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"Okay, so I'm figuring out that Spanish is harder than everyone thinks," Stephanie pouted, trying to write out a simple sentence in the foreign language. She had taken it for a year in high school and didn't have much experience using it. The incident with Brian seemed to have been forgotten on the outside the next morning, but three days later, she knew it was still bothering the four men.

"At least it's logical, unlike English. 'I' before 'E' except after 'C'... That's a bunch of nonsense. At least, that's what my mother says. To this day she'll still yell at my father in Spanish. And, being Irish, he just sits there, astonished," Howie chuckled as he took a seat beside Stephanie, glancing over her shoulder at the pad she was using. Lessons of Spanish were definitely not her forte.

"It may be nonsense, but I understand it perfectly. However, I do sympathize with your father. I would have the same look on my face if you yelled at me in Spanish," She growled in frustration, scribbling out the sentence and starting over.

"Speaking might be easier than writing," Howie suggested, reaching to clasp her hands.

"I don't think I'll be very good at that."

"How come?"

"I don't know how to roll my 'R's."

"That comes later... With practice..." Howie answered, though he leaned close till their lips were a hairsbreadth apart. "And practice can be fun..."

"I think I like this language again," Stephanie laughed softly, running her hands through his newly cut locks.

"Want to know how to roll your 'R's?" Howie enticed.

"Si, por favor."

"Bien," Howie declared, bringing his lips against hers. He first offered a soft kiss as to not scare her away, but she became emboldened by his decision. Seemingly possessed by love, Howie deepened the kiss, offering his tongue to her mouth. Coiling his tongue against hers, he coaxed it into a rolled position. Then, he rolled his 'R's against her tongue, applying a friction of excitement.

A low moan escaped Stephanie's throat, feeling their tongues roll together in perfect harmony. If this was the way to learn rolling 'R's, she was going to be the master.

"See, speaking is easier..." Howie teased, reluctantly drawing away.

"If you keep having demonstrations like that... si, muy simpatico..." Stephanie trailed off, her lips tingling from the smoldering kiss.

"And you thought you needed lessons when it came to Spanish," Howie teased, finding it amusing that she had such a wealth of knowledge.

"I just need help with the writing part..." she flushed.

"Well... That's no fun..."

"There's got to be a way we can make that fun..." Stephanie chewed her lip in thought.

"Well..." Howie trailed off slightly.

"How about... every time I can form a sentence... I get a kiss? And you can kiss me anywhere you want," Stephanie leaned over and trailed a finger up his chest.

"I suppose that could work," Howie accepted, trying not to shiver underneath the soft guidance of her finger. Something about her was terribly alluring. He had never felt so captivated by a woman before.

"Good," she smiled softly. "What's my first sentence?"

"What's your name?" Howie decided, wanting to keep it simple. Perhaps too simple considering the rewards.

"What's your name..." Stephanie took her notepad and thought for a moment before scribbling it down, showing it to him. "Is that right?"

"Does it honestly matter?" Howie blurted, reaching for the notepad so he could throw it across the room. Reaching for her shoulders, he pushed her down onto the sofa, wasting no time in covering her body with his. "Lo siento, cariņa, yo no puedo ayudar a me."

"Whatever you just said... I could care less... Just keep kissing me," Stephanie squealed with excitement, curling her legs around his waist to pull him closer, changing the meaning of a lesson in foreign tongue.


~*~*~*~*~


Kevin walked out of his room, his hair damp from a cool shower. The penthouse was quiet; everyone seemed to be out for the day. Except for him and Brian. Glancing around, he finally found his younger cousin sitting outside on the large deck overlooking the city.

Since first meeting Stephanie, Brian had pulled away completely from the group. He had refused to join in any social activities, much less carry a conversation with Stephanie. He treated her as if she had the plague and Kevin constantly tried to apologize for it. Brian was just not himself. He was hurt. He was trying to get better... Just excuses. But Kevin wanted a straightforward answer. "Hey, B," he called, stepping onto the balcony beside his family member. "Little warm for long sleeves, ain't it?"

"I'm cold," Brian replied shortly, keeping his gaze towards the skyline.

Kevin offered a skeptical glance despite Brian's wandering gaze. "The humidity could strangle a man--"

"I said I'm cold. If you're going to pester me, I'll go somewhere else," Brian interrupted, clenching his jaw tightly. He knew his cousin wasn't looking for idle conversation.

"Don't do that," Kevin groaned. "I just wanted to spend some time with you."

"Trying to ease your guilty conscience, huh? Or maybe because you don't have anything else to do but feel sorry for me--"

"Jesus, B, what's gotten into you?"

"You don't know what it's like. No one does. So don't try to understand."

Kevin shook his head as he pulled Brian down into one of the chairs beside him. "You act like you're the only person in this world who's had his heart broke."

"Kevin--"

"What Leighanne did was rotten. I know that. She was either cold hearted or dumb as a damn brick. But that doesn't stop you from living your life. God, put yourself back into your music. Or into basketball. I mean, you got the heart surgery, you're doing better... Don't let life go down the drain."

"But I loved her! I would have given her the world! Why couldn't she love me back? What's wrong with me?" Brian turned away from Kevin's penetrating green orbs.

