Title: Just This Once, Part 3

Author: Kora

E-mail: KrazyKora or WinterViolet24

Rating: R

Disclaimer: The following characters belong to WWE and all the people and companies who deal with all that legal stuff. I am simply using the characters for my own twisted enjoyment.

Author's Note: This is my first WWE fan fiction and I feel I should point some stuff out so I can avoid flames-

**Due to terminating 'NC-17' stories I have edited this story and made it 'R'. If you wish for a more darker version, please e-mail me**

"Come in." Stephanie McMahon said, not looking up from the huge pile of paperwork on her desk. Being the GM of Smackdown was not an easy task. Stephanie found herself going through stack after stack of files and memos needing her signature of

approval or disapproval.

"Look at these!" Dawn Marie's voice filtered in happily as she entered her boss' office.

Stephanie raised her head and felt her mouth drop open. Her petite brunette assistant was carrying a vase of flowers that was bigger than her. Every type of flower imaginable was jammed inside-lilies, roses, daisies, hydrangeas, tulips, hibiscus, violets, carnations, sunflowers, orchids, etc. Wild, exotic, common-they were all there, a rainbow of color, their fragrance overwhelmingly sweet, filling the entire room.

Stephanie took the vase from Dawn and carefully set it on her desk, looking over it in wonder. Dawn brushed herself off, her face all smiles. Stephanie hated to admit it but secretly she liked her assistant. Dawn did have a tendency to mess up now and then and often wore questionably revealing clothing but past that she was a sweet girl, trying her best to do her job right.

Stephanie picked at the flowers in silence as Dawn spoke, "Aren't they amazing?"

Stephanie nodded and Dawn took this as permission to continue, her voice terribly excited, "They came just a little while ago. The delivery boy said he had a hard time bringing up such a big-"

"Did he say who they were from?"

"No, but..."

"It could be Bischoff." Stephanie frowned, her thoughts turning to the worst. Bischoff had delivered roses to her before, along with a condescending little note.

Dawn's cupid lips turned downwards in worry, "Would you like me to check?"

"That's all right. I'll risk it." Stephanie said and gave her assistant an encouraging smile. There was nothing wrong with giving Dawn reassurance now and then. As long as she didn't get the impression that Stephanie was going soft on her, Stephanie felt everything was fine.

Dawn beamed at the sight, "Okay then. I'll just leave you to your work."

Dawn turned to leave but as she reached the door she couldn't help but add, "You know, I don't think it was Bischoff. Whoever sent those flowers probably spent a lot and I doubt someone like Bischoff would do that. I-I think whoever sent you the flowers must really care about you."

Stephanie was glad her back was turned to Dawn as a quirky smile took her lips, sometimes Dawn was too nice. Stephanie shook her head, "Maybe."

Once she heard the door to her office click shut and was sure her assistant was gone, Stephanie took a deep breath and prepared herself for the worst. She snatched up the card attached and quickly opened it, glossing over the note.

"Oh...wow." She breathed, finding she needed to sit down, her legs shaking. She found a seat on the couch as she re-read the message, not believe what she was seeing.

Dear Stephanie-

Can't stop thinking about you and 'just this once'. Hope you're well and wearing my hat. Thanks for the wonderful time. Miss you.

HBK

Stephanie pressed the note to her heart and closed her eyes. It had been some time since her and Shawn had made love and not a day had gone by that she hadn't thought about it. How wonderful it had been. Shawn had been one of the best lovers she'd ever had. So gentle, so sweet and yet with such passion, such fire. She would think of their night together and feel delicious, ghostly sensations run all over her body. That one night with him had been perfect.

The nights after had been cold. Lonely.

The mornings too, had been empty but she could still recall the morning after their love making. She'd woken up naked under the sheets, the bed warm and the scent of sex strong in the air. She had been startled to find herself alone, Shawn no where in sight. Then she had seen the note and the cowboy hat. That note had been similar to the one with the flowers but instead had offered her the hat, remarking 'I don't think I will need Chantel's number anymore'. Stephanie had taken the hat and lifted it to discover Chantel's name had been scratched out on the brim, her own name scrawled in.

Stephanie had clutched the hat to her then, as she clutched the note to her now. The hat...she actually wore it that first day and since then she had found herself carrying it around with her like a good luck charm. She got odd stares for the act but she brushed them off. The hat was a present from him, she wasn't just going to toss it aside. At first the hat had been her only consolation in this world but now these flowers, this note...

She squeezed tighter to the note. This note, the most extraordinary thing in her world right now. The note proved that Shawn felt the same way and more importantly, proved that he missed her. Could he be missing her as much as she missed him though? Did he feel as empty?

