December 31, 1987
She was smiling. Hendricks had leaned over and said something to her, but she hadn't responded with words, just a smile. It was one of those demure smiles she gave people when she agreed with them. It was certainly not one of her real smiles, Tiago knew that for a fact.
He watched her from where he sat. She had not fulfilled her promise of coming back to Hong Kong within six months. In fact, almost eighteen months had passed since she'd last visited. But, for whatever reason, business had brought her to the city during western New Year, and somehow Hendricks managed to get them reservations at a restaurant with little notice.
Tiago had tried to keep his distance from her most of the night, instead he just watched her from afar while pretending to listen to whatever conversation was going on around him. Lau (or Zixin, as he called him when they weren't in the office) sat to the right of him, saying something to their co-workers about a holiday to San Francisco that he planned on taking in the new year. Tiago had already heard about this trip since they'd discussed it at the gym they went to in their free time; around the same time Lau would be on his holiday, Tiago was being sent on another mission.
Life was certainly more interesting since he became a double-0. He and Lau had become friends before he was promoted, but now that they both held the same rank there was an unspoken bond between them. Tiago had been promoted in September and by November had completed his first successful mission. Everyone told him he did well, even though he felt scared shitless the whole time to be all alone on the mainland when he still didn't understand much Mandarin.
He'd also had to discharge his weapon on the mission, at least that's what the official documents said. It was just a euphemism for murder, of course. Tiago had expected to feel something the first time he killed a man, but oddly in the moment he had felt nothing. And he still felt nothing. His handgun put a strange barrier between himself and the act he had just committed – sure, he pulled the trigger, but it was the bullet that had killed the man. It's not like the world would miss him anyway, merely a thief and an illegal arms dealer whose time was up. Everyone said he did the right thing, so Tiago accepted it. The world was a slightly better place now, right? Lau had taken him out for drinks on the night he returned to Hong Kong, slinging his arm over Tiago's shoulders at the bar and telling him "You've officially joined the club, three, now you're a real man!"
Of course it had been a joke, but Tiago supposed it was true. M had heard all about Tiago's valor in her debriefings, and even called him on the phone to congratulate him on his first outing as a double-0. He hadn't been expecting that, but by the tone of her voice he could tell she was impressed. That was really all he needed to hear from her. He'd been riding that high from her compliment for days after their phone call and couldn't wait to get back out in the field so he could get yet another congratulatory call from her.
He'd not expected this little visit from her.
The smile from moments ago was wiped off her face now. She was picking at her food with her fork but not eating much of anything, and the people around her were involved in some conversation that she wasn't taking part in. She looked beautiful, with her simple diamond stud earrings and an elegant black dress. Tiago wondered if she still had that other black dress he'd bought for her, or if she had got rid of it. Truly she had looked positively ravishing in that dress, and he wondered why she had seemed so self-conscious when wearing it at the time. It didn't matter though, and Tiago imagined himself ripping the dress she was wearing off her and shoving his face between her legs like he used to.
When he'd first met her he thought she looked good for an older woman, or so he'd told himself. As time went on he found himself simply thinking that she looked good.
In public she always had some sort of scowl on her face, and her demure little smiles were very rare to begin with. She was just so unimpressed by everything, especially him. Before he knew better Tiago had thought that maybe she needed a good screw to loosen her up a bit. He wasn't sure at what point he decided he was the one who was going to screw her, but when she told him that he was coming along to Hong Kong on that first trip he'd felt the stirrings of anticipation and excitement.
Yes, that's right, he was going to fuck M, proving she was merely a hypocrite! He would be able to brag and boast that he'd fucked the heartless bitch who ran MI6, even if no one believed him.
After what happened between them it became obvious this was not something to be boasted of or bragged about at all. He wanted to keep those precious moments between them private, as just their little sensual secret that no one else was invited into.
Behind closed doors he saw her real smiles, those big broad grins that spread across her face and made her blue eyes sparkle in such an enchanting way. He initially hadn't expected sex with her to be anything special, but he had never been more wrong about anything in his life. During a few of their romps he was able to make her scream. Scream! As if they were in some lurid porno or raunchy erotic paperback! As if she would wake the whole hotel up in the middle of the night! She would beg him and bite him and touch him in ways no one else ever had. Her kisses were unlike anything else he'd ever experienced.
