Narrator-

Liliana wouldn't see her boss for majority of the weekend spent in Rome. And as a result she spent her days resting and checking in with her parents, then Sunday evening, she called Chamille.

"Hey girly!" Chamille replied cheerfully.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Lili greeted.

"Much better thanks. So how's everything going over in Rome?" Chamille asked, her tone similar to that of a friend inquiring about a scandalous affair.

"Boring. I've been stuck in the room since we landed. I wanted to go to the place we went to for a bite, but I didn't want to walk by myself." Liliana explained, as she plopped back on the sofa with a sigh.

"Oh? And you haven't seen Mr. Cavalier?" Chamille asked.

"No, haven't seen him since we arrived." Liliana answered, keeping her answers short and precise.

"Wait, did something happen between you two? Did he try to make a move on you and you stabbed him with a fork?" Chamille asked, and Liliana could only imagine the large grin on Chamille's face.

"Well as funny as that would be, no, nothing happened." Liliana stated, as she lied through her teeth, but couldn't keep her brain from bringing up images about the kiss she shared with the forbidden man.

"Mmmh, that's... interesting." Chamille hummed.

"Why did you say it like that?" Liliana asked, curious.

"Like what?" 

"Like you expected something to happen." Lili clarified.

"Because I did expect something to happen." Chamille admitted without holding back.

"Well you should know, I am not one to sleep with my boss, so there's no need to even think about something happening between us."

"Ah-Ha!" Chamille exclaimed, causing Lili to pull the phone from her ear.

"What? What?" Liliana asked, her tone rushed and surprised.

"Something did happen." Chamille revealed, and her tone caused Liliana to gulp, her throat running dry.

"What are you talking about?" Lili asked, trying to keep her tone calm.

"Yeah, you became super defensive, and that only happens after you've had a close encounter with him. And don't even bother denying it, now spill." Chamille ordered.

"Spill what?" Liliana asked, frowning.

"The details, the tea." Chamille urged.

"There's not much to tell..." Liliana trailed off.

"Lili." Chamille called out, and Liliana groaned, face palming herself as she frowned, feeling the embarrassed blush creeping on her face.

"Chamille, please, just, let it go." Liliana begged. She wasn't one to kiss and tell.

"Alright, alright." Chamille let it go.

"Thank you, by the way, have you heard from Carlos? How's he doing?" Liliana asked, changing the subject.

"He's doing better. He was discharged overnight, and should be back to work in no time." Chamille explained.

"Can I have his number? I think it would be rude of me if I didn't check in on him." Liliana asked, hoping Chamille didn't make anything out her request.

"Yeah sure. Do you have a pen?" Chamille asked, and Liliana had to admit she was somewhat shocked that Chamille gave her the number without asking any questions.

After getting Carlos' number and chatting for a little while longer, the phone call ended between Liliana and Chamille, then Lili called Carlos.

The phone rang for a few, and Liliana almost hung up, when Carlos answered "hello?"

"Hey Carlos, how are you?" Liliana asked, unaware of the smile that sat on her lips.

"Doing okay, thank you...?"

"Oh its Liliana, sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were doing better." Lili stated, before cringing as she realized she probably creeped him out a little.

"Oh hey! How are you?" Carlos asked, his tone instantly warming up.

"I'm okay, Chamille gave me your number, if that's okay." Liliana explained.

"Oh yeah it's fine. I was actually planning on asking her for your number, but I guess you beat me to it." Carlos stated, and Liliana's smile widened as she could feel Carlos' smile from his words.

"Well I figured it would be rude of me to not check in on you. You were one of the first people to welcome me aboard." Liliana explained, as she absentmindedly began playing and twirling her hair.

"Oh? So this call was not because you missed my handsome face?" Carlos asked, feigning hurt.

"What handsome face?" Liliana questioned, mocking confusion.

"Hey be nice to me, I was just in a car accident." Carlos played along.

