Chapter 18

"Okay. Let's talk." Sam said as she stood.

"Great" Martin replied relieved.

Danny and Rick watched the two leave the bar in silence and then looked at each other for a moment. "I'll get the next round" Danny offered. Neither man was going to leave until Martin and Sam were finished. And from where they were sat they had a good view of them stood outside the bar, through the window.

Sam walked through the door without looking at Martin. She had her arms wrapped tightly around herself and was clearly very tense and apprehensive. She walked a few feet before stopping and turning to Martin.

"Okay, talk" She ordered wanting to get this over as quickly as possible. She was finding it really hard to keep her hands off him. He was now single, stood in front of her and had said that he had feelings for her. All that plus the alcohol in her system and a bad day meant it was a real effort for her to not jump him. Also she couldn't help noticing how hot he was with that blue shirt and his tie loose. So much like the first night they spent together only without the terrible pink shirt!

Martin looked at the ground, wondering where and how to start, how to explain everything to her without screwing it up. He was struggling not to kiss her. He wanted to kiss away the confusion and hurt and make everything okay, to really show her how he felt. He wanted to erase the images of the case from both their minds. He loved her with her hair loose, the way it was that fateful first night they spent together. It was how he loved it most.

"I…uhh…okay" He gave a small nervous laugh "I love you." He started watching for her reaction "I left Anna because I'm in love with you. I stopped us the other night because I didn't want us to start a relationship that way. And because I although I love you I do care about Anna. She's a good person who doesn't deserve to be cheated on. Or I couldn't live with the guilt of sleeping with another woman, regardless of how much I care about that other woman." He added realizing what he had already done with Sam counted as cheating.

After what he'd said in the bar Sam wasn't to shocked by what he said but there was something that didn't quite add up. She frowned "Does Danny know?" She asked thinking about how he reacted in the bar a few moments ago.

"Yes. I told him when we were stuck in that elevator." Martin told her honestly. He knew it was going to hurt her, and although he really didn't want to cause her more hurt, he knew that lying to her would hurt her even more.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sam asked feeling hurt that he'd told Danny and not her "Why did you kick me out the other night? We could have saved ourselves a lot of confusion, hurt and me a lot of tears!" She added.

"I know I was wrong to treat you that way but it's what I had to do. I'm sorry Sam." Martin said gently. He walked towards her looking longingly in to her eyes "If I'd told you how I felt then there's no way I could have not made love to you."

Martin placed his hands lightly on her upper arms, stepping closer to her so they were just inches apart. He slowly leaned down and his lips softly, questioningly met hers. Sam moved her lips with his relishing in the feel of them, the sensations such a small action was causing in her. She parted her lips allowing him to explore the inside of her mouth. Martin moaned softly moving a hand to her back and one to her hair pulling her closer, deepening the kiss further.

"Martin, stop." It took all the will power Sam had to say it but she needed to. She wasn't sure she could trust him and even less sure this was a good idea because he'd just left Anna. Martin continued to kiss her. "Stop." She said more forcefully as she pulled out of his embrace, eyes closed trying to regain control of her body.

Martin looked at her confused, hurt and slightly breathless. "Something wrong?" He asked watching her closely. His body was acutely aware of her still close proximity and his lips were still tingling with the sensations she gave him.

You left me" Sam started "Then you shop up out of the blue three years later with a fiancée. Then you tell me that you wanted to be with me, to have a family with me. Then you fail to tell me that you love me but you tell my best friend. Just after this you kiss me and it gets heated and you just throw me out. Now you're telling me you love me, left you're fiancée for me and you're kissing me again! Forgive me for not just jumping you but how do I know you're not going to pull away again?" She asked frustrated.

"You don't" He answered honestly glancing at the ground before looking at her again silently willing his body to calm down. "But I can honestly tell you that I don't want to you again and that I will do what ever it takes for us to work. I want this to work." Martin said stepping towards Sam again.

Sam held up her hand and stepped back again. "I think we need some time. I want to be with you, I really do but we need to do this right. You only just left Anna and I'm not sure I'm willing to just be with you a few days later. Can we take some time here? No wait. We will take some time here. That's what its going to take for us to have a chance and you have to be honest with me. No lies between us okay?" She asked.

"Okay. What ever you want. I want to make this work" He assured her again.

"Okay. Good" Sam smiled "I'll see you tomorrow" She added hailing a cab. She stepped to the cab. Pausing at the door she turned back to Martin "I really want this to work as well. I've missed you" She said simply outwardly calm but inside her body was still fizzing from the contact with him. She so desperately wanted to invite him back with her like that fateful night but logic told her it would be a bad idea and she listened to it.

"I've missed you too." Martin smiled at her, watching the cab pull away. Martin hailed his own cab and headed home still smiling, body still tingling. Things were beginning to look up.