For Sheila: get better soon Babe!

I know it's short, but let me know what you think! Mostly fluff!

Chapter 25

Before Ric could say anything, I leapt right in there, 'how long have you been here?'

The cousin smiled at me, 'my team and I have been doing survival exercises in Ric's wood this past week or so. We're seals.' He explained. 'Guess we camouflaged ourselves pretty well if Ric didn't see us.'

'I was a little distracted,' Ric muttered.

'I noticed that.' His cousin smirked.

'Hey!' I said, 'you didn't answer my question! I meant how long have you been here in this exact place.'

The cousin's smirk grew, 'as I said, Cara, long enough.'

I felt myself begin to blush when I realised something. 'Wait a sec – Ric's wood? You own the wood, the whole wood?'

'Yeah Babe.'

'Sheesh, I don't even own a tree!'

Ric pulled a thin blade from a strap on his ankle, and carved 'Babe's' onto the tree that we'd been…uh…intimate on.

'Now you do.' He said.

I couldn't help but smile, 'thanks, no one's given me a tree before!'

Ric's lips twitched in amusement, 'guess today's your lucky day.'

I thought about it for a moment, 'it started out pretty well, but then it went really bad,' I paused letting my voice turn all sexy, 'but then it went really really good.'

Ric smiled, 'yeah.' Then he kissed me. 'Yeah,' I whispered breathlessly back.

'Jeez.' The cousin muttered.

'So,' I said, 'not being rude or anything but…who are you?'

'I'm Damien Nicholas Raphaeli. And you are?'

'Stephanie Michelle Plum. It's nice to meet you,' I said, burg manners kicking in.

'The pleasure is mine…and Ric's too, by the looks of things.' It's surprising how fast a girl can blush. 'Guess I'd better introduce you to my lads. Show yourselves boys.'

They melted out of the trees: five of them, all of them easily in seeing distance.

'Crap.' I said.

Damien laughed. We were introduced, with 'Damien's lad's' grinning a whole lot. I sighed mentally, this stuff always happens to me.

Then I thought, 'hang on, why didn't they say something?'

Cue Rhino mode.

I put my hands on my hips, 'So,' I said in a voice that Ric winced at, clever man. 'You just decided to watch? I hope you were comfortable; did you want to fetch some popcorn? Or maybe some nachos? It was inconsiderate of us to do this at night time Ric, maybe we should do it again with some spot lights or something?'

'Mi Cara,' said Damien, sounding conciliatory, 'I yelled but neither of you heard me. I tried, honestly I did. Short of pulling you apart…I couldn't stop you. I'm sorry, really, but the light's low, we couldn't see that much.'

I narrowed my eyes at him, then mentally shrugged, 'shit happens,' I said.

Damien blinked in confusion at my easy acceptance. Probably surprised at such a quick mood swing, obviously he doesn't know women from Jersey.

Ric laughed softly. Ric knew women form Jersey.

Ric shook his head, 'I know you Babe.'

'Damn Esp.'

Ric threw his head back and laughed whole-heartedly. Damien was staring at him like he'd grown an extra head. 'You laughed.' Damien gaped. 'I thought that was a family myth.'

Ric rolled his eyes, not bad – considering he wasn't a woman from Jersey.

'Definitely not.' Ric said to me.

'I'm missing some of the conversation here.' Damien said; sounding baffled.

'Don't worry about it.' I said. 'So, if you're done with 'being the tree' and eating bark, maybe you guys should take a shower or something – a really long shower,' I said, wrinkling my nose and moving down wind of them.

'Being the tree? Eating bark? Christ. Where did you find this woman Ric?'

'Attached to a shower rail.'

My blush deepened, 'you did not! We met in the café! The shower rail thing was a few days later.'

'Sounds like an interesting story.' One of the lads said.

'If you tell, I swear to God Professor Higgins, I'll kick your ass!'

'Professor Higgins?' Damien sounded incredulous.

I shivered as the cold swept chilling fingers up my spine. Ric shrugged off his t-shirt and handed it to me, I pulled it on, feeling instantly warmer. That man doesn't miss a trick.

'Let's head in,' Ric said, ignoring his cousin's question.

We trudged back towards the compound. When we entered the games room, everyone stopped talking. Bobby got up and walked toward us, he circled round Ric, then he went to a cupboard on the side and pulled out a first aid kid.

Bobby gestured to a chair and Ric sat down while Bobby cleaned out the scratches with anti-septic. It must've hurt like a bitch, but Ric could have been having a massage for all the pain that showed on his face.

Then Ric got up, and indicated that I should sit down. I did so, and pulled off his shirt. Bobby slid Ric an amused glance as he saw the bite on my shoulder, but he didn't say anything, he just cleaned it out.

'Oww!' I said, glaring at Bobby. Ric's lips twitched. 'What?' I said belligerently, 'it hurts!'

He smiled.

I glared at him, 'I don't need to pretend it doesn't hurt! Stupid macho shit.' I muttered.

200 watt grin.

I rolled my eyes, and then I reluctantly let a smile creep across my face. I met his eyes, and my smile widened as his eyes turned warm and tender. I knew my eyes must look the same.

'Holy shit!' Damien exclaimed. 'Bam?' he said to Ric.

'Bam.' Ric replied.

'What?' I asked.

'Don't worry about it.' Said Damien, quoting me…back to me. I hate that.

'Wiseass.' A yawn overtook my face, 'I think I'm going to head for bed.'

'I'd better sleep on the floor then.' Ric said.

'What? Why?'

'You won't get any sleep if I join you.' he replied.

I looked at him for a long moment.

'I said I was going to bed, not that I was going to sleep, but if you want to sleep on the floor…'

Ric smiled slow and sensuously, 'I don't think so.'

Cara / Mi Cara – My dear