The Christmas Eve dinner was probably spectacular, but it might as well have been crackers and tea for all Maria tasted it. Her mouth felt dry despite the glass of wine she was sipping, and her thoughts kept turning to what she and Ritchie would be doing once Joey was tucked into the cuddy cabin on the boat for the night. At any rate, there'd be plenty of leftovers tomorrow.

"Eat," Ritchie said. "You need to keep your energy up." He gave her a slow smile, and she felt the color creeping into her cheeks.

"That's right," Joey said. "I bet you have lots of presents to put under the tree tonight. You'll probably be up really late."

There would be lots of presents for him under the tree this year. She was still paying the rent on her now-empty apartment, but thanks to Ritchie insisting on footing the bill for their food and all of Joey's other necessities, she'd had enough expendable income to go a little crazy with Christmas shopping. Joey wasn't going to be a kid much longer, and although she'd done her best since their mom died, the holidays had still been a bit sparse.

"This stuff is great!" Joey said, helping himself to another big serving of the seafood and pasta medley Jillian had said would reheat really well or could be served cold tomorrow.

"Hey," Joey continued, "Jillian said she saw you guys out there on the paddleboard."

Maria's fork clattered onto the table. "What did she say?"

Joey shrugged. "Just that you looked like you were having a good time."

She wanted to reach across the table and wipe the smirk off Ritchie's face. Joey went on, oblivious.

"Jillian said she'll be back before New Years because she has this big catering job. She said maybe I can go out paddleboarding with her and her partner sometime." Joey was beaming.

"She has a partner in her catering business? I've only seen Jillian here by herself."

"Not a business partner," Ritchie said, eyes twinkling.

"Yeah," Joey piped in. "You don't have to be jealous of Jillian, Sis, 'cause she has a girlfriend."

"I am not the least bit jealous of Jillian," Maria said.

"Right," Joey said. "Sis, you're so busted."

Maria gave him a stern look. "Do I have to remind you again what day this is?"

"You're the best sister in the whole world," Joey proclaimed, recovering nicely.

"Um hmm. We'll see," Maria said, but what she was thinking was, Jillian is gay? She supposed Ritchie thought he was pretty funny with all those comments about Jillian this and Jillian that.

She gave him a hard look, but when she caught the grin on his face, she had to break out laughing. Suddenly, Jillian's seafood salad tasted a lot better. But her nerves still kept her from really enjoying the meal. The last time she and Ritchie had been in a bed together, he was the one who put on the brakes. For good reasons. The thing was, she didn't think any of those reasons had really changed. Sure, she no longer looked at him as the one-dimensional ambitious young prosecutor who had counted her brother as just another notch on his career path. But the fact remained, he had been ruthless in his prosecution of not only the gang members but also anyone who – like Tito – had been even peripherally involved in drug and weapons cases.

It was like Ritchie was two different people. The man she had come to know over recent months could at times seem both arrogant and demanding — he had taken over their lives, uprooting them from their apartment and controlling every aspect of Joey's daily life. In the process, he'd swept her up into a completely different world.

But he had put Joey back onto the right path – something she herself had been unable to do. His kindness and generosity shown through his charitable work at St. Theresa's, the time he spent with Joey, and his close relationship with his own family. That part of him drew her despite herself. There was no use pretending that her pulse didn't take off like crazy whenever she was near him, and that she didn't lie awake in bed each night wondering what it would be like to make love with him.

This time, tonight, he wasn't going to stop at foreplay. He wasn't going to show the restraint he had each time before, and there wouldn't be a spill into brisk water to cool them off when things got too intense. He told her he was taking her to bed tonight, and he meant it. She knew that if she changed her mind, told him no, he'd respect that. But she also knew that from the moment he reached out and touched her tonight, she would be powerless to stop the desire coursing through her own body.

She knew there was a good chance she would regret sleeping with Ritchie tonight. She also knew she would regret it even more if she didn't.

