Chapter 6

What a difference a day made. Sam arrived at the hospital to discover that Yvette had been moved to a regular room because she regained consciousness and remained that way for a good part of the day. He didn't bother to wait for permission to go up to see her, just brushed past the front desk when they gave him her room number. She was asleep when he entered the room. The sight of her took his breath away and formed a lump in his throat. Careful not to wake her, he slipped into the room, stood beside the bed, and studied her in the dim light filtering down from above her bed. She was so peaceful, looking more like herself, full of color and life, he couldn't resist touching her. He reached out slowly, and with the back of his hand he barely made contact with her cheek, just close enough to feel warmth radiating from her. Then he braved skin on skin, and his rougher hand skirted across the peachy smoothness of her cheek.

Her eyelids twitched, and in a flash, a hand clamped around his wrist. His eyes widened when he realized it was Yvette hanging onto him with such strength. Her eyes opened and focused on him with an intense anger in them, but the moment she registered that it was Sam who stood above her, they softened. She smiled. He smiled back.

"Hey."

"Hey," she croaked.

"Can I, um, have my hand back?"

"What if I say no?"

He leaned over her, close enough to feel her breath. "I'll just have to take some desperate measures..." he replied softly before he closed the distance between their lips and kissed her tenderly.

She managed to say, once she caught her breath, "Sam...what brought that on?" In her surprise and awe, she released his wrist.

He planted his hands on either side of her and hovered, still smiling. "I just wanted you to know that...I love you. I just wish it hadn't taken this to get it through my thick skull."

"Oh, Sam!" She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down until he half lay over her and kissed him.

It wasn't what he was used to. Not the aggressiveness, but the style of her kiss. It was so unrefined, and it became clear to him that she was, as he suspected, very inexperienced. He wondered how that could be, but given her past, being held as a virtual slave to serve a woman all her life, with no exposure to men other than the crew members, it was a rational possibility. Some day he would ask her about that life, but right now, he had other concerns. Her touch stirred something in him that was better saved for later, so for the time being, he would be content with holding her in his arms.

A cleared throat got their attention, and they both turned toward the door where a nurse stood with arms crossed and a not too pleased expression on her face. "I don't know how you got in here mister, but visiting hours don't start until nine. It's six now, so why don't you go down to the cafeteria and get yourself a cup of coffee...or something...colder. You look like you could use it."

Sam stood and straightened his clothing, knowing full well that his cheeks were flaming. He risked a glance at Yvette and saw they could have made a matched pair. He winked at her and said, "I'll be back later, baby. You can count on it. Maybe I can break you out of here today."

"I'll see you in a little while, Sam. Thank you for coming. Maddie said you went to Houston for something..."

He took her hand and squeezed it gently, all the while aware that the nurse hovered. "Yeah, we'll talk about that later." He planted a quick kiss on her hand, released it, and slipped around Nurse Ratchet to escape the room.

"This isn't some cheap rent by the hour hotel you know," she shot at him.

Yvette giggled at his evasive action, and the nurse closed in on her.

"Who is that guy?"

Yvette sighed and spoke his name as if it were a song. "Sam."

That's all he needed to hear.

Sam had no intention of letting Yvette fend for herself when she was released from the hospital. She moved into his apartment again, although he knew it would create problems. It would take a lot of moral strength on his part to fight his baser instincts. If this were any of his other lady friends, he wouldn't have to be so careful, but Yvette was different. He loved her and had a deep respect for her that he'd never developed with his other relationships. She was one of a kind, and Sam would do anything for her. That started with making breakfast.

He slurped his coffee, swallowed, and yawned. Last night was not a good night. Thoughts of Yvette sleeping beyond the wall of his bedroom tortured him all night long. Dreams of them together hounded him when he did sleep, but they weren't the usual pit of lustful passion to which he was accustomed. There was a lot of white involved, a big, white, lacy, pouffy dress, and he knew what that meant. This was getting serious - very, very serious.

An omelet was cooking on the stove when someone pounded hard on his door. He grumbled at the intrusion and shuffled toward the entrance, but he wasn't so tired that he couldn't grab a gun from its hiding place and take off the safety first.

"I'm coming. Just keep your shorts on." Sam stole a glance through the peephole and saw Michael on the other side with a worried look on his face. He quickly unlocked the door and let him in. "What's up, Mike?"

Michael entered the apartment and looked around. "Where's Yvette?"

"Right here." She smiled and leaned against the kitchen doorway. "Hi, Michael. Care for some coffee?"

"This isn't a social call. We need to get you two out of here now." Michael stopped scanning the living room and focused on Sam. "If you have anything...sensitive...around here, you better grab it and go."

