Bailey had  a very hard day. The Brass at the VCTF had been a pain in his Ass all day. Budget time. They wanted cut's Bailey didn't. Bailey fought hard to keep all he had and to get funding for what he needed. It had been a hard fought battle, and now the VCTF wants to make nice!! There was a reception tonight,  Like it or not they were all required to attend.

Bill Richard's a top official in the VCTF, has had his eyes on Samantha for several years.
He was a tall, muscular, former football player, with bright blue eyes and salt and pepper hair. He is a striking man  with a large ego. Bill  is assigned to the Washington, D.C. office, but he comes to the Atlanta area three or four times a year. He is a married man but that had never stopped his wondering eye. He has made it clear to Bailey he is interested in Sam and Bailey had warned him to leave Sam alone.

The mandatory reception was held in a large meeting room, at the Peachtree Plaza, with crystal chandeliers and lots of fresh flowers. The reception was meant to mend fences and appease hard feelings about inadequate budgets. It was a nice night with good food and dancing. Bailey hated these receptions but tonight he was happy with his date. He had escorted Sam. The team sat together through dinner and enjoyed each others  company. It was great to let their hair down and talk about something besides serial killers. Conversation's were light as the music played and others began to dance. George had just told a joke and everyone was laughing when Bill Richard's walked up to the table. The table fell silent with his arrival. "Hello Everyone," he said as he made direct eye contact with Bailey. They held each others stare for a long moment which ended when Bill sneered at Bailey as he placed his hand on Sam's shoulder. "Samantha," he said as Sam turned and looked up at him, " The music  is so beautiful. I hate to see it go to waste especially with someone as lovely as you are in the room. Would you like to dance?" With these words he extended his hand toward Sam. Everyone at the table including Sam was to surprised to see Bailey jump up and take Sam's hand, " Sorry Bill this dance is mine." He glared at Bill as he escorted Sam to the dance floor.

Anger showed in his eyes as he took Sam in his arms and she looked up at him.  "What was that all about?" she asked.
Bailey spoke as he stared at Bill, "Oh Sam, He is a married jerk with roving eyes and hands, major trouble. You don't need that!" She noted Bailey continuing to glared at Richard's.
A small smile formed on Sam's lips as she whispered, " Just what do I need Bailey?"
Bailey's eyes jerked to her as if they were pulled by an invisible force, he was speechless, words stuck in his throat as he tried to read the look in Sam's eyes. Bailey's eyes softened and he smiled at her. She responded, "Now,  that's more like my Bailey!" Tension left his body and he pulled her to him and hugged her. Bailey was feeling more comfortable as he lead her around the dance floor. He was such a good dancer.

Sam, however, was getting more confused. The friction between their bodies  was very evident to Sam. Thought's raced through her mind...Bailey felt so good..she feel so safe in his arms...He is so strong...He smells so good I could eat him up..She was so caught up in her thought's of Bailey and how he made her feel that she didn't realize that she had pulled closer to him. She  reached up and began to nibble his neck.. She nuzzled her face into his shoulder and rubbed her hands up and down his back. She slowly moved her hips against his crotch. He felt so good...Suddenly she was startled from her day dream when Bailey whispered to her, "Sam..Oh God Sam?" She became very aware of her body and his response to it. This was more than friendship. It was time to admit it to herself and to Bailey...She looked deeply into his beautiful brown eyes,  lightly kissed his lips, and said, "This is right, you know it's right." as she slid her hand between them and slowly raked her nails up his aroused groin. Bailey tried to catch his breath. He then responded with a deep passionate kiss.
" I want you Sam, Oh God how I want you!" he groaned.
She grinned. " I bet you I want you more!!"
Bailey was stunned and nervously laughed out loud. He didn't think there was anyway she could want him more than he wanted her.

Grace elbowed John. "Look," she whispered. The team saw the intimacy building on the dance floor. They smiled at each other. George said," Well it's about time."  The team toasted the union.

Another person was watching this interaction and was livid. Bill, who had drinking heavily, was very upset with what was happening with Sam and Bailey.

 It was a beautiful slow song. They flowed together. Sam continued to kiss Bailey's neck. He sighed and pulled her to him. He looked down at her and kissed her forehead, her cheek, and stopped at her lips. He looked into her wanting eyes, slowly he kissed her lips. She responded to him. Bailey slowly moved from her lips but staying close he whispered, "Sam, you are so special to me.... I want you to be sure. Are you sure, Princess?  Are you sure you want to get involved with me?"
She looked deeply into his beautiful brown eyes and  whispered to him. " I'm sure, Bail., I'm very sure." He kissed her hard and with passion in his eyes he said,.
"Let's take a walk Sam, we need to talk." She responded, "That would be nice."