It had not been that way with anyone before her, or after her either. He hated the way she had looked at him when she left his flat back in London. Not only had she turned him down, but she gave him that unimpressed look like she used to, as if he was nothing to her. Hadn't their time together meant anything at all? Maybe he really had been mistaken, maybe the sex really wasn't that good, and he was just misremembering it due to being lustful and drunk and so far from home. How stupid he had been! Of course he was just a commodity to her, just another employee there to do her bidding, nothing more.
But he still wanted to fuck her. Just one more time, at least. Just to prove to himself that he wasn't mistaken, that maybe there had been something special between them.
Now she was looking around the room. She seemed so bored. He watched her pick up her wine glass, sloshing the dark red liquid around before taking a sip. Tiago wasn't drinking tonight, even though it was New Year's Eve. He wanted to be sharp. He remembered the last time he had drank too much wine with her and felt embarrassment creep over him, remembering being dragged up to his hotel room and ruining her dress. He wouldn't let her down again.
Now she was standing, and he watched as she walked towards the front doors, letting herself out into the cool air of the winter night. It only took a few moments for Tiago to decide he would follow her outside, and as he stood abruptly from his chair Lau gave him a look.
"Everything alright, Rodriguez?"
"Yes. I just need some fresh air." Tiago told him, as he made a beeline for the exit.
When he poked his head out the door he saw her leaning against the wall, her head upturned and eyes closed. He briefly wondered if maybe he should just stay away from her, especially while she was clearly having a private moment, but seeing her in this position made him concerned.
"Ma'am?" he called.
Her eyes popped open and she snapped her head towards him, "Rodriguez? Yes - I'm fine." she said with a slight pause.
"I just wanted to check on you." he said, inching towards her, "You left rather abruptly."
"Ah. I just needed some fresh air." she told him.
Tiago pulled a box of cigarettes out of his pocket and extended it to her.
"You want one?"
"No, thank you. I didn't know you smoked, Tiago."
He scrunched up his face, "I didn't use to. It's a bad habit I picked up from Zixin."
"Zixin?" she said with a confused tone, "Oh, Agent Lau. I hope you two are getting along?"
Tiago nodded as he lit up a cigarette, "Yes, he's been very welcoming. He's shown me all around the city and we've been going to the same gym a few times a week."
"And everything else is going well, I presume?"
It was. He had a nice flat on the 22nd floor of a high rise and had also gotten quite the pay raise when he was promoted to double-0. The only thing that would make things even better is if he was able to kiss her.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm doing very well. How is London?"
"London? Oh. Same as ever." she said, seemingly bored.
"I miss it sometimes." he told her, "But I like it here. It's just as fast paced, maybe more? The food is better at least." he laughed.
Olivia smiled at him then, and it was a real smile, just like he remembered, "I'm glad you're doing well, Mr. Rodriguez. You look good."
He did look quite dapper tonight, in a black suit with a black button up shirt and black tie, completely monochrome. His hair was slicked back and his face freshly shaved. Ever since he'd been promoted he felt like he had to carry himself differently now, like a gentleman and not some common buffoon. Apparently Olivia had noticed, and it sent a little shiver of excitement down his spine.
Tiago narrowed his eyes at her, "And are you doing well, ma'am?"
For a moment she looked at him like a deer in headlights. She opened her mouth to say something before closing it again.
"I just want you to know that I hope things are going well for you." he told her, and he meant it.
She paused for just a moment, "Thank you, Tiago. I'm alright."
Tiago took a drag on his cigarette and looked around, but it was still just the two of them outside with only a few passersby in the vicinity.
"If you ever want to talk, I'm around." he said to her, and in response she gave him a sad smile.
"I have to go back in. Take care, Tiago." she said as she left him, walking briskly back inside the restaurant.
Tiago leaned against the wall, finishing his cigarette and letting himself remember their time together. There were so many days he'd wake up wishing she was next to him but he was all alone. What was worse were the days he woke up next to other people, and in his groggy confusion he'd forgot it wasn't her that he'd bedded the night before. By all accounts he'd been successful in dating for the last eighteen months, but none of the people he dated and slept with kept his attention for very long.
He would often take first dates to the noodle house that he and Olivia used to frequent, and one time the chef pulled him aside and jokingly said, "What would your mother think of you bringing all these girls here?"
Yes, what would mother think? He had thought to himself at the time. He imagined her shaking her head and scowling, so unimpressed. At least he hadn't been screwing anyone from MI6 lately, that was one promise he was trying to keep for her.