"Mikey, you're not making any sense. What is going on?"

"This." He snapped open the morning edition of the Herald. On page one, a picture of Yvette's apartment building in flames stretched across three columns. "We don't know if they're targeting this place yet or not. Just grab what you wanna keep and get going. Jesse's downstairs with a car. We'll put you up someplace safe until this all blows over."

"Sam, when will they leave us alone?" Yvette's voice shook with anger. "Are we going to have to run for the rest of our lives? I don't want to run, but I don't want to die, either!"

"Don't worry, it's not gonna happen." Sam put his arm around Yvette and steered her toward her room. "Go get dressed, quick! I've got a couple of things to take care of, and then we're out of here. You know my friends will keep us safe."

Just as Sam and Yvette left the room, glass shattered. Michael turned toward the sound and spied a grenade attached to plastic explosives lying in the middle of the room. "Sam!" Michael dove for the hall and flattened the two as the living room erupted into a ball of fire. Michael recovered immediately and yelled, "Is there another way out of here?"

"The balcony!" Sam pulled on the lapel of Yvette's bathrobe, forcing her to stand and move with them down the hall to Sam's room. Once inside, Michael closed the door against the flames and smoke that torched the hall after them. Yvette opened the sliding glass door while Michael raced to the bed, stripped off the sheets, and started knotting them together. Sam emerged from the walk-in closet with a grin. "No need for that. I'm prepared!" He held up a coil of climbing rope and two harnesses as he moved to the balcony.

They tied the rope securely, and Sam clipped his harness to the line. "Come here, Yvette. Wrap your legs around me, that's good, and hang on tight, 'cause we're going down fast." He curled his gloved hands around the line and kicked away from the balcony rail. Yvette sucked in a breath as they soared for a moment before zipping down the line. She clamped her eyes shut, and Sam couldn't help but chuckle a little as his feet hit solid ground and a little yelp came out of her. "It's okay, babe. Now, you can get down. We've gotta let Mike have the line."

"Oh yeah!" Yvette disengaged herself from Sam's back and moved out of the way with him to watch as Michael slid smoothly down the rope. By the time they reached solid ground, the fire department arrived and a small crowd gathered to gawk. Sam dropped the harness, put his arm around Yvette's shoulders, and guided her away from the scene.

"Where's Jesse, Mike?"

"I don't know. Fi was here too, in her car." Michael looked to where they had been parked, but neither one was there. "They're gone."

"Maybe they're chasing whoever did this," Sam suggested.

Michael nodded in agreement. "Well, until they get back...let's find some place for you two. Chances are they know about the loft and Ma's house. We need a new safe house."

"I can't turn my back for five minutes without you blowing something up, Westen."

Michael grinned, but it wasn't a sign of pleasure at seeing Detective Paxson again. "Detective. I think you can I both know this did not involve me."

"Maybe not, but it seems like explosives and you just go hand in hand." Her cool expression softened a little as she turned away from Michael to address Sam and Yvette. "Sorry about your place, Mr. Axe."

"It's okay. I was planning on doing a little redecorating anyway." He glanced at what used to be his apartment, and the whole third floor for that matter. Three ladder trucks were attacking the inferno. With the sprinklers in the building, he held a lot of sympathy for the people on the floors below who would surely suffer from a lot of water damage. That's a lot of redecorating.

"I'm surprised that Ms. Glenanne isn't here."

"What do you want, Paxson?" Michael asked, trying to hide his irritation. "We don't have time for chit chat."

"I understand that completely. I'm here to offer you some help."

Michael held back his laughter. "You want to help us? Why?"

"In the course of my investigation, I discovered that Miss McCain could prove to be an even more valuable witness in taking down Frederick Roche than I first thought. Obviously, Roche feels the same way, or he wouldn't have his men working so hard to take out her, and anyone near her." She gave Sam a meaningful glance. "You two are coming with me. We've got a safe house where you're guaranteed to be secure until Roche's men are caught."

"Oh great, this could be awhile," Sam muttered.

Paxson narrowed her eyes at him. "Mr. Axe, I hope you're just being sarcastic. In case you didn't know, we're working very closely with the Feds on this one. It'll be over soon." She turned her attention to Michael. "And you'll be hearing from Agent Pearce. She's allowing you to work with our department."

"I can hardly wait."

Paxson turned on the ball of her foot and gently grasped Yvette's arm. "Come with me. I'll take you to the safe house myself."

"B-but I don't have anything to wear. Everything I own went up in flames...twice." She glanced at Sam's apartment, a lost expression on her face.

