A/N: I probably shouldn't say anything, but I see a few of you nervous, thinking I'm going to kill Dasey off. I'm not sure any real Dasey shipper could ever do such a thing. And that's all I'm going to say on the subject, lol. Thank you again for all the support!

My mind is screaming as I continue to press my lips against Derek's.

I'm not sure what possessed me to kiss him, but I knew in that moment that I needed to feel him pressed up against me. Nothing else mattered.

I'm allowing him access as I part my lips, his tongue gently brushing against my own. I'm not sure if my heart is beating out of my chest from the adrenaline of the chase, or because of Derek's perfect lips that are working expertly against my own.

I've never been kissed like this before. Ever.

Not that I have much experience to go on. I've only been kissed by Sam and Max. And that gross kiss I had with the quartermaster a few minutes ago...but I'm not counting that.

Sam would give me a peck here and there, and with Max…well, he wasn't exactly Mr. Romance. The passion was lacking behind every embrace he gave me.

But with Derek, my entire body is pulsating. I can't seem to get close enough despite being pressed tightly against him. He draws me closer still; a deep ache forming in parts of my body that I never even knew existed.

This is dangerous territory. Derek is off limits. He's always been off limits to me, and I've never allowed myself to entertain the idea of being with him. But I'd be lying if I said that I never noticed him walking around shirtless, fresh from the shower as his wet hair lightly curled at the nap of his neck.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't wonder what it would be like to have him lie me down in a field full of wildflowers, allowing him to have his way with me.

Okay, Derek doesn't strike me as the type who would make love in an empty field blooming with fresh blossoms.

But a girl can still dream, can't she?

Derek suddenly breaks the kiss, spinning me around so quickly that I brace my hands up against the wall for support. I can feel him working on the ties at the back of my dress. I know that I should stop him, but I can't form any coherent thought. I can't even move. It's taking every ounce of energy I have left to stay standing on my feet.

This is a far cry different than those wildflower dreams I shamelessly have.

I can hear Derek cursing as he struggles to untie my dress. Modern men are so spoiled. A few buttons here and a few tugs there; that's all they needed to accomplish before having a naked girl in their arms. This was far different. I'm hidden underneath three layers of clothing; cinched, bound, and tied. With a frustrated groan, Derek abandons his attempts with the ties and begins to lift the hem of my dress. He's determined to find a way in.

This isn't how I want my first time to be.

But I can't seem to bring myself to stop him.

To my instant relief, I hear voices drift to my ears. Derek must here them too, because he suddenly stops. My dress is lifted so high that my bare thighs are exposed. I'm not sure he would have been able to gain access from underneath, either. He would have taken a knife to the material, I'm sure of it.

My dress falls back down to my ankles, covering my exposed skin once again.

I'm still unmoving despite the voices close by, but they don't appear to be coming down into the stairwell, even if they are lingering at the top.

I remain with my back to Derek. I can't turn around. I'm too embarrassed.

I feel a soft kiss land on the spot between my neck and shoulder. It's so sensitive that I instantly begin to shake and the spot between my thighs pulsates once again. What is he doing to me?

"Case?" I hear him whisper into my ear. I close my eyes at the sound.

"Hmm?" I ask, still unable to form actual words.

"I…I'm sorry. I never meant for it to go that far. I would have stopped myself…I think." He pauses. "I'd never be able to forgive myself if I let it happen on some fucking stairs in the middle of the afternoon."

His apology instantly makes me feel better, though I don't hold him responsible for what just happened.

I hesitate briefly before turning around, looking up at Derek. He can't seem to meet my gaze, but his hand moves to my waist. I'm glad that he's keeping contact with me and not running away from what just happened.

"We were caught up in the moment," I say, wanting him to know that I don't blame him. After all, I'm the one that kissed him. I give a small smile of encouragement and he finally allows his features to relax, a grin forming around his gorgeous mouth.

"That kiss was incredible," he breathes with a small laugh signifying how relieved he is to see I'm not angry. Before I can agree, he leans into me once more, brushing his lips against my own. It is much less urgent than our first kiss, but just as sweet. I can't tell you how long we stay like this, our lips pressed against one another.

