Tony was making dinner for them both whilst Michelle sat at the kitchen bench making her way through her 3rd glass of red wine.

"You sure you don't want me to help Tony? I can do something."

"You just relax beautiful, you've taken care of me so much lately that the least I can do is make you dinner."

Michelle kept picking at the food and eating it. At least 5 times now Tony had told her to stop eating the food but she kept sneaking it. She was trying to be sneaky by nicking a piece every time he turned around to the stove but this time he spun back around quickly and caught her red handed. "You think I didn't know what you are up to?"

"I can't help it, it is too yummy." She answered with a cheeky grin.

"Maybe I will have to give you a job then just to keep you occupied until everything is ready."

Michelle a little tipsy, stood. "At your service Almeida."

Tony was laughing, he loved how much she could make him laugh. "The water is almost boiled, how about you cook the rice for us?"

"Can do stud." As she walked past the counter to go to the stove she grabbed a last mushroom and shoved it into her mouth.

Tony grabbed her and pulled her in, "if you hadn't just called me 'stud' you would really be in trouble now." He kissed her passionately but quickly before releasing her.

He watched as she pulled out the rice and a measuring cup. She struggled with opening the bag and in the end resorted to ripping it open with her teeth. Unaware he was fixated on her she went about her merry way. She held her finger to the line where she wanted to fill it to and then began to pour the rice. With the bag only being held in one hand and her concentrating more on making sure she poured to the right spot the entire bag flopped over spilling the entire bag of rice onto the counter and floor. "Shit! Sorry Tony."

All he could do was laugh. He picked up the now full measuring cup and emptied some of it out into a bag until it reached the line she was going for, he handed it to her. "Here you go sweetheart."

Michelle poured it into the pot and then started with Tony to clean up. Trading flirty smiles made the whole task a lot more enjoyable. They chatted while they worked and cleaned. Tony moved over from beer to the red with Michelle. She was behind him at the stove as he had his back to her cutting up things on the counter. Michelle walked up and ran her hands up underneath his top all over his chest. She pushed her body into the back of his. He sighed loudly for her. "That feels so nice Chelle..."

At his reaction she used her hands harder on him. He dropped the food and placed one hand over hers and showed her how much firmer she could actually press into him. It was Michelle's turn to moan as she took over rubbing his chest just how he asked for it. His whole body began to sway a little from side to side. "Oh God Chelle you make me feel so good."

He watched her hands slide down his chest and stomach to the top of his track pants. He took in a huge deep breath as her hands slipped inside and gently ran over him and the tops of his thighs. His mouth dropped open and he sighed as he exhaled. He couldn't speak instead he offered a string of grunts and groans. Michelle continued for a moment before pulling her hands back up to his chest and then away from him. He spun around straight away putting his hands around her waist so that she couldn't go anywhere.

Michelle looked up with a very cheek seductive smile. "I've got to check the rice."

Tony shook his head slightly as he smiled. "What are you trying to do to me?"

"I'm not quite sure what you mean." She held her hands up laughing cheekily.

Tony laughed as he looked at her adoringly. "Ok, ok....you had better check your rice then."

Michelle went to turn but Tony was looking at her so funny that she didn't want to. "You look dodgy Tony, what are you going to do?"

He just smiled all sweet and innocent. "Nothing sweetheart."

Michelle stirred her rice and tried to keep a close eye on Tony who went back to cutting everything up. She filled his glass up with more wine and then her own, they kept trading sly smiles at one another, Michelle knew he was going to get her back for what she had done.

The wine was making Michelle even more bubbly than usual. "Tony, how do I know when the rice is done?"

He turned to her and scooped up some. It was so over cooked it had turned into an almost runny clag. He looked over at Michelle at the counter as she looked at him with proud eyes. There was not any way he could get away with telling her she had cooked it right. "Ummm Chelle, I think it has cooked a little too long."

"No way, let me see." She jumped off the counter and scooped up some of her own. Tony ran his hand back and forth across her back. "For shits sake! I told you I can't cook. I've totally stuffed up dinner."

"It's ok baby, its no big deal....we can just cook more."

Michelle's body slumped, she gulped down some more wine. "Sorry Tony. I'm really just no good in the kitchen."