"Mmh, fair enough." Lili ceded, then she giggled.

"What you doin'?" Carlos asked, his tone casual, making Liliana feel extremely relaxed.

"Oh nothing, just sitting in Rome, looking at my ceiling." Lili admitted.

"So let me get this straight, you're in a beautiful country, and all you can look at is the ceiling?" Carlos asked, though Liliana could hear the flirtatious tone in his words.

"Well I don't have anybody to accompany me to tour the city, and I'm pretty sure you can't top my answer sir, so what are you doing?" Liliana replied, unable to keep herself from matching his tone.

"If you must know, I am currently on the phone with a beautiful woman, and we're just vibing." Carlos stated easily, as if his flirting wasn't making Liliana blush like crazy.

"Vibing?" Liliana asked as she giggle.

"Yeah, we're feeling each other, I'm even thinking of shooting my shot." Carlos stated boldly, and that caught Liliana's attention.

"Oh? Think she'll say yes?" Liliana asked, feeling her heart flutter, her stomach awake with butterflies.

"We'll see." Carlos answered, his tone still relaxing.

"Mmh." Liliana hummed, her smile frozen on her lips.

"Liliana?" Carlos called out.

"Yes Carlos?" Liliana replied, her tone playful and flirty.

"Would you like to have dinner with me Tuesday night?" Carlos asked coolly, and Lili felt her heart skip with joy, but of course she wasn't going to let Carlos know that.

"Mmh I don't know..." Liliana stated as she trailed off.

"Oh come on, I'm desperate here." Carlos groaned, and Lili giggled as she said "alright, if you insist." 

"Thank you, I look forward to an amazing evening." Carlos replied, and Liliana rolled her eyes as she said "yeah, just don't put your expectations to high."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Carlos answered. 

Liliana laughed and readied herself to say something else when Carlos abruptly spoke "Lili, I'm sorry I have to go. Jenna is calling. Call me when you fly in tomorrow night?"

"Alright, I will." Liliana replied, and with a final goodbye, they hung up the call. 

Liliana sighed, then puffed her cheeks as she breathed out once again. After talking to Carlos, Lili had to admit she felt much better. For the past two days she couldn't think of anything except for the kiss she shared with Frantz, followed by when they were in the car, and of course her shocking revelation at the end. 

Every time Liliana thought about Mr. Cavalier's lips, she felt a jolt zap through her lower abdomen. When his finger ran along the length of her leg, and her skirt began riding up... just the thought caused Liliana's lungs to malfunction. Lili hated the fact that this man, she barely knew, was affecting her so much. 

On the other hand, Frantz found himself conflicted between what he should do when it came to Liliana. He knew that she was different from his previous female companions. A girl like Liliana went for a committed relationship, a happy ending. Frantz didn't do happy endings. He didn't do "love". He only committed to a woman for the pleasure, and that pleasure was only for one night. 

Frantz knew that he couldn't rush Liliana, heck he knew that the best option for Lili was if he kept well away from her. Problem is, Liliana had already caught his attention, and when a woman catches Frantz's attention, he didn't let up until he had them in his bed. Or in his sheets, as Liliana put it. 

Frantz sighed, running a hand through his hair. He hadn't seen or heard from Liliana since they arrived at the hotel, and he was becoming restless. He felt the urge to see her. He wanted to be close to her, and yet he knew he had to stay away. Frantz knew that a girl like Liliana was fragile. He would only hurt her. He was not a prince charming, or a knight in shining armor. 

Frantz ran a finger across his lips as he remembered Lili's kiss. Her lips were soft, inviting, and since the first time she pursed her lips at him, he wanted nothing more then to taste them, and feel them, and now that he has, he didn't want anyone else tasting them. Frantz also reminisced on the way he stood between her legs, and the way his finger ran over her soft skin. 

He had to give Liliana credit. She's putting up a lot more resistance than what he was used to, which made the chase so much more interesting. 