As she cut generous pieces of the apple pie Jillian had baked and lifted them onto desert plates, she could feel him watching her. Could he pick up on how nervous she was? Maybe he thought finally letting go of her virginity was what troubled her. But he'd be wrong. She'd been ready the first time Ritchie carried her up to bed. What she was truly afraid of was losing her heart to a man she could not, would not, allow herself to love.

* * *

After dinner they played board games and watched old Christmas movies until it was time for Joey to head out to the boat for the night. She got him settled in the cuddy, and reached over and ran her hand over his hair, then kissed him on his forehead. She knew there wouldn't be many more moments like this before he left the little boy part of him behind forever.

"Maria?"

"What, Joey?"

"I'm glad we came here for Christmas with Ritchie."

"Me too. Are you sure you're going to be okay sleeping out here?" Part of her wanted to put off the inevitable. If Joey decided to come back in the house and sleep in the room right down the hall from Ritchie's, there was no way she'd feel comfortable joining Ritchie in his bed tonight.

"I'm good. This is gonna be cool. I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay," she said softly.

By the time she walked back up to the house, Ritchie had already gotten all the packages for Joey out of the storage room built into the side of the house, and they were stacked in a jumble on the living room floor. He'd had them all brought over from Miami the day before they arrived.

"This looks like way more than I bought," Maria said, and Ritchie grinned.

"I picked up a few extra things."

It took an hour before everything was organized, and Ritchie had assembled and connected the drums and guitar for the Rock Band 4 Band-in-a-Box video game, and Maria had adorned it with a giant red bow.

She sat back on the couch and surveyed the array of brightly wrapped packages surrounding the tree. Joey was getting plenty of loot on Christmas morning, but she knew this gift was the one he had his heart set on.

"I can't believe you bought another game console just so he could play this on Christmas morning."

"We'll be rocking out all day tomorrow," Ritchie said, and Maria felt a warm glow spread through her heart as she thought about how much it would mean to Joey for Ritchie to play with him in the video band. Ritchie was the closest thing Joey had ever really had to a father. He'd been so young when his dad died that he barely remembered him.

Ritchie walked deliberately toward her, and at first she thought he was going to join her on the couch. Instead, he pulled her to her feet. In an instant, the mood in the room shifted. Their bodies were close together, almost touching, and the air between them felt charged with electricity. She'd worn a soft deep-green halter dress for Christmas Eve dinner. The high strappy sandals she'd started with had been discarded during the package assembly. She wished she had the extra height now. Her face was level with his chest, and she had to tilt her head back to look up at him. He then lifted her as if she weighed nothing at all.

"Wrap your legs around me, Maria."

She held onto his shoulders as he kissed her. The kiss started out gentle, easy, then quickly moved beyond her control. All she could do was hang on. His hand was under her skirt, against her skin, supporting her weight while her legs tightened around him, and she pressed herself as close to him as she could. His other hand was splayed across her bare back, moving up and down, caressing her skin. Everywhere he touched her felt like she was on fire. The heat was building so quickly inside her she thought she might explode.

"Oh, God, Ritchie, hurry."

She heard his low laugh. His breath was warm on her ear.

"We've waited this long, Maria," he said, as he carried her toward the staircase. His voice was low and sexy. "The one thing I can promise you is, it's not going to be fast."

* * *

He set her down slowly in the bedroom, letting her slide down his body. Her lips were already swollen from kissing. He ran his fingertips slowly up and down the front of her dress. She was incredibly responsive to his touch, and he felt himself go rock hard as he took her nipples between his thumbs and fingers, manipulating the soft cloth to increase the friction. Her eyes glaze over with pleasure.

"Ritchie, please, I can't take anymore."

"You have no idea how much more you can take." He paused. "But I'll show you."

He continued exploring her breasts through the thin silk as he trailed his mouth along the side of her jaw, down into the little hollow on the side of her neck that he already knew made her tremble. The skin on her back was silky smooth, and she smelled like an exotic flower.

He moved his other hand up her back, following the line of her spine, until he reached the single button that held up her dress, and undid it. The dress slipped free, sliding down her body. It landed in a soft cascade around her bare feet, and she was wearing nothing but a pair of lacey dark green panties that matched the color of her dress.

