Narrator-

Three hours after breakfast, Liliana was stepping out of Frantz's plane, and onto New York soil. The sun was out, and it was a beautiful day for a ball. During the flight, Lili didn't have to play hostess since it was her day off, so she simply distracted herself by reading her books. Well, she made a show of distracting herself, though the book in all honesty served as an object Liliana used to scrutinize while she felt Frantz constantly watching her.

Liliana-

After Frantz burst through my door last night and caught me off guard with his declaration, I've felt as though I haven't been able to breathe correctly. I was now constantly conscious of his eyes on me. And the more I felt him staring, the harder I prayed. No one told me that staying abstinent was going to be this difficult. And every time I slip up and allow myself to be taken over by lust, I never fail to mentally scold myself.

I have never been in this serious of a relationship, and it occurred to me that any little thing could have Frantz on edge. It was never my intention to set him off this morning, had I remembered all the little high school girl gossip pointers, maybe I would've stopped myself from rubbing against his body, though it was unintentional.

I had to admit, I did feel bad, and maybe a little concerned for Frantz.

He said he loved me, and I was over the moon, but I still feared that he wouldn't wait much longer. This fear caused me to bite my lip in apprehension. He was an experienced man. He has known pleasure from a woman, yet here I was restraining him from his manly nature. Was I being selfish?

Before I went any further, I shook my head to stop myself from doubting. Of course I wasn't being selfish. This was my decision, it was my body, it was my heart on the line, and I had to do anything in my power to protect myself.

Not that I feared that Frantz would hurt me. He has proven to me over and over how much he cares for me. And when he spoke of his brother, I realized that this was not something he did for everyone. I hated myself for this, but for a moment, I wondered if he had shared this heartfelt story with Christina. But as soon as I thought of her name, my stomach churned with nausea. I didn't want to think about that woman.

Taking a deep breath, I chanced a look towards Frantz who had opened his laptop and had begun typing away. When he read over his work, he had this cure habit of furrowing his brow deeply, as he muttered his words on his lips. And if he wasn't doing that, then he had the signature lean against his elbow, with his index finger resting against his lips.

"See something you like Ms. Chavez?" He asked, though his eyes remained on the screen, and slightly embarrassed that I had been caught, I scoffed and said, "hardly."

"Well I am offended." He said wounded.

"As you should be," I replied, then added, "you should never assume Mr. Cavalier."

"Who said it was an assumption?" He smiled, and I simply shrugged, and looked away, unable to stop the smile that lingered on my lips.

"Don't turn from me when you're smiling, I love seeing you smile." He complimented, and I giggled, unable to stop myself from hiding my face. He laughed at my reaction, and I shook my head. How did I fall so hard for this man? I would never know. But I knew one thing for sure, and it was that I loved him with all my heart.

Narrator-

The couple finished their trip in comfortable silence, when they landed Frantz had Armagio take he and Lili to his hotel, and there they had a quick lunch before they headed to a dress shop. The moment Liliana stepped foot in the store, her jaw hit the ground.

She didn't even have to look at the price tags to know that these outfits were expensive.

Dresses upon dresses of different shades and colors, and lengths graced the halls and aisles of the store. Liliana looked around in wonder then she gulped as turned to Frantz and said, "this is too much, Frantz I'm used to fancy dresses from Burlington, but this is overwhelming."

"Lili babe, why can't you just appreciate the idea that I want to spoil you and make you happy?" Frantz asked her softly, "because money doesn't make me happy Frantz, you do. I-I'm not used to this, and I don't want you spending money on a dress I may never wear again."

"Alright, let's make a deal. We buy this one dress, and next time I'll let you pick the place you want to shop." Frantz decided to bargain with Liliana. He didn't want to overwhelm her, and he was willing to compromise.

Liliana looked into Frantz's eyes, but realized that he wasn't going to back off his deal, so with a huff, and an "alright," Liliana agreed.

Frantz smiled as if he won the lottery just as the store owner appeared. He was a short and peppy man with really good taste. He kissed Liliana's cheeks one too many times, and may have been a little to close for comfort, but by the time their shopping experience was done, Liliana had purchased an off shoulder rose gold sequin dress, with a split to show off her right leg.

