

TEACHING MIA

By

M.C. Roman

•••

Copyright © 2013 by M.C. Roman

Smashwords Edition
This is a work of fiction marginally inspired by actual places and experiences.

The business school in the narrative resembles the one I attended but this is not my story.

It has sprung from imagination and possibility alone.

Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Adult Reading Material
Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - A Day in the Life

Chapter 2 - Surprise Encounters

Chapter 3 - Saving Mia

Chapter 4 - 21 Questions

Chapter 5 - New Horizons

Chapter 6 - Letting Go

Chapter 7 - Case of the Mondays

Chapter 8 - Noches en Madrid

Chapter 9 - Stripped

Chapter 10 - Home with Leo

Chapter 11 - Confessions

Chapter 12 - Reality Bites

Chapter 13 - "Studying"

Chapter 14 - Cinderella

Chapter 15 - Coming Undone

Chapter 16 - The Road Less Traveled

Chapter 17 - Shanghai, Baby!

Chapter 18 - The Shanghai Confrontation

Chapter 19 - Cramming

Chapter 20 - Facing Fear

Chapter 21 - Music is the Answer

Chapter 22 - Eres Mia

Chapter 23 - Revelations

Chapter 24 - Jet Lag

Chapter 25 - The Last Tears

Chapter 26 - Time Flies

Chapter 27 - Wait For Me

Chapter 28 - Interviewing

Chapter 29 - Birthday Girl

Chapter 30 - Re-Conquering

Chapter 31 - Hangman

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

Excerpt from Stealing Emma

About the Author

###  Chapter 1 – A Day in the Life

Mia sat waiting impatiently for the route 29 bus on Príncipe de Vergara. She took her phone out of her bag and checked it for the fifth time since she woke up thirty minutes ago. 8:45am.

Damn bus always takes forever, she thought. She proceeded to check the phone for any messages. Nothing. Why would there be something new? Defeated, she browsed through her Twitter newsfeed. She read a few headlines from The New York Times, CNN, and Business Insider before quickly getting bored and tossing the phone back in her bag.

She looked up and noticed some familiar faces surrounding her. A couple of gossiping teenagers, dressed in their private school uniforms. A Latina nanny taking care of young twin girls who wore round pink glasses. Teresa, she had overheard one of them was called, just like her sister. God, she missed her.

Somehow her morning routine felt so familiar, but it had only been a few months since Mia had decided to move from New York City to Madrid in order to pursue a master's degree in International Management. She had enrolled in Madrid Business School, or MBS, as people usually called it.

Everyone had thought it was a careless and rash decision how she had dropped everything so quickly, but at the time she just desperately needed to leave her past behind her and get a fresh start. Why was it so reckless to pursue higher education anyway? Of course, going back to school had been her way of justifying the move, but she was beginning to think she wasn't so sure anymore.

Moving to a foreign country yet again was proving to be more difficult than she thought. Besides the obvious culture shock, memories of her past still haunted her and the accelerated year program she had enrolled in was so demanding she barely had any time for herself or a real social life. Not that it was necessarily a problem since it kept her mind occupied, at least most of the time. After all, she wanted to prove to herself, her friends, and family back home that she had made the right decision. Lost in her thoughts, the red bus suddenly appeared and she was all too happy to push reality aside.

She arrived to school barely in time before the professor closed the door to class. Phew. They had a policy where you weren't allowed in class after the door closed, which made her feel like she was in high school all over again. It was nothing like her typical auditorium sized classes at New York University where no one would even notice or care if you didn't show up to class. As long as you passed the final exam, you were okay.

She cut through her row taking her usual seat, quickly stopping to greet the girls sitting next to her: Melissa from Venezuela and Victoria from Almería, the south of Spain. They had become her closest acquaintances and she had to admit they had always been really nice to her. She wouldn't necessarily call them her friends though, especially since she had built a wall around others and mostly kept to herself.

Mia took a moment to look around the classroom. She sat in the second to last row, so she had a pretty good view of her surroundings. At that point in the term, she had already memorized everybody's first and last name, as students were required to place name cards in front of them so that professors would be able to call on them. It had truly surprised her how international her classroom had been. Mia had gone to an American high school in Mexico City and living in New York always exposed her to an international crowd, but this was an entirely different playing field.

At MBS there were literally people from all over: not only Europe, but also North and Latin America, Asia, Australia, and Africa. The mix of different cultures and languages in a 50-person classroom sometimes made her feel like she was in the United Nations, and they each were a delegate representing their countries. It always made for interesting class discussions, to say the least.

The day's lecture went as usual without a hitch. Mia hurried down to the computer lab as customary, the perfect way of avoiding socializing with others in between class breaks. She logged into a computer and really having nothing better to do, she decided to check her Facebook account and see what her friends back home were up to. As usual, most posts were not that interesting, but browsing through the newsfeed somehow made her feel closer to the world she had left behind.

After spending the rest of the day in her study group, Mia went home later that night to an empty apartment. She quickly changed into her workout gear and grabbed her iPod before heading down to the ground floor of her apartment building. It had a small gym, if it could even be called that. It was more of a tiny room with a lone bicycle and a few weights in the corner. But it was sufficient for Mia. At the end of the day, a treadmill is a treadmill. Working out kept her physically active and it was a great way to blow off some steam after a busy day at school.

She grabbed a quick dinner afterwards, which consisted of heating up a prepared meal. She wasn't one to cook much and she barely even had the time to do so. As such, the frozen foods section from Carrefour had been her salvation.

As she set her dinner down at the dining table, she turned on her laptop and watched last night's episode of The Daily Show online. Thank God for Comedy Central! It was the only of her favorite TV shows she could watch online as the other networks blocked their access outside of the United States.

Jon Stewart was really something else. She loved the show because it not only made her laugh, but at the same time allowed her to keep up with the crazy world of politics more readily. Besides, watching Gossip Girls dubbed in Spanish on a local station was not her idea of a good time.

When the episode finished, she checked her class schedule and reached for the corresponding course packets from a bookshelf. She had to read three different case studies for the next day: Swatch, Southwest Airlines, and Microsoft. She was beginning to feel like a financial analyst after reading up on so many companies.

She spent the next two hours going over the cases, as she jotted down notes and highlighted important passages. She was grateful she was a fast reader, otherwise it would have taken her at least twice as long to go through them. She often wondered how most of her classmates who weren't native English speakers could handle all the heavy reading. She could barely keep up herself.

Mia decided to call it a night and she headed over to her bed feeling completely exhausted. Yet, she felt a sense of contentment that she had precisely followed the nightly routine she had set up for herself months earlier. Something about the routine kept her sane.

It was similar to when a professional tennis player prepares to serve for a point during a match. He always goes through the same motions in the same exact order. Reaching for a towel to dry off the sweat, tugging a strand of hair behind his ear, bouncing the ball repeatedly on the court. Or in the case of Rafael Nadal, picking at his shorts continuously.

The routine somehow gives each point a sense of stability no matter the score. It forces the body to undergo the same physical reaction whether it's 40-0 or 0-40, and thus the emotion behind each point is contained easier.

Despite her thoughts on keeping routine, as she fell asleep Mia couldn't help wonder if in reality she should be going out to a restaurant or bar, and hanging out with other people. Maybe she had it all wrong, but for now her perfect routine seemed to work and accomplished what she needed to get done.

###  Chapter 2 – Surprise Encounters

Mia was at her usual spot in the computer lab. She had already gone through all the websites she normally browsed through and decided it would be a good idea to print the slides for her next class. She was standing at one of the printing machines when she felt someone approach right next to her. Deciding not to pay the person any attention, she pretended to concentrate on the printing job in front of her.

"Do you know how these printers work?"

Mia turned around to face the person that had asked her the question and met a pair of stunning dark blue eyes.

It was Leo, she remembered him clearly from orientation. They had never spoken before as he was in another section from hers. She remembered he had said he was half British half Spanish and everyone had burst out laughing. She didn't really understand why others found that funny, she was half American and half Mexican herself, but had always introduced herself as Mexican having lived there during most of her upbringing.

"I don't think we've met before. I'm Leo. You're Mia, right?"

He smiled slightly at her and she took in his image. Tall at clearly over six feet, tanned skin, and dark thick hair. Although his features were rather boyish, he screamed of sex appeal. He was wearing regular jeans and a white henley shirt, but she couldn't remember the last time someone looked that good in simple clothing. He was the real definition of tall, dark, and handsome. Not to mention those piercing ocean blue eyes. All of which would clearly be off limits.

"Um ... yeah," she managed to say.

"So she speaks," he responded, looking at her quizzically.

Mia was taken aback. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"You're meaning to tell me we've been in school for three months and you don't know how to work the printers," she stated coldly.

Where was the attitude coming from? Must be from all the solitary confinement.

Leo shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I usually just print all this nonsense at home, but didn't have a chance to this morning."

Dammit, she had judged him too quickly. Feeling incredibly embarrassed, she hurriedly showed him how to log his account into the printer. He had barely just thanked her, when she quickly grabbed her slides and fled the scene without saying another word.

Good job, idiot. Way to cause a first impression, she thought.

•••

After class, Mia headed towards her usual study room, where she met with her assigned work group every day for an hour between classes. She usually arrived 15 minutes early since she had a break between her last class and the beginning of study group hour. Most people took that break to get a coffee or have a quick smoke, but she was content using that time to herself.

As she entered the study room, she silently cursed under her breath. None other than Leo was in the room, utilizing the computer. After their awkward meeting earlier, he was the last person she wanted to see.

As he was facing the wall, she almost turned around and walked back out the door hoping he wouldn't notice her, but then reasoned she would look ridiculous if he did. After all, it was her study room he was invading, although not technically for another 15 minutes.

Instead, she slowly made her way to the study room table and set down her belongings, as far away from him as she possibly could.

"Hey," she mumbled, in some form of semi greeting.

He did a half turn, looking behind his shoulder for a moment, and then turned around again without saying anything. Great.

Deciding it would be best to ignore him, she took out one of her course packets and began reading one of the assignments she hadn't gotten to yet for her next class.

Unfortunately, the topic was financial accounting and she was having a really hard time concentrating. She had already taken accounting in college, so she at least remembered the basics. Still, it was a hard subject for her and she found herself sighing frequently.

She kept trying to convince herself she couldn't concentrate because of the subject matter at hand and not the fact that she was somehow sharing a study room with Leo, alone.

Nope, it had nothing to do with her unexpected, yet very welcome visitor. It had nothing to do with her being pleasantly surprised by it. It had nothing to do with her wondering if he knew she usually occupied this study room. It had nothing to do with her trying to think of something witty she could say to him.

Why was she even pondering these things in the first place? She had absolutely no business thinking about any of it. Lost in her thoughts, she heard someone say her name from the hallway.

"Mia?"

She turned around to see Luis, one of the guys in her study group, leaning against the doorway. He was from Portugal.

"What was that?" she asked surprised.

"I said, I'm gonna go grab a quick bite but will be back in time for our study group."

"Oh okay. Yeah, that's fine. I'm just catching up on some reading for financial accounting I didn't finish last night," she said.

"Oh, that's good. I didn't get to it either so maybe you can fill me in later?" he asked with a hopeful expression.

"Well, I can try. I'm not really up to speed on this stuff, so it might be like the one-eyed man leading the blind," she admitted.

Luis laughed at that, and she thought she heard Leo laugh too, behind her. She was too shy to turn around to verify it.

"That's okay. At least it's something. Do you want me to bring you anything from the outside world?" Luis asked.

Mia paused a second, thinking the way he phrased that last question was odd. "No, I'm good thanks," she answered.

"Okay. See you in a bit, Mia ... Later Leo," he said, acknowledging him before exiting the room.

"Later," Leo called back.

Mia couldn't help but look in his direction. The elephant in the back of the room was now front and center. Apparently, Leo had been checking Facebook but was logging off at the moment. Oddly enough, that made her feel better. She was glad to know she wasn't the only dork checking that stupid site between breaks.

She was still staring at him, when he turned around and stood up, looking straight at her.

Mia blushed that she had been caught staring right at him, and immediately looked down at whatever it was she was reading. LIFO, or was it FIFO? She couldn't tell because at the moment the letters in front of her were a gigantic blur.

"Sorry Mia, I didn't realize this was your study room."

She looked up and he was standing across the table, looking down at her curiously. "No, don't worry about it. I'm early anyway," she said automatically.

"Well, I'll get out of your hair so you can study," he said.

"It's not a problem at all. You can stay if you want," Mia said surprising herself at the offer.

"No, it's okay. I was just killing time and checking Facebook, that kind of stuff," he shrugged.

"Anything interesting?" she asked. Realizing she was prying, she quickly added, "I mean ... you don't have to answer that. It's none of my business," she said blushing again.

Leo looked at her puzzled for a moment, but then he laughed. It had been his laughter she had heard before. She found it very ... soothing.

He took a seat directly in front of her and looked at her with an amused expression on his face.

"Well, let's see. I had two friend requests, four birthdays, a few party invites in London, and I got tagged in some ridiculous barbeque pictures. Oh, and Joey Hunt is now single again after breaking up with his girlfriend for the third time," he added, like it was the most important news in the world.

"That bastard," Mia joked.

"I know, right? Unbelievable," he said smiling widely.

Mia was about to say something, but got caught up in his smile. It was so warm and inviting, all she could do was grin back at him like a moron.

They continued smiling at each other for a few moments, when their stares suddenly turned serious. Mia knew she should look away, but Leo steadily held her gaze and she couldn't drop it. Time stopped. It was as if he was seeing through her, peering into her soul. Those incredible blue eyes seemed to get deeper and deeper by the minute.

Oh, what was he thinking? Starting to feel nervous, Mia bit her bottom lip.

Leo's vision dropped to her mouth and lingered on her lips for a few seconds before returning back to her eyes. It happened so quickly, she thought she had imagined it.

But then his tongue brushed against his own bottom lip and he slowly dragged his teeth across it. His eyes smoldered, then burned into hers.

Mia gasped at the sight. His look was so intense, she felt it in the very pit of her stomach. It instantly spread, tingling throughout her body. That feeling had been securely locked away for so long, it confused her at first.

Dios mío. Impossible, she thought.

Suddenly overwhelmed, she frowned, not knowing what to make of it. It shocked the hell out of her. It terrified her.

Leo looked like he was about to say something and then cleared his throat. "I ... should probably go now," he said quickly standing up. "Nice ... talking to you, Mia."

"You too, Leo," she said quietly as he walked out the door.

He was almost out of sight when she saw him slightly shaking his head as he walked down the stairs.

Mia slumped down in her chair. She shook her own head in response, and then buried it somewhere between her arms, her course packet, and the table.

###  Chapter 3 – Saving Mia

Mia had just finished having a quick bite at Barril y Botella, a tapas joint near school. Time to head back to her daily 4pm study group. Oddly enough, the study group sessions had become the favorite part of her day. It was where she felt most comfortable. Something about working with others without having the true pressure to socialize.

She had just crossed a traffic light when she felt light footsteps behind her. She turned around to see three men approaching and staring right at her. Instantly, fear shot through her as she tried to dismiss it. Had she seen wrong? Imagined that look? It couldn't be. Could it?

"Ey sexy, a dónde vas?" one of the men growled.

No, it was definitely real. Mia simply kept walking and soon enough felt them at her heels. This time she picked up the pace and took in a big gulp of air.

Keep it together. They're probably just messing around, she thought.

"Sólo queremos hablar. We just want to talk for a second. Get to know each other better," another of the men said.

Eeek! Mia scanned her surroundings and noticed they were alone, the streets were completely deserted. Spaniards always took their mid-day siestas seriously, most shops didn't open again until 5pm. Just my luck, she thought.

"Ey, que te estamos hablando. Your ass is pretty enough, but I wanna see that sweet face of yours."

Time to panic! At those last words, Mia's flight instinct took over and did what she knew best.

Run.

She hadn't gotten far when she felt her arm being jerked back abruptly. Pain coursed through as she tried to pull away, feeling like her shoulder was being ripped out of its socket. Instantly, she started kicking her legs when she felt a huge blow to her head causing her to come crashing down on the floor. The impact of hard concrete on her small frame was awfully painful.

"Quieta! Stay still bitch. If you cooperate, this won't take long." The snarl in his tone was sickening.

"No me toques!" Mia managed to blurt out once the realization hit. But it was too late. One of the men pinned her tightly to the floor while the two others stared at her with pure vulgarity.

Oh God, think Mia. Flashes of a conversation she had with an old Israeli friend came to mind. Itay had been in the army and worked in secret service for the Israeli consulate in New York. What had he told her to do in these situations? Desperately trying to remember, it came to her. It's now or never.

"You don't want to do this. I have AIDS and will infect you." Mia's words distracted him enough to loosen his grip on her.

Time for act two. With all her might, she punched him right in the throat and he instantly crouched over, gasping for air.

Oh my God, that actually worked! She scrambled off of the floor and started running with all of her might.

"Joder!" She heard one of the thugs yell from a distance, but nothing would stop her now. She managed to cross the street over the traffic and continued running up the path toward school, as fast as she could.

She risked a quick glance over her shoulder to see if they were following her but nothing came into sight. Before she could straighten her view again, she felt herself crash into hard planes of muscle.

•••

"Leo, thank God you're here!" A frightened girl yelled out, and instantly clung to his arms, hugging him and burying her face into his chest.

He was completely taken by surprise, yet instinctively held her tightly against him. All he could see at the moment was a long mane of dirty blond hair that trickled down the length of his body. He grabbed her face, lifted her chin, and looked into a pair of big brown eyes he instantly recognized. It caused him immediate pause.

"Mia? What's wrong?"

Her eyes were teary, she had a panicky face, and could barely speak. "Some ... guys ... attacked me," she said shuddering.

He looked over her and noticed three men approaching across the street. They were older and appeared to be in their 40s. They were dressed in poor looking black leather jackets and beaten up jeans. He recognized them to be Spanish gypsies. He had heard stories of them looming around the school's bars and restaurants and apparently they were making a profitable business out of stealing student backpacks and laptops.

He quickly spun Mia behind him, holding onto the small of her back. Delicate hands gripped against his arms, and he could hear her breathing heavily behind him. Her small frame felt tiny against his torso. Evidently, they had found their next victim in her. Not today boys, he thought as he flexed his biceps. God knows he had been itching for a good fight and this would provide the perfect excuse.

He noticed something flash and his vision honed in on it. One of the men had discreetly pulled out a switchblade and held it menacingly at his side.

Jesus Christ. Who the hell are these guys? Leo responded by griping Mia closer and was overwhelmed by this strange feeling that was overcoming him. Protection?

"That's right assholes, she's with me. So keep dreaming," he shouted back at them. He cracked his knuckles and balled his hands into fists. Adrenaline shot through his veins. He was ready.

The men continued moving towards them at a faster pace and Leo started contemplating his next move. He could fight them but that would leave Mia unprotected. Could he handle all three of them at once?

They could run back to school, but he didn't know if she was fast enough. No, it didn't look like it. Nonetheless, it seemed like the easiest choice but he didn't want to show them any sign of fear. Maybe it was better to keep his ground.

All of a sudden cop sirens went off at a distance, and the thugs instantly scrammed. "Tenéis suerte. You got lucky this time, bitch. But we'll be back."

Leo was about to yell something back at them, but he felt Mia wince behind him and decided against it. He waited until they were out of sight to turn her around. He pulled her into him, and grabbed her face again. "You okay?"

Still completely frazzled, she tried to act tough. "Yeah ... I'm fine."

She was obviously not and Leo saw through it. He carefully inspected her hands and face and noticed she had cuts and bruises. She probably fell before, but he didn't want to ask or mention anything. It would probably scare her even more.

"Don't worry, you're safe now, okay?" he reassured her.

She nodded, too overcome to speak, as the situation probably dawned on her.

"Did they steal your bag?"

She shook her head this time. "Left it at school," she murmured.

Holy shit. That could only mean they wanted to ... he didn't even let himself finish that thought.

"C'mon, let's get you inside." He put his arm around her and led her back inside school. They walked in silence as he tried to take everything in.

He took her to the nearest bathroom and she immediately went straight to the sink, putting her hands and head down over it.

Leo was not sure what to do. "Um, I'll go get you a coke. I'll be right back."

He ran to the vending machine outside and fumbled through his pockets for coins. Images flashed into his head of the thugs hurting Mia and her falling to the floor. Anger took over him. How could anyone even think of hurting her? What if he hadn't been there to help her?

Okay, get it together, he thought. He took a deep breath and walked back to the bathroom, only to find Mia still glued to the sink in the same position as before. She was in shock.

"Mia, here let me help you." He put down the coke and turned the faucet on. He poured some soap into his hands and started washing her hands with it, gently soothing over her scrapes.

He couldn't believe what he was doing and apparently neither could Mia, she just stared at him blankly.

He turned her arms over and grimaced when he saw she had deeper scratches near her elbows. "I'm gonna need you to bring your arms closer to the sink," he said.

Mia quickly complied and he poured more soap in his hands.

"This might sting a bit." His hands traced over her arms, leaving a faint trail of goose bumps behind. She was clearly still filled with lingering fear. Once he was done, he splashed water over her arms to drain out the soap.

He then grabbed a paper towel and ran it through the faucet. He pulled her close to him and lifted up her chin, before he slowly dabbed it at a cut on her face.

Mia instantly stiffened and diverted her gaze from him. He hadn't realized how close their proximity was until he felt her shiver against him.

"Easy, Mia. I'm almost done, I promise," he whispered. He grabbed her face and softly turned it to the side. He felt her swallow as he applied the paper towel at a spot near her temple and then she completely held her breath when he dabbed at her neck, just below her ear. It appeared to be really painful to her.

He cursed as he discarded the blood and dirt stained paper towel in the garbage dispenser. Thankfully she hadn't seen it as she was facing the other direction. He reached for another paper towel and dried her off.

"Okay, you're all set," he said, trying to keep a poker face. Inside, he felt all different kinds of emotions coursing through.

She managed to faintly smile as she finally turned to look at him. She looked shocked as hell, but there was also something so sweet and innocent about her. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Before he could stop himself, the word he had been thinking of poured out of him. "Sweetness, you're shaking. Are you cold?"

Mia hadn't even seemed to realize it. Before she could answer, he took off his favorite red sweatshirt and put it on her. She wasn't moving so he pulled her arms through the sleeves. He carefully zipped it up and their eyes met again, this time more intensely. It was unnerving how those incredible light brown eyes seemed to do things to him.

She finally reacted. "I ... think I need to ... sit down." She immediately fell to the floor and put her head on her knees.

Leo grabbed the coke and sat down right next to her, folding his arm around her. His gut reactions kept on surprising him. "Here ... you need this." A soft hiss erupted as he opened the can, and then placed it in her hand.

"Thank you. Leo, you have no idea ..."

"Thank me later. Just try to relax okay? You're completely safe, no one is going to hurt you. I'm here now."

Was he actually saying this?

"I believe you," she replied.

They passed some time in silence, Mia sipping slowly on the coke. Her shivers had subdued and then completely stopped. He tried to not concentrate on the feel of her against him, but it just felt so good. Not to mention the smell of her, it startled his senses. Her body wrapped securely underneath his was inexplicably soothing.

She sighed and placed the can on the floor and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He pulled her even tighter against him and reached for her hand, switching between tracing idle patterns on the back of it and playing with her watch.

When she finally seemed to warm up, he tried to break the silence. "You know that sweatshirt looks really good on you." He playfully pulled the hood over her head and she smiled.

"Do I look more badass now?" she said peeking back at him timidly.

"Whatever makes you feel better ... I guess my lame attempt to distract you worked," he laughed.

Almost immediately he asked, "How come we've never really hung out before? I mean besides at the study room ... and I guess our brief encounter at the printers."

Mia looked embarrassed and thought about it briefly. "Sorry if I was rude that time. I'm usually really shy and awkward."

Leo's eyes widened. "How can you be shy? That makes absolutely no sense."

"Why not? I guess I can't help it. I'm just naturally shy and self-conscious," Mia confessed.

He looked at her in disbelief. "What are you saying? You're a pretty girl. That alone should give you all the confidence in the world."

Mia seemed confused. "I don't see it like that. What does it matter anyway?"

"I can't believe you think that. You obviously don't see yourself very clearly. Why do you think those cowards were chasing you down the street?" he said, shaking his head. "I bet you anything most guys are too intimidated to talk to you. At least I was. And that's probably why we've never really hung out before."

He was being way to honest. Something about her was making him completely open up to her.

"You think I'm pretty?" she asked scrunching her forehead.

So she had caught that particular sentence. He was about to shrug it off like it was no big deal, but found himself saying something completely different. "I think you're beautiful."

Shit, Leo. Too much information, he thought. He looked at her a bit embarrassed and she stared back at him in shocked silence. But then for the first time since he met her, he saw her truly smile and it was absolutely stunning. Her cheeks soon turned red, and she ended up looking away from him. So far, she was turning out to be nothing like the ice princess he had expected her to be. He idly wondered what else she had in store for him.

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" she whispered.

"No, I'm pretty sure that was you. I would also recommend a visit to the eye doctor, something is a bit off there too," he said nudging her.

"Why are you being so nice to me? It's already enough you saved my life," she said, picking at the sleeves of his sweatshirt.

"Tell you what ... how about I buy you dinner and we call it even? We can catch the early bird special," he joked.

"How does that make it even? Now I'll owe you even more."

"You don't owe me anything. Except dinner. Plus you'll help make all the other guys from class jealous of me." Leo stood up and offered his hand.

Mia hesitated for a beat and then took it.

###  Chapter 4 – 21 Questions

He took her to an Italian restaurant nearby, Mama Mia. Fitting. She had passed it several times on her way to school, but had never actually gone inside. It looked cozy enough and she decided it was just what she needed. They sat down at a private table and stared at each other for a few moments. There were so many questions but she didn't know where to start.

She eventually asked the first question that came to her mind, a topic she had always been curious about. "So what language do you think in?"

Leo smiled at the abrupt question. "Mostly English. But Spanish always gets mixed up in there too. How about yourself?"

"Pretty much the same. I was born in New York but grew up in Mexico City so Spanglish has always been a part of me. It's always been easier to just say whatever comes to my mind, regardless of the language. Although, sometimes I find it hard to speak to someone in just English or Spanish. I guess it just takes longer to sort through two different sets of lexicons instead of just one, and then be able to properly process through the thoughts in your brain. It's funny how that happens, don't you think?"

Leo looked back at Mia, speechless. She was pretty surprised too, she usually didn't speak that much in front of strangers. Well, Leo wasn't exactly a stranger, but still it had been odd the way she had just opened up to him so easily.

"Sorry, I was a psych major in college. I can't help it sometimes," she tried to explain. "Just don't ask me to tell you what you're thinking because I have no idea. So are we going to play 21 questions or what?"

It seemed to take a while for Leo to process his own thoughts.

"Um, of course ... why else would I take you out to dinner?" He had been glancing over the menu, when he lifted his gaze and met her eyes.

"I want to know everything that goes on in that cryptic mind of yours," he said.

Mia diverted her eyes back to the menu, her long lashes fanning over her pink cheeks. "Well, that might be a problem ... that's certainly going to take a while," she teased.

"No problem at all. I think time is on my side, at least for now."

A waitress soon arrived to take their orders. Mia noticed how the waitress ogled Leo and batted her eyes at him the entire time, but he didn't seem to notice. Did all women treat him like that?

"So ... how is it that a girl like you doesn't have a boyfriend?" Leo asked as soon as the waitress left.

Mia laughed. What an ironic question. The fact that an absurdly good-looking guy was asking her that question was beyond ridiculous. "Why do you assume I don't have a boyfriend?"

"Well, at first glance I would have assumed otherwise, but I haven't really seen you talking with other guys. And you probably wouldn't have come here with me if you did."

Mia diverted the topic. "So you've been stalking me?"

"Don't try to change the subject. You can't answer a question with another question."

Mia was about to protest when he lifted his hands in the air. "Sorry ... those are the rules of the game."

"We're still playing that?"

"Answer the question, Mia."

She didn't know whether it was the authority he commanded in his words or the way he said her name that brought a slight shiver down her back.

She made a pouty face and crossed her arms. She looked back at Leo and he just stared at her with all the patience in the world. He slowly raised an eyebrow at her.

Realizing she really had no way out of it, she started talking. "Well ... I actually just got out of a relationship. I had been dating someone for a few years, but we broke up before I came here. Needless to say it didn't end well. That's why you haven't seen me with other guys, I'm trying to take a break from men and focus on myself. The last thing I want right now is to be played again by some jerk."

A flicker of pain coursed through her at those last words. But just as quickly as it appeared, she made it go away.

"He obviously didn't deserve you. That's why I stay clear of relationships myself. It's always too complicated, too hurtful. It's better off just keeping it simple and having fun. Enjoy life while you can."

"Well Leo, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Casablanca? You couldn't have said it better."

•••

"Where to Miss Fuentes?" After dinner, Leo had insisted on giving Mia a ride home despite several protests from her part.

Interesting. So he knows my last name, she thought. Well, she just happened to know his too.

"Mr. Durant, you really don't need to drive me home. I'm just a few blocks away. Honestly."

He smiled but then his expression turned serious. "No can do. I need to make sure you get home safe. Not after what just happened."

"Fine ... if you insist." Only after a few minutes of driving, she spotted her street. "You can just drop me off on this next corner here."

"You're meaning to tell me you live on this corner?" Leo added a hint of sarcasm to his question.

"No ... but my apartment is just a few buildings down. And you can't turn on this street."

"You think I'm a bloody taxi driver? I'll go around."

"Sorry, force of habit. I guess it's been a while since I've been in a real car," she shrugged. A ridiculously expensive looking car, to be more precise.

He parked in front of her apartment and Mia suddenly started to feel nervous. Why am I acting like a giddy schoolgirl? Focus.

"Leo, I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am for what you did today ..."

Leo interrupted her and didn't let her finish. "No need, sweetness. As horrible as it was, and I certainly wouldn't wish that upon anybody ... I was glad I got to spend time with you, given the circumstances."

Mia's heart sunk at the endearing term. She thought she had heard Leo say it earlier but wasn't sure. She began to blush when a familiar tune came on the radio. You know that I could use somebody...

"Wow, I absolutely love that song. I was totally obsessed with them over the summer," Mia shared.

"Oh yeah? I really like them too. They're actually playing here tomorrow."

"Ah, sí? I had no idea ... I feel like I'm so out of touch these days. I would have loved to go."

"Yeah it's really too bad. I guess school just takes up all of our time," he said.

"Tell me about it. Well, I guess I better get inside," Mia said, a bit disappointed. She didn't necessarily want to leave yet. Weird. Normally, she couldn't wait to get away from people, especially if it involved a 1-on-1 situation or a confined space. Both of those paradigms were being debunked at the moment.

"Hey, so before you go, you still owe me something."

Mia's breathing hitched a bit. Trying to keep her voice normal, she asked the dreaded question, "And what would that be?"

One side of Leo's mouth curled up. "Your number of course."

Oh, that. "You know, I usually don't give out my number to anybody," she said playfully.

"I guess I'm not anybody, then," he grinned.

Mia smiled and started to dictate her digits while Leo typed it into his phone. "Okay, I'm dialing you now so you have mine too. Anything you need, 3am ... whatever ... just let me know."

"Thanks again, Leo," Mia said. Feeling bold, she added "Anything else I owe you? You know you only have a 24 hour period to collect on the debt for saving my life."

"Oh, is that how it works? Hmm, I'm sure I'll think of something."

Mia began to unzip Leo's sweatshirt to give it back to him.

"Keep it," he said, placing his hand on top of hers to stop her. The warmth of his simple touch spread through her, just as it had done all night.

"Are you sure?" she asked, trying to distract herself from it.

"Yeah, you need it more than I do."

She leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek and then moved to grab the door handle of the car.

"Mia," he said puling on her hand that he was apparently still grabbing. She turned to face him and he was a lot closer than she anticipated.

"Yes?" she said, almost breathless.

"Try to avoid deserted pathways in the future, alright?" he said, his voice full of concern.

"I'll see what I can do," she said smiling.

"I'm serious, Mia. See you tomorrow," he said, slowly letting go of her hand.

"Hasta mañana," she said, and reluctantly, got out of the car.

She walked into her apartment completely baffled. She couldn't believe the turn of events from the day. She had gone from being attacked on the street to having a nice rendezvous with Leo, of all people.

She quickly changed into her pajamas and curled up in bed. God, it felt good. She had also kept Leo's sweatshirt on. It was ... beyond comforting.

She picked up a case study on her bedside table, but found she couldn't concentrate on the words. After reading the same sentence for 20 minutes, she gave up. She had too many thoughts and flashbacks going through her mind. Maybe if she watched The Daily Show she could clear her head. She put it on and was almost done with the episode when she realized she couldn't remember a thing she had just watched.

She was lost in her thoughts when her phone vibrated next to her. She picked it up to surprisingly find a message from Leo on her messenger.

Leo: Still alive?

A grin spread across Mia's face as she typed back.

Mia: Last I checked I'm still breathing, yes.

Leo: Glad to hear that. Keep up the good work.

Mia: Thanks. I try my best.

Leo: Ok so just wanted to check up on you. Have a good nite.

Mia: You too. Want to pass out, but I still haven't read any of the case studies for tomorrow.

Leo: Are you crazy? You should rest. You've had a really rough day.

Mia: But then I won't be able to participate in class.

Leo: Who cares? Live a little. Just wing it.

Mia: That's impossible.

Leo: Go to sleep Mia. That's an order.

Mia: Oh yeah? Says you and what army?

Leo: Don't make me go over there and burn those case studies because I will.

Mia: Ok, sergeant Leo.

Leo: That's drill sergeant Leo to you. If I find out you read them I'm gonna be very disappointed. Go to sleep.

Mia: Well maybe I would if you stopped texting me.

Leo: Touché. Good nite sweetness. xx

Mia: Buenas noches, Leo.

###  Chapter 5 – New Horizons

The next morning, Mia woke up disoriented and with a pounding headache. Had last night really happened? She had fallen asleep almost immediately after her conversation with Leo. Must have been all the adrenaline rush. She glanced at the clock next to her bed suddenly remembering it was Friday. 8:20am. Better hurry up.

She jumped in the shower and noticed a few bruises on her arms and legs. Unfortunately, it had been real. Very real. After inspecting them for a few moments, she decided it was best to not look at them and quickly got out of the shower and toweled.

She looked in the mirror and couldn't recognize the reflection she saw. She looked like a train wreck. Her light brown eyes seemed too excited, her face was pale white, and her expression was somber. Her usual straight dirty blond hair was an absolute mess of tangled knots. But what bothered her the most was a huge bruise crossing her left cheek.

Great. Last thing I need is people asking questions, she thought.

She didn't want anyone finding out about what happened, and she certainly didn't want to be the center of attention or any gossip. She pulled out a bag from the vanity and found some concealer hidden at the bottom. She hardly ever wore makeup but today was going to be one of those necessary occasions.

She quickly finished dressing and ran out of her apartment building, only to freeze at the glorious sight in front of her.

"Good morning, sunshine." Leo was casually standing in front of his dark blue Peugeot Coupe, leaning back on the door with his arms folded, looking like the James Dean picture on the notebook in her bag, sans the leather jacket. It had been the cheapest one she found at the store and couldn't help buying it when she had come across it.

"Leo, what are you doing here?" She tried to keep her tone casual, but instantly recognized it was a pitch higher than usual. I hope he didn't notice that, she thought to herself.

She refocused on the enticing image in front of her, trying to remain calm.

"I thought I'd give you a ride to school. Didn't want to see someone trying to abduct you or something. Qué dices?"

Mia started to mumble. "I ... uh ... don't think something like that is quite possible two days in a row, but I guess I better not take my chances."

"My thoughts exactly. Shall we?" Leo escorted her to the other side of the car and opened the door for her. With one hand he motioned for her to get in. "Your carriage awaits, señorita."

Could he be any dreamier?

As Mia sat down taking in her surroundings, she noticed two cups of coffee set in the cup holder next to her. The aroma emitting from them could not have been any sweeter.

Leo soon joined her in the car and started the ignition. "I took the liberty of getting coffee on the way. I hope you like lattes."

"Are you kidding? This is amazing. I'm usually running towards the bus stop in the mornings and getting smushed between strangers. Usually smelly ones, I might add."

Leo chuckled at her comment. "I know what you mean ... nothing like a smelly stranger huh?"

"Exactly." Mia settled in the leather seat. She took a sip of her coffee and instantly felt like she was in heaven. "Now this I could get used to," she sighed. "I swear I feel like freaking royalty right now."

Leo chuckled again this time with a slight grin on his face. "I'm glad you feel that way. But you haven't seen anything yet."

"Ha, ha. I probably sound like a cheap date right now."

"Far from it. But speaking of which, I actually have something for you." Leo pulled into a parking lot near school. How did they get there so fast?

"En serio? What is it?" Mia tried to contain her excitement again. Damn giddy schoolgirl.

"You'll see." Leo killed the ignition and got out of the car. Mia was stunned for a moment and before she could collect her belongings, he was at her side again opening the door and offering his hand. She took it only to feel a tingly feeling at his touch and dropped it just as quickly. Since when did she have these weird bodily reactions?

As they approached the school entrance, he handed her a small white envelope. "Open it," Leo encouraged. Mia shot him a curious look before smoothing her fingers over the envelope and finding some tickets inside. She pulled them out and read over their contents. Once, twice, even a third time. She stood motionless at the sight.

"Leo, what ... no entiendo," she finally said.

"Which part? It's the last favor I'm collecting from you," he explained. He looked back at her, and his expression turned worried.

There were so many different emotions going through her, she couldn't quite keep up with what she was feeling. She gave up after a moment, and they continued walking upstairs towards the classrooms. It wasn't until they reached the top that she spoke again.

"This is hardly a favor. A favor is when your roommate asks you to go pick up her annoying cousin at the airport because she's too lazy to do it herself and then getting stuck in traffic for two hours. This hardly amounts to that kind of torture. These are Kings of Leon tickets for crying out loud!"

"Well ... if a torturous evening is what you want, that can certainly be arranged." A huge grin spread over Leo's face as he playfully tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Mia's jaw dropped for a second. She was pretty sure her heart had skipped a beat too. "Leo, you're too much!" She playfully hit him in the shoulder.

"Okay, so maybe just a little torture. We'll talk about it later, okay? I gotta run to class. Catch you later, sweetness."

Before she could protest, he quickly kissed her forehead and spun on his heels. Mia watched him until he disappeared into his classroom. Boy, am I in deep this time, she thought.

•••

Mia had a really hard time concentrating in class. It didn't help that she hadn't read the case study on TiVo for the day, so she was completely at a loss. She hated feeling unprepared for class, especially knowing that the professor could cold call anyone at any time without notice.

Why did class participation have to count so much as part of the grade? Sometimes it could even be up to 50 percent, so she had trained herself to participate at least one time each class, even if she thought what she was saying was completely ridiculous. After all, it couldn't be much worse from what other people were commenting at times.

"Does anyone here want to share their personal experiences using TiVo?" the professor asked. Mia looked around and saw that only one person raised their hand, the only other American student in class.

That's odd, she thought. Usually, at least ten people flew their hands up at any question. The professor called on her to comment. While she gave her answer, Mia realized no one else wanted to share because they weren't familiar with it. TiVo only existed in the United States.

"Anyone else care to add anything?" the professor asked again.

Okay, this is your chance, Mia thought. Besides it's the perfect question to answer because no one can argue against a personal experience, even more so on a topic they're not familiar with. Then you'll get it over with and can stop beating yourself up about participating for the remainder of the class.

Mia raised her hand and for once gave her honest opinion, since she had no idea what the actual case study was about and couldn't draw from any facts from it.

She said how she thought it was a disruptive innovation, as it changed the user's behavior with television. How it gave her the freedom to watch all of her favorite shows whenever she pleased, but sometimes ended up making her watch way too much more television than she intended. But most importantly, how she thought people needed to become more educated on how to use it properly because it had so many functions that could make it confusing. Maybe that's why it took so long for people to adopt the technology and for TiVo really to take off.

"Well Mia, I think you just solved the case. Great insights," the professor responded. He went off to continue with his lecture, and she couldn't help but feel some sort of redemption. Maybe I should skip reading cases more often, she thought.

After class ended, she was ready to walk back home when Melissa stopped her. "Mia, where were you yesterday? You didn't show up to the study group."

"Oh yeah, sorry about that. I uh ... wasn't feeling too well after class," Mia responded. At least there was some kind of truth to that answer.

"Oh, that's too bad. Well looks like you're feeling better because the way you were so on point in there was unreal! We could have really used your help on the write-up."

"I guess I just needed the extra rest. I'll make it up to you guys next time, ok?"

"Sure, don't worry about it. You don't need to be so hard on yourself. You always work way too much."

Mia couldn't help but smile back at her. Melissa was always so warm and friendly.

That's why her next question came as a total surprise. "Hey, so I don't mean to pry but I saw you with Leo earlier. How the hell did you pull that off? Isn't he so incredibly sexy?"

Yeah, tell me about it. But he's so much more than that, Mia thought.

"I don't know, we just sort of started talking the other day. I don't really know much about him to be honest." The other day meaning yesterday, she chuckled inwardly.

"Well, you better act soon. Girls are always practically throwing themselves at him. I don't know how he handles it, but no wonder he never has a girlfriend."

"Thanks, I'll think about it," Mia replied, not really knowing what to say. "I'll see you later, okay?"

She couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed when she walked away. Of course Leo was a player. He had even told her so. His version was a bit more subtle, though. Why wouldn't he be? Even a blind person could see that a mile away.

###  Chapter 6 – Letting Go

Friday night, Leo picked Mia up to go to the concert. She was a bit hesitant about their so-called date and couldn't help but think about what Melissa had told her earlier.

"Are you okay over there, Mia? You seem a bit quiet. No 21 questions today?" They had been riding silently in his car when Leo broke the question.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I still can't believe I'm actually going to this concert." Mia tried to change the focus off of her, but Leo wouldn't have it.

"Listen, Mia. I know you've had a tough week, but you should try to relax okay? Have a little fun. You deserve it." Leo's words seemed so completely honest she just had to believe him.

"I know, you're absolutely right," Mia confessed.

"I'm always right," Leo said with a smirk on face. "Look, I promise we're going to have a blast tonight. There's just one thing I need to warn you about. It kind of has to do with the torture talk from before."

Oh, God. Was he expecting something out of this? Before Mia could let her imagination run wild, Leo pressed on.

"I got these tickets through my brother. He always has these crazy connections, so they're actually box seats."

A look of surprise came over her face. "Well, what's wrong with that?" She didn't understand where he was going.

"I guess nothing wrong, really. Only that I'm sure there's going to be a lot of stuffy people there that think they're hot shit. So I don't want you to feel weird or out of place by them."

"I think I can handle it," Mia responded. "We're here for the concert anyway, right?"

Was he always this concerned for other people's feelings?

"Me gusta tu actitud," Leo stated simply.

"Leo? In case I forget to thank you later, I had a really great time tonight."

His smile seemed to radiate throughout the car. "It's my pleasure, Mia. But the night is young."

Once they arrived at El Palacio de Deportes, Mia couldn't contain her excitement. She was at a Kings of Leon concert for Christ's sake! She had actually been chasing them for quite a while and had missed them a few times both in New York and Mexico City.

Plus, did she need to bring up the fact that she was on a hot date? A really hot date. Too hot for her, at least. So what if the rumors about him were true? The least she could do was enjoy it while it lasted, right?

Leo escorted them to their box, and Mia felt completely taken aback when they stepped inside. Sure enough, the room was filled with Barbie doll looking girls and preppy guys wearing way too much gel in their hair and ostentatious watches on their wrists.

