*** *** ***

 

About noon, his phone beeped again, signalling an incoming WhatsApp message. He thought it was going to be Jet again, being a worrywart that his older brother was. Lee glanced at it quickly to see the sender's name.

"Mia S"

He opened his screen hastily, smiled at her texts, and typed his reply.

 

 

He would dump everything for any chance to go out with her.

Next he texted James.

 

 

"Poor bugger," Lee chuckled.

 

 

Afterwards, he called Jet. His older brother sulkily answered the call, "Great, now you are not ignoring me."

Lee shrugged, "I've told you I'm fine." 

"What do you want? You'd only call this awesome brother when you want something." Jet snapped, but there was a trace of relief in his voice.

"Are you free tonight?" Lee ignored Jet’s moping and asked in turn.

"Not really. ER duty again. My weekend sucks." An exasperated sigh from the other side.

"Go out with me? And with Mia and James? She wants to celebrate her getting recommended into the board of directors. Kusa Resto again. Seven-thirty."

".... .” There was silence, "Wait up. I'll call you back."

Jet hung up the call straight away, leaving Lee dumbly stared at his phone for a while. Soon, his phone rang. It was Jet again,

"Done. I've found someone who can fill in my shift.” There was a hint of smugness and expectation in his voice, "See you tonight."

"Can they seriously do that?" Lee was flabbergasted as he stared at his phone. He reminded himself to never be a patient at Jet's hospital.

*** *** ***

Mia was certainly chirpier than usual, and the four of them celebrated with some champagne, more sake, and good food. She animatedly narrated and half-boastfully told the men about her achievements at work and how she was going to be flown into Dusseldorf the following week to review her new contract and intra-company’s shares arrangement for the enterprise she had been pouring her sweat and blood into.

Lee was just happy for her as he adoringly stared at her radiant face and happy gestures. He could not help to also feel proud of her achievements.

"This is the woman I have fallen for. She is everything I could have dreamed of."

The night passed pretty quickly. Lee could see Mia's eyes getting mistier, the aftereffect of their bouts of drinking. Mia then slowly leaned her head onto his right shoulder, causing Lee to stiffen, not daring to make a single move. 

James and Jet grinned at each other when they saw this. They were also pretty tipsy already. In fact, the most sober one was probably Lee, as he was just content watching Mia all night and had hardly refilled his glass.

As the night came to an end, Lee decided he would accompany Mia to her home. He did not feel comfortable letting her catch a taxi on her own in her hazy condition. The woman could still speak coherently, but her cheeks had grown so much pinker. Mia did not refuse his offer, nodding her consent while still laying her head on his shoulder.

After Mia paid their bill - she insisted it to be her treat for dragging them out to celebrate with her - she went to the washroom to freshen herself up. While she was away, James slipped something inside Lee's coat pocket.

He gave Lee a knowing grin while lifting his eyebrows repeatedly in a teasing manner.

Afterwards, Jet also slipped something into Lee's coat pocket as well, giving him a thumbs-up. Then they both bolted while continually smirking at him as they walked away, finally leaving him sitting at the table alone.

Lee blinked and looked into his coat's pocket and his eyes widened, the tips of his ears grew hot. He knew it was not because of the alcohol.

Inside were some condoms.

When Mia returned to the table and noticed Jet and James gone, she asked about them briefly before finally also deciding to leave.

Lee could not look at her straight in the face.

*** *** ***

Lee could not believe that it was not his usual dream when Mia invited him inside her apartment. He turned as stiff as a wooden block when Mia actually pecked him on his right cheek, as soon as they passed her front door.

He just stood behind the door, staring at Mia who took a step backward after she landed her lips on his cheek. The latter was clearly very amused at his reaction.

"Oh my poor heart... ."

"So~… are you just going to stay there?" Mia's lips curled as she lowered her voice, a trace of seduction clearly heard.

"OH MY POOR HEART!!"

Lee shifted his body, fidgeting a little bit. His fists clenched and unclenched nervously. God knew how much he wanted to just paste himself onto this woman; and that it was taking him all his willpower and more, to hold himself back, 

"I...," Lee stammered, glancing at her more-enthralling-than-usual face and the floor, then to her face again, "You... are clearly tipsy."

Mia raised her eyebrows and stepped forward, reaching him again in close distance. 

Lee could feel her warm breath as she tiptoed and whispered into his ears, "Sober enough to know what I want at this moment... ." 

She withdrew her head and looked at his eyes with her bright lustrous orbs for a few seconds. She then shifted her gaze down - her soft long eyelashes hooded her eyes. She traced her index finger through the man's bobbing Adam's apple, down to his shirt's collar, pulling at it coyly.

"Oh, soul, please don't fly away yet."

Then she looked up again, her misty pupils boring into Lee's own. She drawled teasingly,

"...Lee...~~."

His last brittle chain of self-restraint snapped. He reached behind Mia's head to pull her closer, and his lips met hers in a hunger that he had never felt before. His other hand was tightly wrapped around her waist, afraid that this was just her little game. He couldn't let her get away now.