As they started arm and arm towards the door. Bill stopped them. "You are not leaving till I get at least a dance." It was obvious he had been drinking. Bailey moved Sam behind him and
warned, "Back off, Bill."
"Malone, there is nothing wrong in a dance." he grinned at Bailey, "Looks like it worked for you!" he sneered.
Bailey took a step forward, "you are out of line Bill....I have told you to leave Sam alone and I mean that."
Bill glared at Bailey, " You have no claims on her do you Malone, other than being her Boss!."
Sam feeling the tension said, " I am not interested in dancing with you, Mr. Richard's."
He gazed at her, "Don't make me order you, Ms. Waters!"

Sam was quite shocked and angered by that statement and excused herself. She stopped by and spoke to Grace so someone would be watching Bailey, and she went to the ladies room. Bailey stood there looking at Richard's. "Bill, what the hell are you thinking saying something like that to Sam. She is Not interested in you! Can you not get that through that thick skull of yours! You need to leave her alone."
"Get lost, Malone." and he pushed by Bailey and walked off.
Bailey return to the table," Where is Sam, Grace? "
"She went to the powder room Bailey."

As Sam started out of the powder room, she was met by Bill Richard's. He grabbed her arm and shoved her back into the room. "What's wrong with you Waters, I can do more for your career than Malone. If you are going to sleep with the Boss, I'm the bigger Boss."
Sam glared at him, "Please, let go of me and get out of my way, Mr. Richard's."
"Waters, I have decided I want a piece of you, you will comply, and that is an order."
Sam began to  struggled.
"Is that the way you like it Waters?  Rough? I saw you out there rubbing yourself all over Malone. He won't give it to you but I will." He held her tight he was so much bigger than her. Sam screamed. That seemed to excite him more. He ribbed her blouse open, tore her bra, and shoved her down on the love seat. He was on her, Pawing at her, unzipping his pants, Sam was struggling he was a big man.

Bailey thought Sam had been gone too long. As he moved to check on her, He thought he heard a crash. Grace saw Bailey break into a run. She followed.  Something was very wrong.
Bailey rushed to the door and said, "Sam,"
He heard Sam "No, Please No!....Oh god!.... Let me go!"

Bailey busted  the door. There was Richard's on top of Sam, she was struggling against him.  His intentions were quite evident . Bailey pulled Richard's off Sam and threw him against the wall.  He glanced at Sam, he saw her torn clothes and the blood and bruising on her face. He had murder in his eyes when he looked back at the smiling face of Bill Richard's.. Richard hissed thru his gritted smile, " I had her first Malone, She is a wildcat probably more than you can handle." Bailey wanted to kill him. He attacked him with a vengeance he hadn't felt since Nam. Bailey was out of control.

Sam's clothes were ripped, her body was badly bruised. Feeling her body violated she retreated to a corner of the room and sat down in fetal position...

Bailey and Richard's fought.  The team heard Bailey bellowing at someone. They responded. Grace rushed to Sam. Sam said, "Grace, he'll kill him!"
The others arrived and pulled Bailey off. He was a madman. He had pummeled Richard's.
Bailey looked at his team and snarled, "Get him out of here or I will kill him." They helped Richard's up. Richard's looked at Malone, I'll get you and her." Bailey went for him again. John and Nathan grabbed him and pulled him back.
John screamed, "Get that ass hole out of here."
Bailey turned to look for Sam and found her seated in the corner, with her knees pulled to her chest.  Grace was seated beside her. Bailey rushed to Sam. Looking at her torn clothes he said, "Are you hurt, honey?" Quickly he removed his coat and covered Sam. He looked around, a crowd had gathered, "John get them outta here the shows over." John moved everyone out. He lifted her face to his and asked: "Sam, Are you hurt? Oh God, Honey, Are you hurt?" She slowly turned to him. At first she pulled away from him and realizing it was Bailey she burst into tears, and fell  into his strong arms.  Bailey was beside himself..
"Gracie, what should I do?? What should I do?," he whispered.
"Bailey, give me a few minutes with Sam, and then we'll talk."
He looked at Grace, he didn't want to turn lose of Sam.
"Ok Gracie,... Ok, Sam" he whispered, "Honey I'm going to step outside," he felt her grasp him harder, "Gracie is going to check you over, then we'll go home."
Grace had to pry Sam's hands from Bailey's shirt. The tears rolled down Bailey's face as he kissed her on the forehead and  said, " I'll be right outside, Princess." He stood up and slowly walked out of the powder room.

