It's been three days since New Year's Eve, but the memory of the kiss is imprinted on my mind. The way her hair felt in between my fingers. The way her lips moved, slowly and innocently. Her trembling hands on my shoulders. The way her mouth parted, red from the kiss we shared.

"Daydreaming again?" Veronica's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. The smile that made its way to my lips and the finger I had on it is a dead giveaway to Veronica. This isn't the first time she saw me reminiscing like a teenager during office hours. She even had to excuse my behavior in a board meeting we had yesterday. "You have papers to sign." She reminded me, raising her eyebrow at my smile.

"Sorry," I said, a smile still lingering on my lips as I started on the folder she recently placed on my table. I watch her leave my office with a shake of her head, probably cursing my lack of focus in work.

As the day goes by, I spend more time thinking about Mara than actually doing the work that has been laid out for me. Resulting in the need to bring some of the work home which earned me a laugh from Veronica. I think she's amused at seeing me not finish the work I have like I usually do.

What can I say?

I have a beautiful fiancée to think of and pick up from school.

Despite being buried in paper works, I give time to spend with Mara. Even if it was just picking her up from her classes and dropping her at their house, it was something I wanted to do. I didn't want to spend a day without seeing Mara if I could do something about it. I want her to know and feel the care and love I have for her wasn't just a spur of the moment. Words that were said after getting to first base.

However, I wasn't impressed by the number of media people hanging out near her school. Despite the security measures that I know Alec has put up for Mara, these people couldn't take the hint and leave her alone. They have been harassing Mara for days. Always commenting on her clothes or the way her hair is done, even going as far as making her look bad to the public's eye. My poor shortcake has been working herself out with all her requirements and exams that are coming up by the end of the week. To add all of this must be exhausting.

As I pulled up at the parking lot, my eyes immediately found Mara. She's standing with her twin friends wearing her black tracksuit, looking very relaxed in her outfit. She talks to them with a smile on her face. Just seeing that smile already makes me a thousand times better. Emil, who was quick to notice the arrival of my car, quickly called for Mara.

I parked my car a few steps away from them and exited. "Hey, guys." I greeted them.

Mara's lips lifted up into a smile. She quickly waves goodbye to her friends and walks to me. "You're here!" She said as if she couldn't believe I was standing in front of her.

"I said I would be," I told her with a smile of my own. Whenever I'm around her, I can't help but smile like a lunatic. I'm crazy about her.

Her grey eyes twinkled in happiness as I opened the door to the passenger seat for her. I instructed her guards to follow us using the car they brought, and they immediately followed my orders. They got used to me doing this every day, there wasn't even a choice.

Mara tells me about her day. About the busy schedule she's about to have, how she's nervous about her examination. But the one thing that stayed in my head was a certain Noah Natividad. I'll have to ask Emil about this guy. If he tried to bid for a dance with my shortcake on that charity ball, I would guess that he likes her. I won't let him ruin my chances with this beautiful lady.

It didn't take long for us to reach her house. I had to decline her dinner invitation as I glanced at the stack of papers neatly placed on the back seat. Her eyes flit to it and she lets out a laugh of amusement.

"Good luck with that." She said, her voice teasing me.

I shake my head with a smile of my own. "Sure. Get in, shortcake. It's cold."

She nods her head once and waves me goodbye. I watch her figure disappear behind their huge doors before summoning Emil who was just getting ready to go inside.

"Sir." He said as a way of greeting. His voice is gruff and low. I asked him about Natividad and interactions with my Mara. "Miss Mara certainly doesn't want anything to do with him. She even asked me to make him leave when they were studying."

"You think he's a threat?" I asked right away. This could be Amelia's doing. Her ways are dirty, as Alec has told me.

He shook his head. "No sir. I'll keep an eye on him anyway."

"Thank you," I said sincerely before driving away.

I don't like the sound of this Natividad, he's someone I should watch out for.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Franco." She said for the nth time since the interview began and ended. Are media people always this fake? I'm gagging on my own saliva with how pretentious she is.