She looked suddenly self-conscious and started to cover her breasts with her arms. He caught her hands and held them at her sides.

"Don't do that. I want to look at you."

He ran his hands up and down the outside of her arms and let his eyes move over her. Those perfect breasts were slightly flushed, her nipples even more aroused after the attention he'd given them through the silk.

He raised his eyes to her face. "God, you're beautiful."

Her lips parted slightly, and she ran the tip of her tongue nervously across her teeth. "Ritchie."

He scooped her up in his arms and laid her on the bed, her dark hair fanning out on the pillow. "So beautiful."

He saw the surprise register on her face when, instead of sliding in next to her, he moved to the bottom of the bed and lifted one of her delicate feet in the palm of his hand, moving his lips over the arch while keeping his eyes on her face. He took his time with each foot, and felt her shiver when he used his lips to explore the inside of her ankle. Her hands gripped the soft comforter on the bed as her whole body tensed, then relaxed. And he wondered why he'd waited so long, when this was exactly what they both wanted.

After tonight, she would just have to put the past in the past. Because Ritchie had no intention of letting the mistakes her brother made ruin the future the two of them could have together.

But right now, he had more interesting things to focus on. Like that soft sound she made when he put his mouth on the back of her knee.

"Ritchie."

Her hands fluttered and she grasped his hair, tried to urge him up the length of her body, but he was planning on taking his time.

"What's your hurry?" He nipped the inside of her thigh lightly and heard her gasp. When he traced both hands up those long, silky legs, hooked two fingers in the sides of the lacy panties and slid them all the way down, she moaned, soft and sweet.

"That's it. Right there," he said, as he trailed slow kisses up the inside of her thigh, pressing his hand against her other thigh to keep her legs apart and give him full access. Then he bent her knees, slid his hand under her hips to lift her slightly, and used his mouth on her. She came apart instantly, straining to clamp her legs around him as he held her firmly in place, reaching up her body with his free hand to tease her nipple and draw out her orgasm.

While she was still trembling with the aftershocks, he leaned forward over her, his legs straddling hers, and closed his mouth over her nipple, circling the tip with his tongue. She arched her back, her head falling to one side as she sighed.

"Don't close your eyes. I want you looking at me when you go over. Every time."

She turned her head back, those dark, expressive eyes looking straight into his.

"Every...time?"

"Every time."

"How many...Ohhh." Her words ended on a moan as he turned his attention back to her breast, sucking harder on one nipple as he pinched the other one. The taste of her was still on his lips, and it mingled with the sweet scent of her skin. He was glad he still had his pants on, or he'd have entered her by now, and he wanted to take her over at least two more times before he let himself take her completely. Once he was inside her, he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to maintain control. Already the friction of his jeans against her soft skin was almost too much to bear.

"Oh, God, Ritchie, I can't take anymore." Her face was flushed, and her skin damp.

"Take more," he said, and she grabbed the front of his shirt with both hands, ripping the buttons open as he took her over again. As her hands ran over his chest he closed his eyes for a moment, maintaining control, then watched as Maria's eyes dilated and her breathing quickened.

"More," he said, reaching down with his hand to stroke her and then enter her with a finger until he felt her clench around him. He swallowed her startled cry with his mouth as he kissed her.

Hating to lose the physical contact for even a moment, he straightened, took a step back. She lay on the bed looking up at him with wide eyes as he dispensed with his clothes and quickly sheathed himself with a condom. Then he slipped back into the bed, positioning himself between her knees.

"Maria," he said, surprised there was a catch in his throat. He had never seen her as beautiful as she was at this moment, naked on the bed beneath him, her curly hair wildly disarrayed, her eyes filled with arousal and trust, her lips swollen, and her entire body shimmering with a fine sheen of perspiration. He lowered himself over her so that his chest grazed her breasts. The feel of her smooth skin and her firm nipples against his own skin was intoxicating.

