Carmen stood alone in her apartment, waiting. Looking at the quiet phone in her hand, she noted that her appointment with her mother's friend was in less than half an hour and she hadn't seen Will all day. She knew it was as much her fault as it was his since she had heard him moving around and had chosen to stay hidden in the bedroom.

The truth was that she had been unable to process all that Will had told her. There had been too much and it had been impossible for her to absorb it all, where did she start? The fact that he was probably still in the Navy was upsetting, but no one had confirmed that so she couldn't be sure if that was true or not, and if what he had told her about his past was true, why would he want to continue to put himself at risk by continuing to serve?

The thought of Will somewhere being hurt...when she started to go there her thoughts veered away from it. There was no way she wanted to imagine or deal with it, and that was what kept her from being able to come to terms with his revelations from the night before.

She had to admit that she was afraid that he had built her up in his mind to be something she wasn't it and that upset her too. There was no way a relationship could ever last long term under those circumstances, and she was frustrated at herself for even thinking about Will in terms of long term relationships.

It was like a giant whirlpool that she was stuck in, she was going around and around with no hope of freeing herself from her thoughts. Carmen jumped as the door behind her opened and Will entered. He was dressed in his usual jeans and t-shirt and looked as if he hadn't a care in the world.

His glance quickly took in the room before settling on her as he closed the door behind him.

She knew they couldn't talk because of the surveillance in the apartment, so she turned her back towards him, angry that he didn't seem to be upset or angry about what had happened the previous evening. Of course, his plan was to push her away, and he had succeeded so he was probably relieved.

Her eyes narrowed as she turned to look at him. Was that his plan, to push her away? If all that he had said was true then he needed someone to trust just as much as she did. Someone to share what had happened and maybe to help him heal a little. Someone to let him know that the scars on his back didn't matter, just as what had caused them didn't matter.

No! She screamed at herself silently, she had done all this before, she had tried to heal men before, it never worked. But none of them had admitted to her already having saved them another part of her reasoned, it was the part of her that wanted Will more than she had wanted anything else. What if she made his dream come true. It couldn't be long term, she had already determined it wouldn't work, but short term, while he was here, why not?

Why shouldn't she just take what she wanted? She had little doubt that Will had done the same in the past, it might even serve him right in the end.

"What's that look for?" His voice sounded amused but his eyes were sharp as they took in her sundress and sandals.

She was the predator and he was the prey. She gave a slow smile at the thought of it.

It was time for another kiss.

Without thinking or stopping she walked quickly across the room and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt him inhale at the shock of it as he froze.

"Carmen," he warned.

She didn't give him a chance to say anything else as she lifted up, placing her lips on his. The meeting of their lips was just as startling as it was the first time, and Carmen immediately forgot about everything but the feel of Will as she pressed against him. She let her hands wander up to his hair and give it a little tug. He had been standing strong, he wasn't pushing her away but he wasn't participating, until she pulled his hair. That seemed to push him over the edge and his arms came down around her, pulling her even closer as he took control and deepened the kiss.

His hands followed her lead, and reached up to free her hair from its clip and he grabbed a handful as it fell around her shoulders. He had spun them around and was backing her up towards the couch when the buzzer from the doorman sounded.

Will broke the kiss and they were both breathing hard. Carmen looked into Will's eyes and noted that the desire, but also something else that she wasn't sure about, anger maybe.

The buzzer sounded again and Carmen had to force herself to break away from Will and move towards the door to respond.

After she had given the all clear for the visitor to be sent up, she turned around to look at Will who was watching her closely. He had masked his feelings well, and she watched him as he turned his back to her.

She had made up her mind to seduce him, but she would make sure that in the process he would get to know the real her, not the woman he wanted her to be. It would make it easier to break it off in the end.

"Will," she called across the room softly.

"What Carmen?" His shoulders were ridged.

"We'll continue this later, when we won't be interrupted."

"We'll discuss it later."

Carmen walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her chin on the back of his shoulder. She stretched until she was close to his ear. "Will, I promise, I'll help you forget."

*******

Will had to turn away from her because if he hadn't he would have pulled her back into his arms. She had avoided him all day, and he was convinced that she was going to be angry at him after he had told her his story. He had depended on it, but he had also been honest when he had said that he was telling her his story so that she would trust him.

It was getting harder and harder to stay strong against her, and now, with her head buried in his shoulder and her arms wrapped around him with a promise to make him forget, it was almost impossible. Why didn't he take what he wanted? He had so many times in the past without second thought. But it was different with Carmen, he didn't want to hurt her, or was it that he didn't want to get hurt? The more he thought about it the more the difference between the two became blurred.

Quickly he turned around, maybe if he came on a little stronger than he usually did, maybe then she would back off the idea of trying to save him, because that was what she was trying to do, save him from himself; an impossible task.

He claimed her lips once more with his, in a harsh kiss, pushing her back, but instead of fighting him she rose up to meet him, and he was close to losing control when the knock sounded on the door.

He stepped away from her, putting space between them, and they stared at each other while they both tried to catch their breath once again. When the knock sounded a second time Will moved towards the door to open it, and Carmen took a shaky breath as she brushed her hair behind her ears.

He couldn't help the smile that came to his lips as he looked over at her. At least she looked well kissed, and there would be no doubt in anyone's mind who looked at her that that was what had just happened between them.

She licked her lips before her glance moved back to his and she couldn't help returning his grin. The air between them was suddenly hopeful, and it had been a long time since Will had felt that. He could only wonder how long that hopefulness would last before it turned to disappointment. In his experience, it didn't take long.