Mia's delighted chuckle trembled inside his mouth when she responded to his kiss. Her tongue did not stay idle and continued to tease his teeth, the inside of his mouth, and battled with his own when he also tried to explore her.

Lee's mind was blank. Only this woman existed; only her voice was heard; only her scent, her small sighs, her warm breath.

Everything that he was, was hers. How he really wanted to make her, his as well.

Only when they were completely out of breath, did they reluctantly pull their lips away from each other, only for both to hungrily devour one another again in the next instant. Eyes closed, breaths quickened, their fingers roamed on each other's bodies, pulling each other's clothes that were their barrier.

 

 

They did not make it to the bedroom, instead they stumbled onto the floor. Lee's arms were still wrapped around her as they fell, their clothes already haphazardly strewn on various spots on the floor - the reminder of their vigorous battle earlier in their individual efforts to get closer to the other's burning skin.

Mia's back was on display, and Lee planted small kisses on her skin, making her tremble slightly when he tickled her with his lips. His fingers touched her softly, tracing the curves of her shoulder, her spine, down to her back - the two deep dimples above her hips were now visible to him. Everything about her enchanted him.

He gently pulled to turn her body to face him, and he caught her lips once more. As Lee broke away from his latest kiss of many to catch his breath, he hazily looked into her eyes. Her gaze penetrated into his own, her translucent dark brown irises were clear, radiant yet soft. Lee desperately wished that the tenderness he saw in those orbs was real and was really meant for him. He felt his soul gradually fading into those dark bottomless depths that were her eyes. 

Mia sighed as he then ran his finger from the top of her forehead, tracing her facial profile. Her face nudged lazily against his palm. He buried his head at the curve of her neck, planting soft kisses there and lightly teased her earlobes with his tongue, while his fingers continued to trace down her body, through her collar bones, down to her two perfectly round breasts. As he lingered longer there, Mia arched her back, planting herself closer to him, demanding him to spoil and tease her more. His palm grew hot against the sensation.

"She is burning me. She is devouring me completely with her entire existence."

"She owns me."

"I was hers to take, am hers, will always be hers."

Lee's palm teased her breasts more, sometimes his fingers also lightly pinched her now perked nipples, causing her to tremble. Then his fingers traced down to her navel, her hips, and her legs. Then he caressed the inner of her thighs, cautiously but continuing to reach the most private parts of her body,

She gave him a soft smile, then she seemed to be thinking about something and stiffened. There was a conflicted guilty look on her face. 

That almost caused Lee's heart to halt. Surely this could not suddenly stop now? Every part of him was already aching for her. Mia sighed as she put her palm on his cheek,

"I forgot, I haven't been on the pill lately... ."

Lee perked up and was suddenly excited as his brain rapidly thought of what James and Jet had earlier slipped in his coat.

"Bless those two bastards!"

He pulled away from Mia and scrambled to reach his coat which was laying by the front door, being the first piece of clothing that they had thrown away. He pulled a packet of condom from inside the pocket and dangled it in front of him while grinning triumphantly. 

Mia blankly looked at him, the condom, and the very excited Little Lee between his legs. She threw her head back and let out a crisp amused laugh. She then looked at him from the floor where she was still laying, her index finger curled, beckoning him to come close. Her smile was devilish.

Lee probably moved faster than a cheetah and quickly pressed himself on her again after slipping the condom on.

Mia lifted her left leg, and with her toe, she touched Lee's right hip, running her curled toe down to his thigh. The corner of her lips was faintly lifted in a smirk, teasing, knowing completely that she had him completely at her mercy. Lee pulled her leg and held it against his hip, then reached her back with his left hand, pulling her body to be closely plastered to his own, feeling the softness of her chest against his hard one. He finally found comfort as he pushed his throbbing member, finally finding his long-sought solace inside her, relishing in her tightness. Soon, the comfort gradually turned to indiscernible hunger as he rode her whole exquisiteness, Mia's body arched to meet his every surging wave and his every conquest. 

He plundered and tried to continuously conquer her body with his every thrust. 

He wanted to take everything that was hers, like the way she had taken everything that was his. 

Lee found himself constantly at the brink of release with every thrust, but Mia's lust-fuelled contented moans on his ears kept his constraint. He wanted to please her. He wanted to pleasure her forever. 

And then Lee felt her body stiffened, and soon she shuddered, her thighs clamping his hips tightly, her legs wrapped around his back as she held him tighter inside. She trembled in her release. Lee planted kisses on her lips and her forehead, muttering her name over and over again. He wanted to remember her for all eternity.

Then she whispered softly behind his left ear in a small sighing mewling sound that tickled his heart and soul,

"Lee.... ."

He held her tighter as he finally had his release, his body arching while still holding her close. His world became bright and sparkling. Only she existed. 

*** *** ***

Mia was limp after their vigorous activity. Chuckling when he saw the woman curling on the carpet and refused to budge an inch, Lee gently lifted her body to move her into her bedroom. 