"No worries. We'll get you some clothes." She looked Sam up and down, noting that he was already dressed. "You're okay, for now."

"Sam, we'll get this taken care of. Just lay low, and we'll keep in touch," Michael said as he quickly pulled something from the Charger's glove compartment. Then he straightened and pressed a phone into Sam's hand. "I know I don't need to tell you it's only for emergencies."

Sam grinned. "No problem. See you soon, Mikey!"

Yvette sat close to Sam in the back seat of Paxson's car, and he put his arm around her. Her head swung from side to side scanning the scenery outside, taking note of the landmarks, just in case. Sam looked a lot more calm than Yvette, but he still kept an eye on where they were going. He didn't expect them to wind up on Star Island in a beautiful, well-equipped mansion. He also didn't expect that the driver would let them off with Paxson and leave through the guarded gate. Several plainclothes officers roamed the property carrying semi-automatic weapons.

"Wow, you guys really rolled out the red carpet," Sam declared with a grin as he took in the back yard with a view of the ocean and a luxurious Olympic sized pool.

"The fridge is well stocked, as well as the cupboards. Sorry we couldn't requisition a maid, so you're on your own for cooking and cleaning." She noted Sam's disappointed frown. "You didn't think you'd get off that easy, did you?"

"I thought that's what you were here for," he quipped, amused by the expression that told him that he was fortunate for the distance between them, or she would have kicked him to the moon for that smart remark.

"I'll be around. Your quarters are on the second floor, to the right after you get off the stairs. You're adjacent to each other. Makes it easier to keep an eye on you." She turned toward another female officer. "Officer Kowalski will show you around and get you settled." Then she headed to a set of French doors to the right. When she opened the door and moved inside, Sam caught a glimpse of a couple of officers hunched over some surveillance equipment.

"Nice. I think we can figure out our own way around."

Officer Kowalski smiled in a way that Sam figured that she was the antithesis of Det. Paxson. She wouldn't give him any trouble. "I'll leave you alone, if you give me your sizes we can send out for some clothes and things for both of you."

"Oh, that would be great. Thanks!" Yvette got into the spirit of their generosity and readily gave the officer everything she needed. He was less enthusiastic, but followed Yvette's lead. By evening they were outfitted with casual clothes, a couple of swimsuits, and other supplies to keep them comfortable for however long it took to resolve this crisis. He just wished he could be outside the walls with his friends looking for Roche's men.

It took some adjusting, but Sam almost forgot about the past couple of weeks while he reclined in a lounger, facing the sun, and spied on Yvette behind his sunglasses as she floated absently on an air mattress in the pool, occasionally sipping her fruity drink. She looked breathtaking in the one piece suit that hugged every curve and accentuated her positive physical qualities. He contemplated diving in and sneaking up on her, but startling her just wasn't a smart thing to do. She was likely to deck him before realizing that it was the man she loved. Besides, his shoulder was bothering him. Although, he reasoned, stretching those muscles would probably do some good. The doctor never said he couldn't swim. Then again, he never said Sam could rappel three stories down from a burning building, either, and that little excursion still caused his muscles to throb. Rest, that's what he needed. A mojito didn't hurt, either. As he took a sip, he watched Yvette paddle around to the side of the pool, where she placed her half empty drink and got off the mattress.

"Are you getting out," he asked as she walked toward him with a delicious smile.

"I was hoping you'd join me."

"I'd love to, but my shoulder..."

"I was thinking of the hot tub. Heat is good for sore muscles." She held out a hand and he took it willingly, smiling at her as he did so. She led him to the hot tub and stepped down into it. The warmth infused into his body, and he sighed as he sat next to her on a bench and allowed the bubbling water to roll over his shoulder. She laughed. "Was I right?"

"Oh yeah, this is great." He leaned his head against the rounded lip of the hot tub and closed his eyes. One hand held his drink above the water, and the other found her shoulder and slipped around her. "I could get way too used to this."

"I know." She set her drink on the edge, then turned closer into him. "This would be a great place for a honeymoon."

Sam's eyes flew open. "A...what?"

Yvette laughed heartily. "Just teasing, Sam." Her eyes fell on his lips as she innocently licked her own.

"You shouldn't do that to a guy. He might just...just take you seriously." He'd never had a problem talking to a woman before, but suddenly, he seemed tongue-tied. There was only one solution to that problem. He set his drink on the edge next to hers, pulled her into his lap, and captured her lips with his. He'd been wanting this for so long, and so was she, if the way she held onto him was any indication. Her soft sigh held a promise of passion, and she refused to let go of his lips. Finally, he tore himself away to catch his breath.

