A Love Untouched (part 4) By: Nicole Marie

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with nor do I own the show Passions, James E. Reily, or the any of the characters in the show. I am merely an obsessed Shuis fan who loves to write fan fiction about the best characters on the show. So don't sue me! Just sit back and enjoy the story!

Rating: Mostly PG-13. Part of this (the end) is rated R but I will warn you right before that section comes.

Note: Just to let you know, I changed the format of my writing slightly, as you can see.

Summary: The summary is getting too long to keep writing out now. Refer to previous chapters to get the background information on this story. But to make a long story short, Sheridan and Luis are both in NY for different reasons, Sheridan because of the new life she's created for herself (the one without Luis) and Luis because he's on a trip with a bunch of friends. Luis wants to be with Sheridan more than anything and even though she only gives him the cold shoulder, Luis is persistent and determined to win back the love of his life......

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sheridan lifted the glass to her lips and cringed as the bitter liquid flowed past her lips. She'd never cared for this particular kind of wine. "Melinda!" Sheridan yelled, only to make the little woman come scurrying into her apartment.

"Yes Miss Crane? What can I do for you?"

"Would you mind getting me some really strong coffee?" Sheridan asked, trying unsuccessfully to hide her crabby mood.

"Of course not Miss Crane, I'll get it for you right now," Melinda said, scampering out of the room.

Sheridan sighed and sat down on her couch, massaging her temples and trying to get rid of the killer headache that she had suddenly developed. 'It's probably from a lack of sleep,' Sheridan thought to herself. She'd been tossing and turning for days now, haunted in her sleep by the face of the man she loved, none other than Luis. She kept hearing his desperate pleas for another chance in her head and she could see the pain in his eyes every time she gave him the cold shoulder. If only he could understand....he had no idea why she was really pushing him away.

*Flashback*

Sheridan sat on the couch, thinking about what lay ahead for her in the future.

Sheridan: (talking to herself again) Oh Luis.....if only you knew the truth. What little fears and doubts I have would never be enough to stop me from being with you. I have no choice but to remain cold and distant towards you. If only you knew the truth.....I wish I could tell you....but I can't.

Sheridan walked over to her desk drawer and removed an old picture of her family, taken many years ago.

Sheridan: (venomously) Damn you father.....you'll pay for this.....one day, I swear you'll pay for ruining my life.....and the life of the man I love......

*End Flashback*

Sheridan walked over to the mirror and stared at her own reflection for a while. "Why aren't I strong enough to stand up to my family?" she said out loud to herself. "Why can't I find a way to stop them so I can stop making both my life and Luis' life miserable?" Sheridan simply stood still and wondered if her life would ever be complete and if she could ever be with Luis. Her thoughts were interrupted by Michelle and Melinda, who brought her some coffee and biscuits on a tray.

"Here's your tea Miss," Melinda said, putting down the tray. "Can I bring you anything else?"

"No thanks Melinda, the coffee is fine. Thanks."

"So....how are you doing today Sheridan?" Michelle inquired.

"Okay," Sheridan lied quite easily, but Michelle caught on.

"Don't give me that Sheridan, you're a terrible liar and I know you well enough to know when something is bothering you," Michelle stated. "So what is it? What's bothering you?"

"Nothing!" Sheridan said, abruptly jumping out of the chair she had sat down in only a minute earlier. "Why does something have to be wrong with me?"

"Do you want me to list the reasons Sheridan?..........First of all, you look terrible. Answer me this, when's the last time you had a full night's sleep?"

Sheridan nervously chewed on her lip and looked away.

"Uh huh, that's what I thought," Michelle said smugly. "You want to hear my second reason?"

"No, but I'm sure you're gonna tell me anyway," Sheridan said sarcastically.

"You got it!....Okay.......the second reason starts with an L and he's a tall, dark, and very attractive male specimen."

"Michelle!"

"Sorry Sher! I was merely pointing out the obvious! Luis is all of those things and he is the reason why you are such a mess!"

Sheridan's icy blue eyes flashed and she walked over to Michelle angrily.

"And how would you know that?" Sheridan asked.

"Duh....Because it's sooooo incredibly obvious!"

"Is it?"

