A/N: I am so very sorry that I am late posting this! My internet wasn't working yesterday. I wanted to upload earlier today, but worked over my scheduled hours today.

Thank you to my beta Melody Taylor and my pre-reader EMHW-Bear! I appreciate your help!

Rubbing her eyes, she sighed. It felt like she'd only slept for five minutes. Gazing blearily out the window, she realized the sky was still black with night.

Ping. Ping.

Getting up, Bella tiptoed to the window. Someone was throwing pebbles at it. Sliding it up, she peered out.

"What are you doing down there, Sam?" she whispered to the giant on her lawn.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you, but I just—there's no one else to talk to about this. Bella, I—" he paused and took a deep breath. Looking at his feet, his shoulders sagged beneath the weight of what he was carrying.

"Can I come up?" He finally asked. Looking back up into her eyes, he smiled when she waved him inside.

With a couple of jumps, he catapulted himself inside and immediately froze. A low growl rumbled in his throat, and he held his breath.

Wide-eyed, she watched as he shook his head and sucked in a shallow breath.

Eyes darting around the room, he finally looked at Bella. Her eyes were as big as saucers and her heart was beating a mile a minute.

"S-s-Sam?" She stuttered out. "Wh-what's wrong?"

"Something isn't right. There's a smell that doesn't belong here- like bleach and death. It sets my teeth on edge, and it's everything I can do to hold myself together." Nails digging into his palm, he closed his eyes and turned towards the window. She could see his chest heaving in the dim moonlight.

When he turned back around, he ran a hand over his face and said, "Sorry, Bella. Has anyone been in here besides you and your dad?"

Her eyes blinked rapidly a few times. Swallowing hard, she answered in a whisper, "N-not that I know of. But I-I keep waking up feeling like I'm being watched, b-but n-no one is there." A shiver chased down her spine, and she hugged her arms around her body in an attempt to fight off the chill of fear.

Stepping further into the room, he sniffed at the air, stopping near the rocking chair in the corner. She watched him look back at her over his shoulder and felt a tiny bit better when he stretched his arms open to her in invitation. In a quick couple of steps, she threw herself into his arms. He engulfed her in a warm hug and ran his palm up and down her back, and she felt the tremors slowly leave her body.

Pulling back slightly, Sam stared into her chocolate eyes. "Someone really was in here?" She asked, her eyes pooling with tears.

He nodded as she fell into his chest with soft sobs. Leaning down, Sam kissed the top of her head. "I will keep you safe, Bella. I promise."

She lifted her tear-streaked face to his as she said, "You can't be with me all the time, Sam. I have school, and you have work and the tribe. I don't know—" she cut off, and sucked in a deep breath. "I'm guessing by your reaction, the smell was a vampire?" Goosebumps shivered across her skin once more at the thought.

"I mean, I haven't ever come across one yet, but I'd say that's a safe bet. Hopefully, Billy and the elders will have some answers for me in a few hours." He tightened his hold the tiniest bit and lifted one hand to her cheek, his thumb stroking the softness there. Moving his hand under her chin, he raised her face to look back into his. "Somehow, Bella, this will be okay. Maybe we can arrange for you to go to school in La Push? I don't know, but you will be safe."

Before she could utter another protest that would undoubtedly make too much sense to argue, he closed the distance between their mouths and kissed her again.

What was meant to be a simple, chaste kiss quickly became desperate. His tongue darted out, licking the seam of her lips, which opened without hesitation. Deepening the kiss, he moved his hand to the back of her neck to tangle in her locks. She let him drink from her lips like a man who'd been lost in the desert.

When they were both panting for air, she pulled back and buried her head in the nape of his neck, savoring the earthy scent there. It was such a soothing smell, and she couldn't understand how he could affect her in such a way so quickly.

With a sigh, he pulled back, unwilling to completely let her go.

Her voice broke the stillness, "Sam?"

His sable eyes met her chocolate gaze. "Yeah?"

"I probably sound crazy right now, but-"

"Bella, with wolves and vampires being real, I'd think we're both beyond sounding crazy to each other." His crooked half-smile made her grin in return.

