III

After Bill had answered his text and spoken to his girl, he had sent him Sam's phone number. Drake picked up the phone on his desk and called Samantha. He was kinda hoping she wasn't home. Nervous. He had never been this nervous about calling a woman. His hopes were dashed when she answered on the third ring.

"Hello." The voice was breathy, like she had been in a hurry.

"Samantha?" Even though he knew it was her. Her voice caused a shiver to go straight up his spine.

"Yes?" He could hear the suspicion in her voice now.

"Samantha, it's Drake. I hope you don't mind, but I got your number from Bill. I wanted to invite you to dinner." Silence.

"Samantha?" 

"Yes, I'm here. I'm thinking. Where will we be going?" She asked.

"That depends on you. What kind of food do you like? We have all types of restaurants in the city, or, if you prefer, I can grill steaks and baked potatoes....."

Sam jumped in on that. "You got yourself a deal. I haven't had a grilled steak in a long time. Can you do a medium rare steak, or even a medium?"

Drake silently chuckled at her girlish enthusiasm. "I can, because that's how I eat mine. I tell you what, you can bring a bottle of  some really good red wine and I'll supply everything else. Is tonight too soon?"

"No. Its just noon now. Any particular brand you like? Oh, should I bring dessert?" He loved how she was so excited. That boded well for their date.

"No, I'll get dessert. I have something in mind. So, you have any food allergies?" He waited for her negative answer before continuing. "I'll text you my address. You might want to leave a little early. I live pretty far off the beaten track. I like my privacy." Drake wasn't sure how he felt about having a woman in his personal space that wasn't a brother's ol' lady. He didn't have women there. If he wanted to get laid, he did it at the club house or the girls place. Never his.  He hung up and took out his cell and texted Samantha his address for his lake house. Then he went in search of his VP.

After going over a few things with Vulcan, Drake left to go to the store. He took his time and picked out the perfect steaks, having the butcher cut them to his specifications, some seafood, salad stuff, and some baking potatoes. Then on his way home, he stopped at the diner where Lucy worked and bought a half of a cheesecake and several different topping choices, included candied pecans.

Samantha pulled up at Drake's lake home ten minutes early. His hadn't been kidding. He did live way out in the boonies. Grabbing her bag and the bottle of Spanish Sangria, she exited her Jeep. As she was going up the steps, Drake came to the door and let her in. Jeez! She had forgotten what a beast of a man he was. He was easily 6'5. At her height of 5'6 she was considered close to average. Drake made Samantha feel tiny in comparison.

As she followed him through his home, she noticed how it was decorated. There were First People's art, handmade quilts, an afghan, beautiful wood furniture. Yet for all of the dark accents and wood, the house had a light and airy feel to it. She followed him to the kitchen, she couldn't help but admire the densely packed and well defined muscle he had. He had to be at least 42, maybe as old as 45. However, his body was that of a 30 year old. There wasn't any give on his body anywhere. Letting her eyes drift lower, she took in the well worn jeans he had on. It was indecent how well they fit him. They were snug across his backside and did wonderful things for it. She was so busy checking his ass out the when Drake came to a stop in the kitchen, she didn't realize it and ran right into him. It was either grab onto his sides or fall backwards on her butt. She grabbed him.

Drake turned quickly and grabbed Samantha by the shoulders. Smiling down at her, he said, "It's ok. I watched your beautiful backside walk out of that diner last night. Believe me, it was a pleasure to watch. I never thought myself an ass-man until last night." Whenn she flushed, he continued,  "Don't be embarrassed Sam. I haven't really enjoyed the company of a woman such as yourself in a long time."

Drake opened a door previously unnoticed on the wall in the mudroom. Going through the door, they walked out onto a wide wooden deck where a table sat with beautiful china and crystal. Samantha was in awe. There was depths to this man. He was a biker. A beast of a man. Rough around the edges, but with manners to rival any old moneyed family. She began to wonder just who was Drake, President of a motorcycle club.

Drake sat a plate in front of her. It was filled with the biggest steak she had ever seen. As well as shrimp and a beautifully prepared lobster tail. The plate was, in actuality a platter. It was already had a baked potato. On the side were two small bowls filled with butter and sour cream. In a large bowl in the center of the table was a salad.

"Where am I supposed to put all of this food, Drake? I've never seen so much food on one plate." Samantha looked up at him in astonishment.

Drake laughed with genuine delight. The woman seated across the table from him looked up at him in wonder. She was as genuine as his delight. There was no falsity in her. She said what was on her mind, and meant what she said.

"I'm sorry. I'm used to fixing for the brothers. If you have ever seen them. you would understand. What you don't eat you can take home with you. Oh, did you remember to bring your swim suit? "

"I did. It's in my bag. Do you have a pool, Drake?" She asked, looking around.

"No. The lake is the perfect temperature for swimming right now. Then again, there's always the hot tub." Samantha turned to where  he pointed and saw a large hot tub, well able to fit the large man and herself plus three or four more. Then looking out over the lake, she realized that the deck walked out into the water. As she watched, she saw ripples where fish would surface to catch the small bugs landing on top of the water.

Looking back at him, she asked, "Deep?"

"Not really. About fifteen feet at the deepest. There is a naturally sandy bottom. Most of the lake is about six foot deep and forms a deeper bowl in the center." He replied, while pouring her a glass of the sangria she brought.

The meal progressed and she enjoyed Drakes company and his cooking. During their dinner conversation, she learned that he was a Rhodes Scholar and a Yale graduate. He had graduated with a double major of law and business. He had taught himself to cook.  He enjoyed a challenge, mental or otherwise and whether he bested it or was bested, he learned from it.  His double major had been proof of his love of a challenge. His family was very wealthy. Old money. With that money, he helped the people that he could.  When he formed the motorcycle club, it was with the idea to help women escape from deadly abusive relationships, and assist people that law enforcement could not. Giving them a fresh start, often times with reconstructive or cosmetic surgery in order to change their appearance. The women he helped for free, paying medical bills out of the club's rather deep pockets. All the others pay the brothers. After all, the weapons and safe houses they used were not cheap. Neither were the network of identity specialists and hackers that they used. 

Evidently, law enforcement, all the way up to the federal level, called on him and his club for help. The fees that they paid the club helped fund them.

After dinner, they cleaned the table and loaded the dishwasher together, then sat on the deck and enjoyed a richly flavored fair trade coffee from Ethiopia. After finishing it, Drake showed her where to change.  When Samantha came outside, Drake felt the breath leave his lungs. The woman standing uncertainly in front of him was beautiful beyond any he had seen before. Her brown hair fell to down her back in waves and over her breasts. Her shoulders were smooth and blemish free as were her arms. Her breasts, while not large, were full enough for him to feel in his hands. Her stomach was flat with a gentle swell that women seemed to try to do away with these days. Her legs in the thighs were a little fuller than a young woman's, her calves were supple and her feet dainty. She was a Venus. In his mind, she was the ideal of a perfect woman. And damn if he wasn't forever glad that he had stood up for her the night before.

Samantha had not been dressed like this in front of a man since her husband. She had always been a modest women. She never really showed a lot of skin, but she had taken care of her body over the years. The look in Drake's eyes made that care worth it. Smiling at him, she turned and trotted off towards the lake shore. Stepping down into the water, she had expected a chill to the water.  To her surprise, it was just as he said. It was the perfect temperature. Diving in, she swam out a bit, hearing a slash alerting her that Drake joined her.