Waking up, Samantha realized immediately that she was in trouble, as she registered the fact she was blindfolded, tied up, and wearing nothing but her bra and panties. After struggling vainly for a moment to sit up, she tried to determine her surroundings. She was tied to a bed that didn't feel like hers, the sheets were something very soft that reminded her of the skin of a peach. Sand washed silk, perhaps? Sam thought.

Lying helpless in the dark and her restraints, Samantha remembered coming to the house with Angel earlier. Angel had told her it was to measure for and accept a commission for a sculpture by a private collector. The only reason Sam had accompanied her friend was Angel had insisted that Sam accompany her.

"Please Sam," Angel had pleaded. "I don't want to go to a stranger's house alone and this is the break I've been waiting for. Come on, it'll be fun and we'll go out and celebrate afterwards."

There had been a note on the door to enter and the door was unlocked. As they entered the house, every nerve in Samantha's body started tingling and warning her something was wrong. The note had claimed the owner was running late and would be there in half an hour, to start without him. While Angel measured, Sam had sat down and was taken unaware as a masked man came up behind her and injected her with something which made her rapidly collapse into his arms.

As Samantha faded out of consciousness, she heard the damning words from Angel's mouth, "I kept my part of the bargain and brought her here. Now I want my million dollars and to get out of here."

Lying on the bed Samantha thought, a million dollars. Surely Angel hadn't really sold her to someone for a million dollars, had she? Who in their right mind would be willing to pay that kind of money for her? What kind of person could persuade her best friend to betray her trust like that? One name raced through Sam's mind in the darkness and she tried desperately to deny it as she took in the scent of candle wax and roses.

"Samantha," a voice purred.

A picture might be worth a thousand words, but that one word spoke volumes. Though Sam recognized the voice which haunted her dreams and nightmares, it was the inflection that truly betrayed the owner's identity. In the sound of his voice as he spoke her name was love, passion, possessiveness, and a poignant longing that was shook her to the core.

"Jack!" Samantha gasped.

"I wondered how long you would be asleep," he remarked and the bed shifted slightly as he sat down beside her.

Instantly, she tensed and ordered, "Don't touch me!"

An amused laugh resonated from Jack as he stretched out beside her and traced her cheek with the back of his fingers. Gently he murmured, "Relax Samantha. I have no intentions of forcing myself on you. Rape is scarcely my style. After all these years of studying me, I would think you would know that by now."

"So what, you brought me to somewhere in the middle of nowhere, drugged me, tied me up and stripped me half-naked because you wanted to have polite conversation?" Sam snapped.

"Something like that."

"Bailey will-"

"Please," Jack interrupted. "You needn't extoll the virtues of your coworkers in an attempt to frighten me, Samantha. I am more than well of what threat level of threat they are. And oddly enough I'm unconcerned."

"They'll catch you," Sam responded with false bravado.

"Samantha, you and I both know that the VCTF couldn't catch a cold, much less me without you there helping them."

"You can't keep me tied up forever."

"You're quite right," Jack agreed reasonably and ran his hand over the flat plane of her stomach. "But then I plan to let you go first thing tomorrow morning."

"Really?" Samantha asked doubtfully. "Why should I believe you? You're breaking your promise not to force yourself on me."

"I have a proposition for you Samantha," Jack informed her and took the blindfold off of her.

It took her several moments for her eyes to adjust to the light. Samantha was shocked to see Jack's face as he looked at her. Although he'd been seen in disguises many times and had worn a mask earlier, this was definitely his bare face. For a moment Samantha forgot her restraints and started to reach up to touch his face. To her chagrin, Jack registered her movement and seemed amused by it.

Desperate to distract him, Sam sneered, "So what's this offer I won't be able to refuse?"

Of all the things she might have predicted Jack would say, none were close as he told her, "I'm offering to leave you. To disappear from your existence and never send you so much as a single message or rose for the rest of your life."

Stunned, she stammered, "And why would I believe you?"

Jack smiled, "Because Samantha, I've never lied to you. You may not always like what I've had to say, but I've never said anything that wasn't true, have I?"

"Yes. No. I don't know-" Sam trailed off weakly.

In all the years he'd stalked her, Jack had done many things. Some were terrible and others only slightly traumatic, but never once had he lied to her. Still, the idea that he would truly leave her life seemed hard to believe. She was the center of his existence, wasn't she? What did Jack want that he would be willing to give her up for? Samantha wondered as she gazed up at him.