Tony pulled her in close to him. "Don't apologize. You just need someone to teach you, and then you would be fine. Here lets make the next lot together."

"You don't care?"

Tony ran his hand through her hair and rested it on her cheek. "Why the hell would I care? You worry too much sweetie." She began to smile for him. "That's better Chelle ....now, can I have a kiss?"

Michelle reached up and kissed him tenderly on the lips. She turned back to the counter, "Ok, so show me how long to cook this stuff for."

As she reached the counter Tony stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her body back up straight into his and she lifted her arm up around his neck. With her body stretched out in his grip he used one hand to hold her tight, the other to run all over her body and then he began roughly kissing her neck. He wasted no time in slipping his hand under her top and up over her bra. She closed her eyes, breathed heavily and tightened her grip on his neck. "Tony..."

He sucked on her neck hard enough to leave hickeys and pressed into her even firmer with his hands as they ran down her body and circled the top of her thighs. He could feel her legs go weak because he held more of her weight in his hands. He kissed her hard and then whispered into her ear, "Do you like this Chelle?" He kissed her even harder.

"So much Tony." Her body squirmed in his driving him crazy. All of a sudden he completely released her. He took a step back. He was getting her back for what she had done to him but he hadn't counted on getting so turned on himself. It had been next to impossible to pull himself away from her and even now he was refraining from just grabbing her again and continuing.

She turned around. He tried to catch his breath as he smiled at her, he threw his hands in the air mimicking her earlier, "What?"

She was still panting but she laughed. "This is my payback huh?"

He smiled cheekily. "Payback? I'm not quite sure what you mean?"

This made them both laugh. Michelle ran her finger up and down his chest. "Ok, you taught me my lesson.....I'm sorry I teased you before."

Tony took a step in closer to her. "To be honest that just felt like I was teasing myself as well - pulling away from you was a lot harder than it was meant to be."

She looked at him seductively. "How about we make it up to each other?"

"Ok." He picked Michelle up and put her down on the counter in front of him. She wrapped her legs around him and he leaned in closer to her lips. "Now where was I?"

Michelle took his hand and placed it at the top of her thigh, she then took the other and placed it on her stomach. "About here."

He ran his hand to the inside of her thigh. "I thought so..."

As they held eye contact Michelle began to undo the buttons to her own shirt. Tony's eyes shifted to her hands and became fixated on them as they finished the rest and then slipped the top off her shoulders. Tony bit his lower lip and smiled, "you're so beautiful Chelle."

He leaned in and kissed her chest as he removed her bra. She rolled her head back and closed her eyes. The more he touched her and the harder he kissed her the louder she groaned.

He paused and waited for her to open her eyes. "I need you Chelle..."

"I'm yours Tony."

He opened his mouth and grunted. His hands slid underneath her and then he picked her up and carried her over to the couch in the next room. Tony watched her face as he carried her, he was blown away by how gorgeous she was. He wondered why he was so lucky to have found someone just so perfect, every minute he spent with her felt treasured. He knew he could never live without her by his side, she had come to mean more to him than he thought possible. He adored every single thing about her, his only fears were that he would be enough for her. He found himself constantly hoping that he would be able to make her as happy as she made him. Not only that but he hoped he was a good lover to her. She blew him away with just her amazing body, he found himself being turned on all of the time around her no matter what they were doing. Earlier that day she had passed him to go to the bathroom, she stopped in front of him and without a word began to rub a pen smudge off his face. She was so gentle in her touch and she gave him the sweetest smile. That was all it took and as soon as she turned for the bathroom he had to sit down and start thinking about baseball. He had had to think about baseball numerous times everyday.

Tony lowered Michelle onto the couch. He stood in front of her and removed all of his clothes. She bit her bottom lip and then licked her top one as she watched him. She gave him all the confidence he needed when she not only groaned while looking him up and down but also said his name loudly. As he bent down to begin removing her pants she looked at him so seductively.... "I'm all yours Tony." This made his entire body begin to yearn for her. His heart was pounding and the rest of the world disappeared as it became about nothing but Michelle.

He grabbed at her clothes with impatience, fumbling with buckles and buttons because he wasn't prepared to wait another second to have her. Michelle helped him and once the buttons were undone he pulled her pants off completely and threw them to the ground. He crawled on top of her and then that is when he took a moment to calm down, he looked into her eyes and began to kiss her passionately.

