A little more fluff before shit hits the fan. Thank you for your reviews and I am so happy that you guys are liking this story so far.

SAM

I open my eyes to bright streaks of light peeking under the edges of the curtains in Mercedes's room. I shouldn't have stayed as long as I did, but I wanted to hold her while she slept. I wanted her to know I wasn't going anywhere. That she's safe with me. In my arms. Unfortunately, I fell asleep, too. Great sex for the third time in a short period of time does that to me. I smile and I look down at Mercedes where she's curled up against me, her beautiful face relaxed in sleep. I don't want to put names to the things I feel for her. I just want her to know I'm not going anywhere. And that I want to take care of her. To make her happy. I hope that's enough. It has to be. She wiggles against me and I feel my body react. I know if I don't get out of bed, I'll end up waking her. And while that sounds like the best possible start to my day, I know she'll be sore if I don't give her a break. Besides, her father will be up soon and I need to get to my own room. Easing out from under her, I slip on my jeans and grab the rest of my clothes, tiptoeing to the door. I crack it and listen. It sounds like her dad is already stirring. Silently, I sneak to the bathroom and take a quick shower. When I'm done, I head downstairs, letting Mercedes sleep as long as she can. Darrin, Mercedes's father, is sitting at the kitchen table. The way he's watching me, I can't help but think he was waiting for me. I nod.

"Good morning, sir." He nods in return.

"So, you're the one," he says enigmatically. I look into his eyes, a browner and less bright version of Mercedes's, and I know what he's getting at, what he wants to know. Straightening to my full height, I link my hands behind my back and nod again.

"Yes, sir. I am." His eyes travel me from head to toe, measuring me up like he might measure a new ram for his flock, before they come to rest on mine. They speak volumes as they look, unwaveringly, at me. Into me.

"And you know what she means to me, what I would do for her. And to anyone who hurt her." I suppress the grin that twitches at the corners of my mouth. He sounds about Mercedes like I feel about Mercedes.

"Yes, sir." After several long, tense seconds, he finally nods.

"All right, then let's get that girl some breakfast." From that point on, I can't seem to wipe the smile from my face.

Sometime later, when Darrin speaks to Mercedes, I turn to see her standing at the kitchen door. She looks adorably tousled. It makes me want to pick her up and carry her back to bed. I find myself holding my breath when she looks at me. I'm a little uneasy. I don't know if the bright light of day has brought about some new revelation that will work against me. When she smiles shyly at me, I exhale. And when her cheeks turn pink, I chuckle. I don't know why that makes me so happy. But it does.

"Good morning," I say, laying my spatula in the big spoon that sits to the right of the stove.

I know her father knows how I feel about her, but even if I didn't, I couldn't stop myself from going to her. I stop in front of Mercedes and cup her face in my hands, kissing her sweetly on the mouth. She looks up at me with her liquid eyes and something in me melts away. I think to myself that I hope it wasn't something important. Something that I needed. It makes me just a little uncomfortable, feeling the things I feel for her, so I give her a smile and head back to the stove, hoping she won't see my uncertainty.

The rest of the morning goes smoothly. Right up until she announces that we're heading back to the city after lunch. My head jerks up and our eyes meet. There's no warning in them, but there's a purpose. There's no mistaking that.

"Why so soon, Merce?" Darrin asks. "I've got some things to take care of, Dad." I see her eyes flicker up to mine where I'm sitting across the table from her.

"Marissa will be back soon and I've got some things to figure out." There it is. We've got some things to figure out. Obviously.

MERCEDES

The ride back to the city is as different from the ride away as it's possible to get. The only thing that would make it more dramatic is if my hair were on fire or I were a man. I glance back periodically to see Sam on his bike, following along behind me. He's wearing his helmet, so I can't even see his eyes, but I imagine that he smiles at me each time I look back. I can almost feel it. A couple of times, he even nods, like he can tell I'm looking at him. I wonder if he can see my eyes shift to him in the rearview mirror… When I pull into one of the spots designated for Marissa's townhouse, Sam pulls in beside me, killing his engine and taking off his helmet. I try to hide the smile I feel that he's coming in without me having to ask. It's like some unspoken agreement has been reached between us. I'm his and he's mine. At least for now. And I refuse to think any further than that. He carries my bag in and takes it into my room. Rather than just dropping it, he sets it on the bed and sits down beside it. Before I can ask what he's doing, he clears his throat.

"Why don't you pack a bigger bag and come stay with me?"

