Terry walked into Stella's room, stifling a yawn and rubbing his eyes. He paused in the doorway, a smile pulling at his lips when he saw them all asleep. Mila was curled around Stella, hugging her back to her chest, and Marcus was curled around Mila, one of his hands intertwined with Mila's. All three were still asleep and while he didn't want to wake them, Stella was on a strict schedule for meds.

Terry moved around to the side Stella was on and crouched down, brushing his hand over her bald head. "Time to get up, Stel."

Stella scrunched up her face and turned it towards the bed, her fists clenching the blankets and pulling them closer. "No."

"Come on, sweetheart. At least for medicine. You can nap after if you want."

Mila stirred, her eyes slowly blinking open. She stretched a bit and Marcus held her tighter, his face buried in her hair. Heat rose to her cheeks and a smile pulled at her lips. He stayed with them and cuddled her all night. She'd never done something so personal and intimate with someone.

"Sorry," Terry said, offering Mila a smile. "It's time for meds."

"No, it's okay," Mila said, giving Stella a little squeeze. "I have to get up for work, anyway."

"Aww," Stella pouted, twisting in Mila's arms and pouting. "Call in sick."

"I can't, baby, I'm sorry," Mila said, pressing another kiss to Stella's forehead. "I'll come back after work though, okay?"

"Okay," Stella sighed, snuggling against Mila's chest. "I don't want to get up."

"I feel you," Mila said, lightly nudging Marcus with her elbow. "We're getting up."

Marcus groaned and shook his head. "I'm with Stella. Call in sick."

"Yeah," Stella grinned.

"If only."

With much effort, all of them got up and Terry offered breakfast. Mila was already up late so she only grabbed an apple on her way out the door. Marcus went with her, flying her home so she could change, then to work so she wouldn't have to take the bus. As they stood outside her building, they both found it uncharacteristically difficult to part.

When Marcus set Mila on her feet in the alleyway near her office building, his arm stayed around her waist until they were in front of the building, then the other wrapped around her again. He'd never known why couples stood around with their arms around each other, not doing anything that looked remotely interesting. Yet, as he stood there with Mila and stared down at her face, in her deep brown eyes, he didn't want to move. He didn't want to let her go as much as she didn't want to let him go. Her arms stayed draped over his shoulders and looking away from his eyes seemed like an impossible feat.

"I've gotta get up there," Mila finally said.

Marcus lowered his head until his forehead met hers. "Okay."

"Okay."

The verbal agreement changed nothing physically. They stayed where they were, neither loosening their hold, neither looking away. It was the first time Mila understood the cheesy phrase she'd heard countless times. That they might as well have been the only people standing on that street, or really living in the world at all. She was hardly aware of anything else happening around them, she just knew the second his arms weren't around her waist, she would miss them.

"Good morning, love birds."

Callum's voice snapped them out of the spell and Mila looked over, smiling sheepishly. "Good morning. I was just on my way up."

"I'll either hold the elevator for you or purposely close the doors so you're stuck down here longer," Callum grinned, opening the glass door and slipping inside before Mila could respond.

A breathy laugh escaped and she found her eyes barely stayed on Callum at all. She wanted to look at someone else. Gazing up at Marcus, she stretched on her toes to bring her lips to his. "Well now one of the bosses saw me, so I really have to go."

"Okay." Marcus slid his hand behind her head and what was supposed to be a small goodbye peck turned into a much deeper kiss that left Mila's hands sliding down to his chest and fisting his shirt as she held back the moan. "I'll see you later."

"Mhm, later," Mila agreed, stepping back, and wrapping her arms around herself in the hopes it would help her not miss his so much. It didn't work.

Marcus gave her one of his rare, real smiles. Not a smirk, not a teasing grin, just a genuine smile she didn't get to see enough of, tiny as it was. Mila returned the smile and glanced down at her phone to check the time to see how late she was. By the time she looked up, Marcus was gone.

Sighing, Mila went inside and rode the elevator by herself, leaning back against the wall and brushing her fingers against her lips. Their kisses changed recently. They weren't as much the intense fire she grew used to, more of a slow burn that lingered against her lips and left her in anticipation of the next time. She'd just kissed him, and she already wanted to again. Not the way she did before, not in a way that made her excited and wanting to strip off their clothes, but another slow burn kiss that just left her warm and content. One that didn't lead anywhere except to how they were outside. Arms around each other, not wanting to let go.