Next Frantz escorted Liliana to get a manicure and pedicure, and for that Lili did not complain. After the special treatment to her hands and feet, Liliana and Frantz stopped for pizza, before she was taken to her hair and make up appointment. When Liliana realized that she'd have to get eyeliner applied, she almost ran back to the car.

By the time all the pampering, hair pulling, and eye poking was done, Liliana was very sleepy, but there was no time to nap.

The couple returned to the hotel, and had to get ready. Frantz was ready before Liliana, and when she stepped out of her guest room, his eyes widened in shock.

Her long brown hair had been styled and pinned in a side bun. Her make up appealed to her natural beauty, and she was a sight to see.

"Wow," Frantz whispered in awe, and Liliana giggled softly as she looked down and asked, "how do I look?"

"Absolutely amazing." Frantz responded, then he looped their elbows together, which Lili was grateful for, and he led them out of the hotel.

During the car ride, Liliana kept playing with her fingers, and Frantz could tell she was nervous.

"Don't worry, it's a ball similar to last time." Frantz reassured, and Liliana sighed as she looked at Frantz and asked, "Are you going to be nicer this time?"

"What do you mean?" Frantz asked perplexed, "to the contract seekers, the ones who greeted you kindly," Liliana clarified, and Frantz groaned annoyed as he explained, "why do I have to be nice to them? They're nothing but opportunistic leeches."

"Wow, I see you made quite the improvement on your social skills." Liliana rolled her eyes and laughed, and Frantz simply scowled and looked out of the window.

"Look," Liliana sighed, "you don't have to give them a contract, but you still need to be nicer to them. Tell you what, for every person you greet and treat kindly tonight, you'll get a kiss." Liliana baited, and Frantz looked her way quizzically before he said, "Alright deal."

It was Liliana's turn to smile as if she won the lottery, but her smile quickly faded, the blood draining from her face when the limo pulled up to the red carpet which was swarming with paparazzi.

Frantz noticed her discomfort and grabbed her hand as he squeezed it and reassured, "just like last time, you hold on to me, and you stay close." With a quick nod and a nervous breath, Liliana intertwined her fingers with Frantz's just as Armagio pulled up to the red carpet. The cameras were flashing even before the door was open, and when they realized who it was, it was as if the crowd went into a craze.

Bright flashes blinded Liliana, and she turned her face into Frantz's neck, and he wrapped his arms around her waist protectively as he led her through the crowd.

"Mr. Cavalier over here!"

"Mr. Cavalier turn to here!"

"Mr. Cavalier!"

"Mr. Cavalier!"

From right and left the couple were getting bashed with camera flashes and shouting.

When they had finally made it inside, Liliana sighed in relief, and now it was Frantz's turn to be unsettled. The fact that he had to play nice with the other CEOs annoyed him. But he was willing to do anything if it meant making Liliana happy... that and the fact that there was a kiss, or multiple kisses waiting for him at the end of the night.

When they entered the ballroom, they were welcomed by the hosts of the ball, and Mr. Cavalier was thanked for his handsome donation to the fundraiser.

Surprisingly, Frantz played it cool when he met the other CEOs, he only time he didn't seem so friendly was if someone took too much interest in Liliana, and at that point he would simply pull her closer to his side, and she would look at him, and he would give her swift kiss on the cheek and a smile.

Liliana played along well, and when they had finally sat down, she smiled thankfully, ready for an awesome evening.

Until Christina walked in that is.

She made quite the entrance, and Liliana instantly felt her back stiffen, but to her surprise, Frantz did not even bat and eyelash in Christina's direction. His mood did not change, and his attention remained on Liliana the entire time.

Lili also tried to distract herself, but every time she heard someone utter Christina's name, she felt her skin crawl. Throughout the night, the couple drank champagne, listened to speeches, shared a few dances, and laughed.

At one point near the end of the evening, Frantz received a call from his mother and he had to step away.

In that moment, Liliana simply sipped on her drink and looked around as she wondered if she would ever get used to sights like these. Men in expensive suits, women in beautiful dresses, and lost of financial competition. Lost in her own thoughts, Liliana didn't notice Christina approach her table until she sat in the chair next to Liliana.