Frantz hated the fact that every cell in his body was pushing him to walk out of his penthouse, and head to her room. Frantz knew that if he gave into his desires, if he kissed her again, nothing would stop him from getting Liliana in bed with him. He knew that it wouldn't be fair to Lili, especially since he knew that he'd lose all interest in her the morning after, but for now, he just wanted to catch her off guard, and claim her pouty lips with his own. 

Before Frantz knew it, he was out the door. 

Liliana had just headed to the kitchen to grab a bite, when a knock resonated from her door. Confused, Lili made her way to the door, unsure of who could be on the other side. 

When she opened the door, her heart fell just as her jaw did. There standing before her, was Mr. Cavalier. The top buttons on his shirt were undone, his hair was messy, and he just looked as delicious as a piece of red velvet cake. 

Liliana gulped, frozen, while Mr. Cavalier greedily drank in her appearance. Loose pajama pants, and a singlet. Her hair was down in all its wavy mess, and her lips were naturally red as if she had been biting them previously. 

Liliana knew it was a dumb move, but she slammed the door closed once her brain registered that it was in fact Mr. Cavalier. Frantz blinked dumbfounded at the closed door. He could only guess that she was not happy to see him. But he didn't get where he got today by assuming and guessing, so he knocked again, and again, and again. When Liliana did not open the door, Frantz smiled as he spoke up "Liliana, you do know that I own this hotel right? I can have this door opened in less than a minute, so how about you save us both the hassle, and open the door." 

"What do you want Mr. Cavalier?" Lili couldn't help the edge in her tone.

"Well for one, open the door." Frantz dictated, and Liliana groaned as she rolled her eyes.

"And then what?" Lili found her mouth running off before her brain could even process what she was going to say.

"I will not say anything more until you open this door." Frantz answered calmly, then waited to see what Lili would do.

Liliana raked her mind for a way out of this situation, except nothing was coming to mind, because her brain was too busy creating images of what could happen between her and her boss if she opened the door. Sighing, and already hating her decision, Liliana's sweaty fingers reached for the doorknob. 

Liliana hated that she found herself in a situation, where her decisions were not the smartest or strongest. She knew that opening the door could lead to a lot of hurt and pain, yet there, in that moment where the only thing that stood between her and Frantz was a door, Liliana could only think about what would happen when she opened the door. Not the consequences after. 

Frantz prepared himself to say something, when he heard the door click, and Liliana shyly opened the door. 

Frantz sighed as he took a step inside the suite. Once he was fully inside, Liliana closed the door, then she turned to face him. Lili's heart was already racing, and that was before Frantz turned to face her, his eyes intense and dark. 

Feeling shy under his heavy gaze, Liliana looked away, biting her bottom lip shyly. 

"You should probably stop doing that, or else I won't be able to control myself." Mr. Cavalier spoke up, his voice low and dangerous to Lili's innocence.

"What do you want Frantz?" Liliana snapped before she could stop herself. The moment Frantz's eyes darkened at her words, Liliana knew that she screwed up.

"I think you already know the answer to that question." Frantz replied, and Liliana gulped as she blinked looking away.

"So what I said before doesn't change anything?" Liliana asked, unable to pinpoint what her body was feeling at this point, but she was sure it was mixture between arousal and slight fear. 

"It only changes the pace." Frantz admitted, his words striking Lili's heart. He just had no filter.

"I- Mr. Cavalier please, I-"

"Stop. You changed everything when you decided to call me Frantz, so please call me Frantz." Frantz replied, stopping her mid sentence.

"No." Liliana declined, shaking her head.

"No?" Frantz asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I prefer Mr. Cavalier. What happened earlier was my mistake, and it won't happen again sir." Liliana felt herself drowning in her fear, and embarrassment.

She was screwed. She knew that she was screwed. 

"Alright then, if we're going to be formal about it." Frantz shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets, his posture calm and collected, which was totally the opposite to Liliana's tense posture. 

