Angle turned over onto his side, facing her.  He lifted one hand, placing it gently against her brow, sliding it down to her cheek as he gazed lovingly into her face.

"Steph?  You okay?"  The man's voice was soft and gentle.

"I'm sorry, Kurt..." the brunette exhaled.  "I...I love you.  I'm sorry I keep thinking about-"

"Honey, it's okay..." the Olympian said.  He pulled her against him, tenderly hugging her.  "I know you're scared...and it's all right if you are."

"I just..."  Stephanie bit her lip as she pulled back just enough to gaze into his blue eyes.  "I just wanted to forget.  I wanted to forget there's an entire world outside of you and me.  I just wanted to concentrate on nothing but you."

"I know...I love you, Steph."  He leaned forward, placing his lips on hers and kissing her passionately.

The brunette kissed him back with equal fervor, one hand going up and into his short brown hair.  She was nearly overwhelmed by the emotion between them but somehow managed to keep from crying.  She counted her lucky stars for having him.  He was like her pillar of strength, and he seemed to thrive on optimism - which was exactly what she needed.

Abruptly, Stephanie pulled back, breaking the kiss for a split second so she could speak.

"Kurt...Kurt...make love to me again," she said in an almost pleading tone, her blue eyes meeting his for the briefest of seconds before she pressed her lips to his again.

Angle kissed her hard but quickly.  He gave her a soft smile afterward.  "Nothing would make me happier..."

*

Shane and Torrie were beginning to get hot and heavy with their passionate kissing on the dark-haired man's hotel room bed.  All semblance of the blonde's self-control seemed to melt away as the elder McMahon's hands roamed over her body, her breath leaving her in spurts.  God, how much she wanted him - how much she wanted this.

She could feel how aroused he was as she twined the fingers of her right hand into his short brown hair as they kissed.  Torrie was lying on her back on the bed, Shane above her, his lips moving from hers to her neck, where his tongue lapped gently at the base of her throat.  She let out a soft moan as she felt his hand suddenly lower a bit to cup one of her breasts.

The platinum blonde raised her back up from the bed so as to allow him to remove her shirt, and she lay back in only her red lace bra on her upper torso.  Her hand traveled down to his trousers, rubbing and fondling at him, and Shane sighed audibly.

Torrie bit her lip, her eyes closed as Shane began to kiss and lick her neck region again, his attentions moving a bit to the area just behind her ear.  She was enjoying this - and far too much, at that.  Damn it... She'd been raped only a few short days earlier.

Her eyes suddenly snapped open, staring up at the ceiling as a horrible feeling came over her.  Although this was Shane McMahon, and she felt so right with him, she just couldn't deal with this - she couldn't make love to him - not now, not so soon.  Even if she hadn't been brutally raped days ago, she still couldn't go through with it at this time.  All of her adult life, she'd been a slut - too easy and too quick to give it up to any guy she'd ever been with... She couldn't do that with someone she truly cared about - whom she knew really cared for her.

Gently, Torrie pushed at Shane's chest as she attempted to sit up on the bed.  Her breathing was as heavy as his as he got the message and moved to allow her to get up.

"What's the matter?" he asked softly as he took in the expression on the woman's face.  She looked extremely nervous - uncomfortable.

"I...Oh, God...I'm sorry, Shane, but...I can't do this..."

The dark-haired man felt his heart sinking a bit upon her words.  He watched silently as she reached for her shirt, pulling it back over her head in a hurry.  He didn't know what to say as their eyes suddenly met again.

"Shane, I...it's not you - it's me.  I can't stop thinking about what...he did to me," the blonde diva admitted, her face crumpling with a wince.  She wrapped her arms around herself protectively, hugging herself for comfort.

"Torrie, it's okay...I'm sorry - I should never have pushed you.  I rushed things tonight...I apologize."

She glanced down quickly before raising her blue eyes to meet his dark ones.  Then, managing the tiniest smile, she said, "I really, really like you...and I do want this to eventually happen between us, but..."  She bit her lip.

"But now is not the right time," Shane finished for her, and Torrie confirmed his statement by nodding almost shyly.

"Torrie...Sweetie, it's okay," the young man said as he gathered her in his arms, hugging her tightly against him.  "I understand completely, and I promise I'll be patient with you.  It's all right, baby..."  He began to rock her back-and-forth a bit, as though she were a baby.

The blonde woman pulled back just a bit to gaze up into his eyes.  "Really?"  Her voice sounded small and plaintive as she asked the question, and this warmed Shane's heart tremendously.

"Really...You're very sweet.  And very special."  He kissed her gently on the forehead, and Torrie felt a stronger sense of security than she'd ever felt in perhaps her entire life.  And despite the fact that Shane would be leaving for his trek very soon, the blonde knew she would be sleeping very well that night.