Chapter 9 - Stripped

The sound of a heart monitor permeated through Mia's ears. Slowly at first, the steady beep became increasingly louder. She opened her eyes to find herself lying on a hospital bed. A hospital bed inside an operating room, to be more specific.

A nurse hovered over her, fixing the electrodes placed throughout her body. "You're doing just great, dear," she said, warmly.

Mia felt anything but warm. On the contrary, she felt cold in her flimsy hospital gown. Her eyes were fixed on the white ceiling above her, but she could hear other doctor's and assistants shuffling around the room.

"I'm going to set up your anesthesia now," the nurse said, taking her left hand. "I'm inserting an IV line into a vein on the back of your hand, okay? It's a small needle, but it might hurt just a little."

Mia nodded, thinking the momentary pain would pale in comparison to how she would feel later. She didn't dare look over at what the nurse was doing. She simply kept her head straight as she felt the pinch of the needle bite into her skin, followed by the pressure of tape as it wrapped around her hand.

She shuddered and tried to focus her thoughts elsewhere. Lying on the beach soaking in the sun, the sound of waves crashing down from the ocean, a child's laughter in the background...

The smell of antiseptic brought her back to the hospital. God, anything but this. Concentrate Mia, she thought.

"Okay, sweetie. We're almost done. Count backwards starting from ten in your head, so you can go to sleep now."

Mia nodded again and closed her eyes. Ten, nine, eight, seven...

She waited for the numbness to take over and pull her under, as it usually did. But it didn't come this time.

Instead, she heard a faint voice in the background. She tried to listen more closely, but the sound was distorted. Was someone calling her? She tried to move, but her body was stuck in place, her vision was surrounded by utter darkness.

"Mia..." she suddenly heard.

Yes, it's me, she wanted to say, but no sound came out of her mouth. Her jaw was locked shut.

"Mia! Mia? Can you hear me? Oh God, Mia, please look at me. Wake up. Sweetness, please."

Mia felt a familiar voice calling her, but it sounded too far away. Where was it coming from? She tried to search for it in her mind.

"Mia? I'm begging you. Open your eyes, look at me. You can do this. I know you can. Mia por favor, te lo suplico."

Her eyes fluttered for a moment before they opened. Her vision was blurred but she could see bits and pieces of a face forming above her.

Dark blue.

She closed her eyes and slowly tried again. This time the image focused and she recognized the panic stricken face looking back at her.

"Leo?" she whispered.

"Yes, baby. I'm here," he said, choking on the words.

"What...what happened? Where am I?" Mia asked completely disoriented. She immediately lifted up her left hand, looking for the IV. She moved her wrist back and forth, inspecting her hand. The IV wasn't there.

"What is it, Mia? Does your hand hurt?" he asked, full of concern. He ran his fingers slowly across her hand and then gently grabbed it.

"No. I mean, yes, it feels sore. My whole body does. I thought I was in the hosp...I was having a flashback, a dream," she said confused.

"Shhh, it's okay, sweetness." Leo gave a huge sigh of relief. "You got knocked over in the club and blacked out. We're in my car heading back to my place."

Car? Mia looked around her and realized she was lying down on the back seat, with Leo sitting next to her.

"Who's driving?" She stirred but the movement caused a soar of pain through her body and she whimpered.

"Don't move," Leo ordered.

The words tugged at a memory in her brain.

"I told you that before but you didn't listen. My driver is taking us home. We should be there soon."

Home? His driver? "So what happened exactly? I can't remember anything." Everything in her mind felt like a puzzle and she was desperately trying to piece it together.

"We can talk about it later. You should rest right now. The important part is that you're fine. You'll be okay."

Leo's tone was calm, but she felt a hint of something else behind it. Anger? Was he mad at her? What had she done?

He looked down at her and caressed her face. It was pretty much the only part of her body that wasn't aching. The warmth of his touch comforted her.

"I was so worried about you, Mia. God, you scared the shit out of me," he said.

Okay, at least now she knew he wasn't angry at her. But was still angry, nonetheless.

"Leo? Do you think this is a good idea? I think I...should probably go home," she said suddenly unsure.

"You're coming home with me. Please don't argue with me on this. I'm half out of my mind right now," he said startled.

Mia's eyes widened in shock. She could tell that he was really trying to reign in his temper.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," he added much gentler.

She should probably text her friends to let them know she was okay. She suddenly remembered something. "Where is my purse?"