"It was my pleasure. I'll wait for tonight's episode."

"Of course! I hope we can do one with Miss Ramirez." She replied, her eyes gleaming with the opportunity to claw out my shortcake. Not gonna happen, woman.

I shake my head immediately. "Maybe not. I'll go ahead." Disappointment took over her face as I walked away from her.

I toss the bag which has the suit I wore to the interview on the empty seat beside me. "Ramirez's, George," I said to the driver I brought with me. I have plans for my shortcake today. Plans to keep her away from the media, and to plan our upcoming wedding. We've been discussing most of it when I pick her up from school. Last Thursday, we finally finished the guestlist for the wedding. After that, I decided to let Mara breathe and focus on her exams. I haven't seen her in two straight days, but it feels longer than that.

Emil greeted me as soon as I got out of the car. Without any questions, they let me inside the house. I guess they got used to always seeing me here, that it wasn't a surprise to any of them when I just proceeded to go up the second floor. As Jack said, I can treat this as my second home.

A smile formed on my lips as her voice reached my ears. I quietly leaned against the opened door of her bedroom and watched her in contentment. She's smiling and happily talking to her best friend, Artemis who was lying down in her bed. She smiles excitedly as she shows Artemis the designs Aurora has sent her since the engagement took place. Then, they started talking about Alec and Aurora's love story.

"Talking about Alec's love life?" I asked them, my eyes only on the back of her head. I watched as she jumped from my voice and slowly turned around to confirm it was me. Her gray eyes widened and sparkled with happiness upon seeing me.

Artemis waved and greeted me when she saw me. Meanwhile, Mara tried to hide her excitement upon seeing me, but my shortcake is miserably failing at doing so. Instead, she settles for her plain old sarcasm. "Eavesdropping is a bad habit," she said, another thing we kept telling her when she was a kid. Mara was a curious child, always getting the small hands-on things she shouldn't. Al and I would always tell her that eavesdropping is bad. "Alec would not approve," she added.

I walked inside her room, stopping right in front of the chair she is sitting on. She looked up at me, her bright gray eyes almost making me a speechless fool again. "Well, shortcake, there are a lot of things Alec would not approve of. One would be gossiping."

Her little quirks are amusing. She tries to hide her happiness and relief from seeing me after getting hounded by the media for weeks. She can't, however, hide the blush that has covered her cheeks as if something crossed her mind for a brief second before she looked away.

Her friend ran out of the room before she could say anything other than her name. Shouting something about her being single and the sexual tension in the air. I am quite amused by the small human who can intimidate my shortcake into things. It's highly amusing knowing that Mara isn't one to be rushed or ordered around by anyone but when it comes to the twins, she can hardly say no to them.

I try to hide my laughter as her face gets redder by Artemis' words. Sexual tension would be going too far for my innocent shortcake. The kiss made me want more, true, but it also made me satisfied knowing that I may be her first kiss.

"Now. What do you say about those wedding plans?" I asked her with a smile. "We're going to pick flowers," I said, as a form of encouragement when I saw irritation cross her eyes.

She groaned, loudly and in misery. "Can we not?"

"Don't worry shortcake. Just you and me today." I winked at her, grinning from ear to ear as relief crossed her face. I guess dear old stepmom was not something she was looking forward to. It would be awful to spend a day with the person you don't like while planning a wedding that is making you stressed.

"Which flower shop?" She asked.

I almost laughed at her. I wonder why she thought I would settle for a measly shop when I know Eros, who owns one of the biggest plantations in the South. A place where almost any flower could be found. "Oh. I never said it was just a shop."

"No way!" she exclaimed.

I remember when I first went to see the place. I wouldn't stop rambling and talking about it to Mara on the phone because I know she loves flowers and photography. It would be a vision when she does take a photo of the place.

