Mariana placed her hand against her chest. Unfinished business? He had no idea. Or did he?  A light bulb came on in her head and she glared pointedly at him. "You let the air out of my tire, didn't you?" She grit her teeth in agitation. Leave it to him to fix one thing she couldn't readily fix herself without proper equipment.

He looked at her and his lip quirked up. "Yes."

"So you're kidnapping me."

"Not hardly. You got in of your own free will."

God, she'd like to slap that grin off his face. "Only because you tricked me." If he weren't driving, she'd smack him.

"Guilty." He angled his head toward her, cheeky. Insufferable. "But still didn't force you."

"Why? And what unfinished business could we possibly have?"

He ignored the question and whipped the truck into the drive-thru lane. "You want the Whataburger with light mayo, no onions, no pickles and a vanilla coke. Right?"

She blinked. "You remember?"

He licked his lips. "I remember—everything."

So did she and that was the problem. He was about to marry someone else and Mariana wasn't sure whether she wanted to fuck him or kill him. But she couldn't let the former happen for a multitude of reasons. He didn't belong to her.

"So, Zoya says you're about to start a new job. Congratulations."

He placed the order then moved to the next window and paid. "That's probably not going to work out."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you'd already been hired."

"I believe everything happens for a reason. Like the timing of my visit here." He added, sparing her a glance from the corner of his eye.

"What does that mean?"

He drove forward again and got their food, then hit the highway and headed south. "Just that I've been trying to sort some things out, so coming here helped me do that. Quiet time in the country cleared my head."

"That's good, I guess."

"Zoya told me you have a project going with bath products. I figure that's what you were doing earlier. Right?"

"Yeah. I'm trying to get it off the ground, but not having much luck. The garage is still the ultimate dream." Mariana noticed her surroundings and her stomach spiraled. "Where are we going?"

"Back forty. Did some target practice there the other day. I thought it'd be a quiet spot where we could talk."

She should tell him to take her home. Sitting in the woods with him under a full moon and starlit sky would only add fuel to her burning desire. "I should get home."

Too late. He'd already made the turn and within minutes, he parked, then pushed the greasy paper bag toward her. She removed the food and divided it but had lost her appetite. Why wasn't he going to work for his soon-to-be father-in-law? What had he been trying to sort out? Her brain flooded with questions but she didn't dare ask. The best thing to do was eat her hamburger and get the hell away from him. Because being this close to him, her son's father, was taking its toll.

"Are you all right? You've hardly touched your food."

She sighed, pushing the half-eaten burger aside, folding the sleeve back over it. "I was more tired than hungry. It's been a long day."

He reached into the back seat and produced a blanket. "Come on. Let's look at the stars."

She shot him a pointed look. "No. Take me home, please."

He reached over and unsnapped her seatbelt. "Oh, come on. Let's go back in time. Remember how we gazed at the stars that summer?"

Of course she remembered. Every kiss. Every touch. That's why she needed to get away from him. She closed her eyes and drew a staggering breath. "Why are you doing this?"

"What?" He seemed genuinely confused. But then, he didn't know. He didn't understand how hard this was for her.

"You know what," she sighed, suddenly exhausted and world-weary. "Just take me home."

"Not until I find out."

Then he cupped her face and crushed his lips down on hers. She clutched his shirt to bring him closer. God help him. Nothing had changed. He remembered how her sweet, warm mouth had welcomed his kisses so many times. Every time. This time.

Suddenly she jerked away, threw her hand to her mouth, and the words she spoke came in a whisper full of pain and ever-rising anger. "You're getting married. We can't do this. I'm not the other-fucking-woman, Flynn. I won't be," she growled.

"No, I'm not," he whispered softly, before clarifying, "getting married." And in that moment, everything became clear. This is why he couldn't marry Céline. He'd never gotten over Mariana.

She looked up at him. "What?"

"I'm not getting married. The wedding is off. I don't love her. I love you."

She covered her face and released a guttural sound muffled by her hands. Tears welled in her eyes. Don't cry, don't cry.

He gathered her in his arms and spoke into her hair. "And you love me. I wasn't sure until that kiss, but I am now. I know you said you had someone in your life, but I don't believe you. I think you told me that to get rid of me."

She pushed him away again and stared up at him. "You love me? Are you sure?" she snarled. "You don't get to just say that. It's been years, Flynn. I can't do this again."

"You're never going to lose me, not again. I swear." His fingers speared into her hair, holding her face just right for him to kiss her again. "Come with me tomorrow."

"Where?"  She narrowed her eyes.

"Baton Rouge. I've got to break the news to Céline that the wedding is off."

Mariana sat up straight and stared him down like a wild animal let out of its cage. "What? You haven't told her?" Then she covered her face. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You can't just come back and say these things to me, and not have called your wedding off, or even broke up with your fiancée!" She knocked a punch into his shoulder, hard, and he rubbed at it, shell-shocked.

"No, I'm not." He held his hands out in surrender. He forgot how feisty the small Latina was, how hot her anger ran, furious and consuming. She had wiped the floor with the baseball team more than once in high school with an arm like hers. "I decided to end it days ago. I just haven't told her. That isn't something to text someone about. I need to face her."