Mila sucked in a breath, realizing she'd never felt anything like this before. She had crushes, she had boyfriends and lovers, but nothing came close to this. She never wanted to kiss someone just to kiss them without it leading somewhere else. She never wanted to have someone hold her just to hold her and for no other purpose. Now, she wondered if he enjoyed that hug as much as she did, if his lips still tingled like she did. It was a tingling she suspected would only diminish when he kissed her again.

Focusing at work was never an easy thing, but it was harder now her thoughts were somewhere else. Still, she did her best to pay attention in the meetings, her spirit dampening when a huge stack of case files was on her desk when the meeting let out. She slumped down in her chair and pulled out her phone first before addressing the mess.

Excitement bubbled over as she saw she had new messages, but the excitement faded when she found none from Marcus. There was one from Terry asking if she and Marcus wanted to have dinner with them since they intended to come back tonight anyway, and the other messages were from Dallas. Thumbs hovering over the screen, Mila seriously considered not even opening the messages from Dallas. She already knew he wasn't happy.

Dallas: Where the fuck were you last night?

Dallas: You didn't show last night or the night before. This isn't funny, Mimi. Stop fucking around

Mila glared at the screen, her thumbs moving quickly over the screen as she responded.

Mila: I told you multiple times I couldn't do last night or the night before. Tonight I can as long as it's after ten.

Mila was almost surprised how fast he responded.

Dallas: You don't make the fucking schedule. You show up when I tell you to show up.

Mila: I'll show up when I can. If your schedule doesn't align with mine, too bad. I'm not adjusting my time to make room for you because I can't. I work two jobs, in case you've forgotten. My time is already packed full and barely even my own time. Deal with it or find someone else to give you what you want.

She almost didn't send the message. The money from Dallas was necessary. Any she could get was necessary, but she wasn't going to let him push her around. Maybe stripping wasn't such a bad idea. She'd definitely encounter assholes like Dallas but at least it was in a more controlled environment and more importantly, actually legal.

Mila waited for a response but it didn't come. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Either she got through to him, or she pissed him off so much he'd be stopping by her place again. At least she had her pepper spray.

The high she got from being with Marcus was diminished thanks to Dallas and Mila sighed as she looked at the giant stack of files. She picked up the stack to move it since it was blocking her monitor, gently nudging some things on her desk with her elbow to make room. It wasn't until she set the stack of files down that she saw the little brown paper bag.

Glancing around, she found no one looking her way. As she reached over and grabbed the bag, she wondered who left it. Mila peeked inside, a smile spreading over her face when she saw a chocolate muffin from her favorite bakery, and it wasn't the only thing in the bag. She plucked out the little note card, her heart skipping when she recognized Marcus's handwriting. An apple isn't enough for breakfast. Take care of yourself for my sake, at least.

Mila bit down on her lip to stop the smile from becoming a huge, noticeable smile that would definitely draw attention and make people ask why she was so happy. She tucked the note away in her righthand top drawer, the drawer she reserved more for personal things than work things. It usually had snacks but her snack supply ran out. What was left were pictures of Stella, a book she hadn't had time to read in a long time, a pack of gum, and extra pens because she hated the ones her work supplied.

Once she got the note safely tucked away, she unwrapped the muffin and started eating the bottom first. She liked to save best for last and the top was the best. The first bite tasted better than she remembered it ever tasting and she briefly wondered if this shift in her feelings towards Marcus was somehow affecting random things in her day as well.

It didn't make sense, but it was by far the best muffin she ever had.

The workday went on far too long and by the time it was five, Mila was tired. She sent a text to Marcus, asking what he was up to and if he'd fly her home, but she didn't get an answer by the time she was down on the street, so she walked to the bus and tried to not let it bother her he didn't respond.

After almost falling asleep on the bus several times, Mila's stop arrived. She got off the bus and headed towards her apartment, continually brushing back hair blown around from wind that seemed to be gaining strength by the second. She was almost to her stair case when someone grabbed her.

Dallas shoved Mila against the wall and the back of her head hit the bricks, making her groan in pain. Two of his guys showed up behind him, holding up guns pointed at her head as Dallas pressed her body into the wall, getting in her face as he brought the gun up under her chin.