"Suppose I'm insane enough to believe you, what's the price? I can't believe that you're showing me your face and offering me my freedom out of the goodness of your heart."

"Nothing in this world is without it's price," Jack agreed and caressed her face.

"What is it you want from me?" Samantha asked warily.

"Conversation," Jack whispered sibilantly in her ear and kissed her jawline.

"Talking doesn't involve touching."

Nuzzling her neck, Jack breathed softly, "But with us it does Samantha. Our minds have always touched, even if you couldn't acknowledge it. Physical contact is merely a more tangible form of touch."

Angrily Samantha struggled against her bonds and raged, "So what, I let you rape me and then you'll leave me alone! Is that what you're offering me?"

Pulling back slightly, Jack looked at her with a bemused expression as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. Smoke curled around him as he mused, "You seem to have a rather one track mind, Samantha. Here is exactly what I want. For tonight, I want to talk to you, to hold you and yes to touch you."

"I knew it! You-"

Ignoring her outburst Jack continued, "However, I'm willing to respect some boundaries." With his fingertip, he traced along the edge of her bra and said, "Shall we say every not covered by your underwear, is fair game?"

Blushing furiously, Sam replied, "You mean-"

"Let's just say, Victoria's Secret remains a secret, unless you request otherwise."

Would it be so bad? If it really would get Jack from her life, what would it harm to let him touch her arms and legs? Jack might touch her anyway and he had promised not to force himself on her. What did she have to lose? Spend one night talking with Jack-Of-All-Trades and letting him touch her limbs didn't seem too terrible, especially if it got him out of her life and her mind, Samantha thought.

"If I agree, do I have your word that you will leave me alone forever?"

Jack stamped his cigarette out in a crystal ashtray and answered, "You have my word Samantha. Tonight is the last night I will ever get anywhere near you, unless you would decide otherwise. In exchange, you have to talk with me. And talking means dialogue. Nothing one sided where I'm talking and you're silent or any righteous tirades on how evil I am either."

"And the- I mean about your-" Sam struggled, blushing slightly.

Rising from the bed Jack plucked a rose petal from a near by vase and took a mint leaf from a bowl nearby, folding the two together he placed it in his mouth and chewed on it as he interjected, "My desire to touch you?"

Turning crimson she agreed, "Um, yeah. How would you, uh you know?"

"It is nearly 7 PM. From now until 7 AM, I wish to talk with you and to caress you. During that time, you must agree to discuss anything I wish and I may touch you in any way so long as I don't touch any unexposed areas. After that you are free to go."

Twelve hours of talking to Jack and he would leave her life forever, Sam thought. Even though it would mean allowing him to touch her, wouldn't it be worth it? If he couldn't touch between her legs or put his hands on her breasts, it would be bearable. Granted she wasn't thrilled about it, but if he kept his word. What the worst thing that could happen? Samantha asked herself.

Samantha was on the verge of agreeing when Jack began unbuttoning his shirt and she shrieked, "What are you doing?"

"Relax Samantha," Jack soothed. "I'm only removing my shirt. I simply wish to feel your skin against mine as I hold you and I thought perhaps you'd feel less exposed if we were on slightly more equal footing."

After Jack removed his shirt he took the sheet and slowly pulled it down, causing Samantha to shiver slightly at the sensation of the silk fabric dragging along her body. Still uncertain, she demanded, "What are you pulling the sheet off for?"

"My promise was not to touch you where your underwear is covering. Nothing was said about the sheet and I have yet to hear you agree to my proposition."

"I'm cold," Samantha lied.

Amused, Jack grabbed a remote control from a table near the bed, he pushed a couple buttons. A moment later, a fire blazed in a fireplace at the far end of the room and the odd mix of Enigma's gregorian chants and sensuality filled the room. Samantha raised up as far as she could and looked around her and gulped. Of all the ways she'd ever imagined a confrontation with Jack-Of-All-Trades, this was not it.

Watching the play of the firelight on his taut torso and the angles of his face, she felt disconcerted. Most of the serial killers she'd ever dealt with were ordinary looking or even ugly, but Jack- Jack never had fit the standard serial killer profiles. Not handsome in a pretty boy way, his attractiveness was more arresting, Samantha thought. His eyes were positively mesmerizing and seemed to draw her in- Stop it! He's the enemy. He killed Tom, remember?

Maybe, but Tom never looked that good, a voice in the back of her mind argued.

"What if I don't agree to your proposition?" she taunted.

