or any of the times you visited me in the iso room--which I really did appreciate, by the way. And Daniel said something about an incident while we were still on Planet Vampire, so I should probably apologize for that while I'm at it, too."

She started to smile at his feeble attempt at an apology, but her grin died when she realized he was still staring intently at the bandage on her hand. She slowly, but firmly, moved it behind her back and out of sight. "Apology accepted, at least for the things you can remember. Somehow, though, it doesn't seem right for you to apologize for something you don't even recall. But now I think you should give me the phone, sir. I really need to call Janet and let her know what's happened. Then I'll drive you back to the base."

He continued to stare at the spot where her hand had been, causing her unease to increase with each passing moment. Finally, he seemed to mentally shake himself and look into her eyes. "Fair enough, I suppose. How's the hand, by the way?" He completely ignored her request, as well as the suggestion that he go back to the mountain to face the music.

She shrugged, but wasn't going to be sidetracked so easily. "It'll be fine in a few days," she assured him. "Now the phone, please?"

He didn't reply, but swayed alarmingly, as if he were going to pass out or collapse. He grabbed for the chair, but it fell sideways, taking the others with it. He then clutched at the counter with the hand holding the phone, dropping it as he struggled for balance.

"Colonel!" She instinctively stepped forward and reached out to steady him. When he grasped her arm and turned to face her, she was startled to note for the first time that he was no longer sporting the sling. She raised her eyes to meet his, only to choke off a gasp of shock.

"What's the matter, dear Samantha? Something wrong?" Jet black eyes with large red irises gazed back at her, penetrating to her very soul. The cold and inhuman appearance sent shivers down her spine, but his voice was mesmerizing, so deep and sultry that it made her want nothing more than to throw herself in his arms and let him do whatever he pleased to her.

She mentally shook herself and made a sudden lunge for the abandoned phone on the counter. To her dismay, he was much quicker and stronger. He stepped in behind her, pinning her to the island, and held the handset tauntingly out just beyond her reach.

"Sorry, but no, my deliciously sweet Samantha. This is strictly a private party."

She could feel the vibration of his chest when he spoke, and combined with that intensely sensual drawl of his, it was enough to make her feel lightheaded. She took a deep breath in an attempt to recover her equilibrium, but his scent was just as erotically intoxicating as his voice and left her feeling even more off-balance. She closed her eyes and tried to reason with him. "Please let me go, sir," she ground out. "You don't want to do this."

He laughed at her, a deep, rumbling sound that sent a jolt of pleasure straight through her as he pressed her stomach even further into the edge of the counter. She shuddered, trying to resist his hypnotic pull, when his tongue snaked out to trail slowly from her ear down to her collarbone. "Oh, but I do. I've wanted this for a very, very long time." He tenderly kissed her neck, then suddenly his sexy, sultry voice was right next to her ear once again. "And so have you."

His words sent a rush of excitement directly to the pleasure center of her brain. She was finding it increasingly harder to fight, to keep herself from giving into him. "Please, sir, give me the phone and let me call Janet for you."

She could feel him smile against her cheek. "Of course. Anything for my dear, sweet Samantha." Her eyes widened in fear as he closed his fist around the handset and crushed it with his bare hand. He then dropped the useless receiver onto the island in front of her. "There you go. One phone, as requested."

She hung her head and her shoulders slumped in defeat. It was clear that he wasn't going to make this easy for her. She closed her eyes and blocked out everything around her, especially his seductive voice and captivating presence. It took a supreme effort of will on her part to ignore his husky, sensuous urgings. Finally ready to make her move, she tilted her neck as if to offer herself to him. His throaty chuckle nearly undid her, but when he began to kiss his way down to her carotid artery, she stepped hard onto his instep and followed up with a strong kick to his knee.

He spun her around, seemingly unfazed by her attack. He again laughed at her, his obscenely dark eyes boring into her. "So you want to play a little first, huh? I can do that," he assured her. With no further warning, he flung her over the couch and across the coffee table. Sam was stunned when she landed on the floor in front of her fireplace, but recovered quickly and scrambled to her feet.

The colonel was quicker, though, and as soon as she was upright he grabbed her from behind. "Having fun yet?" He forced her around and smashed her cheek against the books lining her mantle, holding her there. "I am," he declared.

"Let me go, sir," she grunted out. She couldn't see anything with her head pinned, so her hands searched the shelf for something heavy enough to use as a weapon. She finally settled on one of the thicker tomes, though she was doubtful it would be effective against his super-human strength. She pulled it loose, sending the adjoining volumes crashing to the floor.

He laughed at her again as he moved his hand from pinning her against the mantle to grasp her firmly around the waist. With his free hand, he swept the rest of the mantle's contents off to join the books Sam had dislodged. "Are you holding back, Samantha? Because, so far, you haven't been much of a challenge at all. I must say, I'm disappointed."

She knew he was toying with her, so she ignored his taunting and gathered her strength to make her move. In one fluid motion, she twisted around to face him and slammed the book she'd grabbed into his head with every ounce of strength she possessed. As soon as she felt his arm loosen from around her waist, she quickly pulled away and scrambled over to her purse to retrieve her cell phone. She watched him for a moment to be sure he was out while dumping the contents of her bag onto the floor. Feeling reassured when he didn't move, she looked down to search for the phone. Quickly finding it, she flipped it open and looked up again to check on him.