Leo ran his fingers roughly through his hair. "Omar has it. We left the club in a hurry and I didn't realize I left it behind until after. I already talked to him and he said we can pick it up tomorrow. So yeah, you wouldn't be able to get into your flat anyway."

Mia realized at that moment the fleeing club scene had probably not been a pretty sight. And if it weren't for Leo, she would be passed out on a sidewalk somewhere and homeless for the night. "Thank you, Leo. For everything," she said as she squeezed his hand.

"It's no problem, Mia," he said, looking forlorn.

Leo's driver pulled up at a large house in the outskirts of Madrid. "Necesita ayuda con algo más, patrón?"

"No gracias, Fernando. Ya es tarde. Hasta mañana," Leo replied.

He turned to Mia. "I'm going to pick you up and take you inside. It might hurt, just let me know if it's too much and we can stop."

She nodded back at him. He gently scooped her up and cradled her against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to hide the pain. She wasn't one to start fussing or complaining.

Leo walked slowly into a huge, dark house. She tried to look at her surroundings, but all she could make out was twelve-foot ceilings encircled by marble. He continued down a few hallways, passing by endless doors, until he turned into one of them, kicking the door shut behind him. He quickly crossed the room until he reached a walk-in closet, followed by a bathroom, flicking on the lights before settling her down on the toilet seat.

She looked around her and noticed the bathroom was gigantic, it could have easily been the size of her bedroom.

"You're going to have to shower. Beer and alcohol fell all over you. I'll go get you some towels and clothes. Oh, and please don't look in the mirror." Leo opened a glass door next to her and turned on the shower before exiting the bathroom.

She couldn't imagine what she possibly looked like but sure as hell didn't want to know. She tried to move around a bit on the seat to see how her body would handle it, but the same shot of pain coursed through her as before. That was going to be a problem.

Leo returned and placed fresh towels and clothes next to the sink.

"Um Leo...I don't know how I'm going to get in there," she said quietly.

"Oh, I hadn't thought about that. Can you stand up?"

"Not even close," Mia confessed.

"That bad, huh? Showering is going to be an issue then. I don't know...I can try to go wake up the housekeeper to help you."

Mia looked at her watch, lingering on the seconds as they ticked by. "At four in the morning? No, that's not necessary. I don't want to be a burden. I can just wait until tomorrow."

"That's not an option. You need to shower right now. I uh...I'll help you," Leo suggested.

"You? I'm not sure about that, Leo. I mean how would we even..." Mia couldn't finish her last words. The predicament she was in was getting dicey and escalating rapidly.

"Look, this is a weird situation for me too, Mia. But I don't know...just keep your underwear on and we'll take it from there."

Uh oh. Mia tried to think about what type of underwear she was wearing. When she dressed up earlier, the last thing that crossed her mind was the possibility of ending up in a shower, with none other than Leo, in nothing but her lingerie. Most likely, she was wearing a thong, she usually did.

After the initial shock, she concluded it didn't matter. One of her few indulgences had been nice lingerie from Cosabella, so she would be okay in that department.

"What about you?" Mia asked. Was this really going to happen?

"I'll do the same, of course."

"I really don't know Leo. I'll figure something else out. It's too embarrassing."

"It doesn't have to be. We're adults and I'll be on my best behavior. No funny stuff, I promise." At those last words, Leo stripped off his shirt all too quickly. He kicked off his shoes and socks and reached for the buckle on his belt.

Oh. My. God.

Mia couldn't comprehend the scene that was unfolding in front of her. Look at those muscles! She felt like she had to divert her eyes, and before she knew it, she saw his pants drop to the floor. She caught a glimpse of a Hugo Boss waistband and she gasped.

He crouched down next to her and she had to hold her breath. How had he gotten almost naked in five seconds?

"Leo, wait," she managed to whisper.

"Mia, it's okay. This is strictly professional. You need to shower and I'm going to help you. Just think of me as a doctor." Leo's voice had turned a bit husky.

No way. No doctor would ever look like that, or make her feel this way. Not in a million years. Maybe a fireman could. A really sexy fireman. God, control your thoughts Mia.

He took off her shoes effortlessly. He then reached for the end of her dress and began to slowly lift it up her legs. The slight brush of his fingertips as he did so sent shivers down her spine. Did she actually agree to this?

He cleared his throat when he reached her thighs and Mia noticed he looked away. He continued tugging it up over her bottom until he reached her waist, pausing briefly until finally bringing the entire dress over her head and discarding it onto the floor.

