Chapter 10: Wildcat
"So I still feel like home?" Sam asked, relieved. "Because I sort of got the impression that beyond ticking you off, the clumsy way I let the cat out of the bag about Boyko actually made you wonder if I might not be in love with you after all."
"Maybe a little," she admitted, avoiding his eyes.
Sam continued tracing idle patterns along her back, but reached with his other hand to raise her chin to make her look at him. "See now, that's something we need to work on. I'm totally fine with a few fights. In fact, sometimes fighting with you is pretty fun," he flashed her a full dimpled grin.
"But I don't like the idea that you're not secure about the way I feel about you. So I'm just going to have the pleasurable task of showing you night and day that I am not just in love with you, but ridiculously, obscenely, beyond-all-reason in love with you," he smiled.
He rolled over to shift on top of her, "And I'm warning you right now, Andy McNally, that this is a mission I won't give up on until I don't see doubts shadowing your eyes when you think I'm not looking," he paused to give her a long, deep soulful kiss.
"That was a good start," she breathed huskily when he finally released her. "And with lesson plans like that, I almost wouldn't mind being the slow kid. But I don't want to be this emotionally stunted person you feel like you have to treat like a China doll who might crack at the least mis-step. Who could live with that?"
Sam laughed, "A fragile China doll? Please, that's the last way I would ever describe you, emotionally or otherwise. If anything, you've got too much of a lion's heart for your own good. In fact, I'm pretty sure my back makes me look like I just got thrown in a cage with a real lion," he teased.
Andy winced, "Yeah, sorry about that. I'm not sure if that was panic over talk about only getting to be with you once or just getting carried away by what you were doing to me. You can really pick 'em, huh?"
Sam chuckled, "Newsflash, McNally, most men consider getting worked over by a woman who's a bit of a wildcat in the sack the supreme fantasy of their lives, not something that warrants an apology."
Andy giggled, "I don't think I've ever been called a 'wildcat' before. It must just be you that brings the crazy out of me."
"Good!" Sam growled, nibbling at her collar bone. "I don't want you marking anyone but me. And vice versa."
"You didn't put any marks on me," Andy laughed.
"Check the mirror in a while. I'm pretty sure you're going to end up with a couple of bruises. That was, uh, a little more frantic and vigorous than I'd planned for our first go 'round. And anyone less flexible than you wouldn't have been able to fold into some of those positions without soft tissue damage," he grinned wickedly.
Andy blushed a deep crimson, opened her mouth, but couldn't manage anything as a reply to that.
Sam chuckled, "You're cute when you're embarrassed. How a woman as stunning and effortlessly sexy as you are still manages to pull off 'cute' is beyond me," he kissed her nose and both of her pink cheeks. "You're such an appealing bundle of contradictions, I'm glad it's probably going to take the rest of my life to fully figure you out."
"I don't know. You already get me better than anyone. How much mystery can there be?" she asked.
"Plenty. And anyway, I might have gotten a couple hints from Nash about what was on your mind tonight," Sam admitted.
"Really? Well, she really stuck up for you. I think she's fully on board with McSwarek now," Andy smiled.
Sam's eyes widened in surprise, "Miss 'put him on ice' is now rooting for me? That's a nice change. Always good to have the best friend on your side," he winked.
"Yup. She's your biggest fan now. She admitted she made the wrong call back then. She also said I should take the Boyko thing as a compliment and listen to your side of the story instead of reading things into it."
"Wow, I really do owe Nash a solid. But that reminds me we need to have a serious talk about all of this. There are some other things I need to tell you. But I need you not to be naked if I'm going to keep my wits about me. What do you say we take a quick shower and then have some real talk?" he suggested.
Andy groaned, not sure she was ready to break the closeness to face this.
"You promised," Sam reminded her, not about to let her off the hook.
She sighed, "OK. I know this is important. I just don't want this moment to end."
"We're going to have a lifetime to repeat this moment. That's the great thing about sex. If you do it the right way with the right person, it just keeps getting better," he promised.
"How do you always know the right thing to say?" she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss.
"It's a talent that's taken me a while to develop, McNally. But I've been studying my lioness for a while now. Sort of like putting in the time to figure out how to become the Wildcat Whisperer," he winked.
Andy choked out a laugh, "Wildcat Whisperer? Oh brother, now I've heard everything. Better get off this lioness before she bites this time," she teased.
"See now, you think that's a threat, instead of a promise. You still haven't cracked the male sexual psyche. I think you're going to need more close observation before you learn how pull off a proper dismissal," he grinned back.
He got up and extended a hand toward her, "Coming?" he asked, quirking a brow when she made no move to take it.
"Just taking a moment to observe this male specimen more carefully," she raked her gaze over his naked form. "You know, to get some insights about your 'sexual psyche.' It's sort of like being an anthropologist," she winked and tilted her head.
Sam laughed at her antics, "More like a pornographer, I think."
Andy shrugged, then pouted, "How come I can't make you blush? It's really not fair."
Sam took his turn to shrug, "Those are the breaks, sweetheart. Not everything is fair. And don't try to tell me it wouldn't be a turn off for a man to blush over being checked out by his woman. Now, are you through playing? Ready to come?"
"Yes," she breathed. "But I promised you I'd talk, so I guess it will have to wait."