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drank from her lips, taking what he needed from her,
holding her tightly against his body. Their tongues entwined, their
breathing escalated as they fed from each other.
    His arms stayed wrapped around her, clutching
her to him. His mouth left hers and seared its way back to her ear,
where he plunged his tongue inside and bit into her earlobe again.
He growled deep from his diaphragm and made a demand. "No more
fuckin' kisses, understand me?"
    She panted in his arms, her body liquid as he
held her up. "Yes."
    "Say it." His words were abrupt,
succinct.
    "No more."
    "No more what , Elaina?" He continued
to beat out the demand that he needed to hear.
    His mouth left her ear as they sucked in
oxygen and stared at each other.
    "No more Trevor." Her voice was soft,
hesitant, but sure that's what he wanted to hear.
    "That's right," he rasped out.
    They stood, arms-length apart as he clenched
her shoulders in his grasp. Her breath came in spiky inhalations as
her eyes grew troubled. Swallowing deeply, she watched him intently
for several long seconds.
    His hand lifted to her hair and began to
bring her to him again.
    She broke free and pulled away from him.
    He let her escape his hold and flee from the
room. But later that night, he made damn sure he was standing
beside her when the stroke of midnight neared. When the countdown
began he stared Trevor down and straightened to his full height,
his hands landing on Elaina's shoulders. When the time came, in
deference to her age and the crowd around them, he placed a quick,
gentle kiss on her lips.
    During the shouts of noise and laughter the
new year brought, he looked at her with an intensity she wouldn't
be able to help but understand.
    He was staking his claim .
    ****
    As Elaina was getting ready for bed a few
hours later, her aunt slipped into her room. The look on her face
was more curious than troubled. "Is there something going on
between you and Raul?"
    Elaina was surprised by the question even
though she shouldn't have been. She answered honestly. "Probably,
but I hope not."
    Janie shook her head and chuckled. "What kind
of an answer is that?"
    "The truth as I know it."
    "What's going on, sweetie?"
    Elaina moved to the bed and sat down, drawing
her knees up to her chin. "There are definite sparks flying around,
that's for sure."
    "But?"
    Elaina looked guilty. "I'm pretty sure he
thinks I'm younger than I am."
    "How so?"
    "He assumed when we met I was eighteen
because I told him I was a freshman in college."
    "Ahh."
    "Yeah."
    "And you've let him go on assuming it?"
    "It seemed the safest route," Elaina
responded.
    "What do you mean by that?" her aunt
asked.
    "He's Hispanic." She stated the obvious.
    Janie let out a delicate snort. "I hate to be
the one to point it out to you, sweetie, but your last name is Ruiz ."
    "I understand that. But mom was very
meticulous in explaining how it works with Hispanic men. She was
married to one, you know."
    "I know that. I also know she was madly in
love with your father and he with her. What's going on in that
crazy head of yours?"
    "Hispanic men are more--more-- just
more . More everything. More in control. More macho. More
possessive."
    Janie had a dreamy look on her face. "And my
sister told you that's a bad thing?" Her voice sounded
incredulous.
    "Not exactly. But I guess I took it that
way."
    "Elaina, all of that may be true in a general
sense. And I would think, certainly true when it comes to Raul. But
your parents were deeply in love. They had a wonderful
relationship. They were equals in every way. Your mom never fully
recovered from losing your dad. I don't think she was so much
warning you, as she was just telling you as she saw it . I
know for a fact she never regretted her choice and she loved
everything about your father. Baby, you must have
misunderstood."
    Elaina thought about it in contemplative
silence for a moment. "You don't think he's intense?"
    "Raul? Absolutely, I think he's intense. But
he's also a great guy. I haven't