Chapter 12

As Jack was paying the bill he noticed the waiter sitting at a table obviously on break. He escorted Samantha outside and exclaimed suddenly, "Ooops! I forgot to leave a tip!"

Samantha watched Jack disappear back into the restaurant. Since he'd been irritated with the waiter, she was a little surprised to see him make the trip back in to leave the tip. She leaned against Jack's car and mentally began considering what sort of gown to buy for the opera. Rapidly her mind leapt from the opera to afterwards. Would Jack want to take her back to his place and for that matter should she let him? The sun caught Tom's ring on her right hand, sending a wave of guilt through her. It wasn't too late she tried to convince herself, she could back out of tonight and marry Tom and pretend none of this ever happened. But could she go through with marrying a man she thought of more as a friend when Jack made her burn?

Inside the restaurant, Jack sauntered up to the table where the waiter sat and told him pleasantly, "Forgot to leave a tip."

Then Jack placed a fifty dollar bill on the table to the server's surprise. As the waiter put the money away, Jack flipped the top of his omega ring up and carefully shook a tiny amount of white powder into the man's coffee. Then he walked out to rejoin his Samantha, closing the top of his ring again. Within eight hours the waiter would die agonizingly from ricin poisoning. Even if they did the autopsy at Quantico, there was little chance they would be able to detect it and would never link it to Jack. After holding the door of the car open for Samantha, Jack got his notebook out of his coat and crossed the server off his list.

"Ready to shop?" he inquired as he started the car.

Samantha nodded and Jack drove with his left hand, the fingers of his right lightly traced her knee. Aware of nothing but the delicious feelings Jack's touch was evoking. When he stopped the car and she looked up at the expensive store front, awareness came jolting back rudely. The store was notoriously expensive and she imagined that even the cheapest dress in the store would stretch her budget. Jack offered her his arm as he opened the car door and led her into the shop. Everything was lovely and everything was horribly expensive, just as she feared. There was one rather dowdy navy chiffon dress that was in her budget and Samantha decided she'd better try it on.

The second she was in the dressing room, Jack grabbed the manager of the store by the elbow with one hand and pressed his finger to his lips with the other. Samantha would never agree to let him buy her any clothing, but she didn't need to know who was paying. After he had the manager's attention, he reached into his wallet and pulled out his black American Express card. Instantly the woman came to attention as he spoke quietly so Samantha couldn't hear back in the fitting rooms.

"You will close the store, discretely so she isn't aware you've done so, tell her everything is being marked to clearance or that it turned out to be knockoffs and you have to sell them for next to nothing. I don't care what you tell her, as long as she believes it. Charge her between five and ten percent of the actual cost and put the remainder on my card plus another ten grand for the inconvenience."

"Yes, sir," she replied, palming the legendary card and locking the door to the shop. After depositing the card at the register. She walked through the shop picking up several gowns and making her way back to Samantha.

"See to it that she has shoes and such as well," Jack stopped the woman to interject. "And lingerie, silk I believe."

"Of course."

As the woman disappeared, Jack sat in an opulent wingback chair and began to patiently wait. His Samantha wouldn't have to worry about money for long, when he made her his, he could spoil her to his heart's content. Problem was, how to make her his. He could kill Tom, but that might distress her too much. Although somehow, Jack suspected he would have to eliminate Tom Waters eventually. There were some unpleasant rumors whispered about him when Samantha wasn't within hearing. If they were true, then the world would be well rid of Tom Waters.

Samantha reappeared at Jack's side with a dress over her arm and apologized. "Sorry it's taking so long. The manager told me they gotten a huge misshipment of fake designer dresses and that she was just getting ready to mark them down. So I'll need just a couple more minutes to decide on one."

Giving her a lazy smile, Jack assured her. "Take all the time you like my Samantha. I was just contemplating what to lecture on tomorrow, so there's no rush."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive my sweet. And might I suggest you buy several dresses if they're such a great deal?"

"I guess I could," Sam hesitated.

Jack pulled her and the dress she was holding into his lap and probed her mouth with his tongue gently. Lifting his face from hers, he informed her, "I think you should, because I have all manner of plans for you in the days to come."

"Oh really," she laughed and blushed as she considered what his plans might be.

Jack released Samantha from his embrace so she could finish her shopping. Once she returned to the fitting rooms, he stood up and walked through the store, trying to will his erection away. He'd barely succeeded in doing so when he stumbled into the lingerie department. As visions of Samantha in the scraps of lace imagination filled his mind, the ache in his groin returned rapidly. Reaching into his jacket he brought out his silver cigarette case and lit a cigarette.

Just as he exhaled Samantha and the store manager came from the fitting room area with dresses over their arms. The manager looked disapprovingly at Jack's cigarette, but he merely shrugged and took another puff. A few minutes later, the woman had Sam at the resister with shoes and lingerie added to the pile. Once the items were paid for, the woman discretely slid Jack's card into his hand as she handed him a bag to carry out to the car. Jack's trunk filled with Samantha's purchases, they headed for her dorm room at Quantico.

Laden with bags, the pair made their way up to Samantha's room. As she was unlocking her door they were interrupted.

"Sam. What's going on?" Bailey Malone asked.

"Bailey? What are you doing here?" Sam countered.

"I had to speak with a student down the hall and I just spotted you. What's with all the bags and what are you doing with Dr. Steele?"

"Seems my lovely student was purchasing clothing for her honeymoon and it would have been ungentlemanly to not offer to help a lady with her packages," Jack lied smoothly.

"I see," Bailey replied unconvinced. Jackson Steele irritated Malone. Although he'd always been polite to him, it was annoying to see the younger man promoted rapidly beyond himself. It was rumored the younger man was on the fast track for the director's position of California. No, he definitely didn't like Jackson and he wasn't certain he liked the way his protégé was looking at the guest instructor. Bailey had taken a special interest in Sam and he didn't like the idea of her taking an interest in Dr. Steele.

"If you don't mind, these bags are getting heavy," Samantha said and opened her door. When Bailey didn't budge, she took the bags inside and allowed Jack to hand her the remaining bags. Malone studied her intently and glanced into her room. Longingly she looked at Jack, wishing she could kiss him, but knew she couldn't in front of her mentor. "I'll see you around Bailey. Thank you for your help Jack.:

Fighting the urge to snap Malone's neck, Jack smiled reassuringly. "The pleasure was mine." Then he bowed slightly and finished, "Until next we meet, Samantha."

"What the hell do you think you're doing Steele? They may think you're the golden boy in California, but here at Quantico things are different. Fraternizing with the student body isn't smiled on."

"Funny, since you separated from you lovely wife I'd heard rumors of you doing exactly that. What the matter Malone? Didn't your little chat go as expected?"

Bailey said emphatically, "Nice roses SAMANTHA has JACK. Her fiancé left on assignment over a week ago so I doubt they're from him."

Wickedly, Jack smiled, "What makes you say that?"

"Tom is in South America right now. I seriously doubt he managed to find the time to send flowers while on assignment. No agent would waste his time on a job to send roses."

"I would," Jack told him and walked away...