We stayed into the water until I could feel my body start to wrinkle and the wind began to pick up making it awfully cold.

"Howard, maybe we can get out now?" I asked softly.

He tore his gaze away from the sky to look back down at me. He held his out for me and I grabbed onto it as I let him lead us out of the ocean.

"You want to share what's going on in that brilliant head of yours? You been starring off into the sky for a while now." I asked curiously.

Honestly, Howard was beyond a genius and half the time he was so smart I wondered why he even dated me. I mean sure I was smart top of my class in college, but I was not Howard smart, hell I do not think many people were even close to his level of intelligence.

"Just thinking of how cool it would be to go to space. There's much unknown you know?"

He shrugged his shoulders as he walked back over to the plane. I followed behind him curiously as to ask if he what he was doing. I grabbed a towel from the back and tossed it to me.

"You always carry towels in your privet plane?" I asked curiously.

"No, but I know how you like to swim." He winked.

I rolled my eyes as I wrapped the towel around my body. The moon really was beautiful lingering over the sea the way it was. Howard came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me into him.

"Are you thinking about what I said now?" He whispered.

"How beautiful it is out here." I replied.

His grip tightened on my waist as I leaned back into him.

"You know we can't stay out here all night, as much as I would enjoy it."

He slowly let go of my waist as he pulled me back to look at him. I looked up into his dark brown eyes and smiled softly up at him.

"There's no one here who's going to make us leave, doll?"

I leaned up and gently kissed him on the lips, he deepened the kiss as he ran a free hand through my blonde hair.

"I love you, Maria." He whispered breathlessly.

I smiled up at him brightly as I brushed his dark hair out of his face.

"I love you too."

He leaned down and gently kissed me again. I wrapped my arms around his waist pulling him tighter against me. He deepened the kiss as his hands traveled down my body. As much as I wanted this, and wanted him, I knew it was not smart or safe for us to make love on the deep even if it was the middle of the night and no one seemed to be around. So, I slowly backed away breaking the kiss.

"Doll, what's wrong? Did I do something?"

I shook my head negatively as I looked up at him.

"No, you didn't. We can't."

He raised a brow at me confused, that was a stupid answer, and I knew it, but I just could not do it.

"Maria, it's okay, it's just you and me."

"Not in public Howard, I just I can't. I'm sorry."

I felt like I just ruined the whole night. He went through all of this for me, and I just threw it back in his face. I looked back up at him and I saw the concern on his face. He did love me, didn't he?

"It's okay, hey, do you want to go home?"

Did I want to go home? No, I wanted to stay here with him, but I could not make love to him on the beach, I just wanted to stay.

"No, I want to stay with you." I whispered.

He wrapped his arms around me pulling me into his chest and I wrapped my arms back around his waist breathing in his familiar scent.

"Then stay with me." He replied.

So, I did. I stayed with him most of the night. We walked hand in hand on the beach and talked, some things important some things not so much. I realized this wasn't a silly school girl crush anymore I truly loved him, I really did. Somewhere between there and flying home half asleep with my head on his shoulder; I realized a life with Howard Stark might not be so bad.