**Esteban's POV**
The limo drives into my mansion, the driver parking in the garage. I get out of the car, not waiting for the driver to open the door, the exhaustion of the day approaching me. The staff of my manor all lined up inside the house by the sides of the open door. I step inside, the butler taking my suitcase from me.
"Welcome, Master Garcia." The staff says in unison.
I simply nod too tired to speak. I walk up the stairs heading to my room. Once inside my room, I plop onto the bed, my body sinking into the silk sheet-covered mattress. I let out a sigh of exhaustion, my eyes closing shut without sleeping.
Her face suddenly pops up in my head. What was her name again? Right. Her name is Mmasi. It's foreign. African, though I'm not sure what country precisely. A smile tugs at the corners of my lips. She's perfect. I'm lost in my thoughts of her and her little boy when I'm interrupted by a knock on the door.
My eye opens reluctantly. "Yes?"
"Master, dinner is ready." The voice of the butler comes through the door.
"Alright. Bring it up to me." I say, too tired to go eat it downstairs.
"Yes, Master." He says and leaves, hearing his retreating footsteps.
I lazily pull up my body to sit on the bed before standing up and heading to the bathroom to take a warm bath. By the time I'm back in my room, I see my dinner placed on the small table near my bed. I put on my pyjamas and eat my dinner. After dinner, I sit on the bed with my back resting against a pillow on the headboard.
I pull out my phone and open my contacts. The first contact on the list is Mmasi's. I had pinned hers earlier in the limo. I smile, my heart racing. An idea pops up in my head. I want to call her. I want to hear her voice again.
I click on her contact, my fingers hovering over the dial button. My heart is racing faster.
Wait. Am I hesitating? Nervous? I never flinched or batted an eyelid when I was faced with difficult contracts, but here I am, fidgeting over whether or not to call her. Why is this so nerve-wracking?
After hours of debating whether or not to call her, I fell asleep at 2 a.m., getting at most four hours of sleep without calling her.
The next morning.
6 A.M.
I wake up barely getting enough sleep with faint dark circles under my eyes. I head to the bathroom and shower, preparing for work.
After dressing up, I go downstairs and eat. The staff in the dining area are all bowing slightly.
"Good morning, Master." They all say in unison.
"Good morning," I reply, sitting on a chair.
The cook, a woman in her late forties, walks into the dining room with my breakfast.
"Good morning, Mrs Michael," I say with a small smile.
"Good morning, Master Garcia." She replies with a soft smile.
She sets down my meal in front of me, noticing the small dark circles under my eyes.
"Did you have trouble sleeping, Master Garcia?" Mrs Michael asks, concerned.
"Barely," I mutter under my breath.
"What might the reason be?"
"A fiery woman and her adorable son," I mutter without thinking before picking up the fork to eat.
"A woman and her son?" She asks with an arched eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips.
I nod in response, chewing my food.
Mrs Michael's smile widens. "I'm curious for more information... but I'll let you eat and go to work. Fill me in when you have the time." She says and leaves the dining room giggling.
I scoff, smiling and shaking my head. "Alright. "
After eating, I pick up my suitcase and leave the house. The limo is right outside the house. The driver is waiting for me by the side of the backseat door.
"Good morning, Master Garcia." The driver says with a bow, holding the car door open for me.
"Good morning," I reply, getting into the limo.
He closes the door and walks around to the driver's seat, putting on his seatbelt, and drives out of my mansion, heading to my company.
I spent the rest of the day preoccupied with thoughts of her, unable to focus on any of my work or activities. I found myself picking up the phone and checking her number multiple times throughout the day, wondering if I should text her or call her, only to put the device away each time, reminding myself that she had made it clear she wasn't interested in me.
I tried my best to push her out of my mind, tried to busy myself with work and other things, but the image of her beautiful, stubborn, fiery face kept popping into my head every damn time.
By the end of the day, I was damn near close to going crazy. I had never been the type to lose my head over a woman before, but this woman had me going insane. My mind was consumed with thoughts of her, my heart clenching with longing each time I remembered her voice, her soft skin, her beautiful eyes...
After the day's work, I head home with Mmasi, completely filling my thoughts.
I lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, my phone in hand. My thumb hovered over her number, and the urge to call her was almost unbearable.
Should I do it? Should I risk it? Damnit. I want to hear her voice so badly.
I cursed myself for my own weakness, hating myself for being so damn infatuated with her. I shouldn't be feeling this way for a woman who had rejected me twice already, shouldn't be lying on my bed like a lovesick fool like some damn schoolboy with a crush.
I closed my eyes, clutching my phone in my hand.
Goddammit, I don't know how much longer I could keep going on like this, wanting her so goddamn badly and having her push me away each time... What the hell was I supposed to do?
My phone rings, and Mmasi's ID is shining bright on the screen.
My eyes snapped open at the sound of my phone ringing, my heart jumping into my throat as I saw her name on the screen. I snatched up my phone quicker than lightning, my heart beating like a damn jackrabbit as I answered the call.
"Hello?" I hoped my voice didn't sound too eager or desperate, that I didn't sound like a lovesick fool who had been lying on his bed thinking about her all damn day.