A/N Thank you Melanie Anne for your kind feedback. Reviews are greatly appreciated. If you enjoy this story, you might like my newest story, "A Holiday Affair"

Chapter 7

By the time Jack parked in front of an elegant Victorian house, Samantha was a bundle of nerves. She had been nervous and excited ever since agreeing to dinner tonight; but Jack's gallantry and gentle caress of her hand set her reeling. Desperately, Sam tried to conjure Tom's face in her mind. She cared a lot about him, he was one of the nicest boys she'd ever met. And that was the problem, she realized. Tom was a boy, but Jack- Jack was definitely a man, Samantha decided as she walked through the door he held open for her.

"May I?" Jack asked nodding at the files. Sam held them out to him and he set them on an ornate wooden table in the entrance hall. "Would you care for some wine?"

"Yes please."

"Make yourself at home, I'll be just a minute." Jack told her and gestured towards the living room.

Samantha walked quietly into the room and looked around. The wooden floor was polished to a high gloss and warmed with an enormous antique rug. From the velvet curtains to the gilded mirror over the fireplace, the room had a hushed opulence to it. Sam had seen rooms like this in magazines, but never in person. Cautiously she sat down, feeling shy and woefully unsophisticated in the luxurious surroundings. The awkwardness increased tenfold when she spotted a sparkling crystal vase overflowing with roses like Jack had given her earlier. The plastic tumbler she'd put his lovely gift in that had seemed lacking earlier, now seemed to be an outright insult. What must he think of me? Samantha wondered.

Jack entered the room with a freshly opened bottle of wine in one hand and two stemmed glasses in the other. He set the glasses down on the coffee table in front of Sam and began to pour. After he filled one, he handed it to her and then filled one for himself and sat down near her.

"I hope the wine will be to your liking," Jack said softly.

Samantha took a sip. It was so much nicer than the bottles of house wine Tom ordered when he took her out. "It's lovely but I don't know much about wine. What is it?"

"Just a nice little red wine to go with our dinner," Jack dismissed the bottle casually and began to focus on Samantha.

Under Jack's intense gaze Samantha blushed and moved to read the bottle, desperate to distract herself and regain control. Jack could probably seduce a woman with a single glance from those dark piercing eyes, she decided. Turning the bottle slightly, her breath caught, she didn't know much about wines, but she had a feeling it was expensive. The label read 'Chateau Margeux 1934.' Tom had told her repeatedly that spending more than $20 on a bottle of wine was ridiculous, apparently Jack didn't feel that way. Again feelings of inadequacy began to overwhelm her.

"Jack-" Samantha turned to him and trailed off as his hand came up and he traced his thumb across her lips.

"Yes?" he prompted gently.

"Is this awfully expensive?" she asked sitting her glass down.

Jack's eyebrow shot up, first in shock and then amusement as he realized the cause of his Samantha's distress. He leaned forward and caressed her cheek with his lips and whispered, "Don't distress yourself my Samantha. Money is hardly an object when courting a goddess."

Samantha turned from a a slight pink blush to a deep red. Nervously, she gulped her wine, cost forgotten in light of Jack's flattery. She had to leave, she needed to leave. Any excuses that this was for class and that Tom would understand were dissolving rapidly as Jack studied her and smiled.

"Sweet innocent Samantha," Jack purred and slowly drew her closer.

"Jack," she breathed hesitantly and looked up at him. He was going to kiss her and God help her, she wanted him to.

Gently Jack's lips brushed Samantha's. His lips were sweet from the wine as he gently caressed her mouth with his. Sam arched against him and brought her arms around him pulling him even closer. Slowly he began to tease her mouth with his velvet tongue which was proving to be as sensual in it's movements as it had earlier in words. Samantha became slightly light headed as Jack's mouth coaxed aroused whimpers from her. Reluctantly, Jack pulled his lips away from her.

"Dinner is nearly done," he explained, noting triumphantly the slight look of disappointment on her face when he stopped kissing her. He poured her another glass of wine before excusing himself to check on dinner.

Jack stopped in the kitchen and opened the door of the refrigerator and stood for several minutes in the chill of it. Since the age of fifteen, he had been with more women than he could count. Though all encounters had been pleasant enough, he never felt like he was losing control. Now, Jack stood trying to regain his composure from a simple kiss. Samantha was a virgin he was certain and while he would be happy to remedy that, he knew he had to wait. True he could conquer and seduce her physically tonight, but he wanted her to give him every part of her willingly. Samantha would belong to him in every respect, Jack wanted her heart, mind and soul. Body, he decided as he closed the door and began to place food in serving dishes, would have to wait.

After several trips of carrying the dishes outside, Jack lit the candles and was ready to fetch Samantha. He walked to the living room and smiled. "I thought we would dine al fresco in the rose garden tonight."

Samantha rose and mutely followed Jack. The evening had been overwhelming from the start and showed no signs of easing up. Tom had taken taken her on dates that included pizza and beer. Entering Jack's world was a whole new experience. As he lead her into the garden she stared at the dreamy sight of blazing candles and twinkling lights. Jack stood holding a chair out for her at the table, as soft strains of music came from an old fashioned phonograph. As she set down, Samantha inhaled the heady scent of the rose perfumed air.

Jack served her from a variety of dishes that filled a wrought iron tea cart he had drawn up to the table to use as a buffet. Rare roast beef was joined with new potatoes in dill sauce on her plate and exotic greens filled her salad plate before he finally served himself and joined her. Samantha took a bite feeling slightly uneasy as Jack studied her intently. Though she was used to her share of male attention, no man had ever made such a thorough study of her as Jack seemed to be. Noting Samantha's discomfort, Jack forced himself to start eating and to momentarily pull his eyes away from her face.

"This place is amazing Jack. I didn't know the bureau rented such nice places."

"They don't," Jack laughed. "I told them the type of place to find for me and paid for it out of pocket."

"Oh," Samantha replied, unsure of what to say.

Sensing her dilemma, Jack offered, "Samantha, I enjoy puzzles and that's what profiling is for me. I work for the bureau because it pleases me to do so. The truth is I don't have to work, I choose to."

Samantha considered what Jack told her. Although she could understand his reasoning, it made her wonder what his expectations were and what he was after. Did he make a habit of dazzling girls with his wealth and seducing them? Tonight was so perfect, was it merely a carefully choreographed routine? Looking across the table at Jack, Samantha dismissed those thoughts. Yes everything was romantic and sensual, but Jack would be seductive and have women pursuing him if he wore jeans and smelled of auto grease. Dinner continued with pleasant and flirtatious conversation that made Samantha wish the night would never end. Jack stood up and changed the record on the phonograph.

"Dance with me Samantha, " Jack commanded gently and held out his hand. "Dance with me under the stars."

She stood up and trembled slightly as Jack placed a hand around her waist. His touch was setting off tiny sparks of wicked pleasure and Samantha found herself melting into him as they began to dance.