Tomorrow I will be hurrying it a long. It's tougher than I thought, because I realized Franco's character development is vastly important when it comes to all the women in his life. BUT! Those moments will be cut short and will be very brief. The little scenes with Sarita will have many saucy bits of course!

(I do not own this novela!)

Aguus Everlak! Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement! Besitos para ti!

Chapter 10

His situation with Rosario kept getting worse. Franco didn't know what else to do after he confronted her at the bar. She still had her financial support system, meaning she was meeting her usual wealthy "clients" every night. Franco couldn't stand it anymore, storming out after telling her that he could sell himself too if he wanted to. With Oscar's seduction plan with the Elizondo sisters, he was willing to do whatever it takes to do so. Plus, Jimena did approach him the next day on where he would meet her alone.

So much was on his mind that very evening when he and his brothers went out at the nightly fair in their neighborhood. Juan, again, had his mind elsewhere while he held a shotgun to a couple of targets over by a game stand. Oscar was going on about his plans with so much hope and amusement like he'd won the lottery.

"You know.." Oscar said, his ambition seeping from every pore of his being while he shot a cunning glance over his shoulder to a thoughtful Franco. "It wasn't hard talking to Sarita today."

Franco snapped out of his reverie and glanced back at his cunning brother with extreme curiosity. Juan paid no mind to him, continuing his game.

"How so?" asked Franco, very curious as to how Oscar was capable of managing one of the hardest Elizondo sisters.

Oscar's lip curled into a cheeky grin and tipped his hat at his younger brother, his eyebrows raising.

"All you have to do with her is talk to her with the utmost sincerity and she opens up like a sweet blossoming flower."

Franco smirked, thinking back on how he last spoke with her. She was more like a Venus flytrap than a blossoming flower.

"It's true she has her little temper, but…" drawled Oscar, noticing Franco's doubtful expression, "She's still a woman. You just have to know how to calm her. Especially temperamental ones like her."

Franco laughed. As crazy as Oscar is, he was very smart. There's no denying it.

"Then you could start seducing her." teased Franco. "That way she won't disrupt my plans with Jimena."

Oscar thought about it for a few seconds and chuckled, eyeing Juan who still kept playing the shooting game.

"I'll leave Juancho to take care of her."

Juan heard Oscar's snide comment, glared back at him and then turned his attention back to his game.

"After what Juan told me." Oscar sneered. "The little sapling needs our Juancho to water her."

Franco choked back a laugh while Juan missed his last shot.

"I told you it meant nothing!" Juan growled, slapping the shotgun back on the game stand. "She accidentally walked in on me. That's all!"

The three settled at their table, their bottle of tequila waiting for them.

"Accidentally?" questioned Oscar, his cat-like eyes glimmering with mischief. "She had no business. She knew perfectly well that's where we come to change and freshen up. She was looking for someone! The little goody-two-shoes was craving some dic-"

"Enough!" bellowed Juan, completely disgusted with Oscar's bullshit. "Leave that girl alone!"

Franco laughed and soon stopped when Juan glared at him. He asked Juan what truly happened. Juan sighed, pouring himself some of the tequila.

"I was changing my tank," he told him. "She walked in on me."

Franco raised his eyebrows.

"And then?" taunted Franco. Oscar smirked.

"Oh for Christ's sake!" Juan exasperated. "Don't make this worse than it sounds! It was nothing."

"Finish it, my Juancho!" laughed Oscar, clapping his older brother on the back.

Juan sighed again.

"She turned red at the sight of me and ran away."

Both Franco and Oscar snorted in amusement. Juan glared at the two idiots, regretting the meek encounter.

"It was nothing." Juan repeated, gulping down his shot. "Besides, I don't think she was looking for me."

He shot Franco a dirty look.

Franco's glee disappeared. Damn. Oscar must've told him about his situation with Jimena and Sarita.

Oscar chuckled nervously, feeling Franco's eyes settling suspiciously on him.

"What would you do if she walked in on you instead, Franco?" asked Juan, his voice breaking into a small chuckle. "Would you stop her from running the way she did with me?"

Franco blanked. Juan and Oscar laughed at his silence. Franco took the bottle of tequila and poured himself a shot. After taking it, he glanced over at Oscar.

"I'm already invested in Jimena." he reminds him. "Since you boasted about "softening" Sarita, then it should be you who'll seduce her."

Oscar shrugged but didn't object.

"With pleasure." he sneered, lifting his own shot of tequila as if giving a toast before downing it down.

Franco met with Jimena at the Central Park as promised. The two walked away from the park to a much less crowded area, surrounded by green pastures and rocks. Franco wasted no time on getting his hands on the flirtatious young woman, his thoughts circling with the only woman he truly wanted. Rosario Montes. He was getting sexually frustrated, images of possessing Rosario running through his head. His lips worked his way down from Jimena's lips, his fingers slipping the strap of her white blouse down her shoulders. Jimena started to get nervous once his lips traveled down her neck onto a bare piece of flesh where her strap once covered. She pulled away from him, warning him that she's not ready to go any further. This sets Franco off, so he begins to get forceful and orders her to come with him to a much farther and hidden area from where they are. She refuses and he looks at at her venomously, his blue eyes large and raging with need.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, horrified.

