Chapter 13

"Come on in, we're here," Stephanie said, opening the door to her office. She stepped inside and held the door for Chris to come inside. He walked inside and she shut the door, then started to walk over to the couch, but he grabbed her arm. "What?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Don't you think that you should lock the door?" Chris asked her, looking into her eyes. "I mean, you never know what'll happen and I, for one, don't want anyone walking in on us and finding us in a compromising position."

"And what position did you have in mind for us to try?" she asked coyly, reaching behind her to lock the door as he had suggested.

He pulled her to him, putting his arms loosely around her waist. "Steph, I wasn't suggesting that we should...you know," he said in a soft voice. "I was just saying, just in case we did happen to fall into each other's arms again...that maybe we should take that extra precaution and lock the door."

"Right," she said quickly, looking away. She was blushing a little, and she knew it. "I must sound like a teenager with raging hormones, all needy and everything..."

"No, you don't," he assured her quickly, and she smiled gratefully. "So, are we going to watch this match together?"

"If you want to," she said softly.

"That's what you invited me here for, right?" he asked.

"Sort of," she mumbled after a brief silence. She pulled away, walked over to her desk, and sat down. "Why don't you turn on the TV and watch the match while I get some work done?"

"Work?" he asked. She nodded and he shook his head. "I thought you wanted to watch the match with me, Steph. Did you change your mind?"

"N-no," she whispered, her voice cracking. She leaned over some random papers that she had spread out over her desk earlier and tried to read them, but the words swam before her eyes.

"Steph? What's wrong?" he asked, walking over to her desk. This was suddenly a very familiar situation, almost an exact repeat of what had happened the day before. She was crying... But this time, he knew what to do. Like the day before, he sat on the edge of the desk, then pulled her out of her chair and into his arms. "Stop crying and tell me what's wrong," he commanded in a gentle voice.

"I don't even know why I'm crying anymore," she said quietly, putting her arms around him. "I just feel like...like you and I have done it a few times and now... It's only been a few times and already you don't want me anymore."

"Steph," he began, but she went on.

"I... Am I the plague or something? Am I that repulsive?" she asked, her voice rising a little. "Hunter won't touch me anymore and now I don't think you want me anymore, either."

"That's not true," he said. "Don't think that way. That's nowhere near true."

"Then why don't you want to..." Her voice trailed off, and she looked down. She couldn't look into his eyes, knowing that there was a possibility that he wouldn't want her anymore. More tears trailed down her face, and she wanted to just disappear. She felt...pathetic.

"I never said I didn't," he said. He pulled back a little, then tilted her chin up a little so that she could look at him. "Don't cry, Steph. It's not that I don't want you. That's not even an option for you to consider, so put that out of your mind." He paused for a minute, reaching up to wipe her tears away. "I was just thinking that maybe we should take some time to get to know each other a little better."

"We've known each other for years now," she pointed out. "We've been working together for a long time."

"Exactly. We've been working together. We've had a strictly business relationship, up until yesterday," he replied. "And now we're just... Let's face it. We're just having sex..."

"Great sex," she put in.

"Yeah, it's great," he agreed, looking at her affectionately. "But wouldn't you like to get to know me better?"

"That would only complicate things," she said immediately, shaking her head. "Can't we just, you know, keep it physical?"

"Just mindless screwing? Steph, that's just not my style," he informed her, shaking his head. "Yesterday when we talked, before we slept together, we were on the verge of beginning a friendship, remember? So why don't we just build on that?"

"And we would still be able to hook up when I need it...or when you need it?" she asked hopefully.

"Oh, but of course," he said, grinning impishly at her. "We'll be friends with benefits."

"But only friends," she said seriously. "Because I'm married, and even though Hunter did what he did with Trish, I love him so much, Chris, I do."

"I don't doubt that," he said, nodding because he understood where she was coming from. "I can't say that I'm in love with Trish, though, or that I ever have been. I mean, I do feel strongly for her. I care about her, but is it love? Nah..."

"Now that we have that established, what do you want to do?" she asked.

"I want to watch the match with you sitting next to me. Can we do that?" he asked, giving her puppy dog eyes. He made his lower lip tremble. "Please?"

"For some reason, I don't think there's any way that I could ever say no to you when you look at me like that," she said, smiling at him. "But you knew that already, didn't you?"

"I was counting on it," he said, smirking. He pulled her over with him to the couch. "I'll be sure to bookmark that, though, so I can use that to my advantage in the future."

"You'd do something like that to an innocent woman like me?" she asked, turning the TV on, where the match between her husband and Kane was well underway.

"A woman? That, you are. As a matter of fact, you're one hell of a woman. An innocent woman? I hate to break it to you, honey, but you're not innocent," he said with a laugh. She sat down on the couch and he laid down, stretching out and resting his head on her lap. "Ah, I have a human pillow. Your lap is so comfortable, Steph..."