He threw his mostly finished cigarette carelessly into the street and made his way back inside.
Dinner went on and on. Tiago made his small talk at the table and had some cigarettes with Lau outside. He made a few sideways glances at Olivia and saw that she looked completely dour for the rest of the night. It seemed like all the vitality had just been sucked out of her, and he wondered if it was because of him.
"Are you still coming tonight?" Lau asked him, breaking him from his concentration on Olivia.
"Oh. Eh. Maybe not." Tiago shrugged. Lau had invited him to a New Year's party, but now Tiago wasn't really feeling like celebrating amongst strangers. He'd gone to a party with Lau the year before, and at midnight he'd just stared out the window with a watered-down cocktail in hand while everyone else kissed and cheered. It wasn't something he really cared to repeat.
"Alright, well you can always drop by if you change your mind." Lau said, standing up and putting his coat on, "I'm heading out. Happy New Year, everyone!" he called out to the table before he made his exit.
Slowly everyone else started leaving as well. Even Hendricks and Zhao had left, on their way to whatever other plans they had for the evening. The whole dining room was cleared and the stragglers were being kicked out, and Tiago saw Olivia make her way back outside again. This was going to be his only chance.
He chased after her, finding her waiting on the curb for a taxi.
"Any plans for tonight?" he asked her, and she spun around in surprise, not realizing he had snuck up on her.
"Just sleeping I suppose." she told him.
"Sleeping? Don't you need someone to kiss when the clock strikes midnight?" he asked her, obviously being a little cheeky.
"Are you suggesting something, Mr. Rodriguez?"
After glancing around to make sure no one was looking, he placed his palm on the small of her back, feeling her catch her breath as he touched her.
He leaned in, his breath hot against her ear, "I don't have anyone to kiss at midnight either, Olivia."
Her mouth hung open and he knew he had won this battle. When a cab pulled up, they both got in the back, and Tiago hadn't felt so giddy in months.
January 1988
Despite Tiago's threat Olivia did not get a kiss as the clock struck midnight that New Year's Eve.
Instead, she was being taken from behind whilst moaning in ecstasy as the calendar flipped forward into 1988. There were plenty of kisses before and afterward though, and even more when they woke up together in the morning.
It was like déjà vu. She could barely believe it wasn't a dream when she rolled over and found him next to her still sleeping. Her eyes came to rest on a raised, red gash on the side of his belly. He too had been grazed by a bullet, now left with a nice little scar to commemorate his first injury in the field. She knew it wouldn't be the last. Olivia let her hand drift over it, and then leaned down to place kisses around it the way he'd done for her all those months before.
"Good morning, darling." he said as he woke from the sensation, his voice still hoarse from sleep.
"Good morning, 003." she jested, running a hand over his exposed belly, "That was certainly one way to start the new year."
He raised his eyebrows at her before he pulled her up to him, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Does it turn you on to call me that? By my code name?" he asked, and she found herself surprised by his question. Even more surprisingly, she found that he was right.
"Not in the slightest." she bluffed.
"Hmm. Because you're so good at not mixing business with pleasure." he gave her a wink, "You know what? I have an idea."
"And that is?"
"Since we both have the next few days off, we should go back to Macau." he said.
"Macau? Why?" she asked, as her mind drifted back to their last time there and the silvery white scar that now adorned her upper arm.
"I'd like to see it with you for leisure rather than business. No one will recognize us there. We can relax a bit." as if on cue he looked down at her arm and ran his thumb over the scar there, "We can try and make some better memories there, no?"
It was true. They had the whole weekend ahead of them and Olivia had nothing else to do.
"Fine." she said, "But I don't want to step foot anywhere near Casino Lisboa."
He smiled, "Deal. I'd like to go see the ruins of St. Paul, anyway. I've heard they're beautiful."
They spent the rest of that day lounging in her hotel room, even though this one was not nearly as luxurious as the rooms they had on their first trip. There was no sofa in this suite, so they just stayed in bed and made love whenever the urge came over them. It felt a lot like the old days. By the time late afternoon rolled around Olivia began to wonder when he would leave, not because she wanted him to go, but because he surely had other matters to attend to.
"When are you headed home?" she asked him, running a hand lazily across his chest.
"Are you kicking me out?"
"No – it's just – well don't you have things to do today? Also, you don't have a change of clothes here."
"Ah." he said, "You're right. I'll go pick up some things and then come back here for the night, how is that?"