Christina had been watching the couple from afar, and she felt sick to her stomach when she noticed how Frantz openly displayed his relationship with Liliana. Christina never imagined Frantz would get over her, and yet here was this small town girl, taking Frantz away from her.

Well Christina wasn't having it. She didn't plan to approach Frantz, but instead aimed to rattle Liliana and freak her out. Hopefully scare her enough that Liliana would leave Frantz.

With a new plan in mind, Christina approached Liliana, while Frantz was still away on the phone call.

As soon as Christina sunk herself down in the chair next to Lili, Liliana tensed up, and Christina smiled as she said "relax, you don't need to be so nervous around me. I don't bite. But do you know who does?" She questioned casually, as if she and Liliana were long time friends.

Liliana dumbly shook her head in sign of 'no' and Christina leaned towards Lili as she whispered "Frantz". Liliana's eyes widened and she gulped uncomfortably as Christina pulled away and laughed then she added "yeah, as long as you want him to, he'll bite."

Through Christina's taunting, Liliana chose to remain silent. Lili was aware that she didn't have a good poker face, but she trusted her facial expressions more than her tongue, so at this point, silence was her best friend. Plus, Liliana had no reply to Christina's vulgar dialogue, and Christina took it as a sign to dig her claws further into Lili's vulnerability.

"Oh my, don't tell me you haven't been to bed with him yet." Christina exclaimed in a harsh whisper, as though it was a shameful thing to say.

Liliana looked away, drawing a frustrated breath through her nostrils, and Christina hid a devious smile behind her hand as she shook her head and feigned a frown while saying "Lili honey it just won't do. Do you know what I had to do to get him to propose to me. I had to show him the goods he would get for the rest of his life," Christina offered her unnecessary advice, which drove Lili up the wall. Liliana wanted to get up and walk away, but she saw that it would only prove to Christina that she had managed to unsettle her, and Lili didn't want that.

So she stayed put. She kept her mouth shut, but she stayed put.

Meanwhile, Christina kept on with her mental slaughter, "If you're not putting up anything, he might lose interest quicker than you can blink," Christina explained, and though Liliana told herself not to listen, she felt her heart plummet to the darkest pits of her stomach, as her soul tore apart with fear.

Liliana blinked quickly, her breath faltering, and Christina saw that as a sign to keep going, "You have to give him something that will make sure he won't go anywhere." Christina coached, and though Liliana hated this moment, her ears listened eagerly, while her heart began to jump in her chest.

"I'm telling you, show him what you got girl, or else, he'll go out hunting for someone more available. He's a man with needs," Christina said, growling to add emphasis on the 'needs', meanwhile Liliana felt as if it was getting hard to breathe with every passing second, "Don't you think it's a shame on your part to make him wait?" Christina blamed, and Liliana flinched internally as she blinked quickly, her breathing picking up the pace, as her chest began to heave softly, "You're forcing him to think about seeking pleasure elsewhere love." Christina continued innocently, as if she didn't have a clue that Liliana was crumbling beside her. She spoke as if she had Liliana's best intentions at heart.

Christina smiled internally with glee then she added one final line just to make sure her words stuck, "Don't keep him waiting too long, or your might lose him altogether-"

"Excuse me!" Liliana chocked out as she stood to her feet and rushed away.

Liliana rushed out of the ballroom just as Frantz was coming back. She crashed into his chest, and he held her waist to keep her from falling.

"Hey are you alright?" Frantz asked as he noticed Liliana was breathing heavily, and her face was red as she attempted to hold back her tears.

"I want to go." Liliana declared, "NOW." She pushed and with a quick, "alright," Frantz led her out.

On the way to the hotel, Liliana did not say a word. She simply stared out the window, and attempted to gulp her tears away, but when they lodged in her throat, it created a painful lump which Lilian could not ignore.

Frantz could only imagine what may have caused Liliana to be this upset. He wanted to ask her what happened, but he figured it was best if he let her cool down first. Liliana could be as dangerous as an angry chihuahua when she was mad, and the last thing Frantz wanted was for her to stop the car and storm off, like she did once before.

