Steffy Forrester was working on designs in her office on a hot summer day. She knew the designs would never go anywhere with Hope's line in the spotlight. Intimates dropped, Steffy didn't have much to do around the office in terms of designing. Marketing, marketing, marketing, that was all Steffy was allowed to do anymore. Didn't her dad trust her to do anything on her own? As she glanced through her recent designs, Steffy made note that all of them were dark and sad, something you would wear to a funeral. Funerals made Steffy think of weddings, the reason she was alone at Forrester Creations. Marcus and Dayzee were getting married at her grandparents' house today. She had gotten an invitation, to which she politely declined, not ready to suffer through another wedding yet. As if on cue, the radio changed to a Bob Hope song. Steffy practically lunged to turn off the radio. It wasn't good to prod at a fresh wound. Should it still be fresh? The divorce was finalized a long time ago and Liam was married now. She should be happy for him. Only she wasn't.

Why couldn't she be forgiving and kindhearted like Hope? Obviously, if she was more like Hope, she would still be happily married. Or maybe it wasn't her fault. Steffy often forbid her thoughts form wandering to ex-father-in-law. Maybe it was because deep down she knew she should have stayed away from him all along. When she tried to get Forrester Creations back was one thing, but pursuing him later? That was wrong and reckless. It went against all her motives, how she despised Brooke for breaking up a happy family, which was what Steffy had been doing. She couldn't believe she thought it was reasonable to go after a married man. To top it all off, she let herself get involved with his schemes, the real reason she was married to Liam. Steffy learned the hard way that a marriage couldn't be based on lies. That's why Liam had to tell Hope everything that happened in Italy. Stop! 'You're getting over him,' thought Steffy, 'Not falling for him again.

Footsteps in the hall interrupted Steffy's thoughts. When a knock sounded at her office door, she debated whether to open it or not. Steffy decided to open the door and was shocked by who stood there.

"Hello Steffy," said the all too familiar voice of Bill Spencer. "Can I come in?" he asked, already in her office.

"Sure," Steffy shut the door and turned to face Bill.

"Not going to beat me up?" snickered Bill.

"I haven't forgiven you, you know,"

"That's why I'm here," he said.

"Bill Spencer apologizing?" Now it was Steffy's turn to snicker. "I don't think so."

Bill chuckled and thought 'That's my girl.' My girl. He liked the sound of that. "I'm not completely heartless. And now that I know my plan didn't go entirely as planned, I can understand why you were upset with me."

"Why I was upset? I was more than upset, Bill! Everything I ever wanted was just within my reach, just to have it ripped away! What you did was wrong. If it wasn't for you, Hope and Liam would've had the perfect wedding."

"And you!" added Bill.

"No, not me! If you hadn't come up with an entire plan to keep the wedding from happening, you wouldn't have told me to go to Italy, you wouldn't have told me to stay in case Liam might need someone to fall back on, and you wouldn't have told me Liam was alone on their wedding day, thinking Hope had left him!"

"You're a grown woman Steffy," said Bill patiently, "I wasn't forcing you to go to Italy or to comfort my son. Like you care about Hope and Liam's perfect wedding anyway."

"I might not be a pure as Hope or any of your other Logan girls, but I'm not cold-blooded."

"Steffy, you know I'm not a Logan fan," Bill said defiantly.

"Really?" Said Steffy her voice rising. "Then why is one carrying your baby?"

"Katie isn't like the rest of them. My wife is a miracle..."

Steffy cut him off, "Here we go again! 'My wife's perfect. My wife's a marvel. Nobody is as good as my wife.' If your wife is so perfect, then why were you so ready to leave her for some affair with a little girl?"

Bill didn't know what to say. Maybe it was true. He loved Katie, but not as much as he once had. Bill had been feeling them grow more distant. He thought their baby would bring them back together and so far that wasn't happening. Yes Bill was watching over her and being overly protective but he didn't feel love for his baby. Was he really heartless? No, he thought. There was one thing he still had a burning passion for. A passion that he had to keep tamed or else it could lash out at any moment.

"My affair wasn't with a little girl," Bill said, barely above a whisper. "It was with a beautiful woman"

'Don't go back there Steffy,' she thought. Don't let the monster lure you back in. Don't fall to be its slave again. But then again, when the monster was so pleasing, why say no? Maybe she liked being controlled.

"It's over now," Steffy said. "It wasn't meant to be."

"Look Steffy," Bill put his hand on her arm, "I want you to forgive me. I need you to forgive me." Bill placed his hand on her waist now, slowly pulling her back into the monster's grip.

Steffy stammered, "I…I want to Bill. I really do. But I was so close to getting over Liam and you dangled him in my face again. I need to get over him."

"About getting over Liam," Bill let his hand wander down a little further. "I was thinking you could use some help with that."

No. Stop. Can't. But she let him anyway. Slowly they leaned into one other. Their lips were so close Bill could taste it. He wanted it. He needed it. He knew she did too.

At that moment, Steffy's phone rang. The two jumped apart with bewildered looks in their eyes. Steffy couldn't believe what just almost happened. Neither could Bill. 'You have a wife and a baby on the way!' He thought. 'You don't need to get involved with Steffy again,' yet at the same time he knew deep down that he wanted to.

Steffy picked up her phone, "Hi mom… Yes I'm at work… Yes I'm alone… Sure… Meet you in 10 minutes... Bye, love you." Steffy looked at Bill and she knew she needed him. More than she needed her mom's support. More than she needed her dad's acceptance. More than she needed Liam's love. She needed the monster. Her monster.

"I guess I should be going," said Bill as her turned to leave.

"Wait!" Bill turned around, his eyes almost hopeful. "I want you to know," Steffy paused, "That I forgive you. I know you didn't mean to hurt me."

"Thanks Steffy. Just know I'm here for you." Bill walked closer and embraced Steffy in a hug. A hug that lingered slightly too long.