Snow fell gently from above, hitting the white caps of the water. Dead silence filled the area like a shot that just rang from a gun. The aftermath of the storm.

It was cold in the house. So cold. I went to check on Rose in her room but she wasn't there, where was she? Did Quinton take her home while I was asleep?

I went to the kitchen to call him up on the land line when I found that my own cell phone wasn't in my pocket. When I entered the kitchen I saw Rico standing there.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I was looking for you," he replied, coming closer to me.

I opened my mouth, intending to ask him just what the hell he thought he was doing but he traced my parted lips with his forefinger, his other hand coming up to hold onto the back of my neck gently.

"Do not think, Princesita. Just feel."

"What... What am I feeling?"

"Me," he whispered, he was so close that his breath brushed my lips. His tongue swept out to caress my bottom lip and I felt my knees quiver.

What's happening to me?

He pushed his lips onto mine, hard but not painful. It was so different from the first time. So different.

It wasn't Rico that begged for entry to my mouth but me for his. I allowed him dominance and he took it willingly, both hands abandoning my neck and face and sliding down my skin until they reached my waist. My own went up to cup both of his cheeks.

He backed me up until my back hit the counter, the moment it did I heard a whimper like moan come from my throat that sounded like a plead. I don't plead.

I pushed myself closer to him and he moved his hands lower until they were both on the back of my thighs, in one swift movement he swept me up so my legs were clenched around his waist. I held on tightly, tightening further when he moved his lips in a line straight down from my lips. Over my chin, down my neck, teasingly passing my collarbones, into the valley of my-

I bolted straight up in bed, my mind still in a slight euphoria from my dreams. I ran a hand through my curly mess of hair on top of my head, grimacing when I thought of how awful it would be to tame it later. 

Where did that dream come from? Was it all from the simple cheek kiss?

I stood up from bed and went to the closet to pull out a fitted cream colored tee shirt and a pair of capris with brown espadrilles. I took a long moment to stare at the clothes before turning to head to the shower. A cold shower. That's what I need.

My hair was still slightly damp when I left my room in search of coffee. The first thing when I got to the kitchen was peek in to see if Rico was going to be in there, fully certain I would have run away if he was.

He wasn't.

I went to the coffee pot and took out a mug form the cupboard above it, waiting until the machine had made enough for me to fill my cup before going to check up on Rose.

She was asleep, perfectly content to be laying under the pink comforter in my house rather than her purple and blue quilt in her room at her home. I smiled softly when she grumbled in her sleep and rubbed nose before settling back into her peaceful state.

I closed the door softly behind me, careful not to make a noise. The house was quiet, empty. Usually Rico's at least up by now, wandering around somewhere. Despite my better judgement, I went to check up on him, too.

He wasn't really asleep peacefully, he was rolling around and kicking and yelling in his sleep. He didn't hold still for more than a half a second at a time before shouting out no and grunting like someone was hurting him. 

I put my coffee cup down quickly and ran over to him, sitting on the bed beside him. He struggled against me when I tried to shake him, wanting him awake from whatever nightmare he was having. 

"No!"

"Rico, wake up," I told him, shaking him as gently as I could manage while he was trying to push me away. His eyelids fluttered open and he jerked straight up in bed, almost head butting me as I'd seemingly climbed into his lap while trying to wake him up.

His hands covered his face and I moved to sit beside him, my hand going to his back so it could go up and down his spine.

"Why are you in here, Princesita?"

"You weren't awake, I came to check up on you. What were you dreaming about?"

A small laugh left his throat and the corners of my mouth tweeked down in confusion. He removed his hands from his face and looked at me with tired eyes. 

That doesn't make sense. Rico's eyes are supposed to full of life and vigor, they are never supposed to be tired.

Why is he so tired?

"Mobsters should never talk to each other, it always turns into an interrogation."

"I guess you're right."

"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret," he pulled me by the neck so I was close enough for him to whisper in my ear," I normally am."

His tongue darted out and licked the rim of my ear, I pulled away in a violent jerk, not in the mood for that after my dream. He just laughed at my reaction before standing up from the bed and going to the dresser in search of the pants and shirt he wasn't wearing.

"What was your dream about, Rico?"

"Nothing."

"I saw how you were acting, it was not about nothing."

He sighed and crawled onto the bed, plopping down on his stomach when he was about half a foot from my leg.

"Just an old ghost making my head on of their midnight haunts," he rested his head on a fist," Now are you gonna leave or stay for the show? I've been told before I would make one helluva stripper."

"Think I'll pass," I stood up and walked to the door, pausing a second before turning around and adding," Hit me up if these dreams get too bad, alright?"

"Ah, but it's not la Princesita who saves me, but I who saves her," he told me as he started to unbutton his pants. I rolled my eyes before leaving, the sight of him in his boxers stuck in my head for hours to come.