She had been ready to love this man from the moment she first saw him.

~Kristin Hannah~ 

                                         Mia

I felt disoriented when I woke up. I didn't know where I was at first. Those few seconds after I woke up were spent in a terrible panic. Jesus! Where the hell was I? Was I drugged? Did someone rape me? Cases of drugs-related rape were rampant in my world, which is one of the few reasons I never leave my drink unintended, and if I do, I always buy another one. I still drink from the bottle, and I have never succumbed to the little side snides implications of how masculine the habit was. Men said it was the most undesirable thing ever. I laughed every time they said that because I didn't care if they found me desirable or not.

Suddenly, I remembered I was in Romano's bed, and as fast as that registered, I became aware of another body next to mine. It was him. Surprisingly, I didn't panic. I guess both my body and heart knew he wouldn't harm me.

Tying not to move so as not to wake him up, I opened my eyes and met with his, and like every time he's looked at me, my heart sang with joy.

"Good morning, Bella Mia?" Our faces were direct to each other. We stared at each other for a second, and then he touched the side of my face with his fingers. He looked ruffled but not sleepy; neither did he look like he had slept because he was still dressed in yesterday's suit. I wanted to ask where he had spent the night, but that meant disclosing how vulnerable I was to him.

"Are you hungry?' I shook my head though I was ravenous. The idea of walking out from here and sitting beside him on a breakfast table felt like I was betraying myself.

"Don't lie to me, Mia?" he said, getting up from the bed. I thought he was going to say something else or argue or persuade me to have breakfast with him, but he just walked to the bathroom without saying another word.

Why was he always walking away from me?

My heart was at crosswords. Right at that moment, I wanted to weep at how insensitive he was. But I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. He had seen me cry more than any man in my acquaintance, and I've only met him four times.

"Bella Mia, if you don't get out of that bed right now, I will carry you to breakfast in whatever you're wearing." I was so elated I jumped out of bed immediately. My clothes were precisely on the same spot I had placed them except now they were laundered. He had done that for me.

Would it be okay if I just had breakfast with him? I asked my heart

Only breakfast, that's all. After that, I'll walk away and stay away.

I knew the decision I was making when I decided to walk to the bathroom. I knew he was naked. I understood the repercussions of that decision. And as I stood out of that glass door waiting for him to acknowledge me, I asked myself one last time whether this was the right decision for me.

I hadn't known this man for a long time, yet there I stood with my eyes looking at everything else except his nakedness.

"You look ten times better in my shirt than I do" He was watching from the corner of his eyes. "Do you know what you want?" His distinctive, impassioned voice forced me to look at him; his eyes, cheek but not below the waist.

Water cascaded through his masculine body, his brown eyes held a flicker of amusement, a small grin on his mouth as he waited for my answer. It felt like he was trying to read my mind, which he often did.

It's unbelievable how well he can read my mind.

"Bella, you can't even look at me without blushing," He said as he opened the door. I instinctively stepped back a little. I didn't do it out of fear, nor was it out of indecisiveness, but because of how predatory he appeared. Romano was big; his presence was a little overawing, and very manly. I felt like I was a quarry, his quarry.

"What do you want, Bella Mia?" His whisper was flirtatious; a shudder went through my body as I looked at him, imagining what would happen if I took the few steps towards him. He waited, I waited too just to see what decision my heart would make.

He didn't choose for me; he didn't persuade me as most men did. I got the feeling that this was one choice Romano wouldn't make for me.

Finally, I held out my trembling right hand. He took it, drawing me towards him. I stood in front of his naked tall form, waiting to see what came next. I wanted him to kiss me, I craved his kisses, and somewhat he knew because he leaned over and kissed my upper lip in a sweet kiss. It was different from how he had kissed me the previous night. This one was endearing like I was special.

"Tell me what you want." His breath warm on my ear, drawing me to him, feeling his naked body with mine. Part of the front of the shirt I wore was wet; my nipples were visible. I had this urge to hide, but I knew if I did, Romano would let me go, and no words would convince him I wanted to do this.

So I buried the urge, lifted my eyes to his intense one. He wasn't looking at me but at my breasts, which were now in total display. I hadn't even felt him unbuttoning it. "My God, you are beautiful."

I chuckled, trying to make a joke out that statement so that I would stop the nervousness that seems to be stuck with me. "You mean, my breasts are beautiful?" He gave me a side smile hoisting me on the glass wall, kissing me again. I will never get used to how I felt every time this man kissed me. Every kiss was special and held its own meaning like a wrapped gift. You never know what was inside until you opened it. That is exactly how every kiss was for me.

"Its the whole package. You're so beautiful, even that black mark on your left ankle," he whispered hoarsely.

"When did you see it?" As surprised as I was, nothing would have stopped me from the joy I felt from hearing him say I was beautiful.

I've been told I'm beautiful countless times, but none have meant as much as his hoarse voice, with me in his arms saying the same words.

"I saw it in Milan when you were on the runway."

I didn't want him to remember Milan. Not the words I said to him or the way we parted, I wanted us to stay in that moment, so I touched his lips slightly with my touch, and I felt his deepen our kiss.

"I'm sorry." I was apologizing for my words then. My voice so soft I wasn't sure he heard me, but he did because he moved his lips to my cheek and whispered, "I know" to my ear.

"I don't think there will ever come a time that I'll stop wanting you" He breathed, his nose touching mine. He said it with so much intensity, the way he tightened his arms around me, the way he put his lips on my forehead. I felt precious, and suddenly I didn't feel nervous anymore.

"I want you," I whispered, kissing his lips slowly with my fingers buried In his hair.

"I know, Bella mia. But it will be extremely uncomfortable for you to have your first sexual encounter in this position."

"It's okay; it's not my first time."