******

Sweet Jesus, mother of God. Leo took a moment to look at Mia undressed, and he sucked in his breath to cover the moan he almost let out. Christmas had come early this year. Okay, so he kind of forced her into this situation, but she might as well have been wearing a giant red bow around her neck. He had just unwrapped that special gift he had been secretly wishing for all year long.

His eyes slowly racked down her immaculate body. He knew he shouldn't be staring so obviously at her, but he couldn't help it. Especially when she was wearing an incredibly sexy black bra and matching panties that accentuated her ridiculous body in all the right places.

It was such a strange sensation seeing that the reality had matched the picture in his mind so precisely. She was all legs, perfectly small waist, and unblemished skin that was just begging to be caressed. He hadn't done her cleavage justice though. She did a good job of hiding it because he knew she was curvaceous but this was just beyond spectacular. He tried to keep his poise calm at the thought of a naked Mia in the shower. He hadn't promised anything about not looking, had he?

Trying to gather his bearings, he slid his eyes back to Mia's face. Even though she was completely pale, her cheeks were beginning to turn into a marvelous bright pink. He tried to smile reassuringly at her, but it didn't seem to work much. Obviously not after you just completely ogled her from head to toe, he thought.

He noticed she was still wearing her Michael Kors watch. He flipped her wrist over, and gently undid the top clasp, followed by the second lock. The bracelet opened, and he slowly slid it off of her. He placed it on top of their intermingled clothes piled on the floor, and then quickly went to remove his own watch.

Mia was slowly rubbing her wrist when he turned to look back at her.

"Anything else you need to take off?" he asked coyly.

Mia blushed a deep red and shook her head. Leo was beginning to adore that look on her.

"Where does it hurt exactly?" he asked, trying to refocus on the task at hand.

"I guess my knees and ankles mostly. It just really aches when I put pressure on them," she answered.

"They look pretty swollen," he said gently grabbing onto one of her legs and then the heel of her foot.

She grimaced and moved away from him, hurting herself in the process. "Ow," she let out, trying to soothe her aching limbs.

He reached for her leg once more and she again moved in the other direction.

"Quit doing that, Mia. I'm trying to help you. You're going to have to learn to deal with me."

"I don't need a full body inspection. Can we just get on with it?" she said, sounding more embarrassed than angry.

Oh yes you do...and yes we can. Where do I sign? He instantly thought of a million things he could tell her that would embarrass her even further, but bit his tongue. He couldn't keep from smiling at her seductively, though.

"You know what I mean," she added quietly.

Deciding not to tease her any longer, he easily picked her up and settled her down again inside the shower, holding onto the small of her back while she kept her arms wrapped around his neck.

He couldn't believe his eyes as he stared at Mia in front of him, recollecting the events that had brought them there. She had been exquisite at the club. He had instantly noticed she was dressed up more than usual and she looked absolutely stunning. The barrier she frequently put up had dropped and her demeanor was so compelling. And when they danced...he loved every second of it.

Only he had told himself to stay away, to keep a distance. But he just couldn't help it anymore. She was like a drug and every time he saw her it pulled him in deeper. He had managed somehow to leave her alone for an entire week, surely that had to count for something.

But then she had stood in front of him so openly and he finally had her entirely to himself. Every inch of her was his to take and it was up to him to determine the next move. Did she really want this? Suddenly, he hadn't been so sure. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her and he saw himself falling in too deep. He needed to cool off. He needed to think.

He didn't want to leave her. He shouldn't have left her. He knew once he had made the decision, it was mistake.

He almost had a heart attack once he had returned from the bathroom only to find Mia lying practically lifeless on the floor. He had seen a drunken Johan swaying above her and instantly understood what had happened. His biggest fear had played out right in front of him. That's when he lost all sense of control and jumped on Johan, punching him repeatedly in the face.

Someone had pulled him back. It had been Omar. Surprisingly he said he would help him get Mia out of there. Mia. He had rushed to her side and nearly cried of relief when he felt a pulse.

The rest of the details were hazy, but Leo had managed to get her out of the club and safely into his car in no time. He just wanted her to be safe and he had accomplished that. But the surrounding sentiment was pure guilt. It was his fault this even happened. He had provoked Johan at the café and if he had just kept his mouth shut none of this would have happened.

"How is the water?" Leo asked, attempting to get away from his thoughts.

"Está perfecta."