He moans lightly as he breaks away from me once again. That moan is my new favorite sound.

"We better get out of here," Derek says, leaning forward to gently kiss my forehead.

He takes my hand, lacing his fingers through my own, and I follow him down the rest of the flight of stairs and down into a long-deserted corridor.

As corny as it sounds, I can't help but think Titanic really is the ship of dreams.

I hold tight to Casey's hand, refusing to let her go.

I can't believe that we just kissed. It was the most mind-blowing kiss of my entire life, and there is no way in hell that I'm ever going to make out with another girl ever again.

I can't believe that I almost deflowered her from behind, standing up in a public area while lifting her dress for 'easier access.'

I'm disgusted at the thought. I was prepared for her to scream at me and tell me what an asshole I am for even entertaining the idea. I was waiting for her to spin around and slap me right in the face. I would have deserved every bit of it.

However, I was shocked that she remained surprisingly calm, not pinning the blame on me at all. It's amazing how much our entire relationship has changed in only a few days. But that hot as hell kiss, and my reckless actions afterwards, have been two years in the making. I've been bottling up my desire for so long, that it came sweltering out of me all at once.

It was more blazing hot than the boiler room could ever be.

It took us some time to navigate through the hallways, trying to find our way back to second class. From up on deck, it's not too bad. But when you're trying to sneak around and remain undetected, you feel like a rat in a maze.

About forty-five minutes later, we finally reach room E 24 and walk inside. Instantly, I see Declan reading his newspaper, while Bessie is sowing a pair of socks. They look up at us briefly, and I have a weird feeling we're about to get grounded.

What in the hell did we do?

"Heyyyy," I say, shutting the door behind us while still holding onto Casey's hand.

"Hello, yourself. Have the two of you had a nice time this afternoon? Were you able to keep yourselves entertained?"

"About the usual," I say casually, bringing Casey with me to sit on the hard love seat in the center of the room. I brazenly place my arm around her shoulder. I'm happy when she leans into me.

"Is that so?" Declan continues, folding his newspaper in half…before folding it once more. "Because I heard a little rumor up on deck about two rambunctious children that suddenly decided to sneak into the wheel house and steer the ship."

I cringe slightly. Shit. Everyone on board is already talking about it? Nosy ass people.

"Ohhhhh, mmhmm. I heard about that too," I choose to lie. "Kids these days. Am I right?"

Declan doesn't look amused, and I'm not sure I like this side of him.

"What's suspicious about the whole thing is that they seemed to fit the description perfectly of the two of you."

I give a sigh. "Okay, okay. It was me and Casey, but we didn't mean to get caught," I say in defense.

"So that's supposed to make the whole situation better? The police are looking for the two of you now. Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you are in? You entered an area off limits to passengers."

"Hey," I lean forward, breaking contact with Casey for the first time in nearly an hour. I place my elbows on my knees. "The guy steering the ship let us in. It's not like we broke in or anything."

"No..no. You just used Casey to distract the poor boy. He didn't even stand a chance."

I open my mouth and shut it once again, unable to reply to what he just said. Okay, so maybe it is our fault. No guy can resist Casey's sweet face and perfect body. I should know…since I'm one of them.

"You don't understand, Dec," I reply, running my hands through my hair.

"So, enlighten me. Why is it that the two of you feel the need to harass the Captain of our ship and Mr. Ismay, accept a dinner invitation to dine with the richest men in the world, and now you're breaking into areas that are off limits, trying to steer us off course? I'm sure there is more to the story, so please, Bessie and I would love to know. Tell us."

I look up at Declan from underneath my bangs, wringing my hands together nervously. I'm not even going to ask him how he knows about us barging into Ismay's room yesterday. The whole ship must be talking about us. There are probably eyes everywhere, waiting to arrest us. We've officially become known as the troublemakers of the Titanic.

Great.

I briefly look over at Casey, who gives a weary and nervous look in return. With a small nod of her head, I take a breath before speaking.

"At 11:40 tomorrow night…Titanic will hit an ice burg. The ship will sink."