"Looks like the plastic is bouncing tonight," Leo whispered jokingly into her ear and she couldn't help but laugh. Instantly, she felt more comfortable. Leo said hi to a few people he recognized, and introduced Mia to them. While the guys seemed pretty much indifferent towards her, the girls offered her fake smiles and caught a couple of them giving her death looks.

"I think your warning was a bit of an understatement," Mia whispered back.

"If you feel uncomfortable we don't have to stay here. That's the last thing I want."

"Don't worry. I'm used to it. I see this kind of thing in New York all the time. It can be even worse at times in Mexico City, believe it or not. People just like to show off I guess," she said.

"Well in that case, let me get us some drinks. Vodka tonic?"

"How'd you know?" Could he read her mind?

"I've been stalking you remember?" Leo answered jokingly. "I'll be right back."

Mia took a moment to appreciate the view from the box. She could see the entire stadium so clearly. It was really something else. She had never had box seats for a concert before. The only other time was when she was younger during a soccer match. A boy from her class had invited a bunch of people to his box, and she could still clearly remember how much fun it had been. But that had been years ago.

"Are you here with Leo? How did you manage to pull that off?"

Why does everyone keep saying that? Mia turned around to see one of the Barbie dolls staring her down. She had long platinum blond hair, boobs popping out of her shirt, a skirt that was way too short, and killer platform heels. Could she be more of a stereotype?

"We're just friends," Mia managed to say.

"That's what I thought. I mean how could he possibly be interested in you? Please." Barbie flipped her hair at the rhetorical question.

Mia hated to admit it, but she knew she was right. With a sigh, she turned back to admire the view and felt a lump in her throat. Why did girls have to be so bitchy all the time? And worse, how come she could never defend herself?

"Beautiful isn't it? The view isn't too bad either." Leo materialized behind Mia, his hands filled with drinks and a wide grin spread across his face. "I got us some shots too, I felt like you could use it ... unless ... what's wrong? You don't do shots?"

Before Mia could answer, he placed himself in front of her, cutting Barbie off behind him. He leaned over and gently kissed Mia right beside the corner of her mouth. To an outsider, it would have seemed like a real kiss on the lips.

She heard Barbie huff behind Leo, and then mumbled something about just friends before storming off. Her juvenile act brought a smile to his face.

"Guess my plan worked like a charm. I'm sorry about that sweetness, I don't know what's wrong with her."

It took a moment for Mia to react. "Did you ... use to date or something?"

"Not at all. I've only met her a few times before, but she's always desperately trying to get my attention. Don't listen to her, okay? She's not worth it. And please don't believe what she said for even a second."

Mia nodded and gave a sigh of relief. "Why don't we just get back to the concert?" she suggested.

"Okay, so here's the plan. First, we have the shots. I wasn't kidding with what I said before – you need to take the edge off. And then we get the hell out of here."

"You want to leave the concert?" Mia asked incredulously.

"No, I have a better plan. Do you trust me?" Leo raised his shot glass to her.

Mia didn't answer, but simply raised her glass to his before smiling. "Salud," she said before they both tossed down the shot.

Leo reached down and clutched her hand. "Vamos." Next thing she knew, they were running down an aluminum stairwell. "You never told me what your favorite Kings of Leon song was."

"There's too many," Mia answered. "But I guess if I had to pick one it would be 'Taper Jean Girl', it's an earlier song of theirs and not so well known."

"I know that one. It's on the soundtrack of that movie Disturbia." They reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah, that's exactly right. I can't believe you know that."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me. We better hurry, I think they're about to start." Leo led her through a massive crowd of people on the bottom floor. They reached a security guard and he quickly flashed him their tickets to enter a VIP area near the stage.

"Leo, we're so close! Why didn't you tell me we had access down here before?" Mia asked.

"We don't. I just acted like we did. Sometimes it's the illusion that counts," he said, winking at her. At that moment, a gargantuan applause and cheer erupted in the stadium as the group took the stage. The bass from "Sex on Fire" began and the crowd went wild.

Mia glanced over to look at Leo. She could feel the electricity sizzling around them. She felt like she was floating. "So what do you think?" she asked with a smile that seemed to cover from ear to ear.

Leo took her hand and stared deeply into her eyes. "I think our lives are about to change."

Mia looked back towards the stage, wondering what he could have possibly meant by that statement. Too afraid to ruin the moment, she decided to get lost in it instead.

###  Chapter 7 – Case of the Mondays

Monday morning. Why did Mondays always seem so cruel? Mia was back at her usual bus stop, waiting for the forsaken bus that took her to school. Memories of the weekend flashed before her eyes. The concert had been an incredible experience; she couldn't remember the last time she had just let herself go like that. But that fleeting moment had ended all too abruptly, and the rest of her weekend had been spent in group meetings cramming for all the papers and presentations due for the week.

Was it really necessary to have ten different classes at once? Half the time she felt like she was scrambling just to keep up. And this week was going to be hell. She had something due every day, not to mention two presentations she was already dreading.

Public speaking was definitely not her thing. Despite all the training she had received since she was little, and the classes she had forced herself to take through college, she always felt extremely nervous when she had to give a presentation and couldn't even sleep the night before. Guess some things never change.

For one of the first times ever, Mia arrived early to class. She had a good five minutes to kill, so decided to go fill her water bottle at the water fountain outside. She could use the extra hydration. She pressed the button and noticed the water pressure was extremely low. Great, this is going to take forever, she thought.

"Hey, beautiful."

Mia didn't need to turn around to know who it was. She would now recognize that sexy British accent anywhere.

"Hey, yourself." She glanced back at Leo and smiled.

"God, I'm so thirsty. Are you almost done there?"

His abrupt question caught Mia a bit off guard. How about, 'How are you? How was the rest of your weekend?' she thought.

"Rough night? This thing is taking forever for some reason." Mia noticed her bottle was about half full.

Leo sighed. "Something like that." He playfully pushed Mia's elbow forward and water splashed out from her bottle. "You done yet?" he teased.

"Hey! Stop that," Mia laughed.

Leo smirked and repeated the same motion from before. "How about now?" More water splashed before her.

"Seriously, you're not helping the situation Leo."

"What's the hold up? C'mon I'm dying over here."

"I hope you're really enjoying ... oh my God." Leo had pushed her elbow again, but this time Mia had been already turning around and water splashed all over his face.

Mia instantly burst out in laughter. "Leo, I am so sorry. But that was totally your own fault."

He tried to brush the remaining drops of water from his face and opened his eyes. "Oh was it? I beg to differ." An evil grin spread across his face as he snatched the water bottle out of her hands.

"Um ... what do you think you're doing?" But she already knew what was coming and began to back away.

"Getting even, of course."

She let out a soft shriek and dashed down the hallway. Leo chased after her and was just a few paces behind her. "Don't think you're getting out of this so easily, Mia."

She scrambled behind other students, trying to stay clear of his path. She caught the looks of several people and couldn't help but laugh at the situation. They must have thought she was losing her mind.

"Can't we just talk about this like adults?" Mia yelled before entering an empty study room.

"No way." They started to circle around the conference table. She tried to bluff her direction out of the room, but he was too quick. "Face it Mia, you're stuck with me."

"Never," she chuckled. At that moment, Leo managed to grab a hold of her and playfully pinned her against the wall.

"Now ... I think there was something you wanted to say to me." He dramatically took a long sip out of the water bottle and then held it above her head in a threatening gesture.

"Please, don't do it!"

"Wrong answer," Leo chuckled. "Try again." He began tipping the bottle over this time.

"No lo hagas, Leo," she tried pleading again.

"You just said the same thing. It's going to take a lot more convincing than that sweet little Mexican accent of yours," he challenged.

Out of all things, an episode from Seinfeld came to Mia's mind. Something about Kramer repeating a mantra that would keep him calm under stress. She lifted up her hands and looked up to the sky. "Serenity ... Serenity now!"

Leo burst out laughing and dropped the water bottle to his side. "Are you serious? God Mia, you're so fucking cute."

He leaned in closer and she could feel the weight of his body over her. He touched his forehead to hers and held the side of her face with his free hand. Her vision dropped to his mouth and suddenly all she could think about was what it would be like to kiss him. Surely he was a good kisser ... no, an incredible one. He had to be. If his simple touch was any indication of what it would be like, then she was in deep trouble.

Her lips parted involuntarily and all of a sudden he was a millimeter away. Oh, no. This shouldn't be happening. She shouldn't have let her thoughts travel there. She was just beginning to inhale his scent, when he stepped back all of a sudden.

"I'm sorry, Mia. I ... should go." His words were barely a whisper.

She felt her cheeks flush and looked down to contain her embarrassment. When she looked up again he was out of sight. She sighed painfully and checked her watch. 8:59am. Since when did things like that happen so early? On a Monday, no less. Manic Monday. Yup, it sure was going to be a hell of a week.

•••

Leo walked back to class, kicking himself every step of the way. He slumped into his chair and completely tuned out from class so he could focus on his thoughts.

You idiot, you're letting this get way out of hand, he scolded inwardly. He had been two seconds away from kissing her! And that was not what she wanted. She had made it very clear to him when they had gone to dinner. She didn't want to get involved with anyone, much less have a relationship with him. What had she said? Not wanting to be played again?

Wait a minute ... Relationship? Since when did he want to have a relationship?

Yes, it was definitely beginning to be too much, he thought, shaking his head. But Mia was all he could think about. How she treated him like any other guy, it all just seemed so genuine – like she was actually interested in him. Could it be?

Leo thought about the way she smiled at him behind those incredibly long lashes and those delicious lips just constantly begging to be kissed. Just then he had let himself imagine she had wanted him to kiss her, but then she had flinched when he got too close. She was one hell of an intriguing yet frustrating female. She would be his downfall if he wasn't careful.

No. He had to put some distance between them. He knew that now. There simply was no other way.

"Mr. Durant? Would you care to answer the question?"

Startled, Leo looked up and noticed the entire class staring at him in anticipation.

"I'm sorry professor, could you repeat the question?"

"I asked what you thought about the alternative of selling the company?"

What company? Leo scrambled to collect his thoughts. Better say something at this point. "I uh ... think it's a great idea. I mean it's always a good thing to acquire cash flow and have liquid assets right?" Oh, boy.

"Mr. Durant, I have to say I'm really disappointed in you. Next time, I suggest you read the case before coming to class. It's always a good start."

He simply nodded but couldn't help thinking about the irony in that statement. He had read the case.

After class ended, Leo headed straight outside of the school building. Sitting in his car and blasting some music seemed like just what he needed.

"Yo! Leo, wait up bro."

He turned around to see his friend Johan catching up to him. They had hung out several times since school started and he turned out to be a complete party animal and womanizer. Leo didn't necessarily have a problem with that at the beginning, but lately he suspected Johan only wanted to hang out with him because he thought he could get more girls that way. If he only knew he never cared about any of it. Leo never actively pursued women, that is until Mia, and that would not be happening any longer. They always just seemed to be available to him. It all seemed so ridiculous to him now.

"What gives?" Johan said.

"Nothing man, just have a lot on my mind."

"Yeah I can see that. I'm gonna go catch a bite with some of the guys. You should come with, you know clear your head a bit."

Leo didn't need much convincing. He followed Johan into a café and sat down with two other guys from class, Omar and Michael, after grabbing some sandwiches. Omar was from Lebanon and Michael from Poland. The guys were in a heated discussion over Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, but Leo didn't pay much attention to it.

"So, what's going on man? What's up with that Mia chick, huh?" Michael asked Leo suddenly.

The question caused him to pause. How does he know about Mia? Have I been that obvious?

Leo shrugged. "I don't know, just started talking to her recently. Just friends, I guess."

"She doesn't talk to anybody. She's practically untouchable. Of course, she would leave out that exception only to you," Omar added.

"She talks to other people," he immediately contradicted. Didn't she? "She's a nice girl," he added, in what was probably the biggest understatement he ever said. For some reason, he didn't want other people really knowing about her.

"C'mon man. That is some serious ass. You're telling me you don't want to fuck her?" Johan asked.

Leo felt a jolt of anger build inside him and his jaw clenched. "No dude, it's not like that. She just got out of a crazy relationship and is sort of taking a break."

"Are you retarded? Even better! Listen if you're not gonna bang her then move over, cuz I sure as hell would love to tap that tight little body," Johan said.

"J ... I'm not playing. Watch your tone. Right. Now."

Johan completely ignored him. "I bet she likes it rough and gets real loud too. It's always the quiet ones. I can almost hear her screaming my name. By the time I'm done with her, she'll be begging me for more."

Johan lifted his hand to high five with Michael and Omar. "Am I right or what?" He nudged Leo in the shoulder.

Something inside of Leo snapped. He jumped out of his seat and grabbed Johan by the neck, slamming him against the wall. "Don't you ever fucking talk about her like that again. I swear if I even see you try to lay a finger on her, I'll break your face and make you suck down your food through a fucking straw for the rest of your miserable existence."

"What the fuck, Leo? Get your fucking hands off of me!" Johan said gasping for air.

"No one fucking touches her. No one!" Leo yelled.

"Dude, chill. We're just talking." Omar got up to push Leo back, but he shoved his hand away. He slowly loosened his grip on Johan and backed out of the table, knocking down his chair in the process.

"I really don't know why I hang out with you assholes," Leo said before walking away and storming out of the café.

Michael looked at Omar and then at Johan who was fuming and rubbing his neck. "Poor kid's lost his mind."

###  Chapter 8 – Noches en Madrid

Friday night. Mia couldn't have been more relieved. Somehow she had gotten through the week and now it was time to unwind. Victoria from class had convinced her to go out with a group of people to Gabana, one of the trendy clubs in town.

Normally, she would have declined or made up some type of excuse, but curiosity had won her over. Everyone was always talking about the stupid club, and Mia wanted to see for herself what all the fuss was about.

She also didn't want to admit it, but she thought if she went she might possibly run into a certain someone. She hadn't heard from him since their strange encounter on Monday morning, and was beginning to feel anxious about it. Had she done something wrong?

By the time they got to the club, it was almost 2:30 in the morning. Mia couldn't believe it, but they had told her clubs usually don't open until 2am and only started to get filled up later. How crazy was that? That was usually the time she went home!

Everything in Spain started much later than usual. Dinner at 10pm, bars at 12am, and clubs at 2am. No wonder everyone always mentioned the nightlife in Spain.

Once inside, they headed to the bar to get the 'free' drink that came with the admission fee to the club. She had just barely gotten her drink, when an eager Spaniard approached her and started talking to her. Normally she would have just brushed him off immediately, but what the hell, she decided she would give the poor guy a chance. He seemed harmless enough.

She was wrong. Turned out Santiago was being extremely pushy and after 15 minutes she decided she had given him the light of the day.

She made up an excuse of needing to go to the bathroom and walked away. She noticed his gaze following her, so she ended up having to act the part and actually go to the bathroom. Once inside, she decided she might as well use the toilet to kill some time.

She looked in the mirror and for once had to admit she was looking pretty good. She had decided on a cute black dress and sexy heels she would wear every now and again when she went out in New York, and had even done a nice job with her hair and makeup. Who was she trying to impress?

Mia walked out of the bathroom and headed towards the bar. Time for a refill. If only she could get the bartender's attention. She hated how it always took her forever to get a drink at a bar, and them some guy would show up and get his own drink in two minutes. Tonight wasn't proving to be an exception. After waiting for ten minutes, she decided it was about time to give up.

"I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised."

A strong, warm hand pressed against her lower back. Mia looked up, and sure enough, Leo was standing right beside her.

She tossed him a sultry look. "Oh yeah? And why would that be?" Was she flirting with him? The drink must have gotten to her head already.

"I just never imagined you coming to a place like this in a million years." He motioned towards the bartender, simply raising two fingers.

"I've never been to this place, but I had a good run of clubbing during my college years. Believe it or not, I used to go out all the time."

"I would've loved to have seen that."

The bartender came back with two vodka tonics and Leo handed one over to her.

"How did you do that? I've been standing here for ten minutes y nada."

Leo shrugged. "I know the guy. So no one's come up to you this entire time?"

"Nope. I don't get noticed that often," she replied.

"I find that extremely hard to believe. Not even a lone hopeful soul?"

"Well, there was this one guy earlier, but he doesn't count."

Leo laughed. "I knew you were selling yourself short. So what happened?"

"He got an F for effort," she shrugged.

"Says the girl that doesn't get hit on. You even have a rating system?" he asked incredulously.

"Not, not at all. But if you're going to hit on someone, the least you can do is put some thought into it," she said, sounding offended.

"You'd rather have someone sweep you off your feet?" Leo asked, intrigued.

"Something like that," she smiled.

"Be careful what you wish for, sweetness," he said grinning charmingly. "So ... do you like what you see?"

Mia glanced over at Leo and noticed he was wearing dark fitted jeans and a neatly pressed buttoned-down shirt. The two top buttons were opened and gave a nice preview of his rock solid chest. Yes, most definitely.

"You mean the club? Not particularly. I've seen a lot better. Not sure what all the hype is about."

Leo chuckled. "Care to elaborate?"

Where to begin? "Well to start, there's freaking carpet on the floor. I mean I don't think I've ever seen that before. Second, clubs usually have a theme to go by and there's nothing of the sort here. There's no dancers, no glitz or glamour. The place just looks like an old bar circa 1980s. And don't even get me started on the music."

Leo laughed out loud. "Mia, you're really something else. So what kind of music would you prefer?"

"I don't know, something more pumping that you can actually move your hips to. You know a little hip-hop or reggaeton. I really wouldn't mind hearing some Usher right about now."

"Demanding little thing. Is that a request? I didn't know you got down like that." Leo eyed her in disbelief.

"You better believe it. But they would never play that here. It's all dance and house music."

"Let me see what I can do." He took a pen out of his pocket and scribbled something illegible on a napkin, before handing it the bartender.

"Just like that?" Mia asked.

He reached down and kissed her on the forehead. "I guess we'll find out. So what will you do if they end up playing the song?"

This time Mia shrugged. "Guess we'll find out," she mimicked, before winking at him. Where was all this confidence coming from?

Leo glanced over towards the DJ booth and nodded. "Well, I'll be waiting," he said looking at his drink and then taking a suspiciously large gulp.

He didn't have to wait much, because they shortly heard a familiar tune mix into the current electro beat. Cause baby tonight, the DJ got us falling in love again ...

"You got to be kidding me," Mia shrieked. With that she downed the last of her drink and dragged Leo to the dance floor and he complied all too quickly.

"You ready?" Mia placed her hand provocatively on Leo's chest, and he followed suit by placing his arm around her waist and pulling her close.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

They started swaying to the music and Mia let her body respond to the beat. She felt the thump of the bass vibrate within her bones, and the hum of electricity pull around them. She closed her eyes to reel in the feeling and let herself relax. She concentrated on the music, blocking out everything in her head and pushing all her troubles aside.

That was all it took, and she was transported to a state of absolute bliss. She had always loved to dance, and being in Leo's big arms, she momentarily forgot where she was. All she could see were stars, lost in his perfect image and body.

He began twisting and turning her around him and she felt every inch of her come alive. With every move they made, his hands seemed to touch her more and more intimately. They traveled freely from the back of her shoulders, down her spine, around her waist, and up her stomach. She welcomed it – she savored it. His arm snuck around her extreme lower back and he dipped her, fanning her from one side to the other, and then bringing her back up, tightly against him.

A circle soon formed around them and everyone on the dance floor started watching. It seemed like every single pair of females eyes in the club were glued to Leo. But he didn't notice any of it. He never did. At the moment, his attention was purely reserved for her. At that realization, she basked delightfully in his spotlight.

As she stared into his midnight blue eyes, the lyrics of the song she knew so well started fading in the background. He looked at her tenderly, almost promising, and smiled his most captivating smile. She suddenly felt self-conscious by his decided intimacy. Trying to switch the focus off of her, she took a step back and trickled her fingers slowly down his face.

Leo's smile only grew deeper and he pulled her towards him again, whispering her name adoringly against her ear. She threw her arms involuntarily around his neck, her fingers knotting tightly in his thick hair.

He paused for a moment, but then ran his fingers through her hair and pushed it back. He slid his nose down her neck and she felt the tickle of his exceedingly warm breath on her. She heard her own breathing accelerate and replace the music entirely. The club suddenly turned 98 degrees, and she felt a bead of sweat drip down her back.

She was about to turn when his lips pressed against her skin, ever so gently. She inadvertently let out a soft moan, and could only hope the music had drained it out. Not likely, she thought, as she soon heard his chest vibrate with a groan in response.

At that moment, all innocent pretenses among them flew out the window. The friendship zone they had seemingly created and placed between them was completely forgotten. All of their flirting, lingering stares, hand holding, and stolen hugs were no longer enough. She selfishly wanted more. Were they ever really friends? Who was she kidding?

She angled her face, presumably to give him better access, and he continued to delicately kiss her neck. She felt like she was on fire. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so full of life.

No, this isn't right. She should stop this.

She pushed him back, and watched him stunned. He looked back at her and smiled, a completely smug and unapologetic look swept across his face.

She felt her back burn with stares from across the club. She noticed then that their song had already ended, and David Guetta was now blasting through the sound system. They had apparently stopped dancing a while ago, and instead had wrapped up their bodies solidly in one place.

Mia gasped in embarrassment, thinking about the very public display of affection they had just let on. Thankfully, Leo noticed her reaction and pulled her away from the dance floor ... and all the attention.

"That was ... interesting," he said, once they reached a more secluded section of the bar.

She couldn't help feeling a tinge of disappointment. Definitely not the word I was thinking of, Mia thought. Amazing? Incredible? Hot? Sexy? Yes, all of the above.

She noticed him looking her over and she instantly felt insecure. An array of emotions seemed to cross his face. A look of approval and even awe, turned into a deep frown ... and something else. Was he in pain? What the hell was he thinking? Deciding she didn't want to know, she gave up trying to read his expression and looked away.

"Hey, I'm gonna head over to the bathroom," Leo stated, seeming unaffected.

She looked at him surprised by his sudden comment. He seemed like he desperately needed to get away. "Okay," she answered, trying to hide her emotions.

He hesitated at her answer. "Do you ... need to go?"

"No, I'm okay. I went earlier."

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you alone," he said fidgeting, and looking across the club.

What? He was being so confusing. "Yeah, go ahead. I'll be fine."

He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. "I'll be right back, okay? Don't move."

Was I too obvious? Did I scare him away? She had been out of the game for so long that it was hard for her to trust her instincts. Leo seemed like he was enjoying the back and forth they had going on, but then he had taken off abruptly. He had done the same thing during the water bottle incident. He kept on switching from hot to cold, and it was giving her a whiplash. He was definitely giving her mixed signals and she didn't know what to think. But he had told her not to move. So which was it?

Mia spotted Victoria in the crowd and started walking in her direction. It must have been at least an hour since they last spoke. She was half way there when a coarse hand grabbed her roughly by the arm.

"Hey cupcake, where are you going? Let's dance."

Mia turned around to see Johan. He was completely wasted and eyeing her indecently. Besides his obvious state of drunkenness, she couldn't stand the guy. He was from Austria and was completely spoiled and obnoxious. Mia hated how he constantly interrupted professors in class and contradicted them, as if he knew better.

"Uh ... no thanks. I'm good." She continued walking when he grabbed her arm again and pulled her back.

"What? You're only allowed to dance dirty with prince charming back there?"

Men! "No, feel free to dance with him. As for me, I can dance with whomever I want. It's just you I don't want to dance with." She poked a finger in his chest and crossed her arms.

"Oh, that's very funny, Mia. You know he's just using you. Waiting for you to spread your legs for him and drop you right after. That's what he always does with pretty faces like you," he said grabbing her chin.

She felt the stench of alcohol on his breath and grimaced.

"Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine?" Mia said sarcastically, pushing his hand away and stepping back. "And not that it's any of your business, but it's not like that. We're just friends," she added. But Mia still felt hurt by his words. Was it true? And why would she be no different than the others?

"Keep saying that to yourself, cupcake. You might as well just forget about him already. Now come here and show me that sexy lap dance of yours."

Johan pulled Mia forward and rubbed his body against her offensively. She tried to push him away, but he wouldn't let her move. The only thing she could think of doing was the oldest trick in the book and kneed him right in the groin. He crouched over momentarily, but lunged back to grab her.

The next thing she felt was falling back and hitting the wall behind her. The impact was so strong it knocked the breath out of her lungs. She felt wetness fall over her, followed by a massive weight crashing down against her knees, before she blacked out.

###  Chapter 9 – Stripped

The sound of a heart monitor permeated through Mia's ears. Slowly at first, the steady beep became increasingly louder. She opened her eyes to find herself lying on a hospital bed. A hospital bed inside an operating room, to be more specific.

A nurse hovered over her, fixing the electrodes placed throughout her body. "You're doing just great, dear," she said, warmly.

Mia felt anything but warm. On the contrary, she felt cold in her flimsy hospital gown. Her eyes were fixed on the white ceiling above her, but she could hear other doctors and assistants shuffling around the room.

"I'm going to set up your anesthesia now," the nurse said, taking her left hand. "I'm inserting an IV line into a vein on the back of your hand, okay? It's a small needle, but it might hurt just a little."

Mia nodded, thinking the momentary pain would pale in comparison to how she would feel later. She didn't dare look over at what the nurse was doing. She simply kept her head straight as she felt the pinch of the needle bite into her skin, followed by the pressure of tape as it wrapped around her hand.

She shuddered and tried to focus her thoughts elsewhere. Lying on the beach soaking in the sun, the sound of waves crashing down from the ocean, a child's laughter in the background ...

The smell of antiseptic brought her back to the hospital. God, anything but this. Concentrate Mia, she thought.

"Okay, sweetie. We're almost done. Count backwards starting from ten in your head, so you can go to sleep now."

Mia nodded again and closed her eyes. Ten, nine, eight, seven ...

She waited for the numbness to take over and pull her under, as it usually did. But it didn't come this time.

Instead, she heard a faint voice in the background. She tried to listen more closely, but the sound was distorted. Was someone calling her? She tried to move, but her body was stuck in place, her vision was surrounded by utter darkness.

"Mia ..." she suddenly heard.

Yes, it's me, she wanted to say, but no sound came out of her mouth. Her jaw was locked shut.

"Mia! Mia? Can you hear me? Oh God, Mia, please look at me. Wake up. Sweetness, please."

Mia felt a familiar voice calling her, but it sounded too far away. Where was it coming from? She tried to search for it in her mind.

"Mia? I'm begging you. Open your eyes, look at me. You can do this. I know you can. Mia por favor, te lo suplico."

Her eyes fluttered for a moment before they opened. Her vision was blurred but she could see bits and pieces of a face forming above her.

Dark blue.

She closed her eyes and slowly tried again. This time the image focused and she recognized the panic stricken face looking back at her.

"Leo?" she whispered.

"Yes, baby. I'm here," he said, choking on the words.

"What ... what happened? Where am I?" Mia asked completely disoriented. She immediately lifted up her left hand, looking for the IV. She moved her wrist back and forth, inspecting her hand. The IV wasn't there.

"What is it, Mia? Does your hand hurt?" he asked, full of concern. He ran his fingers slowly across her hand and then gently grabbed it.

"No. I mean, yes, it feels sore. My whole body does. I thought I was in the hosp ... I was having a flashback, a dream," she said confused.

"Shh, it's okay, sweetness." Leo gave a huge sigh of relief. "You got knocked over in the club and blacked out. We're in my car heading back to my place."

Car? Mia looked around her and realized she was lying down on the back seat, with Leo sitting next to her.

"Who's driving?" She stirred but the movement caused a soar of pain through her body and she whimpered.

"Don't move," Leo ordered.

The words tugged at a memory in her brain.

"I told you that before but you didn't listen. My driver is taking us home. We should be there soon."

Home? His driver? "So what happened exactly? I can't remember anything." Everything in her mind felt like a puzzle and she was desperately trying to piece it together.

"We can talk about it later. You should rest right now. The important part is that you're fine. You'll be okay."

Leo's tone was calm, but she felt a hint of something else behind it. Anger? Was he mad at her? What had she done?

He looked down at her and caressed her face. It was pretty much the only part of her body that wasn't aching. The warmth of his touch comforted her.

"I was so worried about you, Mia. God, you scared the shit out of me," he said.

Okay, at least now she knew he wasn't angry at her. But was still angry, nonetheless.

"Leo? Do you think this is a good idea? I think I ... should probably go home," she said suddenly unsure.

"You're coming home with me. Please don't argue with me on this. I'm half out of my mind right now," he said startled.

Mia's eyes widened in shock. She could tell that he was really trying to reign in his temper.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," he added much gentler.

She should probably text her friends to let them know she was okay. She suddenly remembered something. "Where is my purse?"

Leo ran his fingers roughly through his hair. "Omar has it. We left the club in a hurry and I didn't realize I left it behind until after. I already talked to him and he said we can pick it up tomorrow. So yeah, you wouldn't be able to get into your flat anyway."

Mia realized at that moment the fleeing club scene had probably not been a pretty sight. And if it weren't for Leo, she would be passed out on a sidewalk somewhere and homeless for the night. "Thank you, Leo. For everything," she said as she squeezed his hand.

"It's no problem, Mia," he said, looking forlorn.

Leo's driver pulled up at a large house in the outskirts of Madrid. "Necesita ayuda con algo más, jefe?"

"No gracias, Fernando. Ya es tarde. Hasta mañana," Leo replied.

He turned to Mia. "I'm going to pick you up and take you inside. It might hurt, just let me know if it's too much and we can stop."

She nodded back at him. He gently scooped her up and cradled her against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to hide the pain. She wasn't one to start fussing or complaining.

Leo walked slowly into a huge, dark house. She tried to look at her surroundings, but all she could make out was twelve-foot ceilings encircled by marble. He continued down a few hallways, passing by endless doors, until he turned into one of them, kicking the door shut behind him. He quickly crossed the room until he reached a walk-in closet, followed by a bathroom, flicking on the lights before settling her down on the toilet seat.

She looked around her and noticed the bathroom was gigantic, it could have easily been the size of her bedroom.

"You're going to have to shower. Beer and alcohol fell all over you. I'll go get you some towels and clothes. Oh, and please don't look in the mirror." Leo opened a glass door next to her and turned on the shower before exiting the bathroom.

She couldn't imagine what she possibly looked like but sure as hell didn't want to know. She tried to move around a bit on the seat to see how her body would handle it, but the same shot of pain coursed through her as before. That was going to be a problem.

Leo returned and placed fresh towels and clothes next to the sink.

"Um Leo ... I don't know how I'm going to get in there," she said quietly.

"Oh, I hadn't thought about that. Can you stand up?"

"Not even close," Mia confessed.

"That bad, huh? Showering is going to be an issue then. I don't know ... I can try to go wake up the housekeeper to help you."

Mia looked at her watch, lingering on the seconds as they ticked by. "At four in the morning? No, that's not necessary. I don't want to be a burden. I can just wait until tomorrow."

"That's not an option. You need to shower right now. I uh ... I'll help you," Leo suggested.

"You? I'm not sure about that, Leo. I mean how would we even ..." Mia couldn't finish her last words. The predicament she was in was getting dicey and escalating rapidly.

"Look, this is a weird situation for me too, Mia. But I don't know ... just keep your underwear on and we'll take it from there."

Uh oh. Mia tried to think about what type of underwear she was wearing. When she dressed up earlier, the last thing that crossed her mind was the possibility of ending up in a shower, with none other than Leo, in nothing but her lingerie. Most likely, she was wearing a thong, she usually did.

After the initial shock, she concluded it didn't matter. One of her few indulgences had been nice lingerie from Cosabella, so she would be okay in that department.

"What about you?" Mia asked. Was this really going to happen?

"I'll do the same, of course."

"I really don't know Leo. I'll figure something else out. It's too embarrassing."

"It doesn't have to be. We're adults and I'll be on my best behavior. No funny stuff, I promise." At those last words, Leo stripped off his shirt all too quickly. He kicked off his shoes and socks and reached for the buckle on his belt.

Oh. My. God.

Mia couldn't comprehend the scene that was unfolding in front of her. Look at those muscles! She felt like she had to divert her eyes, and before she knew it, she saw his pants drop to the floor. She caught a glimpse of a Hugo Boss waistband and she gasped.

He crouched down next to her and she had to hold her breath. How had he gotten almost naked in five seconds?

"Leo, wait," she managed to whisper.

"Mia, it's okay. This is strictly professional. You need to shower and I'm going to help you. Just think of me as a doctor." Leo's voice had turned a bit husky.

No way. No doctor would ever look like that, or make her feel this way. Not in a million years. Maybe a fireman could. A really sexy fireman. God, control your thoughts Mia.

He took off her shoes effortlessly. He then reached for the end of her dress and began to slowly lift it up her legs. The slight brush of his fingertips as he did so sent shivers down her spine. Did she actually agree to this?

He cleared his throat when he reached her thighs and Mia noticed he looked away. He continued tugging it up over her bottom until he reached her waist, pausing briefly until finally bringing the entire dress over her head and discarding it onto the floor.

•••

Sweet Jesus, mother of God. Leo took a moment to look at Mia undressed, and he sucked in his breath to cover the moan he almost let out. Christmas had come early this year. Okay, so he kind of forced her into this situation, but she might as well have been wearing a giant red bow around her neck. He had just unwrapped that special gift he had been secretly wishing for all year long.

His eyes slowly racked down her immaculate body. He knew he shouldn't be staring so obviously at her, but he couldn't help it. Especially when she was wearing an incredibly sexy black bra and matching panties that accentuated her ridiculous body in all the right places.

It was such a strange sensation seeing that the reality had matched the picture in his mind so precisely. She was all legs, perfectly small waist, and unblemished skin that was just begging to be caressed. He hadn't done her cleavage justice though. She did a good job of hiding it because he knew she was curvaceous but this was just beyond spectacular. He tried to keep his poise calm at the thought of a naked Mia in the shower. He hadn't promised anything about not looking, had he?

Trying to gather his bearings, he slid his eyes back to Mia's face. Even though she was completely pale, her cheeks were beginning to turn into a marvelous bright pink. He tried to smile reassuringly at her, but it didn't seem to work much. Obviously not after you just completely ogled her from head to toe, he thought.

He noticed she was still wearing her Michael Kors watch. He flipped her wrist over, and gently undid the top clasp, followed by the second lock. The bracelet opened, and he slowly slid it off of her. He placed it on top of their intermingled clothes piled on the floor, and then quickly went to remove his own watch.

Mia was slowly rubbing her wrist when he turned to look back at her.

"Anything else you need to take off?" he asked coyly.

Mia blushed a deep red and shook her head. Leo was beginning to adore that look on her.

"Where does it hurt exactly?" he asked, trying to refocus on the task at hand.

"I guess my knees and ankles mostly. It just really aches when I put pressure on them," she answered.

"They look pretty swollen," he said gently grabbing onto one of her legs and then the heel of her foot.

She grimaced and moved away from him, hurting herself in the process. "Ow," she let out, trying to soothe her aching limbs.

He reached for her leg once more and she again moved in the other direction.

"Quit doing that, Mia. I'm trying to help you. You're going to have to learn to deal with me."

"I don't need a full body inspection. Can we just get on with it?" she said, sounding more embarrassed than angry.

Oh yes you do ... and yes we can. Where do I sign? He instantly thought of a million things he could tell her that would embarrass her even further, but bit his tongue. He couldn't keep from smiling at her seductively, though.

"You know what I mean," she added quietly.

Deciding not to tease her any longer, he easily picked her up and settled her down again inside the shower, holding onto the small of her back while she kept her arms wrapped around his neck.

He couldn't believe his eyes as he stared at Mia in front of him, recollecting the events that had brought them there. She had been exquisite at the club. He had instantly noticed she was dressed up more than usual and she looked absolutely stunning. The barrier she frequently put up had dropped and her demeanor was so compelling. And when they danced ... he loved every second of it.

Only he had told himself to stay away, to keep a distance. But he just couldn't help it anymore. She was like a drug and every time he saw her it pulled him in deeper. He had managed somehow to leave her alone for an entire week, surely that had to count for something.

But then she had stood in front of him so openly and he finally had her entirely to himself. Every inch of her was his to take and it was up to him to determine the next move. Did she really want this? Suddenly, he hadn't been so sure. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her and he saw himself falling in too deep. He needed to cool off. He needed to think.

He didn't want to leave her. He shouldn't have left her. He knew once he had made the decision, it was mistake.

He almost had a heart attack once he had returned from the bathroom only to find Mia lying practically lifeless on the floor. He had seen a drunken Johan swaying above her and instantly understood what had happened. His biggest fear had played out right in front of him. That's when he lost all sense of control and jumped on Johan, punching him repeatedly in the face.

Someone had pulled him back. It had been Omar. Surprisingly he said he would help him get Mia out of there. Mia. He had rushed to her side and nearly cried of relief when he felt a pulse.

The rest of the details were hazy, but Leo had managed to get her out of the club and safely into his car in no time. He just wanted her to be safe and he had accomplished that. But the surrounding sentiment was pure guilt. It was his fault this even happened. He had provoked Johan at the café and if he had just kept his mouth shut none of this would have happened.

"How is the water?" Leo asked, attempting to get away from his thoughts.

"Está perfecta."

Perfect. Mia was perfect. An angel he didn't deserve. How could he have done this to her? He felt like a shit. Leo couldn't imagine telling her the real cause of what had happened. She would hate him for it, and then what? Somehow he felt like he was constantly losing her and she wasn't even his to lose. But despite all his conflicting emotions, the moment felt real. Painstakingly real.

He desperately tried to keep his attraction for her buried within, but it was proving to be extremely difficult. The saintly image standing in front of him, combined with the feel of the incredible curvatures of her body and added water pressure was unbearable.

As much as he wanted the moment to last forever, he would have to end it quickly. He had promised her he would be respectful and he would keep that promise. What kind of a man would he be otherwise?

Leo caught himself leaning in towards her and stepped back. She was like a magnetic pull. How long had he been staring at her? He gently disentangled her arms from his neck, placing them around his waist instead. He then reached for the shampoo and poured some in her hands.

She began massaging her hair with it, only to pull her hand abruptly back and stare at her fingers.

"What is it?" Leo asked, inspecting her fingers.

"I think I have a piece of glass or something stuck in my hair," Mia explained.

Leo's eyes widened. "Here, let me look," he said, slightly turning her around. He gently sifted through her hair, finding two small shards of glass in it. He swore as he removed them.

"I'm so sorry, baby," he said pulling her towards his chest, his hand holding onto the back of her neck. The endearing term kept slipping out of him, but he rather liked the sound of it hanging in the air. He began to softly massage her nape, his fingers tracing down to her shoulders. He felt her shiver; but unexpectedly, pressed into him more.

"It's okay, Leo. I'm okay," she sighed, as she hugged him back.

"No, it's definitely not okay. Just thinking about what could have happened to you ..." his words trailed off as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry you got mixed up in another mess of mine. All this must be pretty inconvenient for you," Mia pointed out.

"Don't be. Trust me, this is a far cry from inconvenient," he said as he lifted up her chin to look at her. "It's not every day that a beautiful girl ends up in my shower." He smiled, a little embarrassed at his candidness.

Mia blushed again and instantly looked down. Keep it simple, he thought.

"Well, come on. Let's get this crap off of you," he said trying to change the tone of the conversation. Leo shifted so the spray of water could wash out her hair. A smell of shampoo mixed with alcohol surfaced.

"Wow, I guess I really needed that," Mia said, staring at the floor.

"Never underestimate the power of a good shower," Leo replied. "Ready to get out?" he asked, even though his brain was telling him otherwise.

She simply nodded, looking away shyly.

He turned off the knob and picked her up again. He grabbed a large towel off the sink and wrapped it around her before settling her down on the toilet seat again.

He stood crouched beside her longer than he should, but there was something about her image he couldn't get away from. If he thought he was able to resist her before, he was wrong.

She clutched at the white towel around her unseeingly to his reaction. She looked so innocent when just a moment ago she had looked drop-dead sexy. Leo wondered how it could be the same person staring back at him. What else was she hiding from him?

He contemplated which look he preferred but couldn't decide. He wanted her either way. Maybe if he picked her up like that and took her to his bed he could witness both. Oh baby, the things I would do to you. He started to imagine her beneath him, sharing his bed while tossing him that lethal combination look. The innocent one, he concluded. Even in his mind, he knew that was the look that would bring him to his knees.

Stop, Leo! What is wrong with you? If she knew he was thinking of bedding her right now, she would certainly run for the hills. He was supposed to be taking care of her at the moment. Instead he was fawning all over her like some lovesick teenager. It was nonsense. He was completely turned on and ready to go just by looking at her.

He quickly stood up and grabbed a much-needed towel for himself and handed her some clothes, while he secretly cursed the effect she had on him. He was so screwed.

"I'll uh ... go change in the dresser. I'll come back in a bit," he said practically running out of the bathroom.

He quickly dried off and pulled on a t-shirt and some black Adidas shorts. He needed some fresh air. He walked outside of the bedroom and out of habit, found himself heading towards the kitchen. He opened up the fridge, grabbing a large bottle of water. He gulped half of it down and then slumped against the counter. How was he going to make it until the morning?

Deciding he shouldn't procrastinate much longer, he jotted down a note for his housekeeper, and headed back to his sweet torture. It occurred to him that he would have to help her change, and couldn't fathom how he would handle it.

He knocked on the door before returning this time. To his major relief, she had managed to change into the clothes he had left by herself. She was wearing one of his v-necks and boxer shorts and looked cute as hell. He decided right then he loved seeing her in his clothing. It was almost as good as her without any clothing. Almost.

"All set? How are you holding up?" Leo asked, trying to seem unaffected.

"Better, at least physically. The shower definitely helped relax my muscles and ease my movements a bit."

"Glad to hear that. Okay, last stop." He scooped her up yet again and placed her in the middle of his fluffy white bed once he reached the bedroom. He sat down beside her and felt like he could finally relax now that she was dressed again.

Leo watched Mia take in her surroundings. His bedroom décor was modern but simple. A desk in the far corner, a few dressers, a sofa, and a plasma TV on the wall.

"Is this your room?" she asked in awe.

"Yeah, well it's the room I grew up in. I've been living in London for a while now. At least up until the master's that I decided to come back to Madrid."

"So this is your parents' house?"

"Yup. But they're constantly traveling so it feels like they're barely ever here. You don't have to worry about running into them in the morning."

Mia's gaze fell towards some picture frames on a bedside table, one in particular that caught her attention. "You play polo?"

"When I was younger. I still play every now and again whenever I get a chance."

"I like your life," Mia concluded.

"Yeah, I really can't complain," Leo smiled back at her. He felt a tinge of excitement knowing she was curious about him.

"Is it weird coming back, living with your parents again?" Mia asked.

"Definitely. It has its perks, though. I think I've gotten used to it at this point. Now it's going to be weird going back to London."

"Yeah, it's like reverse culture shock all over again. Dual citizenship problems," she laughed.

"Exactly. Isn't it weird how even though we're from completely different countries, our lives are so similar? Like you understand things innately about my life that most people wouldn't."

Mia smiled. "Yeah. I feel that way, too. I feel like I have much more in common with you than some of my friends in Mexico or the US. I guess it's just natural for us to gravitate towards each other."

"Well, I'm glad I found you ... with a little help from some good old fashioned physics," he laughed. "Do you need anything else, water or anything?"

"Um ... yeah, water would be great," Mia said.

He went over to his desk and picked up a couple of water bottles. He handed one over to her.

"So I'll go sleep in one of the guestrooms and you can stay here," he offered.

"No, I don't want to take over your room. I can stay in the guestroom."

