Z followed Bridge into his room. She had been waiting for a while to get him to herself. Bridge stopped in the center of the room and tuned back to look at Z. He seemed somewhat nervous to her.

Z walked up to him and slowly wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "I thought I'd almost lost you back there." She spoke quietly. She thought back to the moment when she and the other rangers had rushed to the dock where Bridge had been with Bork; only to discover that he was missing.

Jack had found him; during the debriefing Bridge had told them what had happened. It was a very close call indeed, and it very nearly made her fall apart when she thought about it.

Bridge gingerly placed his arms across her back, hugging her. He had sometimes wondered if Z might have had some feelings for him, but he was not expecting this. He cared for her as well, but he had always thought that he had cared more for her than the other way around.

"Z, I…" Bridge didn't know what to say, so he hugged her a little tighter to him, closing his eyes; trying to distance himself from the memories of the encroaching wall.

Z looked up at him; he had his eyes closed and looked so very vulnerable. She knew in that moment that she loved him deeply. She pulled away from his shoulder, causing Bridge to open his eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She drew him to her, gently placing a kiss on his mouth and tenderly running her tongue across his lips.

Bridge sucked in a swift breath, vaguely surprised by her kiss. He closed his eyes once again; opened his mouth to her tongue, giving her access to him as he drew her body back in close to his.

Z deepened the kiss, releasing his head and sliding her arms up along Bridge's back as she teased his tongue with her own. He tasted faintly of mint and sugary butter.

Bridge held onto Z as she did things to his tongue that sent shivers throughout his body. As she toyed with his tongue, he briefly thought that she tasted like cinnamon and pepper; sweet and spicy at the same time. He slowly drew his mouth back from hers, opening his eyes to look at her.

Z wondered what he was about when he broke off the kiss. She looked up at him questioningly. "Bridge? What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

Bridge shook his head faintly. "Nothing, it's just that..." He paused slightly as he looked deeply into her eyes. "Z, I've never…"

Z shushed him by nearly placing a finger on his lips, stopping his flow of words. "Bridge, it's alright; that just makes you all the more special to me." She gazed into his eyes for another moment, then reclaimed his mouth with her own.

Bridge gave into her questing tongue, letting Z take him wherever she wanted to go. He ran his hands down along her back then encircled her waist with his arms, strengthening their embrace.

As Z explored the inner recesses of Bridge's mouth, she ran her hands up to his shoulders and down the length of his arms, sliding his jacket off of him.

Bridge could feel what Z was about, so he released his grip on her, one arm at a time, allowing her to remove his coat completely. Once she had it off, he placed one hand lightly on her neck, just under her chin line, then slowly drew his hand down, hesitating when he reached the uniform zipper.

Without fully releasing him from her kiss, Z murmured softly at him. "Go on, Bridge. I want you to."

This time it was Bridge who deepened their kiss as he drew the zipper down on Z's clothes. With the same hand, he slid his fingers up along her side underneath the jacket, passing his touch up and around her arm to the top of her shoulder, where he continued to remove the garment.

Once he had freed one arm completely, Z briefly let go of Bridge and shook her arm slightly, allowing the jacket to fall to the floor. She then wrapped both her arms back around his waist and pulled him tightly to her.

Bridge felt a wave of heat arise within him from the pit of his stomach. He had never felt any such thing before and it had him in awe that he could feel something so deeply for another person.

Z took advantage of Bridge's momentary distraction to slide her hands along his waistline and up underneath his shirt, resting her palms against the bare skin of his chest.

Bridge gasped as he felt a sudden wave of emotions strike him. He stiffened slightly as the ripple of sensations washed over him.

Z felt Bridge tense under her hands and drew her mouth back from his; looking up at his face. He had his brow furrowed and his eyes squinted tightly shut. She became alarmed as she knew that something was suddenly wrong. "Bridge?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.

She started to draw back from him completely, when Bridge placed both of his hands atop of hers, his shirt caught between them. "Wait." He spoke quietly. He swallowed thickly and concentrated on getting a hold on his emotions, separating hers from his own. He could sense the concern and worry coming from Z.

He opened his eyes and looked at Z intently. "It's okay. It just took me a moment to adjust. I've never had anyone touch my skin directly before unless it was by accident. I always kind of wondered what would happen if I ever got intimate with someone."