To her surprise, Jack shrugged and nonchalantly replied, "Then I put the blindfold back on you, admire you from a distance for a while and contact one of your friends at the VCTF to come and rescue you. You'll know what I look like, but you'll still never catch me and I shall continue courting you."

"Why should I believe you that you'll leave me alone Jack?"

"Because I'm the only one who has never betrayed you."

"That's not true. Angel may have betrayed me but-"

"Betrayal comes in many forms Samantha, as I will instruct you," Jack told her. Moving to the bed, he threaded his fingers through her hair and leaned over her face as he assured her, "I would give my life for yours in a heartbeat. Yes, I am a killer. And yes, I break laws without a second thought. But I would never violate our relationship by lying to you. You may not like me, but in your heart you know me completely."

"Well," Samantha hesitated slightly as her resolve was weakening. His eyes seemed to suck her into a dizzying vortex.

"Twelve hours of conversation and a few caresses that I will likely take to an early grave," Jack whispered.

Barely aware she spoke aloud, Sam said, "All right. I have your word?"

"On my honor Samantha, I promise to respect the boundaries we've set and in the morning to release you and to disappear from your life forever," Jack vowed. Then added, "Unless you would wish otherwise and release me from my promise."

"It's a deal then," she agreed.

Although she had expected he might kiss her to seal their deal, the sensation of his lips brushing against hers was a shock. His kiss tasted like rose petals and mint as he captured her lips. The strange combination was oddly intoxicating and she felt rather disappointed when the kiss ended almost as quickly as it had begun. To her surprise he picked up a small basket from the side table, moved to the end of the bed and untied her feet.

"I thought we might talk about betrayal," Jack informed her as he took her left foot in his hand and began massaging it. "Perhaps you would like to discuss your friend, Angel?"

"No- Yes-" Sam hesitated. "I guess we can."

Taking a small vial from the basket, Jack poured a couple drops of rose oil on his hand and began working it into the bottom of Samantha's foot. As he massaged her foot, he bent his head to hide his smile as his touch elicited a soft involuntary moan from her. For a moment they remained silent, then Jack spoke.

"You're probably wondering how Angel could betray you," Jack suggested. "She is supposed to be your best friend and she sold you to me for a million dollars. I know you likely heard our transaction as you fell asleep."

"Yes. It-" she paused, then admitted, "It hurts."

Briefly kissing her toes, Jack responded, "I imagine it does. And unfortunately this isn't the first time Angel betrayed you."

"No!"

"Samantha, think about it. In all the time you've lived with Angel, how has she made money?" Jack inquired. "She has been working on those same few sculptures for five years now. Supposedly she's making a living as an artist, yet those same talentless pieces remain. Where do you think she's been getting money?"

"You mean even when I lived on her farm-" she trailed off.

"I've known where you were every single day, Samantha. Angel even let me into the farmhouse a couple of times. And since you've been at the firehouse, she's admitted me numerous times."

Closing her eyes for a moment, Sam tried to take in Angel's betrayal. Had her best friend really betrayed her all along? She never thought Angel had much artistic talent, but since her sculptures sold, Sam had assumed she simply didn't appreciate modern art. Now the sculptures which had been at both the farm and at the firehouse, swam through her mind, Angel never had worked on anything else and they never disappeared, how did she miss that? Samantha wondered. What else had she missed?

"Samantha?" Jack broke her reverie.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I just am wondering how I missed the fact her ugly sculptures never left or changed."

"Sometimes we're blind to the faults of those closest to us and it leaves us open to betrayal."

"What's your obsession with betrayal?" she questioned, her words ending in a groan as Jack licked her arch. Blushing furiously, she hoped he hadn't noticed.

"It's the Ides of March, what better time to discuss betrayal?" Jack countered.

"I guess, I just didn't imagine that was what you would wish to talk about."

Releasing her left foot, Jack took her right foot and applied oil as he caressed her foot. Looking up at Samantha he said, "I've already spoken my love a thousand times over with my creations for you. Tonight is about you, not about me."

"Then why are you touching me?" Sam demanded trying not to respond to his touch.

"You need to be touched Samantha," Jack informed her. "Even if you can't admit it, you're enjoying this."

Embarrassed and uncertain, she turned her head away and tried to pull her foot from his grasp, but he wouldn't let her pull away. Gently he inquired, "You aren't going to be tiresome and try to withdraw from our deal, are you?"

"No," she replied and turned her head back to face him.

