At the bottom of his quivering heart, Jace knew it. It was time to make that move, and know the answer once and for all.

As he set down the plates of chicken Parmesan and lit the few remaining candles, Jace knew it was time to take the next step. He had called Mia and asked her to come over for dinner at his house, and by now he was wondering if she was going to show up anytime soon.

He had spend a fortune trying to get his house to look the hell spotless, and had spend even more buying a shirt he deemed "impressive". Hell, he had even worked his butt off trying to make her a dish worth gold.

She was not gonna make this all for nothing, and she was most certainly not going to turn up when the food was cold either.

Now that everything was as it should be, he was getting completely anxious with every passing second. He just kept glancing at his watch, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table, taking a whiff of his underarms to make sure that the cologne he had so generously sprayed himself wouldn't fade and wiping the thin trickle of sweat off his forehead.

"Temperatures turned down to twenty one degrees centigrade. "Lyra oh-so-willingly broke the undying silence.

Jace snapped his eyes to the nearest gadget he could find, narrowing his eyes as if that proved he could see her.

"What are you, crazy? Are you trying to freeze me to death? "

"I've detected that your body temperature is getting higher by the minute by -"

"Great. So you can read body temperatures too now. "Jace threw his hands in frustration.

"Just-make sure you don't spoil my evening with you blubby mouth-or whatever it is you speak out of. "

He said, walking away to open the sudden doorbell, leaving a whiny robot in his wake.

After taking a reassuring breath, he closed his hands around the cold metallic knob and twisted it open to let a gust of sweet cool air into his house, and to reveal an astonishingly gorgeous girl in his doorstep.

"Hi. "He said.

"Hi. "She said.

His breath was completely blown away.

*************************

"Uh..come on in, into my.. home. "Jace was saying, and Mia was a little shook.

After she had spend hours with Casey, who had all but convinced her that going to Jace's for dinner wasn't going to trigger a sudden apocalypse, she still felt a little reluctant, but hey, she was Mia, and she had found a way to twist things around to her favour, and a way to also make this an opportunity for her.

She had worn an obsecenely unholy tight lime green dress, still sticking to the basics of sexy but subtle, enticing not revealing, and her favourite white take-over heels. She was planning on making sure that tonight turned out exactly the way she wanted, she was in control.

But then, she hadn't anticipated that Jace would also make this much of an effort or look that breathtakingly good. In her entire life, a plain blue shirt had never looked that virial and wonderful, nor had black washed jeans looked so attractive, not to even get started on how perfect his hair looked falling flawless on the side of his face and his barely visible but completely kissable stubble.

She cursed herself immensely mentally for thinking of him like that.

Coming earth to, she stepped into his house with her usual poise and elegance, noting how clean and classy it looked despite the lack of colour around it.

"Let me get your bag. "Jace took her bag and black trench so gentlemanly and hang the coat while placing her bag on his very exquisite coffee table.

His house felt different but good, smelled warm and comforting, irregardless of the little smell of desperation in the air, but still it was more homely than most rich people houses she had been in.

Jace led her towards the table, and once again, she was caught by surprise by how planned out this night was, and how sickenly romantic it was supposedly going to be. She eyed everything with a calm but dense face, the sweet smelling candles, the delicious looking plates of dinner and the swiftness of it all.

Once again being the perfect gentleman, Jace pulled out a chair for her and sat down on the opposite side of her himself.

"I made dinner. "He said nervously, noting how slightly impressed she seemed, despite his best efforts.

Was he ever gonna impress her?

Mia smiled in his direction so warmingly. "Wow, it looks amazing."

"It does? "Jace was unable to hide his surprise from the uncharacteristically change of attitude she presumably had.

"Mmh-hmm."She said, taking a bite of the chicken she had just stabbed.

Jace smiled. Looked like things would turn out different today.

"So.. "Mia tried to make small talk while sipping some water, "How's your mom doing? "

"Actually, great. That's part of the reason I asked you here tonight. I really want to thank you for whatever you did. I don't know how or why, but the new doctor says my mom is responding really well to treatment and may actually be out of there sooner than we thought. "

"That's great news. "

"It is. And you don't how how grateful I am. My mom too. "

"It's nothing. "Two things Mia didn't know was why her heart starting beating a little bit faster than before, or when he was going to get to the real reason she was here tonight and get her plan moving.

It wasn't long before he spoke again in that gentle way only he knew how to.

"That's just one of the things I like about you. I like how kind and caring you are. How generous, and not just with the hospital kids. I love your determination, focus and just how hard working you are. I mean, you are pretty accomplished for someone your age, and you didn't just inherit it all from your rich dad, which isn't something I can say for myself. "

Mia smirked. She had him right where she wanted him.

But then again, Jace suddenly went cold and started clearing his throat nervously.

"How's the food? "He asked with a newly found raspy deep voice that send shivers down Mia's spine.

"Uh.. Great. Really impressive. I had no idea you could cook this good. "She said.

"You'll be surprised the things I can do. "

Both of them paused, staring at each other, one contemplating whether or not to put everything on the table and say what he really felt, and the other wondering whether he had actually worked an innuendo into his words and implied what she thought he had.

Both cleared their throats awkwardly.
Okay, if he wasn't gonna do it, she was gonna prompt him to it.

"I'm sure a big strong man like you can do anything. "She smiled wickedly, making him swallow a big lump.

He didn't know what to say, afraid he might misinterpret things and take it too far.

"Ah, well.. "

"I mean, you're you. The best architect in town, running a large award -winning company so effortlessly. You're really driven and focused. But what I like most about you is how sensitive and affectionate you are. And so humble. "

Jace was taken aback.

"You really think all that about me, or are you just trying to say something nice back to me? "Jace chuckled while pushing back his hair.

"I don't know -it could be the appetizing chicken talking. "Mia shrugged, mentally kicking herself for noting his oozing sexiness tonight.

Jace laughed.

"Wow, you laugh. "

"What's that supposed to mean? "Jace enquired.

"Nothing, "She shrugged, "just I've never seen you laugh. It's beautiful. "

Okay, that was smooth, Jace thought. Maybe things were finally working out in his favour.

"Well, you rarely laugh. "Jace reminded her, "You're so serious all the time. "

She turned towards him.

"Something wrong with a little seriousness? "

"No, just, you should laugh sometimes. Smile, be happy. You have no idea how breathtakingly beautiful you look when you smile. It's like the world stops spinning. "

Mia twirled the ends of her hair edgily.

"Mia.. I.. I'm sorry but I have to say it. "

"Say what? "Finally, here was her moment.

"You're really beautiful. And perfect. And.. I like your smile, your hair, your enticing hazel eyes, the way you stroke your hair when you're nervous, the way you're always so calm and cool.."

Jace groaned in frustration. He was totally losing it.

Oh, what the hell.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is.. I don't know, there's just something off with me whenever am around you, cause I don't just like the good things, I love the bad things too. Like your hot temper, your blunt orders, your slightly terrifying demeanor, even the shady all too serious part of you. But fact is, everything good about you overpowers the bad with such high intensity it's hard to focus on it. Maybe that's the blurry eyed dude in me talking but.. I.. I think am.. I may be.. No.. I am falling in love with you. "

The only thing Mia could think of is how smooth of a talker Jace was at the moment, it's like he was well-rehearsed professional speech writer. As he reached out and took her hand on the table, she squirmed under the bolt of electricity that shot through her hand to her veins on action.

If this was the moment she had been waiting for, then she wasn't half ready prepared as she thought she was.
Jace took a deep breath and asked the million dollar question.

"Miss Mia Monroe, will you be my girlfriend? "

*******************************
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