She lazily yawned and nuzzled her head at the crook of his neck as soon as he also laid by her side on her bed, after he covered her naked body with the quilt.

Then it was a few hours of him just silently watching her sleeping face, noticing her soft breath as she was obliviously content in her peaceful dream. 

All he wished for, was that she would include him in that dream. 

Then he fell asleep as he embraced her, her head resting on his left shoulder.

The next morning, Mia woke up to Lee's soft gaze on her. She gave him a lazy smile.

Lee was euphoric. 

"She remembered last night. It wasn't a mistake."

Silence befell them as Mia playfully ran her fingers around his collarbone, her head still on his chest. 

Finally, Lee dared to voice a sound, hoarsely,

"What now?"

Mia's fingers paused, "'What now?'" She parroted.

"I...," Lee shifted his body to sit, prompting Mia to also straighten herself, "Mia, I want to be with you. You know how I feel." He sighed, his eyes pleading like an abandoned puppy.

She stared at him in silence for a while, before also sighing, "Lee. We are both adults," she paused again, causing cold sweat to start trickling down his back, "This is an important time for me. I am not ready-... ."

"I'll wait," Lee hastily interjected her. He didn't want to hear her further excuses that might straight away cut their ties.

Mia's lips were lifted at his eagerness, "You may wait a long time."

"It doesn't matter," there was a trace of relief in his voice, noticing that Mia did not actually say no, "I will wait for as long as it's necessary."

Then he quickly added with a hint of smugness, "Hey, look at this fine man in front of you, who is holding you now. Where else can you find someone like me?"

"So, just do whatever you need to do, and come to me when you are ready, yeah?" He gripped her palms in his own, squeezing them tightly. How he wished she could feel just an inkling of what he was feeling for her.

Mia laughed, "A fine specimen indeed," she teased, "And you were not half-bad in bed either."

He was slightly offended, "'not half-bad'? Come on, you couldn't get yourself off me last night."

Mia slapped him playfully at his remark. Then her face turned serious, but mirth was clear in her eyes. She cleared her throat with a few small coughs,

"So, Lee Tanaka. This is a formal interview. What do you do?"

"I'm a lawyer," Lee was amused as he lightly frowned. She already knew about it.

"Your salary?"

"70000 pound sterling per-annum, with additional bonuses," Lee smugly answered.

Mia nodded satisfactorily, "Great. You pass my mother's requirements."

"Not yours?" Lee laughed. She was adorable in whatever she said or do.

Mia waved her hand, "Eh... I don't care about that." She grinned at him, "After I sign this new contract, I can pay you to be my toy boy." 

She knelt on the bed, bent her body forward, and caressed his chin with her index finger as she looked down into his eyes, "You won't have to work anymore. Just obediently follow me, okay?"

Lee laughed loudly when he saw her smug look.

"Indeed, you are my queen."

Then as he reached out his own hand to touch her face, he noticed a faint faded line under her chin - previously unnoticed due to the obscure location. He touched it lightly to feel a slight bump of the faded scar. The thin line ran from just slightly above onto under her chin. Her frontal facial profile would normally not show this scar.

Lee frowned, "What happened? Is this a scar?"

Mia plopped her body down again, "Yeah. From a long time ago. When I was a toddler, I was fascinated with my dad's empty fish tank and tried to climb up on it.”

Lee stared at her, dumbfounded.

"The fish tank fell, and the glasses broke," Mia shrugged, "A little further south, I'd probably have lost my life," she gestured with a cutting motion horizontally on her neck. Then she winked at him,

"Further north, I'd have lost this pretty face that has made such a fine man to fall head over heels with me."

Lee couldn't say anything to that, he just laughed louder. He doubted any scar would diminish her magnetic pull on him, but the 'head over heels' part was definitely true.

Then Mia twisted her body in a slight struggle to get herself out of his hold. To Lee's astonishment, she lightly jumped and flung one of her legs over his groin. She was now sitting on his hips, her bare body was fully displayed for his eyes to blatantly feast on. His Little Lee was summoned pretty quickly too. 

Mia licked the corner of her lips, "Now, fine looking mortal, do you care to serve me again?" She playfully traced her fingers from his chest, down to his hard abdomen.

They both knew the answer to that. 

Soon the bedroom was filled with moans, the sound of a creaking spring bed, and two people's scent of sweat - as their bodies gradually melded with one another again in a rigorous dance filled with spring tenderness.

*** *** ***

"Boarding now," Mia spoke from the other side of the call. Lee smiled,

"Yeah. Safe trip. Text me when you get there. Or whenever you have time."

Lee paused, "And, please think carefully about us, OK?" he cautiously added.

Mia crisp laugh was heard, "I promise I will think about it carefully when I get back. We'll talk again, yeah?"

Lee smiled, "OK." Then he added, "Mia Simmons, I love you."

A brief silence from the other side, then Mia giggled, "I know. Bye, Lee. See you in a week or so."

That was the last time Lee got to hear her voice.