My stomach flutters at the thought of going to sleep in Sam's arms every night and waking up in them every morning. Of going to sleep with his taste on my tongue and waking up with his tongue in my mouth. That's what it would be like. At least for a while. For a few days. It sounds like heaven. But then, as it so often does at the most inopportune times, reality intrudes. And I think of Marissa.

"Look, Sam, I understand why you've done what you've done and how important it is, but I can't pretend now that you aren't Cam. That when Cam is sleeping with Marissa, it's not you. Because it is. And it always has been." Sam reaches for my hands and pulls me into the space between his spread legs. When he looks up at me, his eyes are sparkling. My breath hitches in my chest.

"I broke up with Marissa on Wednesday." I ignore the fact that my heart feels like a balloon that someone filled up and then let go before tying it off, like it's soaring around the room at the speed of light.

"You did?"

"I did." I'm almost afraid to ask. But I do.

"Why?"

"Because she's not the one I want to be with."

"But you work with her father."

"I already talked to him, too."

"You did?" He laughs.

"Yes. I'm done with all that… stuff. I can't really tell people that Cam is dead, but I don't have to continue on the same path. I'm letting Dad's case go. Moving on. I'll finish my internship and then decide what to do, whether I want to practice, where and how. I'm not letting the past rule my future anymore."

While I appreciate what he's saying, something bothers me.

"But he's your only family. And he's in prison. If you can get him out, if there's any chance at all, don't you think you should still try?" He looks down at our joined hands. He rubs his thumbs over my knuckles.

"I haven't felt like I've had a real home in years." Sam pauses and looks up, his eyes meeting mine. They are warm. They are sweet. They are sincere. "Until I met you. You feel like home. And that's more important than anything else. You're my home now. You're what matters."

I want to kiss him. And hold him. And tell him I love him. Do I love him? The answer comes quickly. Yes. I do. But he hasn't said those words to me. So I don't say them to him. But I feel them.

"But if there's something you can do to help him, I want you to try. Don't abandon him because of me. I'll help you however I can. I'm not afraid." It's just as I speak the words that I realize I'm not. I'm not afraid. And it's because of Sam. And what I see in his eyes. "I know you won't put me in danger. Not on purpose." I tug one of my hands loose and trace his strong, square jaw with my fingertips. "I trust you, Sam. I trust you."

He grabs my wrist and presses his lips to the inside, then pulls gently until I'm bent at the waist and my face is close to his.

"Come home with me. Please." I can feel his warm breath on my lips, they're so close. I lean forward to close the small gap, but he leans away. "Please," he repeats softly. I would never tell him, but he could ask me anything right now and I'd agree to it. Anything at all.

"Okay."

As soon as the words leave my lips, his mouth is on mine. His hands are hungry and urgent as he grabs me around the waist and turns to lay me on the bed. We undress each other as though we've never made love, as though this is the first time and we can't wait one more second to feel skin on skin. When he enters me, my whole world collapses. It melts and covers us as he moves within me, like a perfect crystalline cocoon. And when we are both satisfied and breathing heavily, Sam lays his forehead against mine and whispers, "Home." I think to myself that this is the very moment when I'm lost. Lost to Sam. Forever.

SAM

As I straighten up my condo, I can't help but recognize that I've probably never felt more positive about life. Even before the "accident" I didn't feel so good about the future. So optimistic. So… enthused. And the difference? Mercedes.

I smile and shake my head as I think of her. She wanted to take a shower and clean up before she packed and headed over here. She suggested I go ahead. I'm not really surprised, I don't guess. I know how girls are, what with their need for grooming time and personal space. So I kissed her and left. The strange thing is, I had to make myself leave rather than join her in the shower. I don't know what it is about her, but I can't seem to get enough. Even when I've had enough, I want more. When my phone rings, I pull it out and check the screen. It says simply, "Mercedes." I smile wider.

"You're supposed to be over here by now. What's taking you so long?" There's a pause before she speaks. When she does, I hear her shy voice.

"Um, I don't know what kind of, um, plans you have for us tonight. Should I bring work clothes for tonight and tomorrow night? Or…?"

"You haven't met him yet, but I have a guy that helps manage the bar. His name is Gavin and I already had him rework the schedule to cover your shifts this weekend. Why don't you just take the time off and spend it with me?" She laughs a little and when she answers, I can hear the smile in her voice.

"I'd love to spend the weekend with you doing… whatever, but I really can't afford to miss much more time." I'm smart enough and an astute enough observer of women to know offering her money would be a huge mistake. So, to keep the peace, I do what I need to .

