Frantz-

I looked over at Liliana's sleeping form, and absentmindedly ran my index finger over her exposed cheek. The softness of her skin caused me to smile and sigh. I tried to keep my touch as light as possible, in hope of not waking her up. After she made her bold statement in the bathroom accusing me of leaving her alone, I asked what she meant, but she simply remained silent, so I finished brushing her hair in silence, then I carried her to the bed, where she laid quietly until eventually she fell asleep. And all this time I had been standing above her and staring at her face like a total creep.

Shaking my head, I removed my hand from her face, and breathed out awkwardly before I walked out of the room, making sure to keep the door unlocked. Heading downstairs to the kitchen, I grabbed a glass of scotch and sat on my couch, while I thought about how I would handle the entire situation with Liliana. I hated seeing her like this, and if it wasn't for Carlos being in police custody right now, I probably would hunt him down and hurt him some more.

I hated the fact that Carlos had the chance to prey on Liliana, and now he has traumatized her. How was I supposed to appeal to Liliana now? Especially when she often looked ta me as though I am the enemy.

I gulped back the bitter content of my glass as I remembered just how void her eyes appeared when I brushed her hair. I never thought I'd see the day where I yearned for Lili to threaten to kill me with a wine bottle. But I did. I wanted the sassy Liliana back, and maybe I would get her back, with a little bit of patience and lots of kindness. The only thing I couldn't do was let her go. And I know that the moment she woke up, it would be the topic of the day.

Call me selfish, but after seeing what happened between her and Carlos, I didn't want to give Liliana the chance to meet anyone else. I wanted her all to myself, because I know that for one, I would never force myself on her. And secondly, I didn't want to even think of the picture of her being in the arms of another man.

Before Carlos turned into the antagonist of this story, I still remember the urge to break his face and fingers when I saw him kissing on her at the airport. I had never felt a sense of possession towards anyone before, not even Christina. But Liliana, from the very first time I laid eyes on her, I knew she was different. Now Carlos may have almost ruined my chances to earn Lili's trust, but there was still hope.

At least... that's what I hoped.

I chuckled bitterly as a sharp pain suddenly erupted in my chest. And it was more mental then physical. I had done it. I had broken the one promise I made to myself. And it hurt. After Christina, I promised myself that I wouldn't fall for another woman. After I picked up the pieces of my broken heart, I sealed it shut with a wall composed of sex and booze. The more beds I laid on, the harder my resolve became. The more women I met, the more I pushed to never love another.

And then along came Liliana. And yeah, she pretty much destroyed that wall with her sassy comments, and her refreshing personality, and now, my heart was left exposed once again, and the pain of my shattered wall was making itself known in my chest. And just to add salt to the wound, I hated hoping, I hated uncertainties, I hated not knowing, especially when my heart was on the line.

And yet... I still hoped.

My hoping, however, would come to a sudden halt, when my phone rang, and I happily picked it up and greeted the one woman who has never betrayed my love, "ciao Madre".

"Don't 'ciao Madre' me you little bugiardo (liar)!" She greeted back, and I knew that by her tone, she was pissed.

"Ma, what happened?" I asked, with a sigh, aiming to calm her down.

"What happened is that you lied to me." She accused, her European accent making her words ten times more dramatic

"You told me that as soon as you returned from Rome you would come for a visit, but you never did." She revealed, and I groaned, closing my eyes, and facepalming myself once I had realized my mistake.

Of course I would forget. She had every right to chew me up.

"Ay mamma Mi dispiace (I'm sorry)." I apologized, using our language, hoping to appeal to her and ease her anger.

"Oh don't you dare try to ease yourself out of this one. You are your father's son, knowing exactly how to push my buttons, and knowing exactly what to say to get yourself out of trouble. But not this time mister!" my mother scolded, and I had to give it to her.

She knew me well.

I chose to gulp back the last of my drink when she asked, out of the blue, "so what is her name?" and in that moment, there was a mishap in my throat as I swallowed, and a bit of the burning alcohol traveled down the wrong pipe causing me to stifle a harsh string of coughs with my hands.

"Ma, what are you talking about?" I asked, as I tried to past my coughing and wheezing as a harsh yet failed attempt to clear my throat.

"You know exactly what I am talking about. Only a woman would have you in this mood." My mother probed, making sure to emphasize on the word 'mood'.

"I am not in a 'mood'." I tried to defend. But maybe I responded too quickly.

"Mmh hmm, defensive, forgetful, brooding... il mio amore (my love), you're in a mood." My mom persisted, and I rolled my eyes knowing very well if she was sitting close to me, she would've slapped the back of my head so hard my brain would shake in my skull.

"Mamma, I am not going to argue with you." I gave up.

There was no point in denying anything when my mom was already on the right track. Because I was the only child, she knew me like the back of her hand. I couldn't hide anything from her, even if I wanted to.

"Don't because you will lose." My mom stated, in a matter of fact tone.

"Right." I simply replied, seeing no point in saying anything else.

