Saturday Evening

Steve got in his side of the truck and asked, "are we ok?"

"I don't know, what kind of kiss was that?"

"The first kiss was a "Thank you for a fun evening kiss."

"And the second kiss?"

"That was a "You mean so much to me kiss." Steve suddenly realized he was skating on very thin ice. Was she trying to lure him into a dangerous position? "Help me out here, you were there for the kiss, what do you think?"

"Do you want the truth?"

"I can handle the truth."

"Ok," Nadia crossed her arms under her magnificent breasts and said, "The first kiss was... yes, that was a thank you for a fun evening kiss."

"And the second kiss?"

Nadia turned and gave him a sad, stern look. "Seven out of ten." Inside her heart was leaping, she's waited so long for this kiss. They started as adversaries, then they became heartbroken family, together they had to navigate the sorrow of losing her mother, his wife and be ready if whoever had it out for Maria came back for more. They became teammates cheering each other on, holding each other up, someone who cares for you and someone to care for. And now friends... close friends...

"I want a rematch," demanded Steve.

"I want a margarita," demanded Nadia as they wheeled into a Mexican restaurant.

They settled into the restaurant and ordered a couple of house margaritas (on the rocks, easy on the salt) and sat at a small table holding hands across the table, their eyes dancing. "So did I get marked down for the timing?"

"No, I think your timing was spot on, definitely not too soon, and if it was too late I would have been moved out by now."

"Quality? Is that what took me down?"

"No, for a first kiss it was actually dead on, full ten out of ten on that."

"That leaves quantity, too much?" Her lowered eyebrows nixed that. "Not enough?"

"Hell yeah! After the crap that we've been through, the hell we've been dragged into, building each other up, now I'm feeling your boner bump me in the ass every night, I need... no I deserve more."

Just as they leaned across the table for "more," their drinks and nacho's arrived as did Bruce McLaren and Lisa Clark. "Feliz Navidad! Did we interrupt something?"

"YES."

"Don't mind us, we've been doing police flavored things," said Lisa as Bruce pulled up a pair of chairs.

"You guys look so cute together," said Bruce as he sat down next to Lisa. "Hey, I know it's late notice but can I bring Lisa with to Christmas dinner?"

"The more the merrier," said Nadia, "Just as long as she wears that rock on her left hand."

"What?" gasped Steve and sure enough, Lisa was wearing an engagement ring.

"Us girls notice that stuff," said Nadia.

"What gave you that idea?" asked Steve.

Lisa and Bruce looked at each other and finally Bruce said, "I've been chasing her for years and suddenly she turned around and caught me."

Nadia squeezed Steve's thigh and whispered "Gotcha."

Later that night as they looked at Maria's bedroom from the doorway Steve said, "Do you like it?" The room was mostly white, the king size bed had a huge white headboard with inlaid pink roses, the dresser and vanity were all white as was the replaced carpet.

"No, it's not me, I like more color, golds and browns. Mom got all this stuff right after dad died, I think she was planning to become a nun," said Nadia.

Steve could handle the memories now, the pain has faded and he can smile at her memory, but this room... he can't go in here, this is where she died. Maybe if Nadia makes it hers...

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Christmas dinner was raucous and fun, so much better than the family gathering at Steve's camper so many months ago. Emma and Anna and their baby sister Maria were allowed to bring one toy to play with even though there were gifts under the tree for them in the rarely used formal living room. The family room has been converted to a dining room by adding a large table with folding chairs and the girls had the run of the house. Nadia was in her glory cooking for her first big family gathering. She and Jeannie and Lisa ruled the kitchen and chased the men outside where they could watch the game on the TV in the outdoor kitchen.

When Derick got up to change the baby Bruce leaned over and whispered, "We finally got something out of the FBI on your case, every one of those men that they took out of this house was Black Ridge."

Black Ridge was familiar to Steve, they were a paramilitary guns for hire company that poached some of his best men away. "What the fuck? Why did a bunch of mercenaries have it in for Maria?"

"I don't know, but these jerks know they can't operate in the US, somebody must have waved a lot of money their way."

"Is Terry Hill still with Black Ridge?" Terry was an incredible special ops asset, he was in Steve and Bruce's unit and the guy could do it all, and in the end he went to the highest bidder.