As usual with a little alcohol in her body Michelle had more confidence, especially in bed. As Tony explored her body she expressed how good she was feeling very loudly. Her body kept twitching in his hands and her moaning and calling his name only got louder and louder, Tony thought he was in heaven. Just listening to her had him so riled up and with her body moving like that in his hands he was so excited. To add to this, Michelle asked him what he wanted.

"I want you to sit on my lap Chelle."

Only the sound of their movements and heavy pants could be heard as Tony sat himself on the couch and Michelle sat on his lap facing him. She made love to him and they never wanted it to end. They watched each other's faces, kissed, explored the other's chest and just soaked in how special and amazing they felt.

After they had finally gotten around to finishing cooking dinner they ate and then snuggled up on the couch and watched an old thriller movie. Michelle spent most of the time jumping and squeezing Tony's hand firmly. He enjoyed watching her reactions more than the movie itself.

Afterwards they flicked the TV off and got involved in a deep conversation. They talked about their ambitions and dreams for the future before moving onto discussing their own relationship. As they talked Tony began to trace her stomach very gently with his fingers. He mentioned how after all the crap they had both been through in their lives how lucky they were to end up together. Michelle had started to go a little quiet. He had studied her face enough times over the last year or so that he had become very good at reading it and right now he thought he could that she looked nervous, he asked her. "Are you ok Chelle?"

"I've got butterflies Tony."

"How come you've got those?" He didn't mention that he had them too, that he had them basically every minute he was around her. When she actually touched him, tingles and shiver pounded through his body.

"It's because of your touch."

Tony couldn't believe what a beautiful thing she just said. "What a beautiful thing to tell me Chelle." The more he looked into her eyes though the more he could tell that this was not all that was on her mind. He turned his body on the couch so that he was sitting in facing her with his complete attention. "What else are you thinking Michelle?"

"What's the angriest you have ever been?"

Her question completely took him by surprise. "I'm not really sure, why?"

"Well...what do you do when you are really angry?"

Now her questions were concerning him. "I guess I either yell or go completely silent. That's about it though."

"Ever hit anything?"

He began to fear that he had done something that may have shown her a part of his personality that she was worried about. "Maybe like a wall or kick a chair or something. I've never hit someone like that before Michelle."

"What kind of things disappoint you?"

Tony tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "No more answers Chelle until you tell me what you are thinking."

"Nothing Tony, I'm just learning about you."

Tony didn't like this. "They are not things you need to learn about Michelle, why on earth would you even worry about that stuff?"

"Well it's easier to know what not to do if I know these things."

Everything clicked for Tony. He had certainly seen enough women like Michelle in his time to know what was going on. Michelle was trying to fish these answers out of him because of her ex boyfriend Mark who use to hit her. "Michelle did Mark use to hit you when you disappointed him or made him angry?"

Michelle looked completely shocked that he had said that. "What does he have to do with anything?"

Tony had expected her to become very defensive as soon as he mentioned Mark's name. He felt so grateful that he had pushed her and found out about Mark so that he could recognize all these little things about Michelle and understand them. "Tell me the truth Chelle..."

"Yes."

He thought he would have to push a lot more for that answer. "Do you think I am going to hurt you like that Michelle?"

"No. No that's not it, that's not it at all. You are the opposite to him."

Tony felt relieved. "Does all that still scare you sometimes?"

Tears began to slowly make their way down her cheeks. "I always think about how I am the same person with you as I was with him so how come two people can treat me so differently. I feel like I always feel scared. With him I use to be scared because I was going to be beaten up, with you it's because you are going to leave..."

Tony didn't let her finish, he couldn't stand hearing her talk like that. "I'm never leaving Michelle. Why would you think that?"

"What about when you start seeing in me what Mark saw in me that made him loathe me enough to do what he did?"

Tony felt sick. Obviously she had never really spoken to anyone about this at all, her mind was still poisoned by Mark and how he wanted her to feel. "Michelle you think it was something about you that made him do that?"

Michelle's expression was as if Tony had asked such an obvious question. "Well it's not like he hit anyone else – of course it was me. I saw lots of people piss Mark off, but I was the only one he ever touched....what does that tell you!"

