I could hear the birds chirping outside, but judging from the sunlight coming in, it was midday and not morning. I was facing a wall I wasn't familiar with, but that's not what had me smiling. I don't know if he was aware of it, but a certain Mr Black was running his fingers on my arm.

"That tickles," I commented with a giggle since his arms were around me and my back was against his chest.

We were spooning, and we were very much naked.

"I've been doing it for an hour now," he replied.

I turned to face him, smiling. "Were you that bored?"

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to wake up at all today," he teased.

I blushed, hiding in the pillow. "In my defence, I was thoroughly exhausted last night."

"Don't hide your rosy cheeks from me," he said, caressing my cheek.

"I hate being seen blushing," I confessed.

"It's a beautiful sight, so don't hide it from me. Also, you should know that I thoroughly enjoyed exhausting you. I may just be addicted," he said playfully.

"Best you've ever had?" I joked.

"I've only slept with four women before you, and you Miss Kidman, are in a league of your own, especially given that you're so inexperienced," he replied.

I blushed once more. "You're just saying that."

"Except I'm not. I could spend days making love to you and it would be days well spent," he said seriously.

Well, when he puts it like that.

I don't know where I got the confidence from, but I suddenly straddled him, uncaring of the fact the sheet had slipped from me. "Days you say?"

A devious smile graced his lips. "Mhmm."

"Well, I don't know about days, but my day today looks pretty free," I said before leaning down to kiss him.

I don't know whether he'd planned for this to happen or not, but I was most definitely grateful that it was just the two of us in the house. It allowed me to unashamedly express myself, express just how good he was making me feel.

It dawned on me that he'd said he was making love to me.

It was probably my naivety in play, but I'd like to think using that phrase meant this meant more to him than some random hook up, but I wasn't about to fall too quickly. I had to be smart about this, and only because I stood to lose a lot.

We stayed in bed for the rest of the day as I learnt even more about myself in this particular department. Granted that he was focused on me and making sure that he 'worshipped' my body, I tried to return the favour, but he wouldn't let me.

And eventually I gave up.

"God woman, how can I still want you? We've been at it for hours," he said, his fingers trailing all over my body.

The sheets were long forgotten on the floor, and only the dim light of the lamp was on. I've always been shy about being seen naked, but right now I didn't mind that my body was in full view of this beast of a man.

He's in love with my body, and I've never felt sexier.

I giggled tiredly. "I don't even know how to answer your question."

He smirked, kissing up my body as I arched my back. "Just look at how responsive your body is to me. How you're able to keep up with my stamina has made you a million times more desirable to me."

"How you have such stamina is a mystery to me," I joked.

He chuckled before kissing me. "Let's just say I'm motivated, but now I need to get you fed."

"Are you going to cook for me?" I asked, caressing his cheek.

"I think you've earned it," he said before kissing me again.

We kissed for a while longer before heading to the bathroom. He handed me a toothbrush and we brushed our teeth in silence, instead sharing secret looks, before deciding to head downstairs. He was dressed in his pyjama bottoms, while I opted for his pyjama top after tying my hair up. At some point he'd stopped walking and I looked back to find him checking me out from behind.

I giggled. "The kitchen is not located anywhere near my rear."

"A man can dream, can't he?" he joked.

"Go and make me food Olivier," I said, rolling my eyes at him.

I squeaked when he picked me up, wrapping my legs around him. "I love how you say my name. You make it sound a hell of a lot sexier than it is."

"It is a sexy name," I argued.

"I've heard many women say it, but none have affected me like you," he countered.

I smirked and got my seduction on. "Well Olivier, there's something I love more than saying your name."

"And that is?" he asked huskily, clearly aroused once more.

I leaned down to kiss along his neck, going up to his earlobe before nipping at it. "Food."

Before he knew it, I'd managed to get off and run to the kitchen. "You're not playing fair Miss Kidman."

"I never said I was going to Mr Black," I replied as I sat on the kitchen island.

