Thanks for all your feedback. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

22. A Weekend with the Ducks

When Carlos arrived at 6:00, the girls and I were pooled out. We had spent the entire time since we got here in the pool playing games and having fun. We each had pruney fingers and our hair smelled like chlorine. Carlos didn't seem too disappointed that he didn't get some pool time because he knew he could go in later if he fancied a dip.

When the girls were cleaning up, I talked to Carlos about the offer from the FBI. I didn't tell him about the specific numbers but I did tell him about their offer to pay me to work for them on a case-by-case basis. He seemed really proud of me but he also advised caution. I told him we could talk about it more later after I had some time to think and discuss the offer with Ricardo a little more.

That night we ordered pizza for dinner. It was a bit of a challenge to get the right toppings because each of us had different favourites. In the end, we got two large pizzas, one with pepperoni and extra cheese. The other was a vegetarian supreme. Carlos was a bit of a health freak and wanted to avoid the excess fat that was in the pepperoni. I was fine with that because Evie and I loved pepperoni.

We also played board games and had a lot of fun. At 9:00, the girls looked like they would fall asleep on the sofa so I suggested that they get ready for bed. They each ran upstairs and took turns getting ready for bed and then came down to say goodnight. I tucked them into their own rooms and then returned downstairs to Carlos.

I looked up as I entered the living room to find Carlos grinning at me as I walked in. He walked over to me and wrapped me in a huge hug. He then kissed me and said, "I've been waiting to do that ever since I got here tonight."

I smiled at Carlos and sat on the sofa beside him. I have been doing a lot of thinking about my relationship with Carlos and I wanted to talk to Carlos about a topic that could prove to be embarrassing. Carlos must have sensed my apprehension because he said, "Babe, you know you can ask me or tell me anything right?"

I nodded and said, "I wanted to talk to you about something, but it's a little embarrassing."

Carlos was patient and took my hands while he waited for me to continue. I looked up at his face and had to smile. He was a handsome man and the expression on his face when he looked at me made me want to tell him everything and anything I could think of.

"Carlos, I don't know how to say this so I'll just come out and with it. I have very little experience when it comes to sex. I'm worried that you might hate me if I want to wait until I'm ready to be with you."

"Babe, we just started dating. I don't think either of us is really ready for anything physical just yet. I've had sex with a few different women in the past, but I don't want that with you. I want to make love with you Babe. I want it to mean something. I don't want to fuck you just for the pleasure, although I'm sure it would be pleasurable. I want to be with you in every sense of the word and if that means waiting, I'm OK with that."

I looked at Carlos and said, "If it ever becomes a problem, please talk to me. I don't want to lose you just because I'm afraid of a little intimacy."

Carlos smiled and hugged me. "I'm sure we'll both be ready and know when the right time comes. There's more to us than just a physical attraction. We started out as friends and that's far more important than sex to me right now."

I accepted Carlos' statement and got ready for bed. Once again, we were forced to share a bed. This time it was even more awkward than the last time. Last time, we were just friends. Now we were more than friends. We were at that stage between friends and lovers, and it was usually only lovers who shared a bed.

I crawled under the covers and let Carlos pull my back to his front. I fell asleep that night thinking that I could easily fall in love with Carlos if I wasn't careful. I didn't have to dwell on that thought for long because sleep quickly overcame me.

The next morning seemed to happen in a bit of a rush. The girls got up after Carlos and I had been up for about an hour. Carlos made scrambled eggs and I toasted some bagels. After breakfast, we went to the supermarket to find some picnic foods.

We returned to the apartment with our shopping to make our picnic lunch. We made sandwiches and salads. We cut up vegetables and brownies and packed them all in a chilling bag. We included several bottles of water and packed a large blanket. Once we arrived at the park, we walked around until we discovered the perfect picnic location. We laid out a blanket and enjoyed our feast.

We had a lazy lunch and then walked around the park. We fed the ducks and then we headed to the roller skating arena. I used to be a pretty good skater when I was younger, but Carlos managed to out-skate us all. All eyes were on him when he was swinging his hips and skating between his sisters, including mine.

Several girls tried to get Carlos to help them around the rink. He declined every offer and made sure I was close by whenever a girl approached him. I was feeling a little overwhelmed by all the looks of hatred that I encountered. Carlos made it clear that I was his girlfriend and the other women there didn't seem to like that Carlos wasn't available.

Eventually the girls got bored and we left. I don't know if they were tired of watching their brother fend off the preying mantas or if they were genuinely tired. It was hard to say because I was kind of in the same boat. I was tired of watching the women throw themselves at Carlos, but I was also skated out.

We arrived back at the apartment too late to do much more than a small bite to eat and then a quick swim before bed. After the girls went to bed, Carlos and I watched a film and kissed and snuggled on the sofa. Part way through the film, Ricardo and Maria called to check in on the girls. It was only 9PM and they were pleasantly surprised to hear that the girls were sound asleep already. Carlos explained that we had a very busy day and that the girls were exhausted. We said goodnight to Maria and Ricardo and headed to bed ourselves when the film was over.

Sunday was a day spent lounging by the pool. The weather was steamy and we indulged in the sun, ice cream, and many fun games in the pool. I drooled as Carlos walked around a pair of swim trunks that left my imagination racing. They rode low on his hips and displayed his abs beautifully.

Based on the looks he was giving me, he appreciated the bathing suit that I was wearing. I originally thought about wearing my bikini, but figured it might not be appropriate around his sisters. I chose a simple one-piece instead.

Jonny called around 3 to let me know that Ricardo and Maria were downstairs. I told him to send them up and told the girls to go get changed. I wrapped a skirt around my waist and went down to greet Ricardo and Maria.

They both looked very content, and it was obvious that the weekend away was just what they needed. The smiles on their faces when their girls came down the stairs also showed that they loved and missed their children just as much as they appreciated the time away from them.

Maria smiled when Carlos made an appearance. He was still wearing his bathing suit, but he had thrown on a t-shirt. He hugged both his parents and they chatted for a few minutes in rushed Spanish before Maria turned to me.

"I hope the girls weren't too much trouble this weekend Stephanie, because we really enjoyed our time away."

I laughed and replied, "Not at all, we had a great time. You may need to talk to your youngest son though, because he's not a very graceful loser. The girls beat us easily when we played Candyland, but when we played Sorry, we all seemed to gang up on him. He pouted and complained the whole time."

Carlos didn't say anything about my comment, but he did give me a look that implied that he'd say something to me later. I flushed at the thought of later, but returned my attention back to the rest of his family.

Ricardo was busy looking at the photos that Evelyn took on her phone yesterday and Maria was helping Isabella gather their belongings. Before I knew it, they were hugging me goodbye and we were promising each other to do it again sometime soon. Ricardo said something quietly to Carlos on the way out the door and Carlos nodded before closing the door behind him.

As with my this chapter, it'll be a few days until I have a chance to post the next chapter. Thanks for your patience and support.