He leaned in and closed the gap between us, taking his hand and rubbing slow circles on my face with his thumb.

"There's no one who will ever know you the way that I do. No one."

"Bos, you're drunk." I protested, but quite liking the closeness of him.

"So're you."

"This is gonna change everything."

"I hope so."

And then our lips met.

And I didn't look back.

Chapter Thirteen

If bein in heaven was anythin like having someone you love wrap their arms around your neck and whisper words that made your heart beat faster, than I'd gladly turn in my gun 'an badge and let the first truck I saw run me over. It was that amazin.

I couldn't ever explain how good she felt in my arms; like she was born just to fit perfectly with me. Her hands running along the back of my neck and shoulders, giving me the chills; her lips brushing lightly against mine and then harder as we climbed together. For the life of me I couldn't believe that it had taken so long just to get to this point—whatever it was.

She leaned back and pulled me down on top of her and tangled her fingers in my hair. She looked deep into my eyes and that connection that we'd always had became stronger; her blue eyes blazed into mine as we kissed, each takin from the other, both needin and wantin.

"Oh Bosco, you drive me nuts." She murmured. "I never knew that you'd be like this."

I laughed. "Be like this? Baby, you havn't seen nothin yet. I'll make ya happy, Faith, I swear it." I said between kisses.

She drew her leg out from under me and wrapped it around my waist tightly, making me closer and closer to the final destination. She gazed into my eyes and threw her head back and bit down on her lip. "Is that a promise?"

"You bet."

I knew that this time I'd done it right; that I was0with the one woman that I'd been searchin my whole life for. I wasn't usually a cheezy guy but layin0on that couch with her, my hands explorin, my senses heightened until I felt like I was flyin. An the best part about it was that she was kissin me back—and then she suddenly stopped.

"Bos?"

I didn't reply, just lowered my head and started kissin that spot on her neck that I knew instinctively would drive her wild.

"Bosco?" Her voice came a little stronger an I pulled back to look at her.

"Ya?"

She shifted around a bit and ran her hand over her ponytail. "What are we doing?"

I grinned. "Doing? Do you want me to explain it to you?" I asked playfully. "Or would you like me to give you a recap?" I leaned in again but she lightly pushed my chest back. She wanted to talk.

"I need to know what this is." She said, waving her hand between the small space that separated us, her face slightly downcast. She sat up, makin me sit back a bit, and faced me.

"Whadaya mean?"

"Are we doing something that we're gonna regret in the morning?" She asked, almost worried sounding. "Something that will ruin our partnership?" Her blue eyes clung to mine, searching.

I felt my bubble of happiness burst, making that stinging feeling in my stomach start; the thing that happens when you don't want to hear something and no matter what ya do or try to do to stop it, the words are inevitable.

I sat back and sighed. "Do you think this is gonna ruin anything?" I asked softly. "This feels right." I added and ran my fingertips over her arm. "I want you, Faith."

Relief passed through her eyes, which brightened. "You do?" She asked, her lips twitching a bit.

I nodded. "Faith, I've wanted this for a long time an' I know that I'm only tellin ya now cause I'm drunk as hell..." I said. "but it's true. I can't help the way I feel about ya and it killed me to see you kissin Sean tonight."

Her eyes widened. "Really? I mean this just isn't some one night stand for you?"

I let out the breath I'd been holdin. "No! No way!" I said passionately. I took her hand into mine and tried to make her understand how much things had changed in my mind in the last few months, how much I'd grown to care for her, by just the look in my eyes. "Faith, I can't stop thinkin about'cha. I can't stand the thought of you bein with someone else. You gotta believe me."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" She questioned.

"I dunno." I said, looking down at the floor for a minute. "Scared I guess." I looked up at her, wanting her to know how serious I was. "I wanted ta ask ya out for a long time but I was too scared ta do it."

"Maurice Boscorelli, are you asking me out on an official date?" She asked me, giggling.

"Would you want to officially date me, Faith?"

She put her finger against her lips and squeezed her eyes shut, pretendin to be in deep thought. "Well...I don't know..." She muttered playfully. "Alright, I think I could give it a shot."

"Good. I'll take you out tomorrow after our play date at work." I said, happy that she was willin to give me a shot. Actually, I was so happy that I could have cried from the relief of knowin that she felt the same, or at least I thought she did. She didn't come out and say it the same way I did, but I got the feelin that she and I were on the same page.

"You're not gonna change your mind tomorrow?" She asked pointedly. I deserved it. She knew about my past history. "And you don't expect to sleep with me right off the bat do you?"

As if I would.

"Never." I said, wishin that she knew exactly how much I had loved her all those years. But not yet. I couldn't risk it yet. "Faith, we don't have to do anything tonight or even tomorrow night. I'll wait as long as it takes. I don't want to put any pressure on you..." I said, squeezing her hand. "...I want you but I don't want to mess this up either." I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her palm. "Whenever."

She considered what I'd said. She closed her eyes for a second and leaned back against the pillow again, gettin comfortable, then a slow grin spread across her beautiful face.

"I was just kidding..." She opened her eyes and reached up and pulled me down on top of her. "I want you too. I've always wanted you."

I parted my lips to say something but she silenced me with her kiss. Over and over again until I picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. When it was over we lay together, all sweaty and exhausted, her long blond hair tickling my chest, her head on my shoulder, and I knew that in all my life I'd never felt as good as I did at that moment.

"Bos?" She said sleepily, raisin her head to look at me.

"Ya?"

"That was...well...that was amazing." She said, her blue eyes lusty and appreciative of what I'd made her feel.

"I know. I've never been that—close to someone before." I admitted, rubbing her bare shoulder lightly.

She sat up and rested her head in her hand so she could look at me. This was the part where most women wanted to talk and I just wanted to get the hell out of there, but this was different. There was no where else in the world that I would have wanted to be than with her.

"What do you mean—close?"

I sighed. "This isn't somethin that I usually talk about, ya know." I said, feelin a little bit stupid for lettin my mouth get ahead of my common sense. "I've been with a lot of women—" I began.

"I know. Let's not talk about it." She said, fake rolling her eyes at me.

"and..." I continued, pointedly. "I never felt with any of them the way I felt with you tonight."

Her eyes misted over and she pouted her bottom lip at me. I could tell that she was more than moved by my honesty. "Bosco, that was the sweetest thing you've ever said to me." She gushed and leaned over to kiss me.

"You're gonna get so lucky again." She said, sexily as she leaned in and started to kiss my neck.

"Yep." I said, grinning.

"Yep, what?"

I stretched my arms over my head and gave her a big growl.

"I've still got it!"