I had attempted to cook for Mia as reciprocation for her making dinner for me the other night. I even made sure to have everything set out for her arrival since I had worked from home that day after Stefan had pissed me off so much that I didn't even want to run the risk of seeing him or otherwise I could have potentially been out of a job. Not to mention, I didn't appreciate the fact that my boss was basically trying to talk Mia into being okay with him acting that way with her without her consent.

Now, I admit that I'm no chef and after trying the food Mia had prepared for me, I'm nowhere near her level of expertise. But when she saw the kimchi fried rice and bulgogi that I had prepared to the best of my abilities, she was grateful for the gesture at least. When she wrapped her arms around me in gratitude, I had pulled her even closer and enjoyed just having her in my arms before reluctantly suggesting that she take a seat so that we could eat together, something that's starting to become a normal thing for us.

Today was a late day at the office for both of us since the deadline for our up and coming fragrance along with the launch party is set for the following weekend. We each have a lot on our schedules for the next upcoming days so even though I'd like to spend my time getting to know every little thing about her, we have to remain responsible.

So tonight, we settled for having pizza delivered and spending most of our evening putting our heads together on work-related issues. The only time we took a break was when her fucktard of a husband (a title only by law, if you ask me) called. They began arguing when he started ranting about how she needs to hurry up and decide if she's going to forgive him and move on or move out. It took an entire hour after that phone call ended for her to calm down enough to focus back on the launch.

Laying on the couch at the end of the night, I thumb through social media to see what my friends and family back home are up to while Mia finishes up in the shower. I can hear the water running and the faint smell of her sweet-smelling body wash wafting through the room as I reply back to a text my dad just sent me.

The time difference makes it hard to talk to my family as often as I'd like but my parents are proud of me and I do my best to make sure they are taken care of with anything they need including helping to ensure my little brother isn't acting out of line too often. I may be halfway around the world but I can still kick his ass if I have to.

Opening up Instagram, I watch my friend's stories from last night and smile at all of their shenanigans. It's pretty lonely without any of them here and I have to admit that I feel a bit left out but I know they miss me just as much. I get so wrapped up in watching a funny video of two of them goofing off after a drunken night that I didn't hear the water shut off or the bedroom door open so when Mia speaks up, I jump and drop my phone onto my face.

Trying to hold back a laugh with her sopping wet hair resting on the oversized black T-shirt she had borrowed from me, she covers her mouth and then moves her hand to her chest as she tilts her head, "Oh no, I didn't mean to scare you. Is your head okay?"

"Yeah, no. I'm fine," I state while avoiding eye contact with her.

"You sure?" She takes a few steps forward to sit beside me on the edge of the couch next to my waist while I rub the area. "It looks really red."

"That's probably just me dying of embarrassment." I give a little shy smile through the gap in between my two hands.

Taking hold of my wrists, she slowly removes them to assess the area for herself. Gently rubbing her thumb right above my eyebrow, I flinch at the sting and she pauses to look down at my reaction. There's no room for my arm to rest anywhere else besides on her lap so I slowly lower it against her thigh and notice how she inhales at the feeling of at my touch on her bare skin.

"You may have a little bump in the morning," she whispers as her thumb continues to slowly and absentmindedly caress my brow.

"It'll be fine," I softly reply, feeling my heart constricting and my stomach flipping. My fingers begin mindlessly to rub small circles right at the hem of her sleep shorts and I feel like I'm going to combust with the need to have her. I've never wanted someone so bad in my life and it's as if she's got me deliciously trapped within her magnetic hold that I don't even want to escape from.

Lifting my hand, I sweep her wet strands back to rest behind her shoulders as we steal a lingering glance and I wonder for a moment if she's thinking what I am; Does she want me just as much? Is she struggling with that fact just as much as I am?

To my surprise, she leans down and presses her lips to the sore area while my hand slowly runs over the curve of her waist. Another tender kiss is placed on my temple and then my cheekbone as I close my eyes in pure blissful torture when I feel her unsteady breath against my ear. One more is pressed against my cheek before I slowly turn my head to look into her eyes with her mouth merely centimeters away from being claimed as mine.

"Still want to know what I was going to say in the elevator?" I question and gently smile when I see the edges of her mouth curve up.

"How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess," I state and feel my body prickle when the breath from her small nervous chuckle tickles my lips.

"Well?" She probes just above a whisper while her hand cups my jaw.

"I want to kiss you so fucking much," I quickly blurt out through a barely-there voice before I have the chance to back down again. Even if I'm denied, at least I had the guts to be honest with her.

"I want you to kiss me, too," she states, and my hand grips tighter onto her waist as both of our chests begin to rise and fall unevenly, "but I can't. It wouldn't be right or fair to you."

Nodding, I lift my chin and place a kiss on her cheek instead and my body stiffens at the sound of her desperate hum of approval. I place another one onto her cheekbone and bring my lips to her ear. "If anything changes, just let me be the first to know." Her breathing is shallow as her nails slightly scratch the sensitive skin of my neck and I find all of the strength within me to say what I know needs to be said for both of our sakes, "Have a good night, beautiful."