"I'd rather you be here. Besides you shouldn't be moving around so much."

"Really, I don't mind ... I'll just ..."

He cut her off. "It's a moot cause, Mia. Have you thought about how you would even get there? If I don't take you, that is."

"Oh, right. I can't move by myself. I guess I'm a prisoner in your bed," she mused.

His eyes flew open at that. Just the thought of her sleeping in his bed was inexplicably satisfying. He definitely wouldn't mind having his dirty little way with her, tying her to the bedpost. His brain began to race all over again with wayward thoughts. Was she messing with him?

"Leo, do you think ... I mean, would you mind staying for a bit? I know it sounds stupid, but I don't want to be by myself right now," she said looking at him with Bambi eyes.

Oh, boy. Her request sounded way too appealing. Too tempting. Too dangerous.

"Um ... sure. But you should probably go to sleep soon. I'll stay until you doze off."

"That sounds good. Thank you, Leo," she said genuinely.

He stood up to pull the covers over her, and then lied down next to her on top of them. It would be safer that way. They stayed like that for a while until Mia finally settled in and rested her head on a pillow.

"Leo? Do you want to talk about what happened?" she asked.

It was the one question he had been dreading all night. "Let's put it off until tomorrow. I think you've had enough for one night. Rest, sweetness."

Time. He needed more time. Time to think about what the hell he was going to say to her.

Mia yawned. "Yeah. You're probably right."

Leo let out a troubled sigh. He could tell she was still curious, but had let it go. Why couldn't he just tell her?

He looked over at her and saw that she had closed her eyes. The room became acutely silent, but he was still very much attuned to every part of her. Her almost inaudible breathing, the peaceful expression across her face, her flawless features. She just looked so completely vulnerable.

"Goodnight, Mia," he whispered.

When she didn't answer, he moved to lie down next to her. He continued to look at her, just watching her sleep. It was fascinating. He wanted to stare at her forever. Just don't fall asleep, he thought, as he reached over to turn off the light.

He felt something tug at him from deep inside. Who was this incredible woman sleeping next to him? It suddenly felt like she was a part of him, as if he had always known her. It didn't make any sense. He began to wonder if she was even real when he finally fell into a deep sleep.

###  Chapter 10 – Home with Leo

Leo woke up the next morning feeling completely relaxed. He felt some sort of warmth beside him and moved up comfortably towards the source. It felt so good. He lazily opened his eyes to a familiar room, his room. But there was something off about it.

The first thing he noticed was a set of beautiful dark blond hair cascading down a pillow. He dropped his gaze towards his body and saw that his arm was wrapped around her delicate waist. He reached for her hips and pulled her back against him when it suddenly hit. Mia was in his bed! And apparently he was spooning with her too. Holy shit.

Suddenly the door swung open. "Bro, I thought we could go shoot some ... damn!"

Leo immediately tightened his arm around her waist and shifted his position to cover her.

"Max, do you mind? Get the hell out!" he yelled with a sleepy voice.

"Okay sorry, I'm out. How was I supposed to know you brought some chick home? You're insane by the way." At that Max left and shut the door.

Leo turned around to look at Mia, and saw that her cheeks were heating in embarrassment. At least her back was to the door so Max hadn't seen her entirely.

"Mia, I'm so sorry. I must've fallen asleep ... you okay? That was my pesky brother by the way."

She turned around to face him and rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay. I figured as much. Sounds like a fun guy," she chuckled.

Leo smiled. "Yeah, he is. How are you feeling? You look ... better," he said tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and cupping her cheek. Not better, gorgeous. How could she look this good in the morning? And how did he get so lucky to wake up with her laughing in his bed?

She leaned into the palm of his hand and sighed. "A lot better actually. Better than I deserve. I just hope I'll be able to walk now."

"You weren't enjoying me carrying you around everywhere?" Leo grinned.

Mia laughed. "That was ... nice. But you can't keep carrying me forever."

I wish I could. "I didn't mind ... do you want to try it out?" He got off the bed and offered her his hand.

She took a deep breath and took it. She hesitantly placed her feet on the floor and slowly stood up. She winced in anticipation of the pain, but it didn't seem to come. "I think I'll be alright. I only feel a slight aching I'll be capable of handling," she smiled.

"I told you, you would. Remember?" Leo couldn't help picking her up in a bear hug before giving her a swirl and placing her back on the bed. She was in one piece again. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving." Her stomach seemed to agree because it gurgled at the same time and she laughed.

"I'll be right back."

Leo walked straight into the kitchen. Max was sitting in a barstool chair munching on some food the cook was preparing and chatting away with the housekeeper. As he entered, they all stopped to give him a sly look.

"Can you all calm down? It's not what it looks like," Leo tried to explain.

Max snorted. "Sure, Leo. Whatever you say man."

"Look, it was an emergency okay?"

"Hey, you don't have to explain anything to me. She's cute though. I would have brought her home too if I could."

"Mind your own business. And she's not just some chick," he argued, noting his remark from earlier.

At his comment, Max shot him a look of disbelief. "Well, I'll be damned little brother. I think hell just froze over. Now I know why you begged me for those concert tickets."

Leo rolled his eyes and looked over at the housekeeper. She was looking back at him in absolute joy. She handed him over a shopping bag. "Encontré tu nota."

"Gracias, Carmen! Eres la mejor. Almuerzo en la terraza?"

She nodded in return.

Leo walked back towards his room with a chuckle and shaking his head. Everyone seemed to think he was losing it. Except Carmen, at least she seemed happy for him.

He found Mia still sitting contently on his bed. God, he could get used to that sight.

"Esto es para ti, guapa." He placed a blue Zara paper bag in front of her.

"Leo, what is this?" she asked, puzzled.

"Clothes silly ... so you can get dressed. I figured you would want to wear something that wasn't soaked in alcohol."

"This is crazy! When did you even ..."

"Don't worry about it. Just thank Carmen later. I'll let you change." He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and went to the dresser to grab some clothes for himself before leaving the room.

•••

Mia peeked into the bag. She pulled out a pair of jeans, a black top, a matching pair of bra and panties, and even some really cute white tennis shoes. It was definitely too much. She checked the sizes of the clothes and was amazed to find they were spot on. How did he know?

Curiosity aside, she popped off the tags and quickly dressed. The clothes fit quite well on her, and she even thought it looked like something she would normally wear and buy for herself. Maybe she should do a little shopping one of these days. After all, clothes from Zara were always trendy and affordable in Spain. So far her day was looking up.

They had lunch on the terrace and she felt like she was back home in Mexico. She couldn't remember the last time she had a home cooked full-course meal like that. She took a bite out of the patatas revueltas Leo had served her and it was exquisite. She was just about to tell him how much she was enjoying the meal, when two young children ran up to the table and jumped on him.

"Leo!" the girl screamed as she climbed over him, and the boy settled at his side pulling on his arm. They both had blond silky hair and were clearly twins.

He laughed. "What are you two trouble-makers up to?"

The little girl looked down and shrugged. "Nothin' ..." she said innocently.

"Nothing? Hmm ... I hardly believe that's true," Leo said tickling her.

She giggled. "It's true, Leo!"

Mia stared in astonishment at the adorable scene evolving in front of her. Just judging by the short interaction, the amount of affection between them was clear.

"Do you guys want to meet Mia? You're going to just love her," Leo said.

The girl nodded and the boy peeked up curiously at Mia as if he had just noticed her.

"Mia, these little monsters are Sofia and Nico. They're my younger siblings."

"So nice to meet you. Aren't you the cutest little things," Mia said warmly.

"C'mon guys don't be rude to our guest. Go give Mia a kiss," Leo said as he put Sofia down and nudged Nico forward. They both quickly complied and Mia bent down to receive two big kisses on the cheek.

Nico then turned around to look at Leo. "Is Mia your girlfriend?" he asked.

Leo glanced over at Mia before responding, and she felt her heart flutter. "Well ... she's certainly a girl and my friend," he said.

Nico didn't seem to understand because he had a confused look on his face. "How come we've never met her before?" he pressed.

"I don't know. I invited her over several times but she never wanted to come," Leo joked.

"Leo! Don't say such things," Mia interjected.

He laughed. "They know I'm kidding. Right guys?"

They both nodded in unison, even though they clearly weren't following the conversation.

"Leo? Carmen said mommy and daddy are coming home tomorrow. Is it true?" Sofia suddenly asked.

"Yes, it is. So you won't have to miss them much longer, okay princess?" he responded stroking her hair.

Sofia's face lit up. "Do you want to come play the Wii with us?"

"Why don't you ask Mia first?" Leo said.

She turned around and repeated the question to Mia.

"Of course I do, sweetie," she smiled.

"Go start it up and we'll meet you there soon," Leo said. He had barely finished the sentence when they both screamed in excitement and ran off.

Mia smiled watching them until they disappeared from her sight. "I can't believe you didn't tell me about them. They're adorable," she said.

"Yeah, they always make my day. I just feel bad they don't get to spend so much time with my parents since they travel all the time. It's part of the reason I decided to come back home."

"Well, they're lucky to have you. You can tell they really look up to you."

"I guess with the age difference it's inevitable. Sometimes I feel like they're my own kids and not brother and sister."

"I think I know what you mean. One of my uncles also had twins much later on after already having four children so the older ones pretty much took care of them. You know, my dad is also a twin, I guess it runs in the family."

"I can't imagine what it would be like to have two Mia's running around. Now that I would like to see," Leo said smiling.

Mia smiled back but felt an unease grow inside her. She quickly pushed it back, not letting her thoughts come to fruition. "So how about that Wii, huh? Get ready to get schooled in tennis."

"Oh, we'll see about that."

###  Chapter 11 – Confessions

Leo and Mia headed towards the garage, hand in hand. Leo couldn't seem to let go of it all day. They had been playing with Sofia and Nico when Leo called Omar to pick up Mia's purse. He had said he was leaving his apartment in about an hour so they needed to hurry up. Mia didn't necessarily want to leave Leo's beautiful home and family behind, but then again she did want her purse back. She needed to have her phone, keys, and credit cards to be able to function. Especially her phone. Usually she couldn't stand more than 15 minutes without wanting to check it, but lately she wasn't feeling so addicted to it anymore.

Leo motioned towards a swanky SUV in the garage and went to open the passenger door for her.

"What happened to your other car?" she asked as he got in.

Leo shrugged. "I don't know. I was feeling in a jeep kind of mood today," he said, sticking the key in the ignition.

"Oh yeah, I get that all the time. I just wake up in the morning and think to myself, I'm in a jeep kind of mood."

He dropped his hand from the key and looked at her surprised. "Are you mocking me, little lady?"

"Yo? No, para nada."

"You know, I really don't need to drive you to pick up your purse. Maybe someone else could do it," he said seemingly offended.

"C'mon Leo. I was just messing around. It's just some aspects of your life are so unreal sometimes, and I was simply pointing it out."

Leo sighed. "You're right. I should thank you for keeping me grounded. Plus, I can never stay mad at you for more than ten seconds. I think it's starting to turn into a curse."

"I think it's starting to turn into a blessing," Mia smiled.

"Either way, you're going to be the end of me." Leo stepped on the gas and drove out of the garage.

She looked out the window and continued smiling. Something had changed between them last night. She tried to go over the events of the night in her mind, but there were too many. Besides, her thoughts kept on racing back to the man sitting next to her.

How he had rescued her once again, helped her every step of the way, worried about her continuously. He had been so gentle with her and reassuring. And when they showered he was ridiculously tender. It was serene. She had been completely vulnerable and he had kept his composure. He had kept the promise even she had wanted to break.

"I'm starting to figure out you get quiet during car rides," Leo said.

She turned around to look at him. "I guess I do. I just like to take in the scenery and get lost in my thoughts."

"I hate to say this, but sometimes you think too much, Mia." As if making a point, he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it. He returned it back to rest on her lap and laced their fingers together.

Mia sighed, looking at their hands interlocked. "I know."

"It's not a bad thing. You just need to get out of your head more. Do what you really want to do and not think about it. You should try it. Take a walk on the wild side."

"Is that an open invitation?" she asked.

"Of course. Go crazy. Wreck the car for all I care," he dared.

"Well, what I really want to do right now, is this." She reached out for the car's stereo and turned it on. She quickly scanned through the stations, until she heard the latest Rihanna hit play on the radio. Perfect, she thought, as she pumped up the volume until it blasted throughout the car.

She looked up and pressed the button for the jeep's skylight. Once it was open, she quickly took off her seatbelt and without even looking at Leo, stood up on the seat and popped out of the sunroof.

She instantly felt the strong breeze of the wind brush against her face. She lifted up her arms, letting the airstream push back her hands, and howled at the top of her lungs. She heard Leo laugh from within the car, and then felt his hand on her calf, holding her in place.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the wind blowing through her hair and the sun caressing her cheeks. It was heavenly, almost like a dream.

She felt the car slowly speed down and come to a halt. She opened her eyes and noticed they were in front of a stoplight. She was about to go back down, when she felt Leo grab her by the waist and push her to the side to make room for himself outside the sunroof.

"That's my girl!" Leo said proudly. He looked shocked for a moment, but then shrugged it off. "It is kind of nice up here," he added, casually looking around the street.

If felt ... odd being referred to as his. Then again, so much had happened between them. Leo's girl. It sounded kind of ... nice.

She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "So you like your girls insane?" she asked, playfully.

"I like you insane," he replied. "Only you, Mia."

She felt her heart stop. His beautiful blue eyes glistened and his expression turned very serious. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it shut. God, he was so handsome. If only ...

The sound of a horn pierced through her thoughts. She turned to see that the light had turned green and a long file of cars were stuck behind them.

"We better go," Leo said, looking at her wistfully.

The car honked loudly again and she nodded, slipping back into her seat. Leo quickly followed. He reached over and buckled her seat belt, before buckling his own, and turning down the music. He put the gear to drive, and quickly sped off, neither of them saying another word for the rest of the ride.

•••

"Hey guys," Omar greeted Leo and Mia as he appeared next to the SUV. They had been parked outside his apartment, silently waiting for him to come out. He pulled out Mia's purse and handed it over to her. "I believe you've been looking for this?"

"Yes, thank you so much for rescuing it Omar. I would have died without it."

Omar shrugged. "It was the least I could do after what that asshole did to you. How are you holding up?"

Mia saw Leo cringe and shoot him a look. "I'm doing better," she said.

"Good to hear. Well I gotta run to a group meeting, you know how it is. I'll see you two later," Omar spoke quickly before walking away.

Mia looked over at Leo. "Guess it's the moment of truth." She opened up the bag and was relieved to find everything was in place. She took out her IDs and credit cards just to double check.

"Can I see that ID?" Leo looked over her shoulder curiously.

Mia covered her hands over it. "No way. The picture is too embarrassing."

"Oh c'mon. I'm sure it's fine. You can see mine. I promise my picture is even more embarrassing."

"Okay, that I need to see," Mia responded.

Leo reached for his wallet and pulled out a card before handing it over to Mia.

"Your hair! It's so long. When was this taken?"

"About five years ago. Everyone always bothers me about it. I guess I had a hippie phase going on back then."

Mia laughed and handed it back over before sneaking a peek at his birth date. Hmm. Then she hesitantly handed over her own. She immediately started to explain, "I was really mad that day. I had to wait over two hours in line and it was already the second time I'd been there because they didn't accept my social security card and had to get a new one."

"Well, you definitely look pissed off. You should probably get mad more often. I think it kind of suits you."

"I don't know about that," she said trying to get her card back from him.

"Hold on a minute ... you're 23? No wait ... you just turned 24?"

"Don't you know it's inappropriate to ask a girl's age?"

"You look incredibly younger. I swore you were 21 or 22 max. I thought you had just graduated from college."

"No, I was already working for a few years ... joined the job force and all."

"Interesting. You know what this means, right?" he asked grinning.

"Oh please, we're practically the same age," she pointed out, already knowing where his mind was heading.

"Ah, so you took notice of my birth date, too."

"Maybe ..." she said a bit embarrassed.

"You're so cute sometimes. Don't worry, I have nothing against older women," he said smiling widely.

"It's only by two months, Leo!"

"It still counts. Plus, you're like from a totally different year," he joked.

"Just because I was born in November and you were born in January. Big deal."

"Well, at least we agree on something," he teased.

"You're impossible sometimes. You're loving this aren't you?"

"Very much so. I love seeing you get all fired up," he said kissing her forehead.

Mia sighed into him. He definitely brought it out in her. She usually wasn't like that. Maybe it was a good thing?

"Can I have that back now?" she pleaded.

"Not done yet," he smirked. He looked more intently at the card and noted the address on it. "East 16th Street. I guess you really live in New York, huh?"

"Guilty as charged. Last seven years. And another seven before that when I was a child."

"Must be why you're so strong. You have a backbone most girls don't have."

Mia thought about that statement, but couldn't come to agree with it. There were so many times when she hadn't been strong.

One time in particular. The memory that kept haunting at her, that touched the deepest recesses of her heart. An image of a hospital bed flashed before her eyes.

No, she couldn't let it out now. She had to hold it back.

Trying to distract herself, she decided to check her phone. She found several emails, text messages, and missed calls. That had to be a record! Or maybe it was because she was finally checking her phone like a normal person should. She quickly scrolled through them.

From her mom: Por qué no contestas mis mensajes? Hope all is well and please communicate more often! No te desaparezcas.

From Teresa, her sister: So what's happened with that Leo guy? Talk to me lady!

From Victoria: Mia, estás bien? Please tell me you finally hooked up with Leo. I'm expecting details!

That last message made her laugh. What was it with boy gossip?

"What's so funny?" Leo asked.

Mia had forgotten he was sitting right next to her! He could definitely not see what she was reading. "Nothing, my mom and sister freaking out about me as usual."

"Is that all?" Leo asked suspiciously.

Mia shrugged. "Pretty much."

"Liar."

Her eyes widened. What? Had he seen the message? "It's not ... your concern."

"I think it is if the message has my name on it," he teased.

Oh, no. "But it's my phone! It's private," she protested.

Before she could say anything else, Leo swiped the phone out of her hands.

"Leo, don't!" Mia cried. But it was too late, he had already read it. Suddenly feeling completely overwhelmed, she stepped out the car and closed the door behind her. She started walking away contemplating her next move when he stopped in front her.

"Let me go," she said.

"I'm not holding you back," Leo pointed out.

"Well, you're hovering."

Leo stepped back and ran his fingers roughly through his hair. "Mia, I'm sorry okay? I saw my name in the text and then you were laughing and I just couldn't resist. I know it was wrong. I shouldn't have done that. It was stupid of me."

"You weren't supposed to read that," she accused.

"I know. But was it really that bad?"

"Yes!" She began to turn away from him. This was too embarrassing.

"Mia please, let's talk about this," he said, reaching for her arm.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"I think it's pretty obvious there is. Especially after last night."

"You won't even tell me about what happened." She was still curious about that. Why wouldn't he just tell her?

Leo contemplated something for a moment. "Fine, I'll tell you about it. Can you please just get back in the car?"

Mia huffed and turned around. She opened the car door and closed it shut again after getting in.

•••

Leo looked over at Mia, his face torn with emotion and his eyes reflecting his internal grief. There wasn't going to be an easy way to tell her. He had already given it a lot of thought and he had no other choice. He would have to tell her exactly what happened.

"It was my fault," Leo confessed.

"What?"

"It was my own fault that Johan hurt you. I hurt you."

"No you didn't. You helped me. Leo, what are you saying?" Mia asked in bewilderment.

He sighed painfully. This was going to be difficult.

"It's okay, Leo. You can tell me," she said placing her hand on his.

The simple act reassured him enough to let it out. "About a week ago we had lunch together and the guys started asking me about you. I told them we were just friends and Johan got all wired up for some reason saying that he wanted to uh ... sleep with you, to put it nicely. I kind of snapped and threatened him not to go near you. So it was my fault that you got hurt."

"How is that your fault? The guy is a complete prick."

"Don't you see? I provoked him! He would have never touched you if it wasn't for me." Leo shook his head as if trying to get rid of the image.

"Leo, you shouldn't be taking the blame for what happened. I wouldn't be sitting here if it wasn't for you."

"I just feel responsible. If I hadn't said anything, you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"You don't know that. The guy is capable of anything. Who's to say he wouldn't do the same thing to someone else?"

Mia paused abruptly, a flash of recollection lighting in her eyes. Their conversation about Johan seemed to trigger something in her brain.

"I ... remember now," Mia began to say softly.

Leo looked at her, but she dropped her head and shook it.

"Tell me, sweetness."

She wavered before answering. "I don't think you want to know. He's your friend and I don't want to ..."

"That bloke is dead to me," he said grimly. "Please, it's been killing me, Mia."

She sighed heavily. "He said that you were using me. That you just wanted to ... sleep with me, to put it nicely, and would dump me afterwards like you did with every girl."

Leo was astounded. "Mia ... you have to know that isn't true. I would never do that to you. The last thing I would ever want is to hurt you. Please believe me."

She simply nodded.

Leo took her hand, and grabbed it tighter. More. There was more he needed to tell her, more he needed her to know.

"I was so scared last night. For a moment, I thought I had lost you. And I kept thinking I would never be able to survive if anything ever happened to you."

She peeked up at him through her lashes and met his eyes.

The words just started pouring out now. "All I could think of was wanting to protect you, wanting to be with you. I realized how much I care about you. And the way I feel about you ... it's so strong. I've never felt like this before."

He slowly leaned into her and brushed his face in her hair, taking in her scent. He reached up to touch her face by the temple and let his fingers trickle down her cheek to lift her chin.

"I want you, Mia," he breathed. "So much. No sabes cuánto, preciosa."

He brought his lips slowly towards hers and pressed a soft kiss against them, then another and yet another followed. He pulled away slightly to gauge her reaction, and this time she kissed him back. The feather touch of her lips was everything he had dreamed of and more.

He opened his mouth slightly and brushed his tongue against her lips back and forth. So soft, so sweet. She was delicious. More than he had ever imagined. She parted her lips and he searched for her tongue inside. When their tongues finally met, she let out a soft moan and he was in paradise. It was all he ever wanted.

Their mouths moved in unison and Leo felt her fingers wrap around his neck and clench in his hair. The sensation flooded memories of the previous night and reverberated through his body. A sense of urgency started building inside him as he grabbed her face with both of his hands and pressed her harder against him.

He wanted to stretch out the enormity of the moment, make it last for as long as he possibly could, but knew he would soon have to stop. But for now it was enough, it had filled him, and he could die a happy man. He had obtained a taste of Mia. A small piece of heaven.

###  Chapter 12 – Reality Bites

"Are you okay, Mia? You seem a tad jumpy," Leo said as they drove to school the following Monday morning.

He had insisted he pick her up today, and well, every other day of the week for that matter. It was an offer she simply couldn't resist.

Mia looked down and noticed she had been tapping her leg repeatedly against the floor seat. She immediately stopped and looked over at Leo.

"I don't know, I'm kind of nervous. It's just ... a lot happened this weekend and I'm sure people are gonna give me strange looks or ask questions that I don't want to answer. Normally I wouldn't care, but people love to gossip around here," Mia explained.

"Just ignore them, Mia. That's what I do. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

"What if they ask me directly though? I don't even know what to say. I mean, what's the story?"

"Don't worry about it," Leo said simply.

"But I do worry. What if they ask ..."

"No, that's what you tell them. 'Don't worry about it'. It's none of their business."

"That works?" Mia asked skeptically.

"Like a charm. It's a polite way of saying shut the hell up, and people usually do."

"Do you want to try it out?" Leo asked.

"Um, sure."

"Okay ... Let's see," he said pausing to think. "Hey Mia, so you and Leo huh? Oh my god, he's so hot," Leo said imitating a California valley girl.

Mia burst out laughing.

"C'mon Mia, get in character. This is serious business right now," he said playfully.

"So Mia, are you guys like an item now? Are you getting married and having lots of babies?" he said raising an eyebrow.

Mia took a few seconds to compose herself before answering that question. "Don't worry about it."

"What happened with Johan? I heard he was a total douchebag and Leo defended your honor," he said with a slight smirk.

"Don't worry about it," Mia answered more confidently. That was an easy one for her.

"Good, much better," he said satisfied.

Mia thought she was off the hook, so his next question took her by surprise.

"Where did you learn to dance like that? I mean you guys were practically having sex on the dance floor," he said accusingly.

"Leo! No we weren't," she protested.

"That's not the right answer."

Mia crossed her arms. "Don't worry about it," she said between her teeth. "You think people really think that?" she added, her voice full of concern.

"Quite possibly. We kind of were," he said grinning.

Mia gasped. "It's not my fault people don't know how to move their damn hips around here. People dance like that in New York all the time and it's completely normal."

"So you normally dance like that?" Leo asked.

"No, of course not. I guess I just got a bit carried away with you," Mia said shyly.

Leo lifted up a hand. "Hey, I'm not complaining. Just bringing up things people might ask so you're prepared," he explained as he pulled into the parking lot near school.

He parked the car effortlessly and looked over at Mia. "I can't wait to dance with you again," he said touching her cheek.

Mia felt her cheeks flush. "Oh my god, this is so embarrassing, Leo. I feel like I'm in high school all over again."

"It will be fine Mia, I promise. If you don't make it a big deal, then it won't be."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she said sighing. "Can we talk about one more thing before we enter the battlefield?"

"Of course," he said chuckling.

"Please don't be offended, but do you mind if ... I mean, do you think we can ... take things ... slow?" she said nervously.

"Do you have any idea how adorable you are?" He leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "The answer is yes, I'll be on my best behavior. You can always be honest with me Mia, and I won't take offense," he said warmly.

"Thank you, Leo. I want you to be honest with me, too."

"Okay. In that case, we have to haul ass because we're going to be late for school."

"Are you serious? I didn't even realize it!" she said jumping out of the car.

Leo laughed and pulled her quickly towards the school building. Just as she suspected, every single person that passed by stopped to stare at them. Not wanting to bring more attention to herself, Mia remained silent.

Before she knew it, they arrived to her classroom. Leo's expression was apologetic as they heard people whispering behind them.

"Remember what I told you, okay? You'll be fine," he said kissing her forehead, before walking down the hallway to his classroom.

Not wanting to enter her classroom just yet, she stayed a few moments by the door until she watched Leo disappear into his classroom.

"Already love struck, huh Mia?" she heard someone say behind her. She didn't even bother to see who it was and walked into the room.

She was glad when she ran into Victoria once inside. That is, until she started talking.

"Tú! Why haven't you answered my messages? I've been worried about you all weekend! The only reason I didn't come knocking down your door is because Omar said you were okay. Don't think you can get away with it, missy. We're going to lunch and you're spilling the beans," she rambled.

Before she could answer, the last person she would have ever thought approached her, sporting a very black eye. Did Leo do that to him? Mia winced, and took a step back.

"Did you have a fun weekend with prince charming, cupcake?" Johan said icily.

"Don't worry about it," she said with a tone of indifference and turned her attention back towards Victoria.

She looked back at Mia wide eyed, stifling a chuckle.

"Alright, everyone, take your seats. I'm sure everyone's weekend was fantastic, so let's jump into today's lecture," Professor Davis called out.

Mia quickly made it to her seat, thinking she had never been so grateful to start a lecture in her entire life.

Even though a lot of students complained about his mood swings, Mia really liked this particular professor and enjoyed his class thoroughly. He was one of her few American professors, and his style of teaching reminded her of her classes at NYU.

He was also pretty entertaining as he resembled the comedian Tracy Morgan, and Mia repeatedly caught herself imagining him on Saturday Night Live skits when he would speak.

"Now, who can give me a quick summary of the eBay case?" Davis asked.

Mia sighed as 20 hands flew up in the air. That first question was always the easiest to answer, but she never had the guts to go for it. Instead, she decided to focus on the lecture with a limited attention span.

Class was over before she knew it, and Mia decided the computer lab would be a great spot to kill her 15 minute break and avoid people at all costs.

Just as she was heading out, she heard someone call after her. "Hey Mia, was wondering if you could give me some private dance lessons some time?" An Irish accent curled the words.

Mia turned around to see Charles looking at her, an impish expression on his face.

She was about to tell him off, when his gaze fell behind her and he stilled. He immediately walked away without saying another word.

Mia turned around to see Leo leaning against a column outside her classroom, his expression fuming.

Silently, he walked towards her, grabbed her hand, and pulled her towards the stairwell. He stopped on the second floor, and practically ran towards the bathrooms. He pushed her into the first one he found open, and then shoved her back against the door and locked it.

"Leo, what are you ..."

He interrupted her by crushing his lips against hers, kissing her deeply. At first Mia was too shocked to move, but his kiss felt so good, she quickly gave into it.

While their first kiss had been gentle, this was nowhere near that. It was full of need and an edge of possessiveness. It felt almost desperate. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against him. His arms wrapped around her back and it was only then that she felt him relax.

"I'm sorry, Mia. I never thought ..." he said breathless against her neck.

"It's not your fault, Leo. Honestly, I had imagined much worse."

Leo sighed and shook his head. "Well, I'm glad at least it wasn't as bad for you," he whispered.

"What did they say to you?" Mia asked.

"It doesn't matter. They won't be saying anything again, okay? I'll make sure of it," he said running his fingers through her hair.

She nodded, but cringed at the thought of what people had said.

"Do you want to get out of here? We could skip class and go somewhere for the rest of the day ... anywhere you want," Leo said.

"That sounds extremely appealing, but I don't think we should. It will get people talking even more."

"I'm beginning to hate everyone in this stupid place," Leo said grumpily.

Mia laughed. "Really, everyone? Including me?" She always thought it was amusing when people spoke in absolutes.

Leo smiled for the first time. "Except you," he said giving her another kiss.

Mia looked at her surroundings and noticed they were in the same bathroom they had been in before.

"Did you choose this one on purpose?" she asked grinning.

Leo's smile widened. "I guess it keeps calling my name. Maybe we can get a plaque or something to put on the wall."

"At least some flowers," Mia said. Looking down at her watch, she added, "And a clock. We should go. We're going to be late."

"It's so easy to lose track of time with you," Leo sighed.

They exited the bathroom and thankfully there was no one outside. They went back upstairs to their classrooms and she noticed the hallways were eerily quiet.

"I'll see you later, sweetness," Leo said walking towards his classroom.

Thinking she was beginning to love the sound of those words, she was about to enter the classroom when she noticed the door was closed. Debating whether she should try to go in or not, she placed her hand on the doorknob. Professor Davis came into view and shook his head, pointing to his watch.

Understanding she was too late, Mia nodded and walked away. She looked over to Leo's classroom and saw that he apparently was let in.

Frustrated, she slunk down against the wall and sat on the floor of the hallway. She sighed as she realized she would have to wait until the class was over to collect her belongings inside. Leo's offer of ditching class suddenly didn't seem like such a bad idea.

She reached towards her pockets, and fortunately found she had her phone on her.

As she unlocked her phone, she heard laughter erupt from Leo's classroom. At least someone's having fun, she thought to herself.

She decided to catch up on email. Scrolling through her messages, she realized she still had to write back to her mom.

She would be so proud of me right now. Getting kicked out of class for making out with the school hottie, she thought bitterly.

A message suddenly popped up on her screen from Leo. Speaking of the devil.

"Did you make it?"

Shaking her head, she simply typed back, "Nope."

Her phone buzzed a few seconds later. "What? Davis didn't let you in?"

"Nope," she wrote back again and leaned her head against the wall.

A moment later, she heard a classroom door open and close but didn't pay attention to it.

"You really must hate me right now," Leo said.

Mia's eyes widened. "What are you doing out here?"

Leo grinned. "Bathroom break," he said.

"I'm glad to see you got a better deal than I did," she grit through her teeth.

"Not completely. I did have to sing in front of the entire class for being late."

"You're kidding, right?" Mia said in disbelief.

"I wish," he answered.

"What did you sing?" she asked, her curiosity overriding her anger.

"Hakuna matata," he said laughing.

"Very fitting," Mia answered. "Is that why people were laughing? I would have died," she said.

"It was worth it," he shrugged.

"This day just keeps getting better, huh? I guess I'll go hang out in the library ... see you later?" she said getting up.

"Of course."

She started walking down the hallway when Leo caught up to her and spun her around.

"No goodbye kiss?" he said with puppy eyes.

"No, I'm mad at you," she said, swatting his chest.

"For what?" he said surprised.

"Are you kidding? For being late! I've never been late before. I can't charm people like you do to let me into class. I came here to study Leo, not all this other nonsense," she said flustered.

"God, you're so sexy when you're mad," Leo said playfully.

Mia crossed her arms and stomped her foot. Realizing she was being childish, she turned around again to leave.

It wasn't long before Leo caught up to her, and turned her around again, this time planting a huge kiss on her lips.

She should have pushed him away. She should have told him to apologize. She should have told him he was being cheeky with her. But none of that happened.

As Leo deepened the kiss, she heard a door fling open and she froze.

"Miss Fuentes! I didn't let you into my classroom so you could make out in the hallways and interrupt my lecture all over again," Professor Davis scolded.

Mia instantly became crimson red as she turned around to face the professor, along with the 44 other students snickering behind him in the classroom.

"I'm so sorry, professor. I ..." She felt her composure begin to crack and couldn't form another word.

Leo took her hand and moved protectively in front of her.

"Mr. Durant. I presume you also have a class you should be in?" Davis said addressing Leo.

"That would be correct. I would also say I'm sorry, but I'm not," he shrugged.

Mia gasped as he continued. "Can you really blame me? I mean look at her. You know how it is," Leo said completely shameless.

Professor Davis sighed. "Don't push your luck me with me, Casanova. I don't want to see you around here distracting my students again," he said sternly.

"Well, it would only be one of your students, but you have my word it won't happen again," he promised, looking at Mia who had her eyes glued to the floor.

"Would you care to join us this time, Miss Fuentes?" Davis asked.

Mia's head shot up, looking at the professor incredulously.

"Mia, you don't have to ..." Leo began.

"I would love to," she interrupted him. She shot Leo a death look, before dropping his hand and waltzing into the classroom.

She heard a chuckle behind her and could have sworn Davis said something about a doghouse as he shut the door. She almost glanced back at them but instead scrambled to take her seat.

The classroom was immediately filled with catcalls and laughter. Mia felt herself sink into her seat as she thought this had to be the most mortifying moment of her life.

"Okay, everyone can settle down now," Davis yelled out. And just like that, he continued with his lecture as if nothing had happened.

Mia spent the remainder of the class pretending to take notes, doodling in her notebook, and plotting all the different ways she could kill Leo. She didn't look up once.

When class was finally dismissed, she was already picturing herself taking the forsaken bus back home when Professor Davis called her over.

"May I have a word with you, Miss Fuentes?"

Getting embarrassed all over again, she walked over to him as the last of students were leaving the room. "Professor Davis, I can't even begin to apologize for earlier," she began.

"Water under the bridge, Mia. I'm actually doing you a favor right now."

"A favor?" she asked, not understanding.

"I'm saving you from further comments from your peers," he explained.

"Oh. You heard that?" she asked, blushing horribly.

"Every word. You would be amazed at what us professors hear you say. Apparently, you're the talk of the town," he said amused.

Mia's eyes widened. "So embarrassing," she mumbled.

"It will pass, trust me," he said reassuringly. "Although I am glad to see that you're interacting more with the student body. I've noticed you mostly keep to yourself."

"You noticed that too?" she asked with her eyes still wide open.

"Like I said, we know a lot more than you think. You're a smart girl, Mia. Probably one of the smartest in the class. The few times you participate, other students stop to hear what you have to say. That says a lot. They respect you, even if it doesn't seem that way at the moment. You just need to show it more, let them see who you really are."

Mia's expression must have been shocked since he continued. "Yes, they give us your files too, so I know your background. You have a lot of potential, Mia."

"Thank you, Professor. That means a lot to me," she answered. She just couldn't believe what he was telling her.

Mia looked around the classroom and noticed it was empty. "Well, I guess I can go now that the coast is clear. Thanks again, Professor."

"Don't mention it," he said warmly.

"Also, take it easy on the boy, okay? He's obviously crazy about you."

Mia's jaw dropped, and then she laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

She walked out of the classroom with a renewed spirit, never imagining she would have had a candid conversation like that with a professor in a million years.

One of the expressions her mom frequently said came into mind. No hay mal que por bien no venga.

She smiled contently at the thought that something good had indeed occurred despite all the bad. As to how she would handle Leo, well, that would be a whole other story.

###  Chapter 13 – "Studying"

Mia looked up from the case study she was pretending to read for the last half an hour. Immediately, Leo looked up and followed her gaze, locking eyes with her and giving her his trademark side grin.

"What?" Mia asked.

"Can't concentrate?" he asked playfully.

"No, it's this stupid case study. It's full of numbers I have to analyze. I have to calculate all these different scenarios and I really couldn't care less whether Colgate should sell their toothpaste as brand x or brand z. I don't even know where to begin. I swear these cases are beginning to give me grey hairs!" Mia shouted exasperated.

"Tell me how you really feel," Leo responded jokingly.

"Leo! Don't start with me ... I'm seriously about to throw this course packet out the window!" Mia said as she buried her head in her arms on the table.

Leo immediately stood up and kneeled by her side. "Sweetness, it's gonna be alright. I can help you figure it out," he said disentangling her arms.

Mia's head perked up at that statement. "Says the English major?" she asked incredulously. "No offense," she quickly added, thinking he might get mad.

Leo smiled instead. "How did you know?"

Mia blushed. "I may have been paying attention during orientation," she admitted.

"Somehow I find that very comforting. I guess I should say I already knew you were a psych major before we first went to dinner. You did cause quite an impression on me that day," he smiled widely.

"Should have known. And there I was pouring my soul out to you."

Leo kissed her forehead. "And I'm thankful every day for that."

"Anyway, that's Mr. English major to you. And yes, believe it or not I know a thing or two about finance."

Mia simply raised an eyebrow at him.

Chucking, Leo explained. "I was supposed to be a finance major. Took classes for almost two years in college before I couldn't take it anymore and switched my major. Needless to say, daddy dearest wasn't happy about that one," he said rather sullenly.

Mia laughed. "If it makes you feel better, my dad didn't find out about my major until after I graduated. He thought I was studying economics the whole time."

"You sneaky little thing. I think I could learn a thing or two from you."

Mia shrugged. "So I'm assuming you didn't like finance?"

"Hated every second of it. Ironically, I was actually really good at it and got mostly A's in my classes. My dad just couldn't understand why I would want to switch when I was doing so well."

"Your heart wasn't in it," Mia said understanding.

"Exactly. I guess it would have been easiest to just continue but I knew it would just make me miserable in the end."

"And yet here you are taking finance courses all over again."

"I guess the joke's on me now, huh?"

"Definitely not! I can't believe you never told me about this! Do you know how many hours of tears and heartbreak you could have saved me?"

"Heartbreak? So finance broke your heart? Wait until I get my hands on the bastard and teach him a lesson!"

Mia grinned. "You know what I mean."

"Well, I almost did tell you once upon time," Leo admitted.

Mia thought about that for a second. "That time in the study room," she said when the memory came to her.

"Yeah. I remember you looked so adorable trying to study. I wanted to offer to help you but I chickened out."

"Really? I thought I had made a fool of myself with my scintillating Facebook conversation."

"Come with me," Leo said all of a sudden, pulling on her hand.

"Where are we going?"

"To relax."

"What about the case study?"

"Later," he said pulling her towards the couch. "You need this right now."

He sat down on the couch and the image of him sitting down in it seemed almost comical, as if he were out of place.

He pulled her head down to rest on his lap.

"Leo, this is ridiculous. I don't have time for this right now."

"Yes, you do."

She opened her mouth to argue when Leo started playing with her hair. She immediately closed it and relaxed into him.

"See? Is this so bad?"

Mia sighed. "I suppose a few minutes can't hurt."

Leo chuckled and soon began inspecting her apartment, as if he were suddenly aware of it. For some reason, she began to feel self-conscious at the act.

"Your place is great, Mia," Leo said eventually. "I really like it."

"I guess I lucked out. I've heard a lot of horror stories of people not even having windows in their apartments. I don't know how they do it, having natural light is essential to me."

"That must be so depressing. Well, you got a very nice view of the courtyard."

"Yeah, I enjoy looking out at it. It lights up pretty nicely during the nighttime too."

He started playing with some evil eye adornments she had lying on the arm rests of the couch.

"Where did you get these?" he asked.

"In Turkey. I went a few years ago with my family."

"And the white elephants?"

"India. They're supposed to be good luck. That's why I like hanging them in the doorway."

"Is there anywhere you haven't been?"

"Of course. Lots of places."

"So where are you missing that you would like to go?"

"Hmm. That's a good question. Probably Cambodia or South Africa. Definitely something remote and non-touristy."

"Maybe we could plan a trip together sometime soon. Just the two of us."

"Just tell me when and where and I'm there." Mia said smiling.

Leo chuckled and continued stroking her hair in a slow rhythm. Mia couldn't remember the last time she felt this relaxed. She was about to tell Leo when the sound of her own slow breathing lulled her to sleep.

•••

Mia didn't wake up until the sun was almost setting. Normally, this would have caused her to wake up in a panic but Leo's sleeping body wrapped around her soothed her completely. His legs entangled with hers and his arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. Her head was pressed between his chest and the nook of his neck.

It was the first time she had ever woken up like this. She had fallen asleep with previous boyfriends but they always seemed to end up on opposite sides when they woke.

A brilliant orange ray of light from the sunset slowly drifted into the room and over them onto the couch. Her attention fixed on the airborne particles scattering from the beam. It was such a peaceful image. Mia snuggled deeper into Leo and basked in his warmth. It delighted her. It scared her.

Not really paying attention to what she was doing, she kissed Leo's neck. And then kissed it again. Soon she was trailing little kisses towards his jaw line.

That's when Leo stirred. "I must be having the best dream ever," he whispered.

Mia giggled and continued her assault of kisses around his neck.

"God, I love that sound. And what you're doing to me, of course." Leo angled his face so he could look into her eyes. "Hi."

"Hi," Mia answered shyly.

"Are you more relaxed now?"

Mia smiled contentedly at him. "Can't you tell?"

"Don't know why I didn't think of this earlier," he said kissing her lips.

Mia didn't hesitate to kiss him back and then deepened the kiss.

"I love kissing you. I could do it all day," Leo said.

"Mmm, same here," Mia responded between kisses. "Don't stop."

"Don't say that because I won't. There were so many times I've wanted to kiss you. It's all I could think about," Leo said, grabbing her neck and pulling her even closer.

"When?"

"In your study room, the school bathroom, my car, the concert ..." he said kissing her between his words. "Second study room, when we danced, my shower, my bed ... should I go on?"

"Hmm. So which one would you have picked, if you could choose one?" she asked, curious.

"My shower. Definitely my shower," he responded immediately, assaulting her mouth.

The image he instilled in her memory riled her up. Their kiss soon became more urgent and Mia found herself completely immersed in it. The taste and smell of him rattled her senses. Her breath became increasingly labored and all rational thought left her mind.

"Mia," she heard somewhere against her skin, bringing her back to some form of consciousness.

She realized her hands were trailing up and down Leo's smooth chest when she heard a soft moan escape his throat.

I should stop this, Mia thought. Instead she found herself lifting up his shirt over his head and gawking at his glorious half-naked body.

Leo's eyes widened at first, but then turned smoldering hot. The man staring back at her was filled with need and longing. It was the sexiest look she had ever seen and it caused her insides to melt. It made her feel wanted. It made her want him. Now.

No, you shouldn't be feeling this way, Mia thought.

Scared that her feelings would betray her, she moved to sit up in order to put some distance between them. The problem was she was now straddling him and could feel him hard beneath her. From that position, it was painfully obvious how much he wanted her.