Jack paused for a moment and looked at her foot, then pulled a bottle of nail polish out of the basket. Unable to help herself, Sam laughed when he started painting her toe nails a deep shade of crimson. Stopping to look up at her, Jack asked what was so amusing.

"You. I just never in my wildest dreams imagined Jack-Of-All-Trades painting my toenails."

"Really? I've often thought of doing this for you," Jack told her. Then continued, "But then you are used to men who treat you insensitively aren't you? Daddy certainly messed you up emotionally where men are concerned, he was your first betrayal."

"I'm not messed up emotionally where men are concerned!" Samantha exclaimed. When Jack raised an eyebrow before starting painting her toes on her other foot, she grumbled, "Okay so maybe I have a few issues when it comes to relationships."

"Walter placed greater value on his work than he did on you. All your life you've struggled for your father's approval and never gotten it. Half of why you married Tom was because he was the first man that ever gave you approval."

Unable to deny what he was saying and feeling uncomfortable, Sam informed him, "I don't like this."

"Never claimed you would," Jack answered cheerfully as he put the nail polish away, took her feet in his hands and began blowing on her toes. "Don't want to talk about your father's betrayal? Let's talk about Tom's betrayal."

"Can we stop this betrayal discussion when the clock clicks over at midnight?" Sam asked hopefully.

"Perhaps," Jack responded non-comitally. Continuing he assured her, "I don't mean Tom's cheating on you, I was referring to his resentment of your intelligence and your job. Before you were married he thought it was wonderful you were so ambitious, or at least that's what he said isn't it?"

"Jack," she started started to argue, then sighed, "Yes and then it changed. It was like the moment I married him, I met the real Tom Waters and the man I'd dated was nothing but an illusion. Still doesn't make it right that you killed him."

"I'll ignore your little breech in our agreement just now," Jack commented as he began massaging the bottoms of her feet again. "He was the real reason you quit the FBI, not yours truly, Samantha. When his actions went beyond mere betrayal and violated who you were, that was when I had to kill him. No man can be allowed to change who you are."

"Isn't that what you want to do?"

"No Samantha, I want you to be true to who you are. I killed Tom for trying to make you live a lie and would do it again in a heartbeat."

Several thoughts ran through Samantha's mind as she looked up at Jack and none of them were very comforting. Jack was right about why she had really quit the FBI, Tom had made her life living hell until she'd submitted to his wishes. The fact Jack killed Tom for that reason, seemed strangely touching and she couldn't let herself feel anything soft towards Jack. And worst of all, Jack's hands were eliciting small jolts of arousal throughout her body and looking at the clock on the wall, they had only passed half an hours time, she realized.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Samantha gasped as Jack pressed his thumbs against the soles of her feet and the sensation seemed to travel throughout her body.

"Pressing against your plantar metatarsal arteries," Jack informed her.

"My what?"

Kissing her toes as he continued pressing against the soles of her feet, Jack clarified, "The main artery in your foot, it connects to the popliteal artery and which connects to the femoral artery. I'm merely guiding a bit more blood to your femoral artery."

Femoral artery? Samantha considered his words. The femoral artery ran along the inner thigh and up through the abdomen. Damn Jack! No wonder she was feeling aroused, he was manipulating her blood flow deliberately to her sex.

But that's not the reason is it? a wicked little voice taunted in her mind. You aren't turned on because of that, it's because he's touching you. He may be a murderer, but he's charming and sexy. How long are you really going to hold up against this? Haven't you always known in your heart of hearts that one day-

No!

Be honest Sam, you've always known. Deny it and lie to yourself all you want, but you can't change it, the voice whispered inside her.

As Jack watched realization dawn on Samantha, he'd been both amused and encouraged by the play of uncertainty on her face. At first he'd worried he'd had her brought too soon and that his plans weren't going to pan out, but now he felt a bit more hopeful. Samantha had to see that he was the only truth in her life, that he was the one constant. Tonight he had to seduce Sam into committing the ultimate betrayal or he would lose her.

Unnerved by her feeling of arousal, Sam announced in a desperate voice, "I'm thirsty."

"Of course," Jack answered, placed a final kiss on each of her feet and stood up. Taking the basket with the oil and nail polish with him. He walked away from the bed, sat the basket down and poured a glass of champagne near the fireplace, from a bottle he'd placed in an ice bucket before her arrival.

When he brought the glass over, she complained, "I can't drink it like this, if you tip the glass it will spill all over. Why not untie me?"