He shook his head, smiling, before moving around to take out the things he would need. "What do you want to eat?"

"Given the fact that it's one in the morning, I'm going to go with surprise me," I replied, making him laugh.

He got around to making the food while I enjoyed the show. He has such fluid movements for a man his size, and it's one of my life's most fascinating things to watch. We were talking about mundane things, getting to know each other better.

The food ended up being as good as the food his chef had made us, and he admitted that his mom taught him how to cook and he actually loved doing it, though he didn't do it a lot. I was ecstatic to know that I was the first woman he'd ever cooked for besides his mother and sisters.

I didn't question why he never cooked for his ex-wife.

"So what now?" I asked when I was done.

"Are you not tired?" he asked in confusion.

"I am, but I'm not sleepy," I replied.

"There's only one thing I can think of that will make you sleepy," he said thoughtfully.

"Do share," I requested.

Instead he leaned in and kissed me. "Stay here."

I stayed in the lounge, looking aimlessly around me. This room is huge, but like I said, there are only pictures of Grace in the house. There isn't a single photo of Olivier, and I wanted to ask him about that. He came back, and for the second time I squeaked as he picked me up, this time bridal style.

"Where are we going?" I asked, giggling.

"You'll see when we get there Miss Kidman," he replied.

I was surprised to find that we were headed to his bathroom. It smelled like lavender, and that's when I noticed the bath in the middle of the room. It was filled with foam, and next to it, on a small table, there were two glasses of red wine and strawberries.

"Getting me drunk is your solution?" I joked once he'd put me down.

"You can't get drunk off of one glass of wine, or at least I would hope not. The plan here is to get you warm. Bubble baths tend to be very therapeutic and induce sleep," he pointed out.

I turned to face him. "And am I taking this bath by myself?"

He smirked. "You could seduce me into joining you."

"And how do I do that?" I questioned.

"Be creative," he challenged.

I know nothing about seduction, but I loved the thrill of the challenge. I stepped back from him, not breaking eye contact, before slowly unbuttoning the shirt. I got to the last button before I let it fall slowly from my arms.

He watched my every move, tucking his bottom lip between his teeth. I reached for my hair and let it loose. It fell down and cascaded around my face. I then turned around, making sure to walk towards the bathtub with a sway to my hips, before getting in. I turned to face him once more before submerging myself in the sweltering water.

"You see Mr Black, it's your choice whether or not you join me," I purred.

"Are you trying to suggest that you didn't just seduce me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know. Did I?" I played back.

He tucked his bottom lip between his teeth, this time smiling, before taking down his pants. "Nicely played Miss Kidman."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I feigned innocence.

He laughed a little before joining me. I moved forward so that he could get in behind me before settling into his chest. His bathtub is big enough for us to both fit comfortably. He was running his fingers along my arms and I sighed contently, closing my eyes.

"Falling asleep already?" he asked amusedly.

"Mhmm," I responded. From the shaking behind me, I assume he was laughing silently.

"Rose," he called after a while.

I breathed in deeply, willing myself to stay awake. "Hmm?"

"Did you love the guy you were engaged to?" he asked.

That's a random question.

"No," I answered nonetheless.

"Do you still see yourself getting married one day?" he questioned.

"I do. I want to get married and have as many kids as I can," I replied, eyes still closed.

"You really want many kids?" he asked. I nodded, not saying anything other than that.

He didn't say anything for a while either.

"Do you see yourself ever getting married again?" I pierced the silence.

He took a while before responding. "I want to say yes, but I obviously have my reservations. My first marriage didn't end well, and to find out years down the line that you married someone you don't really know, can have you questioning your judgement."

His response was honest and heartfelt.

"If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?" I asked curiously.

"For one, I would pay attention to any red flags I have and not ignore them like I did the last time. I'd make sure that I've seen her through all emotions. I would make sure to pay attention to her, to pay attention to her likes and habits. I would pay attention to her reactions so that I don't fool myself into thinking that I know her and it turns out that I don't. If I were to get married again, I'd make sure that I wasn't lying to myself, trying to live a facade. I would make sure that I genuinely love her with all that I am and risk it all, even if it means I could potentially get my heart broken."

