B00Z637D2Y (R) (21 page)

The door cracked open and Michael, still fully clothed except his shoes, peered out, then stepped into the shower to make room for the door to swing open.

Suddenly, what had been all bravado turned into something just north of timid when she looked straight into his eyes.

“So, um…” She cleared her throat and he arched an eyebrow. “Well, you just made an offer and I’d really like to see what I’d be getting in the bargain.”

Dimples appeared and he slid his jacket off and tossed it past her to the bed. “The luggage closet wasn’t sufficient for you?”

She rolled onto the balls of her feet and back down, holding tight to the towel. “Well, I didn’t really get to
see
anything.”

“So, you want to inspect the goods to determine if they’re to your satisfaction.”

“I bet you do that in your antique business all the time. And hey, you’ve checked me out plenty while I work out.”

He methodically removed his cufflinks and placed them in the pocket of his suit hanging on the door. “Please tell me I will not have to perform Pilates for your inspection.” She laughed and accidentally snorted, which caused his grin to widen. “I would absolutely do that if that’s what it took, Mia.”

Without any rush, he unbuttoned his shirt as if he were simply going through his regular routine, rather than driving her crazy. When he handed her his shirt, it was all she could do to not raise it to her nose to breathe in the starch and cologne scent so specifically him, but forgot all about it when he turned to face her, giving her an eyeful of toned chest and abs. All those workouts paid off. He wasn’t bulky, but the definition was certainly there. Efficiency with no waste. And lots of power, as she’d discovered in the luggage closet. She pitched his shirt onto his jacket on the bed and resisted the urge to fan herself, stopping short when she met his eyes again.

“This is the point,” he said, rubbing his palm over the bulge in his pants, “when you decide whether you want to participate, or simply remain an observer.” He loosened the buckle on his belt and slid it out of the loops, and her mouth watered. “I find in dealing with antiquities and things of value, observation is insufficient, and I actually need to hold the object in my hand…” He rolled the belt into a neat coil and placed it on top of the toilet tank, “…or make a physical connection with it somehow, in order to really appreciate it.”

Oh, she appreciated it all right. And certainly wanted a physical connection with it—her whole body thrummed to life at the mere thought. Still, she loved watching him in action, and couldn’t bring herself to interrupt what was possibly the sexiest undressing she’d ever imagined. Trying to look nonchalant, she leaned against the doorframe, glad she didn’t miss it entirely and land on her butt.

The dimples appeared again and his hands went to the button on his pants, popping it open easily and then lowering the zipper with painful, deliberate slowness.

She almost growled in frustration at yet another layer—those blasted black boxer briefs. He let the pants drop, and he stepped out of them, casually picking them up and beginning to fold them.

She snatched them out of his hands and tossed them to the bed before he finished, and he chuckled. “You sure you don’t want to help?”

“Positive.”

And then he did the most unfair thing ever: he stepped into the shower and closed the curtain, then pitched his underwear over the top, where they landed right at her feet.

“You cheated!” she said, fighting back a laugh.

“I never cheat,” was his reply as a wisp of steam crept over the top of the curtain. “I wrote the rule book in this particular instance. You chose to be but a mere observer, remember?” He poked his head around the curtain, dimples flashing. “But you could always up your status to participant and complete the inspection.” He winked and disappeared behind the curtain again.

She closed her eyes and imagined him behind that curtain, all naked and hard and hot with water running down those abs. And then she thought of the luggage closet and the power in his body as he thrust into her, his complete and nearly savage loss of control until he reined himself in at the end, ejaculating silently. She wanted to hear him yell. More specifically, she wanted to hear him yell her name. Her towel joined his underwear on the floor and she pulled the curtain aside.

…

Michael could never be completely certain what Mia would do, but knowing her as he did, he wasn’t surprised when she yanked the curtain aside and stepped into the shower with him, gloriously naked.

Her eyes immediately dropped to his erection and widened, then she raised her gaze to his.

“Like what you see?” he asked.

“You are very sure of yourself.”

“Should I not be?”