A traitorous moan escaped her, and Leo immediately sat up and continued kissing her just as passionately before.

Just as she was about to push him back, he moved his lips to her neck and whispered in her ear.

"Goddess ..."

That single word was her undoing.

Her hips moved against him, almost on their own volition, and her hands ran up the back of his neck and pulled on his hair.

She felt Leo's hands steady on her hips and then slowly move to her waist, his fingers trailing up her sides. Once she realized he was tugging on her shirt, it was already half way over her head.

When she managed to look back up and peered at Leo, his wistful expression caused her to pause. She met a pair of blue eyes that seemed to devour her, both physically and emotionally. She felt a blush coming on when he interrupted her thoughts of embarrassment.

"God, you're so sexy. Absolutely gorgeous, Mia."

He reached out to her and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers trailed across her cheek and then ran his thumb across her bottom lip, causing her lips to part. He then proceeded to give her the most tender kiss she had ever received.

She felt his fingers begin to play with the straps of her bra.

"Are you always covered in lace, or is this just for me?" he asked huskily.

Of course she had to be wearing a cute baby pink number. Not to mention the last time he saw her wearing similar lingerie in the shower, but that time it had been black. Not knowing what to say, Leo responded for her.

"No, don't answer that," he said, cupping her face.

He trailed kisses down her jaw line, continuing against her neck and ending down her shoulder. He mumbled something against her collarbone, but she was too lost in the moment to understand it.

Molten lava. That's what his trail of kisses left behind. She was being turned into putty by the second.

Mia cried out what she thought sounded like a sigh. It wasn't long afterwards when she felt herself being flipped over and was lying back against the couch with Leo's hard length pressed against her soft body.

"Leo," she whispered.

"Mia? Is this okay?" he said as he ran his fingers down her body, stopping at her hip and clutching it towards him.

No, Mia thought.

"Yes," she replied instead. "Leo, please."

She didn't even know what she was asking for. To stop? To continue? Whatever it was, she needed it desperately.

"What, baby? Tell me what you want."

He lowered himself on top of her and began pressing kisses on her stomach, sending shivers throughout her body.

"I ..." she couldn't even form a sentence and whimpered instead.

Leo leaned back up to kiss her softly on the lips. "Easy, baby girl," he whispered against her neck.

You can't do this Mia, she heard her conscience tell her.

That's when she felt Leo unbuttoning her jeans. No ... yes ... no. His fingers ran back and forth against the top seam of her panties and she gasped.

"Can't," she managed to squeak.

Leo's heated eyes flew back up to her. "Do you want to ... stop?" he asked with difficulty.

Mia bit her lip and shook her head. Well, at least she was being honest.

Leo hesitated and then brought his hand back up to her face and caressed her check.

"But you think we shouldn't," he said as a statement rather than a question.

This time she nodded. Leo let out a long sigh and pressed his forehead against hers. He stayed that way for a few moments attempting for their erratic breathing and heartbeats to even out.

When their chests began to rise and fall more slowly, he whispered, "You're right. Just give me a minute."

He dropped his body off of the couch, and sat against it. He put his hands over his head and rested his arms against his knees.

Mia sat up on the couch and mimicked Leo's same position, but covering her face in her hands.

Without turning around, Leo handed Mia her shirt that had fell to the floor. "Here, for both our sakes," he whispered.

Mia took it and quickly put it back on. "I'm sorry, Leo."

"No, I'm sorry. I should be the one apologizing."

"I'm the one who started it," she insisted.

"And you were right to stop it. I'm going to regret saying this later, but we should wait. Don't get me wrong, that was amazing, but I want our first time to be special."

"Leo ..." she started, her face paling and her voice full of emotion.

He turned around and sat next to her. He leaned in for a quick kiss. "I should go."

"Where are you going?"

"Home ... to take an ice cold shower," he said sheepishly.

"I should probably do the same," Mia sulked.

"Sorry for acting like a horny teenager."

Mia bit her lip. "I should say the same."

Leo laughed. "God Mia, what you do to me. I'll pick you up tomorrow, okay? I promise I'll behave."

He leaned in to give her one final kiss. "I haven't forgotten about the case either. Maybe we can find a better study area next time ... some place that doesn't involve a couch?" he smiled wickedly.

"Yeah, good idea," Mia whispered.

"See you tomorrow, beautiful," he whispered back.

She watched Leo put his shirt back on and pick up his things in silence. He turned to look at her one last time before shaking his head in amusement and walking out the door.

The apartment became deafly silent as soon as he left. Mia could only sit there frozen to the couch, thinking about Leo's hot kisses lingering on her lips. Thinking about what almost happened, or rather, what almost didn't happen. Thinking she had been ten seconds away from lying completely naked underneath him. Thinking Leo was dangerously attractive for her own good and her control was slipping away from her way too easily. Thinking he made her feel things she never thought were possible. And thinking she didn't deserve any of it.

###  Chapter 14 – Cinderella

"Mia, I've been looking for you everywhere. Where have you been?" Leo asked, as he finally found her on campus.

"I got caught up with my study group. I have a gazillion things due this week. I swear, sometimes I feel like an indentured servant," she said exhausted.

"A very sexy one I might add." Leo dropped his head to give her a kiss on the lips.

Mia's eyes flew open. "Leo, we're in public," she said swatting him in the arm.

"Y?"

"Did we not go over this? You know I don't like all the gossip."

"Well, it's too late for that. Everyone knows about us at this point, people around here talk a lot you know?"

"Yeah, it's crazy. I feel like all people do is ask me about you now."

Leo shrugged. "Just don't pay attention to them. They don't matter. The only thing that matters is you and me." He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him. He noticed she felt uncomfortable though, and let her loose.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I can't help it. Can you blame me? I have a smoking hot girlfriend."

Girlfriend? When did that happen? We've only been going out for a few weeks, Mia thought.

"Anyway, I wanted to ask if you wanted to come over to my place tonight. What do you say?"

"I'm not sure Leo ... I have a lot of work to do," Mia said immediately.

"C'mon Mia, are you gonna make me go through this again? You need to unwind. It'll be fun. I promise to have you home by midnight, Cinderella style."

"Leo, it's a school night and I have a test and a presentation tomorrow," Mia insisted.

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it," Leo quoted.

"Isn't that from Ferris Bueller's Day Off?" Mia asked incredulously.

"You know it," Leo replied with a smile.

"Fine, point taken. Only because I love that movie. But if I get a bad grade, it's going to be on you."

"As long as you're the one doing the punishing," Leo said with a grin.

She arrived home from school later that day and the doorman greeted her at the entrance.

"Ey Carlos, cómo estás?" Mia asked.

"Nada, que tenéis un paquete."

A package? "Para mí?"

"Sí, ha llegado esta tarde." He handed a box over to her.

That's odd. I don't remember ordering anything, Mia thought. But it had her name on it so it was intended for her.

"Gracias, Carlos," she said, as she walked towards the elevator.

"Venga!" he called out behind her.

She walked into her apartment and noticed it was a huge mess. She would have to clean that up later. She placed the package on the kitchen table and couldn't help the anticipation of its contents. When she finally opened it, she stood mesmerized.

White chiffon fabric? She pulled the garment out to find an astonishing dress from Carolina Herrera. It had a one-shoulder neckline, a black empire waist, and vertical ruffles running through the skirt. It was perfect. She looked back into the box and saw a note.

Get ready for the ball, Cinderella. Your coach arrives at 8pm.

Yours, Leo

Mia looked at her watch. 7:30pm. No time at all. She would have to hurry. Leo always had a way of keeping her on her toes. What the hell was he up to? He had made it seem like they were just going to hang out at his house or something. It seemed odd he had asked her over in the middle of the week, especially since she had only been to his house that one other time.

She got dressed excitedly, completely forgetting about the mess in her apartment and all the school assignments she had due. She put on some sexy gold pumps to go with the dress and twirled in front of the mirror. She felt like a princess. Mia loved the color white, she thought it contrasted nicely with her tan skin. She didn't think she had ever worn a white gown like this.

But as she looked at herself, she remembered the last time she had worn an all white dress. It had been for New Year's Eve in Bogotá a few years ago. That's when she found out ... Unexpectedly, the memory made her feel sad and she quickly stepped away from the mirror, trying to dismiss her thoughts.

•••

Leo picked Mia up at 8pm on the dot in a black limousine, dressed in a sharp tuxedo. He smiled widely as he saw her come down from her apartment building. The way her dress flowed in the wind made her look like a goddess. He knew she would look lovely in white. He took her hand and escorted her into the limo. Once they were seated, he gave her a single red rose.

"Leo, what is the meaning of all this?"

"Didn't you read the note? We're going to the ball."

"What ball? I thought you said we were going to your place."

"Change of plans. You'll see when we get there. Champagne?" He took out a bottle of Moet from the mini fridge and popped it open.

"What's the occasion?" Leo poured two glasses and handed one over to Mia.

"Paciencia, querida. Canapé?" This time he pulled out a tray from the fridge.

"Leo, do you know how insane this is? What else do you have hiding back there?"

Leo laughed. "This is it, I swear. So which one do you want?"

Mia was about to pick up a pastry, when he softly pushed her hand away.

"Allow me." He picked it up and placed it gently in her mouth. It felt so sensuous, he instantly got turned on. He looked at Mia and she seemed to be enjoying it too.

"Más?"

She nodded. He fed her another small pastry, but this time left his fingers lingering on her lips. She kissed one of his fingers and brushed her tongue against it, before taking it into her mouth.

Leo looked at her with complete hunger in his eyes. His gaze seemed to devour her. He leaned into her and whispered against her ear. "Sweetness, you have no idea what you're doing to me."

"I think I do," she replied sexily and licked her lips.

Leo couldn't handle the foreplay any longer and kissed her mercilessly. He rained butterfly kisses all over her face and neck. The power she had over him was undeniable. He was at her complete will. And he would do anything for her. All she had to do was ask and it would it be hers.

•••

Mia walked into an extravagant banquet hall. She scanned her surroundings to find glass chandeliers hanging elegantly from the ceiling, lavish table settings accented with white orchids, and even a grand fountain filled with water lilies and candles. It appeared as if it were a million dollar wedding reception.

Leo led them towards a lounge area filled with bar tables. Waiters were circling around serving cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.

"I never imagined I would end up in a place like this tonight. Thank you for inviting me here. This is absolutely beautiful," Mia stated.

"Not as beautiful as you." Leo cupped her face and rubbed his thumb against her cheek. He lifted his gaze over her and seemed to recognize someone walking in from a distance.

"I just spotted my parents coming our way. They're really excited to meet you."

Parents? Mia gulped and suddenly felt nervous. "You told them about me?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I tell them about the best thing that's ever happened to me?"

Before Mia could answer, his parents approached them.

"Mom, Dad, this is Mia," Leo introduced her.

She smiled nervously and gave them both kisses on the cheek. "Mucho gusto," she managed to say.

She was surprised to see that Leo was a carbon copy of his father. He had an air of authority about him and was refined in a way only British people were. He was also easy on the eyes, even at his age. Mia could immediately see where Leo got all of his confidence from.

His mother, on the other hand, looked nothing like him. She had wavy blond hair and green eyes. The twins looked more like her, and Max was a mix of both of them, Mia concluded.

Despite the fact that Leo's mom was elegantly covered in jewels, her presence was warm and inviting. Leo had definitely inherited the Spanish flavor from her.

"Leo, you never told us how beautiful Mia was," Leo's mother stated, looking affectionately at her.

"I did, Mom. Remember?"

"Well you didn't do her justice, darling. She's lovely."

Mia blushed. They were talking about her as if she wasn't even there. While the compliment was certainly nice, she felt embarrassed by all the sudden attention.

"We'll let you two love birds alone. We have to make some social rounds before dinner. Duty calls," Leo's father said. He patted Leo on the shoulder before they walked away. "Enjoy your evening."

Once they left, Mia looked at Leo in disbelief. "You could have given me a bit more notice! I didn't even know what to say."

"Mia, you were great. They like you already, I could tell." Leo responded.

"I literally said two words," Mia pointed out.

Leo laughed. "But really great ones. Tell you what, next time you can spring your parents on me unannounced and I won't complain."

"It's not the same, that comes naturally to you. Besides I don't think that will happen anytime soon."

"Why not?"

"Well, my mom maybe, she wants to visit, but my dad barely ever travels now. Plus there's the fact that they're separated."

"Oh really? You never told me that."

Mia shrugged. "I guess I never got around to it."

"So when did it happen?"

"Right after I left for college. My mom hadn't been happy for a long time. I guess she was waiting for my sister and I to start our own lives before she made the decision."

"They're still separated then? They didn't divorce?"

"No, not officially. It's been almost seven years. I know, it's weird."

"I guess. But you know, people do what they gotta do," he said kissing her forehead. "What about your dad?"

"That's a really long and complicated story," Mia said sighing.

"I take it you're not close?"

"Is it that obvious?" Mia said shaking her head. "He traveled constantly when we were younger, for months at a time. Apparently, we wouldn't even recognize him when he came back from his business trips. I guess we never formed a connection after that. We talk a few times each year, emails here and there, but sadly that's really the extent of our relationship."

Why was she confiding in him so much? She had never told that to anyone before.

"I'm sure he loves you," Leo said.

The comment caught her off guard and she swallowed hard. He must have seen doubt in her eyes, because he immediately brought her close to him and answered the next question in her head.

"How could anyone not love you? It would be impossible, baby," he whispered in her ear. And then he kissed her deeply, not caring about where they were or who would see. It made her forget everything. He had a way of doing that to her.

After a while, she pulled back regretfully, not wanting to get kicked out of the party for excessive PDA. Leo smiled warmly at her.

"Well, your parents seem really great. And you look exactly like your dad, I'm sure you've heard that before."

"Yeah, many times. At least I know what's in store for me when I get older. Who do you look like?"

Mia had to smile at that question. "My dad, too. Go figure."

"It wouldn't make sense any other way."

He grabbed her by the hand and led her towards their dinner table. A few people were already seated and they introduced themselves before sitting down.

"Do you know them?" Mia asked.

"Not at all. I hardly know anyone here. It's hard to keep up sometimes."

"Do you come to these type of events a lot?"

"Not so often. It's more because of my dad so I just tag along. But enough about me. I've been meaning to ask you about the trip to Shanghai. Are you excited?"

"Yes, I'm really excited. I still can't believe MBS is taking us there as a residential period. It's going to be a crazy week!"

"I can't imagine what it's going to be like to have 100 students running around Shanghai. Have you been there before?" Leo asked.

"No, but I've always wanted to go. I've been to Beijing and Hong Kong, but that was years ago, so it'll be exciting to see what China is like now."

"I actually went a couple of years ago so I can show you around. There are some really nice places I want to take you to. This one place in particular, Bar Rouge, looks over the bay and the view is amazing. We have to go there."

"Sounds really great, actually."

They continued talking intimately over dinner throughout the course of the evening. While it seemed like a picture perfect evening, Mia couldn't help feeling overwhelmed.

There she was, sharing her hopes and dreams with the perfect gentleman in front of her. Had it really been only a few weeks since she had met him? The last thing she ever contemplated was getting involved in another relationship during her year abroad. Hadn't she told herself she needed time to herself, to reflect on her past, to concentrate on her studies? Yet, she had jumped into another relationship, all of a sudden, without feeling properly healed from her demons.

Leo seemed to offer her the world. He wasn't holding anything back, as if he was so certain of everything. He didn't care about people seeing them in public, or gossiping about them. He had even introduced his parents to her like it was the most natural thing in the world, like she was already a part of his family, a part of his life. Would she be able to offer him the same in return? Give herself completely to him, just as he had done for her?

Suddenly, she felt like she was getting ahead of herself and needed more time. Her feelings towards Leo were real and her attraction undeniable. But somehow it felt like it wasn't enough. Leo deserved someone that could commit, and she couldn't offer that commitment. It wasn't fair to him.

"Mia?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I lost you there for a second," Leo said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you ask me something?"

The band had started playing a soft jazzy melody and couples began walking towards the dance floor. Mia recognized it was "At Last" by Etta James.

Leo stood up and bowed before Mia, offering his hand to her. "May I have this dance?"

She took it and they walked towards the dance floor. He wrapped his left arm around her waist and grabbed her right hand, lacing their fingers together. They started moving around in slow circles.

Leo lifted her right hand again and brought it to his lips. He kissed it before placing it on his chest and holding over it. He started playing with a ring on her finger.

"What's the story behind your ring? I've noticed you always wear it."

"It was a birthday present," Mia shrugged.

"By who?" Leo pressed.

Mia hesitated before answering. She knew he wasn't going to like the answer. "Ex-boyfriend," she managed to say.

"So why do you still wear it? I thought you said it ended badly."

"It did. But this is actually from my first ex-boyfriend."

"First?" Leo asked confused.

"Long time ago. I'm talking high school, so almost eight years ago."

"So what happened? It's a bit strange, no?"

"I guess. I took it off when we broke up. He stayed in Mexico and I moved to New York. I found it in a jewelry box a few years later when I was moving to a new apartment and it reminded me of home more than anything. I guess I was feeling nostalgic. So I put it back on and have been wearing it ever since."

"Do you still talk? I mean are you still friends?"

"Not at all. We're friends on Facebook, but that doesn't really count. He's had another girlfriend for quite a while."

"So, how many of these boyfriends do you have running around?"

Mia was taken aback by his snarky comment, but let it slide for the moment. "More serious ones I guess three. Leo, where is this coming from?"

"Three counting me?" Leo pressed.

"Um ... no. I actually wanted to talk to you about that ... you see ..."

Leo interrupted her. "You don't count me as your boyfriend." He said it as a statement rather than a question, and Mia could hear the pain behind his voice.

"It's just that ... this is all happening so quickly and I ..." She paused trying to collect her thoughts. "Leo, it's only been a few weeks if you think about it."

He seemed taken aback by the comment. "It has to be much more than that."

Mia shook her head. "No, I've been counting. Trust me."

"Well, who cares? The exact time we've been together isn't the issue."

"We had agreed to take things slow. We were supposed to be friends," she pointed out.

"How can you be so naïve? We were never friends, Mia."

No, we were more than that, she thought. For some reason, it hurt that he never saw her that way. Even if it was someone to talk to and confide in.

"Is that what you want? To be ... friends?" he asked, sounding disgusted by the word.

"No. I just ... I don't know how to explain it."

"So where does that leave us?" he suddenly demanded.

"Why do we have to put a label on it? What's the rush?"

Leo raised his hand and stepped back. "You don't need to explain any further. I can see where this is going." He started to walk away.

Mia ran after him. "Leo, I told you I didn't want to be in a relationship. Te lo dije muy claro."

Leo stopped and looked at her. She could tell her words had stung. "So you've been using me," he accused again as a statement.

"No! How could you ever think that?" Mia asked, in shock.

Leo paused, searching her eyes for a long moment. His anger began to fade, and was replaced with doubt and confusion.

He ran his fingers through his hair, and rubbed his neck. He sighed, and softly spoke his next words.

"What did he do to you, Mia?" he asked, looking despondent.

She wasn't expecting that question from him and it really hit home. Not so soon, not now. All she could do was gape back at him.

"Your ex ... the last one," Leo clarified begrudgingly. "What did he do to you?"

"Leo, please ... don't," Mia managed to say.

He painfully cleared his throat. He reached out towards her, and gently caressed her cheek.

"Sometimes, you ... flinch when I touch you," he stated.

Mia looked back at him in dismay. "What?"

"You do it automatically. I don't even think you notice it," he explained. "At first I didn't know what to make of it, I thought you were just nervous or something. But then I realized you relax into me almost immediately. I figured out it wasn't about me. I wasn't the one making you tense."

"God Leo, that's not ..." Mia began, but then stopped and shook her head.

"There are other things. Like the times I've seen you get hurt ... physically hurt, that is. It's like you just take it. You hardly react, almost as if it were normal or something. Anyone else would have been curled up in a ball crying."

He stopped for a moment, looking back at the crowd that was now far behind them.

"Did he ... hit ... you?" he asked, struggling through the words.

Mia's heart sunk at the question. "No," she whispered.

Leo sighed in relief. Still, he looked at her doubtingly.

"Did he ... cheat on you then?"

"Leo, just please ... stop. I don't want to talk about it," she said.

"How are we supposed to trust each other? There's this huge wall between us. If you would just tell me about your past, we could work through it."

"My past is none of your business, Leo," Mia stated callously.

"It is if you can't let go of it and move on. I'm not the one that hurt you. You're making me pay for his mistakes, Mia. It's not fair."

Mia frowned at that. "What about you? What about your past relationships? You don't talk about it either," she said defensively.

"There's nothing to talk about," Leo said.

"Oh sure, Leo. Coming from the guy that has the entire female population from school swooning over him."

"They're not important. They don't mean anything to me. Believe me, they don't care about me either," he said.

"I find that very hard to believe," Mia retorted.

"Then don't believe it. It doesn't matter anyway."

"Why not?"

"It just doesn't, okay?" he snapped.

"That's the whole point of this conversation! According to you, it clearly matters. If you're not going to say anything, then why should I?"

He looked back at her filled with irritation. He was being a hypocrite, and she had called him out on it. He knew it too, as he didn't say anything for a full 30 seconds.

He studied her silently before answering. "I've never had a real relationship before, alright? That's why there's nothing to talk about," he said agitated.

"How is that possible? You must have had a huge line of hopeful women at your beck and call."

"It's all been meaningless."

"Not even in college?"

"Especially not in college. I don't think I've ever dated anyone more than a week," he confessed.

"So, I guess I'm long overdue then," Mia said sardonically.

"God, Mia!" he said, shaking his head. "What the fuck do you call the last two weeks? Since we met? That was all some game to you?" he yelled.

"No, Leo. It wasn't like that! You're so wrong," she said, feeling a lump in her throat.

"So there you have it. Now you know all about my non-existent relationship history. Are you happy now?" he continued yelling.

Why was he being like this? He had never even raised his voice at her before. "I'm sorry, Leo. Thank you for telling me about your past, but ..."

"But you still won't me tell me yours," he finished for her.

"I can't ..."

"That's rich, Mia. After you just lectured me on double standards. God, I knew it. I knew you wouldn't say anything and I still told you anyway ... like a freaking idiot," he said looking away.

Guilt washed through her and she couldn't even respond. This was going horribly wrong and there was nothing she could say to fix it.

"Do you think that was easy for me? Admitting that to you? I've repeatedly bared myself to you, and you won't give me anything in return. Do you see how that doesn't work for me?"

"I need time, Leo. I didn't come to Spain for a relationship. I've told you this. I came here to study and further my career. That's it, nothing else."

"Really? Nothing? So now I'm nothing to you? You're reducing me to nothing," he said exasperated.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that since I met you, everything is upside down. I had it all perfectly worked out. I had a routine, a system. Suddenly, you come in and I can't find my bearings anymore."

Leo dropped his head and silently shook it. He took a painfully deep breath and looked back at her. His expression was absolutely devastating. She wanted to reach out and hug him. She wanted to comfort him and tell him it would be okay. She wanted to say anything to remove that look from his face.

"Well, let me make it very simple for you. You can have your boring little life back. I won't bother you anymore. The only reason I ever tried anything is because I thought you wanted this too. If you don't ... that's another story."

"Leo, please, can't we just ..."

"No, we can't. It's over." Leo turned his back to her and started walking away. "I'll see that the driver takes you home," he stated coldly over his shoulder.

Mia watched him walk away. She felt her heart break with every single step that he took. When he disappeared into the darkness, it shattered into a million pieces. She clutched her chest, as the pain surfacing from inside was unbearable. It felt like someone had removed all the oxygen in her body and she couldn't breathe.

How did this happen? She wished she could rewind the clock to the last 15 minutes and have just kept her mouth shut. She imagined him reappearing from the darkness and wrapping his big arms around her, attributing their fight to a colossal misunderstanding. But she knew that wasn't going to occur. The reality was they had reached an impasse. He wasn't coming back for her. She thought she might be sick. She looked at her watch and it was just past midnight. The spell had broken.

###  Chapter 15 – Coming Undone

Time passes slowly. The tick of a clock, the pulse of a heartbeat, the sound of breathing. The movement of white clouds crossing the sky, the struggle of a caterpillar inside its cocoon, the hatching of an egg in a bird's nest.

Yet time passes no matter how painful it can be. Seconds become minutes, blood circulates throughout the body, and lungs fill with air. Water particles turn into rain, a butterfly is born, and an eagle learns to fly. Time does pass.

Mia stepped off the bus on María de Molina heading towards school, feeling as lonely as she did the very first day she got on it. Perhaps even lonelier. It was a crisp morning at the beginning of March. Six months had already passed of the school year. Four more to go.

How did she make it this far already? She couldn't help think that soon it would be over. Soon she would be heading back home to reface reality. Had she evolved since, become a better person? No, she felt the same as always, the same she had always been.

Mia approached school, when she saw the figure that had brought all of her despair during the last two months. There had been so much she had wanted to tell him, so much that had been left unresolved. She had left him countless messages and emails but he never returned any of them. Like she didn't even exist.

It hadn't helped that he had broken up with her right before the two weeks they had off for winter break, and right before the holidays. She had thought that he maybe would have called her for Christmas or New Year's during a moment of weakness, but the holidays came and went, and she never heard from him. Afterwards, she felt stupid for even hoping that. It was clear she was the only weak one holding onto something that was no longer there.

Somehow she survived through the cold winter. She decided to go back to her routine and pour herself in school work. It was an easy thing to do, given it took up most of her time anyway. They had switched their study groups for the new semester, and Mia had found this group to be much more pleasant to work with than her previous one. It wasn't surprising that her grades were at an all time high. But even that didn't bring her any satisfaction.

She even made an effort to start going with some of her classmates to VIPS during their morning breaks. She never contributed much to those conversations though, she mostly sat back and found herself stuck in a daydream over her coffee. No one questioned her about it and they eventually took her silence for granted.

Every morning, she would get up and get ready for school. She would take a shower, brush her hair, dress, and go to class. Just like any normal person would do, just as she was expected to. They said that showing up was half the battle, anyway. Then, after a long day at school, she would come home at night and prep for the next day, only to repeat the pattern all over again. She really let herself fall into the daily grind. And she hated every second of it.

The difficult part, the excruciating part, had been keeping Leo out of her thoughts, and she failed miserably at that. He never left her mind. It was the one thing that never changed, the one constant thing in her life. No matter the day, no matter where she was or what she was doing, he never left her. The more she willed it to stop, for him to go away, the harder it would get. He just wouldn't leave. It was simply agonizing.

She never knew a breakup could feel like this, and she had gone through plenty. Could she even call it a breakup? They hadn't even been together for a month, and it was never official. Then why did she feel so broken? Still after all this time? Maybe it was because no one had ever broken up with her before. She had always done it in the past, made the unwanted verdict. This time, she wasn't given a choice. The decision was made for her.

No, that couldn't be it. Even if she had decided to end it, she still felt an enormous loss that she couldn't comprehend. Like a part of her was taken away. Like she had lost her best friend. Truth be told, he had been her best friend, her only friend. He was the only person in Madrid she ever considered to hold that title, even if he didn't think so. Now, she didn't even have that anymore. All that they had was gone, vanished. Now they were simply strangers, as if they had never met. She just wanted her friend back.

It seemed almost cruel, really. Like a sick joke. Just when she was starting to enjoy life again, it was yanked right out of her hands. In return, they left her with nothing but a void, sinking numbness that she just couldn't shake.

Leo had parked his car near school and a tall blonde emerged from his car with him. They walked together to class, his arm wrapped around her shoulder. She whispered something in his ear and they laughed together. How could this be the same person? He seemed so different, but the scene presented in front of her was almost an exact replica of what they had been.

It was the same car, the same path to class, the same touch and laughter. But it hadn't been with her, it had been with someone else. Another girl. She had been replaced. He had moved on while she was still grieving. Something inside gripped her at the deepest, darkest chambers of her heart.

"Looks like Leo just found a shiny new toy to play with. That's a real shame, Mia. I'm not going to say, I told you so, but I did warn you."

She turned around to see the bane of her existence standing right behind her, an idiotic smile plastered across his face. Johan had clearly seen everything, including her staring at Leo longingly like a big loser. Not wanting to give him any more satisfaction, she simply walked away.

"Hey, not so fast, cupcake. We still have some unfinished business to discuss," he said catching up to her.

Oh, for the love of God. She continued to ignore him, making her way towards school.

"So I imagine you finally gave it up to him. Did he at least wait a day after tasting the goods or did he dump you right after cleaning up?"

"Leave me alone, Johan. You and I have absolutely nothing to talk about, you're just making my ears bleed," she said. Ugh, he was so gross!

He stopped right in front her, blocking the school entrance. "If you ever want to know what it's like to be with a real man, let me know. I guarantee I'll rock your world, sweet cheeks. I'll even cuddle with you after," he said reaching for her ass.

"Don't fucking touch me!" she yelled at him, swatting his arm away from her.

"Feisty! That's exactly how I like them. You're a naughty little girl, aren't you? I bet you give the greatest ..."

Before he finished the crude sentence, she slapped him hard across the face. His eyes widened in shock, but then disgustingly, seemed turned on by it. "You better pray Leo doesn't find out about this," she said shoving him away.

"Go and tell him! He obviously doesn't care about you any longer. Where is your White Knight now? You're not his little bitch anymore!" he called after her.

"You're a pathetic, disgusting human being. I feel sorry for you. I really do," she said over her shoulder and walked away.

"I love it when you talk dirty to me, baby," he shouted back as she raced towards class.

She went home that night and headed straight towards her closet. She started rummaging through her cardigans and sweaters. She knew it had to be in there, somewhere. She went through her jackets and still couldn't find anything. She desperately started going through her drawers, roughly opening and banging them shut along the way. She had to find a reminder that it had been real. She needed a token of proof, a small piece of him.

Why couldn't she move on? She was starting to think she was losing it. She was rounding out the corner of batshit crazy. Just as she was beginning to lose all faith, she opened the last drawer and sighed heavily as she saw it. There it was, tucked underneath her tennis outfits she hadn't worn in over a year. She shouldn't have even worried about packing the damn things in the first place.

Feeling a huge sense of relief, she pulled out Leo's sweatshirt and didn't hesitate to put it on. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't resist. It turned into a tremendous mistake when the scent hit her. God, it still smelled like him. Why was she torturing herself like this? Make way for the new masochist in town, she thought bitterly.

She stumbled into bed, not even bothering to change or even have dinner. The case studies could go to straight to hell tonight. She turned off the lights and curled up into his sweatshirt, her sweatshirt. It was the one possession she had of him. She pulled the hood over her head, just as he had done for her before. She closed her eyes and could almost pretend that he was there with her. The memory of his perfect face was still etched precisely in her mind.

She fantasized feeling the warmth of his touch, telling her that it would be all right. She imagined her pillow was his chest she was leaning her head against, and the covers were his strong arms wrapped around her. It was her own little version of a dark paradise. But there would be no him, he only appeared in her dreams. Please don't wake me up from this, she pleaded, begging that he would be waiting for her on the other side. She just wanted to see him. Please let me see him ...

•••

"Wake up, sleepy head."

Mia stirred and felt warm kisses on her neck. No, she definitely didn't want to wake up from that.

"Baby ... wake up," he whispered. "We need to go soon."

"Two minutes," she mumbled.

He chuckled. "I know, I know. But it's late. We have school, remember?"

"Don't care," she said, snuggling into him.

"Wow, I think I've finally broken you. You really don't care?"

She simply shook her head.

"Sweetness ... I don't want you yelling at me at later."

She opened her eyes to find a pair of incredible bright blue eyes looking at her adoringly. "Please, Leo. I don't want to go. I want to stay here with you. Don't you want that?"

"More than anything in this world," he said kissing her forehead. He sighed and went to lie down next to her. It wasn't long before he was spooning her again, and she relaxed into him contentedly.

"Hmm. I guess we have to make a couple of phone calls, then." He started to press his fingers against her back, as if he was dialing random numbers on a phone.

"Beep, beep. Beep, beep. Uh, hello? Yeah, hi, is this Professor Davis? Just to let you know that Mia won't be making it into class today. Yeah, she caught some kind of bug or something. Leovitis, I think it's called? Apparently it started in London and made its way down to Madrid. Yup, that's it. Great, no problem. Okay, bye," he said in a funny voice.

Mia giggled the entire time, her laughter filling the entire room.

"Okay, so looks like you're off the hook. Next one," he said, dialing his fingers against her back again. "Beep, beep. Hey, Professor Chang. Leo here. I wanted to inform you that my incredibly sexy girlfriend is holding me hostage today. Exactly. I knew you'd understand. You got it. Okay, gotta go!"

Mia turned to face him, still giggling. She leaned in to give him a deep kiss. "Thank you, Leo."

"For what?" he said smiling.

"For being you. You're so amazing ... you make everything better. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere," he said playing with her hair.

"I'm so glad we're back together. I missed you so much," she said.

"I'm just grateful you took me back. Seriously, I don't know what I was thinking. I was miserable without you."

"How could I not? After all the convincing you did," she teased.

"You mean me begging pathetically? Not my finest moment. But I would do it again in a heartbeat ... anything to be with you. Do you want me to beg again right now? Because I will."

Mia smiled. "That won't be necessary. The first time was more than enough."

"So what do you want to do ... now that we're not going to school?"

"Well, I had a couple of things in mind ... all of which do not involve leaving your bed," she said suggestively.

"Am I still dreaming?" Leo asked.

"I certainly hope not. That would mean I would be dreaming, too."

"Well, remind me to invite you to sleep over more often. I'm rather enjoying these sleep over parties," he said pulling her underneath him.

"You like me in your bed?" she said giggling again.

"You belong in my bed. Always," he said leaning down to kiss her, long and hard. He pressed his whole body against her, and it wasn't long before her judgment started fading away.

"We should definitely do this more often," Mia pointed out, breathless.

"God, you feel so good, Mia. You're so beautiful and perfect," he said rolling her on top of him. He ran his hands leisurely down her back. "You don't think we do this enough?"

She sat up on his lap to look at him. "What do you mean? We've never done this before."

"Mia, we do this all the time," he said grabbing on to her hips.

"What are you talking about?" she asked confused.

He sat up with her and gave her a kiss. "Baby, are you teasing me right now? This is what we do. You sleep over and then in the morning we decide whether or not to go to school. Most times we don't and spend all day in bed together," he said grinning.

"We've been missing school?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah. You said you didn't care, remember? Mia, you're really starting to freak me out."

"Leo, I can't miss school. I mean once in a while is fine, but most of the time? That's crazy ... I can't. I have to go to school. I have to go right now," she said starting to move away.

Leo had a tight grip on her though and didn't let her budge. "Hey, not so fast, baby girl. Hold on a minute."

"Leo, please. I need to go," she said starting to panic.

"I don't understand," he said, searching her face. "I thought you wanted this."

"I do ... just not like this. I need to go to school, Leo. It's irresponsible. Can't we just go?"

"No, Mia," he said irritated. "We agreed earlier. You said so."

"How much school have we been missing?" she suddenly demanded to know.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't exactly been keeping track."

"God, Leo. We need 90% attendance. That's like one time per class we're allowed to miss. You're gonna get us kicked out of school!"

"I am? This was your decision too, Mia. Besides, it wouldn't be the end of the world."

"Are you kidding me? Yes, yes it would! I can't believe how spoiled you are sometimes. For your information, some of us had to go through hell and back just to get to this point, just to be here!"

Leo's eyes widened in shock. She instantly regretted what she had just blurted out in the heat of the moment and wished she could take it back.

"Really? You're going to start name calling now? Well, in that case, I can't believe how bloody stubborn you are. Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't be so ... spoiled," he said dragging out the word, "if you would just fucking tell me for once and for all what happened! You have me completely in the dark. Am I supposed to keep guessing?"

She tried to pull away from him but he only gripped her tighter. "Please, Leo. Let me go," she pleaded.

At that moment, the door swung open and Max barged in. Leo immediately moved Mia to his side, trying to cover her. At least it was still dark outside because of the winter morning. "Jesus, Max. Learn to knock for once, will you?"

"You need to stay away from her, Leo. She's bad news," Max said pointing an accusatory finger towards Mia.

"What? Who are you talking about?" Leo asked.

"Her, dude. Mia. She's not who you think she is."

"Have you lost your fucking mind? I don't have time for this right now, Max."

"Bro, I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't important. Tell him, Mia, if you really care about him. Tell him about your past, about who you really are," Max said.

Leo turned to look at her, his expression starting to show doubt. She paled and became speechless.

"Mia ...?"

She couldn't handle his distrustful stare and she looked away. He cupped her face to force her to look at him. "Sweetness, what is he talking about?"

She felt tears start to pool in her eyes and her body trembled. She knew it was over at that moment, this time for good. "Leo, it's not what you think."

"Talk to me. What is it?" he asked. But she couldn't say anything. She simply lowered her head and covered her face with her hands.

"Well, if she's not going to say anything ..." Max started.

"No! Please, Max. Don't!" Mia begged.

"How do you know about this, Max? She won't even tell me about it!" Leo yelled at him.

"How can you be so blind, man? Everyone knows! Apparently, you're the only one who doesn't," he yelled back.

This can't be happening, Mia thought. Everyone knew? She felt like she was in the middle of some horror movie.

Mia turned to look at Leo and he wore an expression she had never seen before. It looked close to hatred and it terrified her. But then his eyes turned red and glossed over. It didn't register that he was actually crying until she saw tears drop down his cheeks.

She reached out towards him wanting to comfort him, but he pushed her away.

"Get out, Mia," he whispered.

"Leo, please. Let me explain."

"No. Get out. I never want to see you again," he said enunciating each and every word loud and clear.

"I'll tell you everything. About my past ... everything you wanted to know," she said in desperation.

"I don't care anymore. Don't make me repeat myself again. Leave. It's what you wanted, remember? What you were just begging for! So do us all a favor and leave."

Despite all the harsh words Leo was throwing at her, she didn't budge an inch. Her mind was telling her to get up and go, but her body didn't respond. It was like she was glued to place. She didn't want to leave him.

"God, Mia. Can't you do anything by yourself? You are worthless!" Leo yelled, standing up. Mia flinched at his phrase of words, but she couldn't blame him for them. It was true.

He grabbed her roughly by the arms and dragged her out of his bed, pushing her towards the door. She wasn't even dressed properly, and felt mortified.

"Please, Leo. Don't do this," she begged, trying to pull back, but he was stronger.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at her harshly. "Absolutely ... worthless!" he yelled one more time, before shoving her outside his bedroom and slamming the door shut in her face. The sound of it echoed throughout the hallway and ringed through her ears.

She dropped to the ground of the cool marble and wrapped her arms around her legs in a fetal position. She suddenly felt very cold and began trembling. She could feel her entire world collapsing in that instant. Her vision swam and she closed her eyes shut to get rid of the nauseous feeling. And then she sunk into darkness.

When she opened her eyes again, it was to a snow filled sidewalk in New York. The last of snowflakes were falling, covering everything in an undisturbed sheet of white. The scenery was so peaceful she didn't even question how she got there. She knew she was on Bowery in the East Village before she even looked up to see the sign. She knew the area well.

The snow was knee-deep, but inexplicably she had her Hunter boots on for such occasions. She wasn't wearing a coat though, and she could feel the sting of the ice-cold wind seeping through her bones. Experience told her she should turn on a street rather than stay on the avenue in order to avoid the wind tunnel coming down. At least a street corner would break the wind and offer her a bit more protection. So shivering, that's where she headed.

It was eerily quiet and she soon noticed she was the only person walking around in the area. No one in their right mind would be walking through untreated snow like that. She started passing by shops and restaurants, hoping she could find something with heat, but every store had the closed sign displaying on their windows.

She was beginning to panic when she suddenly heard the sound of a baby cry out in the distance. It was so faint she thought she had imagined it, but still stopped to try to listen more carefully. There it was again, she could hear it more clearly now. She started walking faster towards the sound. Who would leave their baby like that in the middle of a snowstorm? Don't worry, I'll save you, she thought.

The crying became increasingly louder and louder with each step, until it became so loud it was almost deafening. She tried to run towards it, but the task was impossible with the snow, and she continuously tripped over her feet and fell over. She finally reached the corner of the next avenue over and realized that the sound was coming from a dumpster. She plowed her way towards it, imagining the nasty smell of the overflowing garbage inside. Taking a deep breath and covering her nose, she was about to open the lid when the crying completely stopped. Her heart sunk thinking she was too late. She couldn't bare it if the baby was ...

Dismissing her dark thoughts, she summoned all of her courage and lifted the lid. To her complete surprise and utter shock, the dumpster was spot clean ... and completely empty. What the hell? She slammed the lid shut in defeat, thinking she was going insane. But then a new sound emerged from the dumpster, this time it was a telephone ringing.

You got to be kidding me, she spouted. More than anything to prove to herself that she wasn't completely mental, she slowly lifted the lid again. She spotted the object immediately and leaning inside the dumpster, picked up a black cell phone with her free hand. There was a yellow post-it note stuck to the back that read, "Don't Answer!" in bold red letters.

The phone continued to ring though, and she turned it over to see the number who was calling. Leo flashed on and off on the display. What the f ... how was he calling her? To this random phone in a dumpster? She looked around her surroundings as if she could find something or someone that could make sense of all this.

Should she answer? She promised herself she wouldn't talk to him again and the post-it only reinforced that thought. But what if it was an emergency? What if he needed her? With that last question running through her mind, she hit the green button on the phone to answer the call.

"Hello?"

But there was no answer, not even the sound of static coming through.

"Leo? Can you hear me?"

Again, dead silence. That is, until she heard the annoying persistent tone of a phone being disconnected.

She threw the phone in complete frustration and it broke in a million pieces against the wall. And then it started ringing again. This can't be happening, she thought as she slumped onto the floor. Her clothes were completely wet now and she was beyond trembling. She covered her ears to try to drown the sound out, but it didn't help. It only seemed to get louder and louder, and just like with the sound of the baby crying, it pierced through her ears.

"Please, stop. I can't take this anymore! Please, make it stop!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. And that's when it stopped ... and she finally woke up.

She woke up sweating and with her heart pounding painfully against her chest. She found herself alone in her bed in the middle of the night. It had all been a dream ... a nightmare. She felt equally relieved and devastated at the same time.

She clumsily reached towards her nightstand and picked up her phone. She had several missed calls. Whoa. Did he really call me in the middle of the night?

She went to check the number to find that it had been her mom calling. Reality sunk in and she finally exhaled. Of course. She probably forgot about the time difference again. She thought about calling her back now that she was wide awake, but decided against it. She was in no condition to talk to anyone right now.

She pulled the damp covers roughly off of her, and headed straight to the kitchen, disoriented and short of breath. With shaking hands, she reached for the cupboard and poured herself a glass of water from the sink and drank it almost desperately. She poured a second one and drank it more slowly this time, looking out her kitchen window. The night lamp posts still lit up the courtyard, and the faint light drifted into the kitchen.

Flashes of her nightmare flooded through her mind. She didn't know which part of it was more disturbing to her, the sweet dream at the beginning or the horrid nightmare at the end. Leo's face turning from tender and loving to ... she couldn't even think about it, she didn't want to remember that look on his face. She thought her mind was simply playing tricks on her during that last part with the dumpster. The only thing she knew for certain was that her nightmares were getting worse, much, much, worse.

•••

Mia walked into the study room she had reserved online to write a paper for her Customer Strategy class. Better yet, Customer Tragedy as a Brazilian girl in her class mistakenly pronounced with a thick accent. As soon as she passed through the door she flinched. It was the same room she and Leo had been playing around in before he had almost kissed her for the first time. It had seemed so full of life then and now it just looked stodgy. Why did everything have to remind her of him? It was brutal enough he had clearly moved on already. Hmm. It was a tragedy, she certainly felt like she was knee-deep in one and she was the main protagonist.

