Chapter 4

A/N: You guys seriously make my day! I love waking up to all the wonderful reviews. Thank you all!

A/N 2: I know some of you were frustrated with Puck in the last chapter but I really want them to develop a relationship first before the knock boots (LOL!)

A/N 3: This may be the last chapter until next Monday. I have family coming tomorrow and will need to play the good hostess.

Puck slowly lifted his hand to his cheek, wincing slightly as his fingertips felt the stinging flesh.

"Did you just bitch slap me?" he hissed at her in furious disbelief.

"You're lucky I don't claw your eyes out you overbearing, pig-headed, insufferable ass!" she screamed at him, her eyes blazing. "What was this? Some sick joke to further humiliate me?"

"Hey! Dial down the crazy and let me explain," he shot back at her.

They stood glaring at each other, both panting with emotion. When Puck spoke again, his voice was low and ragged.

"Let me shine some light on what you were planning on doing princess," he said through clenched teeth. "Picking up random douche bag down there to screw you would just humiliate you more, because all you would be to them is some nameless, faceless chick they could stick their dick into. Is that really what you want Berry? Is it?"

Rachel closed her eyes as his words sunk in. She wasn't that girl…she couldn't be that girl.

"No," she replied quietly, her voice cracking with sorrow. She looked into his eyes, and shook her head slowly. "That's not what a want." She swallowed hard, and continued.

"But, I'm not just some nameless, faceless girl to you Noah. Am I that much of a freak that you don't want me?"

Puck stared at her for a moment before pulling her body flush against his, letting her feel just how much he wanted her. He couldn't help but grin as her eyes widened with astonishment.

"Puck junior really likes you in this red dress Berry," he whispered playfully into her ear, his breath ticking her skin. "And believe me when I say it's taking all my self control not to rip it off of you, wrap your legs around my waist, and pound into you until you beg me to let you cum." He pulled back and tenderly ran a finger down her cheek. "You're hurt though," he continued, the playfulness in his voice changing to sincerity, "and I'm not going to take advantage of you when you're in pain."

Rachel was thankful that he had his arms around because she was pretty sure she would have fainted when he started talking about ripping off her dress. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks as his finger danced across her skin, and her heart, which moments ago felt like it would shatter into a million pieces, seemed to hum in pleasure at his act of chivalry. "Noah Puckerman is a man of many surprises," she thought.

Brown eyes blazed up at him from close range, and his breath became thick with the intensity he saw. He took a step back, ignoring the sense of loss he felt when she was no longer in his arms.

"Um, I have a rep as a bad ass to uphold so…" he began to say, looking anywhere but at her.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone that you can actually be a sweet guy," she said with a smile. "I'm sorry I ruined your night Noah, and I'm very sorry that I slapped you across the face. That was uncalled for."

"You didn't ruin my night. The dance was lame and it isn't the first time a girl has slapped me."

Rachel nodded her head slowly. She glanced around the room and saw the clock on the night table. "It's 10:30. The dance is supposed to end in an hour."

"You want to go back down?" Puck asked her slowly.

She shook her head. "I don't think I could face all those people. I'm used to humiliation…just not on such a large scale." She walked towards the bed and sat down on it. "The logical thing would be for me to go home, but if I came home in a cab my dad and daddy would want to know what happened to Finn and I'm not really in the mood to talk about that."

Puck walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. "You want to stay here tonight?"

"May as well. I've paid for the room," she replied back. "You don't have to baby sit me Noah. I swear on my album of Evita, performed by the amazing Patti LuPone, that I won't do anything reckless. I'm sure you have better things to do."

Puck glanced at her. She was giving him a way out…out of this crazy evening. He knew Mike and Brittney were throwing a party for the football team and Cheerios after the dance. He had been planning on going but now…

"I don't have any plans," he said. "I'll stay."

"You want to stay…with me?" she asked skeptically.

He shrugged his shoulders in a noncommittal manner. "Yeah. We can order some room service, maybe order a pay-per-view movie…" he trailed off.

Rachel gave him a smile and said, "Well, I haven't eaten anything since breakfast so I am quite famished."

"Famished means hungry, right?" Puck asked with a teasing twinkle in his eyes.

Rachel giggled and nodded her head.

Two hours later, they were still sitting on the bed, only this time their backs were against the head board. They had eaten and the movie they had ordered, The Hangover, had just ended. Puck looked at Rachel in amusement as she clutched her stomach, still laughing hysterically.

"I guess you liked the movie," he said with a laugh.

Rachel took a deep breath to steady herself, a giggle or two escaping. "Despite the obscene language and gratuitous nudity, it was actually very funny."

Puck shook his head, chuckling to himself. He looked over at the clock and realized with a start how late it was. He turned back to find Rachel looking at him, the laughter gone as the seriousness about what was going to happen dawned on them both.

It was time to go to sleep.

"It's pretty late," he said thickly.

"We should probably go to sleep," she replied, the softness in her voice making him painfully aroused.

He got up slowly and pulled the covers down on his side. He watched as Rachel did the same. She was about to crawl back into bed when he stopped her.

"You're going to wear that to bed," he said gesturing to her dress.

Rachel looked down and then back up at him. "Well, it's not liked I packed my pajamas in my clutch purse."

Puck looked at her intently before slowly unbuttoning his shirt. He smirked when her mouth dropped open, her eyes focusing on his strong, muscular chest. He threw the shirt at her, surprised when she caught it easily.

"Go put that on."

Rachel looked at the shirt in her hands. She could smell his cologne on it and her tummy flipped for the third time that night. She started to slowly walk to the bathroom before she stopped.

"Um…could you unzip me please," she said shyly, her face blushing.

Puck walked over to her as though hypnotized. She turned her back to him and lifted her long, thick hair up. She glanced at him over her shoulder and smiled gently.

Puck reached out a hand and was horrified to see it shaking. "Fuck," he thought angrily. "This isn't the first dress you've taken off a girl. Stop being such a fruit!" He took a deep breath and slowly lowered the zipper, gulping audibly when he saw she wasn't wearing a bra. He let his hand linger on her soft skin for a second before pulling back.

"Um…there you go," he told her.

Rachel clutched the front of her dress to her chest. She mumbled a "thank you" before hurrying off to the bathroom.

As soon as the door closed Puck let out the breath he had been holding. "I'm seriously second guessing my choice not to make love to her," he said under his breath. "Shit! Did I just say make love? What the hell is happening to me?" He shook his head angrily as he unzipped his pants, kicking them to the corner of the room with more force than necessary. He sat down on the bed and took another deep breath. "This Berry," he said slowly. "She maybe freakin hot but she is still Ber…"

He lost all train of thought as the bathroom door opened and she walked out. He had to admit his shirt looked a hell of a lot better on her than it did on him.

Rachel felt slightly ridiculous. The sleeves were way to long and the bottom only reached her mid thigh. She smiled at him, slightly unnerved by his intense gaze. She began to walk back to the bed but suddenly stopped when she saw he was wearing only his briefs.

"Oh my!" she thought. "I'm about to sleep with Noah Puckerman and all he is wearing is briefs…tight briefs…very tight briefs." She all but ran to the bed, jumped in and threw the covers over her.

Puck smirked at her reaction to seeing him in his briefs. He turned to the night table and shut the light off, bathing them in darkness. He settled on his side of the bed and pulled the covers up.

"Goodnight Noah," Rachel said softly.

Puck turned his head to the left and saw her looking at him, her eyes blinking sleepily.

"Goodnight Ber…goodnight Rachel."