on the tip of his tongue to tell her he was in love with her but he was afraid of running her off. Each time they made love it was like he had touched her soul and they were so entwined that there was no way he could let her go. It frightened him the way he felt about her and found himself wondering if she felt the same way. The sex was mind blowing and each time they made love he found himself discovering more about her body and what drove her over the edge. He wanted to please her. “I would like to think that we are a couple and I happen to be a rich man who thinks there is nothing wrong in giving his girlfriend presents.” “So we are using labels now?” she raised a tapered brow. “I believe in equality in relationship and I don’t have anything to give you,” she told him stiffly even though the inside of her had turned to melted butter when he had called her his girlfriend. With a sudden movement he pulled her across the small wooden table and crushed her lips, his tongue going inside her mouth as he deepened the kiss. He released her just as suddenly as he had taken her and Rosa was left trembling, her lips throbbing. “You give me everything,” he told her huskily, his lashes shielding his eyes. That was that, Rosa accepted the necklace and wore it everywhere she went. ***** “It’s like I don’t get to see you anymore,” Hayley complained, rubbing her hands together as the cold penetrated her leather gloves. It was almost Christmas and they were indulging themselves on a rare day out together by doing a little bit of shopping. Hayley and her fiancé had finally decided on a February date for their wedding even though he was abroad on company business. “You were the one who wanted me to find a man,” Rosa reminded her as she picked up a scarf to get a closer look. It would look good around John’s neck and even though it was cashmere and it would probably eat out a huge chunk out of her savings she was still going to get it for him. He was spoiling her rotten and she had stopped protesting about the things he bought for her. “You’re right but if I had known he was going to monopolize your time I probably would have thought better of it,” she said with a mock frown. She had exclaimed over the diamond necklace and had chided Rosa when she said she had wanted to give it back. “You’re such an idiot,” her friend had said mildly. “He’s a great guy Hayley and I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Rosa confessed as they went up to the cashier to pay for their purchases. Nostalgic Christmas songs sounded over the speakers and the general air of goodwill was felt all around. Rosa smiled at a young mother who had her arms loaded with gifts and a toddler clutching her skirt. “Stop looking for problems where there aren’t any,” her friend advised her as they made their way to another store, stopping to admire the huge Christmas tree in one of the stores. “I think that man is falling in love with you if you ask me.” Rosa looked at her startled. She had shied away from examining what she was feeling for him and had not dared to wonder what he felt about her and besides it was too soon to be thinking about love. There was still the issue of their cultural differences to think about, she had yet to meet his parents and him to meet her mother even though her mother was dying to meet him. “We are not there yet,” she said slowly. Hayley looked at her and shook her head. “You need to catch up girl, you are there!” ***** It was Christmas Eve and they had decided to do a sort of soup kitchen at the restaurant. Rosa had asked for a contribution from her patrons and had cooked for the people who lived on the streets and who come from homes and for the orphans as well. She had started doing it last year with reluctant permission from Jack and Sherry the owners but she had persuaded them that it would be a good tax write off and they had agreed. Her mother and Hayley