"Listen, there is nothing wrong with you finding love, I just, I don't want a repeat of three years ago. It took a while to get you out of that hole. Whomever you've met now, just don't be too quick to trust her with your heart, I would hate to have to pick up the pieces once again." My mother advised and pleaded softly.

"Mamma-"

"Just promise me." She begged passionately.

Sighing and closing my eyes, I replied, "lo prometto. (I promise)"

"Va bene, ti amo figlio mio, ciao.(Okay, I love you my son.)" My mom stated softly.

I smiled as I replied, "ti amo mamma, ciao.(I love you mom)"

I hung up the phone and sighed quietly as I leaned back against the couch and closed my eyes, which reopened just as quick when I heard a floorboard crack a few steps behind me. I turned around and noticed Liliana standing at the base of the stairs, her eyes as suspicious as her silent steps.

"Hi." I greeted softly, hoping to not scare her off. My aim was to have a nice and slow approach.

"Hi." She replied, her fingers playing softly with the hem of my shirt that reached her upper thighs.

"How are you feeling?" I asked carefully, trying to not appear like a creep who loved the image of her dressed in my clothing.

"Um better, a little thirsty with a killer headache, do you have anything...?" She trailed off, as she looked down, her cheeks flaring with a crimson blush.

"Uh yeah, just have a seat, I'll get you something." I invited, and while she made her way to the couch, I headed to the kitchen and grabbed her a glass of water, and an aspirin. While I did so, I told myself to play it school and not scare her off. I just needed her to trust me.

After taking a breath, I returned to the sitting area where I found Lili looking over a picture of me and mother in Rome, and when she noticed me, she quickly placed the frame down, and I could see her eyes become guarded. I handed her the glass and pill, and took a seat across from her. She drank her water and medication quietly, and when she was done, she placed the glass down on the coffee table, and sat with her hands intertwined and resting on her thighs.

I leaned back on the love seat, and waited for her to speak.

And speak, she did.

Narrator-

"You sound beautiful when you speak Italian." Liliana blurted out nervously before she could stop herself.

"Thank you." Frantz nodded his head, and smiled softly. He already knew where this conversation was going.

"So I want to go." Liliana declared after taking another awkward pause. Frantz was glad to see that she wasted no time at all to get straight to the point.

"Go where?" Frantz asked, his tone remaining casual. No stress.

"Home." Liliana replied, though her tone already sounded annoyed.

"No." Frantz said without wasting a breath.

"What do you mean no? You can't keep me here." Liliana was ready to put up a fight, even though her brain was literally throbbing with an annoying ache.

"I mean no, you're not going anywhere." Frantz declared. He was done playing games.

"So what? Is this some kind of kidnapping or something? keeping me here against my will?" Liliana felt herself getting hotter by the second.

"Word it however you wish, you're not leaving." Frantz replied with a tone of finality.

"Watch me." Liliana declared, then she pursed her lips and stood up as she headed to the door. Frantz watched her from his seat, knowing the next few moments were going to be very entertaining.

Liliana reached the door, and turned what she believed was the lock. Then she twisted the knob and smiled when it turned completely without restrictions, however when she tried to pull the door open, it wouldn't budge. She pulled and pulled, she struggled and slapped it with an open palm, but the door the did not budge, except for the light jiggle in the frame.

"Come on!" Liliana raged as she slapped the door once more, and shook it with all her might, but when the door simply mocked her lack of strength by staying closed, she turned and stomped her way back to Mr. Cavalier, who feigned a shocked expression.

"Back so soon?" Frantz asked, and Liliana huffed as she said "this is not funny. Frantz I can't be here. I don't want to be here."

"I know, but Lili I just want to help. Allow me to be there for you." Frantz offered, not ready to give up.

"No. Frantz I don't want to be around you. I want nothing to do with you, do you hear me? NOTHING!" Liliana raged, feeling the urge to hit something.

"Okay, be honest Liliana. Why is it that you can't look at me long enough to see that I am a man, a man, who wants nothing more but for the opportunity to get to know you? Why is it that a man like Carlos can get your full attention, but for me, I have to literally force you into situations just so that I can get you to look at me? Huh? Tell me that." Frantz pushed back as he stood to his feet.

"Because Mr. Cavalier, I know that falling for a man like you, though it might feel good at first, I am bound to get my heart broken, and that is something I would rather spare myself from." Liliana admitted, and Frantz chuckle darkly as he said, "Lili don't turn me into the bad guy."

"Oh my God Frantz do you hear yourself? You can't force me to be with you." Liliana argued wanting to come off as assertive and brave, then she scoffed as she added "How do you expect me to fall in love with you if you don't give me the choice?"

"I did," Frantz replied, then he shrugged, "but you chose wrong," he declared with leveled eyes, "Know that nothing you say or do is going to make me let you go."