She didn’t answer, but didn’t lower her gaze from his. Obviously, she was referring to more than his penis.

“Mia. I am very aware of my strengths and shortcomings. I’ve analyzed why and when I’ve succeeded and failed in business and personally. As you’ve noted, I control my public image fiercely and my personal life with equal aggression. I’m not ashamed or shy about either.”

“I wasn’t…”

He ran his fingers down her jaw, needing to touch her. “I know. I just want you to know that I’m aware of who I am. I know what I want and I usually get it. I would love to see you acquire some of the security I feel.”

She gestured to her body. “I am not self-conscious.”

“No, you’re not. It’s self-confidence—or maybe self-awareness—you lack. How many times have you said someone like me wouldn’t be interested in someone like you? Hell, you even called yourself a nobody.”

“I did?”

“You did.”

“I’m not.”

“You most certainly are not.”

“Well, I’m glad we have that all cleared up Mr. Serious. Back to your recent question,” she said, and his mind raced to figure out which one. Then she wrapped her fingers around him and explored, while he held his breath. “Yes, I like what I see.”

As she pumped her hand over his water-slicked flesh, it was all he could do to remain upright. “Well, good. I can add that back into my column of assets. I was a little worried for a moment.”

“No worries at all here. But I think I need to conduct a closer inspection.”

Michael braced himself on the tile walls when she dropped to her knees and then nearly lost his mind all together when she took him into her mouth, drawing him in, then pulling back until he was exposed to the warm water raining down on them both. Then, after circling the head with her tongue, she drew him in again. He hissed in a breath between his teeth. This was more than physical. Just like in the closet, it was as if he were discovering intimacy all over again. His balls tightened and he found himself perilously close to the edge.

“Stop.” Never in a million years would Michael Anderson ever have imagined the possibility of putting a stop to this particular scenario, yet he found himself repeating, “Stop, please.” She circled him with her tongue one last time, and released him, expression justifiably confused.

He helped her to her feet. “No more fast food tonight.” He soaped up his hands and ran them up her arms and down her back. “It’s about taking our time.” He lathered the washcloth and scrubbed himself down, then pulled her to him, sliding against her, loving the feel of her hardened nipples across his soap-slicked chest. “About learning each other’s bodies.” He handed her the washcloth and turned. She scrubbed his back, and then moved lower to his ass and he propped his hands on the tile as she lathered his inner thighs and balls. He’d regained his control now, and was simply enjoying the adrenaline and thrill of her exploration of his body.

After a thorough rinse, he turned the water off and pulled the towel from the towel bar. Determined to keep things focused on her, he dried her hair, then moved methodically down her body, drying and kissing as he went. By the time he reached her knees, they were trembling.

“We’re going to work on a two to one ratio tonight, which is why I stopped you.”

He dried his own body and stepped out. She followed. “Two to one?”

“Yes. I couldn’t get ahead.”

Taking her hand, he led her to the bed where Clancy was comfortably curled up on a pillow. “Sorry, sir. You’ll need to relocate.” He picked the dog up, pillow and all, and set him in the bathroom. After a couple of circles, he settled right in as if he were totally on board. Hell, he might grow to really like that dog.

Mia was still standing by the bed, naked and sexy as hell, when he returned. He paused for a moment, scanning her from the top of her dark, wet hair, down to her perfectly formed breasts, over her toned, flat abdomen, past the curls at the juncture of her thighs, and finally taking in her muscular legs all the way down to her pink toenails. Going slow was going to be difficult. “As I was saying…”

She grinned. “Two-to-one whats?”

He applied gentle pressure to her shoulders and she sat in front of him, her eyes immediately finding his cock, which caused it to pulse. “Two orgasms to my one, at a minimum.”

Her eyes met his. “I stand by my statement that you are very sure of yourself.”

As he pushed her back on the bed, he marveled again at how beautiful and perfect she was, then he started at her neck and kissed all the way down her body until he settled in between her legs, pushing her thighs apart and lazily running a finger over her until her breath caught, then replacing his finger with his tongue. “No, Mia. I am very sure of
you
.”