She pushed her thoughts aside and sat determined at the computer to write her paper on Trader Joe's. After about an hour, she had managed to get almost half way through. She had to admit she was pretty proud of herself for concentrating that long.

Deciding to take a break, she proceeded to check her email. She scrolled through them when one email in particular caught her attention. The subject read, MBA Electives Application, and she immediately perked up.

Her school only allowed MBA students to take electives during the final term of the master's, so she had decided to apply to one of the five slots they were opening up for Management students such as herself. She knew of only one other person from her class that had applied. Most people didn't apply since they'd rather do an internship for class credit. She had also written a killer essay for the application, so she had thought her chances were really good.

She had been smiling when she clicked on the email to open it, but it soon turned into a frown as she read the first the sentence.

Dear Mia,

While we were very impressed with your application and credentials, we regret to inform that you were not selected as one of the candidates for the MBA elective period.

What? She didn't bother reading the rest of the email and immediately logged out of her account and even shut the whole thing down. She stared baffled at the dark computer screen. How did I not get selected? She had been so sure of it, it had seemed like such an easy option for her and she didn't get it. Besides the odds that had been in her favor, she had thought she had an edge over her peers. She was older than most, had more work experience, better language skills, even her grades were pretty good. Why hadn't they picked her? Had it been because of her personality, that she wasn't outgoing enough?

As she tried to rationalize with the decision, utter rejection began to wash through her. Years of built up insecurity surfaced, and that's when it happened.

She began to cry.

Mia hadn't let herself feel this way in so long, to allow her true emotions take over and control her, but she couldn't stop it this time.

She cried. She cried for the last six months that she hadn't allowed herself to, for the emptiness she felt inside her chest, for the aching she felt in her heart.

"Sorry, I have this room reserved for ... Mia? Are you okay?"

Mia looked up through blurred vision to find Leo staring at her in disbelief. Oh, God. Not now. She dropped her head in her hands to avoid his gaze.

"What happened?" Leo walked towards her and crouched beside her chair.

Mia couldn't speak. She couldn't even look at him and just shook her head. Her body began slightly convulsing on its own.

"Hey, it'll be okay." Leo placed his hand on her back and ran it up and down in a soothing motion. "Shh ... come here." He freed her hands from her face, and pulled her towards him, embracing her.

Mia didn't want to feel his touch, but she simply couldn't refuse, especially after she drove herself crazy yearning for it countless times in her head. Even now that he was with her it seemed like another one of her dreams. His scent engulfed her and she wrapped her arms around his neck. It was exactly what she needed and instantly started to feel better.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Leo asked.

"It's just ... stupid," she managed to say, trying to regain her composure.

"Mia, it's me."

She wiped her tears, shocked that he would say that. "You're going to laugh at me it's so ridiculous."

"No I won't. Te lo prometo."

Mia took a deep breath. "I found out that I didn't get into the MBA electives."

Leo let out a chuckle. "That's why you're crying?"

"See, I knew you would laugh. That's why I didn't want to say anything," she said, sniffling.

"I didn't laugh ... it was more of a ... gasp of disbelief."

"Please. I'm not an idiot."

"Okay, I'm sorry. You caught me off guard. I've just never seen you like this before and imagined far worse. Especially after what I've seen you go through."

"I just really thought I would get in. My chances were good and I thought I was qualified enough considering my skills and experience. But I wasn't good enough, they didn't pick me. I hate that I have to be so shy all the time, it's always holding me back. I wish I could be more outgoing or different. I'm tired of feeling mediocre all the time."

"Don't say that, it's not true. To begin with, I know for a fact a lot of people applied to it. Don't feel discouraged, okay? Mia, you're so intelligent, one of the smartest people I know. And you're so strong, sometimes I can't believe how strong you are. You're just a beautiful person all around. You're amazing, okay? Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Ever."

Mia stared helplessly into the blue depths of his eyes, unable to look away. It had been so long that she had seen him up close like this, and he was so unbelievably handsome. She couldn't even believe what he was telling her. He was consoling her despite what had happened between them.

God, she missed him. She missed his touch, she missed his words, she missed everything about him. She couldn't resist the temptation of having him, of feeling him again as a part of her.

Her vulnerability took over and she kissed him. She needed to know if he still felt something for her, if he still wanted her, as he had told her once before.

Leo kissed her back. He grabbed her around the waist and pressed deeper into her, just like he had done so many times before. A glimmer of hope built inside her, like that first sign of consciousness when a fever breaks. But then he stopped, pushed her back, and released her.

"Mia, I can't ... I ..." He dropped his head and shook it, apparently searching for his next words. But before he could find them, Mia brushed past him and fled.

###  Chapter 16 – The Road Less Traveled

"You owe me big time, bro. It's so damn early I can barely even function."

Max looked back at Leo, who was sitting silently in the passenger seat of his car. He was half asleep himself.

"Seriously, I can't believe you talked me into waking up at this ungodly hour. Are you listening to me?" he asked before slapping him over the head.

"Yes, I know ... I'll make it up to you when I get back, alright?" Leo mumbled.

"Yeah right. Estás de una mala hostia. You've been so fucking moody lately you're impossible to deal with. I swear you might as well be getting your damn period."

"Hey, watch your language in front of the twins," Leo said.

"Do you not see them? They're practically drooling back there," Max said.

He turned around and, effectively, they were both profoundly asleep.

"I don't know why they insisted on coming," Leo said, shaking his head.

"You really don't know? They've been sulking for the past three days that you'll be gone. I can't believe you don't notice these things."

Leo thought about that and frowned. He hadn't noticed. He had been a shitty brother to them lately, to all of them. He needed to fix that ASAP. It would be hard enough on them once he moved back to London.

"Can you just lay off for once?" Leo exclaimed.

"Have you been getting into fights again? Don't think I haven't seen your hand," Max pointed out.

Leo looked at his bruised hand and flexed it out. He grinned at the memory of punching Johan in the face again. Just remembering his dumbfounded look of complete shock almost had him laughing again. Almost. It was the one thing that had brought him any sort of satisfaction in months.

"You should see the other guy," he said proudly.

"Unbelievable. Is this about Mia again?" Max asked bluntly.

"No, it's not. So drop it." It obviously was.

"So let me just get this straight. She never did anything to hurt you, she never cheated on you or anything like that. And she told you since the beginning she didn't want to be in a relationship. Why are you holding a grudge again?" Max asked mockingly.

"I told you, I don't want to talk about it. Why are you even defending her? I'm your brother, for crying out loud."

Max pulled over at Terminal 1 of Madrid Barajas Airport. "I'm just saying ... she was honest with you and you just took it too far. You got carried away with all the lovey dovey bullshit. She needed time and you didn't give it to her. Instead you got all jealous. What did you expect?"

"You're unbelievable you know that? Thanks for the ride ... and unsolicited advice," Leo added sarcastically.

"Anytime, bro," Max retorted.

Leo got out of the car and pulled out his suitcase from the trunk before slamming the door shut. As if on cue, the twins woke up full of energy and exited the car.

As he was preparing to say goodbye, Sofia asked, "Can we go inside with you, Leo?"

"I don't think that's a good idea ..." he said, thinking of all the other students who would be at the counter checking in. At least, one in particular.

"C'mon, Leo. Please?" Nico added.

Leo sighed. It was really hard to say no to them. "It's really up to Max," he pointed out.

"Oh, for Christ's sake. He'll be back in a week guys, it's not the end of the world," Max blurted out from the passenger window.

"Please, Max? Can we go in? Just for a little bit?" Sofia insisted.

"Hey, there's Mia!" Nico shouted all of a sudden and took off in a sprint in her direction. She was getting out of a taxi behind them.

"Nicolas!" Leo yelled behind him, but it was too late.

Nico called out to Mia once he was closer, and then jumped onto her, giving her a huge bear hug.

"Now, this just got interesting," Max said. "You know what, Sofia? I think it's a great idea. Let's all go in together. I'll go park the car," he said with a smirk on his face.

Leo shot him a murderous look, before grabbing Sofia's hand and heading in Mia's direction.

When he reached her, Nico had already somehow convinced Mia to pick him up and he was playing with the medallion she always wore around her neck.

"Hey," Leo said, somewhat embarrassed.

"I believe this belongs to you?" she said, motioning to Nico wrapped around her. "He's getting heavy," she added.

"No, I'm not!" Nico laughed, giving her a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

Mia gasped at first, but then laughed.

Inexplicably, Leo became really irritated at watching Nico being so close and carefree with Mia.

"Okay, that's enough, Romeo," he said, pulling Nico from Mia's arms. He sat him down on top of his suitcase, and then picked up Sofia.

"Hola Mia!" she said cheerily, once she was at eye length with her.

"Hey, sweetie. How are you?" Mia responded brushing back Sofia's hair, which was all tangled up in an awful mess at the moment.

"How come you haven't ..." she began.

"Well, ain't this just a beautiful scene?" Max said coming up behind them. "Hey, Mia. Long time," he added.

"Hey, Max," she said.

"Seriously, I need to take a picture of this," he said taking out his phone.

"Max," Leo said intently in warning.

"Oh, come on. Don't be such a party pooper," he said getting the camera on his phone ready.

Leo looked over at Mia and she shrugged back at him.

"Don't look so gloomy guys. You're both going to Shanghai for God's sake. Okay, smile people," he instructed.

Both Sofia and Nico yelled out at the top of their lungs, "Cheese!"

Mia laughed and Leo relaxed a little, looking over at her.

"Talk about capturing the moment! Damn, I'm good," Max said pleased with his picture.

"Well, I should probably head on in," Mia said.

"We're all going with you! Max said we could," Sofia said climbing eagerly from Leo's arms into Mia's. Surprisingly, he didn't stop her.

"Oh, I ..." Mia began, then stopped, clearly not knowing what to say.

"Here, allow me," Max said, taking her suitcase. "Shall we?"

Mia looked momentarily at Leo confused, but started walking towards the airport with Sofia in tow.

"Where's Shanghai?" Nico asked as they walked towards the airline counter.

"In China," Leo answered shortly.

"Wow, that's really, really far away right?" he asked.

"Somewhat. We arrive there tomorrow morning."

"That's so long! But you and Mia will be together?" he asked.

Leo stilled, then ran his hand across the back of his neck. "Yeah," he said quietly.

Nico is really on a roll today, he thought bitterly. He needed to stop asking so many bloody questions.

They got to the line, and Omar and Melissa from class were in front of them.

"Hey, guys," Mia greeted them.

They both turned around with shocked expressions on their faces.

"When did this happen?" Omar asked, signaling between Mia and Leo.

"Oh, no. We just bumped into each other outside," Mia responded.

"When did you have children?" Melissa asked confused, looking between Sofia and Nico.

"They're Leo's siblings," Mia answered laughing.

"You look so motherly right now," Melissa responded. "I swear she could be your daughter," she added.

Mia looked at Sofia settled comfortably in her arms and smiled.

Sofia giggled. "Mia is Leo's girlfriend!" she said laughing.

"Oh, is that right?" Omar asked with a grin on his face.

Everyone turned to look at Leo, who had been incredibly quiet the whole time.

"You guys are up," he said signaling to a check-in counter that had just opened.

"Smooth, Leo," Omar answered before heading out with Melissa.

Leo looked over at Mia, who had a scornful look on her face.

"Later," he said with a low voice and silently pleading with his eyes.

Mia sighed and shook her head. Another counter opened up, and she took off immediately with Sofia.

"Good one, bro," Max said laughing behind him and clasping his shoulder. He walked towards Mia with her suitcase, and Nico quickly followed suit.

Leo cursed and decided it was best to stay behind. How was he going to explain this one?

He closely watched Mia with his brothers from afar. She was engaged in an easy conversation with Max, smiling from time to time. While waiting for her ticket from the agent, she began braiding Sofia's tangled up hair and laughing at Nico's ramblings.

An array of emotions coursed through Leo. Melissa was right. Somehow, she did look motherly.

But it was so much more than that. She looked beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

She was a saint. Any other person wouldn't have put up being with his family, but there she was, surrounded by them in warmth and comfort. It was breathtaking.

"Yo! Are you deaf or something? You're next," someone behind him said.

Sighing, he went to check in by himself. He didn't hear one word the agent told him. He just went through the motions, thinking about Mia the entire time. As if he didn't think about her enough.

By the time he caught up with Mia and his family, he was a wreck. They walked towards the security gate, but no one seemed to even notice him. It was like he was suddenly invisible.

Mia started to say her goodbyes to Sofia and Nico. They hugged and kissed her as if they would never see her again. Maybe it was the case. Most likely, they would never see her again. Even Max was getting all sappy with her. It was gut wrenching.

Leo solemnly said goodbye to his brothers, as Mia stepped aside to give them space.

Max surprised him by giving him a firm hug and patting him on the shoulder. "Good luck winning her back," he said.

Leo gave him a pointed look and then swore under his breath as he crossed through the initial security check.

"Make the family proud!" Max yelled behind him.

Shaking his head, he eventually caught up with Mia in the security line.

"I'm sorry about all that, Mia," he said as he approached her.

"Save it, Leo," she said without turning around. Her tone was sad, rather than angry.

"I didn't know how to tell them. I figured it wouldn't matter. I didn't think ..."

"You clearly didn't," Mia said interrupting him. "Don't you think this will affect them more now?" she said, still not looking at him.

She quickly placed her belongings on a tray and set it on the conveyor belt, before walking through the security check.

Leo struggled to keep up with her, and when he passed through security, she was already picking up her things. God, how could someone so little be so fast?

Not caring about his own belongings, he went straight up to her and spun her around.

"Mia ..." he began, but his words got caught in his throat when he noticed her eyes were glistening.

Oh baby, I'm so sorry, he thought.

Feeling his own eyes begin to swell, he reached out to her and hugged her as tightly as he could. He wished it could have been months ago, back when their hugs were simple, comforting, and baggage-free. Now it was nothing like that.

She didn't hug him back. More and more it started feeling like he was saying goodbye to her too. As if he would never see her again. As if there was a certain finality to that embrace. Leo felt an unfamiliar pain build in his chest.

The thought was ridiculous though, he rationalized, as they would be seeing each other during the trip and even afterwards. Still, it didn't add up. What was it about airports that got people so emotional?

"What can I do, Mia?" he whispered in her ear.

Mia abruptly pulled back from him, tearing all contact between them.

"You've done enough, Leo. Just ... please leave me alone, okay?" she whispered back.

She didn't even bother waiting for a response. She simply turned around and left, walking away, and out of his life.

•••

Mia boarded Finnair Flight 3184 to Helsinki. They would have a short layover there on the way to Shanghai. While Mia was incredibly excited about the upcoming trip, she also felt a bit anxious. Would she be able to handle herself properly in front of others? The trip required countless social interactions as their itinerary was packed with lectures, company visits, lunches and dinners. They would even spend an entire day at the Shanghai World Expo. She really hoped she would be able to become friends with people and hang out with them during the trip, something she had rarely done during the school year. Would they accept her or was it too little too late?

She found her seat towards the back of the plane. At least she had the aisle. She was relieved to find Melissa sitting across from her, and in the aisle seats in front of her were also two friendly girls from class, Natalie and Mariela. They were reading gossip magazines and as soon as Mia settled in her seat, Natalie turned around and handed her one of the magazines.

"You're going to need this. It's a long trip ahead."

"Thanks so much, this is exactly what I need. Nothing like celebrity gossip to keep you busy," Mia replied.

The plane took off and Mia began to read the magazine. It covered the usual topics: everything from Brangelina to The Bachelor. There was even something about Lindsay Lohan creating some scandal, as usual. Oh Lindsay, get it together girl.

Mia finished reading the magazine and noticed that most people on the plane had dozed off, except for the two girls in front of her. She also saw a stewardess coming down the aisle and serving drinks.

"The boys are going to be really disappointed," Mariela stated.

"Why is that?" Natalie asked.

"All they were talking about before we boarded was Finnish girls and how they all looked like super models. But judging from the stewardess that's not the case."

Mia took a closer look and saw that she was not your typical blonde and skinny looking stewardess. Instead, she was much older in her 40's and was rather on the bigger side. She was coming down the aisle back first and her large derrière took up most of the space between the seats. Passengers were clearing out of her way as she came through. It was a pretty comical sight.

"Mia, you should order a coke. I got some rum from the duty free if you want," Mariela said.

"Really? I didn't even think of that."

"Well, duh. I actually stocked up for the week. Plus it's my birthday tomorrow so I might as well start celebrating."

The stewardess arrived and they all ordered cokes. Once she left, Mariela opened the bottle of rum and poured some discreetly into their cups.

"Cheers. To my birthday and to a great trip," Mariela said.

"Salud," both Mia and Natalie responded in unison.

Mia settled in her seat and checked her watch. It wasn't even close to noon yet! Well, at least it was in some part of the world. She decided it was going to be one heck of a trip.

The layover in Helsinki was a bit hectic. The amount of foot traffic in the airport was incredible. It turned out the airport had been designed primarily with transfers in mind, with arrivals and departures located in the same building. Mia felt like she had been standing in line the entire time, first at customs, then at security, followed by the plane to Shanghai.

She was looking forward to relaxing again in her seat before the final haul to Shanghai. Mia looked down at her boarding pass. 24E. Great, she would be stuck in the middle of a four seat row of the Airbus. No access to the aisle. She arrived at her row and froze. Leo was sitting in the middle seat right next to her!

"You're kidding me right?" Mia sputtered out.

Leo looked up at her and had a look of shock on his face. "Hey, don't look at me. I had nothing to do with this."

Mia huffed and looked at the seats around her. There was no way she was sitting next to him. She had to find someone who would switch with her. She noticed Omar and Melissa sitting in a two-seater next to the window of the plane. She walked down to them.

"Omar, help a sister out. Please switch seats with me."

Omar sighed. "Sorry, Mia. No can do."

"Please, I'm begging you," she pleaded.

"Mia, I love you, but no. I really need the leg room."

Defeated, she looked over at Melissa who was sitting next to the window. "Meli?"

"Perdón, chama. I get really freaked out on planes if I can't see out the window."

"Great. The last thing I want is to sit next to Leo for the next nine hours. What am I supposed to do now?"

"Well, you can always make out with him if you get bored. You know, join the mile high club or something," Omar grinned.

Mia huffed again and stomped back to her seat. She noticed Leo looked amused. Another man had taken the aisle seat next to hers and was already taking up part of her seat. He was huge! He had light blue eyes, blond shaved hair, and was wearing a black suit. He looked like a freaking CIA agent. Mia remembered someone had once told her there were many agents in Finland since Finnish was such a difficult language to understand and very few people spoke it considering the world population. She wouldn't put it past her if he was one of them.

She hastily sat down and reached for her buckle but noticed the strap was wedged between her seat and Leo's. She decided it wasn't worth going anywhere near his thigh, so dropped the buckle all together and sighed. Why did he have to be so damn hot?

Leo chuckled. He pulled out the strap and handed it over to her. "Looking for this?"

Mia snapped it from him in resignation. She quickly put on her headphones and turned on her iPod. She reached for her passport case and found some sleeping pills her mom had given her a while back. She popped in a pill and was thankful she hadn't slept on the plane ride earlier. She closed her eyes and prayed it would take effect soon. Yup, it would be one heck of a trip.

She woke up to the sound of the captain's voice over the intercom, announcing they would soon be landing at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Wow, she hadn't even stirred the entire time. That never happened.

For some reason she felt too comfortable for being on an airplane and when she opened her eyes she noticed she was sleeping on Leo's shoulder. Oh no! She immediately lifted her head and straightened her position. Leo was awake and looked at her curiously.

"Sorry."

"Didn't know you drooled in your sleep," Leo teased.

"I do not!" Mia responded with indignation. Did she? She desperately reached for her bag and pulled out a black mirror from Sephora.

Nothing. All clear. He was messing with her. "Leave me alone alright?"

Leo chuckled. "From the way you were cuddling up to me, it doesn't seem like that's what you really want."

"It's not. So stay away from me. Déjame en paz!" she snapped back.

Leo didn't respond. Mia looked down and noticed she had a blanket spread across her lap. She didn't exactly remember placing it there but quickly dismissed the thought before looking the other way. CIA was eyeing her suspiciously. Was it because he thought she had been rude or did he agree with her? Either way it had worked and Leo had left her alone. But was it what she really wanted?

###  Chapter 17 – Shanghai, Baby!

They soon landed and the rest of the day was pretty hectic. They arrived to the Swissotel in Shanghai and Mia was pretty impressed. It was a 5 star luxury hotel, thank you very much. They had been having a nice breakfast in one of the private dining rooms of the hotel when they announced their rooms wouldn't be ready for another two hours. It was merely 10am. Rather than wait around, they decided to go ahead with their planned city tour of Shanghai.

Shanghai was truly something. Modern high-rise buildings, gigantic retail stores, and super tall skyscrapers. It reminded her of the depictions Ridley Scott had created in Blade Runner. It was like South Beach on steroids.

They made a stop at the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. Inside was an impressive city model made to scale that showed the old Shanghai streets from the 1930s to its present day planning and construction. It even had future technology renderings of the city that looked like pure fantasy. So far, Mia hardly felt like she was in China.

They proceeded to do a tour through Shanghai's historic district to visit the Yuyuan Garden, the largest of Shanghai's ancient gardens. They walked through crowded streets and local food shops.

Now this was more like it. She spent the afternoon taking amazing pictures but after sweating in the sun for a few hours, she felt like she could really use a shower. She looked around and could tell most people felt the same way. Someone finally convinced the tour guide it was time to go back to the hotel.

They checked back into the hotel at 5pm and she was happy to find out she would be sharing a room with Victoria. She hadn't spoken much to her since that time they went out to Gabana, so it would be nice to spend some time with her and catch up.

The first thing Mia did when entering her room was head to the shower. She couldn't believe she had been wearing the same clothes for two days since she had left her apartment in Madrid.

When she stepped into the stall and the cool water finally hit her back, she couldn't help think to herself, "Never underestimate the power of a good shower." She shook her head remembering who had told her that quote once upon a time. She thought of Leo and that surreal night they had spent together, despite all the insanity from the club. The way he had held her, cared for her like there was nothing more important in the world. She leaned her forehead against the shower door and sighed. Things couldn't be more different now.

Later that night they had a presentation on Business in China over dinner at a conference room in the hotel. Mia was so exhausted she could barely keep up. She kept on picturing the fluffy bed of her hotel room and couldn't wait to fall into a deep sleep in it.

Once they finished dinner, Mariela ran up to Mia with a huge smile on her face.

"Mia, get ready. We're going out!"

"Now?"

"Of course! It's still my birthday, remember?"

"I don't know, Mariela. I'm really exhausted and we have a really early start tomorrow."

"Nonsense. You have to come. We're going to this place Bar Rouge, they say it's amazing and the views are breathtaking. It'll be so much fun!"

Bar Rouge? Wasn't that the place Leo had mentioned? "Okay, why not. You only live once, right?"

"Exacto!" Mariela shrieked in excitement.

They arrived at Bar Rouge and the place was indeed amazing. It had an indoor bar that circled around the club. Bartenders were preparing exotic drinks and Mia even saw the bar lighting up on fire.

It also had a terrace with another outside bar and lounge chairs. As she walked outside, she took in the view. It was spectacular seeing Shanghai's skyscrapers lit up at night. They immediately started taking hundreds of pictures in front of it. Pretending they were holding the towers, jumping up and down, holding different GQ poses.

As she laughed and chatted the night away, Mia thought about how lucky she was to be there. This trip to Shanghai with her classmates was truly a once in a lifetime experience. An experience she should be making the most out of, savoring each moment, and stretching it out to its fullest.

Although it wouldn't be possible without having Leo in it. But he had rejected her. He didn't want her anymore, he had made that very clear. She would have to put it behind her and move on. She decided it was time to start living her life again.

The next days passed all too quickly. The visit to the Shanghai Expo had been really fun. Mia had felt like she was in Orlando. They had gotten special treatment at the Spanish Pavilion, and Mia had joined a group of people who were interested in visiting the Latin America section. The Expo was a sea of people, the lines to enter the pavilions were ridiculously long and she had never seen so many people together in one place. But they had managed to enter the pavilions from Latin America without getting in line since they were from those countries.

The funniest part had been all the Chinese people who had stopped them to ask if they could take pictures with them. Mia's group had gone into the Cuban pavilion to get some Mojitos, when they had been practically cornered into a wall and picture after picture was taken of them. It had felt like they were celebrities being pursued by the paparazzi.

Another day they had lectures at a business school in Shanghai. That had been a killer day. While it had definitely been interesting, they had straight lectures from 8am until 5pm and had only taken a quick lunch break. Everyone had dozed off at some point, even the director of the program. Most of the pictures that day had been of people falling asleep!

They also had company visits to Coca-Cola and Li & Fung, which were really great. They actually had to present a case study on Li & Fung on the last day of the trip, so everyone had made sure to ask a bunch of questions to their tour guide there. The presentation would count towards a big chunk of their final grade.

Mia's group had prepared most of their presentation already, even before they had arrived to Shanghai. They had decided it would make them better prepared and give them more time to enjoy Shanghai without doing so much work during the week.

She had been relieved until their professor had announced only three people from each group would be allowed to present since it would be a 15 minute presentation. Mia hoped it wouldn't have to be her, but it was basically a 50-50 chance since there were seven people in her group. Who knew? Maybe she could get out of it somehow.

•••

Mia was having dinner with Victoria at the hotel buffet. They had received vouchers to use every night, so they were certainly not going to let them go to waste. She had served herself a hefty dose of steamed pork buns she just couldn't get enough of. Every time she went to have dim sum in New York's Chinatown, it was all she ever ordered. The hour wait at Golden Unicorn was always well worth it.

"Can you believe the trip is almost over? We practically only have two more days left!" Victoria commented.

"I know right? I feel like we just got here. It passed by way too quickly," Mia responded.

"Well let's do something about it. Let's go out tonight! Enjoy it while we can. Hay que aprovechar."

"I think that's a great idea," Mia said.

"What is?"

Mia turned around to see Omar approach them with a group of people. They had just finished having dinner and were on their way out.

"Oh, we were thinking of going out to some place fun tonight," Mia responded.

"We were just saying the same thing. I heard there's this Irish bar a few blocks down from the hotel that has live music. We should go check it out," Omar suggested.

"Sounds like a plan. Meet you in 20 at the lobby?" Victoria asked enthusiastically.

Omar checked his watch. "Okay, so we'll meet at 10pm. I'll tell others to come, too. Spread the word around."

Mia and Victoria practically ran back to their hotel room to change. Victoria made a few quick phone calls to other rooms while Mia stared at her suitcase deciding what to wear. She picked up a few outfits before deciding on a provocative number. Short black shorts to show off her legs, a purple tank embedded with jewels across the neckline, and some killer heels. This should do the trick, she thought.

In the back of her mind, she thought Omar might tell Leo to come out with them so she wanted to look her absolute best, just in case. A girl can dream right? He hadn't paid her any attention the entire trip and the silent treatment was beginning to hurt her ego. Maybe if she dressed sexy enough he would notice her.

As they entered the bar, Mia noticed three things. One, there was an awesome Filipino band singing on stage. Only in Shanghai, she thought. They were covering Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" and the lead singer had some serious pipes.

Second, they were showing a live French Open match on TV and Roger Federer was playing. Mia couldn't believe she had forgotten all about it this year. Usually she followed the grand slams religiously.

Third, and more importantly, there was a pool table in the back! Mia absolutely loved playing pool. She had practically spent every other weekend playing with her friends in high school. It wasn't as if she was the best pool player, but she could defend herself quite well. One of her best friends, Roberto, had taught her a few good tricks.

Mia turned to Omar and Victoria. "So are we going to shoot some pool or what?"

"You play?" Omar asked.

"Of course. Get ready to lose to a girl."

"Oh it's on," he replied.

•••

Leo walked into O'Malley's bar. Omar had left him a message saying a bunch of people had decided to go out and he should meet up with them. As soon as he walked in, his gaze distinctly shot over to Mia as if she had been calling him. She was bent over a pool table, preparing to make a shot with extreme concentration. He noticed a group of guys surrounding her, waiting in anticipation.

What was going on? Mia took the shot and it landed in the far right pocket of the table. A cheer erupted and she lifted up her hands and gave her butt a cute little wiggle. She turned around and gave high-fives to people around her.

"Mia, you did it!" Omar picked her up and twirled her around. "Okay guys, time to pay up." He went around the table collecting bills of Yuan from a few very disappointed men.

Leo couldn't believe it. He couldn't take his eyes off of Mia. Hot damn! She looked so incredibly sexy. What's more, she was glowing being in the center of attention. She had been smiling non-stop, talking to strangers, even high-fiving them as if they were old friends. He could sense a change within her, she had an extra bounce in her step and a certain energy radiating from her. She was becoming a woman in his eyes.

How did this happen? Had he done this? Unleashed something in her? Whatever the case, she seemed happy. She was happy ... without him. Even if he hated to admit it, maybe she was better off without him.

Oh God, she's better off without me, he realized. Leo felt like he was being buried alive.

•••

Mia walked over to the bar with Omar.

"So how much did we get?" Mia asked.

"Enough to pay for our drinks for the rest of the night. That was so amazing Mia, you should have seen the look on those guys faces! It was priceless. Who would've known you could play like that? I didn't even believe it," Omar confessed.

"Well you know what they say, never judge a book by its cover," Mia replied.

Omar ordered some drinks and handed the remaining cash over to Mia.

"This is the last call. Bar is closing in ten minutes," the bartender warned when he returned.

"Oh no, really? Is there another place we could go to around here?" Mia asked.

"There's this club called Manhattan a few streets down. Closes late, if you catch my drift," he replied.

Manhattan? Of all the names ... "What do you think?" Mia asked Omar excitedly.

"I'll round up the troops."

Mia was in awe. Since when did she call the shots? She was having such a great night, she didn't want it to end. She was on such a high, the party just had to continue.

They walked into Manhattan with the warmest reception she'd ever received at a club. A manager had been at the door, and immediately escorted their group over to a stage at the back of the club. It felt nice getting the special treatment just for being a foreigner.

The DJ was playing some rocking music and the club was on fire. Mia took in her surroundings. She immediately noticed there were a lot of men in the club. Older men in business suits. Hardly any women.

That's odd, Mia thought. She took a closer look at the women and the few that were around were very young and wearing extremely skimpy outfits. That's when she saw one of them grinding against one of the older suits.

Wait a minute. Are we in a strip club?

Mia couldn't help but laugh and whispered her discovery to Victoria. She stared at her in disbelief for a moment, and then looked around the club. She turned back at Mia and shrugged.

"The show must go on, right?" Victoria said.

At that moment, Jay Z's "Empire State of Mind" started playing and they started dancing provocatively, getting down on the dance floor ... way down. The suits started cheering and the manager soon showed up with a tray of shots to offer them.

"We might as well get paid for our services," Mia said jokingly. She continued swaying to the beat, and she soon found herself in the middle of their group, everyone dancing around together in a circle. Life was good.

•••

God, why does she have to look so appealing even when she's drunk? Leo thought to himself.

Someone else must have been sharing his same thoughts because a guy soon approached to dance with her.

Shit, who is that? Charles? Leo couldn't see clearly from his vantage point across the club. Mia simply kept dancing, not seeming to notice her suitor until he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close suggestively towards the length of his body.

What the fuck? Who the hell does this prick think he is? Anger boiled up inside Leo and he secretly cursed under his breath. He had promised himself he would keep a safe distance from her. After all, it was what she wanted, right? But Leo knew sooner or later he would be faced in this type of situation.

I mean look at her. Who wouldn't want to approach her at a club, dance with her, explore their eager hands against her body? And there was nothing he could do about it. Or could he?

Jealously took over him, and suddenly couldn't think of anything he wanted more but to be the one dancing with Mia, pressing her oh so close to him, feeling her breath on his neck while he caressed her hair. Exactly like he had done before.

That should be me, dammit. No one should be allowed to touch her like that, only me. I'm the one that's supposed to be with her, not that wanker, he thought grimly. He had never felt the urge to want and protect someone by equal measure.

Before he could stop himself, he charged towards Mia on the dance floor. Not even pausing to take a look at the prick, he placed himself in front of her, cutting the dirty bastard off behind him.

"Excuse me," he managed to say before pressing his mouth against Mia's lips and desperately trying to kiss her and somehow win her back.

Mia almost immediately pushed him out of the way. "Leo!" she yelled at him.

"Hey man, I was kind of in the middle of something there."

Leo turned around to look at the offender. It had been Charles all right. He knew exactly what he meant by those words. "You stay out of this," he barked back at him. "And keep your damn paws off of her. Don't make me say it twice or you'll regret the day you were born," he threatened.

He turned back to look at Mia who had her arms crossed at him, heavy disapproval marked all over her face. Okay, now he was officially losing it. He shouldn't have said that in front of her.

"Sweetness, I'm sorry. I deserved that, but please let me explain."

"Don't you dare call me that! You're too late, leave me alone," she managed to say between slurred sentences.

Oh, fuck no. Did she really want to be with Charles? All hell broke loose inside him at that thought.

"Look, buddy. She doesn't want to be with you, alright? She doesn't want you," Charles snapped at him.

His words stung deeply and he felt an intense pain resurface inside his chest.

She doesn't want you.

No, it couldn't be possible. Mia was his. Not knowing how to handle the pain, the rejection, the reality, he did the only thing he knew would make his situation a bit more bearable.

He took a swing at Charles and instantly regretted it when he saw him knocked out on the floor. Holy shit, why do I keep on doing this? Oh yeah, because you've completely lost your freaking mind!

"Leo! What the hell are you doing?" Mia yelled at him, looking at Charles lying hopelessly on the floor. She looked like she wanted to help him, but decided against it. He found that oddly reassuring.

What the hell am I doing? "We're leaving ... now," he commanded.

"We?" she asked incredulous.

"We need to talk." He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the club as security approached him.

"No need, I'm kicking myself out," he told one of the bouncers as he exited the door.

"Where are we going? The last thing I want is to talk to you! You didn't want this, remember?" Mia screamed at him as he flagged down a taxi.

Baby, if you only knew. "Mia please, you're making a scene."

"I'd say! I'm not the one that just punched a guy in the face," she said wobbling.

"Look, you can't even walk straight. I'm taking you back to the hotel." Leo used the protector card on her to get her to agree. It was the only thing he had left.

He pulled Mia into the cab with him and gave the driver a card with the address to the hotel. She scooted all the way towards the other side of the car and rested her head against the seat, looking outside the window. The distance she placed between them nearly killed him.

Had it really been a month since he'd been even this remotely close to her? Besides the airport and plane ride to Shanghai that is, but that had barely counted in his eyes. Their proximity hadn't been her choice.

"So you're just going to ignore me?" Leo protested.

Mia crossed her arms without turning to look at him. "Ese es el plan."

"Fine."

He thought the door to that conversation had been effectively shut, when she started speaking to him again a few minutes after.

"I was having a great time at the club until you decided to show up and ruin it for me. Now you're kidnapping me against my will. If you think I'm going to acquiesce to this, you've got another thing coming."

"I am not kidnapping you. I'm saving you from that tosser back there."

"Tosser? You're the lunatic kidnapper!" she yelled.

"And you're a drunken mess right now! Did you want to end up warming someone else's bed tonight? You should be thanking me, Mia."

"I am not drunk! I can fend for myself," she said offended.

"Is that so?" He made his way towards her side, bridging the gap between them. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her tightly against him, trapping her between his body and the car door. "What if this wasn't me right now? Men usually aren't as ... kind to women in your condition." He grabbed her by the neck and leaned into her face. "Try to fight me off, I dare you," he whispered into her ear.

Her breath hitched and to his surprise, she didn't make any attempt against him. Instead his brown-eyed beauty got sad and she looked away from him. "Are you done? You've made your point. You can stop now," she said hurtfully.

He instantly released her, feeling like the biggest piece of shit on the planet. That did not go as planned. He hadn't been so kind to her either. He was a grade A arrogant bastard. Why did he have to be so fucking jealous? The thought of her in another man's arms had his mind spinning out of control and he had gone all macho possessive on her. He moved back to his side and thought he should have never crossed that line between them in the first place. Maybe it was better this way.

They passed the rest of the cab ride in complete silence. There were so many things he wanted to say but he just didn't have the heart to tell her. Every time he opened his mouth lately, it just seemed to make things worse. When they arrived at the hotel, Leo paid the driver and was about to get out of the car when he noticed Mia was fast asleep.

With a sigh, he scooped her up and carried her all the way back to her hotel room after checking her key card from her purse. The feeling was all too familiar and he couldn't help but think of everything that had happened during the last few months.

Leo placed Mia on what he determined was her bed and sat staring at the angelic creature before him. He took off her shoes and wrapped some covers around her. Was this all his fault? Had he truly been the cause of all her pain? He tried to imagine a life without her, his own life before they met, but couldn't accept it. It felt like part of his world was fading away.

He took out his phone to look at the picture Max had taken of them at the airport. Max had sent it to him just before he left Madrid and now he couldn't stop looking at it. The illusion he saw in it, of everything represented in that single moment of time, was torturing him.

He realized then he had never told her how he truly felt about her. It just ended so abruptly, just when he was starting to believe this could really happen to him. It was as if their relationship was never consummated, emotionally and even physically. He still woke up every morning aching for her desperately. There was still so much feeling left inside him, of everything he wanted to do with her. Maybe if he had just told her, none of this would have happened. How could he be so stupid?

No, they had to be together. This whole trip was nothing like he had planned. It was only a few months ago they had spent the night talking about all they would do once they got here. He had wanted to use the opportunity to wine and dine her, show her his favorite places around the city, make her feel special, just like she deserved.

But none of that had happened, and instead there he was, sitting in the hotel room staring at the girl of his dreams, contemplating what could have been, knowing he could never have any of that. He couldn't have her. And it was his entire fault. He had managed to completely sever the only real and caring relationship he had ever had.

She doesn't want you.

The words echoed in his mind over and over like a spreading, infectious virus as he silently, tearfully left her room.

###  Chapter 18 – The Shanghai Confrontation

Mia woke up the next morning with a slight headache. What a night! She had so much fun until ... wait a minute. She sat up quickly on her bed and noticed she was still fully dressed in her clothes from the night before.

She turned around and saw that Victoria was already in the bathroom getting ready. The last thing she remembered was getting in a taxi with Leo. She was mad at him for punching Charles, but then what happened? Had she fallen asleep? From the looks of it, that had been the case.

Victoria came out of the bathroom at that moment.

"Vicky, what the hell happened last night?"

"I was just going to ask you the same thing. All I know is that one second we were dancing at the club having the time of our lives, and next thing I know Leo punched Charles in the face and dragged you out of the club. When I got home, you were sound asleep in your bed."

"Yeah, that's what I remember too. At least the first part. I really don't understand what his deal is. Anyway, I need to get ready. I don't have the energy to handle the extra drama." Mia sprinted to the bathroom to take a quick shower and change.

They were about to go down to breakfast when they heard a knock at the door. Mia opened it to see Leo standing outside, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"What are you doing here?" she said in mad tone.

"I told you last night. We need to talk," Leo responded.

Victoria showed up behind Mia. "I'm going to head down to breakfast. I'll see you later Mia, okay?"

Before she could protest, Victoria left and Leo walked into the room, closing the door behind him. She took a deep breath realizing they were now alone in her hotel room – just the two of them.

"Leo, I don't want to talk," Mia said bitterly. She turned around and walked back into the room, pretending to fix something from her suitcase.

"Too bad. I have something I need to say to you." Leo followed her and grabbed her hand, forcing her to face him.

His sudden closeness made her feel nervous. She dropped his hand in resignation and went to sit on her bed.

"Before you say anything, you have some explaining to do about last night. I mean what the hell were you thinking?" she hissed. Tapping into her anger was the only way she could hide her true emotions.

"Look, I just wanted to have a word with the guy and very politely explain ..." Leo began.

"A word? Yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what you intended. Did you also want to offer the lad some tea and crumpets afterward and have a nice laugh?" she asked with all the sarcasm in the world.

"Mia, can you please not joke around? I'm trying to be serious here."

"Well then what is it?" The volume in her voice had risen exponentially.

"I was trying to protect you. That bastard was taking advantage of you and I wasn't just going to stand there and allow it."

"Take advantage of me? You're one to talk. You did the same exact thing, Leo. And for your information I can take care of myself," Mia huffed.

"No, it's different," Leo said calmly.

"How is it possibly any different?" Mia snapped back.

Leo hesitated to answer.

"Tell me, Leo. How is it any different for you or the next guy to approach me at a club? Because I'd really like to know."

Taking a deep breath, Leo steadied himself and sat down next to her on the bed. "Because of my ... intentions. I care about you. No one will ever feel the same way for you as I do. Charles might have been wanting to get lucky, but I ..." he paused for a moment to look at her and cup her face.

His expression was terrified and he paled. "I want you Mia, okay? I want everything with you. I always have," he confessed whole-heartedly. "But it's either all or nothing. I won't have you any other way. There was a time I would have taken any part of you that you were willing to give, but I can't do that anymore. It's too hard. I want all of you and it kills me that you don't feel the same way."

The words hung heavily between them. Mostly, she was in shock. He cared about her? Still wanted her? But she also felt remorse. She had led him on and she had hurt him ... badly. It was painfully obvious to her now. How could she have done that to him? He had never done anything to hurt her. She felt like a horrible human being.

Before she responded, Mia lowered her voice. "Leo, I told you before, I need time. There's just a lot of things from my past that I haven't had closure with and I just can't handle a new commitment. It wouldn't be fair to you."

"Then why won't you talk to me? Tell me about it so I can understand."

Mia shook her head. "I can't Leo, I'm sorry. It's too hard," she said, borrowing his line from earlier.

"Please, Mia. Whatever it is, I don't care. I just need to understand why you won't be with me. I know you want me Mia, but you won't let yourself. Please, it's killing me," he begged.

Mia looked at his painful expression and immediately wanted to reach out to comfort him. But she knew she couldn't tell him the truth. Once he knew, he wouldn't want her anymore.

"I'm sorry I led you on, Leo. But that was months ago. I've moved on and I just don't want you anymore." She couldn't even look him, it was such a blatant lie.

"That's complete bullshit! I know what you're trying to do and it's not gonna work, Mia. Not this time. I won't give up on you just yet."

"Leo, please just drop it. I can't do this," she pleaded.

"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't want me," Leo demanded.

She hesitated.

"Look at me Mia," he said more softly.

She lifted up her head and looked at him tentatively, brown eyes meeting blue. "I don't want to talk about this right now," she insisted.

"Do you know how many times you've said that to me? When would be a good time for you, Mia? Never, right?" he said sarcastically.

"Why can't you just leave me alone? I didn't ask for any of this!" Mia yelled, starting to see red. "You're so frustrating," she added under her breath.

"I'm frustrating? You're the most exasperating, stubborn, heartbreaking, provoking little vixen I've ever met!"

"Vixen?" she gawked in disbelief. "I'm none of those things, Leo."

"Yes, you are. How can you still be so unaware of the effect you have on me?" He let out a heartfelt sigh. "Just say the words and I'll leave you alone. I won't bother you again." His words were calm, but mixed with underlying fear.

Mia opened her mouth but instantly shut it. "I," she started, then shook her head, staring down at the mattress. How could she possibly tell him? Talking about it would force her to relive her past and she couldn't do it. It was too painful. The emotions coursing through her were too much to endure.

Leo waited patiently for her to respond, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. There was so much running through her mind, so much she wanted to tell him. But he would never understand.