Z seemed slightly apprehensive, "If you don't want to, I'll understand…" she said as she began to try to pull away again.

"I want to, Z. It'll be okay, I know it will." he responded quickly.

"I don't want to hurt you, Bridge…" Z began.

Bridge took a few steps forward, closing the gap between them that she had created. "You won't. As long as we focus on what we're doing, everything will be alright." He released her hands and caught her face in between his palms, then leaned down to her and gave her the most passionate kiss Z had ever had.

She closed her eyes and let Bridge take the lead as he released her face and slid his arms up around her back, encircling her.

Bridge began to tease her with his tongue. He felt another surge of emotion race through him; it was like a fire that was rising up quickly, ready to consume anything in its path. He shuddered slightly as it increased in intensity as he felt Z's hands slide along his chest, around his sides, and up to his shoulders as she pulled him deeper into her.

He started to become worried about what he was feeling, not sure what was battering at his senses when he suddenly realized that it was coming from Z. She was afire with passion for him; a realization that both shocked and aroused him. He tightened his arms around her and plunged his tongue deeper into her as he let her passion enflame his own.

Z could feel Bridge begin to hesitate again and she very nearly began to pull away, when Bridge suddenly crushed her to him and thrust further into her. His actions took her by surprise for a moment, but as she continued to become enflamed, she pushed his tongue aside and thrust her own back into his mouth; causing him to moan slightly.

Z traced her fingers lightly down along his spine; she felt him tremble ever so faintly. When her hands had reached his waist, she caught the edge of his shirt and began to push it up off of him.

Bridge continued to let Z explore his mouth as she worked his shirt upwards. When she got it to his shoulders, he released her and raised his arms up, allowing her to completely remove it.

Z placed her hands back on Bridge's chest, then quickly released him from her kiss and began to explore his chest with her mouth.

He gasped again, this time in excitement as Z's tongue teased him in new and interesting ways. As she continued to thrill him, he slipped his arms down around her waist as he claimed her neck with his lips. As it was suddenly her turn to gasp, he began to work at something else behind her back.

Z teased him with her lips and fingers as she felt Bridge place his hands at the bottom of her back, then slowly slid his hands up underneath her shirt. She felt him shudder suddenly and he placed his forehead against her shoulder as his breath quickened.

She wondered what he was doing when she finally noticed that she didn't feel any coarse material on the small of her back where his hands were. She realized then that he had taken his gloves off, thus increasing whatever psychic contact he'd already had with her.

"Bridge?" she asked quietly. She became worried when he didn't respond right away. "Bridge." She spoke a little more urgently and began to pull away from him.

"I'm okay." He murmured into her shoulder. "I just never thought anyone could feel so much for me before." He raised his head up to look wonderingly into her eyes.

Z awed at the depth of emotion he returned to her. She stretched up onto her tiptoes to reach his lips, drawing his head back down with her as she eased back into a standing position.

She wrapped her arms around his back once more and began to trace small circles along his spine. She felt him quiver with excitement as he began to slide his hands up along her back.

Bridge traced her spine upward with his fingers until he reached the back of her bra. He didn't hesitate this time as he undid the clasps; following the tide of emotions he felt emanating from Z. He lightly brushed his palms along her ribs, bringing his hands to the front of her.

Z gasped and moaned low in her throat as Bridge explored her curves. She shivered slightly as she became heated with passion.

Bridge felt her delight increase at his touch and he nearly lost himself in the strength of her excitement. He began to rise to a pitch himself, barely able to catch his breath as Z's emotions continued to spiral him upward.

Z slid her hands back down to Bridge's waist and traced the top of trousers until she came to the flat of his stomach. She continued to make little swirls with her fingers, causing him to quiver yet again.

Bridge was so lost in the mix of emotions that he barely noticed where Z's hands were or what they were doing until he felt her fingers wrap themselves about him. He gasped and moaned as he could do nothing other than stand there and cling to her.

Bridge had his head buried in Z's neck and she could feel his labored breathing against her skin. He trembled within her grasp as she continued to tease him.

Bridge slowly started to regain his senses and began to respond to Z's mechanizations; he slid his hands up to her shoulders; grasped the straps of both her bra and tank top at the same time and drew them up over her head, exposing her bare chest to the air. He kissed his way down along her neck and beyond; lips coming to rest upon her; where he began to tease her with his tongue.