 The team was waiting in the hallway. He leaned against the wall.
"Bailey the upper administration will take care of him don't worry," George said.
Bailey was quite. He slowly said, "I was almost too late." He looked at the team. John said, "But you weren't Bail., you weren't too late were you?" Concern was evident in 4 sets of eyes. Bailey stared at John tears formed in his eyes, "I hope not," as his voice broke.
George put his hand on Bailey's shoulder, "She'll be OK Bail., She's strong."
Bailey hissed: " I'll kill him if he ever comes near her again." John touched his shoulder," You won't be alone Bail." One by one his team members agreed and stepped forward to support their leader and friend.

Inside the powder room, Grace spoke and lightly touched Sam's arm. Sam retracted from her. Grace grabbed Sam's face,  "Look at me Sam..Look at me." Slowly sam seemed to focus on Grace. The tears began to fall.  "Grace, Oh Grace," she sobbed. " He tried to Rape me Grace!!....Bailey Oh, What will he think....He will never want me now Grace," her sobbing became louder.
Bailey  standing at the door, heard sounds that broke his heart..
 "Sam did he penetrate you? Did he....Are you hurt??.....Let me check you Sam...." Grace did a short physical examine. She found that Sam was not injured physically but mentally she was not sure. She was very stressed. She was more worried about what  Bailey thought than what had happened to her.  Tears flowed, "Grace, Do you think Bailey knows I didn't lead Mr. Richard's on?.....Do you think, does he think this was my fault?.......What did I do wrong?....Grace I love Bailey, I want to love him...I don't want to loose him...."  Sam was openly sobbing.

The door opened. Bailey could hear Sam sobbing. He looked at Grace with a look of Question and Panic on his Face, "Grace?"
"Come in Bailey,"
Grace stopped him just inside the door and whispered to him, "Bailey, She is so afraid about what you think of her. She feels guilty as if she somehow caused this. She is afraid she will lose you. She's afraid you won't want her, she feels damaged. "
Grace continued: "He came extremely close to succeeding in raping her, but  he was unable to penetrate her , she was still fighting when you arrived, but he has bruised her pretty good. Take her home Bail, take her home. Make sure she feels that you do not hold her responsible. It was not her fault. She needs to know that you can still love her, Bail..  I know you know that but right now she doesn't. We'll talk more tomorrow. Here is some medicine if she  needs help  to rest."
Tears showed in Bailey's eyes, "Thank you Gracie," and he gave her a kiss on the cheek," Thank you."

He went to Sam. " Let's go home."
 He knelt down and picked her up and cradled her like a baby," I love you, Princess," he whispered. She seemed so small in his strong arms. The tears rolled down his cheeks as he walked out. His team was in tow. Everyone in the room stared and whispered as they left. Bailey didn't care what any of them thought.  Nathan pulled the car up, John opened the door, and Bailey sat Sam gently in the car. He turned to the team, his voice cracked,
" Thanks"
He got in the car and started home. Sam began to cry. Bailey was beside himself.
"Sam, what can I do honey?"  he asked.
She looked at him and touched his leg, "Will you....Will you make love to me Bailey?"
Her touch was electric. He loved for her to touch him!
He looked at her and whispered, "Sam,.....he stuttered,...... maybe we should wait. You have been through an awful lot tonight."
Sam quickly removed her hand from Bailey's leg, placed her hands in her lap and interlaced her fingers. Looking down she quietly spoke to herself: "He doesn't want me, now."
Her whispered words were like a slap in the face...**Great, he thought, How insensitive could I be...Grace told me she had doubts that I would still want her..Boy, she thinks I proved that...How could I say that we should wait!...I want her more than life...What should I do?....Why would she think that what happened tonight has anything to do with us...she had no control over what richard's did...This wasn't her fault...What should I Do??....****
After they pulled into the driveway,
he turned to her, took her trembling hand, and quietly said: "I want to make love to you, Sam, move than anything in my life."
 "Will you make love to me?", she repeated . She had to know he still wanted her.
He got out of the car walked around picked her up in his arms, and kissed her as he walked to the door with her.

Bailey carried Sam to his bed. He lit candles in the room and turned on the stereo. He slowly walked to Sam, leaned down and kissed her bruised lips tenderly.  "Yes!" he said as he answered the question that was plaguing her . He slowly lifted her to him and slid his jacket off her shoulders. Her clothes were tattered and torn. The tears welded in his eyes. He put his arms around her,.......
he put his mouth to her ear and whispered,
" Princess,  I love you , and I want this to be right."
She looked at him with the eyes that melted his very soul,  placed her arms around his neck, "I need you to love me Bailey"