SORRY FOR THE WAIT! I've been working on two other fanfics as well as a short story for a friend.

I know it says this is chapter 18 but that is because chapter 11 and 12 were identical. I CORRECTED THAT. This is the latest chapter!

This chapter has a lot of dialog!

Thanks so much for all the amazing reviews!

Read. Rate. Review. Be jolly and enjoy the sweet taste of Christmas cookies!

Stephanie stumbled back into work.

Hot damn. That man would be the death of her. He just came and kissed her into oblivion and then rode off all hot and rugged and messy. If that didn't do it for her… nothing would. He looked like he could take real good care of her under carriage and she didn't mean her POS car.

She was in a haze the rest of the day. She nearly backed into another car while leaving work. Curse that man and his devilish good looks. She continued to curse as she drove; her grip on the steering wheel a bit too tight, her foot a little too heavy on the gas pedal. When she got home she sat at the table and cursed him some more.

"What are you mumbling about?" Her mother asked dancing around the kitchen.

"Grease monkeys." Stephanie allowed her head to hit the table with a heroic thump. "Ow."

"Stephanie, would you get up and help me? Dinner doesn't make itself."

Stephanie would help if she wouldn't get yelled at but chances were… the odds were against her. Every time she stepped in the kitchen something went wrong. She just avoided it most days now. Damn. This was Carlos' fault too. If she hadn't been dazed she would have known better than to go into the kitchen when her mother was home. She raised up and headed for her room.

"Sorry, Mom, Maybe next time. I've got loads of homework." Her mother frowned.

"I don't see what good all that homework is. How are you going to get a job and live if you can't feed yourself or your husband? I swear. These educators nowadays." Her mother continue to grumble in hushed tones.

Stephanie rolled her eyes and ran to her room. She collapsed on her bed. She pushed her face into her pillow and screamed. Saturday… Oh, sweet, devilish Saturday. How it teased her so. She knew what would come… or rather hoped that it was as sensuous as she imaged. And boy, did she imagine! She had nearly shut her fingers in the cash register while imagining.

She sincerely hoped that Carlos meant to follow through, because she was currently losing her shit over it. She was worried and anxious and excited and horny as hell. That man could turn her on faster than a porn star could turn on a 15 year old boy. She assumed that was pretty damn fast. She didn't know. She had never been a 15 year old boy. It made her wonder what Carlos was like at 15. Was he as muscled as he was now? Did he hang out with a bunch of tough looking guys? Was he a total perv?

She would ask Maria!

She ran downstairs and grabbed the phone and ran back to her room. She dialed the number and bit her lip while it rang.

"Hello?" Carlos Senior's accent was thick and it made her smile.

"Hello Mr. Manoso. It's Stephanie."

"Oh! Hello, Stephanie! Carlos isn't in right now." He sounded superbly pleased that she had called.

"Actually, I was calling to talk to Maria. Is she available?"

"Si. I'll bring her the phone."

She wiggled her toes while waiting.

"Hello?"

"Hi Maria. It's Stephanie."

"Stephanie, it's so lovely to hear from you! Can I help you with something, dear?"

"Actually… I was wondering if you would share some stories about Carlos when he was younger."

Maria laughed and the sound was rich and sweet. It reminded her of good chocolate.

"Only too willing!"

Stephanie smiled. This was going to be good.

"When Carlitos was seven his father and I took the children fishing. Now, when I say children I mean Carlitos, Lester, Celia, and his cousin Carmen. Anyway, they went down to a lake and they were fine for about an hour. The boys sat on one dock and the girls were sitting on another. Anyway. Carlos gave the boys bucket of worms to fish with and left them alone. I was setting up lunch when I heard the girls scream. Carlitos and Lester had dumped all the worms onto the girls."

Stephanie laughed. She could just see a little Lester and Carlos laughing it up.

"Of course, the girls didn't take it for very long. They stood up and tackled the boys! They crashed onto the dock and wrestled it out. Carmen was beating Lester up but Celia and Carlitos were a pretty even match. That was until the rolled too close to the fishing poles. Carlitos got a fish hook in his hand. Celia started crying. It was a sight to see! Carlitos' hand was bleeding so fiercely. Carmen started crying and Lester poked it. Carlitos was such a show off he tore the damned thing out of his hand and walked back to his fishing pole."

Stephanie was stunned. Seven and a total badass… of course.

"He just tore it out?"

"Carlitos has always been very impatient. That boy can't wait for anything."

Stephanie laughed. He always seemed so calm and collected to her.

"Ah! There was this one time when Lester was staying over. The boys were about 5. Carlitos used to be very attached to a little stuffed dog. That thing was so dirty and old… but he dragged it everywhere. Its eyes were hanging by threads and his ear was missing. I tried throwing Señor Pero away but it always found its way back into the house.

Well, Lester, being the devilish child he was, put Senor Pero on the roof. Carlitos had a fit! You should have seen him. He kicked and screamed and cried and finally ran off. We all thought it best to give him time. Carlos would get it down in the morning. But no, Carlitos didn't want to wait. He climbed out his window and onto the roof. He found the dog but he couldn't figure out how to get back in. So, he jumped off the roof!"

Stephanie gasped. She could just picture a little boy with wild black hair and big brown eyes, red from crying, jumping off the roof with his arms tightly clutching his best friend. It made her heart ache.

"He came inside clutching the toy and his leg and arms were bleeding. He has a scar on his back; it's thin and long. The tree cut his back when he jumped. I've never been so frightened in my life! I thought I was going to have a heart attack!"

"He's so reckless. He must have driven you crazy."

"Absolutely mad. But," Stephanie could hear the smile in her voice "That's what boys do."

They talked for hours after that. They shared stories and laughed. Stephanie promised to come over soon. When they finally ended the call, Stephanie had a huge grin on her face and a giddy feeling in her body.

She desperately wanted to see him.

YAYAYAYAYAYAY! I nearly died writing this...

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