Amused, but undaunted, Jack sat on the bed. Before Samantha had a chance to react, he took a sip of the champagne and kissed it into her mouth. Shocked, she gulped the icy champagne he'd placed in her mouth. Unable to speak she stared at him as he repeated the action and gave her another mouthful. He gave her a kiss and took a sip for himself. As she gazed up at Jack, Samantha found herself wishing she could touch him.

This is wrong, this is Jack! No sane woman should be turned on by a murderer, Sam scolded herself. And yet, when she looked into his eyes, all she saw was Jack, a man who understood her and loved her. I can't do this, Sam's mind asserted.

But you want to. It would feel so good, Samantha's body and heart argued. Absolute love and understanding, who cares if it's wrong?

No! He killed Tom! Sam fought desperately.

Do you really care? Samantha's heart countered. Since you first found out about Jack, you've known you belonged to him. You may have told everyone you hated his attentions, but admit it, you've wondered what it would be like. By day you're always sweet Sam who does the right thing, but in your dreams-

Observing Samantha's struggle, Jack was pleased. From years of observing her, he knew every nuance of her mood through her facial expressions. Taking a sip of champagne, Jack stretched out full length beside Samantha and kissed the alcohol into her mouth. Instead of withdrawing his mouth as she swallowed, he traced his tongue along her lower lip. Watching her eyes for her reaction, Jack gave her a lingering kiss. As he teased his tongue against hers, his hand skimmed along her inner thigh.

"Don't," Samantha pleaded breathlessly.

Jack removed his hand, noting that although she had asked him to stop, she had clearly been affected by the caress. When he'd touched her thigh, her legs were parted slightly and she'd made no move to close them. Consciously, she was resisting, but her body was slowly betraying her. Placing his hand innocently on her shoulder, Jack slowly kissed the curve of Samantha's throat. Satisfied when she rewarded him with a whimper, Jack smiled at her.

Sliding down on the bed slightly, Jack laid his head on her stomach and said, "Perhaps you would like to talk some more, Samantha."

"Good idea," she responded gratefully as she tried to focus on the myriad of reasons why she shouldn't be enjoying Jack's touch.

Looking up at her, Jack nuzzled his face against her abdomen, his goatee tickling enticingly below her navel near the edge of her panties, just inches from her sex. As he teased her with wicked calculation, he murmured, "Let's resume our discussion of betrayal."

"What do you mean?" Sam hesitated. Had he gotten someone else to compromise her trust for money?

"I thought we might discuss how Bailey Malone betrayed you by bringing you back to the FBI."

"That was to help people," she argued.

Circling his tongue around her navel, Jack countered, "Is that so? Bailey grabbed you out of your safe little hideaway and out into the open where I could pursue you."

"How can you object when he gave you what you wanted?" Sam questioned.

"This isn't about me Samantha," Jack told her in a seductive tone. "This is about you. There are plenty of good FBI agents that could have handled the case he brought you in on. Bailey wanted you for selfish reasons."

"And what are those?"

"First of all, I rather suspect he wants you for himself," Jack informed her. Then continued, "And secondly, you're easy for him to manipulate."

"What!" Samantha exclaimed angrily.

"You're salaried as opposed to hourly, are you not?" Jack inquired. When she nodded he proceeded, "You put in more overtime than anyone else at the VCTF. For the cost of one profiler, Malone has two. Suppose I hadn't gotten Angel to betray you, if Malone hadn't dragged you back into the fray, wouldn't you be back in your safe little world? On the farm you slept nine hours a night, how much do you sleep now?"

"That's your fault. Bailey just-" Sam trailed off.

Damn it, she thought. Bailey never had really needed to bring her back. While her salary was decent, it didn't come even close to paying for the hours of overtime she put in. In an average week she put in over 80 hours, even if Jack hadn't been chasing her how could she have any sort of relationship or life like that? Time and again, Bailey would demand she come in at all hours and on days off. Although the other VCTF members did that occasionally, their work weeks were typically 50 hours tops.

Money aside, Bailey had to have known Jack would pursue her again. If he cared about her how could he have intentionally exposed her to that again? He was using her. Maybe he cared about her, but he cared more about himself. Bringing her back to the FBI was betraying her trust. Her mentor had never mentioned wanting her in a sexual way, yet she always knew it was there beneath the surface, Sam realized.

