The Perfect Candidate (41 page)

Ashley was suddenly very glad for the sexy lingerie that was hidden beneath her wedding dress!  She pushed herself up on her knees, reaching out a hand towards Michael.  She clutched at his shirt and dragged his closer.

“You want me?” she whispered, her voice still hedged with doubt.

“Oh God, Ash!  If you only knew!” Michael swore, crushing their mouths together.

Ashley went weak all over.  Michael
’
s was voracious as he plundered her mouth with his tongue, enacting with that slick muscle the act that Ashley knew they would be performing later with their bodies.  It was enough to make her hot and achy. 

She had been so,
so
scared all day!  The huge relief she felt now, knowing that Michael at least still wanted her body, was making her feel almost unbearably aroused.  She wanted him naked, she wanted him inside her, and she wanted it NOW!  Michael, however, seemed to be trying to muster some sort of an attempt at restraint.

“Slow,” he whispered, speaking against Ashley’
s skin when she started squirming restlessly. 
“
We have all night,
”
Michael murmured.  He smoothed his hands down the sides of her dress, mapping out her figure.

“You don’
t have to be slow,
”
panted Ashley impatiently. 
“
You don
’
t have to wait!
”
she cried.  She felt Michael chuckle as he held her against his chest.

“I want to savor you,” he confessed roughly, nuzzling at her neck, while his large fingers fumbled with the impossibly small buttons of her wedding dress.  His words made Ashley shiver.  She didn’
t know if she had ever been savored before. It sounded rather nice.

“All right,” she puffed.  “If that’
s what you want,
”
she sighed, and shivered a little as the back of her dress was undone and the cool air kissed her warm skin.

“What do you want?” Michael murmured thickly, but he kissed her before she could answer.  His hands slipped beneath the delicate fabric of her wedding dress, easing it off her shoulders.  “Damn,” he growled, somehow instilling the word with reverence and awe as he glanced down at ingenious creation of silk and lace that Ashley was wearing underneath her dress.

Ashley glowed under his gaze, growing breathless when she looked at his face.  A man couldn
’
t possible look at a woman like that and
not
want her
…
in fact, the glint in his eyes almost looked like- but no, Ashley wouldn
’
t lose her head completely.  It couldn
’
t be love! 

Michael bent his head, kissing the creamy swells of her breasts, while he stripped her completely of the wedding dress. 
“
You
’
re so beautiful,
”
he growled, pushing her down onto the mattress. 
“
Earlier, at the church, I thought I
’
d never seen anything so beautiful in my life, but now I
’
m not so sure if I don
’
t prefer you like this,
”
he murmured heavily.

“Oh, Michael!” Ashley gasped, hardly daring to believe what he was saying let alone trust it!  She begged another kiss.  At least if she kept his mouth occupied he couldn’
t confuse her by making such declarations.

Michael
’
s hands were almost more bewitching than his words however.  His fingers drew nonsensical patterns over her skin, scorching her, branding her with his touch.  Ashley melted into the mattress, her own fingers slipping clumsily over the buttons of Michael
’
s shirt.

“I want you naked,” she mewed, tangling her fingers in his tie, and whispered the words against his mouth.

“And you always get what you want?” Michael chuckled. 

He was joking, Ashley thought he was joking anyway, but she tensed fearfully anyway.  What if he was just toying with her before revealing how he
really
felt about what she had done?

“Ashley?” Michael said, stilling when he felt the sudden tension that was humming through her veins.  “Baby, whatever it is, forget it?” he begged slowly, kissing the side of her neck, while his hands eased her breasts out of their cups, he fondled them tenderly, tweaking the nipples, and making it impossible for Ashley to worry about anything.

32

When Ashley woke up the next morning, it was because someone was hammering on the door to her and Michael
’
s hotel room.  She murmured softly in protest and tried to snuggle deeper under the covers to block out the noise.  Michael seemed less inclined to just ignore the disturbance though. 

“What the hell?” he growled, rubbing a hand over his eyes.  A grumpy frown clouded his face and he started muttering under his breath.  “If this is housekeeping then they can forget their fucking tip!” he grumbled, pausing in the middle of his rant to bestow a tender kiss on Ashley’
s lips as he gently untangled their bodies.

She watched quite shamelessly as Michael strolled naked across the room.  He really was the most impressive specimen of a man that she had ever seen.  He picked up one of the complimentary bathrobes and shrugged it on, before he then padded over to open the door (and yell at whoever was on the side if the look on his face was anything to judge by).

“Look, I don’
t know-!
”
he started angrily, but stopped short when
Norman
pushed right by him and marched into the room.

Norman eyes swept around the suite, bulging almost out of their sockets when they caught sight of Ashley.  She held the blankets up to her chin, and tried to muster a little smile and look less obviously shagged senseless.

“Good morning, Norman,” Michael muttered bitterly.  He gave the door (which he was still holding open) a longing glance, as though he was imagining tossing his campaign manager back out of the room and into the hallway.  Ashley really wouldn’
t have complained if he had done just that- her cheeks, and the rest of her, were burning a humiliated crimson!  But sadly, Michael shut the door with a heavy sigh. 
“
So?
”
he continued, tightening his robe
’
s belt. 
“
What can Mrs. Reese and I do for you today?
”

Ashley started at hearing herself addressed as Mrs. Reese, although it was a pleasant sort of surprise.  Norm did a double take too- and looked far less pleased about Michael
’
s phrasing of introduction.

“You could start by telling me what on earth happened yesterday,
and
by explaining to me what we
’
re meant to do about it now?
”
he cried, dabbing at his perspiring forehead with a handkerchief.

Ashley gulped guiltily, but she stayed silent.  Michael
’
s frown had grown even darker. 
“
Norman, could I speak to you privately for a moment?
”
he asked, nodding his head in the direction of one of the other rooms of the hotel suite. 
“
I
’
m sure my wife would prefer not to be cross-examined while she
’
s still in bed,
”
he growled possessively. 
“
I can answer your questions.
”

Norman looked both a little surprised and alarmed by Michael
’
s behavior.  He glanced again at Ashley, and then hurriedly looked away. 
“
I- of- of course,
”
he nodded, trotting off into the living area of the hotel suite.

“I won’
t be long,
”
Michael murmured softly, turning his attention back to Ashley for a moment. 
“
Stay just where you are,
”
he added, a wicked gleam flashing in his eyes.

Ashley squirmed breathlessly; just the suggestion that Michael wanted her again was enough to make her body throb for his touch.  She would have thought that she should be sated by now!  She
was
sore and tender
…
but still hungry for his touch apparently.

She tried to ignore her carnal desires however.  There were more important things going on at the moment. 
“
Michael?  Michael what are you going to tell Norman?
”
she asked urgently.

“Don’
t worry, I
’
ll take care of it,
”
he promised evasively, slipping out of the room, and leaving Ashley on her own.

He was going to tell Norman the truth
, Michael thought to himself, as he closed the door between himself and his wife.  He didn
’
t know what else to do.  He was just going to have to come clean with the other man.

“Well?” Norman demanded.  He seemed to have regained a lot of his composure now that there wasn’
t a naked woman in the room with them. 
“
I hope you have a good explanation, Michael?  I
’
m certainly dying to hear it!
”

“No.”

“No?  What do you mean ‘
no
’
?
”
Norman choked.

“I mean no, I don’
t have a good explanation for you Norm.  I don
’
t know why Ashley came to the church yesterday and went through with the ceremony,
”
he said, slowly and simply.

Norman blinked at him in disbelief. 
“
Well maybe you could tell me why
you
went through with it?
”