"Yes, way. Get dressed." I said smugly to her. I know she loves good scenery. I'm also low-key hoping that she brings the camera, the one I gave her with her to this trip. I haven't seen that ever since I got back.

When I got to their living room, I found Alec dressed in one of his business suits. He's busy fixing his tie; he didn't notice my presence right away. When he does, he sighs. "Did you do it?" He asked, picking up his phone and car keys from the coffee table.

I nod. "It was exactly what the media wanted. It'll air tonight."

Alec and I were both furious when the news reached our ears. The thought of people thinking of Mara as a gold digger was preposterous. Even the thought of that word along with Mara's name enrages me. How can they think that? I'm sure their company is worth ten times that of ours.

We both wanted the issue to go away. So Alec decided to tell me about a trust fund that Mara would receive when she turns twenty years old. Just like when Alec received his, Mara would soon realize that money would be the least of her worries when the time came.

Along with the trust fund, Alec has also decided to tell me a little more about his suspicions of Amelia. Amelia is a very greedy woman. She and Jack signed a prenuptial but the terms are not as constricting as it should be. With that, and Jack being the benefactor and next of kin of Mara at the moment, anything that might prove Mara incapable of receiving the fund would result in Jack getting it and resulting in Amelia getting almost half of it. Alec has made it clear that another visit to the psychiatrist isn't something Mara needs right now.

Alec didn't go into much deeper detail on why Mara would or needed to go to a psych.

Things would be easier for my shortcake if it weren't for Amelia always trying to sabotage her health. The whole walking in the snow thing last October was one of the reasons why she's engaged to me now. Along with the other incidental things that Alec kept noticing as her twentieth birthday approaches, pushed him to decide for his sister's sake.

"You didn't tell them everything, did you?" He asked, suddenly worried about what I said in the interview.

"I'm not an idiot, Al," I told him in a straight face. I am not. I want to shield Mara from the world just as much as he does. One of the things that we have in common is the protectiveness we have over her.

"Good. I figure that's why you're taking her to Eros' place?"

I looked at him in confusion. "How do you even know that?" I certainly never told him about my plans. I doubt Jack did.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I own a company which produces techno shit, you idiot." Silently, he's admitting to stalking his sister when it suits him best. He even told me he spied on

"Oh, so you were spying on us. Eavesdropping is a bad habit." I told him with a click of my tongue.

He rolled his eyes at me. "Make sure she has fun before everything gets down." He reminded me.

"Sure. Make me out to be the bad guy. Again." I said sarcastically. As usual, Alec gets me to do the worst parts when it comes to Mara. Ever since she was a kid, he'll always find a way for me to do the worst part then he comes in like her savior of some sort.

"Shut up. Don't think I don't know about that kiss Franco." He said threateningly before fully leaving the room.

"Great," I muttered in annoyance. I didn't think I could keep it this long from his stalkerish ass. I was hoping he wouldn't say anything but fuck my luck. My best friend is anything but patient.

Mara emerged from her room not long after her brother left the place. We were almost out the door when their stepmother shouted for Mara. Irritation immediately crossed her features and she was forced to see what Amelia wanted with her.

Surrounded by hundreds of wedding magazines, Amelia sits on the couch drinking a glass of orange juice. She's dressed in one of her too short clothes. She gets to the point, telling Mara about her very expensive wedding gown ideas which irritated Mara even more. Before things get worse, I decided to intervene.

"I'm very grateful for your help, Amelia. But we already have a designer in mind for her wedding gown." I said calmly, hoping that Amelia would let the whole thing slide. "You do understand, don't you?"

"My husband asked me to plan this wedding. I intend to do so." She said bravely. Her eyes twitching in pure anger.

Deciding to pull out the worst card I have about her as of yet. "Yes. But then again, I'm sure you won't mind if I tell Dad about that accident." The image of Mara's injuries that day flitted through my brain and anger rushed in my veins. This woman did that to her. For what? The money Mara's going to get? Jack is already rich on his own, if she's not content with that, she will never be. Mara will just be in more danger as we wait for her twentieth birthday.