"You're sure you want to stay another night?"
He smiled, "If you'll let me." and he kissed her gently on the lips before he hopped out of bed and haphazardly dressed himself in the suit he'd worn the night before, leaving his shirt half unbuttoned and shoving his tie into his pocket. "I'll be back!" he called cheerfully as he left.
Olivia sighed and fell back into bed, pulling the sheet completely over her head. The sheets still smelled like him, and she felt her chest constrict as she felt some indescribable mix of anxiety and glee wash over her. After everything he still wanted her. When she showed back up in Hong Kong she expected things to be tense, but when she'd greeted him at his desk and first called him "003" it seemed like there were no hard feelings.
She had felt her breath catch in her throat when she first saw him at dinner. Somehow he looked so much older in just a year and a half, maybe it was his attire or maybe it was the fact that he'd completed his double-0 training and was now a bit seasoned. Either way, he looked so handsome and dashing that she had to stop herself from staring at him. When he invited himself over there was no way she could tell him no. She wanted to rip that suit off him and fuck him all night, which is exactly what she did.
Despite it being so late in the afternoon she dozed off for a bit and was awoken by the sound of the door opening again. Tiago was back with a knapsack and now dressed in a casual track suit, smelling of a cologne she didn't recognize.
"You got rid of the Drakkar Noir?" she asked.
"Ha, yes. I was told it was too heavy. This is called Obsession. You like it?"
"Much better." she said, breathing him in as he took off his shoes and slipped back in bed. He smelled like citrus and cigarettes and his own earthy scent.
"I missed you." he sighed against her, placing kisses on her neck.
"I missed you, too." she said, "I wasn't sure if you would still want me."
"What? Always." he told her, as he started to strip off his clothes, "I'll always want you, Olivia."
Once again, they were in Macau. It was sunny and cool, not at all overcast like she was sure it was in Britain. Olivia held on to Tiago by the crook of his elbow, less concerned that anyone should notice them given they were outside of MI6's sphere of influence.
He had taken her to the Ruins of St. Paul's, just like he said he would, and they gazed upon the stone façade in awe. Tiago pointed up at the carving of the Blessed Virgin and turned to Olivia, "That's you!" he said.
"What do you mean?"
"That is the Holy Mother slaying the hydra. It's just her against all the sins of the world, but she overcomes. Like you. You fight the hydra every day in your position as.." he stopped himself from saying it in public.
Olivia shakes her head, "I don't think so."
"No?"
"No." she looked up at the face of Mary, and though she had never been a religious person she suddenly felt as if she were being judged, "I have sinned so much in my life – I've coveted and fornicated and even taken lives. Any good I've done in the world is a just drop in the bucket. You can never kill the hydra, no matter how hard you try. And I've tried."
Tiago frowned then but didn't argue with her. They walked around the ruins a bit before going on to explore some more of Macau. They even went into another casino and played some cheap slot machines. They won nothing, but that was to be expected.
The ferry home was extremely crowded, and they found themselves squeezed up next to each other against one of the windows. He put his arms around her waist in a very non-platonic way, and while Olivia wanted to slap his hands away she didn't. No one around them seemed to notice anyway. He rested his chin against her shoulder and spoke to her of all the things he'd learned about the area in his time living there. It seemed like he was slowly becoming a local. Olivia was happy for him, truly. It seemed like he belonged there now.
He stayed another night in her hotel. And then another. And then another. Until she had to leave again.
She had no idea when she would be back in Hong Kong.
1989
Olivia does not want to be in Hong Kong. Not under these circumstances.
Everyone is walking on eggshells, not just around her but in general.
Agent Hendricks was killed in the line of duty, his body found washed up on the shores of Zhuhai. He had been shot execution style and his remains were badly decomposed by the time he was found. Olivia hadn't been the one to identify him, that unfortunate task went to Mr. Zhao, but she had seen the crime scene photos. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe Agent Hendricks, one of her most trusted and hard-working employees, was gone. She couldn't believe the bloated, blue corpse they found was actually him. The ginger colored hair was the only indication of who he had been in life.
He certainly wasn't the first agent she'd lost, but she was incredibly in denial that this could be happening. Hendricks was mostly a desk jockey – how could he have been compromised on such an innocuous mission, the only one he was given this year? Had he grown careless? Had he just been too overworked that he had some sort of oversight? She couldn't be sure.
