**Authors note** This is an excerpt from novel I am working on. Sam is Jessica's bodyguard, he's twenty-three. Jessica is an investigative reporter in her early thirties, being hunted by men who want to prevent her from writing a story about them. This part happens during a brief respite from running, where they find themselves at a small motel in Vegas with some time to kill. They are in the pool, her on a floating lounger, him pushing it around the pool.
"You explain things in detail, use obscure similes, and outrageous examples." Jessica pointed out. "Listening to you can be tedious."
"You don't ask for what you want. Your first impressions are often irrational and absurd. Talking to you can be an exercise in futility." Sam shot back with a grin. "Hey this is fun, let's keep going."
"What do I want that I haven't asked for?" Jessica asked after she had stopped laughing.
"You want to fuck me for one." Sam said.
"You have a very high opinion of yourself." Jessica said, her heart was racing now, she had controlled her urge to refute his claim. He was right, she desperately wanted to fuck him.
"You are insecure about your age." Sam shot back again with the dimple grin because he knew he had her on the ropes.
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Jessica said with an amused smile, this was something she was prepared to deny, even though she knew he was right again.
"You know you are beautiful, but you aren't sure if I, being somewhat younger than you, find you attractive and or fuckable."
This son of a bitch had her down cold! Jessica fought to maintain her composure while being further amazed at this young man's intuition. How could he read her so well? He addressed it so directly she found it hard to deny it and still sound believable. She had waited too long to respond now, anything she said to contradict would sound contrived and weak.
"So do you?" Is what she finally said and the smile on his face was a smile of victory.
"Find you fuckable?"
"Yes." She said exasperated and not really liking the expression.
"Jessica Shanahan, I think that you are stunning. A true hotty. Honestly, you stimulate me both mentally and physically." Sam said seriously, as he could tell this was important to her self esteem. "If you recall it was I that picked you up at the Midas. I did so because, based on the physical alone, I knew I wanted to get to know you better. In the short time I have had to get to know you, I have learned that you are beautiful both inside and out. I would derive great pleasure from a sexual relationship with you, and if our circumstances were different, I would proudly wear you on my arm at any function imaginable and enjoy the envy of my peers."
"God damn!" Jessica said. "Those are beautiful sentiments, and if they were coming from a man twice your age they wouldn't sound so corny, and patronizing. But you were right about the things you said before, and I think that it is time for a little less talk and a lot more action."
"Corny?" Sam said offended and immediately capsized the floating lounge she was in. She went into the water with a screech