"YES! EARTH TO SHERIDAN! It's written all over your face! You're in love with Luis! What I'm trying to figure out is why you can't admit that to yourself and get over there to claim that man!"

"Look Michelle, you don't understand. It's complicated, okay?"

"What don't I understand?"

"Look! This is not up for discussion......this is my life and frankly, it's none of your business!" Sheridan yelled.

"Oh really?" Michelle asked, the hurt apparent in her eyes.

Sheridan immediately regretted what she said to Michelle.

"Look Michelle....I'm really sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Save it for later Sheridan..I've got work to do." Michelle angrily stormed out of Sheridan's apartment, making Sheridan feel even more lousy than she had before.

"This is just great!" Sheridan yelled to herself. "Now I've not only hurt the man I love, I've just made my best friend feel like trash! I'm on a roll today," Sheridan grumbled to herself as she drank some of her coffee and sat down, trying to rid herself of this unbearable migraine she seemed to have developed. She was so angry that she accidentally spilled some of her coffee on her new, beige, silky and very expensive pants.

"Damn it!" Sheridan cursed. "What the hell is the matter with me!" Sheridan stormed into her bedroom to change into some nice dark pants, grumbling and muttering profanities to herself all along the way.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Luis sat around, idly stirring his drink with his straw. He was running out of ideas, ways to win back Sheridan. Her rejection really surprised him because he could tell that she still loved him. 'Why is she pushing me away?" Luis asked himself. He didn't have an answer to this question but he knew that he had to find one unless he wanted to lose the love of his life. He sighed and drank the rest of the cold beverage and walked over to the small balcony that their room had. He stood there in the cool air, remembering the wonderful times he had spent with Sheridan.

*Flashback*

The suns shone faintly low in the western sky, its warm glow giving the sky a pinkish-orange color. The waves crashed on the shore below and the water was a sparkling gold color. Couples holding hands walked along the deserted beaches and a few lonely birds glided through the slowly darkening sky.

Standing on the balcony of their honeymoon suite, the almost-married couple gazed at the breathtaking sight before them, content merely holding one another's hands in silence and swinging back and forth on the wooden swing. They were deeply in love; anyone who saw them together could see that. But this couple had a unique love, for they had a special connection with one another, one that united their hearts and souls for all eternity. They could sense what the other was feeling and were completely in tune to one another.

Luis glanced over at his fiancé, Sheridan, who gently rested her head on his shoulder and entwined her fingers with his. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. "I love you," he whispered in Sheridan's ear. "I love you too," Sheridan said back to Luis. "Only you, forever....Nothing could ever keep me from you," she said. "Or me from you," Luis said tenderly as he brushed his lips across hers. After the kiss, they smiled sweetly at one another and Sheridan rested her head against his shoulder again as they sat on the balcony in pure bliss. Their happiness was immeasurable because they knew what they had was forever.

*End Flashback*

What had happened to them? Luis wondered. They were perfect together and they vowed that nothing would ever come between them. So what was keeping them apart now? Luis knew that there had been several times when Sheridan sensed that there was some force, some great evil that was plotting to keep them apart. Could that be the reason they were apart now?

Luis suddenly had a minor breakthrough. 'Maybe she's not pushing me away because she doesn't want to be with me,' he thought. 'Maybe there's another reason.' Luis thought about all the possible reasons that she would push him away. He realized that it was usually her brother or father who were responsible for keeping them apart. After all, they had tried by hiring someone to impersonate Luis several years ago and Luis believed that they had even gone so low as to hire someone to get their boat to explode when they were in Bermuda. Who could put anything past them? They were capable of just about anything. With this thought in mind, Luis realized that he needed to speak with Sheridan as soon as possible and get to the bottom of what was going on. He grabbed his coat and walked out of the room before anyone could question him as to where he was going.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sheridan sat in her office, trying to concentrate on her work but failing miserably. She was trying to determine the effectiveness of one of their new slogans when she was interrupted by her assistant, Trisha.

"Miss Crane?" Trisha asked.

"Yes Trisha? What is it?" Sheridan asked.

"There's a delivery for you out at reception."

Sheridan frowned. "A delivery for me? What is it?" Trisha just smiled. "Delivery for you out at reception," she said mysteriously as she walked away.