Olivia found herself alone in what used to be Hendricks' office, just staring at his desk that still had papers strewn all over it. She had no idea who could possibly replace him, let alone who could take over his open case files. She'd written up an obituary and made sure his cremation was performed. In an odd turn of events, she would be flying home with his remains and delivering them to his only known family, an estranged half sister who lived in Leicester. That was another journey Olivia certainly did not want to make.
The office door opened slowly and Tiago stood there, "Ma'am?" he asked, and she beckoned him in. He closed the door behind him, making sure it was latched shut.
"I can't believe this." she said.
"I don't either." Tiago told her, coming to stand next to her, "It's strange without him here."
"Fuck." she said flatly, "He held this place together."
"I know."
"I don't know who is going to assume this position. It's not like anyone wants it."
"I'm sorry." Tiago said, and took her hand in his own, squeezing it gently.
Olivia closed her eyes. At least it wasn't Tiago, she thinks, before cringing at herself, At least it wasn't Tiago? Really? Hendricks is dead and that's all you can think.
She's about to rest her head against Tiago's arm when the sound of the door opening stops her. She snatches her hand away from him as quickly as possible and turns to see Mr. Zhao at the door. He cocks his head at them.
"Is everything alright, ma'am?"
"Yes. How can I help you?" she says, absentmindedly smoothing out her suit jacket from nervousness.
"I just had to go over some things with you. Is now not a good time?" he said, eyeing Tiago suspiciously. Olvia wasn't sure if he saw them holding hands.
"Just give me and Mr. Rodriguez a few moments, and then I'll be with you." she said to him, and Zhao nodded as he left.
Olivia turned to Tiago, "Don't you ever try anything like that in the office again." she said under her breath but seethed it out at him in no uncertain terms that he had crossed a boundary, "Do you want someone to catch us? Do you want to lose everything you worked for?" she felt her blood boiling as she spoke to him, "Now get out of here."
His eyes went wide but he said nothing, just left as she instructed him.
She was only in town for three days and was extremely jet lagged for all of it. It felt like she wasn't even in her own body. Tiago was definitely not invited to her hotel this time, not under these circumstances. She had already let the situation with him go on too long. It was so selfish and careless of her to be fucking one of her subordinates. It didn't matter how attractive he was or whatever had occurred in the past, it was wrong to continue this. It didn't matter what she felt for him, even that sinking feeling in her heart that she refused to call by name.
So instead of inviting Tiago up for a shag like she normally would, she sat alone in her hotel room and held the small white urn that contained the remains of one of her most trusted agents. She simply tried to will herself to believe that he was truly gone.
At the airport the urn was placed in her checked baggage, and she prayed the bag wouldn't get lost in transit. With that, she made her way with Hendricks on his last journey home to Britain.
She never shed a single tear, though part of her felt like she died with him.
1991
Olivia's head was spinning. She really did have too much wine and felt her stomach lurching in response to it.
Tiago sits across from her, smartly dressed with his legs crossed at the knees. His head is shaved and his skin is darkly tanned from a recent assignment Thailand. He had told her all about it, and it seemed like he spent most of that trip drinking beer while lying on the beach rather than following his target or getting his hands dirty.
He's giving her the eye, a look she knows so well. She wonders if their colleagues can tell but figures they can't, that no one would suspect such a virile young man was lusting after his aging boss. She imagined him on the shores of Koh Samui, on display in his speedo and catching the eye of many young people, taking some of them home. She feels jealousy burning in her core but when she catches his eyes again she knows his passion is real.
The dinner couldn't end soon enough, even though the food was delicious and the company amicable. Tiago tells their colleagues that he'll take her home, since it has become apparent that she isn't handling her alcohol particularly well. As they leave he extends his arm to her, and she takes him by the crook of his elbow, just like they had done in the past. They hail a cab and he takes her to his flat on the 22nd floor, the one MI6 pays for and upkeeps; it's much larger than average for Hong Kong, but that's not saying much. It's still so small, the kitchen and living room combined in one area, and the bedroom and bathroom barely squeezed into the floor plan. It does have a beautiful balcony though and a large window to take in the sights of the city.
He's kissing her now, ripping at his own button up shirt, unbuckling his trousers and stripping down to his boxer briefs in no time flat. He then starts removing her clothes, more gently than he'd done for himself, and he pulls her lacy blouse over her head before unzipping her skirt and letting it fall to the floor. She can't resist. She's missed him so much; his mouth, his hands, his skin, his cock.
