Their playfulness and apparent happiness with each other were part of what Sam relished about their relationship.  He grinned at her as she took his teasing good-naturedly.  But he took note of how as they talked quietly she seemed a bit lost in thought about something for a couple moments.  He had an idea of what it may have been and it troubled him that she'd been bothered by it all back then in her past and even still in their present.  They’d just been talking about what she wanted to do about pursuing Tim’s killers and she’d made up her mind to leave it to the marshal.  He suspected that her thoughts had in some way gone back to that less than happy time in her life.  Sam wanted more than anything to make those troubled times that she’d been through a very faint and distant memory.<br/><br/>But Irene was quickly back with him, and giving back as well as he’d given.  In a very deft move Irene had managed to flop him back onto the bed and settle astride him.  He liked looked at her from that perspective. She teased him a bit from the spirited mood she was in.  Sam smiled as he enjoyed her and cupped her hips as s rubbed against him. He answered her playful teasing and her loving compliments in a rather husky voice brought on by both the warm emotions she’d stirred up in him with her words, and his growing lustful need to have her.<br/><br/>“Well Miss Hell . . . I think that you’re quite a fine judge of what you like.”  He chuckled but still blushed a bit self consciously from her compliments and the gaze she had fixed upon him which was more than a little provocative.  He listened to what she thought about their finding a new place to start their new life together.  He moaned as she kissed and licked his throat.  His hands caressed her ass as he turned his head and kissed her deeply.<br/><br/>“You have a good head on your shoulders Missus Markham.  In the morning let’s do all you said . . . set a date, make a plan for where we’ll head off to and make a list of all we’ll need to take with us . . . and baby . . . I can too . . . and I’ve never been more ready to.  All I need to do is stop by the courthouse and see the judge and settle up with him on our way to wherever.  I owe him that much.”  He grinned at her as he settled her against his chest.  “We got a little celebrating to do with your friends before we leave town, and I want you to meet the Judge . . . maybe we can say the ‘I  do’s’ with him too.”<br/><br/>Sam stroked her back and kissed the top of her head.  He whispered to her.  “I love you Irene.” With a little shifting he found her mouth and kissed her deeply.  When they broke the kiss, Sam had a devilishly wry expression on his face and a twinkle in his eyes.  “Would it be too soon to have some more of that regular sex honey?  Doing it in this heat will build up our stamina for the colder climes . . . don’t you think . . . Darlin?”<br/><br/><br/><br/>