Sheridan was really curious now. She walked out of her office and went down to the reception desk. She gasped in surprise at the sight in front of her. There stood Luis, dressed in a suit and holding a beautiful bouquet of red roses. His eyes bore into hers, conveying his desire and the emotional depth of his love for her.

"Sheridan." Luis stated. "These are for you," he said as he handed her the beautiful red roses.

"Thank you," Sheridan replied softly as she took them. For a moment she was trapped his eyes and he gazed into hers; he could clearly see that he had been right. She loved him, no doubt about it. After a minute Sheridan regained her voice and managed to speak. "What are you doing here Luis?"

"I came to see you Sheridan. We need to talk....it's important."

"About what?" Sheridan asked suspiciously.

"Look, this is not the place. That's why I made reservations for us at a nice, fancy restaurant. We can get something to eat and speak in private. Please say you'll go with me Sheridan."

"Look, I don't think that's such a good id-" Sheridan started to say.

"Please," Luis said, cutting her off.

Sheridan sighed. "Luis there's nothing that we have to talk about," Sheridan said, casting her eyes downward.

"That's not true and you know it. I want answers Sheridan. And I won't stop until I get them..No, you see there's definitely some things we have to talk about."

"But-"

"Sheridan I'm begging you. It's just dinner....come on," Luis begged with a puppy face.

Sheridan glanced at his face. He was adorable when he begged her like this. There was no way that she could possibly resist him but she decided to give her argument one last shot.

"But Luis...I'm stuck here at work for the evening and I don't have anything here with me to wear anyway. How can I possibly just-"

Luis cut her off for the third time that evening. "Don't worry about it Sheridan. I took care of everything. About what you should wear, I stopped by your apartment and picked up this." Luis opened up the bag he was holding and held up the delicate confection of red silk as well as the matching red diamond earrings and the matching shoes. "I also brought your favorite black jacket and your makeup kit."

Sheridan was in shock. "But how did you-? When did you-?....wait a minute," Sheridan said, deciding on the most important question to ask first. "How did you get into my apartment?"

Luis grinned. "Michelle."

"Oh," Sheridan replied, realizing she'd have to find someway to kill her friend later.

"And as for your work," Luis continued. "I happen to know that you own this company and you have people who can easily fill in for you."

"You found all this out?" Sheridan asked sarcastically.

"I sure did," Luis replied smugly. "Now come on, say you'll go out with me tonight."

After all the trouble he had gone to, Sheridan couldn't possibly say no so she gave in to Luis. "Alright Luis...I'll go out with you tonight."

Luis grinned like a schoolboy and Sheridan's knees buckled. 'This is not a big deal Sheridan,' she told herself. 'It is, after all, only one dinner.' But as Luis took her hand and walked with her to her office to wait for her as she got ready, Sheridan had a feeling that this was going to be so much more than just one dinner.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

They sat in the dimly light room, waiting for their main course to arrive. The atmosphere was intimate, with white, pink, and red candles light everywhere around the room and sensual fragrances drifting from them. This restaurant was much more romantic than Sheridan thought it would be and her eyes wandered around nervously. 'Oh well,' Sherian thought. 'At least I'm not here completely alone with Luis.' At that precise moment, Luis turned his attention to her and gazed at her in a way that made her want to touch and kiss him and show him just how much she loved him. 'Oh who am I kidding?' Sheridan thought. 'The way he looks at me and the way he makes me feel makes it seem like we are the only two people in this world, let alone the only two people in this restaurant.'

Luis cleared his throat, interrupting Sheridan's thoughts. "So....Sheridan. I would like to talk to you about something important."

"Is this about us?" Sheridan asked quietly.

"Yes, it is....Look, I love you and I know that you love me. Don't deny it because I can see it in your eyes every time you look at me. We are meant to be together, that much I am certain of."

"Luis, you know we can't be together." Sheridan replied.

Luis thought he could detect a trace of sadness and even regret in her voice. "No Sheridan. I don't know why we can't be together. That's what I've been trying to figure out. First you tried to convince me that you're afraid that we'll argue all the time and won't get along, but I'm not buying that. You know that we wouldn't argue that much and even if we did, we'd get past it because we love one another." Luis took Sheridan's hands in his. "Well, then I thought that maybe you didn't love me anymore. But the way you responded to me when I kissed you and the way you look at me now eliminates that possibility. I know that you love me as much as I love you. We are meant for each other, you're my other half. Because that's how I feel when I'm not with you: incomplete. Sheridan, when you left me, you took away the woman I love and you took away my best friend. I need you. I need to be with you."