Don't Steph, don't even start, her thoughts chided her tiredly. Time and again she struggled with the memories of her tryst with Shawn as well as her nagging mind and heart.

A relationship between you and Shawn is out of the question. Impossible. You promised it would just be a one-night stand and a one-night stand it was and will remain. So what if the sex was mind blowing? So what if you were foolish enough to think of it as more than sex, to think of it as an act of love. Love? Psh, you can't fall in love so fast. But then falling quick and falling hard has always been your style, hasn't it Steph? With Andrew, with Hunter. You can't do this to Shawn. Knowing him and his attachment to Hunter, despite their recent squabble, he'd never consider it in a million years. Hell, it was a battle to get him to even sleep with you. No, Shawn doesn't feel the same way and never will. He doesn't want a relationship so move on.

But then-why had he sent the flowers? Given her the hat? Stephanie rose slowly from the couch and went to the flowers. She drew out a stargazer lily and breathed it in. She couldn't explain the flowers, the hat, or the notes but the least she could do was enjoy them. Stephanie returned to her paperwork with a wistful smile, her eyes fondly drifting up to the flowers now and then. If only Shawn felt the way she did...

Shawn sat behind the wheel of his car at a stoplight. He was driving to the gym to get in a light workout before the next RAW. He leaned his head back, closing his eyes. He could still see her, almost feel her in his mind. He could remember how she looked beneath him, a light sheen of sweat on her skin, her eyes dark with desire. Her name coursed through his mind as much as the blood in his veins.

Stephanie.

Stephanie McMahon.

She was driving him crazy. He wondered vaguely if she had received the flowers he'd sent. He couldn't quite say what had possessed him to send them. He figured he could rationalize that he had felt, in a way, that the flowers were necessary after the night they'd spent together. He had been too cowardly to face her the morning after and had only left her with a note and his cowboy hat but to him that wasn't enough. The other argument was that he had bought them because he had been thinking of her when he passed the flower shop and everything had just fallen into place. But then, when wasn't he thinking of her?

She'd been weighing on his heart heavily these days. So much so that he hadn't even given a second thought to his recent trouble with Hunter. He wondered if she'd read the note. He had questioned everything he'd written down to his signature. He was positive Stephanie hadn't told a soul about their night together but he wondered how she'd take the message. Women had a way of twisting words into different meanings. Still, he thought everything he had written had been very straightforward. Especially the part about missing her. He did. He missed her to the point where his heart ached. He hated to sound like a corny country song but it was true.

In truth he did need to speak with her, he had made a major decision about his situation with Hunter and felt that if anyone should know about it, it was her. He knew he should call on her on the phone but one part of him actually wanted to go and see her in person. To be in the same room with her again. He knew that wasn't a good idea though. She was always in his thoughts to the point where sometimes he swore he could hear her voice.

And then there was the hunger.

He could see now why both Andrew and Hunter had been so adamant about Stephanie. Being around her, talking to her, making love to her- all of it was addicting. She was so responsive, so sweet that your mind and body craved her only hours after having just been with her. But Shawn didn't just want her body, he wanted all of her and 'just once' wasn't enough.

Shawn heard a loud honk behind him and realized the light before him had turned green. As he drove on, he found he was subconsciously steering the car away from the gym and instead heading in the direction of where Smackdown was.

A hard rain had started a few hours ago, the sound of each droplet hitting the roof resounding loudly through out the empty building where Stephanie continued to toil. Her eyes flicked to her watch. It was late. No doubt everyone had headed home save her, possibly Dawn. But then, Stephanie hadn't heard from Dawn since she had delivered the flowers. Stephanie thought of checking when she heard a fierce, rapid knock on her office door. This wasn't like Dawn's normal twinkling tap; this was an urgent pounding. Stephanie rose from her desk and briskly walked over. She opened the door and almost fainted.

There he stood in her doorway like a fantasy come to life. Shawn Michaels. He looked uncharacteristic in the leather jacket, wife beater and tight black jeans. His long hair was loose from its queue, curling around his face. He was damp, soaked from the rain outside. He had a wild, desperate look about him, as he stood before her. His eyes seemed to eat her alive as they raked over her.

Suddenly she was apprehensive about what she had worn today. For an absurd moment she imagined she looked like an English teacher in his eyes. She wore a string of pearls, a silk white shirt, navy blue suit jacket and matching short skirt, her hair pulled back tightly in a ponytail. All she could hear was his ragged breathing in her ears; it sounded as if he had run a triathlon. She squirmed under that unrelenting gaze he gave her.