He spoke with so much vulnerability that I wasn't entirely sure if he intended to be so open about his response. Out of curiosity, I sat up before turning to straddle him. As I'd suspected, he looked lost in thought.

I caressed his cheek, bringing him out of his reverie. "I know you think that you're not worthy of love, but the way I see it, nobody's perfect. Any woman would be lucky to have your heart, to be loved by you, because you know the value of love. You have to believe that Olivier, and you have to fight for what you want. If love does come your way, don't let your fear push it away."

He pulled me in for a sweet kiss before I turned back to my previous position. I didn't need him to say anything to my words, simply because I wanted him to think about them and not engage me in his thoughts.

When the water was getting cold, we left and headed back to the room. Sleep was definitely present in me, making him chuckle. He managed to dress me in his pyjama top once more before we got into bed. I barely heard him say anything as my eyes closed.

I had one of the best sleeps of my life.

I was disappointed to wake up alone, but it also gave me a chance to be one with my thoughts for a bit. I ended up spending the entire weekend with a man who two weeks ago, I'd only known the face of, but now I knew so much more about.

There are things that I know that he's obviously not told me, especially about his relationship with his ex-wife. However, I'm in no rush because I've only truly known the man for two days. I don't even know what we are or what he expects from me.

I must avoid getting in my feelings here.

I eventually left the room in search of him. I could hear his voice downstairs and I followed it. By the looks of things, he was on the phone, and he didn't sound too happy. He was talking about a shipment, so I figured it was a business call.

I decided to make us breakfast after finding out that despite how late we slept, it was ten and I was up. I remembered which drawer he'd taken the pots out of, and I headed to the pantry to grab any dry ingredients I needed. Everything else I got from the fridge.

I settled for making waffles, omelettes, sausages, toast, slices of tomato and there was some fruit salad. I once again remembered where I'd seen him taking out plates, glasses and cutlery. I set everything at the island and he walked in just as I was pouring the orange juice into the glasses.

"You cooked?" he asked, looking pleasantly surprised.

"I figured I'd return the favour, especially since it sounds like you're stressed. So, there are some waffles, and you can have those with fruit, whipped cream and sauces. Over here there's toast, some tomato slices, omelette au fromage with some parsley and some sausages. The coffee is still brewing," I replied.

He smiled before walking over to kiss me. "Good morning Miss Kidman."

"Good morning Mr Black," I replied, cheeks reddened.

"Who taught you how to cook?" he asked as he ate.

"I taught myself. I was always fascinated by cooking shows, so I imitated them. It kept me out of trouble, so my mom didn't mind buying all the food I needed. It was a bonus that they got gourmet meals out of it," I joked.

He chortled. "I can definitely see, or taste rather, why they would want to keep you cooking. This is amazing."

"Thanks. Cooking is probably what I do best after teaching," I admitted.

"You never did answer my question," he realized.

"Which question is this?" I asked.

"What drew you to teaching?" he repeated the question from Friday night.

"I've always loved learning new things, but I also found that I liked telling people about the fascinating things I was learning, whether they wanted to know or not. I love kids, and combined with my need to share the information I know, I figured teaching was then my calling. I haven't looked back since," I replied.

"And I'm guessing you've never been a home school teacher?" he asked knowingly.

I nodded. "I never even considered it, and I don't think I ever will. The only difference with Grace is that I'm emotionally attached to her. I've done the relevant research and the likes, so I know how to best handle this while maintaining the relationship I have with her."

He smiled. "Does that mean you're taking the job?"

"I am. I've been waiting to talk to you about it first," I replied.

"Sorry I've been so busy," he apologized.

"You're a busy man Olivier. I understand," I said.