Enjoying her turmoil as she considered his words, Jack decided to push things a bit further. Glancing at the clock, he noted he had ten hours left in which to get Samantha surrender. The thought of losing her terrified him, but if she held out against him he would honor his word. Sensually and deliberately, Jack began moving his tongue below her navel in a motion mimicking cunnilingus.

Oh God, Sam thought. This was not good. His mouth felt wonderful, each lick enticing. He was trying to persuade her to ask for more. No damn it!

It would be so good, Samantha's body argued. All you have to do is ask him to move his mouth a little lower and-

No! She couldn't. This is Jack, she rationalized desperately.

Samantha contended, exactly, this is Jack. You belong to him, you always have. Deny it but you do.

I can't!

But what if you lose him? Do you really want him gone from your life? Can you really walk away from this and never feel his touch again? Think about it Sam, her heart commanded. What would your life be without Jack?

Safe!

Safe? Boring. You want this. You've been craving this for a long time.

No, Sam denied.

Liar. If you don't want this, then why are you responding to his touch?

Jack sat up and moved to straddle Samantha's thighs. Leaning over her, he traced the curve of her breasts at the top of her bra, cautiously avoiding contact with the fabric. Then he smiled wickedly at Samantha and allowed his mouth to hover over her left breast. Although he made no physical contact with her, she could feel his breath on her nipple and the sensation made her ache. Involuntarily, Samantha moaned with unfulfilled desire and longing.

"Would you like me to remove it?" Jack inquired, raising his head to trace her flesh along the straps.

Yes! No! Samantha struggled. His mouth felt wonderful and her body was screaming for more. But if she conceded that much, how much more would she capitulate to Jack's touch? It was beyond wrong to even consider it and yet the urge to succumb was almost irresistible.

"I- I guess," she ceded almost inaudibly.

Jack didn't say anything, but stretched to the side table and picked up a knife. Cautiously, he raised one strap with his fingers and cut it, then repeated it with the other. Replacing the knife on the table, Jack brushed the straps off Samantha's shoulders and licked along the edges of where the straps had been. Despite having exposed the skin he continued to trace outside the edges with his tongue. Laying beside Samantha, Jack wound his arms around around her an unfastened her bra in the back.

Nuzzling the side of her neck, he whispered, "Tell me what you want Samantha."

"Isn't it enough I'm submitting to you?"

Jack removed her bra and skimmed where the edges had been with his mouth as he enlightened her, "I don't want submission."

"No? Then what is it you want Jack?"

"Surrender," he told her.

"Aren't they the same thing?" Samantha asked breathlessly.

"Not even remotely my Samantha," Jack purred. Gazing into her eyes, he admonished tenderly, "Submission is about inferiority and weakness, it's about giving in. Surrender is about truth and giving over to it. I never have wanted submission from you, I want your surrender. Submission can be forced or coerced, surrender can only be giving voluntarily and that's what I want from you."

"How will you know if I surrender?"

"Your surrender will come when you are ready to betray someone very important, Samantha," Jack replied ominously.

"I'll never betray the people I care about."

"Yes you will, but the person you'll betray is far closer to you than you realize. Enough about betrayal for now," Jack cut her off by kissing her.

His mouth was hot and sweet against hers and Samantha found herself responding and kissing him back. Rational thought was fading fast as his tongue massaged hers. As much as she could with her hands tied over her head, Samantha arched against Jack, relishing the feel of his chest against her nipples. When he pulled his mouth from hers and pulled away from her slightly, she gave a moan of protest.

Leaning over her breasts, Jack continued to hover nearly touching her, but not quite as he explained, "I won't break my promise Samantha unless you tell me you want me to. You gave me permission to remove your bra, nothing more. Tell me what you want."

Sam felt like crying, she wanted to feel his mouth and hands on her. She couldn't give in, she couldn't submit, Sam thought frustratedly.

Not submit. Surrender, a voice inside her argued.

"Jack, please," Samantha found herself urging him.

Unyielding, he caressed her with his hand, continuing to stay outside the line of where her bra had been as he refused, "No, my Samantha. I promised not to touch you without your permission. As enticing as your plea is, you have to make it clear to me what you want."

Damn him! Did he have to make her do this? Samantha wondered impatiently. Wasn't it enough that she wanted him? No, Jack never compromised and this was typical of him. Even at a moment like this playing games and quibbling semantics. Asking a man for what she wanted in bed wasn't an easy thing under normal circumstances, under these it was impossible.

Tell him! Samantha's body screamed.

