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Oh I'm so cold and so far away from my home

But tonight you're where I belong

You're everything right

When I am everything wrong

Make it go away or make it better

Isn't that what love is supposed to do?

- Holly Cole, "Make It Go Away"

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Chapter 25

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Sam adjusted the strap on her overnight bag and made her way up the stairs to Martin's front door. She still couldn't believe that as soon as they de-boarded the plane she called Martin and asked if she could stay at his place. It was probably one of the boldest moves she had ever made in her life but she was worried that even if she had stayed at a hotel in Chicago she would have been stuck there alone while Martin was at his house and they would've lost more time.

Unfortunately, the cab ride from the airport was long enough for serious doubts to form in her mind. By the time she had arrived she was feeling very nervous at the prospect of being alone with Martin for several days without a way to exit, no escape plan, no parachute. She had seen The Shining, people can get crazy when trapped in a blizzard.

What if they find out that being together for so long in close quarters that they really could not stand each other? For god's sake, they have only known each other for two days! Sure, they had some great conversations, an undeniable chemistry and two very hot kisses but what did she really know about this man? What if his house smelled like moldy cheese and sweat socks? What if his dog had uncontrollable farting or was a leg humper? What if they did have sex and it was awful? What would she do then? They would be trapped together….that would be a miserable situation.

This is insane, she thought. It wasn't too late. She could still tell Martin thanks but no thanks. Maybe she would be able to find a hotel room somewhere. She started to look back to see if the cab had pulled away yet when she heard the door open and Martin appeared.

"Hey." He said with a shy smile; he looked as nervous as she felt and that little fact alone helped assure her that this was not a mistake.

"Hey." She smiled in return.

"Come in, it's freezing." He reached for her suitcase and stepped aside so she could enter.

She walked into the foyer and was promptly greeted by a big brown Lab who seemed to find the smell of her clothes fascinating. She leaned over as she pet the dog and said, "So this must be Milo."

"Yeah, if he bothers you just let me know and I'll get him to leave you alone." Martin said.

She knew that he was telling her that in case she was uncomfortable with Milo but she also knew how much this dog meant to him so she straightened up and said, "Thanks but I don't see how he could be a bother."

He smiled at her and she turned to look around. She saw that his house had hardwood floors, crown molding, a large fireplace that looked like it got a lot of use and the furniture was both masculine and stylish.

"You have a great house." She complimented him while scanning the living room.

He watched her surveying his home before he chimed in, "I can't take any of the credit. Joe, my brother-in-law, is a contractor and he buys old homes, restores them and then resells them."

"He does great work." She walked into the living room to get a better look before stopping to look at Martin and asking, "Did he give you a good deal?"

Martin shook his head. "Not as good as I would have liked."

Sam looked back at him with a smile and continued to inspect the room before putting her hands on her hips. "Your place looks pretty sharp, did you hire a decorator?"

With a feigned hurt look he replied, "I think I'm insulted. Are you implying that I could not possibly have furnished this place on my own? That I couldn't have selected…." He laughed and shook his head. "Man, I couldn't even finish that lie. My sister did it, she's an interior designer. I called her up when I found out my transfer was approved, told her I needed to find a place to live and pretty much just moved in."

"I figured as much. I've seen your taste in ties." She teased.

He narrowed his eyes at her and said, "Do you want to see the rest of the place that I had very little to do with?"

"Lead the way."

Martin waved for her to follow him down the hallway. "The next stop on the tour is the dining area which is in pristine condition as it is hardly ever used."

With Milo on his heels he led her into a beautiful room with an antique candelabra hanging from the vaulted ceiling. In the center of the room was a dark oak dining table with eight chairs. Sam ran her fingers along the smooth, polished wood and said, "It's a shame this room doesn't get more use, it's beautiful."

He leaned against the doorjamb and said, "You know the job, on a good night I am done in time to grab some take-out and catch the Bulls game."

"True," She winked at him and added, "except in my case that would be the Knicks."

He gave her a humorous sneer before saying, "Alright, moving along…" He headed through a door and held it open for her. "Now believe it or not, this is a room where I do spend a lot of time."

Sam walked into a kitchen that was bright and spacious. In direct contrast to the dining room it looked like it got a lot of use. There were coffee cups in the sink, mail on the counter and Milo's dog dishes were in the corner. Sam smiled as she looked around before turning to Martin. "Why am I not surprised that you would spend a lot of time in the kitchen? This is where you keep the food."

His blue eyes twinkled and he replied, "Very funny."

He watched her as she examined the cabinets and appliances before finally stopping at the refrigerator. Attached by a magnet was a picture of two little girls laughing as they piled on top of Martin who was clutching a football. "Are these your nieces?"

"Yeah," He moved to stand next to her and pointed to the photo, "The older one with the brown hair is Sophie and the younger blonde one is Ava."

"They're beautiful." She observed.

"Yeah, they're pretty cool." Martin smiled with his eyes on the photo before turning to her and adding with a laugh, "But when it comes to flag football they play dirty."

Sam realized how closely he was standing next to her. He smelled like shampoo and something else that she couldn't recognize but really liked. They both remained still, watching each other, when Sam quickly shifted her gaze to his lips. Martin must have taken that as an invitation because soon his mouth was on hers.

Unlike the kiss in the hospital hallway this kiss was soft and slow. They took their time savoring the moment. This time neither one of them was in a rush to go anywhere; time was on their side. Martin rested his hands low on her hips and she moved her arms around his shoulders pulling him closer towards her. She tilted her head as the kiss deepened. Martin slowly moved his hands to the small of her back and caressed her as he pulled her tightly to him.

She didn't know how long they were standing there making out when the refrigerators motor kicked on, intruding on their moment with its incessant rumbling.

Martin pulled back and smiled at her dreamily. "I think this has become my favorite room of the house."

Keeping her arms around his neck she nodded to the ceiling and said, "Well, maybe you should finish giving me the rest of the tour before you cast your final vote."

He laughed, stepped back and grabbed her hand to lead her out of the room. "And we head on to the second floor…"