"I have a theory about guys in relationships. We're always taught to be men and not show our feelings. Usually boys don't see their fathers cry and they're told to "tough it out, move on, you're a man, and so on. Thank God I am in a business which I get to show emotions and it's ok. I think a lot of guys end up treating women badly because they give their heart and if it doesn't turn out they get so hurt, that they can't deal with the pain. Then they go through life never really sharing themselves and maybe having a bad outlook on women and they're not taught any differently".

Burton says he wasn't really looking for a relationship when he met Sheree, but as far as the intense, six-footer is concerned, it was destiny. Granted, it was innocent enough when PC's Jay Pickett (Frank) was just doing a favor for a friend by bringing the resume of a stranger to ABC. The stranger was Sheree, who of course, wound up getting the job where she and Burton met.

"At first, I didn't want to get involved with anyone from work, but things happen for a reason. Everything we do in our lives gets us to a certain point and it has a lot to do with fate. I believe God has chosen a path for each person individually."

One such fateful event was the divorce of Steve's parents, which brought Steve to LA to spend summer vacations with his dad.  "My dad was the first one in the family to go west and follow his dreams instead of staying in Indiana to work a 9 - 5 job in a factory". So, at age 16, Burton, who by that time was flirting with the idea of becoming an actor, decided he wanted to try living with his father, who had since remarried.

"The hardest thing for my mother, I realize now, is she let me go at 16. That's so huge, to let your kid go. But my mom never told me I couldn't do anything. She said to try anything I wanted and if I didn't like it, I didn't like it. I had so many friends who had parents who told them "you are going to play football, or you are going to do this or that. My mom let me make my own decisions and I was a good kid and I didn't get into much trouble".

Life changed radically when Burton moved to the West Coast from where he and his mom lived in Cleveland. "It was a weird experience to come from the Midwest to Beverly Hills. There were a lot of drugs. There is no other place like LA in the world. It's the entertainment capital of the world. It was pretty crazy to be transplanted from one place to another and all of a sudden, see these nice cars, the glamorous people, the actors".

Burton credits his Midwestern roots and his father's influence for keeping his head on straight. Also, attributed to his dad is his acting career which was made possible because of the countless auditions his dad took him on before he landed that key first paying job in a Coke commercial. "I remember when I got the call...my dad, my stepmother, my stepbrother and I were there and it was great. It was probably the most excited I've ever been.  It was new back then and I felt like it was a start". More work followed and even though he missed 60 days of school in his senior year, Burton graduated from Beverly Hills High with a 3.4 grade average. Burton got his first taste of a recurring role in Out of This World, a syndicated sci-fi sitcom that employed Burton from 1987-1990. Following his daytime debut as Harris Michaels on Days, in 1992 he landed the coveted role of Jason Quartermaine. It was here that Burton's education as an actor really began.

"I always say that Maurice Benard took me under his wing and that was the beginning of my growth. I got to work with him everyday and that was a blessing. Then there was John Homa (GH acting coach). I guess I sense the change in me but I don't see it because I don't watch the show. And since I am a perfectionist, I always want to do better"

Burton is looking forward to becoming a parent but says he and Sheree plan to wait awhile. Besides wanting to do some traveling, he is still striving to get to know himself better. "We've been in pre-marital counseling with a Christian pastor and he once asked me a question that sparked something in me. He asked "What are you and Sheree going to base your lifelong decisions on? I was like "what?". And if you think about it, your whole basis is your past experience, but that's going to be entirely different from what happened to your spouse and how he or she was raised, and his or her's religious beliefs and such. That really opened my eyes. I replied that I basically try to live by The Ten Commandments to which is responded, OK..what are they?. Well I knew about six of them and he said "How do you plan to live by that?"

"My mom was adopted by Jewish parents and my dad's parents were Catholic so I always knew God was in my life. But I never got into a particular religion. I went to a temple a few times for friends bar mitzvahs and to church on Easter and Christmas and I've always had some personal relationship with God but now I'm studying the Bible and I want to know the facts".

Burton believes it will make a difference in his future with Sheree and that is incentive enough.

"I've never been so in love in my life. If you're not in love, if the fire's not there, it's usually the wrong place to be. I want to be with her all the time; she's my best friend. We laugh together, we don't fight and if we do, we fight fair. We are respectful to one another and don't cross the line. Once you cross that line in a fight, you cannot take it back - and that destroys a relationship one chip at a time. So communication is the most important thing and without games. I'm not thinking "I'll show her" or "Should I let her see me cry?". I've never in my life before, been so open and I can't wait to get married. I don't need a lot in my life; I don't need to be a billionaire. I have her, I have my career so I'm happy and content".