Spark (Swipe Right #1)

Chapter Sixteen

The road to the park was dark; most of the lights in the area were broken or off. She was more nervous now than she had been after the interaction with Oliver. It left her unsteady. She tried to shake off the feeling as she focused on the road. She passed the mostly empty diner and knew she was close. As she turned onto the next street towards the docks, as Aurelio's directions instructed, she saw the parking lot. There had to be at least thirty cars there already. Men walked around, looking and daring to touch the expensive-looking vehicles. She parked near the entrance. Her car did not make the cut to be in the lot. She took out her phone, shooting off a quick “I'm here” text to Aurelio. She locked the Bug and made her way through the gates. The park itself was lit up with plenty of vendors and people mingling around. As she approached the docks, her phone dinged. A smile tugged at her lips as she read the message.

Aurelio: I see you.

She locked eyes with him immediately, and her heart threatened to leap out and run to him. Still, she froze. He was even more handsome than any picture could do justice. He smiled widely, moving towards her. His tight dark pants and white T-shirt were simple but perfect. His light brown eyes locked onto her dark ones.

He paused, a tense filled space between them, and looked Mia in the eyes. She could feel the pull, the spark between them sharp in the air. Taking in a deep breath she waited. Aurelio stepped closer, the smell of him hitting her as he spoke.

“Marcus,” he announced, his gruff voice sounding exactly like what she heard over the phone.

“What?” Was this not Aurelio? Mia looked at him, confused.

He laughed, a deep chuckle that erupted from his full lips, stepping closer. “My middle name is Marcus.” He reached out a hand as if to shake hers but dropped it quickly. He rubbed his palms on his pants, his nerves clear. Mia felt a laugh of her own erupt out of her and before she knew it she was stepping into his space.

Throwing her arms around him in a quick hug, he was still for a moment. Her gesture had obviously surprised him, but he quickly overcame the shock and matched her embrace. He laughed softly as he hugged her back. Her curves pressed into his hard body as his strong arms held her firm but not too tight. She stepped back, breaking the hug as her nerves settled a little. They smiled at each other as Aurelio's hand held hers. She did not know when he had grabbed it or if she had grabbed him, but she squeezed their interlocked fingers, nonetheless.

Meeting his gaze, she finally said, “Hi.”

“Nice to meet you, beautiful,” he replied, returning the squeeze.

Mia let him pull her towards the cars, but her eyes remained locked on his rugged features. She traced the line of his jaw, his stubble-covered chin, and his mouth as his full, pink lips moved. She thought of them pressing against hers and the kisses he would place upon her skin. Shaking her head she reminded herself that she was mad at him.

“I'm so glad you agreed to come out,” Aurelio said, pulling Mia's thoughts back to the moment. “I know it couldn’t have been an easy choice.” He continued to hold her hand tight, his eyes avoiding hers.

“Yeah,” Mia agreed, clearing her throat softly. “|It was actually Tony who sent the yes at first.” Aurelio stopped mid stride and turned to her. His eyes were hard as he stepped back, closing the gap between them

“Tony?” He said, voice laced with jealousy.

“Yes, Tony.” She said, eyes rolling involuntarily. “My very best, very gay, friend who owns the café in my building?” she gave him a hard look and it seemed to snap Aurelio back to reality.

“Oh, right.” He said, an easy smile returning to his lips.

“Yeah, if things work out, you owe him a big box of chocolates.” Mia said, her own smile growing.

“Well, I will be sure to buy the biggest one I see.” He gave her fingers a light kiss and began walking them towards the cars again.

“Are you hungry?” He gestured to the vendors.

“No, not really.” In truth, her nerves would never let her eat. “I would love to see the cars, though,” she admitted, smiling. Mia could feel herself falling into this, matching his step and energy as there fingers laced together.

Aurelio's face lit up like a kid on Christmas. “Just what I wanted to hear!” he led her to the front, showing each one off like a proud dad. She soaked it in, soaked him in. Every word he spoke filled her heart as his passion kept her attention focused on just him. Mia's smile couldn't get any wider as she let him lead her by the hand, telling her all he could about each car.