"Shawn? What are you-"

Stephanie didn't get another word in before he attacked her. His hands gripping her arms as he dragged her over. His mouth crushing down over top of hers like a tidal wave crashing into the shore. Stephanie let out a few surprised mumbles but was only answered with Shawn's tongue sinking deeply into her mouth. He stepped into the room and slammed the door shut behind him, never once breaking their kiss. He turned Stephanie until her back was against the door, pressing his body fully against hers.

Stephanie's mumbles had melted into eager moans as she responded to his hungry kisses. Her hands clawing at him. She fumbled with the door lock behind her but had no success, too wrapped up in kissing and touching Shawn. He lifted one of her legs up to wrap around his waist, his lips having trailed off hers to run down the elegant expanse of her neck. Her fingernails bit into his back as her head lolled back, her whole world wrapped up in pleasure.

After they made love on Stephanie's desk they rested together. Slowly Shawn melted into Stephanie's arms, his face pressed against her neck, softly panting as his heart rate returned to normal. She merely closed her eyes and held him, her body swimming languidly in the aftermath. They laid like that for what felt like an eternity, wrapped up in each other, coated in sweat. Eventually Shawn sat up slightly, just enough to look around. In their excitement they had knocked many things to the floor but some flowers had managed to escape and land on the desk. Most of them were crushed underneath them but a few had managed to escape unscathed. He reached out to grab an uncrushed blue bell.

He gave her a lazy, loving stare as he idly ran the flower over her face, the petals caressing her skin. Stephanie felt giddy, a wide smile on her face as they enjoyed the quiet afterglow. Once Stephanie felt she had the strength to speak she did, whispering, "Wow."

"Yeah."

"What just happened exactly? I thought this was a one time thing?"

"I know. That's what it was supposed to be...I just..." Shawn's frustration was obvious through his gestures just as much as his voice. He ran his hands through his hair, strain lining his handsome face. Slowly he rose up from her, situating himself. Stephanie did the same, pulling back on her discarded underwear and straightening her clothes. Once they were both adjusted, Shawn fell into the serious conversation at hand.

"Stephanie, you're driving me crazy. I can't stop thinking about you. About that night. It's been eating at me for days as well as a...kind of hunger. When I saw you tonight I just lost it. I wanted you so badly it hurt. I was at the threshold, the need for release overwhelming so I...let go."

"Shawn, it's okay. It's not like I minded. I wanted it just as much as you. In fact, I've been going through what you have been. The hunger and...longing. I've missed you, Shawn. Your hat and the flowers, they mean so much to me. I know I promised that if we...made love that night it would be a one time thing but-"

"That was the deal," Shawn interrupted, "That was the deal and it was wrong of me to come here tonight. To do this with you."

Stephanie froze, a hand resting over her chest, an icy stab burst through her heart. Oh god, he regrets this. He regrets all of it. He thinks what we did was a mistake. I'M a mistake. She swallowed and drew back a hot web of tears that clouded her eyes. She couldn't cry, not now. She also found she was fighting the urge to bit her lip, the pain welling up inside overwhelmingly horrible.

"Look, I didn't come here for this. At least I don't think I did. I'd like to say I didn't but most likely, I did. Anyway, I-I'm not making much sense. What I'm trying to say is, is that I have another reason for stopping by. I was just planning to call you but since I wound up here and we ended up doing...this, it's probably just a good idea that I tell you now. I plan on facing Hunter on RAW."

"Wh-what?" Stephanie asked numbly. The first piece of his speech had all ready obliterated her heart and the second half shot a shaft of worry through the remaining pieces.

"I want Triple H on RAW."

"Shawn...you're in no condition to wrestle."

He looked at her as if he had just been slapped and in a way this pleased her. He had all ready hurt her terribly, it was only fair he got hurt in return. His eyes narrowed stubbornly, "I'm just fine. Fine enough to deal with Hunter, that's for sure and on monday night I'm calling him out. I've given this a lot of thought and I want him. He humiliated me! He hurt me and he deserves what I'm going to do to him. I figured you'd be behind it considering he hurt you too."

"Oh please!" Stephanie scoffed, infuriated, "He hurt me? Please, Shawn, don't do me any favors, all right? I can take care of myself!"

"Whoa, whoa, what is this? First you're all pleased as punch to see me and now you turn on me at the flip of a dime? I thought-"

"What, Shawn?! What did you think? You thought I'd be delighted that you plan on kicking the snot out of my ex-husband? Or should I make that, you're going to try to kick the snot out of my husband. You don't stand a chance. You think I'm happy about that? Happy that you're foolish and reckless enough to step into a ring you have no business being in? You haven't been cleared to fight Shawn, hell, you probably can't fight anymore anyway. "

"What the fuck-?! Where the hell is all this animosity coming from?"

