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Stephanie couldn't help but smile as she sifted through some papers on her desk in her office. Her mind kept going back to little more than two hours earlier - to Sean, and to what had happened between them in his locker room.
God... She'd never been so impetuous and uninhibited before, but she'd known exactly what she'd wanted when she'd snuck into the room - *him*... And it had been more amazing than she could have ever imagined. Their first time together had been incredible, but today had been even *more* intense - maybe because it had been here at the arena, in a locker room, of all places.
And he'd told her he loved her when it had been over. That made her feel so good, and special. Never once had Paul said those words after sex... But then, Paul *didn't* love her. To him, she was his ticket to power and glory. Sean didn't give a damn about those things. He truly loved her. Stephanie knew in her heart that he was true.
Her breath caught in her throat as she recalled every touch, every nuance, every tender word that had been spoken between them. And then she suddenly realized that she was no longer working, or even concentrating on anything remotely to do with her work.
The brunette couldn't help but laugh aloud as a thought hit her. 'So, *this* is what being in love feels like...'
Her good feeling was suddenly abated a moment later, when the door swung open. Her eyes widened in shock and fear at who she saw standing in the doorway...
...Paul Levesque.
"Okay, Stephanie," the burly man said in a menacing tone, not even bothering with niceties such as a hello. He inched slowly into the room, closer to her desk. She felt rooted to her chair, in such shock she couldn't do anything more than gape at him. "I'm gonna ask you this once, and I want an answer... Who the fuck is loverboy? Huh?!"
The brunette began to sputter, her face burning.
"I... Paul, there's no-"
"I'm waiting, damn you!" His own face turned bright red as he screamed at her in his rage.
Somehow, Stephanie found a small measure of courage, and she rose from the chair. Coming around from her desk, she walked straight toward Paul.
"I suggest you get out of here before I call security on you!" she cried. "You hae a lot of nerve coming here and-"
"You little bitch..." the man laughed. "Cute little tactic you're trying, but it won't work."
Stephanie swallowed hard, dismayed to realized there was a huge lump in her throat. Slowly, warily, she backed out the door - and into the hall, but her fiance acted quickly.
The brunette screamed as she was trapped in place. She'd tried to run, but Paul had grabbed a handful of her hair. Now, he moved his other hand to her upper arm, gripping it forcefully, and hard enough to cause her to cry out in pain.
"You bitch... If it's the last thing I do, I'll make you suffer! I'll make you suffer worse than you ever have in your entire worthless life..."
Tears sprang to Stephanie's eyes. Where the hell *was* everyone? The hallway seemed to be oddly deserted. And then...
"You do that, and it'll be the *last* thing you *ever* do..."
The brunette shifted her wide, tearful eyes slightly farther down the hallway.
Sean O'Haire, a look of anger more fierce than she'd ever seen on his face, stood several feet
away - and he began to make his way over to them.