“What do you think?” he asked as he led her to the last car, a red BMW.

“Where's yours?” Just then, she realized she hadn't seen anything yellow.

“Oh.” His smile dropped slightly. “I don't bring my baby here.”

“Why not? You said people would kill to drive it.” Mia stepped closer to him. His scent was intoxicating; he smelled like a new car. Leather, mixed with grease and pine. She took a deep breath.

“Yeah, too many people here,” he commented.

Mia's brows furrowed a little. “Are you hiding it?” Aurelio took a step away from her as she dropped his hand. “Why would you be hiding 'The most beautiful car in the city?'” she quoted.

His hand ran through his black hair.

“Mia, I need to explain, but not here.” He looked around. “Lets go somewhere private. Please. Let me explain. Can we go sit by the dock?” He motioned to the park's exit.

“If you promise to start talking as we walk, ill listen.” Aurelio gave a her a big smile. Mia raised the finger on her free hand. “But when we reach the bench, if you haven’t given me a good enough reason to sit, I will keep walking right out and to my car.” Pulling her hand free of his, she crossed her arms over her chest; the night had suddenly colder. Aurelio looked from where they were to the dock, about a two minute walk.

“Deal,” he agreed and put his hand out for her to grab once more. Mia obliged, her body giving a shiver as she felt his warm hand in hers.

Seeing her shiver, he extricated his fingers from hers and threw an arm over her shoulders. She wanted to shrug him off, but he was warm. She felt herself snuggle into his side as he began to talk.

“I mentioned a job I was doing,” he started. Mia nodded, eyes focused on how quickly the bench was approaching. “Well, my work is... unconventional.”

“Uh-huh.”

He chuckled, “Mia, I don't want to scare you off. But, you have the right to know.”

The bench was steadily getting closer and closer, and so far, he had said nothing to convince her to sit and listen.

“I work for a man who sells high-end cars. He sells them all over the world.” Mia had to look up at his face; he was at least a foot taller than her. “The means by which we get the cars... is not always legal,” Aurelio finished.

Mia gasped as confirmation hit her like a ton of bricks.

“You do steal cars!” she practically yelled.

“Shh, please!” he urged, looking around. The bench was right in front of them, far from the most crowded areas. “Please, be quiet.”

“Oh, I'm sorry!” she huffed, moving out from under his arm, the chill of the night settling over her again. “The shock of your occupation startled me a little, I guess?!” [SS4]

“Will you sit and let me explain, please?” He motioned to the bench again. Mia was still torn, but she knew she had to understand. Because, on some level, there was something here.

“Fine.”

Aurelio let out the breath he had been holding in anticipation.

“I don't know why, but I need to understand.”

“It's the spark,” he said, giving her a wink. Despite the situation, Mia found herself smiling. She sat on the chilly concrete bench with Aurelio next to her, his thigh warm against hers. A shiver skated over her body. He must have felt it, too, because he tucked her under his arm again.

“Let me keep you warm.”

She found herself looking at his lips, wanting to kiss and taste them, but she stopped herself. “You were saying?”

“Yeah...” His voice was rougher, not as smooth as it had been. “So, this guy, we just call him 'Boss,' calls the shots. A few years ago, I was in a lot of debt. I was street racing for cash, hustling where I could.” He sighed as if the memories hurt him, and Mia felt a surge of regret at forcing him to drag it up.

“Well... Boss bought my debts. He said he saw a promising young kid and told me if I worked for him for five years, my debts would be erased. I could walk away.” Aurelio straightened his back, his eyes searching the crowd a good distance from them. “For five years, I did just that. I boosted cars, ran his chop shops, and worked my way to the top of the food chain. When the last day came, he found a way to keep me in.”

“How?” Mia asked. The whole tale was crazy, like a parallel world.

“Well, that doesn't matter right now. I will tell you all about it another time, I promise. What you need to know is that the last time I had to extend my 'service,’ was for two years. And those two years are almost up.”

“How long have you been doing this? How long ago did you first get caught up in it?”