Chapter Eighteen

Mia woke to the sound of beeping and opened her eyes to find Michael smiling at her. He reached across her and grabbed his phone from under Clancy’s paw and silenced the alarm.

She stretched and reveled in the exquisite soreness of her limbs and everywhere in between. “Is it time to get ready?” she asked, rolling on to her side to give Clancy a good morning pat.

Michael wrapped around her from behind and slid his hand down her side, and to her amazement, her body reacted as it had every time he’d touched her the night before, with a flush of heat and wetness. She would never tire of this man.

“Not yet. That was the wake-up-in-time-to-make-love-then-walk-the-dog alarm.” He cupped her breast, causing her nipple to pebble as he rubbed the pad of his thumb across it then rose up on an elbow to run his tongue over the stiff peak.

“No two-to-one this morning.”

“You didn’t mind it last night.” He circled her other nipple and gave it a playful nip. She squealed and he grinned, flashing those adorable dimples. She loved his smile.

She loved
him.

“Neither did you, if I recall,” she teased.

The second time they’d made love—or third counting the luggage closet, he’d shouted her name…of course she’d shouted his at least four times by then… maybe five. But still, he’d finally lost control. And it was wonderful.

“Tell me something about yourself I don’t know,” she said, skimming her fingers over his bicep, knowing full well that, even given a lifetime, she would probably never know everything about this complex man.

“You first.” He rolled onto his back.

“Oh, no. You’re not getting off that easy. You did that when I asked you what you really want in life. And then you never answered.”

He rolled to face her. “Okay. Something you don’t know…”

She held her breath.

He brushed her hair behind her shoulder. “I have never spent the whole night with a woman before. This is the first time.”

“Are you serious?”

“First time ever.”

She was a first. Her heart flipped over in her chest, thrilled at the prospect. “How is that possible? All those women in the pictures.”

“Control. They come to me and I control the situation. They leave before anyone goes to sleep.” He tapped her nose playfully. “Sometimes my neighbor drove them out early with loud, obnoxious music.”

She laughed. “I actually have playlists specifically for that purpose: Cockblocker Number 1, Cockblocker Number 2, and Nuclear Cockblocker.”

He laughed and rolled her on top of him. “I’m unblockable now. With you, anyway.” He positioned her right on top of his erection and pulled her back and forth along it, the friction shooting heat from where they met all the way to her fingers and toes. The pressure and texture hit just the right spot as she slid along his length, and she changed her angle and picked up the pace. “My, God, you are beautiful,” he said. “I love watching you.”

As she neared that edge, her whole body cried out for him. Being watched wasn’t enough. She needed to be filled. Completely claimed and possessed by this man. Last night had been like a dream. She wasn’t ready to wake up to reality yet.

“I need you inside me.”

He looked over at Clancy. “Hey, give us a little privacy, will you, big guy?”

“Go on, Clancy Pants.”

And soon, Mia and Michael had the bed to themselves and he was buried deep inside her. And once her soreness had been overpowered by pleasure, he helped her achieve a rhythm that had her nearly frantic with need, her nails digging into his shoulders as she rode him.

She took a deep breath as the pressure built almost to the point of pain. Being with him was too much and not enough at the same time. He reached up and caressed her breasts as she continued in long, hard strokes, his eyes never leaving her face, as if he were memorizing it.

She had told herself that she would have been satisfied with this one weekend with him, but she knew that had been a lie. It would never be enough. And he wanted more. He wanted her to live with him. To share his bed every night.

The connection between them was deep and real. She closed her eyes and felt her orgasm build like a spring being wound tight. She shortened and quickened her strokes.

“You never told me the thing about you I don’t know,” he grated out between his teeth.

She opened her eyes and he put his hand where their bodies met and stroked her as she ground down harder.

“I…”

And the spring wound even tighter.

“Love…”

And tighter still.

“I love you, Michael!” She shouted as stars exploded behind her eyelids and wave after wave of ecstasy rolled through her body and he strained silently under her, joining her until they both went limp and lay tangled up together exhausted and utterly sated.