Z arched her back and pushed closer to him. "Bridge…" she softly moaned his name as she released him; allowing her top to fall off of her as Bridge circled her waist with his arms; taking more of her into his mouth.

As Bridge continued to work at her with his lips and tongue, he slid his hands down along her curved sides, working his fingers along the top of her waistline and slipping his fingers down along her stomach and below.

She shuddered as Bridge found her tender spot and wormed her hands back to his waist, sliding his already loosened pants down; then gently took him into her hands again.

Bridge groaned as he felt Z return her attention to him. He pulled his fingers from out of her and slid her bottoms down off her hips, exposing the rest of her curvatious body. He gathered her to him and slowly backed both of them up until he felt his thigh brush the edge of the bed.

He lifted her up slightly and drew her down to the bed. He transferred his lips to her mouth, where his tongue searched for access, which she readily gave. He continued to tease her mouth as he reached for the nightstand behind him.

Z guessed what he was about, as he struggled to reach something; so she gently pushed his arm aside, rolling herself over him so that she could pull open the drawer.

Bridge disengaged himself from her mouth and gazed up into her eyes. "Z, I'll get…"

She shook her head slightly at him. "No, I want to do it." She didn't let him say anything else as she reclaimed his mouth. As she teased Bridge, she worked at the little package she had pulled out; then once she had removed its contents, she worked her hands back down to him and gently unrolled it.

Bridge sighed and squirmed slightly as she tantalizingly drew her fingers down on him. He gasped as she teased him; sending shivers of pleasure throughout his body.

Z thrust her tongue further into Bridge as her fingers continued to work their magic down below. She felt him quiver yet again and his excitement increased.

His arms reclaimed her waist and he rolled her onto her back, his arms still encircling her as he gently lay between her thighs, slowly pushing himself upward. He continued into her depths as he was awash with various sensations, until he was suddenly stopped by…pain??

He drew his mouth back away from Z's and looked anxiously down into her eyes. "Z...?" he started to speak.

She placed a finger against his lips, quieting any protest he was about to make. "It's alright Bridge. Keep going, I want you to."

Bridge shook his head at her and began to pull away when she quickly wrapped her arms about his waist, stopping him.

"Bridge." She looked deeply into his eyes. "Please, I want you to have me."

Bridge shook his head at her again, a little more earnestly this time. "No, Z. I don't want to hurt you."

Z reached out and placed a hand along his cheek. "There can't be any love without some pain. I want you, Bridge. I know you can feel it."

Bridge closed his eyes against the passion he felt coming from Z. Despite what his senses were telling him, he still didn't want to hurt her. He couldn't make himself continue any further.

He was so lost in the battle between his emotions and hers that he didn't notice when Z removed her hand from his face and back to his waist. Without pausing, she drew both hands down to his bottom, and then she suddenly shoved him up, gasping in pain as she did so.

Bridge suddenly springed out of the tangle of feelings; snapping his eyes open to stare at Z, aghast. "Z! You…" She slid her arms up along his back and drew her down to him, claiming his mouth with hers once he was in reach.

She kissed him passionately; proving to him without words that this was indeed what she wanted. She felt him slowly begin to relax once again.

Bridge finally started to respond to her unspoken message, but he could still feel her pain underneath the tide of her other emotions. He let her kiss him as he held her to him, waiting until her discomfort subsided. She finally sighed slightly in a mix of pleasure and relief; only then did he begin to move slowly again.

Z gasped and shuddered as Bridge rocked himself within her. She wrapped her arms about his shoulders and clung to him as she let him bring her up to new heights.

He continued to make love to her until they both reached the peak at the same time and they slowly sank back down to lie spent in each other's arms.

Bridge gently withdrew himself from her and sighed contently as he laid back on the bed, allowing his breathing to slow.

Z curled herself up against his side as Bridge shivered slightly at everything he'd just experienced. He wrapped an arm about her, drawing her closer to him as he felt the contentment coming from her.

He opened his eyes and turned his head slightly to look at her. He saw that she returned his gaze. "I love you, Elizabeth Delgado." He whispered quietly to her.

"I love you too, Bridge Carson." She replied as she sank into a slumber.

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. No copyright infringment is intended.