Warm water cascades down my body as I run my fingers through my scalps, heavy shampoo foam rippling off my hair. It's good to be back home, even if it's not really my home. After the dirty days in that crummy little room, I didn't know a simple shower could be this endearing.

Despite this blissful relief, my body feels longing the more I touch myself, rubbing the brush over my breasts, my stomach, and down to my pubic area. Slowly I fantasize about him. I feel his incorrigible fingers caressing my thighs gently until I part my legs, teasing me devastatingly.

I call his name and he grips me tighter, cupping my bare breasts with his big hands. A thin moan slips when his lips touch my neck, his chest stone hard against my back. Again he lowers his touch to my bottom. My pupils dilate from ecstasy when his finger toys with my slick wet entrance.

My toes curl up and my heart rate increases.

"Let me love you, Mia Vera," he whispers and my eyes flash open.

"Oh God." I smile at my hormonal foolishness as I sober, panting heavily.

For Christ's sake, am I this horny? Or am I simply bewitched by his hands and missile size of a dick that could pound my core until I forget my name. Fuck, I'm so frustrated! Even though self-pleasure has been hardly my cup of coffee, right now I want to rub myself until I come.

But my plans fade to waste when I hear a pound on the door. Sighing heavily, I laugh a bit and my mom's voice shoots worriedly, asking if I'm still in here. I reply with a loud and shaky yes and promise to be out soon. Disappointment cracks the slut in me and quickly I finish my shower.

"You must be hungry, darling. Kenna and I are cooking right now so finish dressing up and join us," Mom says a moment later, when I step out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my body. "Are you alright?" Her brown eyes—lighter than mine—narrow.

"Hmm." I bob my head, my smile soft and indulgent. "I'll be out in a moment, Mom. I need to make an important call."

"Already, Mia?" Mom laments, but before I respond she quickly adds, "Okay, okay, I get it. Be out when you're done."

"I will." I close my eyes when she kisses my damp hair.

I feel as light as a feather even though I've got so many unfinished business to attend to. I want to know everything I've missed when I was locked up, starting with the new MK collection, and the reason why Red is out of my reach.

I call Leslie right away. So many emails pop up when I flash my PC on, a phone in my ear. From what I heard, things are going astray in my company. The publicity campaign is on a halt thanks to the news about Anne's murder, and the investors are on a rampage threatening to pull out.

And to top it all, our stock value has dropped tremendously. The relief in my chest fades like a candle on the flame, and once again I feel like I'm on a battlefield. There's still so much to do and God's willing I need more strength than ever before. I shut my eyes and wait until Leslie is on.

"Ma'am! It's you, right?" She sounds breathless.

I smile while tossing my PC onto the bed, sitting more comfortably. "Yes, it's me. How have you been?"

"Me? Good! Insane but good. We were told you didn't want any visit so we had to wait. Everyone has been worried about you and now they're celebrating here because we heard from the news that you're free again!"

My face twists as I force a smile. On my emails I find one from a potential investor I've been in contact with about a week ago. It appears that he's backed out with an excuse of having another brand in mind.

So long, motherfucker!

"That's good, Leslie. Tomorrow I'll be in the office. Right now I want a report on everything. How bad is it? Did anything affect the production?" I urge, my heart beating out of rhyme.

"Well, we had to stop yesterday," Leslie replies. "I mean, mainly because we've completed the samples and we need your authorization before proceeding with anything. Other than that . . . It's just . . . We've lost some new clients and others are at a crossroads on whether to stay or leave. We've been handling phone calls nonstop so it's been hell here."

I rub my nose bridge before skittling my fingers through my hair. Back to square one. It's a horrible deja Vu. Just as we were about to recover from the crisis, now comes another one. Damn it!

"Okay." I sniff and pull myself together. "We'll have a meeting in the morning. Let everyone know about this. Also, we'll have an emergency board meeting in the afternoon, so get everything ready for—No, never mind. I'll talk to Declan."

"Okay, Ma'am. Anything else?" Leslie offers.

"No, that's all. I'll see you tomorrow." I waste no second until our conversation ends, leaving me with a lot to ponder.