Sheridan's eyes were filling up with tears at Luis' sweet words. "Oh Luis," Sheridan cried softly. "You're going to make me cry hysterically in this nice restaurant."

Luis caressed her hand softly and said, "I don't want you to be upset. I want you to be happy and I know that the only way that's going to happen is if we are together.

Sheridan closed her eyes and shook her head sadly. "Luis...you still don't understand."

"Wait Sheridan, I'm not finished yet. After I eliminated those two possibilities, I realized that the only other possible reason that you would push me away was if you felt there was some kind of danger that was threatening us. That's it, isn't it? Someone threatened you, telling you that either your life or mine was in danger if we stayed together. Am I right Sher?"

Sheridan didn't know what to say. Luis had hit the nail right on the head but she still feared what telling him would do. What if her father somehow discovered that she had made amends with Luis and that they were now back together? She shuddered to think what he would do. Sheridan braced herself and put on a straight face. She knew the only way to keep Luis' life safe was to make him believe she didn't want to be with him and that he was only irritating her further.

"Luis I don't know what you're talking about," Sheridan replied harshly.

"Yes you do...And if you're trying to protect me now by lying then just stop it. Sheridan I can take care of myself and I can protect you too from whoever is keeping us apart. So tell me, who is it?..............Is it Alistair?"

Sheridan angrily stood up from her seat. "Luis, I've really had enough of your accusations against my family. You have no idea what you're talking about and I'd appreciate it if you'd take me home right now."

Luis' jaw clenched and he spoke in a strained voice. "Fine. If that's what you want."

Sheridan held her head up haughtily. "Yes, it is what I want."

Luis left some money on the table and they walked out of the restaurant and drove to her apartment in silence. Luis walked her to the door of her apartment and waited while she got out the keys to open the door. Sheridan opened the door and steeped inside. She was shocked when Luis pushed past her and walked into her apartment.

"What do you think your doing Luis?" Sheridan asked coldly.

"What does it look like I'm doing Sheridan? I took you out tonight to get some answers and I'm not leaving until I do."

Sheridan shocked at the audacity of this man. "Damn it Luis! Can't you just leave it alone!"

A simple "No," was his answer. He took of his coat and suit jacket and sat down on one of her armchairs.

Sheridan huffed and collapsed on her couch. "Fine then. You can just sit there all night then." She massaged her temples to try and get rid of the killer headache she was getting but it didn't work. Sheridan got up again and walked towards her room. "I'm going to bed now so don't bother me."

As she walked past Luis, he abruptly jumped up and grabbed her arm. "Sheridan! Don't you get it? I'm not leaving until you tell me exactly why you're pushing me away."

Sheridan rolled her eyes. "Well you're just wasting your time Luis."

"Let me decide that."

"Let go of me. I'm thirsty and I want to get a drink,' Sheridan requested.

Luis threw his hands up and released her. Several minutes later, Sheridan came back in her pj's with a glass of water and sat down on the sofa. Luis sat there on the chair, eyeing her in the silky nightgown. He admired the way it hugged her every curve and how it seemed to make her look even more beautiful, if possible. His mind was coming up with all sorts of wicked things they could be doing right now and he had to go get a glass of water to cool down.

Sheridan was relieved when Luis left the room for a minute. The way he was looking at her made her incredibly nervous because her desire for him was so strong. She could not act on that desire and it took every ounce of willpower she had to fight it. Just then she realized that neither of them had had anything to eat that night. She couldn't very well starve the man or herself so when Luis came back with a glass of water, she got up and made them some sandwiches.

Several minutes later, Luis was sitting and reading the newspaper when Sheridan came back with some sandwiches.

"Here Luis," Sheridan said. "I couldn't very well starve you to death."

Luis gave a small smile and thanked her. They ate in silence until Luis couldn't take it anymore. "Sheridan," he started.

"Yes Luis?" she asked, fearing what direction this conversation was going to head in.

"Tell me," Luis requested.