He presses her against the sliding glass door leading to his balcony and screws her until she's out of breath. The booze is wearing off and she feels her head pounding, and suddenly it dawns on her that the entire city below can see them in the window. Remorse runs through her even as she relishes the feel of his body against hers. In this moment she hates herself.
When they finish she dresses and leaves as quickly as possible, despite his protests. She doesn't feel like pillow talk right now, and just wants to rinse the scent of him off in the shower. He calls after her as she nearly sprints down his hallway, but she doesn't look back.
1993
It's another trip to Hong Kong, another dinner meeting, another night of being leered at by Tiago.
Olivia doesn't drink much tonight. The memories of the last time this happened linger in her mind. She would of course love to follow Tiago home to his flat and fuck him senseless, but she can't afford to be so unprofessional these days.
In the past two years he's grown his hair out, the dark locks hanging around his shoulders, luscious and shiny, and she wonders what it would feel like to run her hands through it. He smiles at her every time their eyes meet, and she tries to look away quickly. Once again, no one seems to notice how focused on her that he is.
Dinner ends. She puts it all on the company card, and everyone thanks her like usual.
"Do you need help getting home, ma'am?" Tiago asks her as they all stand up to leave.
"I'm alright, Tiago. But thank you."
He furrows his brow, "Are you sure? You don't know the city well enough; I think you need a chaperone."
"Tiago," she starts, "I know to get back to my hotel from here."
He shakes his head and grabs her by the hand, "No, I'm taking you. No ifs, ands or buts."
Olivia worries that the others will notice this intimate act, but they don't seem to care. To them it's just Tiago being chivalrous as he always is, making sure his superior is being properly cared for.
They hail a cab again. He turns to her and smirks, "Would you like a drink at my place?"
She rubs her hand over her face, "Tiago, not this again."
"Please? Just one. We can just talk."
She knows there won't be much talking going on.
Again he takes her up to the 22nd floor, and this time his living space is cluttered with two bulky computer towers, some monitors and a new laptop. There are cords and wires strewn everywhere.
"What is this?" she asked, gesturing to all the hardware.
"Oh, just a little hobby of mine. I've been working on some new things. You'll hear about them in time, I'm sure." he said, before moving towards her and running his hands down her arms,
"How about that drink?"
Olivia shakes her head, "No, Tiago, no drinks tonight."
She shudders as she feels his lips against her neck, "Please, Tiago," she whimpers, "We shouldn't do this. Someone might find out."
"You came here, didn't you?" he asks, "I know you want me. I want you too. I've missed you so much."
Her skin tingles at his words and his touch. She's missed him too, more than he knew. This time it's her who initiates the first kiss, unable to stop herself, wanting to feel those full lips on her mouth. He melts, moaning against her, and picks her up gently to walk her to his bedroom.
Softly, tenderly, they moved against one another. For a short time it felt as if all was perfect in the world. He ran his hands over her naked flesh and worshipped at the altar of her body, taking care of her as best he could. She repaid the favor, dragging her lips against his hard chest and his soft belly. She ran her hands through that head of hair, admiring the way the silky strands slipped through her fingers.
This time when they finished she stayed, wrapping herself around his large frame. He was so big and powerful that it nearly made her tremble as she kissed him languidly, indulging in the warmth of their afterglow.
"When do you fly back to Britain?" he asks, running his hand along her back.
"Four days." she tells him, "And when do you fly out to Taipei?"
"A week."
Taipei was his next mission. The CCP was suspected of infiltrating the national banking system with malware, and it was Tiago's job to figure out if it was true. He probably didn't even have to go there and could figure it all out from the comfort of his desk, but it was policy to at least send agents out into the field to get a better handle on the situation.
Tiago pulls her in closer, "Well, that means we have a few nights together."
"A few nights?" she says incredulously, "I shouldn't even be here."
He sighs, "But you are." he says and places a kiss on the top of her head, "You're so beautiful." he says offhand, causing her to stiffen.
"I'm old enough to be your mother, Tiago, and getting older every day."
"And? It doesn't mean you aren't beautiful."
He lifts her face up by putting a finger under her chin, looking into her eyes. He kisses her hard on the mouth, before trailing little kisses across her cheeks and to her earlobes. She relaxes against him and lets all the unspoken words hang between them. She knows she'll be here every night until she leaves for Britain. She knows they'll make love in the evenings and pretend it means nothing in the mornings.
She wished she could bottle these moments up forever.