"Yep." Bruce smiled and finished his beer. "He's in Okeechobee."

Steve and Bruce grinned at each other and said, "Road trip!"

"What road trip?" demanded Nadia as she stepped out onto the patio wearing an apron that said, Seduce The Cook.

"After dinner," said Bruce as he opened another beer.

"Tell me now." Nadia had the sexiest pout.

"After dinner, please? Besides, if it's bad information we don't want to bum everybody out. Now, speaking of bumming people out, are you ready for my cranberries?" Steve made cranberries from scratch and a bowl of them was waiting in the fridge for their call to glory.

Dinner was a success and the turkey was perfection. Steve and Nadia brined it in a brine solution that contained ginger, all spice and a myriad of other flavors for hours before roasting and the meat came out tender, juicy and extremely flavorful. Mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, fruit salad, and Steve's cranberries which were a hit with Anna and Emma.

After dinner the filled up guests retired to the formal living room so Anna and Emma could open their presents before everyone was presented with leftovers and the Tamaro family was on the road home. The kitchen was cleaned up, leftovers set aside for Bruce and Lisa and the four friends retired to the patio where a propane fire kept the night chill at bay. "What is the information?" demanded Nadia.

"The FBI has released information on all the men that were killed here and each of them was an employee of Black Ridge, a group of mercenaries," said Bruce.

"So, what's with the road trip?" Nadia asked.

"An old army buddy of ours is in Black Ridge," said Steve, "and he lives in Okeechobee. We're thinking of heading over for a bit of a reunion and maybe our buddy might have heard a thing or two."

"No harm in asking," said Lisa as she drained her beer.

"I'll get us a vehicle from the motor pool and we'll head out to Okeechobee tomorrow afternoon," said Bruce, then he turned to Nadia and said, "Don't get your hopes up, this is just a fishing expedition."

"I won't," said Nadia, but she felt an excitement rising, it's been so long since her mother died, and now some solid information. She and Steve escorted Bruce and Lisa to their car, said their good nights and as Bruce slowly cruised up the quiet street, each house decorated with lights, Nadia turned to Steve and said, "Do you think we will find something?"

"I remember Terry and he was a hound; he loved the pretty girls. I bet you anything that Lisa is just going to smile and bat her eyelashes and memorize everything he says while Terry tries to impress her."

After a quick kiss good night Steve crawled into bed, exhausted from a wonderful Christmas day celebration. As he reached for the light Nadia tapped on Steve's bedroom door. "Can I come in? I can't sleep." She didn't wait for him to answer, she never does, nor does Steve when Nadia gets in her bed first. She came in the room wearing the babydoll nightgown that Steve had given her, "You like?" She did a slow turn then struck a pose. If anything, the cute babydoll containing Nadia's lush curves was one of the sexiest things that Steve ever saw. He's going to have a very hard time getting to sleep with this image on his mind. He raised his phone and took picture.

"Don't take my picture!" she cried in mock horror, then she struck another pose. "Get my ass, I want to see how that looks too." After he took another shot, Nadia demanded, "You like?"

"I love. And the nightgown is pretty too."

Nadia climbed into bed and snuggled up next to Steve to look at the pictures then something clicked in her head. "Did you just tell me that you loved me?"

"If you're going to need time to process my answer I'll give you all the time in the world," said Steve as he gazed into her dark brown eyes, "because you are worth the wait, so yes. I love you."

She leaned over Steve and gave him a sweet kiss. "I love you too." Again, they kissed, this time longer and more passionate until Nadia broke it off suddenly. "If we love each other why do we sleep in separate rooms?"

"Well for one thing I'm technically your stepfather, and for another thing we never sleep in separate rooms. We commute every night."

Her eyes rolled with mischief; a sly grin crossed her features. "When we have sex I can call you daddy! Won't that be fun?" In answer Steve started tickling her. Nadia whooped and squealed with laughter and she tried to roll away from him as he tormented her but she was helpless, a prisoner to his tickling hands. Soon she was gasping for breath and trying to tickle him back but it didn't seem to affect him as much as her.

Finally, the tickle fight ended and the lovers lay side by side catching their breath. Nadia whispered sadly, "you were thinking of her, weren't you. Sometimes I can see it in your eyes, you get wistful."