"There's nothing wrong with you--"

"Obviously there is! Leighanne would still be here if there wasn't anything wrong with me!" Brian rubbed his wrist through his sleeve. "Maybe I'm meant to be alone. Unloved."

"Brian, we love you--"

"You all ignore me! You just watch over me like a hawk so I don't ruin our reputation."

"That's not what we're doing and you damn well know it!" Kevin exploded in disbelief, reaching to yank at his cousin's wrist to turn him.

"Don't fucking touch me!" Brian pulled away from Kevin's grasp.

"What's wrong?" Kevin yelped in honest shock as Brian sent him hurdling back against his chair, holding his wrist as if he had been in severe pain.

"Everything's wrong. You want me to act all peachy in public, fine. Don't fucking ask me to do it around here," Brian stalked back into the room and slammed his door shut.

The slam may have been deafening to Kevin, but Brian didn't care. Instead, he hurried into his private bathroom and slammed that door shut as well. The power behind his arm caused the mirror to rattle and his toiletries to clatter into the sink. Noting the glistening scissors and razorblades beneath the gleaming lights, he exhaled a shake breath. Rolling up his sleeves and pant legs, he went to work. Pain washed away.


~*~*~*~*~


"This city is amazing!" Stephanie gasped softly, craning her neck to see the very top of the Empire State Building. She and Howie decided to spend the day walking around New York City since it was her first time visiting.

"Don't break your neck," Howie teased, reaching for her hand to pull her away from the crowd of natives stomping through the streets. Each was obviously hot to get to their jobs after lunch. Not in the mood for tourists. Not that Howie cared. He just wanted Stephanie to enjoy herself.

"Funny," Stephanie rolled her eyes playfully as she dodged out of a man's way. "These people are like a herd of cows rushing to get back in the barn!"

"Can't say I agree with that statement. I've never been near a cow in my life."

"City folk..." Stephanie sighed, shaking her head with a smirk.

"Didn't you come from a city?"

"Yeah, but we had farms integrated in the city. I only had to drive maybe twenty minutes from my apartment and I could see cows."

"I'd stick to beaches," Howie decided, reaching for her hand to help her down the street.

"I've never been to a beach on the coast. Only lakes," Stephanie shrugged, feeling her body warm from his simple touch.

"Well, I can take you to a beach," Howie promised.

"Really?"

"Sure, why not?"

"I guess I'm still getting used to seeing someone who would give me anything I asked for... not that I would! I could never take advantage of you, but--"

"You're rambling," Howie decided.

"Sorry..." Stephanie blushed.

"Why be sorry, Steph? You're adorable."

"No, I'm not--"

"Beautiful then."

"Howie, I am not--"

"Gorgeous."

"Howie!"

"What?" he laughed, though his dark eyes shown with the truest of sincerity.

"You're with all the beautiful celebrities and models... how can you compliment me like that?" Stephanie looked away, sighing softly. The first couple of times he told her such things, she thought he was just being nice.

"Because it's true," Howie answered, turning in front of her and ducking slightly to catch her blue-gray eyes. "You may not have glitz and glamour, though I'm sure if we gave you a day at some ritzy spa, you'd send all the women on the red carpet writhing in jealousy. But I think you're gorgeous for what's inside. For how you're so insecure, though I know you're beautiful. The angles of your face. The shape of your body. You have no idea what other people see when they look at you."

"You're too good for me," Stephanie sniffled softly, reaching out to play with one of his curls.

"Why's that?" he inquired, kissing her forehead.

"I don't know... I guess I'm still trying to convince myself that God wanted this to happen. That it was finally my turn to be happy..."

"Are you happy?"

She cupped his cheeks; their contrasting eyes locking. "This is the happiest I've ever been in my life."

"Good," Howie sighed with relief.

"What was the sigh for?"

"Because, this is the happiest I've ever been and if you weren't happy and I had to let you go--"

"There is no way I couldn't be happy with you," Stephanie silenced his rambling with a gentle but passionate kiss.

"So it's okay to say I love you?" Howie suggested, unable to hold the thought as her lips softened against his.

Stephanie pulled away and studied his eyes for a moment. Did he just say I love you? To her? "Um... you said... you said..."

"I love you?"

"You love me?" She squeaked. They had been with each other for a week and deep down she had always loved him. But to hear it fall from his lips seemed like a dream and she was afraid soon she would wake up.

"I love you," he repeated, unsure how to gauge her reaction.

"Oh, Howie... I love you, too."

"Thank God."

"What did you think I was going to say?" She laughed softly, kissing him again.

"I didn't know... That's what scared me."

"Now you don't have to be scared."

"I think I'm way too excited now," Howie admitted with a lopsided grin.

"I think I know what you mean," Stephanie smiled brightly as he gently pinned her against the wall of a large skyscraper.

"Oh really?" he teased, leaning to nip at her neck.

"Mm-hmm," she moaned softly into his ear as he paid attention to her secret spot. "You want to shout it from the rooftops. To tell everyone who walks by you."

"How about I just find us a fancy hotel room for the night?"

"There's a place fancier than our current hotel?"

"Baby, this is New York. Each building does anything it can do outdo the other."