"Excuse me?" Sheridan asked, slightly confused.

"Tell me who it is. Who's keeping us apart."

"Luis, we've already been through this." Sheridan sighed.

"But you still haven't told me who it is Sheridan. I want to hear it from you. Please tell me. Don't you understand? I can't leave because the thought of being without you again......Sheridan, someone might as well stab me in the heart."

Sheridan paled at the thought of Luis being hurt. She jumped up and walked over to where he was sitting. "Don't you even joke about something like that!" Sheridan reprimanded, clearly upset at his suggestion.

Luis was shocked at how upset she was but this only confirmed his suspicions. He abruptly stood up and took her hands. "I knew it! Someone did threaten my life, didn't they?"

Sheridan didn't answer him or look at him. Luis tilted her chin upwards so her eyes would meet his. "Sheridan," Luis said softly.

Her eyes teared up. She had most definitely had enough. "Oh God!" Sheridan cried as she clung to Luis' chest. "I couldn't bear it if you were hurt by anyone. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you!"

"Shhhhhh..." Luis soothed, stroking her hair. "It's okay Sheridan. Nothing is going to happen to me, I promise you."

"But you don't know that," Sheridan said as her frightened blue eyes widened as they looked up to his eyes.

"Sheridan....I love you and I would never let anything or anyone come between us. I swear this to you."

Sheridan sighed and rested her head back against his chest. "Just hold me and never let me go Luis."

Luis obliged her request held onto her tightly as she nuzzled her head against him. "You were right," Sheridan suddenly said so softly Luis could barely hear her. "It was Alistair. He threatened you and your family and I just couldn't bear it if something happened to any of you because of me. I would never forgive myself..."

"I would never blame you for that Sheridan. And I wouldn't let him hurt me or my family. So please don't worry."

Sheridan smiled weakly at Luis. "It's hard not to."

"Look honey, it's not worth it to be without you. Sheridan, I would risk anything and everything to be with you. I want you in my life forever. Please don't let your father's idle threats keep us apart. We belong together and I want so much for us to start our lives together."

"Oh Luis....that's what I want to. More than anything. It's just that I'm still so worried."

Luis smoothed her hair back and gently brushed the few tears that slid down her cheeks. "Shhhhh....." Luis said as he caressed her face gently. "Tonight is for us. Let's just forget about everyone else and focus on us and our love."

(* Rated R *)

And with that, Luis leaned down and gave her the softest, most gentle kiss on the lips. He pulled back and gazed into her eyes, seeing the desire that was building up in them. He kissed her again, more passionately this time and she returned it with equal passion. Both of them could feel the electricity as tiny sparks shot down their spines. His tongue probed at her lips, begging entry and her lips parted, allowing his tongue to enter. Their tongues danced together and Luis slowly moved his hands to her hips. Sheridan moved her hands to his head and began running her fingers through his hair. She moaned as he kissed her even more deeply and pulled her even closer to him. He backed away for a moment and then bent down to kiss her exposed neck. Sheridan closed her eyes as he moved his lips from her neck of to her ears. He licked her earlobe and sucked on it gently. Then he moved his lips back down her neck and gently pushed the straps of her nightgown of her shoulder.

"Sheridan...." he whispered as his lips caressed her shoulder. "I want you."

"Oh Luis," Sheridan whispered back. "I want you too. Make love to me.....Make love to me all night long."

"How can I refuse a request like that?" Luis asked her in a deep sexy voice as he ran his hands down the curve of her hip.

"You'd better not," Sheridan said seductively. "Because I'm coming up with all sorts of things we can do."

That practically snapped Luis' control completely. He plundered her mouth, quickly picked her up and tried to get her into the bedroom. When they made it to the door, Luis fumbled with the doorknob and yanked it open roughly while he was still kissing her senseless. He walked over to the bed and placed her gently on it. Luis left her side for a moment to go lock the door and when he turned around he was very amused to see a very seductive Sheridan balancing a rose between her teeth with a naughty smile on her face. Luis looked at her underneath hooded lids and smiled seductively back at her playfulness. It amazed him that she could be just as sexy and seductive as she could be teasing and playful. He crawled onto the bed and sat up right in front of her. His hands reached for the rose, which he grabbed by the stem and then ran it gently down over neck and breasts. He put it down and then placed his hands on her neck. With one swift movement, he lifted the nightgown over her head, leaving her in a pair of silky black underwear. Luis was very aroused by the sight of her half naked, with her silky smooth skin and fully developed breasts. Sheridan smiled and decided that he was much too overdressed. Her fingers trembled as she reached down to undo the buttons on his shirt. Luis was impatient so he took her hands, kissed them and undid the buttons himself. She took off his shirt and threw it behind him on the floor. Without wasting any time, she unzipped his pants and helped him out of them, leaving him clad in a pair of black boxers.