"Sometimes when we're active like just now. We could never do something like that, she was too fragile and it makes me sad knowing that."

"Do you see my mother instead of me when we snuggle like this?"

"No, now that I know you and really come to find out more about you, how very similar but very different you and your mom are. I probably know you better than any other woman I have ever known. You really are a wonderful woman and I'm so in love with you. I cannot wait to see what is ahead for us."

"Misery, pain, taxes... lots and lots of taxes..."

"You're so cheerful," and he tickled her some more.

"Let's go swimming." She jumped out of bed and dashed off with Steve following behind. He grabbed a towel from the linen closet and headed out to the patio. The temperature was cool, 70 degrees (for Floridians that's chilly) and the patio was magical. Gentle carols filled the air and Christmas lights lined the roof, the café lights that illuminate the patio were now softly changing colors, and the pool lights fluttered in the waves from Nadia's swimming. To the side the fake burned merrily, shame it doesn't smell right. However, there were occasions like tonight when turning on some flames with a click of a switch came in handy.

Nadia was already in the pool, only head and shoulders above water, her babydoll nighty was draped on a chair on the patio. "Come on Daddy, show me the goodies. I want to see what I'm getting."

"I'm not some cheap floozie who'll drop his boxers for any hot, beautiful brunette," said Steve as he slipped his boxers off.

"Whoo hoo! Hubba hubba!" Nadia called.

Steve slowly entered the pool, the water surprisingly warm compared to the cool surface air and he swam over to Nadia where they melted into each other's arms. "You're not going to play hard to get?"

"Not from you, and not on Christmas." Her small hand circled his cock as they kissed, their tongues entwining, naked wet bodies pressing together as Nadia and Steve stopped holding back and let their passions soar. She released his cock and wrapped her arms around him, a small whimper escaped as the man she loved held her tight and his tongue danced with hers. Hearts beating faster, a million emotions raced through their heads, fear, excitement, and so much love. Finally, the kiss ended and the lovers clung to each other, breathing in pants, their eyes fixed to each other's eyes and neither knew exactly what to do next. Hands gently stroking each other in the warm water, they were now united by a burning love for each other.

Foreheads touching between gentle kisses Steve whispered, "let's go inside."

Nadia's hands cupped Steve's ass and said, "What's wrong with out here?"

"It's getting chilly and there's an issue of shrinkage."

"I heard about that, I'm sure there's something we can do for that," but Steve led her up the stairs and out of the pool then wrapped her body in a bath sheet. Her nipples crinkled into hard points as Steve's assets sounded their own retreat. After clicking off the fire he led her into the house, by now her teeth were chattering from the cold. "Oh, look at this kitchen!" she groaned.

To Steve's eye it wasn't too bad, but Nadia was a kitchen perfectionist like her mother so there's something amiss that male eyes are not able to spot. The 21 year-old lady of the house did a marvelous job of putting together a Christmas dinner party for three couples and three children, it was a lot of work and so was cleanup, but it was a joy to watch Nadia captain the effort. "There's always tomorrow," said Steve. "Did I tell you how proud I was of the dinner you made?"

"Yes, it was my favorite Christmas present."

As he led her to his bed and watched her climb in bed showing off her perfect body. "How did I ever get so blessed... again," he muttered, then dried off quickly, turned off the light and climbed into bed with a sleeping Nadia.

He kissed her forehead and she smiled then mumbled, "I'm sorry, I'm so tired." She snuggled closer and drifted back off to sleep.

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"You could have gone for it and got some last night," insisted Nadia, not caring if Bruce and Lisa in the front seat heard her. "I might have woken up."

"Sex with an unconscious woman is not my idea of sexy." Steve and Nadia were riding in the back of a large SUV that Bruce was driving to Okeechobee a small city 50 miles from Vero Beach, it's located on a huge freshwater lake and it caters to fishing and tourism.

"Ok you two, put up or shut up," said Bruce into the rear view mirror. Nadia stuck out her tongue in reply and went back to apologizing to Steve. "Ok, hang on," Bruce said as he pulled up to the police station. "We'll be right back." Bruce and Lisa entered the police station and presented documents showing that they were investigating a murder in Indian River County and wanted to question a local citizen. "We want to ask Terry Hill a few questions, do you know him?" Bruce showed the Sergeant a picture taken of Terry in Afghanistan.