“Nine years, almost ten.” He sighed, his body relaxing like a burden had been released. “I'm almost out now with nothing else to pull me back in. Freedom.”

“So, you have how much time left?” Mia asked. He refused to make eye contact, keeping his gaze firmly on the ground at his feet.

“Three months.”

Mia sighed; her emotions tumbled in her chest like a washer on the spin cycle. She felt him tense a little and let out a long breath.

“Three months, and I am out. That is why I started talking to you. I want to move on with my life and start a relationship; be free to do what I want, without fear.” As he spoke, his eyes met hers with honesty and past hurt shining deep in them. Mia was lost, anchored at his side, as she searched for the right words. Did she want to get involved? Heart hammering in her chest, she thought of those weeks of radio silence, the way he had ghosted her

“Aurelio,” she started. “I don't know about… any of this.” She gestured to the cars that she realized were probably stolen. She felt him tense up next to her.

“Things were going so well…”She started.

“And I fucked it up.” He didn’t look at her as he spoke, the words not meant for her anyway.

“When you disappeared,” she took a deep breath in. “I was broken.” She felt the pain shift in her chest. “I was so angry at you, at myself. I had opened up; I was ready to do this.” She gestured around, Aurelio’s eyes searching hers as she gripped his hand. “I don’t know where this is going to go.” She locked eyes with him and leaned closer.

“But I want to know you.” His lips parted as she spoke softly.

“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 her thighs, 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.

Aurelio: Hey, beautiful! Call me. Please.

She smiled, enjoying the way his text read. It was like a command that he tried to backtrack on. He probably wasn't used to saying “please.” She hit the number without a second thought, and the phone rang only once.

“Mia?” His gruff voice was music to her ears.

“Yeah,” she answered, a smile on her lips. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, beautiful. I'm good. I just wish our date wasn't cut short.”

“Me too.” She turned to the toilet, flushing before realizing what it would sound like to him. “Oh my god! I'm so sorry!” she said, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. All she heard was the sound of his thunderous laugh.

“Wow, that comfortable already?” His voice was happy.

“No, it's' not what you think. I was cleaning up blood,” she clarified quickly.

“Blood?!” His voice was no longer so light. “What blood? Are you hurt?”

“No, it's not mine!” Mia slapped a hand over her mouth as silence reigned on the other end.

“What? Whose is it then?”

“My neighbor, Oliver's.” She covered her eyes. The sheer insanity of the whole night gave her a headache. “I may have punched him when I got home.”

Aurelio laughed again. “'May have?'”

Mia couldn't stop herself; she laughed, too. It sounded so absurd. “Yeah, I did. Right in the nose. He was sitting in the dark on the stairs in my building. I just reacted.”

“Remind me not to sneak up on you, then,” he commented.

“Yeah, I was raised with three older brothers. I know how to throw a good punch.” She winked before realizing that he couldn't see her. She grabbed a makeup wipe and started rubbing her face, the phone held up by her shoulder. “So, you got home safe?”

“Yeah, no cops or anything.” She could hear in his voice the adrenaline that was still running through his veins.

“Good, me either. Aurelio... what do we do now?”

“What do you mean, beautiful?”

“Now that I know what you do, what do we do?” She shrugged, the phone slipping a little. She caught it with her hand as the other opened her shirt.

“Go on dates, get to know each other. Whatever you want.” Aurelio's voice was calm and collected. “I'm open to doing whatever it is you want. You're all I can think about.”

She smiled. “Yeah? Even behind the wheel of that blacked-out Lamborghini Aventador?” she asked, remembering what he told her about the car.

“Say it again, but slower.” His voice was deep. “That's the sexiest sentence I have ever heard a woman say.”

“Ohh, you liked that? What about a bright red BMW M8 convertible with black trim?” Mia felt herself falling into the seductress role, the desire clear in her voice.

“You are going to drive me wild.” It drove her crazy to hear his voice so rough.

“Guess I better stop,” Mia teased, her body aching for his touch.

“Don't you dare,” he growled, the sound making moisture pool between her thighs. She gasped, and Aurelio made a noise that let her know he heard.

