"I love you too Dani," he tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "I love you too and I'm not going anywhere." He saw the tears threatening to fall once more. He needed to do something to ease the tension, to relax her again. "Except maybe V3, when this rain is done and we can change the damn tire." He continued, smiling down at her.

"And after that?" she looked up at him expectantly.

"After that, unless you say otherwise, you won't be able to get rid of me" He watched her expression turning from apprehensive to sheer happiness. He leant forward, capturing her lips in another heated kiss. He liked making her happy.

Chapter 2

As their lips parted once more Nico saw once again uncertainty creeping into her eyes. "What is it Dani?" She looked away from his questioning gaze. "You can tell me" He implored, using his right hand to turn her face, her eyes back to his.

She ran a hand over her face. "It doesn't matter." She stated. "It's stupid anyway."

He could hear the hesitation in her voice. "Nothing you could do or say would ever be stupid to me. Just tell me."

She swallowed, and took a deep calming breath closing her eyes. Slowing exhaling she opened them again, and locked them onto Nico's waiting gaze. "It's just…I've waited so long for this moment, and well, this isn't exactly how I pictured our first time to be. An abandoned, run down cabin, someone else's bed…" She trailed off, embarrassed she had even let her thoughts wander to sex, with Nico, in someone else's bed. She felt the heat rising on her cheeks. 'What if he isn't interested in that?' She thought.

Nico felt her tense, so very slightly, but tense non-the-less in his arms. 'So this is what has her worried' he smiled down at her, squeezing her tighter to his chest. "Do not think for a second Danielle Santino that I do not want you. Under different circumstances you would be naked and pinned, writhing under me" His eyes glinted, almost feral at the thought, the image. "But I too, did not ever picture our first time anywhere except one of our own places." He placed a light kiss on her forehead.

"Really, you pictured us in your bed?"

"Yes. My bed. Your bed. Your kitchen bench. My office. The floor of your office. The list is quite extensive." He traced the back of his fingers gently down her cheek and neck, coming to a stop, open, his palm resting at the base of her throat. He felt her swallow again.

"You have been doing quite a bit of thinking. About us." She spoke ever so softly.

"Amongst other things" He teased, his thumb grazing the slim column of her throat.

"Other things?" She questioned, one eyebrow raised.

"Situations, new and ingenious ways of making people disappear…you know the usual. I do have a job to do." He winked at her then. "I reserve thinking about all the delicious things I want to do to you til night time. I have spent many a sleepless night with you in my head."

She blushed then, squirming slightly under his intense gaze. "I think about you too." She whispered.

"What sort of things?"

"You know…The usual." She echoed his earlier statement, only hers was lacking the teasing, the confidence.

He leant forward, nibbling gently at her bottom lip, his hand moving from her throat to caress the very edge of her breast, his thumb stroking through the satin of her bra. "You can do better than that Danielle." He admonished as he drew away again, searching her eyes.

She took another deep breath, exhaling slowly again. "I thought about you kissing me senseless. Your hands in my hair, on my body, everywhere. I wondered what it would be like to be the sole thing occupying your thoughts, to have your attention only on me." She stopped suddenly, as if realising she was currently his sole focus.

"And how does it feel?" he questioned, a smile gracing his lips, love shining from his eyes as they met hers.

"Amazing" She smiled back. "Frightening" she said as her smile slipped, ever so slightly. "Nico, I'm terrified." She whispered, afraid to voice her concern out loud. Afraid of ruining the moment.

"You're scared? Of me?" His voice was pain-laced. His thumb paused, millimetres from her skin.

"Oh god. No." She shook her head vigorously in denial. "Terrified. Yes! Of you. No!" She cupped his cheek with her hand, her thumb absent-mindedly stroking across his day old stubble. Briefly glanced away, steadying herself for the admission. She turned to face him again her eyes dark and terrified. 'Everyone I ever trusted betrayed me. Hurt me. Or left me. I don't think I will survive if it happens again. I'm terrified of letting you down. Of not being worldly or experienced enough. That you'll grow tired, bored of me and you'll leave me too…' Her voice caught in her throat, tears welled. She snapped her eyes away from his again.

Nico felt tears threaten in his own eyes. He shook his head clearing them before gently running a thumb under hers, wiping the tears away. How anyone could betray her, hurt her, get bored of her he wondered. She cared too deeply, loved too freely, put her needs behind all others. She was strong, determined. When it came to friends, patients, loved ones she was loyal and fiercely protective. "I would never betray you Dani. I would never intentionally hurt you. And there's no way I could ever get bored with you…"

She interrupted him with a sad laugh, shaking her head. "Have you met me? I've been with three men in my life and all of them got a better offer. My track record speaks for itself."

