And with those four simple words, Holt had Sam in a crushing embrace. His lips locked onto hers with red-hot desire as his hands began to stroke her back. After a brief moment of what appeared to be shock, Sam automatically put her arms around his neck and started running her fingers through his dark tresses pushing her body up against his. Slowly Holt's hand started to slide down her back to cup the firm right cheek of her buttock. Then it slid even further down past her shorts until it reached her outer thigh to hoist her right leg up and around his waist. A soft moan escaped her lips as Holt kissed a hot trail down to her neck. Then before she knew what hit her, the electrically intense kiss had ended just as quickly as it had started.

With his heart thumping erratically and his hormones running wild with desire to get Sam in his bed, Holt took a deep shaky breath and tried to calm himself down. For goodness sake, he had just taken advantage of a frightened woman trying to deal with her stalker. Never in his life has he ever been so inconsiderate. Then again never in his life has he ever been so hot for a woman before. Oh, but he couldn't help himself. The secret intimate thoughts in Sam's diary entry put erotic images of him and Sam together making hot passionate love under his bed sheets and into the wee morning hours. Then to admit that her attraction toward him was true, oh that just drove him madly over the edge. And before he had a chance to contemplate the situation, his body reacted with a sudden surge of desire. God he wanted to kick himself for not considering the things that must be running through Sam's head. She must be as scared as heck to find out that her stalker had returned to haunt her.

Running his long tanned fingers through his hair he said, "Oh Sam, I'm so sorry about what had just happened here. I really didn't mean to take advantage of you for the second time. God, you must be so scared. I should have been more considerate of your feelings."

Shakily running her tongue over her slightly swollen lips and smoothing out her clothes, she looked up with a tentative smile on her face and replied, "No, don't be sorry. I'm okay, really."

But in truth, she wasn't. She was quite shaken up from seeing the red scrawls in the old familiar bold cursive handwriting saying, I'm back. However, that was nothing compared to the strong urge she had to pull Holt down to her soft, carpeted floor and let him teach her all the things he knew about making love.

Firmly gripping her shoulders he said, "No, no you're not okay. You could be in grave danger and I am not going to let my raging hormones interfere with my instincts as a cop. You shouldn't be left alone in this apartment. I'm taking you to my place tonight."

"Wh-what? I can't spend the night at your place. I barely know you. Besides Josh will be here with me tonight."

"Golden boy won't have the slightest clue of what to do if that bastard comes back again tonight. There's no way we can predict what this lunatic will do next," he ground out. The mere thought of leaving Sam alone with Josh—who thankfully did not appear to be a boyfriend of Sam's judging from the half unpacked suitcases that were lying in the guest room—made him uneasy and he knew that he wouldn't get any rest tonight if he left her here where the stalker could easily get in. "Anyways, I don't think that Josh should stay here tonight either," he added.

"I—I guess you're right. There's really no telling if this place will be safe considering that he was able to get in even when I had made sure that the place was locked up. And I wouldn't want any harm to come to Josh either."

"Why don't you go and pack up a few things while I call for some back-up to come and investigate." With great care, he stroked her cheek and said, "Don't worry Sam, I'll take care of this and hopefully you won't ever have to deal with this psycho again. I promise."

Finally relieved to let someone else in on her secret, she walked toward her bedroom to pack her things. She had never really been able to rely on a man, other than Uncle Oscar, to take care of things for her before. It felt nice. It made her feel special, as if she was precious. Pushing her thoughts about her stalker aside, she tried to concentrate on the task of packing. She was going to spend the night at Holt's. Of course she could have easily spent the night at Uncle Oscar and Aunt Martha, but she didn't want to worry them with all that they have going on. Besides, she wanted to know what spending a night with Holt would lead to because it has just been too long. Thirty years too long and she was getting sick and tired of being a virgin. She did not want to end up as an old maid. And since Holt had offered his place, why not? But would he be willing to teach an old virgin the arts of pleasure in the bedroom? And would she come out of the experience with him or without him?

The insecurities that had kept her a virgin began to resurface again. "Oh no, what have I gotten myself into," she whispered. But her urge to not spend another day as a virgin won out and she decided she would have to risk it all tonight if she was to achieve her goal of becoming a real woman.