"Sam...have I told you lately that I love you?" She smiled.

"I think you just did," he replied with a cocky smile. Before she could take control of his mouth again, he stopped her with a finger on her lips. Then he whispered. "I just want to warn you. I don't know about your room, but I know mine is bugged. They may even have cameras on us."

"Why?" She looked alarmed that anyone may have been watching her change. She crossed an arm over her chest and looked around nervously. "Sam, I'm getting so tired of this sneakiness and being pursued. When will it stop?"

"Soon, if Mike, Fiona, and Jesse have their way. But the point is, they're probably using all this to keep an eye on everything and prevent anyone from attacking or kidnapping us." He paused and wrapped his arms around her. "I just want you to be careful. Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

Sam hurt for her. She had no idea what it was like to be a spy, or to be the best friend of one. Being tailed, surveilled, and accosted were just part and parcel of the job. He was used to it. But he wasn't so sure Yvette would ever get the hang of it. That worried him. If he intended to keep doing business as usual, her not being on board would only cause tension that might tear them apart. Although his dream on the plane was only a byproduct of some heavy duty exhaustion, one thing remained clear and real from the experience: his resolve to not let his casual job interfere with his relationship with Yvette. If things were serious, he needed to analyze how to detach himself from some of Michael's missions. Was he ready to do that? This was the million dollar question.

"You're miles away, dear," Yvette declared as she struggled to get out of Sam's grip.

"Hey, no! I...I was just thinking of something, that's all."

"Well, it must have been something earth-shattering. You were really spaced out there for a bit."

"It is earth-shattering, because you've rocked my world, Yvette. I have to think about things I never thought about before."

She cocked her head. "Like what?"

He kept his voice low so no one else could hear. "Like walking away from the business...Mike's business. I mean, trying to live a normal life away from the guns, the bombs, and all that other stuff." He studied Yvette's expression as he spoke. Her eyes showed that she was starting to understand what he meant. "If loving you means I can't work an op with Mike and the team anymore, then I'll walk away from it all." He swallowed away the last of his reservations. "I choose you."

Yvette gasped and her hands framed his face. "You would seriously do that for me?"

"Yes. I love you that much. I made a mistake the first time I thought I loved a woman, and she left me." He turned his head and kissed her palm. "Ever since then, I've been looking for what I lost and getting into one empty relationship after another because...I don't know...I guess they seemed safe. It was easier to blame it on the job or the lack of her commitment to me...but it was because I was too scared to risk falling in love again." He kissed her bottom lip and spoke against it. "You're dangerous for me, because you've made me see where I went wrong. But I'm not afraid of danger. This time, I want to do it right." He pressed his lips to hers, and hers responded with a new passion. Their limbs entwined and their breaths came faster and more shallow, to the point where Sam usually looked for a comfortable location to continue this. The bedrooms were out. Where else...

Yvette pulled back, her breath warm against his cheek. "Sam...the things you're doing to me...I...I'm sorry. I...I can't do this." She suddenly pushed away, and he was so dismayed at her response that he let her go. Without looking at him, she said, "I'm sorry. I...I shouldn't have...led you on like that."

He watched her push through the shallow water and up the steps. She snagged a towel from a nearby stand, wrapped it around her body like a protective mantle, and hurried toward the house. He should have followed her, but he was too stunned. He was trying to figure out what he'd done wrong. She was scared, maybe. Or possibly things were moving too fast. With a resolution to discover what it was that caused her to run away, Sam got out of the hot tub, toweled himself off as he approached the house, and followed her upstairs where he found her door closed and locked. He knocked . He heard her moving around on the other side, but she wouldn't answer.

"Yvette? Are you okay?" He decided to ask safe questions, since he remembered that the rooms were bugged.

"I'm fine, Sam. Just leave me alone for awhile, okay? I need to think."

"Okay. I'll be around if you want to talk about it. No secrets between us. I've had too much of that in my life."

"No secrets. You have my word."

Sam waited a couple of minutes, but she didn't say anything else. It sounded as if she were getting dressed. With an exhalation full of disappointment, he retreated to his room to change. It would soon be time for dinner. Getting busy in the kitchen would take his mind off what happened in the water, which was the wisest thing, because just one thought of Yvette in that swimsuit was enough to fuel his desire all over again. Sometimes it seemed that sex and food had much in common. They both satisfied desires of the flesh, they were easy to get in his world, but quality over quantity was always best. He would wait until she was ready, and in the meantime, whip up something that would dazzle her taste buds, if not the rest of her.