Raising up just a little bit, her gaze bounces between my eyes and my lips and I recognize the same painful desire behind her irises that also burns behind mine. "Good night, Jimin."

Neither one of us dares to move away and my grip on her waist surely tells her that I really don't want her to. Fuck, why couldn't she be available?!

The many positions I would have her in, making her back arch while she calls out my name... the thoughts keep me up at night and they've only intensified with her staying in my apartment. Beyond physically, I want to make her happy. Be the one to put a smile on her face and be the cause of her happiness.

I want to be hers.

My phone dings too loudly for the quietness of the room and I roll my eyes knowing it's my dad responding back to me. He would be so disappointed in me right now. I know he would. It's enough to bring me back to the reality that I have to be strong enough to not have her be involved in something that she could potentially regret during her most vulnerable state. As well as be the gentleman I was raised to be.

Looking away, I reach for my phone and feel her ease her way off of the couch. Staring at the text from my father telling me how good of a man I have become, I sigh and reply back with a simple thank you and let him know that I need to go to sleep along with promises that I will text him tomorrow.

Setting my phone back down, I cover my face with my hands and when I remove them, I see Mia glancing back at me and appearing as if she's feeling guilty which makes me extremely worried that I possibly went too far.

"I'm sorry if I did something to make you uncomfortable at all or if you now have someone in your life," she quietly states as she peeks over at my phone on the coffee table. "I just assumed since you once said you had no one to go to the launch party with that you weren't involved with anyone."

My brow furrows and I wince at the sting from the small injury that's somewhat giving me a headache. "What? You didn't make me uncomfortable and I'm not involved with anyone?"

"Oh, you just looked a bit uneasy when you read your text and it's so late in the night that I just assumed it could maybe be-"

Chuckling, I shake my head and sit up, grabbing hold of her hands to stop her from speaking. It's quite adorable how it seems like she doesn't want anyone else to catch my attention. "Mia, that was my father. My family is in a different time zone, remember?"

Letting out a sigh of relief and a small laugh out of embarrassment, she nods, "Right, I'm obviously not thinking clearly."

"I have no secrets from you and I'm the one that should be sorry if I ever made you feel uncomfortable," I admit as I get lost in the flecks of gold that dance in her almond-shaped eyes.

"You didn't. Just until I'm more sure about where things are headed with my marriage-"she takes a deep breath, pausing before choosing a different way to speak her thoughts. "I just don't want to be the one to hurt you."

That, alone, makes my heart sing. I had been worried that I would just be a rebound to her, even though she's a woman I could really see myself falling in love with and quite honestly, might already be falling for. But all along she has been wanting to make sure that my heart is in good hands as well. I should have given her more credit. She's far too amazing to do such a thing.

Smiling brightly up at her, I stand, and with her hands still in mine, I wrap her arms around my waist. Chuckling as she knits her brow, she cutely tilts her head.

"What?" she giggles as I tuck some hair behind her ear.

"Thank you for being so phenomenal," I state and watch as her smile fades but her gaze remains soft.

"Why are you so good to me, Jimin?"

"You deserve nothing less," I honestly respond before I lean down to kiss her cheek again. "Now go to sleep before something happens."

"That's a really enticing threat, Mr. Park." She gives me a sexy little smirk and I gulp at the lust electrifying every square inch of my body.

"Isn't it, though?" I quirk my brow before laughing, "Go!"

Smiling up at me, she nods, "Okay, okay. I'm going! By the way, I need to go back to the house to gather some more things and get my dress for the party next weekend. Would you mind going with me?"

"Of course not. Does tomorrow evening work for you?"

"Tomorrow evening is perfect," Mia agrees as she pulls back from my touch, letting her fingertips stay on me for as long as possible.

I watch the sway of her hips as she heads down the long hallway towards my bedroom and just before she reaches the door I call out her name. Turning to look back at me with raised brows, she waits for me to continue. "I'm glad you're here with me."

Grinning, she shifts from one foot to the other, "Me, too."

Plopping back down onto the couch once she shuts the door behind her, I smile and lay back down in the same position that I was originally in. I was never one to truly believe in fate, always thinking that we determined our own paths but with everything that has happened with me and Mia, I can't help but feel the universe has brought us together. Two souls, originally from opposite ends of the planet, ending up in the same city. She needed me at one of the worst times in her life and I needed her to know that I can actually feel something for someone again after being left heartbroken. She has awoken a fire within me that I thought burned out indefinitely the moment my ex left me, but even the fire feels different. Hotter. More intense. How could we not be fate? If even only for those reasons alone.

I listen out for the next few minutes to make sure she doesn't start to cry herself asleep again but as time goes by, I realize that she is content tonight and feel a sense of pride that I am able to help her begin to heal.

I just hope she truly knows how happy she's making me in return.