DISCLAIMER: As much as it breaks my heart to admit it, I do not own anyone or anything connected to Vince McMahon and his awesomeness. I can only claim property rights of OC.

The sound of her phone alarm blaring woke Erin out of a dead sleep. Reaching out she grabbed the shrieking gizmo and hit the snooze. Falling back against the pillows she stretched. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept so well. In a rush the events from last night came back to her. Never in all her life had she dreamed of something so deliciously wicked. Just thinking about what had transpired between them brought a flush of heat. Erin felt the blush all the way to her toes. Moving the blankets aside Erin tried to slip out of bed. If she hurried she could get dressed before Stephen was awake.

Her progress was stopped by a heavy arm wrapping around her waist.

"Where yah goin'?" Stephen's voice was soft and husky with sleep.

Erin glanced over her shoulder at Stephen. What she saw made her breath hitch in her throat. He was absolutely gorgeous as he sprawled across the bed. How could the man wake up and look so damn good? One look at his sculpted pecs was enough to make her forget what she was doing.

"Yah're not leavin' are yah?" Stephen asked softly as he pulled Erin back into the soft warmth of the bed. He leaned over and stole a quick kiss. He nuzzled her cheek with his, the light scruff of his beard tickled. He pulled her against him, one strong arm anchoring her against him.

Erin sighed as Stephen continued exploring her with his lips. She shivered as he stroked across a particularly sensitive spot on her shoulder. God, he was making her forget what she was supposed to be doing. Nattie was expecting her back before long. They planned to have breakfast together before she went back to her own room.

"I don't want to." Erin said. Her hands came up to rest against against his shoulders. His skin was warm and smooth under her palms. Just that small contact made Erin want to stay exactly where she was for the rest of her life.

"Ah don' wan' yah to either. Yah should stay here."

Erin groaned softly. Did he really have to make things even more difficult? The last thing she wanted to do was get dressed and walk back into her life. She wanted to stay right where she was. As long as she stayed safely hidden with Stephen the rest of the world didn't matter. It was just the two of them. But then again, nothing good could last forever. With a sigh Erin pushed at Stephen's shoulders. He didn't budge.

"I really should go. Nattie's waiting for me."

"Let her wait." Stephen pulled away from Erin to look in her eyes. He knew she was torn. Her eyes said she wanted to stay right there with him. She didn't want to leave. All he had to do was convince her to stay. "Yah don' have to please anyone, love."

Erin shook her head as she once again tried to move Stephen. It was like trying to move a mountain. He was barely pressing against her but she might as well be nailed to the bed.

"I'm not trying to please anyone, Stephen. I just don't want to take any chances right now."

"What are yah afraid of, Erin? Ah'm not leavin' yah." Stephen studied her with a serious look in his eyes. If he had to say it a thousand, no a million times, he would. He would keep telling her he wasn't going anywhere until she believed him.

"He's goin' to find out, love. Yah can' stop it." Stephen said softly as he looked down at her. He knew his words hurt. He could tell by the way she winced and pulled away. He didn't want to cause her pain but she needed to hear the truth.

"I know he will. Just not right now. Not after . . . this."

Stephen nodded in understanding. She didn't want to name what had passed between them. She was a little embarrassed and still slightly overwhelmed. He could understand her reluctance to let anyone intrude on their private, intimate life. On one hand he respected her for that. But on the other hand, he wanted to make it very clear to Cena that his opinion didn't matter. They were going to be together no matter what anyone said.

"Are yah sure yah wan' to wait? The longer yah keep a secret the harder it is to tell."

Erin took a deep breath as she considered Stephen's words. She agreed with him wholeheartedly. The longer she waited to tell John the worse the consequences would be. She knew she was playing with fire. It was only a matter of time before she got burned.

"I'll tell him. I swear I will, just not right now." Erin stroked her fingers down Stephen's cheek. She couldn't force herself to meet his steady gaze.

"Soon, Erin."

Forcing herself to meet his gaze, Erin nodded. "Soon" was such a subjective statement. She would tell John when she was ready. She couldn't promise exactly when but she would tell him in her own good time.

"Ah mean it, Erin. Either yah tell him or Ah will." Stephen said softly. Although the words were said with tenderness there was no denying the underlying threat. "Like it or no', yah're mine now."

Surprised, Erin's hazel eyes locked on his face. She hadn't expected such a bold statement. She didn't think that their shared passion had meant as much to Stephen as it did. He was definitely a man intent on claiming a woman as his own. A primitive part of her was pleased beyond words.

"Do you really mean it?"

Stephen nodded solemnly, "Ah wouldn't say it if Ah didn' mean it."

Unable to stop herself Erin stretched enough to press her lips to his. Stephen captured her lips in a possessive kiss. He let her feel the dark, aching need inside him. He kissed Erin until she was breathless. He pulled away from her but continued staring into her hazel eyes. His thumb brushed slowly over her bottom lip.

"Never doubt it, Erin. Yah're mine."

Stephen forced himself to move away from Erin. He knew if he didn't put at least a small distance between them things would get out of hand. He had no problem showing her what it meant to be his woman. The only thing that stopped him from doing exactly that was his pride. He wouldn't force her into a situation she wasn't ready for. When she was ready to be honest with herself, and her brother, he would show her what it meant to be claimed by a Celtic Warrior. Until then he would respect her decision. He would allow her the opportunity to make good on her promise. With a heavy sigh Stephen rolled out of bed. He found his jeans on the floor and quickly pulled them on. He couldn't resist looking over his shoulder at Erin. She was still curled in the center of the bed. The white sheets were pulled up to her chin. For as long as he lived he would never get that sight out of his head. She was the most perfect example of feminine beauty he had ever seen. Forcing his heated gaze away, Stephen picked up the pile of Erin's discarded clothes and sat them on the bed. He dropped a kiss on her lips before stepping into the bathroom.

