Sam had been around people long enough that he generally had an idea of what they were up to when he’d talk to them in his current job and when he’d been a Ranger.  As sweet and seductive as Irene’s kisses were, he just knew that she was trying to take him off track.  He grinned into her mouth as his hand slipped inside her blouse and caressed her right tit.  It was so tempting to let her succeed but he knew that wouldn’t solve her issue or bring them any closer together.  He needed that and wanted that more than anything he could recall in that moment . . . being close with her.<br/><br/>“I’m not sure what’s going on inside that lovely head of yours Irene O’Rourke . . . but I do know when I’m being diverted . . . even though this mouth of yours . . . ”  He kissed her softly. “...and your luscious body . . . god but I do like your body . . . ”  His hand cupped her tit and gently rolled her nipple between his thumb and finger . . . ”are wonderful enough to seduce me away from my concern for you.  You might have noticed that I’m a bit head strong on some things that interest me.  Which is how we ended up here in the first place.”<br/><br/>He took her hands and held them tenderly as he looked at her.  “This ain’t no interrogation . . . and while I might or might not have designs on you and our time together . . . you don’t owe me squat about stuff you decide ain’t any of my god damned business.  But Irene . . . I’ll be truthful . . . I like you . . . I like everything I know about you . . . and when you’re not being stubborn about this job of yours . . . and how it’s who you are bullshit . . . I like how we are together.  I feel good with you . . . I was hoping you were starting to feel the same.  I hate to see you happy and bright one minute and then so distressed the next . . . so . . . if you want to tell me  . . . I’ll listen and talk with you about it as best as I can . . . if that’ll help . . . or we can finish this wonderful meal and move on past it.  I’m hoping you’ll trust me enough to tell me what’s got you so unhappy.”<br/><br/>He wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt.  His anxiety about being there for her had him sweating a bit fearfully, as his mind played an all too familiar plea . . . ”Please dear god, don’t let me fuck this up.”<br/><br/>Sam really cared for her, but he’d never felt like he was any good at being a support to anyone.  He’d thought of that once or twice before when things had gone badly with someone that he cared about or wanted to care about.  He’d once or twice come to the conclusion that that was probably why he didn’t have anyone . . . but Irene had somehow changed him in that way.  She was a very strong woman . . . maybe the strongest he’d ever met and he admired her as much as he liked her . . . and that was a new thing too.  In his work and in his life that combination had never seemed to really happen before he met her.<br/>