Kenna gallops in my room the moment I'm done putting on an oversized sweater and leggings. She looks seventeen wearing a tiny dress and ponytails that enhances her oval shaped face. Her excited smile dies when she sees me, and a frown replaces her mirth.

"What's up? You should be happy but you look a mess. Something wrong at MK?" Her eyes rest on my laptop. "I already know it's shitty over there but you shouldn't kill yourself in sorrow for that, Mamacita." She takes a seat on my bed, pushing the laptop farther away.

I tie my messy bun as I reply, "I know. I take one step forward but life takes me two steps back each time. Not sure how this will end, but I'm not gonna give up." I sigh, dropping my hands free. "Where is Red? I want to call him but I feel like he's not going to be available."

"Oh girl. " Kenna gives a risqué look that suggests her vulgar mind. I scowl. "Now I know why you're head over heels with that man. He's a dream come true kind of a man, my friend."

"Oh yeah?" A tingle in my heart spreads down to my tummy. "Why?" I sit down next to her, some heat rising in my cheeks until I'm flushed.

Kenna bites her lip as her naughty smile widens into a grin. "He moved heaven and earth to get you out of that place, Mia. He worked the whole night long to achieve that. Not literally, Mia, I mean it as it is. A whole fucking night! He didn't rest a single minute since he learned that you're in jail until this morning they caught the people who faked the evidence to incriminate you."

"What?" Leaving the wave of passion and arousal upon knowing how far my bodyguard has gone to make sure I'm free, it's the news about those criminals that catches my utter attention. "They're caught?"

"Yeah, Mia. They're under FBI custody. Red called me earlier this morning but we couldn't talk much. I'm sure he'll be here any time and you two will talk."

"Under the FBI? Now this is getting a bit out of proportion. Who hired those people?" I ask Kenna flatly.

"That's yet to be found, darling. But they're just a bunch of contracted criminals. Well, I haven't gathered any news so far but maybe we can get to hear something later," Kenna says dismissively, and I'm not sure if she's giving me the scraps or a whole bundle of truth.

I press my lips together thoughtfully for a moment. Where does Red fit in this whole scene? Was he working with the FBI in regard to my release? My eyes find Kenna again.

"What else do you know?" I ask her.

Her chest bounces up when she inhales sharply, and her gaze stalls a bit. "Nothing. I only know that Red has a friend in the FBI. I guess he asked for help. Also, he's the one who remembered about the camera in your car and facilitated your fast release from the alibi obtained through the footage."

Now she smiles.

"I see." I heave a sigh.

I know I owe him more than my life but he's still a riddle I want to desperately solve. Thinking of him my hand wanders toward my tummy to give it a gentle rub. I feel the tranquility in my womb, and I know my little one is fine. Very fine.

"I need to see him," I murmur and gaze up at Kenna. "But I don't want to push him into doing anything he doesn't want to. Right now my priority is getting my life on the right track without having an emotional dependency on a man. I've paid enough for that mistake so I need to stand up on my own."

"It's not a crime to need help, Mia. It's not a weakness either," Kenna tells me in an ingenious tone, as if it's coming from her own experience. "If you have someone who's willing to cross an ocean for you, don't compare him to the one who couldn't jump a paddle for you. Red is not Patrick. You think you need to talk to him, do it. Call him and demand for his presence. You don't need to fight this war on your own, Mamacita. We're all here for you." She holds my hand and squeezes it tightly.

My head feels messed up all of a sudden. I know I'm not too strong to hold the reins on my own. But I've been disappointed too much and the last thing I want is to pull other people into my misery. I love Red, and I need him, but I don't want to be his burden.

I just want to be his woman.

"Okay, ladies. Food is ready and I want us to eat while it's still hot." Mom's at the door, creeping it open.

"Okay, Sophie. We're coming," Kenna answers and stands up. "Let's go, sweetie. It's not the end of the world so get up and let's feed you and my little niece or nephew. Tomorrow will be a new day and we're gonna do the impossible to crush that shit of a husband you once had."

"That feels good." I giggle as I rise from the bed, ready to embrace the leeway.