Tears of frustration began pooling in her eyes, and it wasn't long before they began running down her cheeks.

"Mia ... baby," Leo whispered, brushing her tears away with his thumbs. "Please don't cry, I can't bear it."

His words only made her cry harder and soon she was sobbing against him. Leo held her tightly and suddenly crushed his lips against hers, seemingly not knowing what else to do.

She didn't respond, she simply remained frozen in place. She wasn't saying yes, but she wasn't saying no either.

Leo continued kissing her. "Please, Mia. Talk to me. I know it. I know you feel it too," he whispered against her ear and began pressing kisses all over her neck.

Mia only sighed, relaxing her body against him. It ached how much she had missed his touch.

"God, it's been so long Mia," Leo said echoing her thoughts, and his kisses turned immediately urgent. "Please, say something. Anything."

He pushed her softly against the mattress. "Please, baby. I adore you. I need you. I need this," he said moving his hand slowly up her dress.

She could feel his desperation rising uncontrollably, and her silence was just adding more fuel to the fire. Still, she couldn't bring herself to speak.

"I need you so much. Tell me. Tell me you need me, too. I can feel it ... I can't take it anymore."

She felt his whole body shake against her and she realized he was trying to pull back. He was so uncertain, like he didn't know what to do. It was so unlike him. His fingers had reached her hip bone, and he began to vaguely toy with the fabric of her panties.

"No, Leo."

It was barely a whisper, but he had heard it crystal clear. Sitting back on his legs, he looked at her in shock, which quickly turned into exasperation.

"Why do you keep doing this, Mia?" he said painfully.

She flinched at first, but then stared coldly at him. "I thought you wanted it to be special," she bit back at him.

"I was trying to get you to react. You won't talk to me! You weren't saying anything! Apparently, that's what it takes though."

"So forcing me seemed like a good idea to you?" she yelled.

"No! You know I would never do that. Never." He ran his fingers roughly through his hair.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean for that to happen. It wasn't my plan when I came to talk to you. If you haven't noticed, I'm getting desperate over here."

Mia sat up away from him and looked out towards the view of Shanghai below. It had started to rain, and the wind splashed water against the windows.

"It doesn't matter anyway. You won't want me once I tell you. I never understood why you wanted me in the first place. I'm not good enough for you," she said introspectively, looking out towards the now grey and cloudy city.

"I'll always want you, Mia. You should know that by now. What the hell do you think just happened? What happened last night? I obviously can't keep my hands off you. Don't you see what you do to me? I lose all sense of control and sanity with you," Leo said shaking his head.

"You're the one that's too good for me Mia, not the other way around. Somehow I'm stupid enough to think I deserve you. It's the only thing that keeps me going. I just want to fix this ... this thing that is broken between us."

Mia turned back to look at him. A glimmer of hope passed through her mind, but was replaced just as quickly with doubt. "Maybe there's nothing left to be fixed," she said sadly, thinking more about herself than anything. She was the one that was broken, not him.

"Maybe it really isn't broken." Looking deeply into her eyes, Leo continued. "I already told you I don't care, whatever it is. I don't care about any of it. Only you."

He grabbed her face and turned her towards him. "We can be amazing together, Mia. Can't you see that?"

Leo's shoulders rose and fell. "Everybody knows about us. They know we're an item, whether we're presently together or not. Everyone can see it, I can see it, and that Charles idiot can definitely see it too. I just don't understand why you can't see it. What is it going to take for you to finally admit you want this too?"

Leo didn't wait for her to answer and walked out of the room. Mia sat there motionless, pondering that dreaded question. What was it going to take?

###  Chapter 19 – Cramming

She spent the rest of the day with her study group, preparing for the final presentation on Li & Fung. The hotel had arranged private conference rooms for them to work in for the day. For once, she was really glad to be completely immersed in work, not having time to let her thoughts drift elsewhere.

They were halfway done with the slides, when someone brought up the issue of who would be presenting the next day. The group immediately fell into a heated discussion, everyone sharing their strong views on the matter. Having a diverse group of people from different nationalities always seemed to result in a strong difference of opinion and clashing of perspectives. But the level of creativity that emerged and learning curve that ensued made it worth the fight.

Mia certainly didn't want to be part of the conversation, so she didn't give any input. She hoped that her silence on the matter would somehow make her fly under the radar and thus, become less of a target.

"I really think Mia should present," Laura suddenly stated. She was from Germany but had lived in Italy and London for many years. She acted nothing like a stereotypical German. She constantly arrived late everywhere, and conducted herself in such a carefree manner that people jokingly referred to her as the non-German or Latin German.

Mia froze. "I ... really don't think that's the best idea. You all know that I get really nervous when presenting ..."

Laura pressed on. "You can barely tell. We might notice because we know you better, but someone that doesn't would barely know. It's natural that you get a bit nervous, but Mia you have such a clear voice when you speak. I think you're one of the best presenters in our class."

"Not to mention your perfect accent in English. None of us even comes close to that," Ana added. She was from Romania and was probably one of the smartest girls in class. On top of that she was extremely levelheaded and empathetic.

Mia couldn't believe her ears. "You guys are joking, right?"

"It's true, Mia. We all agree," Melissa said. "The way I see it, the people that should present should be Antonio, Mia, and Ana. Antonio can start off using his smoke and mirrors act, Mia delivers the hard facts, and Ana finishes it off by giving her piece of mind and charming the judges during the Q&A. It'll be a classic triple threat," she continued.

Mia looked around the conference table and they all nodded in agreement.

"I hardly think we need to take a vote on this one, but all those in favor say aye," Antonio said. He was from Argentina and was extremely extroverted, constantly cracking jokes at all times. Professors always seemed to love him, and had become known as the teacher's pet in class.

"Aye," the room echoed. Everyone had said it except for Mia. Just like that, it had been settled. Mia would have to present before an audience of 100 people, and for the first time.

They continued working during the rest of the evening. Mia had become extremely nervous just thinking about the following morning, but she pressed on. Since when had her group become so civilized? She remembered clearly when they were first thrown together, they had been so dysfunctional and had spent most the time arguing over every little decision. Everyone had been so eager in the beginning and wanted to prove their alpha personalities and take control over all the assignments.

It had felt like a child being violently tossed into the water, desperately struggling to reach the surface and breathe again. But sooner or later, you learn how to swim.

Working long hours together over months had exposed each member's strengths and weaknesses, and they had really gotten into the rhythm of their workflow, dividing up their tasks evenly. They had come together as a group and had almost become a tight knit family. No, she had to be strong and couldn't let them down. She owed them that much.

Mia had been reviewing the situation analysis of the case, starting to feel cramped in the dim room, when the Internet stopped working all of a sudden. Shit. "Um, guys, are you having trouble connecting ..."

"I'm on it," Laura responded. She picked up a phone in the conference room and dialed 0. Mia felt slightly sorry for whoever was on the other side of the line, because she really let them have it, making threats and yelling all type of profanities.

Mia looked at her in disbelief, she had never seen her act like that. Not that she was complaining. Anything that would help improve their dire situation. They really needed to finish working on their slides as soon as possible.

Not even five minutes had passed, when a hotel manager walked into the conference room, telling them to follow him into another room. They all picked up their belongings in utter annoyance but quickly obeyed nonetheless.

To Mia's surprise, he took them towards the elevator and pressed a button for the top floor. It was the executive business center. The manager motioned them towards a room and when they walked inside Mia couldn't believe her surroundings.

A modern glass table took up the length of the room together with black leather chairs, drinks and snacks were stacked against a bar area, a huge plasma TV rested against a wall, and floor to ceiling windows ran across the room displaying spectacular views of the city. It looked like something out of Wall Street.

"I guess this will do. We'll try to manage somehow," Laura said with a hint of sarcasm and the manager left the room. As soon as he left, she added, "Can you believe this place? But no excuses people, let's finish working on this damn thing."

"Yes ma'am!" Antonio responded.

The rest of the group looked at each other in amusement, but soon got to working again. No messing with Laura today. Her attitude seemed to help because a few hours later they were done.

"Finally! I don't think I've ever felt so relieved in my life," Laura said. "But you know what they say, work hard, play hard. I'm going out. I heard a lot of people are going to this place called Zapata's. Who's with me?"

"Definitely not me, I have to practice for tomorrow," Mia said.

"Yeah, I agree. I think the presenters should stay behind and practice. The last thing we want is to be hungover tomorrow morning. But the rest of you should go ahead," Ana commented.

"Okay, but let us know if you need help with anything," Melissa said. The polite offer had been there, but they exited the room quicker than you can say Shanghai.

Mia, Antonio, and Ana went over the game plan for the presentation and ran through it several times until they finally got the timing right. An hour later, Mia felt completely exhausted. They agreed to meet for breakfast early the next morning and go over their parts one last time. After all, preparation is key, right? She just hoped she would be able to keep her nerves in check.

Mia walked into an empty bedroom and decided to practice her part again, this time in front of the mirror. People said that always helped, but it still felt awkward. She finally felt content after a few rounds and decided to call it a night.

She set the alarm and plopped on her bed. Just as she was getting settled in, the door to the room opened.

"Hey, where have you been all day?" Victoria asked as she walked into the room.

"Preparing for the stupid presentation tomorrow. Ugh, I just want it to be over with," Mia answered.

"I know, tell me about it," she said, setting her things down. "So what ended up happening earlier?"

"What do you mean?"

"With Leo, Mia. Did you think I would forget?"

"Oh, that. God, that feels likes ages ago."

"Yes, that. Did you finally make up?" she asked curiously.

"Not really, I guess. We talked a bit, ended up fighting and yelling at each other most of the time," Mia sighed.

"That's it? Give me the good stuff, Mia."

"Well, he did kiss me," she said, knowing that was what Victoria wanted to hear. Actually he did a lot more than that, she thought.

"See, I knew it! So are you getting back together?" she asked excitedly.

"No, we just fought more after that. It seems like that's the only thing we're good at anymore. Bottom line is he's still mad at me."

"You're crazy, Mia. He would do anything for you."

"Why do you say that?"

"Have you seen the way he looks at you? I would kill to have that," she said shaking her head.

"It's just not that simple, Vicky," she answered quietly.

"Is anything in life?"

"I guess not."

"I'm telling you, Mia. You should really think about this."

"Believe me, I've thought about it way too much over the last few months."

"Well, you're obviously not thinking about it in the right way. Just remember what I told you, okay?"

"Okay, I will."

"Good," Victoria said, walking towards the bathroom and declaring the conversation settled.

Just not the night before the big day, Mia thought. Adding Leo into the mix right now would simply make her head implode. Sleep was the one thing that would prevent her from having a nervous breakdown.

###  Chapter 20 – Facing Fear

Mia looked across the auditorium. It was a full house! It definitely seemed like more than 100 people were in the room. The first group was called to present, and Mia felt that for once lady luck was on her side that it hadn't been her group. They would be the third to present, at least that bought her a little bit of extra time.

The first group walked up to the podium and she was surprised to see it was a complete train wreck. The presenters were obviously hungover, seemed so disoriented, were lost behind the podium not knowing where to stand, and kept looking at each other all confused. It didn't look like they had prepared at all. Although she felt a tinge of guilt, it certainly made her feel better about her own presentation. At least they were prepared.

The second group went on and she thought it was pretty decent. That was until one of the presenters pronounced the word skyscrapers the wrong way. He kept on pronouncing it like sky crappers and she couldn't help but giggle. English was definitely not his strong suit. What's more, why hadn't anyone corrected him?

The presentation ended and she felt her nerves instantly start to creep up. She was about to stand, when the judges announced a short break before the next presentation. Phew!

She went out to the hallway to serve herself a cup of coffee. She had already had coffee during breakfast, but felt like she could use the extra jolt of caffeine in her system. She poured herself a cup and noticed that her hand was slightly shaking.

"Hey Mia, are you presenting?"

She turned around to see the last person she ever imagined would be speaking to her at that moment. Leo. Unexpectedly, he had a friendly expression.

"Uh yeah ... I'm actually up next," she managed to say.

"Nerviosa?"

"Shaking in my boots."

Leo chuckled. "C'mon you'll be fine. Especially after those last two presentations, the bar is pretty low. I mean did you hear that guy talking about sky crappers? I kept on picturing actual people crapping from the sky and falling all over the place. And then a random piece of crap landing in some dude's eyeball for no reason."

Mia almost rolled over laughing. "Gross! Yeah, that was pretty unreal. I think I might have a slight advantage over that."

"See? You'll do great. Just picture the crowd naked and stand in front of the podium. You'll command more presence that way. Plus, you'll be able to show off that nice purple dress of yours."

Mia looked down at her dress. Why was she always wearing purple? The dress was more of a violet color but still. She peeked up back at Leo. "Yeah I guess if Justin Bieber can pull it off, so can I."

"He's got nothing on you. Good luck up there, not that you need it. Those five minutes will be over before you even realize it." He smiled and walked away.

Mia instantly felt better after their short conversation and when the judges announced the break was over, she confidently walked up to the podium to meet Antonio and Ana.

The audience settled down and Antonio stepped forward. He had decided to wear a traditional silk Chinese suit to the presentation. Mia couldn't believe it when she had first seen him at breakfast, but then again it was Antonio. He had explained it was part of the smoke and mirrors act, that he was Argentine and it was part of his nature. She decided it couldn't hurt, maybe they would get brownie points for it.

Antonio made a quick remark about his outfit and instantly drew laughter from the crowd. He then got to business and delivered his part of the presentation effortlessly.

Once he finished, Mia felt the room still in front of her. Her senses inexplicably heightened and she could suddenly hear the rustling of papers, someone clearing their throat in the back, her own breathing felt like it was the loudest sound in the auditorium.

She suddenly blanked and couldn't remember the words of her presentation. She looked out towards the crowd and Leo settled into her view. What had he said, picture the crowd naked? All she could conjure up was a naked image of him, specifically picturing him in nothing but his briefs in the shower. God, not helping.

Leo smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up together with a nod of approval. The gesture put her at ease. Okay, Mia focus. You can do this.

She looked back at her first slide and the words began rushing through. After that initial moment of panic, the rest of her presentation was spotless. And just like Leo had said, it was over before she even knew it. She had done it. She hadn't let her teammates down. A sense of relief washed over and she stood smiling as Ana delivered the last part of the presentation to a tee.

The audience clapped loudly once Ana finished, and the Q&A began. The judges asked three questions and to all of them Ana instantly fired back a clever response. It was like they were throwing curve balls at her and each time she hit it out of the ballpark. The judges nodded in approval and thanked them for the presentation.

Mia sat back down in a complete daze and barely paid attention to the rest of the presentations. Instead she became lost in her own thoughts. For one of the first times ever, she felt a sense of pride. Even though she constantly doubted her actions, she had managed to prove to herself what she was capable of. She had put her abilities to the test, and she had pulled through. That had to be worth something. And she wouldn't have been able to do it without Leo.

Her thoughts drifted to him. He had helped and encouraged her yet again, despite everything. He hadn't cared about their conversation from the day before, he had put her feelings first. He had been completely selfless, just like the way he usually acted. He was a saint compared to her.

She hadn't acted that way towards him. Not even close. Instead, she had been a coward. She had been scared, too afraid of moving on with her life. Even when happiness was staring right back at her, she had missed the call. So what if it was too soon? There are no rules for this type of thing, it just happens, most of the time when you least expect it.

Oh God. What have I done, she thought. How could she have ever pushed away this amazing and gorgeous person who also cared about her deeply? It was all a massive mistake.

At that moment, Mia realized she had to make it right again. But how? There was only one way to find out.

•••

After the presentations ended, they had a final lunch at South Beauty, one of the best-known Chinese restaurants in town. They had the rest of the day free to do as they wish and would be leaving back to Madrid bright and early the next morning.

Mia didn't want to leave. She wanted just a few more days. She thought about the group of people that had decided to push back their return flight and take a mini-trip to Beijing afterwards. When she first heard about it a month ago, she dismissed the idea as she thought it was irresponsible to miss three days of class, but at the moment it didn't sound like a bad idea at all.

She finished lunch and noticed Leo was about to head out of the restaurant with Omar and a few other guys. It's now or never, she thought. She discreetly stopped him at the doorway.

"Hey Leo, I wanted to thank you for earlier."

He turned around to look at her with a surprised expression on his face. "Don't mention it. You guys really rocked it back there."

"Yeah, but your advice really helped. I couldn't have done it without you," Mia confessed.

"Believe me, it was all you babe. You should be proud of yourself. Anyway, I gotta catch up with the guys. I guess ... I'll see you around." Leo started walking out the door.

Mia hesitated for a moment. "Do you want to hang out?" she blurted out behind him.

Leo gave a half turn and looked back. "Pardon?"

"I ... was wondering if maybe you wanted to go around for a bit?" She looked at him shyly behind her thick lashes.

He walked back to her and studied her momentarily. Just as she was about to backpedal her suggestion, he reached down and grabbed her hand. "Thought you'd never ask."

Mia smiled and they exited the restaurant together. She had been bold enough to put herself out there and it seemed to work.

"So where would like you to go?" Leo asked.

She hoped they would be able to start off with something simple. Back to basics. "I was thinking of doing a little street shopping. But I have to confess I'm really bad at bargaining."

"Well you've certainly come to the right place then."

They got into a taxi and went to Nanjing Road, one of the world's busiest shopping streets. Mia wasn't one for buying counterfeit items, but it seemed like it was a way of life in Shanghai. People said it was as much a part of the tourist experience as anything else.

Seeing Leo bargain was hilarious. Whenever a vendor would quote a price, he would immediately respond by saying ni pa ti, ni pa mi, meaning the price wasn't good for either of them. He kept on saying it until they would eventually drop the price, usually by as much as 70%. Mia was surprised most vendors knew Spanish and for them it was better to negotiate that way because the prices ended up being lower. Nothing like ripping a rich American off, or Brit for that matter.

Mia ended up getting a fake Marc Jacobs bag and a Louis Vuitton wallet. But her favorite purchase had been some Chinese silk robes she had gotten for her Mom, sister, and herself in different colors. Leo bought two Patek watches, one being for his brother.

"You know they're probably going to stop working in a few weeks right?" Mia pointed out.

"Yeah, most likely. But when in Shanghai ..." His voice trailed off.

"I have to say I was very impressed by your bargaining skills. My mom is usually the one doing all the bargaining when we travel. She's pretty good at it too. She always tries to play the poor Mexican card. It's pretty funny because they obviously don't believe her but still end up lowering the prices."

"She sounds pretty awesome," Leo said.

"Yeah, she really is." Mia felt a bit of nostalgia at that statement. It was the combination of feeling distant from her family, and the ease in which she could speak to Leo about it. God, she had missed having that connection with him.

Leo seemed to notice the change of emotions coursing through her face. "Do you want to go grab a drink? There's this really nice bar at the Hyatt we could go to."

"I would love that actually."

Mia and Leo walked into Cloud Nine. It was a bar on the 87th floor of the Hyatt Hotel and had 360-degree views of the city. It was one of the highest bars in the world, and they had even taken two separate elevators to get there.

They took a seat at the sky lounge and Mia took a moment to appreciate the spectacular view. She stared down at the streets below, but only for a moment since she immediately felt a heavy sense of vertigo. They were so high up!

They ordered some cocktails, Mia a Lemon Drop and Leo a Dry Martini.

"So have you figured out what you're going to do for the last term yet?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, I'm heading back to New York to do an internship or possibly find a job already. I spoke to some of my professors and they all recommended I should go back. I asked Davis and he was literally like, run! The unemployment in Madrid is too high and the opportunities in New York are much better for me. I don't necessarily want to go back already, but I think it's the best thing for my career right now. What about yourself?" Mia asked.

"I'm going to London also for an internship, pretty much for the same reasons. It's just a shame what's happening to the Spanish economy."

"I just can't believe the year is almost over. I feel like I didn't take enough advantage of the experience, until the end that is. Now I know why most people get two-year degrees. It just goes by too quickly."

"Don't worry, it's not over yet. You still have some time left. It might not be enough, but it's still there." Leo smiled but there was a hint of sadness behind his eyes. "The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings," he quoted with a sideways grin.

Mia wasn't sure what they were talking about anymore. Was he referring to the school year or to them? It was clear a relationship between them wasn't possible anymore. They would be going separate ways. But the emotions still hung between them and Mia desperately wanted to tell him how she felt. She just didn't know how.

###  Chapter 21 – Music is the Answer

The students decided to go to karaoke for their last night in Shanghai. It felt like an appropriate setting for the occasion. Mia definitely didn't have the best singing voice in the world, but a night out at karaoke was always fun. Her roommate in college was Korean and throughout the years she had consistently taken her to the best karaoke bars in New York.

They had gotten a private room that had a small stage area in the front. Mia sang all of her favorite karaoke songs with her girl friends including Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun", and Journey's "Don't Stop Believing". Even Leo had sung Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way", and Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" with the guys.

After having a few shots of sake with her study group to celebrate their presentation, she sat down next to Leo on a black leather couch. She was really glad she was able to spend some time with him in Shanghai, even if it had only been the last day. The night had been winding down and in the back of her mind she kept on thinking she still hadn't told him how she really felt. She was running out of time.

Somehow it was really difficult for her and didn't know how to bring it up. She had always been such a rational person, hardly ever letting her emotions dictate her decisions. She just didn't know how to say the words.

Mia picked up the songbook and began flipping through it. She had turned through several pages and was about to set it back down, when a particular song in the book caught her eye. A silly idea took over and she immediately typed in the song's number code into the remote and tossed the book on the table.

"What song are you singing next?" Leo asked.

"You'll see," she responded. Mia settled back into the couch and waited. Am I really going to do this? It felt so cheesy, but decided there was no other way.

After what seemed like forever, her song finally came up. "This is me," she said to Leo. She kissed him swiftly on the cheek, and then trickled her fingers down the front of his face and stood up. She risked a glance back at him to gauge his reaction, and his eyes were traveling down her body in awe. She decided to take that as a good sign.

Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" started playing and she took the microphone by herself on stage. Leo was now looking back at her with a confused look on his face. Taking a deep breath, she started singing the lyrics and locked her eyes directly at him. She certainly was no fat lady, but it was her time to sing.

The rest of the room disappeared and all she could see was him. She had never felt so completely exposed in her life. The final presentation she had given earlier that day didn't even come close to this, or any other public speaking event for that matter.

Leo's confused look turned serious and he held that expression for a while. Mia continued on to the chorus, but was already beginning to regret her decision based on Leo's reaction. The enormity of the moment took over. She felt her heartbeat accelerate and her eyes glistened with tears she desperately tried to hold back.

Just as she was beginning to lose hope, Leo's next move completely shocked her. He stood up and grabbed an extra microphone that was lying on the table. He then joined her on stage and started singing the second verse. He looked right back at her and didn't drop his gaze for a second. He didn't miss a beat.

They sang the next part of the chorus together. Leo grabbed her hand and begun to have fun with the song. He started moving around her, twirled her around, before dipping her to the floor and slowly pulling her back up again by the waist. Someone handed him a shot of whiskey and he took it without hesitation.

Mia couldn't believe it. She was smiling so much it soon began to hurt her cheeks. The sadness of the song had been completely stripped away. The lyrics came to an end and he locked eyes with her again. Before she knew it Leo tossed his microphone, cupped her face and kissed her.

She had forgotten about the audience until she heard the sounds of people hooting and howling in the background. Regardless, Leo continued to kiss her as if no one was there. All too soon, he gently pulled back.

"Sorry sweetness, I just couldn't resist," he whispered against her ear. He took her hand and raised it before bowing down to the crowd in front of them, as if it had been a performance on Broadway. He then motioned towards Mia and the cheers got louder. She felt like she would die of embarrassment and practically dragged Leo towards the door to exit the room.

•••

"Oh my God, that was so embarrassing," Mia laughed as they reached the hallway.

Leo cornered her, placing his hands against the wall beside her, and kissed her again. "You're the one that started it," he said in between kisses. "I simply gave in."

Mia stared into his eyes. "I wanted to tell you how I feel but I didn't know how. It seemed like the easiest way at the time. I suppose a private conversation would have been better?"

"I'll take it any way," he said smiling. It soon faded though and he turned serious. "Do you really ... need me?"

"Yes, I do. I meant it Leo, all of it," she confessed.

He searched her eyes, trying to find some sort of lie in them. He didn't find one.

"God Mia, you disarm me. What am I going to do with you? Me desarmas completamente." He ran his fingers against her face and trailed them down her neck. He continued down her shoulder and arm, stopping slightly to smooth her wrists until finally clutching her hand. "Is it too cliché if I say, let's get out of here?"

She looked back at him and fluttered her eyes. "Absolutely," she smiled.

"Let's get out of here then," he grinned.

They rushed into a taxi and he continued kissing her the entire way, this time more urgently. Months of pent up angst surfaced and he couldn't stop. He didn't want to stop, afraid that she would suddenly change her mind if he let her think.

He fought to compose himself, but his body told him otherwise. He finally had Mia in his arms again and it was all he had desperately dreamed of. She was his and he wanted to take her right then and there.

Leo finally caught his breath. "I missed you, Mia. All this time, you were all I could think about."

"I missed you too, Leo. So much. I ... thought you had moved on," she admitted.

"No, I never did. I couldn't do it. Believe me, I tried. I couldn't forget you, it only made me want you more."

"You never returned any of my messages. I thought you didn't want me anymore."

"I'm sorry, Mia. I wanted to, I wanted to call you so many times, show up at your doorstep. I couldn't. You said you didn't want me, and it hurt so much. I was afraid to go near you because I knew I would want to touch you, be with you, and you wouldn't feel the same."

"Leo ..."

"I wanted you so much, despite everything, and I hated you for that. I hated myself. I'm so sorry ... for even thinking that way. I just knew I would end up getting even more hurt than before."

Mia paused for a heartbeat. "But I thought that ... you were with someone else."

Leo sighed knowing exactly what she was referring to.

"My parents set me up with this girl from school. I was such a mess they didn't know what else to do. I would've said no, but I had a feeling they were about to kick me out of the house, so I agreed only to show them I was sane. We only went out a few times but that was the extent of it."

He told her the complete truth, as he didn't want any baggage getting in the way.

"I saw you with her once. You were arriving to school together. That wasn't a fun day."

Leo frowned. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Mia. I swear it didn't mean anything. I never meant to hurt you. Please, forgive me."

"You don't have to apologize. We weren't together, you had every right to go out with other people."

Leo really didn't like the sound of that.

"It still felt wrong. Especially since I was thinking about you the entire time, comparing every little detail to you. In my mind, it wasn't over between us and I couldn't let you go. God, I must have been such a bore. Actually I know I was, Max constantly made a point of it," he shrugged.

"So what ended up happening with her?"

"Well, what happened was ... she wasn't you," he said pulling her close against him.

"You were the one I was worried about. I kept fearing someone else would steal you away from me, and I would you lose you for good," he added, kissing her temple.

"How would that even happen?" she asked confused.

"Are you kidding? Mia, I still can't believe you don't know just how desirable you are. Have you not noticed your long list of admirers?"

"Who, Johan? The big jerk hardly counts as an admirer. He goes after anything that moves," she said scrunching her face.

"Don't worry about Johan. I took care of him ... again. There's also Charles and a few others I don't even want to mention."

"What do you mean you took care of him again?" Mia asked in shock.

"Oh, like I wouldn't find about that. Plus, I was kind of ... sort of keeping tabs on you."

"You were? But I didn't tell anyone about that. Actually, I only told Melissa because she kept on asking me about it."

"Melissa told Omar, and he told me. News travels fast, remember?"

"I can't believe it. She promised she wouldn't say anything."

"Well, I for one am really glad she did. It was extremely ... satisfying," he said smiling.

"Leo, you can't keep getting into fights with people! You're going to get in trouble."

"How else am I supposed to defend what's rightfully mine?" he said, pointing to his chest.

She smiled delightfully at his choice of words. "Oh, is that so? I don't think I got the memo on that one."

Leo grinned wickedly and leaned in to give her a hot kiss on the mouth, showing her exactly what he meant by his words.

"You're mine, baby girl. All mine," he whispered.

•••

When they reached the hotel, Leo pulled Mia towards the bar in the lobby. She wondered why he possibly wanted a drink after he had made his intentions very clear in the taxi. Why was he stalling all of sudden?

"What would you like?" Leo asked.

"Hmm ... I guess I'll have a White Russian. It's my go-to late night drink."

"Mia, you're constantly surprising me," he said. "Make that two," he told the bartender. "I'll be right back, okay? I have to go figure out something at reception."

"Now?" Mia asked incredulously.

"Um ... yeah. I'd rather do it sooner than later." He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and left in a hurry.

Boy is he acting strange, she thought. She took a few sips of her drink and looked back towards the reception area. She could see Leo discussing something with one of the managers. She took another sip and looked around the bar. A white Steinway grand piano stood elegantly in the corner, and she went towards it.

After observing it for a few minutes, she sat down on the bench and idly trailed her fingers against the keys. Ever since she could remember, she had wanted to learn how to play the piano, but had somehow never gotten to it. She had been more into sports when she was younger and then took up tennis as her hobby throughout the years.

"Do you play?"

Leo had returned and was looking down at her.

"Unfortunately no, I always wanted to though. Do you?"

Leo nodded and her face lit up.

"Really? Would you mind playing something?" she asked eagerly.

"For you? Anything."

Leo sat down next to her. She scooted to the side to give him space. He centered himself on the bench and then grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up to his side. He positioned his hands on the keys.

"Place your hand on top of mine," he instructed.

She gently placed her right hand on top of his left, trying not to exert too much pressure. Leo took a breath and began to press his fingers down on the keys and she immediately recognized it was Debussy's "Clair de Lune". Mia was amazed to see how her hand moved together with his and it almost felt like she was playing the piano herself.

About two minutes into the piece, Leo turned around to give her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to need my hand back for the next part, sweetness."

Mia retracted her hand and his fingers gracefully started to fly across the keyboard as the melody progressed. She stared down at the display evolving in front of her in complete awe. Looking at Leo was even more fascinating. Seeing him concentrate on the movement of his hands and the heartfelt expression as he played was so emotional. She felt a deep sense of admiration towards him ... and even pride. The piece came to an end and he dropped his hands onto his lap before looking back at her.

"Leo, that was absolutely beautiful," she said.

"I'll teach you some time. I'm sure you'll be able to pick it up quickly."

Mia sighed. "So what else can you do with those fingers?" she asked seductively.

Leo pushed her hair out of her face. "More than you can ever imagine," he grinned while he clutched her hand and pulled her away from the piano.

They walked back to the lobby, and Leo hit one of the top buttons in the elevator as they stepped inside.

"Um ... I think you pressed the wrong button, Leo," Mia said.

Leo looked back at the button. "Nope, that's the floor we're going to." He pulled out a key card from the hotel and showed her the number. "Would you like me to press another button?" Leo teased grabbing her by the waist.

Mia swatted him in the shoulder. "Is that your room? I thought we were all on the same floors," she said confused.

"It's our room," Leo said and looked at his watch. "As of 15 minutes ago to be exact."

"Leo, you didn't!" Mia exclaimed when she finally understood.

"Oh, yes I did. I want to spend the rest of the night with you. No interruptions whatsoever." One corner of Leo's mouth curled up. He took her hand and they exited the elevator.

"Do you always get what you want?" Mia protested innocently.

"No, I don't. You of all people should know that by now. But this time, I will. You're staying with me tonight so don't even try to argue your way out of it," Leo said as a demand.

"You know this is unnecessary," Mia said as they walked down the hallway and reached the room, although she would willingly comply.

"I have to disagree. It's completely necessary." Leo swiped the key to open the door and picked her up, cradling her in his arms. "After what I'm planning on doing to you, that is."

Mia giggled as the door shut behind them.

###  Chapter 22 – Eres Mia

Leo placed Mia down inside the hotel suite he had just booked. He looked around the room contentedly, thinking it was the best spur of the moment idea he had thought of in a long time. Yes, it was completely over the top and ridiculous, but anything was well worth it to be completely alone with Mia. He wanted her entirely for himself.

It brought him even more satisfaction seeing that her surroundings didn't hold her attention for very long. Instead, her gaze was steadily fixed on him. It didn't matter where they were, as long as they were together. They could be in a shack, for all he cared. Though, the luxury suite couldn't hurt either.

"Leo, this isn't normal. Things like this just don't happen."

"No, they don't. That's why I want to savor every second of it," he replied.

She hesitated and started fidgeting. He could tell she was nervous.

"Mia, I don't want you to feel pressured because of this. All I really want is to spend some time with you alone, okay? Whatever that means. I just want you to feel comfortable with me."

His words seemed to reassure her. "I do feel comfortable with you. More than anything."

"You don't know how happy it makes me to hear that. It's all I ever wanted, Mia. I guess I just really screwed it up along the way." He dropped his head and stared at the floor, still wondering if she really wanted him.

"Leo, don't say that. You offered me everything you had to give and I was afraid to take it. I was unfair to you. I realize that now." She grabbed his face and pulled it back up to meet his eyes.

He placed his hand on top of hers and breathed heavily. "Mia, I don't care about what happened anymore. It's in the past. Now is our chance to make it right again."

"I guess we're just a couple of turkeys, huh?" she said, dismissing the serious tone of their conversation.

Leo laughed. "Yeah, most definitely. A couple of very wild turkeys."

"Let's not talk about it anymore then."

"So, what do you want to talk about?" he smiled. Things were starting to get interesting.

"Well ... I can think of a certain thing ... or two," Mia said suggestively.

"I really hope you're thinking what I'm thinking," he teased.

"Great minds think alike," she responded.

Her words finally left no doubt in his mind and he kissed her longingly. Before that moment, he had constantly fought off his attraction towards her. Now he wouldn't have to control himself or wait any longer. She was ready and was his to take. And he was ready to conquer her.

He ravished her mouth as he ran his hands down her arms and pulled her close against the length of his body. He kissed her long and hard for an eternity. He pressed kisses fervently across her neck and she nibbled teasingly on his ear. He let his fingers drift towards her back and was overcome with the urge to unwrap her as his hand came across the zipper of her dress.

Her dress suddenly felt offensive to him and he unzipped it in a definitive movement. He felt her shiver slightly against him as he ran his hands across her bare back. He played with the spaghetti straps of her dress, pressing his fingers against the length of her collarbone, until finally brushing the straps off her shoulders. He loved how soft her skin was against his fingers.

Her dress pooled at her feet and she suddenly stood before him in nothing but her lingerie. He stopped for a minute to breathe in her scent as it engulfed him and put him in a daze. God, his angel was breathtaking. Even though he had seen her like this before, it still blew his mind how incredible sexy she was. His dreams didn't do her justice.

Mia's delightful cheeks heated in embarrassment at the sudden exposure and she instinctively tried to cover herself. He grabbed her by the wrists and rubbed his thumbs against them in a soothing motion, thinking he loved how his hands wrapped around them entirely.

"Mia, you're so beautiful. I wish you knew how much," he said looking at her intently.

Apparently feeling more confident, she reached for his shirt and impatiently pulled it over his head. She gasped and then brought her hands to his chest and ran them deliciously against his upper body. His muscles flexed instinctively and he marveled at the feel of her smooth touch.

She suddenly explored down to his navel, and he was instantly turned on. Like a light switch, his pants felt all too tight on him and he needed more breathing room. His stomach flinched as she reached for the button of his jeans. She fumbled with the button and her hands started shaking lightly against him. Leo had stilled under her touch and realized he was holding his breath. He reached down to help her unbutton his pants and she took them off.

"Sweetness, are you okay? Please tell me if you're not," he murmured in concern against her hair. She smelled like lavender.

She simply reached up to kiss him. She wrapped her arms tightly against his neck and ran her fingers roughly through his hair. He quickly responded to her touch and kissed her back, worshiping her sweet mouth. He had never kissed a girl this way before, so passionately for a moment and so tenderly the next. No, he wasn't holding anything back tonight. He wanted to show her just how much he felt for her, how much he needed her. Nothing was more important to him than that.

Mia pressed her body tightly against his and he took the sign as a confirmation. He knew what she was asking for. He slowly unclasped her black lace bra and let it fall to the floor. He began to explore her body, burning the images into his memory along the way.

He let his hands motion from her neck to around her back and then down to her bottom. He thoroughly enjoyed the array of different textures he felt all the way down. Her neck was so soft and delicate, her back was lightly sweaty like morning dew, and as he made his way through the arch of her back, he finally landed on that luscious piece of flesh that was slightly colder than the room temperature. Time to change that.

He brought his hands forward against her hips and up the sides of her waist until he cupped her beautiful round breasts and rubbed against them. Her breasts were simply magnificent; they formed perfectly like a small bountiful mountain and he could fit them entirely in his whole hand. The curves and valleys formed around them were scintillating, so firm and yet so soft. She had a light birthmark on her right breast, almost like a mark that the heavens left for him to claim. Mia shuddered and he felt her skin heat up pleasantly by several degrees. She was ready for him.

Noticing desire in her gaze, Leo picked her up and brought her towards the king sized bed of the room and gently placed her on the mattress. She settled between the covers and before she even realized it, he took off his briefs in one quick motion. The monster wanted to leave his cage, shackling him all this time and begging him to be unleashed. He looked at her with a devilish grin on his face as she stared down at him with wide eyes. Yes, she was impressed.

Leo went to lie down next to her. "See anything you like?" he asked in an open invitation.

Mia reached for him hesitantly. He closed his eyes at her touch, and she began to explore him more firmly. It felt amazing to be wrapped up like that in her precious hands. He let out a moan in approval, and she soon began to quicken her movements. He was rock hard and pulsating at her stroking, and soon felt the familiar blood rush strike down.

"God Mia, that feels so good," he breathed.

Sure he couldn't handle the delicious torture any longer, he opened his eyes to look at her gorgeous face. He ran his hands eagerly over her body until he hooked his fingers in her thong and slowly removed the last barrier between them. The heat that he felt brush against his fingers almost undid him. He settled on top of her and relished how her sensuous curves fit perfectly into his body. He began pressing kisses all over her, tasting almost every inch of her.

He felt Mia guide him towards her center and he paused. "Sweetness, there's no rush. I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do."

"I want this, Leo. Please, don't stop."

Leo flipped her over to his side. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to pleasure her and to experience it with her. He could now wait and enjoy the anticipation of what was to come later. She had made it perfectly clear to him that he would have her.

He gently explored her body over again, trailing his fingers over her breasts and then down to her navel. He continued towards the side of her waist, fanning his fingers towards her back. He ran his hands down her spine and over her bottom, and continued all the way down her legs, in between her thighs and through the back of her knees. Her legs were so soft and unexplored, she flinched when he pressed his fingers against them and grabbed on to them firmly.

He brought his hand back up again, stopping at her inner thigh. He loved how she was lightly shaved and had a small strip above her center. He ran his fingers through it, and then circled around her core over and over until he finally probed a finger inside. It felt so wet and dark, like a mysterious cave on a deserted island. He curled his finger in an upward motion, hitting her most sensitive surface.

He repeated the motion again, and then again, and again. Mia let out a gentle moan and lifted her hips against his hand. Even her moans were so soft and innocent. It was like music to his ears.

He bent down to kiss her and then pressed his lips against her skin from her jaw towards her earlobe. "Mia, you're so wet," he whispered.

Her breathing intensified. "That's what you do to me," she gasped.

"You shouldn't say these things." He brought another finger inside, while rubbing his thumb over her center, lightly teasing her. She turned away from him and whimpered.

"Don't look away from me, baby. I want to see you," he said. She complied and locked her beautiful brown eyes with him. The expression on her face was filled with absolute pleasure. He liked that. He liked that a lot.

She felt so tight he was certain she hadn't been touched in a while. He would have to be gentle with her, at least this first time. She seemed so breakable the last thing he would ever want is to see her in pain. For now she appeared to be enjoying it thoroughly and there would be plenty of time later to test their limits. Though he still had trouble containing himself as he bit into her shoulder. He really wanted to devour her. Literally.

A sense of pride came over him knowing that he would be the only one pleasuring her from now on. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a shred of jealousy knowing that there had been a few others before him that had shared the same privilege. Where did he stand against them? Did she prefer his touch and did he know how to hit her spots? These were things he had to learn and dominate.

"Tell me how you feel, Mia. I need to know. I need to hear the words." A hint of despair had filled his voice.

She didn't hesitate to answer. "I want you, Leo. I want to feel you, all of you. I can't wait any longer. Please, I'm yours."

"I want you too, baby. I want you so much."

Leo heeded her request, thrilled at her response. He kissed her passionately before retreating his fingers from inside her and bringing them to his mouth. She was delicious. Salty and sweet in all the right places.

"You taste like heaven. I can't begin to imagine what you feel like."

He wanted to taste more of her, but he needed to have her now. He couldn't wait a second longer, to claim her and finally make her, his. He reached for a condom from his wallet on the bedside table. He didn't want to lose his momentum and ripped it with his teeth and slipped it on in one motion. He grabbed her by the hips before sliding his hands down to open her legs wider and positioned himself on top of her.

All the while Mia had been watching him incredulously but she dropped her head back against the pillow and squeezed her eyes shut, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Mia, look at me."

He felt this animal instinct to look deeply into her eyes and cast a spell on her, letting her know with one look, that she was now, and forever, his. He had fallen deep and was completely in love with her. He would always be. And so he finally told her what he had been feeling for a long time.

"I love you, Mia."

"Te amo, Leo."

Overcome by the words easily uttered back to him, he lowered himself to kiss her and slowly pressed the large head of his erection into her. He sucked in a sharp breath. Fuck, she was tight.

"Open up for me, sweetness. I promise I won't hurt you," he whispered gently.

"You're so big, Leo. I don't know ..." she said, starting to panic.

"Easy, baby girl. I'm all yours. And you're mine. Just relax for me. I promise."

Soon enough, she conceded. He felt her muscles slowly begin to ease, until she finally loosened up and he eagerly pressed through.

"Yes, that's it, baby. Let me feel you, Mia."

He cautiously guided himself inside of her, and she gasped. Little by little, inch by inch, slowly stretching out the moment. Time seemed to still around them.

Once he filled her completely, burying himself to the hilt, he stopped for a few heartbeats. "You're perfect, Mia. So tight and perfect."

He took a moment to gauge her expression. It was so pure and innocent; she was truly angelic. It was the look he always wanted and she was giving it to him, as if custom made just for him.

"Are you ready for me, sweetness?"

She swallowed deeply and nodded. Not taking his eyes off of her, he started to move, carefully penetrating inside of her, and Mia clutched onto the sheets of the bed. Thrust after thrust sent a jolt of ecstasy through him.

The feeling intensified and Mia reached for Leo's shoulders, pressing him closer against her as she angled her hips towards him. Her nails dug into his back, scratching him lightly. He loved the feeling of that slight pain. To his surprise, she soon began to meet his thrusts and the delicious sensation she created coursed through him.

"Oh, God. That feels so incredible, baby," he said, letting out a growl in appreciation.

He started to speed up and rock inside of her a bit more forcefully. He was now swaying his hips and burying himself deeper into her in a manner that had her whimpering and pleading against his mouth.

"Do you like that, Mia?" he asked hoarsely against her lips.

Her response was another nod as seemingly any words had left her. Their bodies seemed to be in sync and he could feel her insides starting to heat up, ready for its release. She licked her lips and it nearly brought him over the edge. Leo felt he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. He opened and closed his eyes rapidly almost to reset and keep going. He needed to control himself and make it last.

He pulled back and slowed his movements deliberately, before reaching down to give Mia an opened mouth kiss. Feelings conjured up inside him that he had never felt before. He noticed he was grabbing her neck and tugging her hair as he pulled her close to kiss him, and she responded to his authority.

"You have no idea how many times I've pictured doing this to you."