She slipped her arms around his neck, and everything seemed to move in slow motion as he kissed her, gently at first then with increasing pressure as he felt her hands gripping him. He rocked against her slowly and she arched toward him. He felt her muscles tense for a moment as he entered her, then moved his mouth along her jawline to the side of her neck, speaking to her in a low voice, telling her how beautiful she was. Then he was kissing her lips again, bracing himself over her with his arms, as he felt her start to relax again. He lifted his head so he could look into her eyes, as in one smooth stroke he filled her. He could feel her heart pounding, heard her sudden intake of breath, and then she was moving under him, slowly at first and then faster.

"That's it, that's right. My beautiful Maria."

"Oh, God, Ritchie. Ritchie!"

He adjusted his angle then, and began moving inside her, setting a slow easy pace at first, and then with more determined strokes, holding onto his control until her body moved frantically under his, until she tightened her arms around his neck, and he felt the sharp prick of her teeth on his shoulder. Then he let go of his control, thrusting harder, faster, touching her everywhere just as she was touching him. He felt her legs clasp around his waist, and he changed the angle again until their bodies were moving as one. He reached down between them, added his hand to the friction already rubbing her sensitive nub as she jerked and writhed under him. She sobbed out his name, her inner muscles clenching and contracting, and her entire body tensed as her fingers gripped his back. He quickened his thrusts even more, driving her through the orgasm as he felt himself come, hard and intense.

Then he groaned and rolled over, still inside her, pulling her with him, until he was flat on his back and she was splayed across him, limp and satisfied.

He ran his hand lightly up and down her back and she shuddered then lifted her head up slightly to look at him.

"I may never move again." She looked as sated as a cat that just drank a bowl of cream, but within moments, he saw a flicker of doubt cross her eyes, and she shifted slightly to the side as if she wanted to retreat under the covers. He planted a hand on that cute, round bottom and held her in place.

"Don't do that."

"What?"

"Don't even think about covering yourself up or feeling embarrassed."

"I wasn't."

He lifted his hand and gave her a playful smack across her bottom.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Lying in bed."

"Huh?"

"Telling lies in bed," he amended.

He massaged her bottom, and she wisely didn't contradict him.

"And you're wondering if you did okay. If it was good for me."

"I'm –"

He lifted his hand slightly. "No lies, remember?"

She turned her head to the side. "So, was it?"

"I wouldn't say it was good..." He chuckled as she struggled to get up. Now she was looking at him, and there was fire in her eyes, just the way he liked her.

"Are you laughing at me? You let me up right now, Ritchie."

He had his hand clamped over her bottom again, and the way she was wiggling on top of him had him starting to go hard again already. She must have felt him growing inside her, because she stopped moving and looked at him, her eyes round.

"It wasn't good," he said, then paused. "It was great." He reached up and brushed the damp hair back from her forehead with his hand. "You were amazing."

"You mean that?"

"No lying in bed, remember?"

"Ok, because I could smack your butt, too, you know."

"I've got a better idea." He put his both hands on her hips and lifted her, leaning her back against his knees while he dealt with the used condom. He then quickly unwrapped another one.

"Let me do that."

He leaned back with his hands behind his head while she dealt with it, getting more and more aroused as her fingers fumbled slightly, rolling it down his shaft. Then he lifted her by her hips again and slowly eased her into place.

"We'll take it easy this time," he promised her. He knew she had to be sore.

"I don't want to take it easy," she said as she began riding him, awkwardly at first, then with growing confidence. "I want to take it all." When he reached up with the palms of both hands and began rhythmically caressing her breasts, she started moving faster and faster. He adjusted her to give her a better angle, and she braced her hands on his shoulders, her hips moving faster and faster while he kept stroking her breasts, moving his hips to kept pace with the wild tempo she was setting.

He hadn't lied to her when he said the first time was great, and this time was even better. As soon as she started to come, he let himself go as well. Maria threw her head back and gasped his name – her eyes glazed and her face flushed with pleasure.

When she collapsed on top of him this time, he pulled the thick comforter over them and just held her close until she fell asleep.

Author's Note:

There's no turning back now. How do you think Maria will feel in the morning? Regrets? Or glad she took this step with Ritchie? 

Music: Rod Stewart - Tonight's the Night.