"You know what Frantz, just forget it. Leave me alone." Liliana shook her head and crossed her arms looking away. She knew this conversation all too well, and she already knew that Frantz would give up upon request. He was all talk but no action, and if he took step, one push back from her, and Frantz backed off quicker than someone who's been burnt. She knew that he would do this.

Frantz looked over at Liliana and wanted to laugh. How could he not see the pattern before? She enjoyed the chase as much as he did, even when she pretended to be bothered by it. Well this time, Frantz refused to take the bait. It was time they played by his rules.

"Uh uh, Nope. I am not falling for this trap again. Every time, every single time, you tell me to leave you alone, and go away, the moment I do it, you seem disappointed, as if you wanted me to put up a fight. So be honest Liliana, what do you want from me?" Frantz questioned, wanting to know exactly what naughty thoughts ran through Lili's mind, when she was yearning for the adrenaline of being chased.

"Nothing, you play at being a hardass and a possessive dominant man, but you give up so easily, it goes to show just how much you're willing to stick around and fight for me." Liliana admitted, and something clicked in Frantz's brain. There it was.

Maybe Liliana was not as innocent as she presented herself to be. And Frantz was ready to unveil the bad girl who put up an innocent façade.

Frantz took in a deep breath, and pocketed his hands as he studied Liliana.

"You want me to be possessive and dominant Liliana?" Frantz asked in a low tone, and that brought Lili's racing heart to a hard screech as she felt her blood run cold from the tone of his voice. And she gulped.

What was happening? Liliana wondered, why wasn't he giving up as usual? Now Liliana was nervous. Frantz never went off-script before. Liliana was nervous. Her shallow breathing, her fluttering heart, her hot head, and her suddenly sweaty fingers, told her as much.

The way Frantz stared at her, and the way he began stalking her way, Lili shook her head and backed away, her mouth moving but no words formed. She gulped when he smirked at her actions, and she felt her legs go weak and her heart thrum in the pit of her lower abdomen when her back hit against the door she had previously abused. Now she wanted nothing more for this door to help create some space between her, and the towering foreign handsome beau with the dark hair and dark eyes, that melted every ounce of her bravado, and left her without a defense against her sudden rang hormones that made her body well aware of the male presence that now stood facing her.

"Well?" Frantz asked, shrugging casually, his hands still in his pockets.

How did he appear so casual?

Liliana gulped again, and gasped, when Frantz cocked his head to the side in indication that he was waiting for her to speak.

"I-I- I m-mean, um I- I, didn't, I mean, it's really hot in here," Liliana panted, needing to say something. Anything.

Frantz hummed then removed his right hand from his pocket, and cupped Liliana's left cheek, with his thumb tracing her bottom lip. Lili squeaked quietly, when Frantz drew in a breath as his thumb continued to kiss her bottom lip. A second later, Frantz's hand had caressed it's way down the side of her neck, along her vein, until he rested it above her chest. His warm palm sat against her chest, and Liliana could feel her heartbeat vibrate in his palm. She felt the butterflies invade her stomach, and she realized that things were moving too quickly. She wasn't prepared for this, she wasn't ready, at least that's what her brain was saying.

But when Frantz closed the space between their bodies, his lips kissing the tip of her ear, his soft breath brushing over the skin of her shoulder, Liliana knew that there was no way she wanted him to stop. And yes, Liliana was aware that she was in fact crazy.

Closing his eyes, Frantz simply enjoyed the scent of his shampoo in her hair, and the warmth of her body. He also reveled at her excited heartbeat. He didn't want to push her too far. He knows that she had yet to recover from Carlos's attack, but after her bold dare and declaration, Frantz wanted to nark his territory. At the thought, Frantz brought his lips to rest over the skin between her shoulder and neck.

Liliana breathed through parted lips at his actions, and in that moment, produced a soft sound that had Frantz fighting every instinct that begged him to do with her as he please against that door. Consent It's what he had been waiting for from her, and now that she gave it to him, he would pace himself. Liliana was his forever.

Frantz flushed her body fully against the cold door, and in response, Liliana grabbed onto his shirt, and her soft lips brushed against the exposed skin at the base of his neck, above his shirt. Lili could tell that Frantz wasn't trying to rush the situation. And for that she was thankful. She was also thankful to be sandwiched against his body and the door because her legs were already jelly, and her private area felt ready to be published to the man who currently had her body in overdrive.

Frantz finally kissed her skin, and Liliana closed her eyes, wanting to collapse. Her grip became tighter on his shirt, when he bit down on her skin, causing her to hiss, then release the same sound that caused Frantz to keep his hips away from Lili, or else she would feel exactly what he meant when he said that she was hurting him.

Lili closed her eyes and gulped when his tongue tasted the area which he nipped, then his soft lips returned with a loving peck.

Frantz removed his head from the crook of her neck, brushing his lips over her forehead, and nose, then cheeks, but he purposely avoided her lips.

He skillfully returned to her ear, then kissed it, then he opened his eyes smiled deviously, as he placed his lips close to her ear and whispered "do you want to play by my rules Liliana?"

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