"I'm going to be even busier in the next month and probably longer than that. I'm closing in on an acquisition and it needs my full attention," he informed.

I couldn't help my confusion. "Why are you telling me?"

He left his food and came around my side of the island, making me face him thanks to the swivel chair I was sitting on. "I need someone I trust to keep an eye out for Grace."

"She has Fabio and Carol," I reminded.

"Fabio protects her yes, but that's not what I'm talking about. I know for a fact that she doesn't have a relationship of any kind with Carol. I'm talking about the emotional relationship you have with her. I need to know that she'll have someone to turn to while I'm gone," he explained.

"She can always count on me, even when I'm not around," I said sternly.

He laughed a little. "See? That's what I need for her right now."

"Just her?" I said lowly.

What have I done?

He put a strand of hair behind my ear before caressing my cheek. "Not just her."

"What are you saying exactly?" I dared to ask.

He leaned down and gave me a slow, sweet kiss. "I'm saying I like where we are right now, and I know I'll be away for a while, but I'd really like to keep talking to you, and hopefully spend more time with you when I come back."

"I'd like that, but I have one condition for now," I agreed with a blush.

"Grace can't know," he said knowingly.

I nodded. "I don't want what we have to take away from what she and I have. I also don't want her to be majorly affected if this doesn't work out."

"You've already decided our fate for us?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's not at all what I'm saying," I denied.

He crossed his arms. "And what exactly are you saying Miss Kidman?"

"I'm just saying that we should first establish the strength of what we have before we go off and make her have expectations that may then not work out well," I attempted to explain until I saw the look on his face.

He was laughing at me.

I sighed. "You're cruel."

He chuckled. "I just wanted to hear what your reasoning is. I'm in complete agreement, but I'd like to believe that you should have a little faith."

"I'm just, careful," I said warily.

He cupped my cheeks. "I won't rush you into anything, and you'll have my complete fidelity ok?"

I thought back to Jeffrey and how he'd said similar words to me. I refused to date him for the longest time, so he worked for my attention. Once he had it, I wouldn't sleep with him, so I guess I must've been too much of a handful for him.

"I'm a problematic person Olivier. I'm not like other women. I'm probably going to drive you up the wall. I've also been told that I exude prudish behaviour," I argued.

Is this what they call self sabotage?

"I'm sensing a background story to that ridiculous statement," he commented.

I grabbed his hand and led him to the lounge where we sat on the couch. "Remember the stupid thing I did?"

He nodded and I carried on. "A year ago, I met this guy Jeffrey. He liked me a lot but I wasn't entirely interested. He ended up having to work for my attention, until I eventually agreed to date him. Six months in, he proposed, even though I'd refused to sleep with him every time he suggested it."

"So where does the stupid thing come in?" he asked.

"If you could be patient, I'd tell you," I teased. He laughed before indicating that I carry on.

"At the time, I had two female best friends, Camila and Holly. Now, I'd gone to a teacher's convention in Washington DC, and I happened to come home early. I found Holly having sex with Jeffrey in my apartment. They both confessed that they'd been having an affair for four months, and that they were in love. I believed them because I could see it in their eyes," I said.

"You forgave them," he said knowingly.

I nodded. "I did, but like I told you, I've been accused of being a pushover, which is probably true since they ended up taking advantage of me in a way that had everyone else in my life pissed off. They decided that they would be getting married instead."

"You didn't," he said, shaking his head.

"Except I did," I whined.

He laughed. "You went to the wedding."

"I was the Maid of Honour," I added, embarrassed.

He was stunned. "She still asked that of you? Even after basically stealing your fiancé?"

"Yep! The wedding was in Arizona and I went without telling Cammy because she'd cut Holly off already. Her husband and my other best friend John, is Jeffrey's older brother. He's the one who introduced Jeffrey and I. Anyway, John lied to Cammy and told her that I was at a teacher's conference in Chicago; not that his lie stuck since he told my mom the truth, who then told Cammy. They were not impressed with me, and everyone at the wedding was giving me pitiful glances. I met Gail on the flight back from Arizona and she offered me the job after going through my credentials. I thought long and hard about what had happened and what I'd done, and that's when I accepted her offer. I realized that I couldn't stay in Denver anymore. Too much had happened and I wanted a clean slate, and that's how I ended up making the best decision I've made by far," I finished off.