He silenced her with a kiss. Withdrawing, he held her gaze. "Yes. I have met you." He stated calmly. "That is how I know I would never get bored with you." He kissed her again. "There is no one better. The other three were fools and for that I will always be grateful. However, for the damage they have done to your confidence, your relationship self-worth, I want to hurt them, make them disappear."

The passion in his voice brought her to tears once more. "Are you trying to out therapist the therapist?" She smiled, shakily, still trying to digest everything he had told her.

"No. Just fixing." He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, allowing his fingers to continue to caress down her neck and tangle in the curls at the base of her skull. She truly was beautiful, he thought, how can she not realise. "I am going to make you see that you are just as amazing when you are Dani as you are when you are Dr Danielle Santino. You make everything, everyone around you better. You made me better. You fixed me. So, now, I will fix you." He wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"That might take a while…" she countered, believing with every fibre of her being that he would indeed fix her. Just being held in his arms made everything exponentially better.

"I'm hoping it will take a life time." She smiled. "I plan on being around that long." His eyes probed hers, searching for any doubt, any indication that she did not believe his intentions. "If you'll let me."

She ran her fingers around his head, wrapping them in his hair, using the grasp to guide his head to her. She pressed her lips against his, gently as she whispered "If I get my way, you'll be with me forever."

"I think that was my idea." He pulled away slightly to look down on her, amusement shining in his gaze.

"It doesn't matter." She pulled him back to her, a brief noise of frustration escaping her.

"So I win this round?" He smiled against her lips.

"I'd say we both win." She crushed her mouth to his, probing with her tongue, teeth catching his bottom lip.

He returned the kiss with equal passion. His hands sliding up her body to also cup her heap, angling it to allow him better access to her mouth as their tongues battled for dominance. He heard her gasp as he sucked deliciously on her tongue. He withdrew slightly, allowing the kiss to move from frantic, passionate to gentle and loving. He needed to control the pace now, before he broke the promise of not making love to her in a strangers bed. As breathing became a necessity he withdrew further. Gazing down at her, he saw his expression of love and lust was mirroring that of hers. "On that note, I'll gladly concede defeat" He smiled as her eyes widened before taking on a joyfully mischievous gleam.

"I beat the great Nico Careles at something? They said it could never be done." She teased.

"Continue kissing me like that and Ill happily let you win, anytime you like." He laughed as she slapped playfully at his shoulder. "What was that for?" He smirked.

"Let me win. Ha! Let me win." She feigned annoyance. She swatted at him again. He grabbed her wrist before she connected this time. He turned her hand and placed a kiss to the pulse point on her wrist. "You know what, I'll take it. It's still a win."

"Yes it is." Nico released her hand. She placed it on his chest, above his heart. "It should be light in a few hours. We can change the tire and get out of here. Sound good?"

"Depends where we are going I guess" She snuggled down into his embrace.

"I will take you anywhere you want to go." He said the words as he nuzzled her temple.

"Anywhere?"

Her eyes flitted towards his face. "Even to the cinema to see a romantic comedy?" She teased, feeling him move ever so slightly, his movement betraying his discomfort at that suggestion.

"I love RomComs" He deadpanned, maintaining the levity of the conversation.

"Nico." She rolled again to allow her to see his eyes once more. "I'd really just like to go to your place."

"I will take you there. On one condition."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Yes?"

"You stop wiggling against me and we both get a few hours sleep." He pulled her flush against his side.

"That's two conditions." She teased.

"No. One is merely a suggestion. You can choose not to sleep if you wish. But for what I have planned tomorrow, you will need to be refreshed, relaxed and rested." He kissed her cheek.

"Well, it has been a rather long day." She smiled, thinking of all the possibilities tomorrow would bring.

"Yes, it has. Now sleep. And quit wiggling." She moved devilishly against his side, her hip rubbing against his, her toes sliding against his shins, her fingers gently toying with his chest hair. "Before I forget I'm a gentleman." She froze. "Much better." He chuckled. He leant over and pressed a small kiss against her lips. Pulling away he whispered "Goodnight Dani." He rested his cheek against the top of her head and focussed his thoughts on the sound of her soft breathing in his ear, relishing the feel of her small body wrapped safely in his arms. If he had his way, this would be forever. She would be his. In his arms every night. Flirty banter, heated debates and friendly exchanges every day. Forever didn't really seem that long now. Yesterday, while he watched her across the foyer, watched her smile at TK, respond to Conner, roll her eyes and give the Santino squint at Troy, while he stood alone...Yesterday forever seemed an awfully long time.