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His breath was still coming in short, fast gasps as he returned to the backstage area.
Despite all his promises, he still couldn't quite believe it. He'd just defeated Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels in the triple threat match in the main event of the night's RAW. Okay, so he'd had a handful of Benoit's tights in one hand and one of the ring ropes in the other when he'd done it - but he'd still won. *He'd* been declared the victor.
Edge was practically grinning from ear-to-ear as he trotted to his locker room. He was pretty sure his actions over the last two weeks proved once and for all that he was the most deserving of a World Heavyweight title shot against Triple H at Taboo Tuesday. And now, that pay-per-view was going to happen in less than twenty-four hours. He only hoped the fans were going to make the wise choice and vote for *him*. It was all in *their* hands now.
The tall blond man pushed his way into his locker room and froze in surprise. The vision before him, although a most lovely and alluring one, was most unexpected.
The woman smiled as their eyes met, and she uncrossed her legs slowly, then crossed them the other way. She may have been dressed casually, but the gesture was sexy and seductive as hell. All that, and he sensed she wasn't even *trying* to have that kind of effect on him - which made her even *more* tempting to him.
"Hello, Edge," she said softly, her voice throaty as she cocked her head to one side and regarded him warmly.
"Hi," he managed. This *was* a really nice surprise. Since his return after his neck injury, they hadn't really talked much, let alone hung out, but they'd been friends for awhile now - years, actually. Of course, the diva had never once surprised him by coming to his locker room, *waiting* for him there.
"That was some match you just had," she remarked, and he guessed she would comment on the method he'd used to win. He knew her to be of utmost honest character, so she couldn't posibly approve. But then, she seemed to be full of surprises tonight. "I'm glad you won, Edge... And what's more, I'm in one-hundred percent agreement with you - you *do* deserve a title shot."
The tall blond man beamed.
"You really think so?"
"Oh, yeah," she answered with a brilliant smile. "It's exactly as you told Benoit and Shawn - *you* are the youngest, the hungriest..." The woman rose to go to him, her gaze fixed on his form as she slowly circled him. Edge felt his heart beating in triple time at such intense scrutiny from such a beautiful woman. "... and you've never *had* a title shot against Triple H. So... therefore... who's more deserving than *you*?"
The Canadian met her bright eyes, high breath catching. She was so right... *He* deserved it, and he wanted it so badly he could taste it. Just like he wanted so badly to pull this diva into his embrace and crash his lips to hers. He was at a point in his life where, if he wanted something, he wanted to just *take* it - and damn anything or anyone that happened to be in his way.
The woman spoke again, penetrating through his thoughts.
"I have a proposition for you..."
He arched a brow at these words, and she continued.
"Edge," she breathed, standing mere inches directly before him, "I want the same thing *you* want - that is for you to become the World Heavyweight champion. So, what if we join forces and see to it that it happens? We'll make your dreams become reality."
"Join forces?" The blond man's head swirled with a dozen different meanings for those two words. Some of them rated in the 'R' or even 'X' category.
"Yeah," she said with a nod. "Let me manage you... I'll stand in your corner... We'll work *together*. You and I - we'll be a team, an unstoppable force. What do you think?"
The blond man blinked as he scratched at his stubbled chin for a moment, thinking it over. Then, a slow grin spreading across his face, he gave her his answer.
"Lovely Lita - nothing would please me more. You've got yourself a deal."