"Well, then just plan to work tomorrow night. Will that be enough, since you worked last night at Tad's?"

"Yeah, I think that'll be fine."

"All right then. Get your ass over here."

"On my way," she chirps, and then the line goes dead.

I wonder if I'll ever stop smiling and, if I can't, what kind of excuse I'll have to make up to explain it. Or if I'll even bother. Because at the moment, I just don't give a shit. I'm happy. She's happy. That's all that matters. Sam didn't say where to park, so I stick with the lot out front, just to be safe. I'll probably need to move it later, so as not to announce to everyone I'm getting preferential treatment because I'm screwing the boss. I can't help but grin. That sounds so trashy, but I just don't care. I refuse to let anything or anyone ruin this happy time of my life. Happy times come by so infrequently, I'm determined to enjoy them as much as I can, while I can. Retrieving my bag and purse from the backseat, I lock the doors and head around the side entrance to the apartment. Butterflies are alive and well in my stomach, which is kind of ridiculous considering that I've had sex with Sam well over a dozen times. But still… The garage door is open as I approach. So is the interior door. And Sam is standing just inside it, smiling. He stops me from entering and takes my bag and purse from me, setting them on the floor behind him. Then, with a wicked grin, he sweeps me up into his arms and carries me inside, kicking the door shut with his heel.

"I'm supposed to carry you over the threshold, right?" I laugh.

"If that's what you're doing, I must've slept through something important," I say dryly. He quirks one eyebrow and shoots me a cocky grin.

"Oh trust me, I won't let you sleep through any of the good stuff."

I wrap my arms more tightly around his neck and he bends his head to kiss me. When his lips meet mine, there is fire, just like always. But there's something else, too. Something deeper, sweeter. More meaningful. It makes my heart sing like his kiss makes my toes curl. He carries me into the bedroom and lays me down on the bed. He starts to lie down beside me, but I stop him. This time is different. It feels different. And I want to start things off with a bang. Pun intended. I come up onto my knees and move to the edge of the bed. Smiling up into his eyes, I don't say a word. I just set about untucking his shirt. Just like I was doing the first time we met . It takes only a few seconds for understanding to dawn on him. And I know the instant it does. His lips twitch and his brow rises, much like that first night, and he spreads his arms out, away from his body, also much like he did that first night. I giggle as I stand up on the bed to peel his shirt off him and toss it aside. I can't think of a more perfect way to start this new leg of our relationship. It's almost like we've come full circle and we're getting another chance. And if that's the case, I plan to make the most of it. Dropping back onto my knees, I place my mouth over one flat nipple, flicking it with my tongue until it forms a tight bud, then sucking it into my mouth. I hear him gasp.

"Even then, I knew you'd be a handful." I look up at him as I drag my lips down his stomach. My fingers are already working his zipper loose.

"Baby, you have no idea."

I know by his smile that he's happy. And that's all that matters.

Nearly an hour later, Sam is resting on top of me, his weight braced on his forearms. We've been lying like this for several minutes, just enjoying the feel of him softening inside me, the feel of his skin against mine, the feel of the world so quiet around us. When Sam lifts his head and looks down into my eyes, there's a wealth of emotion in the dazzling depths, so much so that it brings tears to my eyes. I think of what he told me earlier and I smile up at him. Cupping his handsome face, I whisper against his lips,

"Welcome home."

When he kisses me, I know we're both where we belong.

DUFFY

The lock was too easy to pick. Duffy thinks it's funny that rich people think they're safe, think they're protected against any intruders as long as they've got a security system. He actually laughs out loud before he shushes himself. If they only knew… Making his way through the darkened rooms, Duffy finds what he's looking for —her bedroom. Duffy will be making a call to the landlord at midnight, complaining of a television being left on too loud. In this townhouse. He'll demand that the tenant be notified and ordered to reduce the noise. She'll come home to take care of it and Duffy will be waiting for her. With his van parked outside. Duffy is nothing if not patient. He'll see a good plan through to the bitter end. And theirs is a good plan. They only need her long enough to get the books. And then Duffy can get rid of them both.

Easy peasy.

Moving to the space behind her bedroom door, Duffy dials the landlord's number to make the false report. When he hangs up, he calls his boss.

"Yeah, I'll bring her tonight. I'll have you the books by sunrise. Then I'll get rid of them both."

Flipping his ancient cell phone shut and stuffing it in his pocket, Duffy settles in to wait.

For Mercedes Jones.

Just when we thought things were good for them... until next time!