With a sigh, Randy glanced back out the plane window. For some reason, he didn’t feel right leaving Tania alone. The sudden urge to protect her had washed over him. Was it guilt for bringing her into all of this? Getting her caught up with Shane and Adam? There was a very good chance.

“Seriously, man. If you are that worried about Tania give her a call.”

“I would, but I don’t know her cell number.” It was a little piece of information he neglected to ask for. Stupid now that he thought about it.

Dave rolled his eyes. “I’m sure she’s okay on the McMahon jet. What can Shane really do to her while they are on it?” He was sick and tired of seeing Randy moping around the entire flight. “And as long as she is with him, she’s not around Adam.”

“Yeah but I’m not sure who is worse out of those two.” Randy admitted. He didn’t trust either of them as far as he could throw them. “I’d hate to see Shane using Tania as part of his personal war against Adam.”

“You think he’d do that?”

Randy snorted, turning to look at Dave. “It’s Shane that we are talking about here.”

“Still, from what I’ve heard he seems pretty taken in by her.” Dave pointed out. He had heard rumblings of some new girl that was making him seem more pleasant to be around.

“He was also pretty taken in by Marissa.” Randy had a point.

“Call Shane then.” If Tania was with Shane, and Randy was that worried about her he could always call McMahon. It would be more than obvious the two would be together. If Randy refused, then obviously he wouldn’t be as worried as he thought. “He can just hand the phone over to her, you can talk to her and hear that everything is alright.”

Randy let out another sigh. Dave was right. What harm could come with Tania being on the plane with Shane? It wasn’t like they were going to be alone on the flight or anything.

---

Clinging to his shirt, Tania desperately tried to pull Shane closer to her. As it turned out, they were the only two taking the flight out. Inwardly, she couldn’t help but wonder if Shane had planned the entire thing.

“You’re kisses are so…” Head swooping down again, Shane brushed his lips against hers, “addictive.” It was the only word he could use to describe it. Again and again he pressed his mouth against hers, tongue tracing the fine contours of her lips. Hand sliding up the outside of her thigh, it rested about mid calf.

“Shane?” Lifting his head slightly, Shane looked at Tania with a raised eyebrow. “How can this feel so right after such a short time?” She had to admit, they were taking things a little faster than what could be considered normal.

As he sat up, Shane pulled Tania into his lap. Gently, he pushed her hair to the side so that he could rest his chin in the curve of her neck. “Because it is right. That’s the only reason I can come up with.”

Laughing, she entwined her fingers with his. She couldn’t have asked for a better answer from anyone. It only confirmed her own thoughts and got rid of her fears. Looking down, her mind suddenly drifted back to his finger. Running her hand over where his wedding band used to be, her brow furrowed.

“Just ask.”

“Pardon?” Tania was a little caught off guard by his statement.

“It’s about the third time I’ve seen you looking at my hand. I know what you want to ask, so just ask it. I won’t be offended.” Shane’s laughter vibrating against her ear sent a slight shiver down her spine. There was something husky in his voice that drove her crazy. A raw passion…

“You were married?”

Pulling their hands up, Shane glanced at his finger himself. “Yes. Her name was Marissa, I married her a while back.”

Giving a slight nod, Tania was a little shocked by his honesty. She was also a little surprised that she hadn’t heard anything about Shane being married before all this started. It was the kind of thing that usually travelled around in the company. “Didn’t work out?”

“No.” Shane admitted. “We grew up living across the road from each other. There was something special between us, and I’ll still admit to loving her if asked. I guess in the end it just happened to be that knowing each other for so long, we weren’t fully aware of what else was out there.”

“That first love type of thing.” In a way, she could relate to what Shane was saying. Even though it ended in heartache, a person always remembered their first love. The first person that they gave their heart to fully. Ignorance of not knowing heartache stopping them from being cautious. She guessed that Shane and Marissa had just taken the relationship one step further before realizing that.

“Pretty much, yes.” He could tell that she was a little uncomfortable talking about it. Then again, it was a big thing to keep from her in a way. The fact that in a way he was still trying to get over his marriage to Marissa. “But I’m more than ready to move on with my life.”

This brought a bit of a smile to Tania’s face. The idea that he wanted to continue on in his life and that he wanted to do it with her. That serious relationship he had been talking about earlier. “Time is the only thing that heals.” It was what Tania always told herself when things were rough.

“It doesn’t change things with us does it? Knowing that I was married?” He was a little curious as to how she would take it all. in the grand scheme of things it wasn’t that big of a deal. Divorce was a common thing these days. But he didn’t know what Tania’s values and beliefs were. He didn’t know how she would be affected by it.

“Why would it?” As far as Tania was concerned, everyone had a past. Some were just more colourful than others. “Clearly your relationship with her is through. It would be stupid to let a little something like that ruin whatever possibilities you and I have together.”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

Shane laughed. “For giving me a chance. I meant everything that I said before.” Moving his head to the side, Shane began to press small butterfly kisses against the warmth skin of her neck. The taste of her skin, the feel of it on his lips. He loved everything about it. Almost greedily, he couldn’t help but think about what it would be like to make love to her. “I can’t wait for tonight.”

“Neither can I.” Tania agreed, head rolling slightly to allow him more access. Closing her eyes, Tania couldn’t imagine finding a better flight if she tried. Everything she wanted, and even the man she wanted, were suddenly all at her fingertips.

---

"So you are more than certain you aren’t into this girl?” Dave couldn’t help but ask again. Something in Randy’s voice seemed more than doubtful. Not only that, but for the amount of trouble he was going through just to protect the sudden new friend of his seemed to be out of a little more than friendship.

He had to admit through, from the time he had spent with Tania she seemed like a very alluring person. A genuine friend in the flesh.

“I’m certain.” Randy assured Dave. “I don’t think anything would ever happen between us. I could be wrong, but that romantic spark just isn’t there. We’re just two people who have similar interests which makes for great conversations I guess.”

“And that dinner wasn’t a date?”

Randy shook his head. Why couldn’t people see that just because a guy and girl went out together it didn’t mean they were dating. “For the last time, that was bribery. A way to get her to go out and sing the anthem.” He had to do something before Shane beat him to it.

“Just asking because to most of the guys in the locker room, it seemed to come off as being something more.” Dave hadn’t been the only one wondering what was going on. Of course, if Tania became as involved with Shane as some people were saying, Randy wouldn’t come close to having a chance. Everyone knew better than to screw around with a McMahon possession - and that went double for their women. “And as your friend, it’s my job to get the truth.”

“Like I said, the truth is we’re just friends. And excuse me for trying to help a friend that’s gotten herself into a big mess no thanks to me. If Shane and Adam are just using her to get at each other’s throats, then I can’t help but hate myself for it. I was the one who made the introductions.”

“Hmm.” Dave could understand in a way, but doubt was still stopping him from seeing it completely from Randy’s point of view. He still believed that somewhere in his heart, Randy cared for Tania more than a friend. It was the only way to explain why he was doing what he was. “What are you going to do about the Copeland situation?”

“Keep him in my eyesight, for starters.” If Randy kept an eye on Adam then at least he would be able to get some idea as to what the blonde was up to. There was no way he’d let Adam lay a single finger on her. And in some strange way, he almost believe Tania when she said that Shane wouldn’t either.

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