"You wanted to be alone with me so let's not waste time." he reminded her, grabbing her wrist in which she pulled away.

"You know what?" she said, her eyes wide and frightened. "I want to go home."

Franco tries to grab her wrist again and Jimena backs away from him.

"No!" she shouted. "Let go of me! I don't like the way you're acting!"

Franco calms down and regrets his forceful actions, seeing as how scared Jimena was getting.

"I thought you were different." Jimena cried.

Jimena hurried away from him. Franco was left rooted on the spot where he stood, trying to understand what was happening to him. Regrets began to fill him and he tried calling out to Jimena, who was completely out of his sight. Besides regret, he felt dread. Perhaps this time, she will finally allow Sarita to tell their mother.

"Shit!" he swore, knowing damn well he could possibly ruin Oscar's plan.

Later that same day, Franco confessed what had happened to his brothers who chastised him, mostly Oscar.

"You're lucky she didn't bitch slap you!" he yelled. "What is wrong with you? You don't treat women like Jimena like she's some easy whore!"

"Oscar's right, Franco." agreed Juan calmly, although he too was very disappointed in his younger brother. "Jimena is not like the women you know. She's no whore."

"But she's a damn tease!" Franco shot back, Rosario's beautiful face and reluctance haunting his mind.

"Damn, Franco!" Oscar went on, throwing his hands in the air in utter frustration. "It's like you've never been with a woman before! You were supposed to treat her nicely!"

"Leave him alone!" Juan told Oscar. "Now he has an idea on how he should behave for the next time."

Franco wondered if there ever will be a next time.

Oscar ignored Juan and pursued to scold Franco.

"Franco, who told you that it's okay to use force, huh?"

Franco shrugged. His mind was elsewhere. He could only think about Rosario sleeping with other men for money.

"You have to be gentle. You give them flowers, pull their chairs to be seated… what the fuck is wrong with you?"

Franco stayed silent.

"If you know so much…" cut in Juan. "Why don't you do it yourself instead of Franco?"

Franco found his voice and agreed with Juan. He didn't want to pursue Jimena anymore if his mind is still engrossed with thoughts of Rosario. And he couldn't risk any more trouble with Sarita and her mother.

"If I have to, I will." said Oscar. "I don't doubt it. I have my methods and they always work."

Juan smirked smartly at Oscar.

"Perhaps with loose women," Juan pressed. "Come talk to me when those methods work on educated and sophisticated women like Jimena and Sarita."

Oscar swore under his breath and stormed into their bedroom. Franco scratched the top of his head, knowing that tomorrow morning he had to apologize to Jimena. But first…. He still needed to talk to Rosario, since the mere memory of her caused him to lose his head with Jimena. So he went out and to his disappointment, Rosario was not working that night.

The very next day, he and his brothers worked quietly on their construction. The three shoveled and stocked bricks in silence, until Franco noticed Gabriela and her two eldest daughters and Fernando leaving the mansion without Jimena. He took that opportunity to sneak inside the mansion. Skulking through the halls and up the stairs, he remembered the room she shared with Sarita and opened the door. Jimena stood there, with her hands on her hips. She smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes.

All traces of apologies left his mind, but thanks to Oscar's scolding, Franco knew exactly what to do to gain his and Jimena's favor.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked softly.

Jimena folded her arms and looked at him with a stern expression. She just reminded him of her mother and Sarita. All these Elizondo women were alike when they were stern.

"I want you to listen, Franco." she tells him. "I'm bold and do a lot of stupid things, but there are limits. I'm not a slut looking for a fling."

Franco sighed, confused by her words. They clearly don't match her behavior. This brings him back to his problems with Rosario.

"Then what do you want from me?" he asked her.

She gave him a challenging glare and took a step forward to him.

"I like you." she admitted. "I liked you right the moment I met you. That's why I approached you."

Jimena was still stern, taking another step closer to him.

"But not for things to go too far."

"I'm not following." he told her. "I thought you liked me."

She finally gave him a smile, however, it still didn't reach her eyes.

"Of course I like you, but I want to get to know you, " she clarified. "I hope to spend more time with you. Maybe have a secret romance. That's the fantasy all women dream about."

Oscar was right. Jimena wasn't like other women. She's more naive and clueless when it comes to men, but her words reminded him of all the things Rosario used to say to him when he'd beg for her.

Franco stepped little closer.

"I still don't follow you. You're not being clear."

"I don't know how to put it." she shrugged, "I want to be close to you without getting to the extreme."

Using her naivety against her, Franco takes a final step towards her and gathers her face in his hands, picturing Rosario in Jimena's place.

"When a man and a woman are attracted to each other", he tells her, sensing her discomfort, "there are no extremes."

He tilts her head back and licks his lips.

"And you like it when I kiss you."

He presses his lips to hers and she starts to resist. Franco, clearly not learning from his past actions, begins to exert more force by stealing more kisses. She pushes him away and just then, the two freeze in place when they hear her grandfather's voice calling for Jimena.

Franco manages to escape. Rather than tell his brothers anything, he kept his encounter with Jimena to himself. He scolded himself this time and planned to finally see Rosario, the heartless woman he desperately craved.

We're gonna get there! Hang on! Thank you for reading!