When they reached the hotel, and Frantz opened the door to his suite, Lili didn't say a words. She quickly stormed past him, and headed to her room and slammed the door shut as she breathed out in a mixture of short sobs and disgruntled heaves. She wanted to scream. The pressure of her anger pressed against her forehead, as Liliana stood still, placing a cold palm against her head as she closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing.

She sniffled through her nostrils just as aggravated tears escaped her shaking eyelids, as she placed another hand on her stomach. She sobbed out quietly, pressing a hand against her lips to muffle her cries, meanwhile her head began to pound with a harsh headache.

Liliana shook her head in disappointment.

This is what she feared the most. She knew an experienced man such as Frantz would eventually want sex. And whether she was ready or not, Liliana believed what Christina said. She hated herself for agreeing, but maybe she now believed she had to give something to Frantz to make him stick around.

Liliana was shaken from her thoughts when Frantz knocked on the door as he said "hey babe, I'm just going to get ready for bed. I know you're angry, but I am giving you space. If you need to talk, you know where to find me, if not, then don't forget to pack, we're leaving bright and early tomorrow." When Frantz finished, he waited, but eventually, he received nothing.

Liliana didn't reply, and Frantz headed to his room.

Frantz was such a gentleman, he deserved to be treated right... right? Liliana couldn't possibly believe that she was considering this. But eventually, she forced herself to be believe that she had to compensate Frantz for his patience and troubles, and love. Wiping her nose and her trail of tears, Liliana looked to her reflection as she nodded, knowing exactly what she had to do.

Liliana removed her dress and jewelry. She took her hair out of it's do, and slipped on a pair of pajamas which were easy to remove, but she kept her underwear on. Then after washing her face, and giving herself a pep talk, Liliana exited her room, and headed to Frantz's room. She entered without knocking, and found him removing his shirt.

She approached him as he greeted "hey, is everything okay-mmh" his question was muffled at the end when Liliana simply flushed herself against his body, and began to kiss him.

Frantz was ready to kiss her back but couldn't help but feel that the kiss felt forced.

He pulled away with a frown to ask "hey are you okay?"

But Liliana refused to respond. Instead she pushed him down to sit on the bed, and she straddled him as she kissed him again. As she did so, her nose began to burn, her throat started to hurt with the lump of tears, but she pushed past every resistance.

"Wait- Lili-" Frantz tried to speak, but Liliana didn't give him the chance. She kissed him and began unbuttoned her shirt with trembling fingers, but then her tears began to spill uncontrollably, and there was no stopping. When Frantz felt something wet drip onto his shoulders, he pulled away just as Liliana opened her shirt to reveal her bra.

"Woah, woah, Lili babe slow down." Frantz rushed to stop her from going any further, while he held her hands. Liliana sobbed in frustration as she asked "isn't this what you want? Something to keep you around?" And Frantz shook his head blinking as he said "no, why would you think that?" But Liliana didn't reply. She searched his eyes in frustration for a sign that he was holding back from having sex with her, but he stared back with genuine worry. Realizing what she had done, Lili released a broken sobbed, then quickly covered her face with her palms, and quietly sobbed into them, as Frantz saw to bringing her shirt back together again. He buttoned it silently, then he clasped his hand around her wrists and pulled them from her face.

She looked down in shame but Frantz refused to let it go, as he placed a hand under her chin and looked into her eyes as he said "I never, ever, want you to feel pressured about doing anything you're not ready for. Liliana, you're it for me. I have nowhere else to go. I don't want to go anywhere else." He declared softly, as he wiped her tears away. And Liliana pouted, so confused as to why and how she let Christina get to her. She was stronger than this, Liliana knew that she was stronger than this.

Frantz looked into Lili's eyes adoringly. He caressed her face, then he kissed her nose, and her wet cheeks, as he declared "I love you for you. Not for sex, not for your body, but for you, and what's in here," he tapped the area above her heart, "and here," he tapped to the side of her head, "everything else comes after." He finished, and then he kissed her.

He didn't kiss her out of lust. He didn't kiss her out of want. He kissed her to convince her and to seal his words.