Tony felt like he was treading on thin ice – he knew just how vital it was that he handle this situation right. He couldn't get his head around how anyone could ever hurt his gorgeous girl. His mind was cluttered with images of Michelle hurt and all alone, he wished he had known her then because he was sure he could have picked up what was going on and put a stop to it. Michelle deserved to be saved from the low self-esteem and insecurities this bastard left her with, Tony would do anything to make her see in herself what everyone else saw.

Tony thought about how much it hurt when he thought about Michelle leaving him and all of his fears – he could only imagine what it felt like for her when it was sparked from something like this.

Tony took Michelle's hand, "Come with me." She followed as he led her into his bedroom. He had Michelle climb up onto the bed and get under the covers where he joined her. She lay on her back and Tony lowered his body down onto hers. He sat up again like he had changed his mind. "Michelle will you take the t-shirt off? I want us to be as close to each other as possible – nothing between us." She looked at him confused, other then that he hadn't said anything since her last words about Mark – she had no idea what was going on. She took her top off for him though and lay back down again. Tony crawled on top of her again and their bare skin pressed into each other. He supported himself up by his elbows on either side of her. Their faces were only inches apart.

"I wanted to come in here Michelle like this because I want you to be able to feel how close we are while we talk about this. There is nothing between us, my body is covering yours making you completely safe. I like being this close to your eyes so that I can see what is going on."

"You are so incredibly sweet Tony, in fact you are amazing......but there isn't really much left to say."

"I love you Michelle. You have no idea how painful it is hearing you talk about yourself the way you do. Mark hit you because of his own problems NOT because of anything about you. The reason you were the only one he hit was because you kept taking it, someone else might hit him back and finally if he did it to too many people then he was more likely to be busted for his actions. He was a coward Michelle for what he did to you, nothing more than a pathetic coward. I promise you sweetheart, you never ever deserved to be treated that way..."

"Maybe you think that because of how you feel for me..." Tears were streaming down her face and Tony kept wiping them away gently with his thumbs. His deep dark eyes never left her gaze.

"No honey. My love for you has nothing to do with this right now. You could ask anyone else in your life and they would all agree with me, every single word. Michelle the way he treated you has made you feel this way, but it is wrong. You can never accept anyone who doesn't treat you with the up most respect and love. Do you see what I am saying?"

Michelle slowly nodded her head. "I hear what you are saying Tony and I believe everything you ever tell me but it's hard for me to just change how I feel inside all of a sudden. You make me feel better but I'm not sure how to get rid of these feelings I've had for so long now."

"That's ok Michelle. I know I can't change all of that for you in one night but together we will be able to over time. If you really believe everything I have said then all it will take is a little bit of time before you will begin to see how everyone else sees you. No one is ever going to hurt you again Michelle. I'm never going to leave you – I don't want you to be scared of anything, ok?"

"Ok. I trust you Tony."

"You know what Chelle?"

"What?"

"I get scared to sometimes you know. Actually about the same kind of stuff, its just for different reasons."

"You get scared about me leaving you?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah. I worry about making you as happy as you make me. That I'm enough for you....that I can, you know....satisfy your needs.."

Michelle smiled and Tony was a little confused. "Tony, look what you just did for me – don't you see how amazing you are. You make me happier than I think I've ever been in my entire life. You look after me in a way that makes me feel like the most important person in the world. Everyday you offer me so much, even if it's just a look – its something no one else will ever be able to give to me. You have my heart Tony, I'm not going anywhere." She kissed his cheek and he smiled shyly.

"Tony don't think I forgot your last concern....satisfy my needs huh? Well my need is to be able to be with you and you exceed all expectations when you satisfy that need for me. You are the most amazing lover a woman could ever dream of having. You know how to be everything I want. Your touch drives me insane. You have the sexiest body – every time I look at you I just want to rip your clothes off!"

They both laughed. Tony was going in to kiss Michelle but she had to say one more thing. "I love you." His eyes completely lit up and glowed as he returned her words before kissing her sweetly.

Thanks so much for all of your reviews, I really appreciate them. Please continue to let me know what you think as it helps me know if I should continue posting here or not. If you want to see anything in my story - let me know. Cheers!