She poked her head out from the white shower curtain and smiled. "It's nothing big, I just have a favor to ask you."

*Oh, no. What now* he thought, bracing himself for whatever she was going to ask him, knowing it would only be another form of sweet torture.

"Silly me," she lightly slapped her open hand on her forehead and continued, "I left my shampoo, conditioner and body soap in my blue bag. Could you go get them for me? Pretty please...with sugar on top?" She flashed a row of straight, white teeth at him.

He exhaled in relief for the first time since she had called him in there. "Yeah, sure no problem. Which bag was that again?"

"The little blue one inside of the large green duffel bag. Thanks. Your a prince."

"Hey no problem," he said as he exited the bathroom, pulling it shut behind him with out fully closing it.

*****

Maria took one final deep breath, knowing that this was her last chance to back out. *No! You're doing this!* she screamed to the protesting voices in her head.

She positioned herself right under the shower head, so that the water would run down her front and then she completely opened the shower curtain.

"Sorry Maria, I'll be there in a second, " she heard him call.

With one final shaky breath, she muttered to herself "Here we go."

*****

Michael was having a difficult time. He was struggling with the array of plastic bottles he was trying to balance in his hands. She had brought two different types of shampoo and conditioner, and three different body soaps. He had no clue which ones to bring so he brought them all.

When he got to the door, he realized that there was no possible way her could open it with his hands so he turned around and nudged it open with his still shirtless back.

He almost lost all of the bottles when he accidentally hit his elbow on the door frame, and once again had to struggle to keep them balanced. "Maria, I didn't know which ones you wanted so I brought the all. Did you want spring daffodil or toasted al..." he broke off in mid-sentence when he looked up. The seven bottles went flying.

Maria stood before him completely naked, a cloud of steam hanging in the air around her. Hot water from the shower was beating down on her beautiful, round breasts, each individual stream of water running down her body, touching her seductively in places he had only dreamed of.

Looking at her body was enough to cause a slight tightening in his groin, but it was her face that totally did him in. Her green eyes were open only at half-mast, smokey with desire as she looked him over. Her wet golden hair hung loose around her face dripping water. Her chest was heaving as her breath quickly traveled in and out of her semi-parted lips. He could feel her radiating a pure, unleashed hunger for him.

"Oh, uh...Maria? Wh...wh...what's going on here?" he stampered.

She looked down to where his feet and then very slowly, let her gaze travel up his body until it came to rest on his face. He could feel her eyes devouring every inch of him. His face went red and he had to look away for a second.

"Michael." It was just his name, but the way she said it almost knocked him backwards. That one word came out as a breathless moan. Her eyes went dreamy and she lightly licked her lips as if wanting to savor the feel of it.

He cleared his throat and waited for an answer.

"Michael, I think you know what's going on here." she said, looking him straight in the face, her voice husky with passion. "I want you," she said simply. "I am offering myself to you. It's time that we do what we've wanted to since that night on the highway."

*You can't let this happen!* he told himself. Fighting the overwhelming temptation to rush up to her and take her in his arms.

When he didn't say anything, she continued. "Can you honestly say that you don't want me as well?" she waited for his response but none came.

"I didn't think so," she murmured holding out her hand to him "Come here."

He raised his hand and began to walk towards her when he snapped out of his stupor. He had to stop this madness before it got out of hand. He did it the only way he knew how. He lashed out.

"Are you really this stupid?" he snarled at her.

Her eyes lost that dreamy look and she recoiled as though she had been slapped.

"You know that this can't happen.! And to tell you the truth, I wouldn't want it to. Like I would ever want to have sex with a trampy piece of human trash. I know that I told you before that it couldn't be because of who I am, but the truth of the matter was that I was just sick of you. Did you really think I brought you here because I wanted to be with you? Yeah, right. The only reason you're even here is because I needed a car and I knew you wouldn't say no. Yes, I can honestly say that I don't want you." His voice had grew in pitch with each sentence and with the last he walked out of the room.

It wasn't true, not a word of it, but he knew things could never happen between them. He couldn't allow himself to get attached. It was just easier if he made her hate him. He needed to remove the temptation factor now.

*Your already attached!* one of the many protesting voices in his head yelled. It was true. He searched his true feelings and realized it really was too late. He was not only attached but he was deeply in love with her.

*Oh my god, I never knew. What have I done?" He turned back to the bathroom and peered in.

Maria hadn't moved. She was frozen in place. The only difference was that her bambi eyes were overfilling with unshed tears, her eyes red. She no longer looked lustful. Now she looked shattered, broken. She was looking at the floor of the shower, but Michael knew she wasn't seeing it.

Then, out of the blue she let a cry out and fell slowly to the bottom of the tub. She put her head in her hands and began to cry for all she was worth.

*Go to her you Ass!!!* another voice in his head commanded. Without another thought he ran up to the tub, got in and put his arms around her. He was relieved when she didn't fight him, but worried when she didn't respond either.

"Oh, God Maria. I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry." he rocked her lifeless body in his arms. "I didn't mean a word of it. I do want you, more than you could ever know. I want you more than anything I've ever wanted. I mean that, more than anything, including finding my past. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. You're the most important thing in my pathetic life. When I'm around you, I go crazy. I can't concentrate on anything else. I'm so sorry I said those horrible things, they were lies. I was just scared. I didn't know how to react, so I yelled. God, I need you. I love you so much." He surprised even himself, as he heard all of his feelings tumbling uncontrollably out of his mouth. Up until that point, he was sure that Maria wasn't listening but her head shot up in shock at his last words.

"You what?" she asked through uncontrollable sobs, not quite believing she had heard him right. He was encouraged by the glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"I love you," he repeated. He cupped her cheek in his palm and said "I love you more than life itself Maria DeLuca."

She smiled then, and said "I love you, Michael Guerin."

He leaned in and very lightly touched her lips to hers. When he pulled back, he wiped a tear from her eye and said "No more tears."

*It's against the rules!!!* a protesting voice in his head reminded him