Stephanie POV
How unfair is life, I meet the most incredible man of my life and as he's kissing my hand my car gets repo'd. Not only is this man breath takingly beautiful he has my ultimate dream car. I try to make a joke on how it's a hunk of metal to the hunk of man.
I get into my dream car with a dream of a man. As soon as he starts the engine all my senses are on overload. Even though I close my eyes, I can see this man sitting next to me in my minds eye. Not only can I see him, I can smell his cologne. He is intoxicating. I can feel the rumble of the car in every nerve ending in my body. I can only imagine how those lips taste. I keep breathing trying to keep myself under control; it has been along time since I have been on sensory overload. I bit my bottom lip in order to keep the pleasure from escaping me. I am broken out of my nirvana when Ranger opens my door and offers his hand to me.
"Oh that is the best hunk of metal that I have ever ridden in, thank you." I put my hand in his and get a jolt of electricity through me.
"Come, I haven't been here in a while and I am sure I will be yelled at for being gone for so long." He says.
We walk into the café when I realize where he has taken me. Oh this is going to be good.
"Mia Bella!" Aunt Teresa yells through the place as she comes up to me and wraps me into one of her all encompassing hugs.
"Aunt Teresa, how are you?" I laugh in response to her.
I am shouldn't be shocked but I am. She's related to this warm, friendly woman.
"Mia Bella, look on who you brought with you guerriero, how do you know my god daughter?" She asks Ranger
I speak before he gets a chance to "Aunt Teresa, you know Ranger?"
"Yes yes, this was the young man I was telling you I wanted you to meet a few months ago." I remember her telling me about him. She told me how strong he was of body and mind. How she thought he was the perfect match for me. Which is odd because she is the only member of our family that hasn't tried to find me a husband, and in essence she really didn't she said he was a match for me, not husband.
"I remember Aunt T, so how's Uncle Joe?" I thought maybe I could divert the flow of conversation from match making to family affairs. Ranger just lifts h
"That man, you know him" she waves her hands as she talks, just like an Italian. "Damn town wants all of his time and attention, but he loves it so therefore so do I. Your Dad was just here yesterday having lunch with him. We talked about you, you know we miss seeing you beautiful face around here. Joe too, they are coming for lunch again tomorrow you should stop by and make them happy." She tells me then she focuses her attention to Ranger.
"And you my gentle guerriero, where have you been?" Asking him gently.
"Ah Jefe de Cocina, I got the building up and running. Plus the other locations take a lot of my time and attention." He tried to explain.
"Excuses… you must come to see me so that I can feed you properly." She gives him a kiss on his cheek.
"So about this feeding you mention where would you like for us to sit?" He asks her.
"Oh Mia Bella knows where she's to sit and since you are here with her you will go with her." She tells us.
I grab him by the hand and led him into the kitchen and find the little table for family. After we get ourselves situated he raises just one eye brow. "So this seems to be a small world, this is your Aunts or is that God Mother's restaurant Babe?"
"Yea, Uncle Joe is Daddy's best friend. They've been friends since they were in the crib together. I love hearing the stories of all the mischief they've gotten into through the years. These incidents are so legendary in the 'Burg they got their own name, and not for just one thing it was for their teen years, the Plum Juniak Mayhem of the 1970s." I start to giggle.
"Let me get this straight your God Father is the Mayor of Trenton, Joe Juniak?"
I shrug my shoulders, "Yea, that's Uncle Joe. So now that you know who my cousin is and my Aunt T and Uncle Joe. Why don't you tell me more about yourself? I know, why don't you tell me why your mother named you Ranger."
He lets out a loud belly laugh, once he gets his self in order, "I can't remember the last time I've laughed this much. You are a breath of fresh air. My mother didn't name me Ranger, it is a nickname from my time in the service. My name is Ricardo Carlos Mañoso."
"I'm glad I'm entertaining for you." I feel a little insulted. "So what does your family call you?"
"Oh Querida you are not entertainment you are many things and I can't wait to learn about each and every part of you." He says as he sweeps a loose curl behind my ear.
A/N: The characters contained in this story are not mine; I make no money out of this adventure. The only thing I get is the satisfaction of writing it and hopefully providing entertainment to you the reader! For the one who makes money of these characters please see Janet Evanovich.
Translation: mia bella - my beautiful in Italian
guerriero – warrior in Italian
Jefe de Cocina – head chef in Spanish
Querida – Darling in Spanish