He brought me into his side so that I was cuddling with him. "Rose Annabeth Kidman, you are a weird woman."

"Gee, thanks," I said dryly.

He laughed. "Let me finish. You're a weird woman, but that's what makes you so exceptional. So what if you're kind hearted? So what if you react to situations in ways other people don't? So what if you choose to see the good in people and situations? I don't think its right for anyone to tell you that you're too good of a person. The world needs more people like you, to give people like me a chance. If all people were negative, the world wouldn't be standing still. You're a good person, and there's nothing wrong with that. I happen to find it sexy, just by the way."

I looked up at him, giggling. "You do?"

"Yes I do. In terms of your fear, it's clear that while you didn't love Jeffrey, what he did to you still affected you, and again, that's ok. You're human and we all deal with situations differently. I'm not going to lie to you and say that this will work out because I don't know, but I do know that if you want to give it a try, then I'm all yours. I'm probably just as afraid as you are, but I can assure you that infidelity is not my style, so you can be angry at me for a million other reasons, but that will never be one of them," he said softly.

I was processing his words slowly in my head. "Do you want to give this a try?"

"Of course I do. You're a beautiful woman. You intrigue me. You're intelligent, caring, loving and you can cook a mean meal. You're far from prudish and you chose to give me the benefit of the doubt. I know that I can trust you with not only my life, but my daughter's as well. Now, I think I should get to decide whether or not you drive me up the wall. How does that sound?" he asked.

"Let it be remembered that I warned you before time," I joked.

"And let it be known that I went into this knowing the risks. Now, are we giving this a try?" he asked, a silly smile on his face.

I tittered. "Well, now that you've stated your case so valiantly."

"Good," he said before kissing me.

We spent the rest of the afternoon just sitting and doing nothing. Grace had texted him to say that she'd like to be fetched in the evening, so we agreed that he'd take me home before fetching her because he'd given Fabio the weekend off as well. He also informed me that he made Gail aware that I was taking the job and my schedule would change from the following day.

"When do you leave?" I asked as we stood outside my apartment door. I was dressed in my clothes from Friday night.

"Unfortunately I leave at two in the morning. It has to do with the time differences and I need to be there when this man wants me there," he replied. He's heading to Shanghai for business.

"Wait, if you're leaving at two in the morning and there's no-one at the mansion, who's going to stay with Grace?" I questioned.

Everyone who works at the mansion would only be arriving much later.

He frowned. "How did I miss that?"

I giggled. "You're a terrible father."

"I was distracted by a beautiful woman. I am in no way a terrible father," he argued, his arms wrapping around my waist.

"Whatever you say Mr Black. Go fetch her and bring her here and then tell Fabio to fetch her here tomorrow morning. When you fetch her and tell her about your predicament, she'll probably suggest the exact same plan since she knows I won't say no," I suggested.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a better suggestion?"

"Well no, but I'm jealous," he admitted.

"Of your daughter?" I asked in confusion.

He nodded before smirking. "She gets to sleep over."

"You had me the whole weekend you silly man, something that I hadn't even planned for. There are papers I still need to mark and I haven't even switched on my phone, so I don't know if anyone needed me," I replied.

"Fine, I'll let it go but only because you clearly gave me all your attention and I appreciate that," he said with a cute smile.

I laughed, shaking my head. "Go away Olivier."

He leaned down and gave me a toe curling kiss. "I'll be right back."

He left and I stood outside my apartment for a while after he'd left, my fingers lingering on my probably swollen lips. I smiled, shaking my head before heading into my apartment. It didn't even register to me that the door was unlocked, or that the light was on.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"