Rationality fell by the wayside, as she pleaded, "Touch me."

"How?" Jack questioned uncompromisingly, kissing her throat and scrupulously avoiding her breasts.

Unable to bear a moment longer of his teasing, Samantha commanded, "No more games, no more boundaries, I want you to touch me."

Trailing his fingertips over her face and between her breasts, Jack cupped her breast in he hand and circled his tongue around her nipple. His voice rough with desire and emotion he asked, "Is this what you want, Samantha?"

Lust consuming apprehension and fear, she replied, "God in heaven yes. Please Jack, don't stop."

"Never," he promised as he moved his mouth to her other breast.

Samantha moaned with pleasure and pain as Jack's mouth and hands brought her nipples to stinging points. Then moaned in frustration as she tried to wrap her arms around him. Without saying a word Jack pulled away from her for a moment and took the knife and cut one of her wrists free and pulled the silken rope off. Laying the knife on the mattress instead of replacing it on the table, he moved to touch her again. Her right hand was free and he was eager to see what she would do, her decision was heartbeats away, even if she didn't realize it.

Despite her arousal, Samantha found herself wondering why he'd cut her hand free instead of untying it like he had with her feet. The knife was by her hand and she could have easily grabbed it and turned it on him. Instead she brushed it off the bed and it clattered to the floor. Samantha untied her left wrist and took Jack's face between her hands and drew his lips to hers. As their lips met she reached for Jack's hand and guided it between her legs, then ran her hands over his shoulders.

Her doubts were leaving as desire coursed through her. Samantha realized she was on the brink of giving into her darkest fantasies. Once she passed this point, there would be no turning back. Even if Jack was willing to let her go, she could never return to her old life. Looking into Jack's eyes, Samantha found herself ready to take the final steps into his world. This had been inevitable since the beginning, it was time to fall, Jack would catch her. Her passion intensified as she made peace with her surrender.

Kissing along Jack's jawline, Samantha whispered in his ear, "I don't care how wrong this is anymore, I want you."

Teasing her slit through her panties, Jack questioned, "Does this feel wrong, my Samantha?"

"God no!" she exclaimed. Then added sheepishly, "But I'm not supposed to want this."

"Maybe not, but you've wanted this all along, haven't you?"

Samantha nodded and pulled Jack's mouth back to hers. As they kissed, she felt his hardness pressing against her thigh. Reaching downwards, she grasped his shaft through his pants and caressed him. When he moaned against her mouth, she felt a surge of pleasure knowing the effect her touch was having on him. His absolute control had been maddening and Samantha was glad to have him lose a bit of it.

Samantha struggled with Jack's belt for a moment and growled, "Take them off."

Reluctant to leave her embrace, but anxious to consummate their relationship, Jack stood up and complied. As he stripped naked in front of Samantha, he felt slightly embarrassed by her appraising look and pleased by the undisguised hunger in her eyes. Although he had imagined their first time, a thousand times and a thousand ways, the reality had an intensity that surpassed his fantasies.

To Jack's surprise, Samantha sat up and crawled to the end of the bed and grasped his shaft in her hand. Rubbing his erection across her lips, she murmured, "Beautiful."

"You're beautiful," he responded hoarsely.

"Such soft pink skin," Samantha commented, circling her tongue around the ridge. She took his length in her mouth, then looked up at him and smiled as she flicked her tongue against the underside of his cock.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, Jack gently pushed her back as he explained, "I can't take much more of that Samantha, not after waiting for so many years for you. And I have no intention of losing control."

"Not at all?" Samantha teased.

Smiling, Jack replied, "Let's just say not until the appropriate time. I merely am slowing the pace down"

Lying back on the bed, Samantha playfully inquired, "And what will you do if I give you a come hither look?"

"Then, I suppose I'll have to come over and hither you," Jack grinned, moving to the bed and hooking his fingers around the elastic at the side of her panties. "Shall I take these off?"

"Please," she panted.

When he removed her panties, Samantha felt a trail of moisture, run from her sex down between the cleft of her buttocks. Jack watched with fascination for a moment then moved to lick the errant trail of her arousal. Burying his face between her thighs, he licked her fevered slit slow deliberation. Drawing her closer to the edge, he parted her swollen lips with his fingers and fluttered his tongue over Samantha's clit. Her pleasure mounting, Samantha quivered on the brink of orgasm as Jack's mouth hovered over her sex. With an exhaltant cry, Samantha writhed as her climax tore through her.