Luis lied Sheridan down on the bed and then pulled her close to him. Sheridan gasped at the feeling of them being chest to chest with him. He kissed the back of her neck and then moved further downwards. He placed his hands on her breasts and gently massaged them, making circular movements with his palms. Then he replaced his hands with his mouth, kissing her breast. He latched onto a rosy nipple and sucked it, elicting a moan from Sheridan. He gently bit down, heightening Sheridan's pleasure. When he was finished with one breast, he moved over and continued his sweet torture on the other one. Sheridan threw her head back and moaned. "Oh Luis....that feels good." Luis looked up and smiled at her. "It's only going to get better," he replied seductively.

Sheridan decided she wanted a turn to pleasure Luis so she took control, pushing down on the mattress and climbing on top of him. She ran her hands torturously down the hard muscles of Luis' chest. She gently scratched her fingernails down his chest, making her way further and further down until she reached his stomach. He could feel her hot breath against his stomach and shuddered with pleasure when he felt Sheridan use her mouth and her tongue to entice him. She planted slow, smoldering kisses up his chest and moistened his overheated body with the liquid tip of her tongue. Sheridan's mouth then moved lower and lower until she reached his boxers. She gently stroked him inside his boxers and Luis couldn't take it anymore. "Sweetheart, you'd better stop this torture before I break my vow to take this slowly," he growled. Sheridan gave him a wicked smile and ignored him, removing his boxers in one swift movement and then using her mouth to pleasure him.

That completely shattered the last of Luis' control. He flipped her over underneath him and quickly peeled her black panties off of her. He kissed her breasts one more time and then moved his mouth downwards. His tongue massaged her stomach and she gave a little giggle when it tickled her. Luis chuckled and pulled Sheridan towards him to give her a short but passionate kiss on the mouth. Then he gently pushed her back down and resumed to making her go crazy. Sheridan closed her eyes and gave little sighs of pleasure as Luis continued to kiss her stomach. He moved down further and kissed the insides of her thighs once. Sheridan gave a little gasp and looked at Luis under hooded lids. Luis decided to tease her a little more by moving further down and kissing her feet and lower legs. He moved his hands up her legs slowly and deliberately, which only increased Sheridan's anticipation. He finally reached her thighs once more and spread them gently. Sheridan uttered another gasp when Luis inserted two fingers inside of her. He increased the rhythm and Sheridan's hands fisted against the sheets. Luis removed his fingers and replaced them with his mouth and tongue. Sheridan breathlessly called out his name and her head rolled back and forth over the pillows.

"Luis," Sheridan gasped, as she began running her hands frantically through his hair. She began repeating his name over and over until was begging him not too stop and to continue making her feel this good. Luis could sense that Sheridan was close to going over the edge and he wanted to go over it with her. He pulled his head away and moved up and rested on top of her. Sheridan opened her desire-filled eyes and regarded Luis under lowered lashes. "Oh, please don't stop now Luis," Sheridan moaned. "I just want us to go over the edge together Sheridan," Luis replied, giving her that sexy smile of his. Sheridan smiled seductively and looked deep into the depths of his dark eyes. "Well then what are you waiting for?" Sheridan purred. The pure seduction in Sheridan's voice made Luis feel like he had lost control for the third time that evening. He kissed her almost fiercely then and the fire was ignited again.