Liliana cheated a glimpse at Mr. Cavalier's eyes, and she regretted her actions when she found his eyes studying her from her head to her toes. Lili needed a dose of bravado, and she needed it now.

"One night Liliana, it's all I'm asking for." Frantz pushed, and Lili scoffed disgusted, then she looked away rolling her eyes. 

Frantz felt a pang of anger due to her actions, but he was trying to keep himself calm, he didn't want to scare her off, or else it would make this a lot more difficult.

"You said after we kissed you would stop pursuing me, that's why I kissed you in the first place, so that you could leave me alone." Liliana snapped, close to tears, but praying that they stayed at bay until he at least left her alone.

"I know what I said." Frantz shrugged, then he smirked, and that smirk scared Liliana to the core. She felt her mouth run dry as she asked "would you force me?"

"No Ms. Chavez, I may be a lot of things, but I am not a rapist." Frantz clarified strictly.

"So then why do you keep persisting? I've already said 'no' countless of times." Lili finally found herself fighting back, and right on time.

Frantz nodded, his ego dented. He hated this, but it seems he was going to have to play dirty.

Frantz removed his hands from his pockets, and approached Liliana. When he was close enough that their bodies were breaths away from touching, he used his hand to tuck a piece of Lili's hair behind her ear. Liliana looked down then away, her lungs ready to start their comical act once again. 

Frantz studied Liliana's reaction to him at a close proximity. He noticed her cheeks flush, and her breathing begin to change. He caressed his finger along the length of her neck, then shoulder, then down her arm, until his fingers where touching hers. 

Liliana all but shuddered at his touch. 

Frantz intertwined his fingers with hers, and Liliana wanted to melt. Her body was on overdrive due to the amount of feelings that overwhelmed her system. Her heart was palpitating, she was sweating in places she probably shouldn't be, and her face was on fire. 

"Liliana," Frantz spoke, his voice a not above a whisper, which caused a sensation to run along Lili's spine at the way he called out her name.

"Yes." Liliana replied, cringing internally at the alien tone that erupted from her throat.

"You have to understand, when I want something, I stop at nothing until I get it, but for you, I'll make an exception. Tell me 'No'. Here and now, and I will let you be. You will never have to expect this behavior from me again." Frantz bargained.

"What's the catch?" Liliana asked carefully, though she was sure they had this conversation before.

"None. You tell me 'no' here and now, and I drop this entire thing. Just say the word." Frantz admitted, his breathing also changing, because standing close to Liliana, he could imagine just how many things he could do to her while she stood with her back flushed against the door.

"No catch? You will let me do my job without interruption? And you will no longer invade my personal bubble?" Lili asked, wanting to be sure of Mr. Cavalier's motives.

"No catch." Frantz assured, as he intertwined his other fingers with hers, urging Liliana to turn her face up to his. 

Theirs lips were literally brushing again each other. Liliana felt their softness, but she knew that this was all his tactic to seduce her. She knew that she had to be strong, she gave into him once, but now he was giving her a free pass, with no catch, Liliana had to believe that he meant it. 

Lili felt her stomach performing somersaults, while her skin was disturbed by goosebumps. She sighed and closed her eyes, Frantz's lips still brushing against hers. 

All she had to do was say no.

"Do you promise?" Liliana asked, wanting to be sure that her efforts would not be wasted if she said 'no'.

"I promise." Frantz swore, the dent in his ego getting bigger and bigger with every confirmation that Liliana asked for. He knew that he lied through his teeth, of course he wouldn't let her off the hook. He already told Liliana that he wouldn't stop at nothing until he got what he wanted, so he expected Liliana to make a smart decision. But he already felt her rejection before she spoke it, which meant that he would have to work at making her yearn for him. This would only prolong both their miseries, but Frantz didn't mind, especially if it meant getting Liliana in the end.

"No." Liliana suddenly declared out loud, her eyes piercing his.

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