Jack moved up beside her and drew her against him and held her tightly. Grazing his lips against her mouth, he gave Samantha a tantalizing kiss, ripe with the promise of things to come. As they embraced, their tongues mated in an irresistible dance and Samantha wrapped her leg around Jack's in an effort to draw him closer. Even though her orgasm had felt exquisite, she longed to feel Jack inside her.

Brushing Samantha's hair back from her face, Jack offered, "We don't have to go further if you don't want to."

"Shhh," Samantha hushed him and brought her fingers to his lips. "I want this, Jack. I want us."

"Sure?"

"Positive," she confirmed. Then Samantha encouraged, "I know you love me Jack, now show me. Make love to me."

Gently, Jack covered her body with his and gazed at her face almost reverently. Slowly he slid his erection into Samantha. As they joined, they watched one another with an awed expression. Although Samantha had never admitted it aloud, she had imagined this moment as many times as Jack had. Pulling his mouth down on hers, Samantha wrapped her legs around Jack's waist. Mouths and bodies mated, they moved slowly against one another.

"My Samantha," Jack moaned against her mouth.

Holding Jack tightly against her, Samantha trembled as she surrendered to the intensity of their coupling. As Jack moved within her, she felt a sense of rightness that she'd never experienced before. Beyond sex, this was a consummation of their union that had been many years in the making. Relinquishing the last of her self-control, Samantha arched against Jack and the frenzy of their mating. Straining towards completion, they merged together in a frenzy and cried out their pleasure as their passion reached it's crescendo.

Collapsing in Samantha's embrace still joined, Jack rested his forehead against hers and gave her a soft kiss. Raising up slightly, Jack gave her a searching look and Samantha knew what he was looking for. Reaching up she caressed his face reassuringly and he nuzzled into her hand, kissing her palm. Despite her caress, he still had an anxious look on his face.

With a forlorn expression, he offered, "You don't have to stay till morning, Samantha. I'll still keep my promise."

Smiling, she replied, "Good, because I don't want to leave in the morning."

"I understand," he whispered sadly and started to pull away.

Holding him tightly in her embrace, Samantha clarified, "I mean because I don't want to leave. I love you Jack."

"My Samantha," Jack growled possessively and kissed her.

Several minutes later Samantha pulled her lips from Jack's and asked, "Did you actually think I would betray you by killing you when you left the knife on the bed?"

"Honestly, I wasn't sure," Jack confessed. "All I knew was that before the night was out you would betray either me or yourself. I was rather hoping you would betray yourself."

"Myself? How could I betray myself?"

Kissing her neck and moving his hand to cup her breast as his cock began to stir inside her, Jack explained, "You're a dichotomy my sweet. There's good girl Sam whom the world loves and there's my Samantha who belongs to me alone. I knew one day either Sam would destroy Samantha or Samantha would destroy Sam."

"And who am I?" she questioned huskily.

Moving within her wetness again, Jack answered, "My Samantha."

Pleased and aroused, Samantha moved with Jack as they began their dance again. They coupled throughout the night until they collapsed from exhaustion.

The next morning, Samantha rose before Jack and went exploring. In another room she found Angel tied up and drugged. Amused and formulating some ideas for dealing with her former friend, Samantha returned to the bedroom. Taking the remnants of rope, she tied Jack's wrists loosely. After pouring a glass of champagne, Samantha picked up Jack's cigarettes and lit one. Sitting on the edge of the bed she leaned over and kissed Jack.

Amused and surprised to be tied up, Jack inquired, "What's going on?"

Samantha held the cigarette to his mouth then took a puff herself and said, "You'll see."

After giving him a couple more puffs, she fed him a sip of champagne by kissing it into his mouth as he had done the night before. Grinning wickedly, Samantha murmured, "I have a proposition for you."

"And would that involve conversation and allowing you to touch me?" Jack teased.

"How did you know?" she giggled and sat the glass on the table.

"Lucky guess," Jack laughed. "Would this be for the next twelve hours?"

Shaking her head, Samantha straddled him and answered, "No"

Growing hard as she moved against him, Jack moaned then inquired, "Then how long would this be for?"

Leaning over him, Samantha kissed him and responded, "Forever."

Slipping out of the rope, he rolled her onto her back, as he murmured, "It's a deal."

Yes, it certainly was, Samantha thought contentedly as Jack began to caress her. They were a perfect fit. Neither of them would ever submit, but they both had surrendered...