While kissing Sheridan passionately, Luis felt around for the wanted item and then made sure that they were protected. Then he pulled back and looked into her smoldering blue eyes. She communicated with him with her eyes, letting him know she was ready. He entered her slowly, and they both moaned simultaneously. Luis went deep inside her and then set a rhythm which she followed immediately. He thrusted in and out of her, increasing the rhythm and the pace until they were both close to the edge. "Oh Luis!" Sheridan moaned loudly as she felt herself getting closer to her climax. "Sheridan!" Luis moaned loudly back to her and he neared his own climax. Then their intensity hit its peak. They both reached their climax at the same moment and clung tightly to one another. "Luis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sheridan screamed as she reached her peak. "Sheridan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Luis yelled just as loudly. They traveled to heaven together and held one another as they both floated back down to earth. Luis' sweaty body collapsed on Sheridan and she held him tightly to her chest. Both of them closed their eyes and listened to the sounds of their heavy breathing. Luis rested on Sheridan for a while and they just lay there for a while, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking.

Sheridan was the first to speak. "Luis, that was amazing," Sheridan whispered so softly that he could barely hear her.

"It was perfect, wasn't it?" Luis asked Sheridan as he ran his hands up and down her arms. "I swear Sheridan, making love to you just keeps getting better and better."

"Ummmmmm," Sheridan smiled and lazily nodded her head in agreement.

Luis rolled off of Sheridan and pulled her close to him. They both lay on their sides, facing one another. Luis brushed a damp golden curl of Sheridan's hair off her sweaty forehead and kissed her forehead softly.

"I love you so much Sheridan. I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

Sheridan could the love and tenderness in his voice and it nearly made her heart melt. "Oh Luis..I love you too," Sheridan said as she caressed his cheeks with her palm. "And you'll never have to find out the answer to that question because I love you and I'm never going to leave you ever again. I don't care who tries to get in our way."

Luis' smile was a mile wide as his whole face lit up at her tender promise. "Don't you even worry about the Sheridan, because I'm never going to let anyone come between us ever again. We're going to be together forever and no one and nothing is ever going to change that."

Sheridan's eyes filled with up with tears and she nodded her head, giving him a tearful but happy smile. Luis pulled her too him and gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. This kiss initiated another round of lovemaking, but this time was different. It was not an intense, passionate lovemaking, but rather an achingly wonderful lovemaking with such a tenderness that it made Sheridan's heart ache. It signified a joining together not only of bodies, but of the heart and soul as well. Afterwards, Sheridan gave a soft sigh and rested her head on Luis' chest, lulled into a doze by the gentle sound and steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Luis sighed in contentment and closed his eyes as he cradled his true love in his arms. He feel into a deep, peaceful slumber, like one he hadn't had for months. Having his love, his Sheridan, in his arms changed everything. All was right with the world now. Everything was perfect and life was beautiful. They both slept through the night, having sweet dreams of one another and the wonderful future they had to share together.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sheridan yawned and opened her eyes to the light of a new day. She lifted her head and looked up to see the man she loved staring at her intensely and lovingly.

"I was watching you sleep," Luis said softly.

"You were?" Sheridan asked with a smile.

"Yeah," Luis answered. "Having you here in my arms and watching you sleep in my arms was like heaven on earth."

"Oh Luis...Sheridan sighed. "Sleeping in your arms and waking up to see your face is the most wonderful thing in the world. I want things to always be this way." Sheridan rested her head on Luis' chest again.

"Things will always be this way," Luis assured her as he brushed her cheek. "We are always going to be this happy and this in love." Luis tilted her chin up and looked deeply into her eyes. "I promise you Sheridan, this is forever."

"Forever," Sheridan echoed and closed her eyes and Luis lowered his mouth to hers. He gave her a gentle but probing kiss that made her head spin and her heart flutter with a joyous happiness that she couldn't even begin to describe. He ran his hands down her arms and planted kisses over the exposed skin of her neck and collarbone. Sheridan's eyes remained closed and she parted her lips and Luis' mouth performed a magical, indescribable assault on her senses. Luis pulled back and stared into her hypnotic blue eyes. For several minutes, they just sat like that, staring into one another's eyes and linking their hands. Then Sheridan raised her hand and traced it over the contours of his face, over his eyes, cheeks, and finally, his lips. She gently kissed his eyelids and cheeks and then tilted her head downwards to place a soft kiss to his mouth. He responded by pulling her even closer to him. He pulled her back down on the mattress with him and they made love like it was the end of the world and they'd never see one another again.

To Be Continued......