"Let's just hope my legs don't go numb," she muttered. He stuck his tongue out at her, and she laughed. "I mean, face it, Chris. Your head is huge."

"I know," he said, ready to make a perverted comment. He glanced over at the TV, then back at her, and then he did a double take and looked back at the TV again, where Kane and Hunter seemed to be arguing while they were wrestling. "They're talking. Can you see that?"

"I wonder what they're talking about?" she asked curiously. Instinctively, she started running her fingers through his hair and gently massaging his scalp. "You have such nice hair, Chris..."

"And you have the body of a goddess," he said absently, already engrossed in the match.

In the ring...

"For the last time, what do you know about us?" Hunter demanded as he did an Irish Whip on Kane, sending the taller man into the corner and running after him.

"More than anyone should have to know," Kane said, grunting a little as Hunter started punching him in the face.

"Tell me, you bastard!" Hunter exclaimed, punching him in the face. "Tell...me!"

Kane pushed him off, making him stumble back a bit. "I've seen you!" He rushed at Hunter, delivering a powerful clothesline that nearly flipped Hunter around in midair. "Sneaking into dark, deserted rooms together, stealing kisses..." He bent down and pulled Hunter up by the hair. "You're married, idiot! You're either being bold...or dumb as hell! Or both!"

"You don't know anything!" Hunter whispered loudly. "So just keep your mouth shut about it!"

"Make me," Kane challenged, setting Hunter up for a chokeslam. He put his hand around his throat and held him with what seemed to be a death grip. "Make me," he repeated menacingly.

"Here comes Trish," Hunter murmured. "So get ready... You remember what happens next, right?"

"Shut up!" Kane ordered, tightening his grip on Hunter's throat. "You're cheating on your wife... Someday, she'll get you back, and mark my words when I'll tell you it'll be in a way that you least expect."

"You don't know," Hunter choked out.

"And it's going to hurt, too," Kane promised.

Hunter didn't get a chance to reply, because at that moment, Trish got into the ring and hit Kane in the back with a steel chair, as the storyline said to do. Kane let go of Hunter and turned around to face Trish, who looked frightened. As Kane slowly walked towards Trish, she backed slowly into a corner of the ring, and Hunter slipped out of the ring and started searching under the ring apron for his weapon of choice, the weapon he'd made famous... The sledgehammer...

In Stephanie's office...

"What the hell were they saying?" Stephanie wondered as she watched the match. She wished that she was a little better at reading lips. She had been watching the match intently, especially after Trish had come running down the ramp with the steel chair. "They looked like they were actually carrying on a conversation while they were wrestling."

"I have no clue what they were saying, but damn, Steph, this feels so amazingly good," Chris murmured, sighing a little. His eyes were closed and his head was still in her lap as she gently massaged his scalp. There was a content expression on his face. "God, Steph, just keep it up..."

"You like that, huh?" she asked, turning her attention from the TV to the blonde man with his head in her lap.

"I love that," he said. "Your touch is so gentle and tender..."

"You look beautiful with your eyes closed, you know that?" she commented in a soft voice.

He opened his eyes and looked up at her. "Who ever would've thought that you'd be saying something like that to me?" he asked.

"I wouldn't have, before yesterday," she said honestly. "But, I have to admit, when I first met you, I did think that you were a fairly good-looking guy."

"Well, I am a sexy beast," he said with a smile. "When your dad introduced us, I thought you were...pretty. You looked so young...so innocent and fresh. Now that I'm getting to know you a little better..." His voice trailed off as he looked up at her.

"What do you think of me now?" she asked, still running her fingers through his hair.

"Now? I think you're gorgeous," he said quietly. "I think it's funny how, before yesterday, we never really talked. Sure, six months ago, we...we found them in the shower together, but we didn't become friends after that. If anything, we became even more distant." He sat up and put an arm around her shoulder. "And now, because of them, we're spending time together and... It's all happening so fast, you know?"

"Yesterday around this time... Actually, a few hours before yesterday around this time, you were in here holding me because I was crying," she said, leaning her head against his chest. "And I didn't want to let you go, because it felt so good to be in someone's arms after all these months of never being touched..."

"Well, I still think your husband is a fucking idiot," he said bluntly, kissing her on the forehead. "I don't understand why he won't be the one to do this for you."

"I don't, either, but I guess there's no point in trying to find out why anymore," she said with a sigh. "I've tried in the past, and my efforts have all been fruitless... I just don't understand him anymore."

"Someday you will," he assured her. "And if you don't... Just know that you'll have me as a friend to help you find the way."

"I think I like the sound of that," she said. She kissed him lightly on the chest through his shirt, then leaned against him again and looked at the TV. "You'll help me find the way..."

A/N: Hope you guys liked it! I still think I'm moving things too fast for Chris and Steph but somehow I can't help it. Darn their chemistry!