As they got off the elevator and headed towards their room, Laura's heart began to beat faster and faster with each step. She knew that once they were inside the room, there would be no interruptions from his question.  As JC opened the door he took the sign that was hanging on the handle and placed it on the outside door knob so that they would not be disturbed. He then walked over to the phone and told the front desk to not allow any calls for the rest of the evening.

He slowly walked over to Laura who was standing in the middle of the room and he took both her hands and entwined them with his own.  "Please sit down." he said.

Laura sat down on the couch and watched JC's every move as he sat down on the edge of the coffee table in front of her. "Why are your hands shaking?"

"Umm...they're not." she said and she grabbed a throw pillow and held it in her hands to stop them from trembling.

JC smiled at the fact that Laura was so nervous. "I shouldn't even have to ask you this, but it seems that now I have no choice. I've been waiting for the answer to this question for a very long time now and I think that if I do not ask you now, I will never get an answer."

"What do you need to know, JC?" Laura asked as she looked down. She was ready to confess to whatever it was he was going to inquire about.

JC pushed her chin up lightly to meet his gaze. "Do you love me?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then why don't you ever say it?" he asked.

"I do say it..." she replied as she tried to remember back.

"No you haven't. I have been waiting to hear those words for the longest time now and still have yet to hear them from your beautiful lips."

She soon realized that he was right. She couldn't remember a time when she had ever told JC she loved him. He would say it to her all the time, but there was never a time when she uttered the same words back to him.

"I'm so sorry, JC." Laura said as she stood up and walked towards the window. "I've had a hard time lately saying things that are important to those I care about."

JC hung his head down before looking up at her. "You don't have to say it if you don't mean it, Laura. And if you don't I really wish you would tell me now."

Laura rolled her eyes at him. "You know I do, JC."

"Then tell me, Laura. I feel as though you do, but I need that reassurance. Hearing it and merely assuming it are two completely different things."

Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she listened to JC. The words were there, but they just didn't seem to want to come out. She mouthed the words as she began to cry harder. JC leaned down to be at eye level with her and held her face in his hands. "I see you saying it, but I can't hear you…Please tell me. I need to hear it, Laura…Please." He begged as he gently kissed her right cheek and then her left.

"They're just 3 words that I haven't been able to say in a very long time, JC.  If you knew my life before this you would understand, but I just don't even want to think about it myself."  Laura could see her reflection in the window.  Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she tried to gain the courage to tell him how she really felt.  She could see his reflection behind her, gently kissing her shoulder as he held onto her.  "I…I love you JC." She cried as she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. Afraid to let go, she tightened her grip. She could feel JC's arms around her back and soon felt her feet leave the floor as he spun her around quickly.

"Wooooo." He yelled aloud and he let out a deep sigh.

He placed her back down onto the ground as he kissed her forehead and then the tip of her nose as he worked his way down to her lips. They both began to kiss very passionately as if they needed one another's lips to survive. "God, I love you." He said in between kisses.

Laura felt like a big weight had been lifted from her shoulders and that for that one moment everything in her life was simply perfect.

"Damn...I want to make love to you so bad." he kissed down her neck. "But I am so pumped up right now! Let's go out somewhere." he begged.

"We can't do both?" Laura chuckled.

JC grinned. "Of course...But if I don't get out of this room and let some of this energy go, I'm afraid I may wear you out."

"Mmmmm....Sounds very interesting."

"Don't worry baby. As soon as we get back, you can trust that all I am going to want to do is make love to you all night." he smiled as he kissed her deeply.

They were both so happy and relieved that they agreed to go out and see what Vegas had to offer. JC took her on a tour of the night life in Vegas. They bumped into Joey at one of the casinos and gambled a bit before leaving to go club hopping. The drinks seemed to be flowing non-stop that evening as both JC and Laura lived on the wild side. Even if it was just for that night.