His tongue reached out for her desperately, and he sucked on her bottom lip. He then reached for her neck and earlobe, nibbling, playfully biting and raining down kisses all over her. The light brush of his stubble left a trail of pink marks behind on her flawless skin. It would later be a sign of his lasting possession.

"Did you ever think of me like this, Mia?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I've wanted you for so long," she added quietly, wrapping her arms around him.

An aching pressure began to build inside him and he desperately needed to find its release. He had never felt this hard in his entire life. Just when he thought he couldn't take it any longer, he picked up the pace again, faster and more intensely this time. The blood had now reached its end point, waiting for the final signal.

"Leo, you feel so ... I've never felt like this. God, I can't ... hold on anymore," she said desperately.

"Then come with me, sweetness."

He reached for her hands and brought them beside her head, lacing their fingers together. The movement pressed her impossibly deeper against him and soon he couldn't think straight. His mind clouded with emotion. Tension coiled within him and all he could hear was the sound of their synchronized breathing.

He felt a wave of heat take over and it spread throughout every inch of him before it came wildly crashing down. She cried out his name and he felt her muscles tighten around him.

That was all it took and he was gone. He plunged into her one last time and he let himself go with her, satiating her completely. His body ran out of gas, he felt like he was on empty. He had just given everything to her. He was hers as much as she was his.

He continued kissing her lightly until his heartbeat managed to slow down. He leaned his forehead on hers, his breath still shuddering. After a moment he pulled out of her but immediately brought her close to him again.

He had never felt the need to hold someone like that before. He needed to feel close to her, to feel her warmth and breath beside him. He didn't want to let her go. She was his.

Leo was speechless, but there was no need for words. He caressed her body and looked at her with complete wonder, staring at those captivating eyes he could get lost in forever.

She looked back at him behind thick lashes, and she was glowing. He recognized that look as that of a satisfied woman and he vowed he would make it last perpetually.

You're mine, he kept thinking to himself. And he wouldn't let her go.

"Eres mía."

###  Chapter 23 – Revelations

Mia was sitting down next to Leo on the plane ride back to Helsinki, her head resting on his shoulder and their arms intertwined. Her body ached but she was content at the proof it provided from their wonderful night together. She felt a sense of tranquility within her, a certain calmness she hadn't felt in a long time. But something in the back of her mind kept nagging at her, something that was preventing her from truly enjoying the moment. She thought back to her memories of the previous night.

Being with Leo had been out of this world. Before him, she had given up hope of ever experiencing the mind-shattering joy of being touched again. She didn't know the level of intimacy they had shared was possible, that something like that could even exist. Even though she had been in long-term relationships before, the connection she felt with him was much stronger than anything she had ever previously felt.

He had spent the night making love to her, holding her, cherishing every single moment. In between, they had spoken about everything and about nothing. Leo made her feel like she was the only woman in the world and by the end of the night she still expected to wake up alone from a lucid dream.

She didn't want it to end, but she had eventually fallen asleep in his arms. He woke her up not even an hour later to go to the airport. He swept her into the shower and had almost convinced her to stay longer in Shanghai. He had said he would figure out a way to change their tickets. She wanted to agree to his promising kisses, but the rational part of her told her she needed to go back to Madrid and leave the trip on a high note.

So they headed back, but he had barely left her side. The only time they separated was when she had gone back to her room to finish packing her belongings. But he quickly met up with her afterwards in the lobby, handing her a breakfast box he had obtained from the morning buffet.

Even on the plane they weren't seated together, but he had managed to somehow switch their seats and ended up in a private row next to the window. How he did these things, she could never explain.

"Sweetness, you should sleep," Leo said as he ran his fingers under her tired eyes.

"I can't. I have too much going through my mind right now. Planes always seem to get my brain racing into over drive," she responded.

Leo smiled. "I get very reflective, too. Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing in particular. I just can't stop thinking about last night," she admitted shyly. An image of Leo pressing deeply into her while biting her shoulder flashed through her mind and she blushed.

Leo smiled and kissed her hand. "I suppose that's a good thing then. I can't stop thinking about it either," he said happily.

"I wish we could've spent more time together during the trip. It seems like such a waste now."

"We'll be back someday. That I can promise you," Leo said.

"We didn't get to go to Bar Rouge together," she pointed out.

"Next time, baby girl."

Mia liked the way he spoke about a future together, but she didn't know how that would ever be possible. Especially when there was something he still didn't know about her. Something that he should know. She could feel it surfacing from within, spilling out of her.

She leaned over and gave him a long kiss, fearing it could be their last. He might not even look at her the same afterwards.

He kissed her back eagerly. "I love you so much, Mia. You'll never know how much," he whispered into her ear.

"I love you too, Leo," she said almost sadly.

"I felt it since the very first day. I wanted to tell you all the time. I actually let it slip once, but I don't think you heard me," he confessed.

Mia's eyes widened. "When?"

"That time we fell asleep on your couch. It was all I could think about. I should have just told you then, but I was afraid you didn't feel the same. I didn't want to scare you away, but I guess I ended up doing it anyway," he said regretfully.

"That was my fault, Leo. Not yours. I was afraid too and pushed you away, instead of admitting my true feelings. In the back of my head, I always knew I was in love with you."

He kissed her again. "Well, we somehow managed to get it right this time," he said looking at her adoringly.

"Yeah," she said, even though she wasn't completely convinced yet. She shifted in her seat and grimaced at her still aching body.

"What is it, Mia?" he asked all concerned.

Of course he would catch that. "Nothing. I'm just a little ... sore. It'll pass," she said blushing.

His eyes flew open. "I'm sorry, baby. You should have told me."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I'll be fine."

"Yeah, but you shouldn't be uncomfortable," he said pressing the call button for the stewardess.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting something for you. I wish I could run you a hot bath, but I don't have that option right now."

She blushed even deeper. "Leo, it's okay. Really."

He leaned into her and ran his knuckles down her cheek. "Was I too rough last night? Please be honest with me," he whispered into her ear.

"No, Leo. You were perfect. It was amazing. It's just been a while," she confessed.

He seemed to relax at her answer. "I realized that," he said, surprisingly smiling.

"You like that it's been a while?" she asked curiously.

He nodded almost eagerly. "You chose me." He cupped her cheek and ran his thumb over her lips. "It was so real ... you were so sweet and innocent. I loved every moment of it."

She looked down in embarrassment. Their conversation was becoming more heated by the minute.

"How long has it been, Mia?"

She peeked up at him momentarily. "About a year and a half."

"I thought you said you broke up with your ex before coming here," he asked confused.

"I did. We just didn't ... he stopped after ... he didn't touch me at the end," she said with extreme difficulty.

"How is that even possible? What a fucking moron. I can't believe this guy," he said shaking his head angrily. He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Mia, you deserve to be loved and cherished every day."

At that moment, the stewardess appeared and turned off the call button. "Can I get you anything?" she asked.

"Do you have any Tylenol or Advil? My girlfriend has a headache," Leo asked easily.

"Sure, I'll be right back," the stewardess answered.

Mia was blushing again when Leo turned back to look at her. Did he even notice what he had just said?

"I guess I should ask you formally this time ... to avoid any confusion later," he winked at her. He paused for a moment. "Will you be my beautiful and ever blushing girlfriend?"

She laughed. Just how many shades of red was she? "Yes, I will," she immediately said, and then leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.

"Hmm, never knew how simple that could be," he said with a huge smile. He kissed her tenderly on the lips, and continued to trail kisses down her neck. Mia instantly felt her heartbeat accelerate and tried to contain her deeper breaths.

"I want to take you back to bed. We have a lot of catching up to do for lost time," he whispered huskily in her ear.

"Leo ..." It was the only thing she managed to say. The images he was conjuring up for her were too much to handle, and the anticipation of it left her on fire. Would that really happen between them again?

In the back of her mind, she heard someone clear their throat. "Here's the Tylenol and some water," the voice said. Oh right, she had already forgotten about that.

She didn't dare to look up, but apparently Leo took it from her and unlocked the tray in front of him to settle the contents down. "Thanks, appreciate it," he said.

"Let me know if you need anything else," the stewardess said before leaving.

She locked eyes with Leo. "Now she must know I really don't have a headache."

He simply grinned back at her. He opened up the small packet of Tylenol and poured the tablet in her hand. "Here you go, sweetness," he said as he handed her the water.

"Thank you." She popped the pill in her mouth and downed almost half the cup of water in one gulp. She really needed that right now.

"That reminds me," she said, thinking out loud. She reached for her purse under the seat, looking for her birth control pills. She found the tin packet, and popped out the next pill in line for Saturday and placed it in her mouth. She finished the rest of the water with that.

Leo was observing her curiously as she put her purse back in place. "When did you start taking those?" he asked quietly.

"After I broke up with the ex."

She saw the wheels in his head turning to process that information. "After?"

He didn't miss a thing. "Yeah."

"Oh," he simply replied. She could tell he had a lot of questions brewing in his mind, so she decided to help him out.

"I did it mostly out of precaution."

He nodded silently, but she knew none of it was making sense to him. Still, he didn't ask her anything else. She owed him an explanation though. She finally needed to bring him out of the dark. It was time.

"Leo? I uh ... want to tell you now. About my past."

"You don't have to, baby. I don't need to know. We're together now. That's all that matters to me."

"No, I want to tell you," she said determined. "I need to tell you. Even if ..." she let her thoughts trail off.

Leo looked at her surprised. "Mia, you know you can tell me anything."

"I know. It's just ... I haven't spoken about this in a year so it's difficult for me to say."

"It doesn't matter what it is. I love you ... I'm here for you," Leo reassured her.

Mia hesitated. She was about to tell him something only a handful of people knew. But she felt like she had to tell him at that moment to finally let out what had been eating her up inside for so long. It was almost as if it had been embedded inside her all this time, but it was now hurting to keep it in. It was the only way she could truly be with Leo, even if what they had didn't last.

"I guess there's no easy way to say this," she said sighing painfully. "I had an ... abortion. It was a little over a year ago. It's been really hard on me ever since. Not a day goes by that I don't think about it. It still haunts me. The memory of it, the physical pain, the emotional state I was in, the sick feeling of the time. It's like it never left me, it's just constantly looming within, and no matter how many months come to pass, it never seems to heal," she said stopping to meet his eyes.

Leo swallowed hard. "It's okay, Mia. Please, go on."

"It just happened so quickly. I had to make a lot of fast decisions and I couldn't think clearly. It wrecked me apart into a million pieces and I didn't know what to do. I was away from my family and I felt so incredibly alone. I was constantly fighting with my ex and I felt like I had no one to turn to. Things were already bad between us and we kept blaming one another for what happened. I couldn't bring myself to forgive him even though it was as much my own fault."

Mia paused and shook her head. She felt Leo reach for her hand. Taking a deep breath, she continued.

"I was miserable at my job. I had a horrible boss and she demoted me right around the same time. I can still clearly remember walking into that dreadful meeting, I didn't even have it in me to defend my position. I guess you could say I had hit rock bottom. I couldn't go through with it. Emotionally, financially, in every respect that I thought about ... I felt like I would be doing a disservice. Like it wouldn't be fair to raise someone under those conditions, without the proper support or even love ..."

She felt the tears threatening to come out, but held them back. She wasn't looking at Leo any longer, but he squeezed her hand tightly. She took a moment to compose herself before continuing.

"I can't begin to tell you what that day at the hospital was like, the time leading up to it and especially afterwards, it kept replaying in my mind to no avail. I just knew I had to distract myself from all of it, and a week later I found myself at my computer writing essays to apply to MBS. From that moment on, my entire focus changed and it was all about getting here, to this new place. All the paperwork, the visa, moving out of my apartment, getting rid of most of my belongings ... I just desperately wanted to leave all of that behind. I still don't know if I made the right choice, but it's what I live with now. Either way, I've felt like the most horrible person and that I don't deserve anything better."

Her words were rushed but she needed to leave it all out on the table.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through all that, Mia. You made the best choice you could at the time," he said quietly.

"Leo, you don't have to ..."

"I feel like a complete idiot now for pressuring you so much. It hurt that you didn't want to share your past with me ... that you were keeping something from me, but I realize why you did it now. I assumed a million different things and I acted defensively without thinking it through. I never thought ... Why didn't you just tell me? I would have backed off, even if it killed me."

"Believe me, I wanted to tell you so many times. But I just felt so guilty and ashamed by it. I felt worthless. I didn't think you would want me anymore. I understand if you feel that way now. If you don't want me anymore."

"Don't you dare say that, Mia. These things happen, even to the best of us. You can't let it dictate the rest of your life. What happened doesn't define who you are. You're so much more than that. At some point, you're going to have to accept it and live your life. The one you're meant to be living with me. And I'm not letting you go. You mean everything to me. Don't think you can get rid of me so easily."

"I ... didn't expect you to be so ... understanding," she said scrunching her forehead.

"I know it's not the same from your perspective, I can't even imagine what it must feel like for you. What you went through is a big deal. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. But please know that I completely understand and I would never judge you for it. Mia, you need to forgive yourself. Life goes on. Trust me. I know that you've been fighting it for a long time, but you don't have to anymore. Not by yourself, at least. You're not alone anymore. I'm here now."

Leo's words left her speechless. She never expected this kind of reaction. She always felt she should be punished by it instead of feeling someone's empathy and compassion. But Leo seemed to understand. What's more, he didn't judge her past and seemed more concerned about a future together. She felt a lump in the back of her throat just thinking that someone in the world like Leo existed. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

Leo looked back at her with an extremely worried look on his face. He seemed close to panicking.

"Mia, were you okay with last night? I tried to make it as easy as possible on you but if you don't feel comfortable yet, we don't have to ..."

"No!" Mia shouted and several people turned around in their direction. Realizing she had spoken too loud, she sunk in her seat and covered her face.

"Mia? It's okay. I can wait until you feel ready. Whatever you need. I don't want to lose you, not after I just got you back," he said peeling her hands away from her face.

Mia shook her head. "I meant ... no, I don't want to wait. That's the thing; I never thought I would be able to feel this way after what happened. It feels so selfish to me, but there's nothing I want more than to be with you. Leo, you made me feel so alive last night. All the preconceived notions I've had all this time somehow flew out the window. I just don't want you to treat me differently because of this."

Leo pushed the armrest placed between their seats back and pulled her against his chest, running his fingers through her hair. "Mi vida ... it's not selfish, you deserve to feel that way and to be happy. That's how it should be. I loved the way you responded to me ... so willingly. I had never felt that before and I feel like the luckiest guy to have shared that with you."

Leo grabbed her face and stared deeply into her eyes. "I love you no matter what, Mia. Please know that. I also have a lot of things from my past that I'm not proud of. Everyone does. I know a lot of people have let you down, hurt you in the past, including me. I feel like the biggest coward that I walked away from you, that I didn't stick around to fight it through with you, probably when you needed me the most, and I'm deeply sorry for that. Walking away was the biggest mistake I ever made. It won't happen again. I promise."

"I don't blame you for that, Leo. I did that. I made you walk away. I didn't expect anything less from the way I acted towards you. You didn't deserve one second of it. I'm sorry I put you through all that."

Leo sighed heavily, and settled her against him. "I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, at least for the time being. I swear we can talk about this all you want till the cows come home, but I really think you should rest right now. I'll be here when you wake up. I'm not going anywhere," he said kissing her forehead.

She wanted to protest but the rush of adrenaline she felt from her confession was beginning to settle, and the combination of too much excitement and lack of sleep from the previous night left her no choice.

"Thank you, Mia. For telling me," he whispered, just as she started to doze off.

Even though she was on a plane, she felt the world shift beneath her, as if tidal waves were suddenly pulling her into an entirely new direction, and her body slowly gave in.

###  Chapter 24 – Jet Lag

They arrived at Barajas Airport Saturday evening and got into a taxi together once they went through immigration and picked up their luggage. Mia was already feeling separation anxiety at the thought of being away from Leo. She wanted to spend more time with him alone. They had spent an amazing night together in Shanghai, but would it still be the same now that they were back in Madrid? She felt vulnerable after everything they had shared together during the last 24 hours, especially what she had told him during the plane ride.

The taxi arrived at her apartment and she drearily got out. Leo followed after her and she was taken aback when she saw him remove both of their suitcases from the trunk.

"Don't you need to go home?" Mia asked.

"Nope. I have somewhere else far more important I need to be," Leo said grinning.

Mia smiled excitedly as Leo paid the taxi driver. They stepped into the building and she hoped her apartment was in a decent condition. She never expected she would have a visitor at her home after the Shanghai trip, let alone Leo. In fact, only a few people had ever been in her apartment.

As they walked in, Leo set down their suitcases and immediately began looking around her apartment, as if it were his first time there.

"It's been a while," Leo said, looking nostalgic.

"I promise everything is in its same place. Hasn't changed much," Mia said.

Leo sighed and went to sit down at the couch.

"Well, I certainly remember having a particularly nice study session right about here," Leo grinned at her.

Mia blushed. "Back when we were naïve and innocent," she noted.

"Come here, sweetness. You're too far away," Leo said all of sudden.

Mia had been standing near the dining table and went to sit next to him on the couch. He wrapped his arm around her and grabbed her legs to pull them over his.

"Mmm. That's so much better," he said.

She sighed into his chest. "Leo? Did you never really think of me as a friend, in the beginning?"

He looked at her surprised. "Of course I did. What made you think I didn't?"

"That night we fought ... you said we were never friends," she explained.

"I meant we weren't friends in the traditional sense. We pretended to be, but we were always so much more than that," he said tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Oh. I thought you meant you never considered me a friend at all. Like someone you could talk to and confide in."

"Mia, how could you think that? The only reason I brought it up is because I thought you were demeaning what we had to simple friendship."

"No, I never meant to do that. I'm sorry if it came out that way. You always meant so much to me and I thought you were saying you didn't care about having me as friend."

"No, baby. You were and are my friend. Best friend, girlfriend, partner in crime, lover ... you're all those things to me."

She kissed him on the lips. "You're all those things to me, too. Except swap girlfriend to boyfriend," she said giggling.

"I would certainly hope so." He laughed and kissed her forehead. "Do you still want to take that trip together? Just you and me?" he asked, bringing up an earlier conversation they had on the couch.

"Just tell me when and where and I'm there," Mia said, repeating the same answer she had given him before.

He leaned in to give her a kiss. "I love being with you, Mia. You're like my anchor."

"I'm glad you stayed over. I was already beginning to dread being away from you after last night."

"Well, I'm all yours now. For as long as you want," Leo said reassuringly.

"I still can't believe it, you know?"

"Which part, sweetness?"

"The whole part, I guess. That we worked things out, that you're here ... that I have an incredibly hot and sexy boyfriend now. It just seems too good to be true."

A huge smile spread across his face. "You think I'm hot and sexy?"

"Por favor. You know you are."

"You've never told me before."

"Surely you must have known I thought that," she shrugged.

"I still like hearing it come out of that enticing mouth of yours. I really like this new side of you Mia ... where you actually tell me these things."

She contemplated that for a moment. "I like it, too. It feels good to let it out."

"Just thinking about everything you've told me in the last few days. I didn't think it was possible to feel more for you than I already do, but knowing all those things about you ... I love you even more now."

She could feel her heart melting at his words. "Be careful with what you say. I'm going to talk my head off to you now," she said running her hands through his hair.

"Good. So, now that I have you spilling your guts out ... what do you usually do when you're home?" he asked curiously.

Mia laughed. "You don't want to know, trust me."

"Of course I do. Even if it's you dancing around in your underwear."

"That would actually be more exciting. This is pretty pathetic."

"Mia, c'mon. I don't believe that for a second. I thought we were past the evasiveness."

"Fine," Mia sighed. "I usually go the gym for a bit ..."

"Really? Me too. It's too bad I didn't pack any gym clothes for the trip, I could really use the exercise," Leo said, flexing his chest. "Sorry I digress, please go on."

Feeling more confident, Mia continued. "Well, afterwards I usually have a gourmet dinner generously provided by my freezer, then I watch The Daily Show online and then I read case studies. It's all part of the secret lifestyles of the rich and famous."

"So when do we start? Except for the case studies, there's no way in hell I'm doing that tonight. Maybe tomorrow if you can convince me."

"Is that so? I think I can convince you right now." Mia shifted her position and sat on his lap, straddling him. She bent over and nibbled on his ear and neck.

"You're such a little minx, Mia! Okay, okay, I'll do it," Leo said under his breath.

Mia laughed. "I'm just teasing you, Leo. Believe me, the last thing I wanna do right now is read case studies. I'm not that crazy," she said smiling. "So what do you think of having lasagna?"

"After a week of only eating Chinese food that sounds very appetizing. What about wine? I can go get some at the store."

"I think I might have a bottle ... or two." Mia stood up to go to the kitchen to prepare dinner. After placing the lasagna in the oven, she went back to the living room with wine and two glasses.

"This is perfect, Mia," Leo said. "Do you need any help in the kitchen?"

"Nope. I literally just shoved the lasagna in the oven and that's about it. We just have to wait for 20 minutes."

"More time for me and you," Leo said. "So you're a Jon Stewart fan?"

"Big time. He hasn't won all those Emmys for nothing. Plus, Comedy Central is the only network I can stream over here legally so it works out pretty well. Are you sure you're okay watching it?"

"Of course. I really like the British guy on the show. We gotta stick with the schedule anyway, right?"

Mia chuckled as she went to grab her laptop. She connected it to the TV through the HDMI cable she had purchased for such occasions and searched for the latest episode.

"Look at you! This is all very professional," Leo stated as he poured the wine.

Mia pressed play and went to sit back next to him.

Leo handed her a glass. "Salud, mi amor," he said as she snuggled up against him. Mia felt so content at that moment, sharing her routine with him and seeing him actually enjoy it.

Leo spent most of the episode playing with her hair and kissing her shoulder. If it weren't for his occasional laughter, Mia would've sworn he wasn't paying any attention to the show.

She served dinner once the lasagna was ready. To Mia's surprise, Leo finished his plate rather quickly.

"Wow, that was actually pretty good," he said.

"I'm glad you liked it. I was worried there for a second."

"C'mon, you know I'm not like that. Plus, I rather enjoy seeing you being all domesticated."

"Well ... I have lived on my own since I was 18. Too bad I never picked up cooking. I guess I just got used to going out for dinner or just getting take out in New York. It's a bad habit."

"I can cook a thing or two, believe it or not. Maybe I'll make you dinner sometime when we're not exhausted or jet lagged."

"I would love that," Mia said. "Now that you mention it I am pretty tired. Did you want dessert?"

"You are my dessert. I'll have two scoops, please."

"Two scoops of what exactly?" she asked giggling.

"God, of everything. Shall we?" Leo motioned towards the bedroom and Mia couldn't help blush a little. The thought of Leo in her bed just seemed ludicrous to her.

Mia nodded and he grabbed her hand leading her towards the bedroom. Once they reached her bed, she was unsure of what to do.

"Um ... I should probably go change," Mia said as she headed towards her bathroom.

"Okay, I'll use the guest bathroom then," Leo responded.

She quickly changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth. She tried to comb her hair but it was a colossal mess of knots. A shower would probably be the best thing to do, but she felt too exhausted and Leo was probably already waiting for her. She gave up and with a sigh headed back to the bedroom.

"Mia, which side do you usually sleep ...?"

Leo was already settled inside the covers and his jaw dropped as she walked in.

"What?" She asked as she casually got into bed with him.

"You're not making this easy for me, Mia," he said as he pulled her next to him. "I just wanted to hold you tonight but I hardly have any self-control left."

"What did I do?" she said not understanding.

"Have you not seen yourself? Do you always sleep in these ridiculously sexy outfits or are you just provoking me?" Leo said kissing her.

She was wearing a turquoise cotton slip. In her mind, it was one of her simpler nightgowns she was used to wearing, but apparently was causing quite an effect on Leo. If he only knew what else she had stored in her closet, she had far more provocative things that she never wore. Maybe it was time she revisited that.

"Neither! This old thing? It's just a babydoll. But to answer your question, yes I usually sleep like this."

"You're incredible, Mia. I thought most girls wore pajama pants and an old t-shirt."

"Not me. I can't stand that. This is way more comfortable, especially when it's warm out."

"Believe me, I'm not complaining. I can certainly get used to this. I really am a lucky bastard," Leo said touching the fabric of her babydoll around her waist in awe.

"Well good, cuz I have a nice little collection of them," she said seductively, and he was almost drooling. Men were so easy sometimes.

"I want to see you in every last one of them. God, I really wish I wasn't so tired right now, but you better be prepared for what's coming tomorrow morning," he said grinning.

Mia giggled and settled her head against his chest. "Don't make promises you can't keep," she said.

"It's not a promise, it's a guarantee. So you, my beautiful girlfriend, better rest up. You're crazy if you think you can tease me like this and get away with it."

"Good night, Leo," she said with a smirk on her face.

"Good night, sweetness," Leo said wrapping his arms around her. It was exactly what she had wanted. Just before she drifted off to sleep, he murmured, "Te amo tanto."

###  Chapter 25 – The Last Tears

Mia woke up cradled in Leo's arms. She felt safe. She had finally let her guard down and torn down all the walls she had put up. She had let Leo in.

They had spent all of Sunday practically glued to her bed since the early morning. Leo hadn't been kidding when he told her to be prepared. They had only left her apartment momentarily to grab a late lunch, but even when they headed back he immediately whisked her into the shower.

He said he wanted to recreate their first shower together with their underwear on, but this time getting to do all the things they wanted to. Mia initially thought he was crazy, but once she stepped into the shower it brought back all the innocence and emotion of the time so she went along with it.

This time he kissed her mercilessly and ran his hands eagerly all over her body, but to her surprise left her lingerie intact. Instead, he pulled her out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her placing her on the toilet seat. He kneeled down next to her and looked deeply into her light brown eyes. She stared back at him in wonder.

"This is exactly the look I wanted," he had said mesmerized. "This is it for me, Mia. You bring me to my knees when you look at me like that."

He picked her up in the towel and took her back to bed, just as he said he had fantasized once before. He didn't let her go for the rest of the night.

Mia was relishing at the memories when she realized it was a bit humid in the bedroom and she checked the clock. 6:43am the digits burned. Almost, but not quite yet. Pretty soon they would have to wake up and get back to their new school reality. Still, she felt the need to go to the bathroom and splash some cool water on her face.

Once at the sink, she looked over and noticed a small crumpled paper next to her traveling case. That's odd, she thought bending down to get it. She noticed it was an old baggage check sticker and unfolded it. JFK-MAD, it read.

She gasped. She clearly remembered that solemn day back in New York. She had been nearing the security checkpoint for the flight when someone called out to her.

"Mia!"

She turned around to see Daniel come up sweating and in a panic. She had already broken up with him for several months so she had no idea what he was doing there.

"Thank goodness I caught up to you. I didn't want you to leave without telling you how I felt," he said.

"Jesus Daniel, how did you even know I was getting on this flight? I'm going to be late," she responded. She secretly patted herself on the back for the quick answer as she still had plenty of time for her departure.

"I spoke to your sister and told her I needed to give you a driver's license that you had forgotten with me and you were going to need it."

He always had the worse excuses. "I don't even care how you got here. What do you want?" she said starting to turn red.

They had stepped aside to a lounge that appeared to be almost cleared out and empty from another flight. She could feel the adrenaline pour into her veins and her bags started to weigh her down. Much like their relationship.

"I know you're leaving to Spain and I know it's bad timing. Since the last time we spoke, I thought I'd never see you again. Honestly, part of me didn't want to see you."

"Get to the point Daniel," she stated coldly. He constantly had a way of beating around the bush and extending the conversation.

"Okay, well here it goes. I know you think I cheated. And I did. I guess I cheated on us, on our trust. I took you for granted, Mia. Somewhere between moving in together too soon, the abortion, and you being miserable with your job and your life – the pressure got to me. Instead of enjoying our time, I wanted to fix something that was not broken or not even mine to fix."

Daniel paused, he had clearly rehearsed this but he was starting to stumble, either by her presence or realizing that he had truly lost her and finally meant what he said for once.

"I made up stuff to protect us or maybe to hide some things that were wrong in our relationship. In the end, it started snowballing from one little thing to huge wicked problems. I guess once we both knew we weren't going to have the baby, I felt like the failure – not you. I let you down. I've always let you down," he confessed.

Mia couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. "Daniel, thank you for coming clean with a few things. But honestly, it's too late and I don't want this anymore. Just talking about it is affecting me. I don't know if you are getting the signals, but I need a clean break – from you, from my friends and family telling me what to do, and maybe even from New York. I want to make something for myself on my own."

"Mia, that is exactly why I am here. It took me awhile, but I understand it now. I'm so sorry for everything that I did. Maybe in an alternate universe we were meant to be together, but I get it that not in this life."

"Daniel," she said, her eyes were starting to water. "Just finish saying what you need to say and go."

"Mia, wait, listen. I want to thank you. The time I spent with you has made me a better person. It has made me realize what to look for in whomever I'm supposed to be with. Maybe I forced it too much with you that it wasn't meant to be. And ..."

He started to cry. He never cried, except for the time his grandmother had passed away.

"I want you to go to Spain, I want you to find yourself like you say. Don't go and play it safe like you do sometimes. Be the Mia that I fell in love with once, the one pure time I had in my life. I want you to go and find someone who will appreciate you the way I didn't. I want you to make friends and just 'live the dream' for everyone who can't just get up and leave."

He choked over his next words. "Just go and one day maybe we can be friends or just say hi to each other in the street, the way you say hi to an old friend that you haven't seen in so long but are genuinely happy to see. Maybe that person still has one percent of your heart even if it's reserved for someone else."

He had hurt her so much and so many times that sadly the words bounced off her wall that she had put up and wouldn't be broken down almost a year later.

Fittingly, the loudspeaker at the airport came on. "Passengers on Air Europa flight 92 to Madrid, we are starting to board at gate A6."

She grabbed her bags and Daniel went to hug her and sneak in a kiss, but she quickly swerved and went through a new checkpoint line that had opened up.

After a few moments, she turned back and saw him sitting at the same spot with his hands over his head.

I'm sorry it didn't work out too. See you in another life Daniel, she thought, and locked away all the painful memories.

Mia came back to reality and caught herself staring into the mirror of her bathroom. She crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the trash. She wiped the last tears she would ever shed for him and crawled back into bed.

She looked over at Leo sleeping next to her and knew she was now in the right place. She cuddled into him and he unconsciously pulled her close. It was at that moment that she realized maybe everything she had gone through for the past year had been for a reason. She wouldn't be where she currently was if it wasn't for all those awful string of events. She would have never come to Madrid to test herself and ultimately find herself, find all the amazing people she had met, and most importantly, find Leo.

In some strange backwards way, it finally made sense to her now. Things were now okay again. She had overcome all of her hurdles, and Leo had helped push her along the way. He had believed in her, when she hadn't even believed in herself. He had been her coach, her constant companion, cheering her on unconditionally from the sidelines.

There would still be fights, pain, and suffering along the way. Such is life. But she could stop running, stop hiding, and simply live. Leo had managed to teach her as much. The whole experience helped her grow along the way. She would be all right, she knew that now. She had finally found that one person that truly appreciated her and held her heart. She was now ready to tackle anything and everything.

###  Chapter 26 – Time Flies

The month before school ended was a complete daze. Mia had so many final papers, exams, and presentations, it had been really challenging to keep up with everything. But after Mia's group success in Shanghai and re-found confidence, it was almost like they acted on autopilot and were able to step up to the plate and bang everything out without a hitch.

The FIFA World Cup in South Africa had also started, making it even harder to concentrate for class. The whole country had seemed to shut down as summer approached, and all everyone cared about was watching the soccer matches. After all Mia was in Spain, a soccer Mecca.

Mia clearly remembered the first day of the tournament. The opening game was Mexico vs. South Africa, so naturally she was really excited about it and had worn her Mexico jersey. The game was to start right after class and they had been waiting impatiently for the professor to arrive. After ten minutes of not showing up, someone got bored and pulled up Shakira's anthem song for the cup on YouTube, displaying the video on the presentation screen.

Another girl from Mexico got really excited and started dancing to it and the next thing she knew, she was pulling Mia up with her to dance on the professor's desk! Mia couldn't believe it when she saw herself up there, standing in front of the entire class. Everyone started cheering and Mia decided to just go with it and do the dance for "Waka Waka".

Thank God they had stepped down in time before the professor arrived. Mia wasn't able to concentrate one bit afterwards, and it didn't help that her phone had lit up throughout the entire lecture with messages from her classmates on their group chat. Someone had even gotten the performance on video and she hoped it wouldn't turn up in the wrong hands one day.

Leo had asked her about it after class. He said they could hear all the commotion going on from his classroom and when Mia explained it to him he stared at her in shock. "That was you? Mia, I'm so proud. My baby's all grown up now," he had joked.

Throughout the tournament, Mia found herself not only watching the Mexico games, but almost every other game since there was always someone from class dragging people to a bar to see their own country play. And when their countries played against each other, it was always a funny scene to witness with all the trash talk and bickering going around.

The trip from Shanghai had created a tight bond around the students, and for the first time Mia felt like she actually had friends. Not to mention an amazing boyfriend that continued to surprise her at every corner. So when MBS announced their graduation party, it hit really hard that her number was really coming up this time.

Slowly yet surely, all of Mia's teams she usually rooted for were eliminated. First Mexico, followed by Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. All of the Latin American countries, of course. That's when Leo reminded her there was still Spain. Duh! She decided to back them up full force and even ended up buying the red and yellow jersey. After all, how cool would it be to actually be in Spain if they won?

The day of the final between Spain and The Netherlands, Leo invited Mia over to his home to watch the game. He had picked her up early and they spent the afternoon lounging in the pool and soaking up the sun. That was until the twins showed up and demanded to play chicken fight with them. They had decided boys against girls but it was never a fair game since Leo would always manage to drown Mia before stealing kisses from her. Even Max had joined them and the playing field became more even between the two brothers. Mia couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much.

They quickly changed out of their bathing suits before the game started and watched the final on a huge screen with his entire family and friends. Mia watched Leo agonize over the games for hours. Her hand became sore after he had held onto it so tightly and clutched it even harder during close calls. He didn't let her leave his side, claiming she was his good luck charm, and it was at that moment she realized she had never felt closer to him.

When Spain finally won the championship in overtime it was pure madness. Mia had never seen anything like it. They had caught a ride downtown to Cibeles with some friends and witnessed the Madrileños practically destroy their city. Firecrackers were going off on every corner, guys were streaking and jumping into water fountains, people were getting into fights and even destroying signs from the metro stations.

Mia and Leo ended up walking all the way back to her apartment since the trains weren't running, and it took more than an hour. At some point she had feared for her life walking through a sea of drunken chaos, but with Leo by her side she knew she would be safe. In the end, it would be yet another treasured experience in her growing bank of memories from Spain.

###  Chapter 27 – Wait For Me

Mia walked into Realcafé _Bernab_ é _u_ _attached_ _to Leo's arm_ _._ _It was a bar on the terrace of Real Madrid's soccer stadium that opened during the summer when the team wasn't playing. It really felt as if you were actually inside the stadium and the way it lit up at night was truly spectacular. MBS had rented the entire space out for a few hours, so it would be a great opportunity for all the students to be together for one last time._

_Mia spent the night chatting away and taking countless pictures with her closest friends, and even some people she wasn't that close to. She couldn't help thinking how bittersweet the feeling was. While_ she was proud of everything she had accomplished during the last year, she felt like she was leaving something momentous behind. All her struggles, tears, and defeats, mixed with triumph, laughter, and happiness.

And then there was Leo. How she would ever be able to say goodbye to him, she didn't know. She knew it was the risk she had taken to be with him, but never imagined it would feel this way when it came to an end. Like she would be leaving a part of herself behind.

They were immersed in a private conversation and laughter, when Johan approached them. Leo immediately tensed and stood in front of Mia.

"You can relax Leo, I'm here to apologize," Johan stated.

"It's a little late for that, don't you think?" Leo replied icily.

"Look I know it's long overdue, but I don't want this weighing over my shoulders anymore. I'm really sorry for what I did." Johan looked over Leo to find Mia and he partially stepped out of her way. "I know it's not an excuse to say that I was drunk out of my mind, but I never meant to intentionally hurt you, Mia. Either of you."

"You really got some nerve, you know that?" Leo said.

"I don't expect you to forgive me. I know what I did was completely wrong, and nothing will ever change that. I might be an asshole but I'm not an idiot. I recognize my mistakes. I truly am sorry, please know that."

Leo was about to tell him off again when Mia stopped him. "Apology accepted. You can run along now," she stated simply.

"Thank you, Mia. It means a lot to me," Johan replied. He was about to leave when he stopped to speak again. "You two are really meant to be together. I can see that now."

He quickly disappeared into the crowd and Mia looked over to find Leo with his jaw dropped.

"I can't believe you forgave him."

Mia inhaled sharply. "I know, me neither. But I got to thinking I'm never going to see him again for the rest of my life, so it's best to just forgive and forget."

"I guess you're right. It's so strange how we're probably never going to see most of these people here ever again."

"Yeah ... it's sad if you think about it. I guess it's just by default. Everyone comes from a different place, and that's where they're going back to. But I know who my true friends are, and I'll be seeing them again," she smiled.

"You're such a bigger person than I could ever be. You don't have a single evil bone in your body, do you?" Leo asked incredulously.

"Don't get me wrong, I still want to punch Johan in the face ... or worse. But I guess having some type of closure works out better."

"At least he was right about one thing. We are meant to be together."

She sighed at the thought of that statement and looked out at the view of the stadium, as if she could find the answer somewhere in the horizon. Even if it were true, how could they ever be together living in separate continents? It just seemed so unattainable to her.

Leo tenderly reached for her arm and opened up her hand. He placed something she couldn't see in it, and closed her fingers over it. "Just like they do in the movies," he said with a chuckle.

She stared at him curiously for a moment, and then opened her hand. It was a bracelet. She picked it up with her other hand to inspect it. It was absolutely gorgeous. It had golden links with diamonds embedded in it and sparkled when the light hit it. "Leo, it's beautiful," she said in awe.

"Like you," he said taking the bracelet from her and clasping it around her wrist. "Elegant ... but understated. I wanted you to have something that would remind you of me."

"Leo, I don't need a bracelet for that. I'll always think about you."

He smiled. "Well, I still want you to have it. I've been a lousy boyfriend in this department. You deserve much more than this."

"No, you haven't. Thank you for this, Leo. It's really thoughtful. I'll wear it all the time."

"Will you wait for me, Mia?"

She turned to look up at him, and he had the saddest look in his eyes. The question had caught her off guard and his expression almost made her knees buckle. It reminded her of that solemn night they had broken up, and she couldn't stand to see him like that.

"Leo, I'm not sure I understand what you're asking ..."

"I believe in us. We can make this work. I just need to know you would want this too."

Mia thought about what he was asking her for. A relationship. A long distance one, no less. She had been in one with her boyfriend in high school when she moved to New York from Mexico and it had been really difficult. It was the main reason they had broken up.

She thought about all the famous sayings they had in Spanish making fun of it. "Amor de lejos ... es de pendejos, felices los cuatro, por carta te mandan los cuernos." The list just went on.

At the same time, Mia knew of so many other people that had been in long distance relationships at one point or another. It just seemed like it was a part of every modern relationship these days. It was difficult, but not impossible.

"You know what that entails right? It's a pretty big commitment and a lot of effort you have to put in. Not to mention the time difference. By the time I'll get out of work you'll already be sleeping."

"We'll work out a schedule. I'll call you during my lunch breaks, it'll be in the mornings for you before you go to work."

"I know. It's just not that simple. Things start getting ... complicated, to say the least."

"I promise I won't be one of those overbearing, melodramatic long distance boyfriends. I trust us. I trust you."

"When would we see each other again? In three months, for the December graduation? I don't even know if I'll be able to make it."

"Before that, we can visit each other. I know it won't be easy, but I still want to be with you. Really commit to you. I'm in love with you, Mia. I'll do anything for us to be together."

His eyes started to water. She could tell he really meant his words and it was as painful for him as it was for her.

"Please, Mia. Say you'll wait for me. Say you still want to be with me."

Mia couldn't bear to see the anguish in Leo's face any longer so she kissed him tenderly. When she opened her eyes again to look at him, his expression had turned hopeful and she smiled.

"Is that a yes?" Leo asked.

"Yes. I'll wait for you. I want this, too."

Leo held Mia's face and she held on to his arms. "We'll be together again, Mia. We'll find a way. I'll make sure of it. I promise."

"I believe you," she said, sadly. Just the thought of losing him again had her heart bleeding. She knew exactly what that felt like and never wanted to feel that again. "I can't believe we're saying goodbye to each other."

"No, baby. This isn't goodbye," he said grabbing her face in his palm.

"How come it feels like it?" she whispered, her throat getting tight.

"I know. It hurts me, too. But there are no goodbyes between us."

He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, a lone tear ran down his cheek. Mia nodded as she brushed it away. She was comforting him for a change, and she found something oddly thrilling in that.

"I'll see you soon, Leo. I promise."

As if on cue, Mia heard Temper Trap's "Sweet Disposition" playing in the background, and at that moment she knew with bone-thick certainty they would be okay.

###  Chapter 28 – Interviewing

Mia walked into the office in Tribeca where she would be having a second interview for her internship. She had already had a first interview over the phone and she had felt a good vibe from her interviewer. That made her feel a bit more confident but she was still nervous nonetheless.

She was greeted by a young person about her own age and he directed her towards the conference table. He offered her water and Mia graciously accepted. Walking around in the summer heat of New York together with the scorching boil of the subway tracks always left her parched. He came back with a glass of water together with a non-disclosure agreement. He explained it was a measure of precaution for the company since they were a technology start-up.

Mia was very familiar with the concept from her previous job. They would usually need high-profile consultants to sign them before working on a project for them. She never thought she would be asked to sign one herself.

"Well, this certainly makes me feel important," Mia smiled.

"Good to know. Most people don't understand what it is. Russ will be with you shortly," he responded.

Mia quickly read over the agreement and it was pretty standard so she signed and dated it. She then took a moment to scan her surroundings, trying to not seem so obvious.

The first thing that stood out to her was a pinball machine next to the conference table. It had a Playboy backglass depicting Hugh Hefner from his younger years together with two playmates and the mansion in the background. It definitely looked vintage and was an interesting piece of furniture to have in an office, to say the least.

The office itself resembled more of a loft and all the desks were arranged in an open space similar to a newsroom. The office décor was very modern and it was filled with huge iMac computers on almost every desk. Most people seemed very young and they were busy chatting away.

The artwork on the walls also caught her attention. They had prints of the company logo superimposed on subway, bus, and taxi signs and it actually looked real. Mia knew the company hadn't even launched yet, but it was a clever way of alluding that the brand already existed in everyday life.

They even had a couple of really cool graffiti paintings and she recognized they were riffs on Banksy, the British street artist. Mia remembered how Leo would talk about him all the time and she smiled at the thought. She decided right then she liked the place already.

"Mia? I'm Russ, sorry to keep you waiting."

She turned to look at him as he sat down at the conference table with her. He had a buzz cut and was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with an army ID tag around his neck. He was nothing like what she had expected from their phone conversation.

"No problem at all, I was just admiring your artwork. Those Banksy pieces are really interesting."

"You like them? I've been going through a Banksy phase recently, I just think the street art concept goes pretty well with what we're trying to do here."

"Definitely. I mean it's all about going against the establishment right? There's this film he directed about street art that I really want to see."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that too," Russ said seemingly impressed. "So tell me, I know we spoke on the phone a couple of weeks ago, but to be honest I have the worst fucking memory. Just quickly remind me again of your background and what you've been doing during the last year or so."