Perfect. Mia was perfect. An angel he didn't deserve. How could he have done this to her? He felt like a shit. Leo couldn't imagine telling her the real cause of what had happened. She would hate him for it, and then what? Somehow he felt like he was constantly losing her and she wasn't even his to lose. But despite all his conflicting emotions, the moment felt real. Painstakingly real.

He desperately tried to keep his attraction for her buried within, but it was proving to be extremely difficult. The saintly image standing in front of him, combined with the feel of the incredible curvatures of her body and added water pressure was unbearable.

As much as he wanted the moment to last forever, he would have to end it quickly. He had promised her he would be respectful and he would keep that promise. What kind of a man would he be otherwise?

Leo caught himself leaning in towards her and stepped back. She was like a magnetic pull. How long had he been staring at her? He gently disentangled her arms from his neck, placing them around his waist instead. He then reached for the shampoo and poured some in her hands.

She began massaging her hair with it, only to pull her hand abruptly back and stare at her fingers.

"What is it?" Leo asked, inspecting her fingers.

"I think I have a piece of glass or something stuck in my hair," Mia explained.

Leo's eyes widened. "Here, let me look," he said, slightly turning her around. He gently sifted through her hair, finding two small shards of glass in it. He swore as he removed them.

"I'm so sorry, baby," he said pulling her towards his chest, his hand holding onto the back of her neck. The endearing term kept slipping out of him, but he rather liked the sound of it hanging in the air. He began to softly massage her nape, his fingers tracing down to her shoulders. He felt her shiver; but unexpectedly, pressed into him more.

"It's okay, Leo. I'm okay," she sighed, as she hugged him back.

"No, it's definitely not okay. Just thinking about what could have happened to you..." his words trailed off as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry you got mixed up in another mess of mine. All this must be pretty inconvenient for you," Mia pointed out.

"Don't be. Trust me, this is a far cry from inconvenient," he said as he lifted up her chin to look at her. "It's not every day that a beautiful girl ends up in my shower." He smiled, a little embarrassed at his candidness.

Mia blushed again and instantly looked down. Keep it simple, he thought.

"Well, come on. Let's get this crap off of you," he said trying to change the tone of the conversation. Leo shifted so the spray of water could wash out her hair. A smell of shampoo mixed with alcohol surfaced.

"Wow, I guess I really needed that," Mia said, staring at the floor.

"Never underestimate the power of a good shower," Leo replied. "Ready to get out?" he asked, even though his brain was telling him otherwise.

She simply nodded, looking away shyly.

He turned off the knob and picked her up again. He grabbed a large towel off the sink and wrapped it around her before settling her down on the toilet seat again.

He stood crouched beside her longer than he should, but there was something about her image he couldn't get away from. If he thought he was able to resist her before, he was wrong.

She clutched at the white towel around her unseeingly to his reaction. She looked so innocent when just a moment ago she had looked drop-dead sexy. Leo wondered how it could be the same person staring back at him. What else was she hiding from him?

He contemplated which look he preferred but couldn't decide. He wanted her either way. Maybe if he picked her up like that and took her to his bed he could witness both. Oh baby, the things I would do to you. He started to imagine her beneath him, sharing his bed while tossing him that lethal combination look. The innocent one, he concluded. Even in his mind, he knew that was the look that would bring him to his knees.

Stop, Leo! What is wrong with you? If she knew he was thinking of bedding her right now, she would certainly run for the hills. He was supposed to be taking care of her at the moment. Instead he was fawning all over her like some lovesick teenager. It was nonsense. He was completely turned on and ready to go just by looking at her.

He quickly stood up and grabbed a much-needed towel for himself and handed her some clothes, while he secretly cursed the effect she had on him. He was so screwed.

"I'll uh...go change in the dresser. I'll come back in a bit," he said practically running out of the bathroom.

He quickly dried off and pulled on a t-shirt and some black Adidas shorts. He needed some fresh air. He walked outside of the bedroom and out of habit, found himself heading towards the kitchen. He opened up the fridge, grabbing a large bottle of water. He gulped half of it down and then slumped against the counter. How was he going to make it until the morning?

Deciding he shouldn't procrastinate much longer, he jotted down a note for his housekeeper, and headed back to his sweet torture. It occurred to him that he would have to help her change, and couldn't fathom how he would handle it.