Erin watched the bathroom door close behind Stephen. She couldn't fight the small smile that tugged at her lips. How did he know she was nervous about getting out of bed? Even after what they had shared she was self-conscious. It was ridiculous but she couldn't help it. It wasn't like she had a lot of practice waking up with men. Erin stood and pulled on her clothes. She was just pulling the tank top into place when Stephen came back into the room. He leaned against the doorjamb and silently studied her.

Nervously Erin chewed on her bottom lip. What was she supposed to do now? What was the right thing to say when you were leaving a man's room? She looked at Stephen as she shifted her weight. They regarded each other in silence for a long moment. Finally Stephen crossed the room to stand before her. He reached out and adjusted her tank top.

"Yah have nothin' to be ashamed of, love. What happened between us is nothin' to regret."

Stephen said softly. He knew once she walked out of his room the world would be waiting for her. He wanted her to understand that no matter what happened between them, she had nothing to feel bad about. She was a beautiful, intelligent woman that could make her own choices.

"Thank you." Erin knew her words were a paltry offering. She owed Stephen so much more than her gratitude. Reaching up with her good arm, Erin pulled Stephen into a hug. She kissed his cheek then forced herself to move away. She quickly stepped to the door and unlocked it. Glancing back at Stephen she felt a sense of purpose. As long as she had Stephen's support she could face anything. As long as she kept reminding herself that Stephen was on her side she could conquer the world. Taking a deep breath she opened the door and stepped into the hall.

Erin had just gotten off the elevator on the Nattie's floor when her phone chirped. She pulled it out of her pocket and read the text as she hurried down the hall. It was a message from Nattie. Hurry! Shoving the phone back into her pocket Erin darted down the hall. She could see Nattie's door looming at the very end of the hall. By the time she knocked on the door she was panting. Erin sucked in a deep breath as the door swung open. And her heart hit the floor. Erin stared in horror as John looked at her.

"Where the hell have you been?"

Her mouth snapped closed with an audible click of her teeth. Erin silently stared at John as she cursed her luck. Why today, of all days, did John have to be awake so early? Fuck!

Erin forced a smile as she looked at her brother.

"You're up early."

John moved aside and let Erin into the room. His eyes narrowed slightly as Erin slid past him. He watched her cross the room to stand beside Nattie. The two girls exchanged a knowing look.

"Cut the bullshit. Where have you been?" John crossed the room to stand in front of Erin. His thick arms crossed over his chest as he silently studied her. She looked different. At first he couldn't place his finger on it. There was something about her that said she had just gotten out of bed. Her hair was tousled and her cheeks were bright with two pink spots of color. His shrewd gaze moved over her again. Either Erin had been snuggling with a porcupine or she'd been with a man. At first he'd missed it but on closer inspection he saw the faint marks. The smooth skin of her cheek looked as if something rough had been repeatedly rubbed against it. Leaning forward John took a deep breath. His eyes narrowed again as he caught the subtle scent of aftershave. Randy John thought. Biting back a grin, John looked between the two girls. He knew they had conned him but oddly enough, he wasn't mad. After the way he'd behaved the last time Erin and Randy had been together, he couldn't blame her for sneaking around.

"I'm sure you have girl things to talk about. I'll meet you downstairs in half an hour."

John glanced at Erin one last time before moving to the door. She looked like she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her. She wanted to die of embarrassment. Apparently getting caught hadn't been part of the plan. John turned sharply on his heel and left the room. He closed the door gently behind him as he stepped into the hall. As he walked toward the elevator he realized he was whistling. He wasn't quite sure why but the thought of Randy and Erin being back together made him happy.

As soon as the door clicked closed behind John Nattie whirled to face her friend.

"I am so sorry! I didn't know it was him. I swear I didn't know."

Nattie's words were spoken so quickly that Erin almost couldn't understand her. She reached out and took Nattie by the shoulders. "Nattie, it's alright. He doesn't know anything."

Nattie sucked in a deep breath as Erin grabbed her overnight bag and went into the bathroom. Erin cranked on the water in the tub and quickly undressed. She stepped into swirling water and carefully lowered herself into the hot water.

"Are you mad at me?" Nattie's question was almost lost in the cascade of water.

"Why would I be? It's not your fault he picked today of all days to wake up before noon. Besides, he has no clue what's going on."

"What are you going to tell him?" Nattie asked.

Handing Nattie the shampoo Erin mulled over the question. The first thing she had to do was figure out what, if anything, John knew. Nattie efficiently shampooed Erin's hair and rinsed it. She knew Erin hated the fact that she couldn't even bathe herself. Nattie had quickly become adept at helping wash her friend's hair. Somehow she managed to complete the task without embarrassing both of them to pieces. At first Erin had been mortified by having to ask for help. But, as Nattie had patiently explained, not bathing for 6 weeks was not an option. Erin had grudgingly agreed to let Nattie help her attend personal matters.

Erin sighed heavily as Nattie deftly scrubbed her back. "He knows doesn't he?"

Nattie made a soft sound under her breath and passed the washcloth to Erin. She crossed the room and leaned against the sink. She kept her gaze firmly locked on the wall in front of her.

"I'm sure he has an idea something's going on."

Erin slapped the washcloth into the cloudy water and bit back a curse. The wheels of Fate had been set into motion. That meant it was only a matter of time before everything was out in the open. She prayed she had enough time to bring John around to her side before things got critical.

"What am I going to do, Nattie?" Erin looked imploringly at her friend.

"I don't know, hon. We'll figure something out."

***A/N - Please review***