"Better. But not quite good enough, I'm afraid." She was shocked to find him standing mere inches from her, since she hadn't heard a sound that would have signaled his approach. He took advantage of her surprise and snatched the cell phone from her hand. "Now, now. I thought I told you that this was a private party, Samantha." With an evil smile, he again admonished her. "I'll get around to a little playtime with Fraiser later." He then proceeded to crush the phone in his bare hand, exactly as he had the other.

She stood and began to back away from him in fear. Her chest was heaving from both the exertions of their struggle as well as her emotions. Her back found the wall that signaled the entrance to the hallway--and the front door. In one last desperate attempt, she quickly turned and ran for it. She'd barely made it a few steps before she found herself slammed face first into the pictures lining the corridor. She grunted at the impact and then swallowed a sob. This was not at all the man she knew and respected. True, he could be a cold-hearted bastard when the situation called for it, and he'd been known to be a total jerk on occasion, but he was never this cruel and uncaring. Not with her. There was no denying it any longer--she was now completely at his mercy.

He seemed to sense her defeat and sighed. "Don't want to play anymore? I can't say I'm not disappointed, but I suppose you're right. Dawn will be here before we know it, and there is still so much pleasure to be had before I leave you."

His hands caressed her upper arms and shoulders, then moved forward to her chest. She shuddered from the heat of his touch, even through her clothing. He suddenly grabbed her outer shirt and pulled hard, sending the buttons flying. She allowed a moan to escape as he yanked it down around her arms, exposing the low-cut tank top she'd worn underneath.

Somehow through the haze of building need and desire, she sensed an opening for escape. Though her arms were trapped and useless, she couldn't allow the opportunity to pass. Moving totally on instinct, she reared back as hard as she could and smashed her head into his.

"Nice one, my precious. I so love a woman with spirit." Instead of releasing her, he chuckled and pulled her tightly against him. She could feel the blood dripping from his nose onto her shoulder. When the fingers of his free hand began to trace designs in it and smear it across her neck, she felt another wave of intense desire burn straight to her groin.

"Tell me that you want this," his impossibly steamy voice demanded.

Jack O'Neill was a difficult man to resist even without the uber-sensuality of vampirism. With it, neither she nor any other stood a prayer of refusing him. Still, she was determined to give it her best effort--for both of their sakes.

When she didn't answer him, he began to again caress her upper arm and shoulder. Without the barrier of the outer shirt, his touch sent a flood of ecstasy rippling through every nerve ending in her body. She moaned, unable to stop herself. "Tell me," he again demanded.

His hands continued to sensually wander over her upper body, causing the intense desire within to build to an undeniable frenzy. "Yes," she sobbed.

"Yes, what?"

The ever-increasing need for him left her incapable of thinking of anything else. All coherent thought fled her mind. Only one thing mattered now. "Yes, I want this. I want you."

She could feel his smile as bent his head to trail kisses along her shoulder and up the side of her neck. "Are you sure?"

She shivered, enraptured by the feel of his lips on her skin. She wanted him so very, very badly. "Yes, I'm sure. Please, I need more," she begged.

His immediate response was a growl, coming from deep within his throat. He turned her around and swept her up into his arms in one fluid motion. "Not here," he commanded.

She was helpless with her arms still trapped by the shirt, but she no longer cared. She leaned up to kiss him, and he returned the gesture, crushing his mouth to hers. When she felt his tongue probing her lips, she eagerly opened to him. She was so caught up in the building passion from the feeling of his tongue exploring the depths of her mouth that she didn't even notice they were moving.

She whimpered when he pulled away to lay her gently on her bed. She squirmed in an attempt to get free of the shirt binding her arms, but she only succeeded in tangling it further. The only thought in her mind was that she had to get to him. She stilled when she realized that he was staring appreciatively at her struggling form, and she couldn't help but moan with intense desire.

In the blink of an eye, he was on top of her, straddling her hips as he towered over her. Those dark, red eyes no longer seemed cold or cruel to her as they admired her body. He growled again as he lowered himself to claim her lips once more.

She reveled in the feeling of his tongue plundering her mouth, the feelings of ecstasy building steadily until she thought she couldn't possibly stand anymore. When he finally pulled away to kiss his way across her throat, she sobbed at the loss. She tugged at the tangled shirt confining her arms, frustrated that she was unable to free herself and pull him back for more.

When he found his way to the exact spot on her neck she knew he was seeking, she held her breath in anticipation. She choked off a sob when he paused. "You're mine now, Samantha. All mine."

"Yes, Jack, yes!" She mewled, nearly frantic with the need for him. "Please," she implored him.

When his fangs pierced her skin, she was lost in a rush of the most intense euphoria she'd ever experienced. Though some far-removed part of her brain knew that he was drinking her blood, she was completely caught up in the state of total and complete bliss he was causing. Though they were both fully clothed, it was the most incredibly intimate experience she had ever shared, and she never wanted it to end. Even when she began to feel light-headed, she wanted nothing more than to feel his mouth on her skin, sucking at her neck. She felt a final burst of that most exquisite euphoria, a feeling so far beyond a mere orgasm that she thought she might explode.

She barely felt him climb off and lay down beside her in the bed as she hovered between awareness and oblivion. The low rumble of his voice in her ear sent another shiver down her spine. "Sleep now, my delicious Samantha." He leaned over to thoroughly kiss her one final time. "Sleep well, for in the morning I'll be gone, and you won't remember any of this."

Too weak to protest, she finally lost the battle to remain awake.