Page 29 of Spark

“I want to feel this spark.” She placed a hand on his chest, his own heart beating wildly beneath her fingers.

Hope shone in his brown eyes as she angled her face up to his. Their lips crashed together; the kiss quickly deepened as his tongue swiped across her lips, begging for entry. She obliged, swallowing his moan. He lifted her off the bench, placing her astride his lap. They moved together; her hands held his face to her while his hands roamed up her body. The rough callouses of his palms scratched her skin under her shirt.

“Aurelio,” she breathed against his lips.

He let out a deep moan that was part growl before pulling back to look her in the eyes. “I want to hear you moan my name,” he said, kissing her again. His mouth trailed down her neck, the fabric of her shirt bunching against the stubble of his chin.

Suddenly, a siren blared, catching them both off guard. He held her to him as he searched the crowd.

“Shit, cops!” he grumbled, gently lifting Mia to her feet. “I have to go help get the cars out of here.” He kissed her. Mia's toes curled with the passion she felt.

“To be continued?” he asked, a devilish grin on his face.

“Yes, go!” she urged, a giggle escaping her mouth. He kissed her again, turning and running back to the crowd. She watched him stop suddenly and turn back to her.

“Can you get home, okay?” he yelled, concern in his deep voice.

“Yes! Go! Call me later!” She waved him off. She watched as cars skidded out of the parking lot. Aurelio's face was stern as he barked out orders. The people around him jumped at his word; the power he held was obvious. She felt a tightness in herthighs, watching him take control. The cops were close, but the cars swiftly exited the park. Aurelio jumped into the driver's side of the Lamborghini he had shown her and looked up to catch her eye. He smiled and drove off. Mia walked back to the food vendors. People were shell-shocked, almost frozen. Adults clung to the hands of their little ones, staring at where the cars had been as the police swarmed the lot.

Lights and sirens blared, illuminating the people in the park. Mia put a hand up to block the light, deciding to leave before any more commotion started. She had spied a side entrance to the park while walking with Aurelio and opted to go that way back to her car. The choice to park outside the lot seemed smarter and smarter by the second. She smiled; the memory of his lips on hers was fresh.

The gate swung open easily as she pushed through it. Cops were still moving around the lot, but all the cars had managed to disappear before they arrived. She saw a couple more cars speed past, all black unmarked sedans. Shivering, the cold seeping into her bones, she reached her car, smacked the key into place, and got in. The little Bug warmed up quickly as she threw it into reverse with the headlights off, hoping to sneak away without drawing attention. When she was far enough from the park, she snapped on her headlights. A smile still played on her lips as she drove home.

The drive home was woefully short, her mind still swirling from the revelations and confirmations. Mia pushed the door to the lobby open and was greeted by a dark figure. She screamed, throwing her fist out and connecting with a face.

“Shit!” It was Oliver.

“What the fuck!?” she yelled, grabbing her phone and snapping on the flashlight. “Oliver?!”

“Mia!” His hand was clutching his nose; a drop of blood seeped through his fingers.

She sighed and slapped him on the shoulder harder than she meant to, but still, she had been terrified. “What are you doing on the stairs, you creeper!?” she shouted.

“Could you lower the flashlight, please?” he asked. “I need to get to a bathroom; I think my nose is broken.”

“Serves you right,” she said but lowered the phone as he asked. “Come on.” She led him up the stairs to her bathroom. “You baby; it's not broken,” she assured, washing the blood away with a washcloth. “Lucky for you, I grew up with three brothers who were always getting hurt.” She went to the kitchen to retrieve a bag of frozen corn. “Here. Put this on it,” she ordered, handing it over.

He eyed it suspiciously. “Corn?” he said, a small smile on his bloody face.

“Just do it.” She crossed her arms as he obliged, placing the bag delicately on his face. “Why were you hiding out on the stairs like that?” she asked, calmer than before.

“I got a call from dispatch,” he explained. “There was a raid on a group hanging out at a park near the docks.” He met her gaze, and realization hit her.

“Oh shit, yeah? That's crazy.”

“Yeah, crazy,” he deadpanned. “Where did you say you were going with your beau tonight? A park, near the docks?”

“Yeah, we were,” she admitted, mind racing. “But I got cold, so we left. We went to the diner near the park. We had a bite to eat, then parted ways.” She shrugged at Oliver, who seemed unconvinced. “I did hear a bunch of sirens a street or two over; was that them? Did they raid the park?” She started to clean the blood from her sink, avoiding his eyes.

“Yeah, probably,” he said, still holding the corn to his face. “But the cars got away.” He watched her clean the blood, still not looking at him. She could lie well enough, but her emotions were running high.

“Well, we ended up not really looking at cars, if you know what I mean,” she hinted, hoping the statement would hurt his feelings and get him to stop asking questions. Her mission was successful.

Oliver's eyes flashed, his face darkening like it had earlier. “Right,” he said, moving to the door. “Well, if there's anything you think we should know, call the station.” He stepped outside, turning back to look at her with his free hand braced on the doorframe. Mia met his gaze, his vague threat from earlier seemingly swirling in the air around them. Mia lifted her chin, her own hand coming to rest on the door, giving it a gentle tug. Without another word, he let the door slid closed, and his footsteps audibly retreated down the hall.

Mia sighed heavily; her whole body was aching to collapse, overwhelmed by the events of the evening.

Mia felt for the phone in her pocket, and alarm rose in her chest when she found it empty. She quickly retraced her steps; the device was somewhere in the apartment. She had used the flashlight on the stairs. After a quick glance around, she spotted it sitting on the vanity.

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