Ignoring her next words, I guided Mara to the back of the car we would be using with Emil driving and Andrew sitting on the passenger side. I opened the door for Mara and helped her get in. Then, I rounded to the other side of the car and entered.

"What was that?" She immediately asked me. I should tell her but Alec has told me not to until everything settles down with his whole bizarre and stupid plan. I have to lie to her. I'm sorry, shortcake.

He smiles at me but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Don't worry about it." I held her hand in mine and guided her head to my shoulder, offering as much comfort as I could.

"You're so possessive, man." He said, laughing at my obvious jealousy.

"Hi, Eros," Mara said, yawning as she did, then dropping her head again on my shoulder. "I'm sleepy." She's tired from the plane and the fact that we played Boggle was not relaxing at all. Mara is competitive when it comes to that game.

"I'll get you to bed soon," I told her softly. "Where's her room?" I asked Eros.

Mischief immediately crossed his features. "I'm so sorry. I only prepared one room. The others are under renovation." He smirked and entered the house without another word.

His house is huge. One side is made out of pure glass, overlooking his vast property and the flowers. It's an open floor plan with the kitchen fully exposed to the living and dining rooms. Not a wall blocking the view will be seen on this floor. A simple staircase is on the far side of the room, with the back door in front of the steps.

"Asshole," I muttered under my breath and guided Mara up the stairs of his front porch. Inside, the rays of the setting sun flowed freely through the glass window of the house. The plantation could be seen from here and under the setting sun, it looked marvelous. "Hey, look."

Mara turns her head in the direction of the window and almost instantly brightens up from her sleepy state. A smile slowly formed on her lips at the sight and she turned to me with her eyes sparkling with happiness. "It looks beautiful, Dy. Just like you said."

I smiled at her and took a hold of her hand. "Eros only gave us one room," I explained softly. Despite knowing that we have already shared a bed, Mara was too drunk to even remember what exactly happened. The fact that she will be completely sober tonight lessens my control over my thoughts of having her in all ways possible. I'm getting worse with my thoughts of her since the party and the kiss that we shared. "Don't worry. I would have Emil find me a blanket and I could take the couch."

She looked at me as if I said something funny. With a smile, she pulls at my hand. "It's not like we haven't shared a bed before."

"Oh. I heard that." Eros' teasing voice made us look in his direction. Sporting a smirk on his lips, he walked to the nearest couch and slumped on it. "I guess you can share again, right Mara?"

"Sure. Not a problem." She replied with a smile of her own for Eros. She turns to me, "That's okay right?"

Oh. You don't even have to ask, shortcake.

"Are you kidding me?" Eros says and lets out a laugh. "The poor man has wanted that since I met him."

I glared at him. Eros and his mouth will be his death someday. "Shut up, will you?"

He puts his hands up in surrender. "Sure." I can hear the sarcasm in his voice but I decided to let it slide. He won't see me angry tonight, not with a shortcake in my arms.

"Where's the room, Eros?" I asked when Mara hides the yawn that still escapes her. She drops her head on my shoulder, her eyes shutting close again.

"Up, first door to your left." He said, his eyes glued to the television show in front of him. "Make yourselves comfortable. I'll call you for dinner."

I rolled my eyes at him, some host he is. Pulling Mara behind me, we walked up the stairs and found the only door, another door with a 'do-not-cross-the-line' tape on it. I'm guessing the other room is for Eros who is still engaged with his show to even bother to lead us to the room. I opened the door and found a spacious room. Oddly enough, this one doesn't have a spare couch at the far end of the bed like most rooms in his house do. The fucker has set this up well.

"Eros is something," Mara mumbles amusedly as she finds the lack of a couch like a sore thumb. "Left or right?"

I let her settle down on the bed before closing the door and leaning on it. "Any side is okay. Do you prefer one?"

She nods her head, a tentative smile on her face. "As long as it's near the door."