He knocked on the door before returning this time. To his major relief, she had managed to change into the clothes he had left by herself. She was wearing one of his Armani v-necks and boxer shorts and looked cute as hell. He decided right then he loved seeing her in his clothing. It was almost as good as her without any clothing. Almost.

"All set? How are you holding up?" Leo asked, trying to seem unaffected.

"Better, at least physically. The shower definitely helped relax my muscles and ease my movements a bit."

"Glad to hear that. Okay, last stop." He scooped her up yet again and placed her in the middle of his fluffy white bed once he reached the bedroom. He sat down beside her and felt like he could finally relax now that she was dressed again.

Leo watched Mia take in her surroundings. His bedroom décor was modern but simple. A desk in the far corner, a few dressers, a sofa, and a plasma TV on the wall.

"Is this your room?" she asked in awe.

"Yeah, well it's the room I grew up in. I've been living in London for a while now. At least up until the Master's that I decided to come back to Madrid."

"So this is your parents' house?"

"Yup. But they're constantly traveling so it feels like they're barely ever here. You don't have to worry about running into them in the morning."

Mia's gaze fell towards some picture frames on a bedside table, one in particular that caught her attention. "You play polo?"

"When I was younger. I still play every now and again whenever I get a chance."

"I like your life," Mia concluded.

"Yeah, I really can't complain," Leo smiled back at her. He felt a tinge of excitement knowing she was curious about him.

"Is it weird coming back, living with your parents again?" Mia asked.

"Definitely. It has its perks, though. I think I've gotten used to it at this point. Now it's going to be weird going back to London."

"Yeah, it's like reverse culture shock all over again. Dual citizenship problems," she laughed.

"Exactly. Isn't it weird how even though we're from completely different countries, our lives are so similar? Like you understand things innately about my life that most people wouldn't."

Mia smiled. "Yeah. I feel that way, too. I feel like I have much more in common with you than some of my friends in Mexico or the US. I guess it's just natural for us to gravitate towards each other."

"Well, I'm glad I found you...with a little help from some good old fashioned physics," he laughed. "Do you need anything else, water or anything?"

"Um...yeah, water would be great," Mia said.

He went over to his desk and picked up a couple of water bottles. He handed one over to her.

"So I'll go sleep in one of the guestrooms and you can stay here," he offered.

"No, I don't want to take over your room. I can stay in the guestroom."

"I'd rather you be here. Besides you shouldn't be moving around so much."

"Really, I don't mind...I'll just..."

He cut her off. "It's a moot cause, Mia. Have you thought about how you would even get there? If I don't take you, that is."

"Oh, right. I can't move by myself. I guess I'm a prisoner in your bed," she mused.

His eyes flew open at that. Just the thought of her sleeping in his bed was inexplicably satisfying. He definitely wouldn't mind having his dirty little way with her, tying her to the bedpost. His brain began to race all over again with wayward thoughts. Was she messing with him?

"Leo, do you think...I mean, would you mind staying for a bit? I know it sounds stupid, but I don't want to be by myself right now," she said looking at him with Bambi eyes.

Oh, boy. Her request sounded way too appealing. Too tempting. Too dangerous.

"Um...sure. But you should probably go to sleep soon. I'll stay until you doze off."

"That sounds good. Thank you, Leo," she said genuinely.

He stood up to pull the covers over her, and then lied down next to her on top of them. It would be safer that way. They stayed like that for a while until Mia finally settled in and rested her head on a pillow.

"Leo? Do you want to talk about what happened?" she asked.

It was the one question he had been dreading all night. "Let's put it off until tomorrow. I think you've had enough for one night. Rest, sweetness."

Time. He needed more time. Time to think about what the hell he was going to say to her.

Mia yawned. "Yeah. You're probably right."

Leo let out a troubled sigh. He could tell she was still curious, but had let it go. Why couldn't he just tell her?

He looked over at her and saw that she had closed her eyes. The room became acutely silent, but he was still very much attuned to every part of her. Her almost inaudible breathing, the peaceful expression across her face, her flawless features. She just looked so completely vulnerable.

"Goodnight, Mia," he whispered.

When she didn't answer, he moved to lie down next to her. He continued to look at her, just watching her sleep. It was fascinating. He wanted to stare at her forever. Just don't fall asleep, he thought, as he reached over to turn off the light.

He felt something tug at him from deep inside. Who was this incredible woman sleeping next to him? It suddenly felt like she was a part of him, as if he had always known her. It didn't make any sense. He began to wonder if she was even real when he finally fell into a deep sleep.