"Oh, my God. You've made me the other woman." She shoved at him again, but he backed himself into the door, just shy of her power punch.

Hell hath no fury like Mariana López.

He raised up and wound his arms around her, hoping she didn't try to head-butt him or anything. He wouldn't put it past her. She could fight dirty, that much he remembered. "You're the only woman. I made that decision days ago. You've done nothing wrong. That's all on me."

She shot him a look that said, you're damn right it is.

Then he offered his best wicked smile. "As a matter of fact, you've done everything right." Then he flopped back down, resting against the seat, giving her some space in the limited cab. "Damn. I'm happy. For the first time in months, I'm actually happy."

Mariana took a deep breath. "Well, that's about to change because I have something to tell you and when I do, I'm afraid you'll hate me."

He propped his hand under his head and faced her. "There is nothing that could make me hate you." He stroked his finger down her cheek, and this time she didn't flinch at his touch. He'd make it up to her, if she let him. No matter how long it took. "I love you. I've always loved you."

She held up a hand. "I just don't want you to hold it against him or let it affect your relationship. Okay? Promise me that."

Flynn swung his body around, his elbow hitting the steering wheel roughly, but the spike of pain that shot up his elbow barely registered. "Oh, shit. Did you have sex with Roman?"

"No," she spat. "Idiot," she muttered.

"Oh shit. You're not dying, are you? I mean, we can take you..."

"Stop it! Just let me get it out and get it over with."

He held his hands up in surrender. "Okay. Okay. What?"

Her lip quivered for a second, then she bit it. Whatever it was, he could tell this was killing her. She closed her eyes and then opened them, and swallowed so hard, a gurgling sound came from deep in her throat, like she might throw up. Then stared into his eyes. "You have a son. We have a son."

Flynn froze. What did she say? A son? A child?

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me. When I didn't hear from you again, I figured it'd be best not to tell you. Clearly, you didn't want anything to do with me, so what would have been the point?"

He stared at her for a long second, his mouth agape. He probably looked like a damn fish. Suddenly the small cab became claustrophobic, and he couldn't breathe. Shoving the door open, he rose to his full height and glared down at her as she slid across the seat. "The point? The point is, you had my kid. I had a right to know!"

Mariana sobbed. "I know. I know. But if you'd known, you would have insisted on marriage. Everyone would have. I was seventeen and pregnant. I couldn't help you. I couldn't work. You would have had to drop classes and get a part-time job. Move out of the dorms. Lose your scholarship. Then how long would it have been before you hated me for ruining your life?" Her breath hitched. "I know now you hate me anyway, but at least you were able to finish school."

He dropped to his knees, the seat of the cab the only thing keeping from falling to the ground, and threw his arms around her. His voice broke. "I don't hate you. I'm pissed. Yes. But I don't hate you."

She cried into his chest, and he held her tighter. Mariana was always so strong, so intense, that her breakdown left him incapable of rational thought.

This was like a dream. Or a nightmare. He wasn't sure which. He had so many questions, he didn't know where to start. "It's just—a shock. Tell me about him."

She smiled, watery, her eyes far off as if she were trying to conjure him in her mind's eye. "He looks like you. Even the way his hair grows on the back of his neck. The little swirl you have here." She pressed her fingers to the spot. "He has it too. When he half-grins, his lip quirks up just like yours. His name is Thomas Manfred. Tommy."

Flynn cocked his head. "You named him after me?"

She shrugged, half-heartedly, as if it were no big deal. "He's your son."

"When were you going to tell me? Or were you?"

"I was waiting for you to finish school, then Zoya told me you were engaged, so I decided to wait until after you were married. I didn't think it would be a good idea to spring fatherhood on you before that. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I know it's going to take a long time for you to forgive me, but I hope you can, for his sake."

He swallowed, still in shock. Everything was beginning to become effervescent. "What have you told him about me? Does he think I don't give a shit?"

"No," she frowned. "I would never let that happen. I haven't told him anything, because he hasn't asked. Not yet. But when he did, I planned to tell him we were too young to get married, and you lived so far away you couldn't come here."

He ran his hand over his face, peeved. "Christ, Mariana. Where the hell would that be? Mars? What kind of man would never want to see his kid?"

Now her breath came in gasps. "I'm sorry. I know I've done everything wrong. But regardless of the mistakes I've made, I'm a good mother. I'll let you see him anytime. I'll share custody. You can hate me because I deserve it, but I won't let you take him from me."

His chest burned as if he'd been sucker punched. But he needed to ask himself some hard questions. What would have happened if he'd known about the pregnancy? Probably wouldn't have finished college. She was right. A baby on the way would have forced him to change his life. And as angry as he was, she'd made all the sacrifices, even though she shouldn't have had too. And he loved her. That was the most important part. No matter what she'd done, he loved her. And she loved him, he knew, whether she wanted to admit it or not. He took a deep breath. "Well, you've kept him from me all these years so I don't see that I have a choice."

She sobbed into her hands. "Please, Flynn. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He pulled her hands away and knelt. "I'm going to marry you."

WELP. Hows that for a cliffhanger?

TEASER: "I thought we were clear about our situation."

I guess we know what THATS about.