"I guess that's true. I just don't think I can be alone tonight. Um, will you stay here?… You make me feel safe." Her pink tongue slicked across her bottom lip before she bit at it a little.

Sam's eyes moved over her face, searching to make sure she was serious.

Finding stark terror hidden underneath the surface, he couldn't deny her anything.

"Okay, I can do that."

Slipping his hands down her arms, he laced his fingers through hers. Bella guided him to her bed, climbing up to fold her legs underneath her. Sam sat beside her and leaned against the headboard. He pulled her over, and she rested her head against his shoulder.

It felt right to Bella–being in his arms. She felt safe and protected and like she was meant to be there. She fit just perfectly. Even when she'd held his hand, their hands fit together, her tiny one engulfed by his, but it still just felt right.

She laced their hands together again and cuddled deeper into Sam. With her free hand, she drew nonsensical patterns on his forearm.

"I'm sorry if I scared you earlier. I would never want to do that," Sam whispered to her.

Stilling her hand, she moved to look up into his eyes. "Sam, I was scared, yes, but I could never be afraid of you. There's something inside of me that just knows that you will never hurt me. Sounds pretty crazy since we just met, but…" Bella trailed off with a shrug.

"I know what you mean. I feel drawn to you. There was something inside me screaming at me to come here. To see you. I don't know how to explain it."

Sliding back up onto her knees, she reached her hands up to cradle his face. She licked her bottom lip before sucking it between her teeth. Leaning closer, she pulled him into her and kissed him again. What began as a soft expression of caring, quickly heated with passion. Mouths moved together as teeth bit lightly and tongues moved to soothe and explore.

Bella slid her hands down to his neck, across his broad shoulders, and around to his back, trying to draw him impossibly closer. She clung to him, desperate for more of whatever he could give her.

Gasping out, she dug her nails in slightly as he moved his mouth down to her neck and across to her shoulder, which was only covered by the thin strap of her tank top. Feeling his hands on her hips, she moved easily with him when he pulled her over to straddle his lap. Her eyes flared wide at the feeling of him so close to her most intimate places. The heat of him seared into her memory.

Unable to stop herself, she ground down onto him, moving her body sensually with his. She moved her hands to trail along the defined muscles of his arms and back up to his chest, where she traced his pecs and down each muscle of his abs. When her hands met the top of the shorts he wore, she reversed and went back up his torso.

One hand of his gripped her hip and helped her move over him, while the other whispered lightly up and down her side. When his thumb skimmed the underside of her breast, she froze.

Pulling back, Sam flushed red. "I'm sorry Bella. I'm-I.. "

She laid a finger against his thoroughly kissed lips and replied, "I'm not sorry. But Sam, I-I…" Flushing bright red with embarrassment, she hung her head, letting her long hair fall as a curtain between them. "I've never done that before. And we just met today. And… oh God." Sliding off his lap, she moved toward the end of the bed. "Y-you must think I'm such a slu–"

His finger against her lips, stopped her from finishing her sentence. "I could never think badly of you, Bella. Don't say that about yourself. I would never mean to take advantage of you. Whatever you're comfortable with. I won't push you. I don't know what came over me, honestly. I've never–like that–on a first date… I am so sorry."

Bella thought about his words for a moment, letting them wash through her. He had been with someone else, and she didn't understand why that made her feel jealous. He had a right to have a past–to have relationships before her. While a lot of guys would have kept pushing her for more, Sam was a gentleman. He respected boundaries–though she hadn't given him very many, she thought, blushing again. Still, something in his voice told her he was sincere.

Smiling, Bella met his eyes once more. "I don't think either one of us is sorry. I enjoyed that very much. I just-I'm not ready for more than that."

She moved back to the head of the bed and pulled him to lie down with her. Nestled firmly into his side, she threw a leg over his and an arm across his stomach. Her head was cradled on his chest, hair spilling around them both. He held her tightly to him, and she could feel him dragging his fingers lightly through the strands of hair that he could reach.

His heat enveloped her, and she felt at peace with him. In only moments, they were both asleep, resting easily in each other's light embrace.

A/N: I hope enjoyed this chapter! I'd love to know what you think!