"Listen and listen good," he said, shoving the gun harder under her chin, making her wonder if he would leave a bruise. "You'll do what I tell you to, when I tell you to. When you signed on, it wasn't a 'Mila does whatever she wants' deal. It was a 'Mila does what Dallas fucking tells her to' deal. Don't get it confused, I fucking own you and you will do as I say, or I will hurt you and your pathetic little sister. If I manage to get to her before she dies, that is."

His comment had her bursting with anger. She brought her knee up to his balls as hard as she could. He groaned in pain and his two guys brought their guns forward. When he looked at her again, his eyes flashed with anger and he lifted his hand to hit her but his hand never touched her. She closed her eyes and brought her hands up to brace for impact, but then no one was touching her at all.

Mila's eyes opened to find Dallas's two guys gone. Where, she wasn't sure. Dallas was still there, but against the very wall he'd thrown her against. Marcus had Dallas by the throat and several inches off the ground, tightening his hold more and more as Dallas squirmed uselessly.

"The fuck did you just say to her?" Marcus growled. "You do not own her. You do not control her. She will do what she wants and your word means shit. Come near my woman again, and I will gut you while you watch. I will strangle you with your own fucking bowels. Don't you ever lay a hand on her again," Marcus said, letting Dallas slide to the ground then slamming his fist against the wall near Dallas's head, hitting it so hard the bricks cracked and crumbled, the debris landing on Dallas's shoulder and making his eyes go wide. "Do you understand me, asshole? Stay away from her or I'll hunt you down. I'm not doing this with you again. The next time I need to step in, it'll be the fucking last."

Marcus grabbed Dallas by the shoulders and shoved him away from the building, letting out a warning growl that left Dallas's blood cold. Dallas briefly considered trying to fight back, but one intense glare from Marcus had him swallowing and backing away before he turned and ran.

Turning to Mila, Marcus set one hand on her waist and the other gently coming up behind her head where it collided with the brick wall. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered, staring up at him and setting a hand on his arm. "You're bothered."

"Of course I'm bothered," Marcus said, narrowing his eyes. "He threatened you and tried to hurt you. He threw you against the fucking wall."

"Something you do all the time," she pointed out.

"Yeah, well I'm the only one that gets to."

Mila sucked in her bottom lip, her body growing warm at his protectiveness. He cared about her. He had to or he wouldn't look so upset. She moved her hand down his arm, following it all the way to his hand that rested on her waist. She threaded her fingers through his and looked up at him, her brown eyes conveying what words didn't. His protectiveness made her want him more than she already did.

They got up the stairs together, their hands never parting. Marcus grabbed Mila, cupping her face and planting his lips on hers as they moved through the wall, not bothering to open the door.

Marcus backed Mila all the way through the house until she nearly bumped into a wall but he stopped before then, his lips moving against hers while his hands slid down from her face to the sides of her neck. Goosebumps rose like never before as his hands moved over her shoulders, down her arms until he reached her hands. Their fingers locked together and Mila leaned into him, her eyes fluttering open when his lips left hers.

They stared at each other again, the way they had outside her office building. Mila wasn't sure what it meant for them, she just knew she wanted to be close to him and he wanted the same. They moved together, moving only the clothes they had to so he could be insider her. His clothes stayed on, his jeans hanging low on his hips, down enough for his hardness to be out and buried inside Mila. Mila had everything except her underwear on as he moved inside her with her legs wrapped around his waist. Her arms came around his neck and he held her up with one arm, the other going behind her head to stop it from hitting the wall he had her body pinned to as he thrusted in and out of her.

The gesture made her heart flutter more than even the action of him sliding in and out of her.

While the sex started heated and desperate, it wasn't quite as rough as usual, and a little slower. It was still fast but there was a moment of linger because Marcus didn't want it to end, and the way she looked at him made him wonder if she felt the same. He kept her head cradled at the base of her neck, drawing her close so there was no chance he could make the tenderness on her head worse.

Both broke eye contact as they reached their climaxes, his hands tightening on her and her arms and legs tightening around him. The eye contact returned as they caught their breath, and Marcus wondered if there would ever be a pair of eyes more beautiful than hers. He didn't have to wonder long. No one's eyes would ever capture him the way hers did, none would ever hold such depth, none would ever leave him wishing he never had to blink again so he could stare into them uninterrupted forever. It would only ever be hers.