Mia smiled and began to tell him her story. At least this was the easy part so she quickly went over her education and work experience. He nodded throughout her answer and at some point reached over for a candy bin that was on the table and started munching on some chocolates. He offered her some and she accepted even though she didn't necessarily want one. Someone had once told her it was best to mimic the interviewer's stance so she decided it couldn't hurt.

He went on tell her about the company and more details about the position. Mia was surprised to see he even pulled up the website on a monitor in front of the conference table and gave her a quick walk-through of the site. Mia had never seen anything like it and she could tell he was proud to be sharing it.

He then went over some logistics of the position, asking Mia a few more questions here and there that she answered easily. She then started to ask him a few questions on the company, most of which he answered but at a few said he couldn't discuss at that point.

After about 30 minutes of speaking, he asked her the dreaded question. "So why should I hire you?"

He noticed Mia's hesitation and laughed. "Don't think you were going to get off that easily. I had to throw a hard question in there."

Mia chuckled and felt more relaxed. She started to give her rehearsed answer, saying that she had the required education and work experience, she came from a diverse background and was a worldly person having lived in several countries, that she was a very reliable and self-motivated person always willing to give more than 100% to her commitments.

Finally, she said that this particular internship would mean a lot to her since it would give her a chance to put everything she just learned during the master's degree to use and since she would be graded based on her performance it was important for her to excel.

Russ nodded but didn't seem too pleased by her answer.

"I can also make a really mean guacamole," she added.

He smiled. "I was about to say your answer had been too cookie-cutter, but you saved it right at the end, so I'll take it. You're lucky I really like Mexican food."

"I'm glad to hear that," Mia said.

"So listen I can usually tell whether I like someone or not during the first two minutes so I can tell you right now that you passed the test. So I'll email you about the start-date and all that good stuff next week."

Mia's face lit up in excitement. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had never gotten a job offer right on the spot. Even when she first graduated from college she had gone on almost 20 interviews before finally getting something decent.

"Really? This is wonderful news! Thank you so much for the opportunity. I can assure you, you won't be disappointed."

Russ held out his hand. "Welcome to the team," he said and she shook it with a huge smile on her face.

###  Chapter 29 – Birthday Girl

Mia walked into Party City in Union Square with her sister Teresa. It was a Saturday afternoon in the beginning of a crisp November in New York City. It also happened to be her birthday and was having a party that night. She had decided to mix it up a bit that year and decided to throw an '80s theme party.

Mia loved everything about the '80s: the outrageous fashion, the crazy fads, and especially the rocking music. She had been working on an extensive playlist all week and there were just too many songs to pick from. "Livin' on a Prayer", "Billie Jean", "Sweet Child O' Mine", "Like a Virgin", etc. It was an infinite list of hit after hit.

She had already picked out her outfit too, graciously provided by her sister. She would wear an animal print top with pink tights and black pointy pumps. All she was missing was some legwarmers but she had easily found some white ones for 10 bucks at Strawberry. She had also passed by a street vendor in Union Square who was selling fake Ray Ban's and decided to buy two pairs of bright pink and purple sunglasses for $5 each.

To complete her outfit, she would wear a bunch of accessories including tacky heart-shaped earrings, tons of beads around her neck, and some white biker gloves. Not to mention the heavy blue metallic eye shadow she would apply together with a ponytail to the side. She was going to look absolutely ridiculous.

The only thing left on the to-do list was party decorations. Mia and Teresa headed towards the balloon section of the store. While looking at the different options, she absently played with the bracelet on her wrist – Leo's bracelet.

"Why do you think he's not answering his phone? Don't you think he should've called me by now? It is my birthday after all!" Mia exclaimed all of a sudden.

"Maybe he's busy. You know much better than I do what a pain the time difference is," Teresa replied.

"But he's five hours ahead! It's already nighttime in London. He definitely should have called already," Mia complained.

"Relax, I'm sure he'll call at some point. You know, I've never seen you get this worked up over a guy, it's kind of funny."

Mia didn't want to agree with that last sentence, but she did feel out of her element. Ever since Mia had moved to New York, Leo had been in constant communication with her. If he didn't call, they were always chatting through messenger. So it definitely felt strange not to have heard from him all day, even more so on her birthday. Feeling defeated, Mia tried to distract herself and concentrate on the balloons. She noticed a box set with a helium tank inside and pointed towards it.

"Why don't we just get this? It'll be much easier than blowing up balloons ourselves," Mia suggested.

"Perfect. Less work for me."

Mia had to give credit to her sister. Not only had she helped her organize the party and even book the venue through a friend of hers, but she had let her crash at her apartment for the last few months. The weekly stipend she had been receiving at her internship barely allowed to pay for her own bills. Being able to stay with her until she found a full-time job was a huge relief.

They walked towards the checkout and Teresa picked up a banner on the way that read, Happy Birthday! in bright bold letters. "We should get this, too."

Mia smiled at the gesture. She always thought of everything.

•••

Mia looked around the bar at Diva. It was a nice restaurant in SoHo that doubled as a bar on weekend nights after they cleared out the tables. Everything was set to go. The balloons were hanging nicely from the ceiling with white strings dangling beneath, the DJ was already mixing her '80s playlist, and even the birthday banner had gone up. The only thing missing were her guests. And a phone call from Leo. She still couldn't believe he hadn't called her yet. Did he completely forget?

The guests began arriving and Mia put her worrying aside. She was surprised to see a lot of people show up that she hadn't expected to. Some of her ex-coworkers and old friends from NYU she hadn't seen in a while. But most of the guest list consisted of Teresa's friends. She just had so many acquaintances and friends she kept in touch with throughout the years. Mia didn't mind, she actually preferred it that way. If it weren't for her sister, the party would have been empty and a total bummer.

Not everyone had dressed up, but enough people had to appreciate the '80s flavor. Mia had worried that since Halloween had just passed, not too many people would want to dress up again. Then again, they were in New York and people dressed up for things all the time.

Mia had been taking pictures with some friends when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"May I take a picture with the birthday girl?"

Mia turned around to see Leo standing behind her, freshly shaved and showered, with a huge smile on his face.

"Leo!" she cried, and ran into his arms, deep emotion coursing through her body. He immediately picked her up and kissed her in a manner that should be considered illegal in public.

"Happy birthday, sweetness," Leo said as he caught his breath and brought her back down to the floor. "You look absolutely ridiculous. I love it."

"What are you doing here?" Mia asked in disbelief.

"Surprising you. By the look on your face it worked too," Leo joked.

"I can't believe it! You're actually here. No wonder you weren't picking up your phone."

"Sorry about that. I got a bit caught up crossing over a pond."

"When did you even decide to come?"

"About a month ago when you started talking about your plans. I decided I wasn't one to start missing your birthday."

"Wait, so how long are you here for? Where are you even staying?" Her thoughts burned with infinite questions.

"Until Tuesday, I managed to take a few days off. And we ... are staying at a hotel," Leo said grabbing her by the waist.

Mia shuddered at his touch. She hadn't had that feeling in months, and now it all came rushing back. Images of his sinful body mingled together with hers flashed through her mind. "Well, I can't wait," Mia managed to say, breathless.

"Me neither, sweetness. Me neither."

###  Chapter 30 – Re-Conquering

Mia and Leo walked into their hotel room at the W Hotel in midtown. She still couldn't believe he was actually in New York with her and never imagined she would be going home with him that night. After Leo had showed up at her party, the only thing she could think of was desperately running off with him, but she knew she had to act civil. After all, she couldn't leave her own birthday party.

She had spent the rest of the night introducing Leo to her sister and friends. It turned out Leo had already been in contact with Teresa over email, so she already knew about his plan to surprise her and they acted like they had already met before.

Leo had also been really friendly with others and spoke with people quite effortlessly. That made her happy. But as soon as she decided it was a decent hour to leave, Mia had dragged him the hell out of there. There was some serious business she needed to attend to. She was a woman on a mission and wouldn't let anything get in her way.

They had barely walked into the room, when Mia started kissing him and tugging at his shirt.

"Don't you wanna talk for a bit or something?" Leo laughed as he slightly pushed her away.

"No way, we talk all the time. But this ... we never get to do," Mia said motioning a finger between them.

"But I haven't even given you your present yet," Leo teased.

"As far as I'm concerned I'm staring right at it," Mia eyed him seductively. "I can't wait to unwrap it," she said trailing her fingers against his chest.

"Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?"

"C'mon Leo, are you going to make me beg for it?"

"Depends ... you have to tell me what you want first," Leo said pulling her towards him.

Mia stepped back and quickly stripped off her clothes, leaving him running his dark eyes eagerly down her lingerie clad body. She then pressed against him and whispered a few naughty things she could think of in his ear. She didn't have to wait much longer afterwards because he immediately picked her up and brought her to the bed, reenacting every last detail of her request.

•••

They woke early on Sunday morning, mostly due to Leo's jet lag, and spent the next few hours rolling around in bed completely immersed in pillow talk.

"You're wearing it," Leo said reaching for the bracelet on her wrist.

"Of course. I told you I would," she said smiling.

"I love seeing you in nothing but my shirt, too. It's beyond sexy," he said, pulling her near him.

"I like it because it smells like you. Do you mind if I hang on to it? Maybe I'll sleep better at night."

He looked at her amazed. "It's yours," he said kissing her on the lips. "Will you give me something?"

"Well, what would you want?" she asked curiously.

"One of your babydolls. The black and beige one," he said almost immediately.

"So you've thought about it before. You like that one?"

"You have no idea."

Mia laughed. "Okay. So it's yours. Hopefully they won't open your suitcase at the airport."

"Let them open it," he chuckled. "I missed you so much, baby," Leo said trailing his fingers against her back. "I really don't know how I survived all this time without you. Even my family constantly asks me about you ... especially the twins."

"The twins ask about me?" Mia said in disbelief.

"Every time I call home. It nearly kills me when I have to explain it to them. In a way I'm glad I'm not in Madrid ... I don't think I would have been able to bear it. There's just too many memories. Sometimes I can't believe I let you go."

"So why did you?" Mia asked.

Leo sighed. "Because I'm in love with you and as much as I wanted to be selfish about it, I knew you needed to do this for your career."

"Well I missed you more," Mia said giving him a kiss. "You know what's strange? Even though I haven't seen you in months, it almost feels like I just saw you yesterday. Like we've been together this whole time," Mia confessed.

"I'm glad to hear that. I feel that way too, like we just picked up again where we left off."

"I guess it's a good sign then."

"A very good sign. I knew we could do this," Leo said playing with her hair.

"Yeah, me too," she smiled.

"Somehow I always knew we would end up together. Ever since I laid eyes on you during orientation. I thought you were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen."

"I noticed you too that day. There were so many people introducing themselves it was hard to keep up, but you were so clear in my mind. You just stood out to me so distinctly."

"I remember thinking how alike we were, given our backgrounds. Except you were this mystic creature from the new world and I was a lost soul from the old. It seemed like we would be a good match."

"You really thought that? It's an interesting analogy," Mia said intrigued by the concept.

"I did. I guess my instincts were already telling me I wanted to conquer you," he said pulling her closer.

"Well, you have me now. You just have to make sure I don't rebel against the crown and claim independence," Mia teased.

"I'll never allow it. Not until the end of mankind and all of its history. You're mine." He playfully pinned her against the mattress as if to reemphasize his point. His iron tight grip around her wrists left no doubt there was any escaping him.

Wanting to test just how serious he was, she tried to move but the weight of his body pressed against her kept her immobilized in place.

"Don't tempt me, baby," he said huskily. He ran his nose down her neck and nibbled on her ear.

She squirmed underneath him but he didn't move an inch. He was just so heavy. It was so frustrating ... and surprisingly exciting.

"Don't worry I'll be your prisoner for as long as you want. I wouldn't be very good at fighting you off anyway," Mia giggled. "So are you hungry?"

"Ravenous," Leo responded looking down at her with starving eyes. Apparently she wasn't the only one getting turned on by all this.

"I'm being serious!" Mia laughed. "I know this great French bistro nearby that plays jazz during brunch on the weekends," Mia suggested.

"Anything you want, sweetness." Leo shifted his position back to his side.

"It's going to be pretty funny walking around in my crazy '80s outfit in broad day light. Total walk of shame."

"Walk of shame? It's not if you're with your boyfriend," Leo protested.

"Oh, I think it still is. You should've seen my sister last week after Halloween. She had stayed at her boyfriend's place and when I met up with them for brunch the next day, it was the craziest sight ever. She was wearing half of a schoolgirl outfit mixed with baggy sweatpants and a soccer jersey. It was hilarious. I even took a picture, I'll show you." Mia reached for her phone and noticed she had a lot of pending messages. She quickly scrolled through them.

From her friend Cynthia: Great party! Ps- Leo's definitely a keeper.

From another friend Adriana: Your bf is so hot! Where can I get me one of those? I'm thinking I should move to Spain myself!

From Teresa: Hope you had fun last night! I can't wait to be the maid of honor at the wedding...

She shook her head in disbelief, but disregarded the messages for the moment to show Leo the picture she had mentioned.

"Wow, that is pretty ridiculous! What's up with the Hello Kitty lunchbox?" Leo said cracking up.

"It was part of the outfit. She even had a pizza cutter inside of it for no reason."

"Well, as much as I would love seeing you walk around like that, you're not going to have to."

"What do you mean?"

Leo got up and walked towards his suitcase. He pulled out a Topshop bag and handed it over to her.

"Leo! What is this?"

"It's part of your birthday present."

"Part?" Mia asked in disbelief.

"C'mon Mia, open it."

She couldn't contain the excitement and unwrapped the gift. She pulled out a chic cotton day dress.

"Leo, this is perfect. How do you even think of these things?"

"Easy. All I do is think about you," he said rubbing his thumb across her cheek. "Check the bag again ... there's more in there."

"More? It's already too much, Leo." Mia's eyes flew open as she peeked in the bag again. She pulled out a white envelope. It was a birthday card with a really cute note written in perfect penmanship.

Hey there beautiful!

I'm usually really bad with notes, so I thought I'd stick to the point for this one. I need you to know how amazing you are. You've changed my life in so many ways, I can't remember what it was like before I met you. I know you never believe me, but you really are the best thing that's ever happened to me and I'm grateful for you every day. I hope you've been taking good care of my heart. I've been a mess without it, but I know it'll always be safe with you. Happy birthday, baby.

Eres mía, sólo mía.

Te amo,

x Leo

She looked over at him and gave him a huge kiss. "Thank you," she managed to say before she got overly emotional. "I feel bad that we didn't get to celebrate your birthday earlier this year."

"Don't worry about that, baby. I wasn't exactly in the celebratory mood back then. There's always next year, which is in a couple of months," he winked at her.

"I hope I'll get to be with you," she said sadly.

"I really hope so, too."

She felt a knot in her throat as she placed the card back in the envelope. Only then did she notice there were tickets in the envelope as well and pulled them out.

"The Xx?" Mia cried.

"Ever since you told me about them I've been listening to them non-stop. They're really popular in London right now. Tonight is actually the last concert of their tour," Leo explained.

"Are you serious? I absolutely love them. I can't believe you got tickets!"

Leo shrugged. "I had to pull a few strings but I think it'll be fun to go together. Anything to see that smile on your face."

"Thank you, Leo, for an incredible birthday. More than I could ever imagine."

"It's not over yet. We still have a couple of days left to celebrate. Including right now." At those last words, he pulled her down on top of his chest and continued where they had left off the previous night.

It wasn't long before he picked her up off the bed and headed towards the bathroom. He placed her on top of the ledge next to the sink as he turned on the knob in the shower. When she looked at him curiously, he shrugged it off and smiled seductively at her. "It's a recurring fantasy ... I can't help it."

He peeled off his shirt on her and quickly discarded his briefs before whisking her into the shower. Mia felt the warm spray hit her back and she closed her eyes as the water splashed down her face. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and she sighed contentedly against his chest. It really did feel like home.

He reached towards the shampoo, pouring some in his hands, before carefully massaging her hair with it. "I wish we could do this every day," he said.

"I know. Here, let me do you," she said reaching towards the shampoo.

"You can do me anytime you want," he said with a smirk.

Mia laughed. "You know what I mean," she said running her fingers through his thick hair.

"Mmm. Yes, I do," he said closing his eyes.

She grabbed the soap and ran it leisurely over his chest and abdomen, the suds trickling suggestively down his body. He immediately flexed his muscles and puffed out his chest, grinning at her wickedly.

"Try to stay still," she giggled as she leaned into him and worked his back.

"It's an impossible task with your hands on me like that," he said, playfully stealing the soap from her. "My turn."

Her complaint was left in her throat as he reached down her body, cleaning her thoroughly with eager hands and leaving her skin hot with desire. He pulled them under the water to rinse them off and then gently pinned her against the wall.

"I don't want to be without you anymore, Mia. I don't want to miss you anymore ... I don't want to miss any of this," he said whispering into ear.

"I know, Leo. But it's almost graduation and we have time to figure it out. You can move here ... or I can go to London ..."

Leo searched her eyes. "You would move to London for me?"

"If I can find a job, sure. You wouldn't move to New York for me?"

"In a heartbeat."

"So there you have it. I love you, Leo. I also want this to work," she said smiling.

He leaned into her again, kissing her tenderly. "God, I love you," he whispered against her neck, pressing kisses all over her. His hands snaked down to her waist and smoothed over her bottom, enfolding her into him.

His fingers ran up her inner thigh, circling around her most sensitive parts, and she instantly felt moisture pool between her legs. "Oh, Leo ..."

He finally delved a finger into her and groaned. "Always so responsive. You're so good to me, sweetness."

She reached for his mouth, biting his bottom lip, and then kissing him deeply. He responded in turn as his tongue swirled with hers and pressed her impossibly closer to him.

She felt his hard length against her stomach and gasped. She tentatively reached down and clasped her hand around him. It still surprised her how big he was and that notion always turned her on even more. He moaned into her ear as she held him more firmly and glided her fingers up and down his smooth skin.

He felt so hard in her hand, she began to frantically imagine what he would feel like inside her. She knew the feeling so well now. Her movements became urgent as the need to have him took over.

"Fuck, Mia. You're killing me," he groaned, his eyes filled with longing.

"I need you, Leo. I need you so badly."

"I want to take you right here, baby. I want to feel you ... no barriers," he whispered.

She moaned at his words and whimpered against him. Her breathing was becoming embarrassingly erratic. He removed his fingers from inside her and it almost ached how much she felt the instant loss of pleasure. She desperately needed to feel it again. "Then take me," she let out on a pant.

He looked at her hesitantly for a moment, but primal desire soon clouded his eyes. He lifted her up effortlessly against the wall and brought her back down again, sinking her deep into him. She had never felt so full in her entire life. It just felt so right ... so raw and completely natural.

"Wrap your legs around me, baby," he said huskily as he grabbed onto her hips. Her legs circled around his waist and she grabbed onto his neck.

He started moving against her in a perfect rhythm, bringing his hips up against her as he brought hers down. The sensation was simultaneously sweet and torturous, and she never wanted it to end. Soon he was all she could see, all she could feel. At that moment, it was just the two of them in the entire world and nothing else mattered.

The amount of love and emotion she felt for him was so powerful it still overwhelmed her sometimes. She couldn't even bring herself to think about anything besides the delicious feeling coursing through her. It was incredible how he could do this to her every time. Even Leo was uncharacteristically quiet, he normally let out everything from sweet nothings to exceedingly racy thoughts, which she absolutely loved. But this time she only heard his hot breath and deep moans against her neck. Together with the backdrop sound of the shower, it was decidedly intimate.

His fingers suddenly dug into her flesh, and she felt him come hard inside of her. He didn't stop his movements though, and the combined sensation built up inside her as she cried out at her own orgasm.

She slumped against him as he kissed her forehead and continued with kisses all over her face. He gently pulled out of her and set her back down on the floor. When their eyes finally met, his expression was full of adoration, mixed with surprise and a bit of caution.

Her breathing still heavy, she was looking at him lovingly when it finally hit. Her hand shot up to cover her mouth as she gasped.

"What is it, baby? I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked alarmed.

"No, it's not that," she said, shaking her head. "We didn't use ..." she dropped her head as panic started to flow through her. God, how could she be so stupid?

"Shh, baby. It's safe, trust me," he said, immediately understanding her train of thought.

"How can you be so sure?" she whispered.

"It's okay, Mia. You're on the pill and it's perfectly safe. We've just been extra cautious using condoms, but we really don't need them."

"Yeah, but what if ... something happens?" she asked as tears started to threaten to come out.

"Sweetness, don't be afraid. That's not gonna happen. Please don't worry about that."

"I know. I just haven't had sex without a condom since ..."

He brought a finger to her lips, interrupting her. "Baby, that was completely different. You weren't on the pill then. I promise it'll be fine."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be ... that was just so ... beautiful and I feel like I'm ruining it."

"Don't be. I was being selfish. I've just never done that before and I really wanted to with you. I wanted to feel you, all of you, skin to skin. It sounds stupid, but I guess I wanted to have that claim on you. I'm sorry."

"You already have me, Leo. I'm yours, always," she said, kissing him. "So this is the first time you haven't used a condom?" she asked curiously.

He nodded his head in response. "I've always been really careful about that, but with you ... it didn't seem important anymore. I know for you it's different ... but I have never felt the need to use protection with you."

"You know what that can lead to, right?"

He chuckled and grabbed her face. "It's me, sweetness. I'm not going anywhere, whatever happens ... I would want this with you, Mia," he said caressing her lower abdomen. "I want to take care of you. This is it for me ... you're my future. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

She stared at him in shocked silence, trying to absorb everything he had just told her. Were they really having this conversation? Did he just straight out imply he would want to have children with her?

"Mia? I know this isn't the easiest topic for you, but would you want to ... I mean, do you want to have kids ... some day?"

She looked at him, completely surprised. The question had just solidified what she was afraid of saying out loud to him. It still blew her mind how he could talk about things so openly.

"Sorry ... you don't have to answer that," he added.

"No, it's fine. Unexpected, but fine." She sighed before answering. "Yes, I do eventually. Someday. That's why it was so hard to ... you know."

Leo instantly looked relieved. "It would be a crime if you never had children, Mia." He leaned in to kiss her passionately. "I hope they look like you, exactly like you," he whispered.

###  Chapter 31 – Hangman

The next few days passed by all too quickly. Mia had texted her boss asking if she could take Monday off and he agreed surprisingly quickly.

"No problem. I was starting to wonder if you would ever ask," he had replied.

But even though she had taken the day off, she still felt like it wasn't enough time. Mia had taken Leo to all of her favorite spots in the city – the tram to Roosevelt Island, walking around Madison Square Park, the roof garden at The Met. All non-touristy places she frequently enjoyed going to. It always made a bad day feel better.

But there was still one place missing on the list and that was Greenacre Park in Midtown East. The place always reminded Mia of a secret Zen garden. It was a gorgeous private park surrounded by greenery. It even had a waterfall and the roar of the water always seemed to drown the rest of the world out. It was complete bliss smack in the middle of the hustle and bustle of New York City. An oasis in the midst of an urban jungle.

They walked into the park and as usual there weren't that many people inside. It was relatively unknown and easy to walk past if you didn't know it existed. They took a seat in a private area to the side of the waterfall, and Mia instantly felt like she had been transported to a sanctuary.

"Are you sure we're in New York? This place is the true definition of a hidden gem. Now I know why you always talk about it so much," Leo stated.

"I'm glad you liked it. You know I always like to call you from here," Mia said with a smile.

"Really? Of course I would like it. I love that I get to see this part of you. Who you really are." Leo smiled at her and then stared at the waterfall in front of them, concentrating on the movement of the water. They passed some time in a comfortable silence.

Mia looked at Leo and noticed he had a strange expression on his face. One that she had never seen before. Come to think about it, he had been unusually quiet that day. Maybe it was the reality kicking in that he was leaving the next day. Not wanting to bring up the dreaded topic, Mia thought of something else to distract him.

"Do you want to play hangman?" she asked him.

Leo turned at her surprised. "Um ... sure. I haven't played that in years. Do you have paper or something to write on?"

"Even better. I downloaded this really great app on my phone. But playing against the computer can get a bit boring after a while, so it'll be nice to play against someone for a change."

"Game on, sweetness," Leo responded simply.

Mia reached for her phone excitedly and started it up. Leo looked over her curiously as she typed in their names into player 1 and player 2.

"So how it works is that I'll type a word or phrase I'm thinking of and it'll lock it into the system. Then I hand it over to you to play the game," Mia explained.

"Okay, so you go first."

"No peeking," Mia warned. Leo covered his eyes and a moment later she passed the phone over to him.

"Wow, it even has a chalkboard feel to it," Leo said as he typed in letters. Two minutes later he handed the phone back to Mia. "Done."

Mia looked at the phone and saw that he had guessed hello governor correctly.

"I made it easy for you," Mia said.

Leo chuckled. "I know you too well. Guess it's my turn now, huh?" Leo took the phone back and typed something before handing it back.

Mia started playing her turn and a huge smile spread across her face when she was done. The message read you are so beautiful. She leaned over and gave him a kiss.

She didn't have to think much about her next phrase to type in. Leo eagerly took the phone back for his turn. It didn't even take him a minute to figure it out before he was staring intently in her eyes.

"And I love you, Mia. Forever," he said with deep emotion. He diverted his eyes back to the phone and slowly typed something in.

"Last one," Leo murmured.

Mia took the phone and concentrated on the phrase while Leo watched her every move. She had already guessed five letters wrong and was having a tough time figuring it out. It was a five-letter word followed by a two-letter word. So far she had an A followed by two R's forming part of the middle of the first word. It should be simple enough, she thought. Was the phrase in Spanish?

She started going through possible combinations with the alphabet to find the first letter of the first word. Barr, Carr, Darr, Farr, Jarr, Larr, Marr ...

She froze at the last one and her heart sunk in her chest. Could it be?

She didn't dare to look up at Leo but she could almost feel a burn of heat through his stare. Her hand starting to shake as she slowly pressed an E, followed by a Y, and then an M.

The letters formed into words and suddenly it was there, staring right back at her.

Marry Me.

She was so caught up in the moment that she hadn't felt Leo move. He clutched her hand and she realized he was leaning down in front of her on one knee. She looked at him completely mesmerized.

"Mia, I promise to love you for eternity. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Leo lowered his gaze for a second and slipped a ring on her finger. It all happened so quickly Mia could only stare back at him, speechless.

Noticing Mia's reaction, Leo spoke again, full of emotion. "I know it's crazy and you might think it's too soon, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I've never been more certain of anything. I just know we belong together. You make me want to be a better person and all I want is to make you happy. The rest we'll figure it out along the way. Por favor Mia, cásate conmigo."

Tears started to pool in her eyes. "Of course I will, Leo. I love you so much. You also make me want to be a better person. Someone I never knew I could be. And I want to make you happy, too."

Leo brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the ring on her finger, before reaching up to grab her face and kiss her fervently. When he finally looked back at Mia, he had a smile on his face that spread from ear to ear.

"All you could ever do is make me happy. I doubt that there's a single person in the whole universe that is happier than I am at this moment," he said. "C'mon, we have to make a couple pit stops before going back to the hotel."

"Where are we going?" Mia asked as she grabbed his hand.

"Well, straight away I think a fine bottle of champagne is in order. Followed by some strawberries and roses, lots and lots of them. And then I want to spend all night making love to my sweet fiancée. I want to do this the right way since I didn't exactly plan on asking you in this manner. You kind of handed it to me."

"Leo, this was already the right way. I couldn't have imagined a better way. It was perfect."

"Well you deserve more. Always. And as your future husband, there are certain duties I need to fulfill ... such as keeping you constantly satisfied," he said with a wink.

As they exited the park, Leo couldn't contain his excitement any longer and shouted, "She said yes!"

Before she could complain, he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple. Mia laughed as she contemplated her future. If there was one thing for certain, there would never be a dull moment in it.

###  Epilogue

"What? You can't be serious Leo, it's beyond old fashioned!"

"I know it is ... you're absolutely right. But it just has a special meaning to me, okay?"

"Whatever happened with you wanting me to be a strong, independent woman?"

"I still want that for you, this wouldn't change any of that. It's purely symbolic."

"Do you know how many legal documents I'm going to have to change because of this?" Mia felt a headache just thinking about it.

"Paperwork is what you're worried about? I'll take care of it all myself, I promise. You won't have to lift a finger."

"It just feels so weird to suddenly change who you are from one day to the next. I already have enough identity issues as it is. I never know what bubble to fill out in those ridiculous ethnicity questionnaires."

"That's what makes you so special. But this is nothing like that. You'll still be you. The incredible girl I fell in love with. You'll just have an added part of me to you."

"God Leo, when you put it like that ..." Mia's stance began to waver. She hated getting into debates with him. The man could argue his way out of a courtroom. Not to mention those pleading eyes that seemed to glamour her, they just made her melt inside.

"Please Mia, can't you just indulge me in this one little thing? It's all I ask. I'll give you anything you wish in return."

"I already have everything I want, isn't that obvious by now? But if it means that much to you, I'll do it."

"Really? Mia, you have no idea how much this means to me." He hugged her in a tight embrace.

"So it's settled then." Mia couldn't help but smile at Leo's joy with this. Who would have ever thought?

"Countess Mia Durant. It has a lovely ring to it, don't you think?"

"Wait, what did you just say?" Mia asked perplexed. Had she heard right?

"Mia Durant. It sounds wonderful," Leo said proudly.

"No, before that. What did you say before that?"

"Countess? You'll become a Countess since you're marrying a Count, of course."

"You're a ... Count? Since when?" Mia couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Since always. Are you messing with me right now? You're really meaning to tell me you didn't know?"

"I had no idea. I don't know ... maybe if you had mentioned it to me that would have helped a little," Mia pointed out sarcastically.

"I guess I just assumed you knew. It's not something I like to bring up in everyday conversation. People have always known that about me and even if they don't, they find out soon enough."

"I'm telling you I didn't know. No one ever mentioned it to me either."

"So you didn't Google me when we first met?"

"No ... why would I do that? If anything I only Google famous people."

"Well I hate to break it to you, but I am slightly famous."

"Well if I had known that back then, then maybe I would have Googled you. I still can't believe this. How famous are you?"

Leo shrugged and motioned his eyes towards the laptop sitting on the coffee table. "See for yourself."

"Leo, this is crazy." But curiosity won over and she opened the laptop and typed his name into the Firefox browser she had pulled up. Sure enough, dozens of articles popped up with his name, including several images to go with it. She quickly scanned some of the contents before giving up and turning back to Leo.

"Am I being punk'd? Where's Ashton?"

Leo laughed. "You're not being punk'd, okay? All of this is as much news to me as it is to you."

"No, I believe you. I just never thought ... so is that some sort of rule now, you're supposed to Google people when you meet them?"

"Of course. I Googled you."

"Trust me, I'm not that important. There's nothing there."

"Oh, I would have to disagree with that," Leo said with a grin. "There's this incredibly delicious video of you on YouTube. Some project you did on Coca-Cola?"

"You saw that? Oh my God, that has to be the most embarrassing video on the planet! How is that up there?"

"For someone who's into social media, you're beginning to sound like a bit of an amateur. No offense, sweetness. But as for the video, I have to say I enjoyed every second of it. I've watched it several times actually and each time you look even more adorable."

"Stop watching it!" Mia cried.

"You know, now that I think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. You were the only person that ever treated me like a normal human being. You never seemed to care about the other stuff."

"I don't know ... maybe something about true love? Does that ring a bell?"

"You would be surprised at the amount of people who've used me in the past because of who I am. It makes it really hard to trust people after a while. If I had known all these years all I needed was a girl who wouldn't Google me, life would have been a lot easier."

"Great. So now I'm going to be known as the girl who didn't Google?" Mia lifted up her arms in the air.

"Well ... I think 'The Girl Who Didn't Google' fits in quite nicely with the rest of the Stieg Larsson trilogy. You know it could be the lost series edition or something," Leo teased.

"You're loving this aren't you?"

"Very much so."

"Does this mean you're going to make me wear a crazy hat at our wedding?" Mia couldn't help but tease him back.

"I swear Mia, of all the things you could be asking me right now, this is your main concern?"

"Well are you?"

"No. No crazy hats! Okay? Anything else?"

"You know you're going to have to tell my father about this."

"Dr. Jaime? We actually spoke a few days ago. He seemed pretty excited. We even had a nice laugh about it."

"A nice laugh? Leo you are incredible. Who are you?"

"I'm Count Leonardo Durant. Nice to meet you. And you, my beautiful bride, are soon to be my wife, Countess Mia Durant. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. So start getting used to it."

Leo leaned in to give her a passionate kiss. There was so much want and need behind it. Memories of the past year mixed with those that would soon become. When they separated, she looked intently into those fascinating dark blue eyes she would never get enough of.

"Oh, and by the way, we're heading back to the motherland. I suggest you start packing your bags soon. London is calling."

FIN

###  Acknowledgments

First and foremost, this book is dedicated to my husband. Thank you for always being my biggest supporter and for constantly finding a way to insert humor into my life (and in my chapters). None of this would have been possible without you. Te amo.

To Madrid, thank you for the outlet and inspiration, and to Playa del Carmen, for giving me the chance to revisit my work and give me a much needed push in the end.

To my family and friends for always listening and the endless encouragement, and most importantly for being my willing beta readers!

To Julian Garcia for the amazing cover art.

Finally, thank you for taking the time to read this book. I hope you enjoyed Mia and Leo's story as much as I did writing it. If you liked it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author's best friend and much appreciated.

Thank you all!

###  Excerpt from Stealing Emma

Keep reading for an excerpt of the next book in this series, Stealing Emma.

Featuring Leo's older brother Max and his hot pursuit of a love interest who just so happens to be already taken.

Available now!

### Chapter 1 – Team Building

Emma Blake walked onto the basketball court, trying to find the rest of her group. She held an ugly grey t-shirt that she was supposed to be wearing, almost dragging it by her side. It had been handed out to her moments before by one of the team building organizers. She much rather wear her cute sports tank top so she was trying to hold off until the last possible moment to put on the offending clothing. After all, organized sports and team building were not her thing.

She couldn't believe this was her first day of graduate school. Shouldn't she be at some type of orientation where everybody is jammed together in one room and forced to do awkward introductions? At least that's what she always assumed it would be like it.

Instead, she was expected to play none other than basketball before even properly meeting anyone in her class. What is more, they had switched up the regular assigned groups so in reality she wouldn't even be "team building" with the people she had to actually work with for the rest of the semester. What was the point of that?

She went to sit down by an area designated "Team B" where a few others were already gathered. She barely caught anyone's name but turns out they were all from different countries such as Colombia, Switzerland and Italy. Quite the international crowd. She didn't add much to the group conversation while they waited for everyone to settle down. She also didn't pay much attention to the head organizer when he started talking and gave his version of a big motivational speech which included mentioning Michael Jordan every five minutes. At the end he just concluded to "go play some ball".

Emma hadn't played basketball since high school, but she was certainly no stranger to the NBA, meaning she had a pretty good understanding of the rules and all. At the moment, all they really had to do was pass the ball around and practice shooting some hoops. Sounded easy enough. If only the ugly t-shirt she had begrudgingly resorted to wearing wouldn't cramp her style.

"Alright everyone, gather around," the head organizer called out after an hour of shooting around. "We'll be moving on to the interesting stuff now. Each group will be competing against each other in a series of drills you need to complete as a group. First team to successfully complete all of the drills wins. We have three coaches here who will explain the details to you and answer any questions you have."

One of the coaches went over the drills with her group and one other. They had to complete three different drills that seemed pretty standard enough. They had to dribble around some cones, pass the ball to each other without dropping it, and finally make a basket seated in a chair from the free throw line.

Most people immediately dispersed after the instructions were given to divide the tasks between team members, but Emma decided to probe the coach a bit more. The instructions had seemed pretty vague to her.

"So what exactly are the rules?" she asked him.

"You're going to need to be more specific than that," he answered.

"Well, is there anything we can or can't do?"

"I can only give yes or no answers. Rephrase the question."

Ugh, he was being so cryptic. She looked out towards the court and considered just dropping the whole thing. She was running out of time and needed to talk to her group and find out what the hell she was supposed to do. She eyed the basketballs set in the middle of the court, to the cones, and the chair.

"You said it was all about completing each drill successfully, but didn't mention any particular order. Does that mean we have to do them in a sequence, like one after the other?"

His eyes lit up and he smiled at her. "No."

"So you're saying we can do the drills at the same time?" a deep yet soothing voice asked right behind her. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise at the way the words had curled around in an elegant British accent.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," the coach responded.

"Wait a minute," she said turning to look behind her, but stopped dead in her tracks.

The most intense pair of hazel eyes were staring right at her and studying her face, seeming amused at something. A quick glance at him revealed rugged features, wavy brown hair, and despite the ugly grey t-shirt, he had rolled up the sleeves and she could tell he had a lean and toned body she was just dying to get her hands on.

Oh, no. Where the hell had that thought came from? She had no business thinking about him like that and immediately flushed at her wayward thoughts. She pulled on the collar of her t-shirt trying to stretch it out as it suddenly felt like it was choking her neck.

"You were saying?" he teased.

Oh right. She had forgotten she was supposed to be mad at him and quickly regained her composure. "This is a private conversation. You can't just sneak up in here and be privy to the intel I'm gathering," she accused.

Ignoring her, he turned towards the coach. "Is that a rule?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, no," he responded.

"Then I rest my case. Good luck, sweetheart," he said walking away.

Sweetheart? The nerve! She wasn't expecting that from him at all. Not that she knew anything about him, but weren't British people supposed to be really nice? She immediately went after him, and pulled on his arm stopping him. "Is that how you're going to play it then?"

"You heard the coach. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go prep my team."

"Fine, go ahead. I'll still beat your sorry ass," she said shoving him in the chest and turning away. The big jerk!

"Is that so?" he called out behind her, laughing. "Care to make it interesting?"

"Define interesting," she said, turning back and looking at him suspiciously.

"I'm talking about a wager, of course. My sorry ass against your very fine ass."

"Deal," she immediately said, offering her hand to him. She idly wondered if the terms he had set for their agreement meant he had been checking out her ass earlier or if it was just a figure of speech.

Before she could ponder that further, he took her hand and shook it gently, warmth instantly spreading throughout her arm. "See you on the court, sweetheart."

Dammit, there he said it again! She went running back to her group to inform them of her findings, shaking her head the entire way. She hadn't been in school for an hour and already she was getting in a tiff with some random guy. She usually didn't get heated easily, but something about him had just set her off. The cocky bastard.

After quickly going over the game plan with her group, she took her spot in line and waited for the whistle. She sneaked a glance over towards Mr. British High and Mighty and he was looking straight at her again, a stupid grin plastered on his face. She immediately frowned at him and gave him the evil eye. He responded by pointing two fingers at his eyes and then towards her and mouthing, "I'm watching you."

Real mature, buddy. She almost flipped him the bird, but then had to remind herself she wasn't in middle school anymore.

The whistle blew and it was instant chaos. Most people had no clue what they were doing and you couldn't hear anything over all the yelling and cheering. When it was Emma's turn, she got right to it. She had been given the easiest task. All she had to do was catch and pass the damn ball with another person down the court without dropping it. When she finished her task, she turned around just in time to witness Brit boy making the final winning basket and his team cheering him on like he was some goddamn hero.

Asshole. If they only knew he was a giant, scheming cheater. Ugh, she couldn't believe she just lost the bet to him. She knew she wouldn't hear the end of it.

She turned around and walked towards the cubbyhole area in the back, ready to gather her belongings and leave. She sat down on the floor and was about to pull on her sweats when someone hovered over her.

Expecting it to be the British fraudster, she looked up ready to give him a piece of her mind. To her surprise, it was some tall blond dude eyeing her indecently. "Cute shorts," he said.

She huffed and looked away from him. She was wearing regular black running shorts that were completely ordinary. Ignoring him would probably be the best tactic.

"Let me know if you need help taking those off," he continued.

What the hell was in the water in this country? Before she could even begin to respond to that, Mr. Scam Artist decided to join the party. Great, just what she needed.

"Is this guy bothering you?" he asked her very seriously.

"I was just leaving," she responded.

"That's too bad. We were just getting to know each other," blondie answered.

"Take a hike, Richard," he snapped at him.

"Richard, huh? I knew you looked like a Dick," Emma added, enunciating the Dick. She heard some laughter come from the Brit and a smile overcame her, momentarily forgetting their strife. At least someone had caught on to her humor.

"Oh, that's real original. Like I haven't heard that before, legs," Richard countered.

"I'm serious, man. Leave her alone. She's mine."

Okay, strike that. The guy really was an asshat. "Excuse me? You're both delusional," she said standing up and walking away. She felt footsteps behind her but continued straight on her path anyway. She needed to get the hell out of there.

"Emma. Hold on a minute," the British accent followed her.

"What do you want? And how do you even know my name? I don't remember any formal introductions. You've been anything but."

He simply shrugged. "I asked around. I'm Max by the way."

"Well, it was nice knowing you, Max. See you around," she said sarcastically.

"What about the bet?"

"What about it? You won. Are you happy now?"

"Not really. I'm still waiting to collect my prize."

"What are you talking about? We didn't bet on anything. As far as I'm concerned, all you won were bragging rights."

"I don't think so, sweetheart. Your lovely ass is mine," he stated as a matter of fact. "Remember?"

"I'm not your damn property because of some stupid bet. And can you stop calling me that? Apparently you went through the trouble of learning my name so you might as well start using it," she pointed out.

"I'll try but I can't promise anything ... Emma," he said enunciating her name.

She rolled her eyes at him and shifted her position. It was then she noticed a group of girls staring at them from across a corner and giggling. Seriously? "Are we done here? I have to go."

"Let me give you a ride then," he offered.

"I don't think so."

"C'mon, it's the least you can do after losing the bet."

"Why don't you just ask one of the girls from your fan club? I'm sure they'll be more than willing for a quick ride." She was on a roll with the puns today.

"Last I checked I didn't have a fan club to offer rides to," he said amused.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked motioning behind him.

He took a peek behind him and sure enough the girls started giggling again and batting their eyes at him. Yes, she was definitely in middle school all over again.

"Great. Well that's your fault," he said sighing and looking back at her.

"Don't blame me. You stole my intel and had to go showing off about it. So now deal with it."

"Please, Emma. Just do me this one favor so they'll get off my back. Last thing I need is a bunch of girls following me around."

"Oh, poor baby. I feel so sorry for you. I really do." She noticed the girls approaching them and she motioned them over. "Chicas, have you met Max? He was just telling me he has plenty of space in his big ol' car if any of you need a ride."

"Oh my God, really?" one of the girls squealed.

Max never dropped his gaze from her and was looking at her with pleading eyes.

"Don't be shy, Max," she said patting him on the cheek. "Well, I gotta run. You guys have fun, okay?" she said before making a beeline towards the exit.

Ha! Take that, scumbag! She had to admit she was pretty damn proud of herself right about now. Who knew grad school could be so exciting? She certainly hadn't had this much fun in months. Maybe moving to Madrid wasn't such a bad idea after all.

###  About the Author

M.C. ROMAN grew up in Mexico City and currently lives in Brooklyn with her funny sexy hubby. When she's not reading or writing, her hobbies include daydreaming, watching shows on Netflix, and cooking home cooked meals from Blue Apron.

Also by M.C. Roman:

Stealing Emma

Chasing Sofia

Loving Olivia

Enseñando A Mia

Robando A Emma

Persiguiendo A Sofía

Amando A Olivia

Connect with M.C. Roman:

Website: http://about.me/mcroman

Facebook: http://facebook.com/MCRomanAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/mc_romances

Email: mcromances@gmail.com

