Ahhh, the awkwardness of the "morning after" – we have all been there so wanted to explore what it would be like for these two, and where they go from here….

Dani awoke slowly the next morning. She couldn't remember the last time that she had slept so soundly. As she stretched, the little aches and twinges in all the right places reminded her of what had happened the night before with Nico. "Nico?"

Even as she said his name out loud, she knew he wasn't next to her. The bed felt too big and too empty and somehow she wasn't surprised that she has woken up alone, but last night they had been together…

It had been something out of a romance novel. She wasn't a big fan of them, felt that they set unrealistic expectations for all involved and just led to disappointment for those living in the real world, but after last night, maybe she should take another look at that aisle the next time she was in the book store.

Holding the sheet closer to her, she closed her eyes and allowed herself the luxury of replaying last night in detail.

He had been so gentle the first time, as if he afraid he would hurt her. Every part of her body had been loved by Nico; she blushed just thinking about it. As if knowing this one time was all they might have, they came together several more times during the night.

As the morning broke, Dani made sure the last time between them was about Nico. Using her hands and her mouth, she made him lose control, with him saying her name over and over again until they came together. And after, Nico had held her close and had thanked her for giving him this night; he had kissed her and had tucked him against her until she had fallen asleep.

Now with a thin silver of light coming through the curtains, she was facing the morning alone…With a sigh, she had just started to get up and get dressed, when she heard the key slide in the door. Nico walked in, cleaned, dressed and with two large coffees from her favorite coffee shop.

Dani sat up in bed, careful to keep the sheet from slipping. "Nico, where in the world did you find coffee?" Dani asked, "I thought we were in the middle of nowhere."

Nico couldn't answer for a moment; he had to take his fill. Dani, with her hair mussed and draping around her naked shoulders, the last smudge of her eye make-up giving her a seductive look and knowing that the sheet was all that was between her and him was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"Well Dr. Santino, if I told you….."

"Yea, yea, you would have to kill me. But if I survived last night, I'm willing to take my chances with the coffee. And, don't you think under the circumstances, you should call me Dani." Dani was trying to lighten the mood, but as she finished her sentence and noticed Nico's eyes darkening, she knew he was also remembering everything they had done.

Before she could say anything, Nico came around to her side of the bed and handed her the coffee. "Here. Drink. I've been in touch with the pilots. The storm has cleared and it's wheels up in an hour. I'm going to go down the lobby and get us checked out, you have 20 minutes. Can you be ready in time?"

As Nico turned to leave, Dani had to fight her disappointment. On some level she was hoping the storm wouldn't lift, that they would have an extra day to be together, that the world wouldn't intrude for just a little longer. She bowed her head so that he wouldn't see what was in her eyes. She couldn't let him know that she had fallen in love with him, head over heels, romance novel in love with him.

She wouldn't put that burden on him. Too much was unresolved and they had promised each other that it would be just one night. No, for now she would keep her feelings to herself, she would be a grown-up and figure this out on her own.

Deep in her own thoughts, she didn't hear Nico turn around and didn't feel him as he sat on the edge of the bed. As she lifted her eyes to his, it was if he knew just what she was thinking. "Last night, Dani", he said emphasizing her name, "Last night was amazing, you were amazing, better than I ever imagined in my dreams."

Taking the coffee from her hands and putting it on the dresser, he took her face in his hands and brought her mouth to his and kissed her. He could get used to this and that was not something that he could risk. Even as his kiss deepened, he knew that once they were back in New York, things would change, they had too.

As Dani came towards him the sheet between them slipped, and Nico took advantage of her exposed flesh. With the laugh of a woman who knows the power she has over a man, she laid back and brought him with her. Well, she could be a grown up tomorrow.

"Nico, you said we have to leave in 20 minutes?"

"Yes"

"Well, since I can be ready in 10 minutes, that leaves us 10 extra minutes, can you think of anything that we can do in that time?" Dani asked.

Nico was way ahead of her and as he rolled her on top of him, he said. "Shut up Dani, you are wasting valuable time."

Five hours later, on a cold but clear Sunday afternoon, they were back in New York. When they landed, Dani had turned on her phone to find messages from the kids, her mother and a text message from Matt, seeing if she was free for dinner.

She called the kids and said that they could come home anytime as she was on her way home. Her mother could wait until tomorrow and Matt…well she wasn't sure what to do about Matt. She could figure out that one later.

She looked over at Nico who had sat across from her for the entire flight. After they had left the motel, they had driven to the airport and once on the plane, he had proceeded to work most of the flight.

Now with the flight ended, he had put the files back in his briefcase and turned to look at her, his professional mask back in place.

"Dr. Santino, there is a car waiting for you that will take you home."

Dani raised an eyebrow, "So, we are back to Dr. Santino, are we? Well thank you Nico and as promised, you have gotten me home by Sunday."

"I will always keep my promises to you Dr. never doubt that".

"Goodbye Nico, I'll see you tomorrow in Coaches office?" As Dani passed him she made sure that they touched, she needed him to remember what that felt like. Needed to see his eyes darken one more time. She would see him tomorrow and at some point they would talk. But she knew that this was too new, they both had to let it sink in before they could figure out where or if they had somewhere to go…

"Goodbye, Dr."

Nico waited until she was off the plane and in the back of the sleek Lincoln town car before he walked to the opening of the plane.

Just as the car pulled through the gate, Dani turned around to get one last look at Nico, as if willing him to wave or show some form of goodbye. But years of training were ingrained in Nico, and he stood still, waiting for the car to disappear.

"Goodbye Dani" he said aloud. "I will always remember last night; it's too bad that is all we can ever have."

Turning back to the plane, he stuck his head into the cockpit.

"How soon can we refuel and head out to Los Angeles? I want to make sure I beat the Pittman's' back from their vacation."…..