She paused momentarily. Shawn wasn't much one for cursing and hearing him do so was a bit off putting. She got over it quickly however as she retorted, "It comes, Shawn, from you treating me like your goddamn whore!"

Shawn's mouth dropped open, his eyes widening, "Excuse me?"

"You heard right! You come here, throw yourself at me, we make passionate, wild love on the desk, you run a flower all over me like a romantic then turn around and say that it was a mistake? That we shouldn't have done it! Fuck you, you initiated it!"

"Stephanie..."

"No, NO! You will NOT speak until I am finished! You made me feel like shit and now it's mine turn to return in kind! I will not be used like some star-seeking, goldigging bitch like Trish Stratus! When I think of the fact that I just made love to you on my father's old desk like one of his old sluts I feel sick to my stomach! Hell, make love, let's face it, you just came here and fucked me and I let you and worse, I liked it! Well no more! I want you to get the hell out and never see me again!"

Shawn shook his head, furious as he grabbed her arms and shook her, "Stephanie, it's not like that!"

"Let go of me!" Stephanie shouted and delivered a vicious slap to his face.

Shawn glared at her, a hand to his cheek, "Fine, princess, whatever. But just so you know-you were the one who initiated it. I wasn't the one who came on to you like a dog in heat when we were at your place. You started this bullshit, Steph. If you want to blame anyone, blame yourself."

"Get out." Stephanie breathed, her whole body trembling. She pointed to the office door and Shawn stormed out, rubbing his sore cheek. He slammed the door behind him, the sound shattering Stephanie like glass. She tumbled to the floor, a heaving, sobbing mess. Tears flowed freely and an anguished cry tore loudly from her as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself, rolling into a tight ball on the floor.

Stephanie had only had a few days to collect herself since the incident with Shawn. She had come to the conclusion that Shawn had probably been correct in his assumption that there was no one to blame but herself. This insight, of course, made her completely miserable. Still, he was right. She had started this whole mess. She should have never slept with him. She'd be lying if she said she'd regretted it and would have done something different if she had the chance to go back and change things. But still, she saw the error of her ways.

She had seduced him and worse of all, offered him a deal she should have known she couldn't keep. She wasn't the one-night stand kind of girl. She was a romantic, the kind who looked for long-standing relationships. After her night with Shawn she had wrongly put upon him demands and expectations he had no reason to meet. It was unfair.

How could she expect love from sex? From a one-night stand? Things just didn't work that way. No one found true love that way. She made the same mistake with Shawn that she had with Hunter and Andrew. She had asked too much. She'd been selfish and stupid. Wanted things her way so badly that it had jeopardized everything. Now Shawn had to be filed in with all her other failed relationships. Boy was she batting a thousand, she really needed to give up on love. Permanently.

"Ms. McMahon?"

"Hmm?" Stephanie rose out of her thoughts and saw Dawn in the doorway. After the night in her office, Stephanie found it was hard for her to work in there, especially on her desk and so she had taken up residence in one of the buildings many boardrooms. She had ordered a new desk, much to everyone's confusion. They kept asking what was wrong with the old one and each time Stephanie had to think up some lame excuse. She imagined that once it was replaced she could work in there again with no trouble.

"Dawn, I thought I told you I didn't want to be disturbed."

"I know, ma'am, I understand that but I really think you should turn on the television."

"And why is that?"

"I think you should watch RAW."

Stephanie sighed and let her fingertips touch, forming a pyramid as she gave Dawn a cold stare, "Dawn, I don't know what has gotten into that little brain of yours but I am not..."

"But Ms. McMahon, your husband's friend got attacked!" Dawn blurted.

Stephanie got over the anger of being interrupted quickly, "Wh-what?!"

"Someone attacked poor Mr. Michaels and I just thought maybe you knew him and would like to know..."

Stephanie leapt to her feet and swiftly rushed past Dawn. The assistant followed at her heels like a lap dog as Stephanie wound around several hallways until she reached the nearest television set. She flicked on the TV and quickly flipped to RAW. There she saw Shawn. Lying on his back, his face covered in blood.

Her whole world seemed to tilt and careen, smashing into a million pieces as she breathed, "Oh God..."

The other wrestlers stood around Shawn's body in shock, the camera scanning up to show a smashed in car window. The paramedics were on the scene and Bischoff was joking with Hunter about how he didn't play well with others. Out of the corner of one ear, Stephanie heard Dawn explain everything that had happened. At that moment, Stephanie didn't give a damn that her assistant had been watching her rival's show. Instead of tearing Dawn apart for the action she begged to know everything, every single detail. Then she grabbed her car keys and ran blindly out of the building.

She had to get to Shawn.