“Am I driving you wild, too?” he asked, voice low. “I hope so. That's only fair.”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Mia murmured, her voice giving her away with a slight tremble. “I’m just showing that I paid attention to what you said tonight.”

Aurelio let out a small chuckle. “You, if you were here…” He let the sentence trail off. She wanted to know the rest of it. What if he was here? What if she were there? Would she let him do what her body clearly craved?

“Aurelio, do you want to come over?” she asked, her brain not letting her regret a single syllable.

“Oh, beautiful. I would if I could,” he sighed. “I have to finish this job tonight.” She could hear the regret in his voice, the desire to drop it all and be with her. “If I could, I would already be there.” She could tell he was upset. This connection was too deep, too fast. It was scary.

“Hey, no. That's fine,” she said quickly. “I don't know why I would think otherwise. You're busy.” She was scrambling to backtrack.

“No, it's not like that,” he assured. “Not at all.”

“Honestly, it’s okay.” Her eyes went wide as she realized all that had happened. “I mean, tomorrow I have to wake up and go to school.” She sighed, half laughing. “This has been fun, and I don't want to keep you.”

“No, don't hang up like this.” Aurelio’s voice stopped her from hitting the red button. “So help me, Mia. I will come find you.” The words were a threat, but his voice betrayed the emotion behind it. She was unsure what to do.

“I don't want to be a wrench in your plans, Aurelio,” she finally said softly. She wasn't sure he heard her. “You have so much going on. Do you really need some college geek fucking it up?” Her shoulders sagged as her fears were laid bare. “Theres a lot about me that you don’t know.” She could feel the fear of her past rising behind her. She could hear the heavy breathing on the other side of the phone, but the silence stretched on for a long moment.

“Theres so much about you I cant wait to learn.” He said after a moment.

“What if I just cause you more problems.” She felt a tear fall from her eye, but Aurelio’s voice filled the space before fear could take root.

“No, just listen,” he urged. “Please don't make a choice right now, okay? Sleep, rest, refuel.”

She smiled at the little car joke. “Funny guy.”

“I try.” She heard his smile. “Text me in the morning if you want. Or call anytime. I am at your disposal.”

“I get up way early,” she cautioned. “Like five-thirty early.”

“Funny,” he said. “That's when I go for my morning jog.”

“Oh my god.” She rolled her eyes. “Then call me when you get up.”

“Oh no, that's way too early for you, beautiful. Just call when you can. I will be waiting.” His voice was still rough, but calmer. “Can you do that for me?”

“Yeah, I think so,” she agreed, nodding. Her hands slid her shorts off. “If you do something for me.”

“What's that?”

“One more picture.” Her voice was heavy with need, her fingers itching to touch. “To really convince me.”

“You are a dirty girl, huh?” His chuckle was deep, seductive. “I think I have one I can send your way. Let me know if it does the job.”

“Will do, boss.” She laughed, but there was silence on the other end. “Aurelio?” she asked, thinking she had dropped the call. “Are you there?”

“Don't call me boss.” His reply was clipped and harsh.

“Oh, okay. I'm sorry.” Mia swallowed as silence persisted for another minute.

“No.” She could hear him shake himself out of it. “I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. I just don't like being called that. Please.”

“Yeah, okay.” The chill from earlier was seeping into her skin again. “Not a problem.”

“Hey, I'm sending you that photo,” he said, his voice back to light and happy. “Remember, I need to know if it works.”

Mia smiled. “I bet it will work wonders tonight.”

“Good.”

“Wonders I'm sure you could work much better if you were here,” she added.

“Oh, I need to hang up now,” he said quickly. “It’s hard to drive, well, hard.”

“Aurelio!” she exclaimed, laughing.

“Bye, beautiful.”

The phone clicked, his laugh still ringing in her ears, filling her heart. She sighed, removing her panties and bra, and pulling on a night shirt and shorts. She finished her nightly ritual, but the whole time, her mind was elsewhere, on someone else. Her phone chimed, and she practically ran to retrieve it, flipping off the lights as she went. The message was an image. And pictures truly were worth a thousand words.