"Oh yeah, he's a regular down at the Bass Lounge," and the captain gave Bruce and Lisa directions to the bar. They found it on the lake front and looked around. It wasn't a seedy bar but it looked like it got a fair crowd of regulars.

Steve stepped up to the bar and asked the bar tender, "Do you know Terry Hill?"

"Why? You a tax collector?" the bar tender asked without looking up, "or a cop?"

"Terry and I were in Special Ops together and I heard he was in town."

The bar tender just tilted his head to the end of the bar and there hidden behind a few revelers sat the remains of Terry Hill. He looked like he has had a tough life since he left their unit. He was skin and bones living on a diet of beer and scraps.

"Terry dude! It's me, Steve Anderson!"

"Oh, hiya Doc, how long has it been?"

"You remember Bruce, right? Come sit with us." They found an empty table and plied Terry with a couple of beers and began to ask him about how life in Black Ridge was going.

"Dude, you wouldn't believe the places they sent us, and the money they gave us. I've been to places I never knew existed." He spun stories of battles, drugs, sex, and a brotherhood, but it sounded like the brotherhood was breaking up, or weeding out those that weren't measuring up.

Bruce whispered, looking around, "I heard of an op here in Florida that went bad, you lost four or five people."

"Fuck, we lost more n' that," Terry was getting bleary now, "It was a smash and grab, some dirt bag was holding lil kids so a guy hired us to bust in, grab the kids and kill the dirtbags. The house was a fortress, we finally get in and they got canons! I boogied before I got my ass shot off, took one in the arm..." He took a long drink from his beer and said, "Fuckin' Battle of Vero Beach."

Steve felt Nadia starting to tighten up and he hustled her out of the bar before she started screaming and once he got her out of the bar she screamed. "That son of a bitch!" she screamed as Steve held her tight, "He killed my mother!" Suddenly they were back to square one, holding and supporting each other as the shock of his confession ignited flames of hate and anguish that they thought were quelled. "He killed my mother," it was a whimper now as they sagged to the curb. They sat on a curb holding each other ignoring everything as people walked past, soon cops started to arrive and not much later Bruce found them.

"I'm sorry guys, I didn't realize he was in on it, I hoped he had a few clues but he spilled his guts. I arranged a ride home for you guys, Lisa and I have a shit-ton of work to do..." Bruce's voice faded into the miasma of internal noise, the memory of seeing the neighborhood filled with flashing police lights, that horrible sinking feeling...

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"Where's that man of yours?" asked Aunt Fabbi as she arrived unannounced the next day.

"He's done weeding and cutting the lawn, now he's skimming the pool, it's what he does when he's angry." Nadia's eyes were red rimmed from crying all the way home and long into the night.

Fabbi looked around the house then finally said, "It appears that no one is sleeping in the master bedroom."

"Is that an accusation?" said Steve as he entered.

"Just an observation dear brother, no need to be angry." She stepped up to Steve and kissed his cheek. "I'm rooting for you two," she whispered.

"We hate the furniture in that room," Steve whispered in Fabbi's ear.

"Then by all means change it! It's your house! And why are you angry?"

"A fellow I served with was part of the mob who broke in here, and..." he shook his head in impotent rage. "I realized how much danger we're in."

Fabbi looked at the young couple, they were both caught up in anger and rage and they didn't know how to deal with it, and she couldn't lose this last remainder of her sister. They reminded her so much of Giuseppe and Maria when they were young and courting. "Look you two, you've been together day and night for how many months? Seven?"

They nodded and Fabbi continued, "maybe you need to spend some time apart, Steve, you can go hang out at the VFW, Nadia you can come with me to Manhattan, we'll do some shopping, catch a show, just a girls week out and then you can decide what you're going to do with yourselves, sound like a plan?"

Nadia looked over at Steve, and he looked shocked. "No? Steve come here and sit in this chair, and Nadia, you sit in his lap." They eased together into a familiar posture, it felt so good to be in contact again, it had been nearly twenty four hours since they touched last. "Now tell me why you can't take separate vacations."

Nadia softly whimpered, "I can't sleep without him, he makes me feel safe, but last night he was up all night out by the pool. I understand how angry he is but sometimes it felt like he was mad at me."