There's no better taste than my mom's food. I've traveled around the world but nothing can ever compare the warm meals she puts on the table, whether it's a simple vegetable soup or macaroni and cheese, or her fancy Paella Valenciana.

I slurp the mushroom gravy she's prepared to my heart's content, and Kenna's munching and moaning sounds become like a woman chasing her orgasm. We laugh so hard as she licks her fingers, slashing the grilled chicken greedily.

"You're the best, Sophie! Gosh this is the best mushroom soup I've ever had! And even though I don't like rice, there's no way I can miss the taste of yours. And the chicken"—she chews it soundly with closed eyes—"hmm, how do I ever resist chicken?" she compliments.

Mom's gorgeous face glows with joy. I really missed her and this moment feels magical with her presence.

"You both need to eat more," she scolds us, still begrudging about our poor kitchen management. She thinks it's a mess. "I've arranged everything accordingly; it shouldn't be hard to find anything you're looking for in the kitchen. Even the ingredients."

Kenna and share a look. What can I say? I don't hold a degree in housekeeping.

"You need to live here a little longer, Sophie. Oh, and don't even think about going to the hotel because you're both staying here. We've got three bedrooms so I'm not making any excuse."

There's no way I can repay this woman. I'm so grateful for everything she's done for me. As I watch us eating and laughing smoothly, I realize it's what I need for dinner every night. Maybe someday I'll have my little bean all big and human, together with the man I love seated at one table.

A wishful thinking. Not a crime.

Before I go to sleep Sophie brushes my hair gently and asks how I'm feeling. I think I'm fine. Being encased in my mom's warmth makes all troubles vanish into thin air. So I remain still, inhaling her musky and vanilla scent, my head on her thighs, my thoughts on and off the moment.

I feel the brush running ever slowly as she mutters, "I had a chance to meet your bodyguard. Red is his name, right?"

"Um, yeah." She steals my whole attention but I don't move. "You met him?"

"Yes," she replies calmly, her voice softer. "I didn't need anyone's introduction to realize he's the one you told me about. The way he talked about you and the case couldn't conceal his feelings for you."

Breath caught, my whole body flames as I keep hearing about that man and the milestone of his efforts to see me out of the bars. Even if being emotionally invested is a chore I despise the most right now, there is no way I can disregard my feelings for him.

He's won my heart. It's as plain as a pikestaff.

"I love him, Mom," I whisper under my ragged breath.

"I know. And I can now understand why," Sophie replies. "You know, tonight I don't want to speak of anything to ruin the joy I'm feeling inside, no matter how little it is. I died the moment I heard you were locked up for murder, but thank God it was the same moment I heard they found something to help you get out. I'll die for real if anything happens to you, Mia, so please be careful from now on."

"I will, Mom. Don't worry too much about me," I answer with a tiny smile.

She sighs before saying, "You're going to be a mother. You'll soon understand how I'm feeling."

I think I already do.

Talking about my family in New Orleans and how everyone's doing, I end up falling asleep in my mom's embrace. But a few moments later I hear my phone buzzing so stubbornly that we both jolt awake.

"It's alright. I'll get it," I tell mom while scampering out of bed.

It's around midnight.

"Who is it?" she croaks.

I wait until I hold my phone and reply, "It's Red." A smile dances in my eyes even though my face remains unresponsive.

And I thought I could keep my feelings at bay when it comes to him? Hell no, he's my man and I'm not going to deny it. I want to hear his voice, as much as I yearn for his touch. I need to see him badly.

"Okay, I better sleep because I don't have the energy to listen to your conversation," Mom says bluntly. Under her breath she adds, "Simplemente no hables toda la noche."

(Don't talk the whole night long)

I manage to chuckle, and on the phone I hear Red saying, "Tell me you're not too tired to get out of the bed, because I don't think I can sleep without holding you tonight."

Heat sizzles through me. My body melts like an ice cream in the sun, hormones racing at the speed of the light at the sound of his voice alone.

"Where are you?" I ask him in a whisper.

"Outside. I don't know if I should go up or wait down here, but I'm not leaving without seeing you," he replies.

I smother a grin. "I'll come down. Don't go anywhere."