Chapter Twelve

Caroline spent the next few months in a whirlwind of romance and blissful happiness. She couldn’t remember a time when she had felt happier in that moment than she did now. She was in love and couldn’t believe daily just how lucky she was. Ever since she returned from Paris, she had been by Mike’s side; in fact, she never wanted to leave that side for a minute. That dinner date had been the beginning of a wonderful romance. She had fallen hard for Mike, and it wasn’t hard to see why; he was kind and generous, and most importantly, he adored her. She loved him wholeheartedly and couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. He would do anything for her, and that was what she had been looking for her whole life.

It was just the whirlwind romance that had changed her life over the course of the past few months. Her celebrity clientele had quadrupled since the pop star attended the awards show in her dress. The pop star herself had put in more orders, not just for evening wear, but casual attire as well. Her endorsement of Caroline’s company had skyrocketed business for her. Caroline could still remember when she saw one of her sundresses in a magazine being worn by a socialite while vacationing in Europe. It had been the best feeling in the world, and she almost died with excitement when she saw it. She tore the page out of the magazine and framed it; she was a geek like that.

Since then, Mike and Caroline had gone to the Hamptons to vacation rather frequently, and she had even been introduced to his parents while there. It hadn’t been nerve-wracking at all, she felt completely comfortable and at ease with them.

When she first started to date Mike, she made the decision not to tell him about Joshua. What she had thought was two people falling in love had turned out to be two people just having some kind of fling. What was the point in telling Mike about some fling she had before they got together? It might upset him unnecessarily, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. The one thing that she had found shocking about Joshua was that she had never heard back from him since they parted at the airport. She had thought he would come to his senses and apologize, but he had never called. That’s what made her finally realize that he had never been the one—he had never really wanted her in the way that she wished. Otherwise, he would have come back for her, instead of allowing her to walk out of his life. Months had gone by without so much as a word from him, and it had broken her heart. She hadn’t realized just how much she had cared for Joshua until he was really gone from her life. She had hoped he would come back, but he never did.

So the last thing she wanted to do was to hurt a man that actually did care about her. If he knew that she went off to Paris with another man when they were seeing each other, he would be hurt. Caroline didn’t want to hurt him over her own foolishness. That’s exact what following Joshua had been, foolish.

She took a look at herself in the mirror and felt pleased with what she saw. She was wearing a sundress in a shade of blue that complemented her blonde hair. Just then, Mike walked through her bedroom door and whistled. She turned, smiling as he admired her. Caroline had been thinking about asking Mike to move in with her, but after what happened between her and Joshua, she was a little gun-shy.

“You look incredible sweetheart. I must be the luckiest man in the world.”

“No, I’m the lucky one, Mike.” She walked over to him and kissed him fully on the mouth.

“Then I guess we are both lucky.”

They were heading out to dinner together at an Italian restaurant that Mike had picked out. She was looking forward to getting lobster linguine and some wine. Later, she would be spending the night at Mike’s place.

During dinner, they chatted about an upcoming fashion show that Caroline was putting on. It was going to be a big one for her, and there were some serious names that were going to be in attendance. She knew her spring line was right around the corner, and she needed the show to go off flawlessly. She may end up seeing more than one dress in the magazines this year with the way things were going. She was the newest name in fashion these days, and people were definitely talking about her.

Mike was looking at her adoringly, and she smiled back at him. “I have something to ask you, Caroline.”

“Of course, what is it?”

“I’ve thought a lot about this moment. I’ve been searching for the right time, but I can’t keep waiting for the perfect moment.”

“What’s going on?”

He slid a box across the table, and she recognized it right away as a Tiffany box. She could barely breathe as she stared down at it. Her heart started pounding, and she was momentarily speechless.

“Oh, my God.”

He chuckled, “Are you going to open it?”

She slowly opened the box and gasped. It was a three-karat solitaire diamond on a platinum band. She couldn’t believe what she was looking at. There she had been worried about asking him to move in with her, and he had been planning to ask her to marry him.

“From the moment I met you, Caroline, I knew that I wanted to marry you. I know this may seem fast, but I have no doubt in my mind that I want you to be mine forever. Will you marry me?”

She stared at Mike, unable to fully comprehend what he was asking. Was this really happening? She didn’t know if it was too soon or not. All she wanted was to be happy, and right at that moment, Mike made her gloriously happy. So why was it when he asked her, Joshua’s face flashed through her mind? Why would she think of him, instead of reveling in the moment with Mike? She didn’t want to even think about why she would think of another man when Mike asked her to marry him. Fear struck her, but she shook it off, not wanting to think about what they may mean. Instead, she wanted to erase the thought from her mind entirely. This was everything she ever wanted, and she didn’t want to ruin it by delving into something that might not mean anything at all.

Caroline had stared at him for so long that he smiled nervously. “You’re not going to say no are you?”

She shook off the thoughts and smiled back at him. “Gosh, I’m sorry; you totally caught me off guard. I would love to be your wife, Mike.”

“Oh, thank God.”

She giggled. “I’m so happy.”

He leaned over and kissed her and tears streamed down her face as he slipped the ring on her finger.

After such a romantic and inspiring dinner, they couldn’t wait to get back to Mike’s studio apartment. As soon as the door shut, they were tearing each other’s clothes off. Their mouths found one another and the intensity between them skyrocketed her emotions to a whole other level. His mouth found her breasts, sucking at her hard nipples, and her body arched into his as he did it. She ached between her legs and willed for him to enter her.

“Baby, please, do it now.”

“I love when you talk like that.”

She was kissing him again, and the feeling of his tongue in her mouth made her instantly wet. His hard body was pressed against hers. He lifted her up into his arms, and her legs circled his waist. He impaled her on his cock, and she moaned loudly.

“Oh Mike, that's so good.”

“That's all for you, baby.”

“Give it to me Mike; oh, please. Really good.”

He must have had insane upper body strength to keep her in his arms to fuck her properly. He did an amazing job because she was spent and wrapped around his neck while still inside her.

“I love you, Caroline,” he whispered.

“I love you too, Mike,” she whispered back.

He carried Caroline to the bed and slipped her off of him, laying her down before him. She wanted him back inside her badly and could barely stand to wait. His tongue found its way into her mouth once again, and she moaned with desire.

His kisses grew more passionate and she matched them as best she could. She didn’t know if it was the proposal or what it was, but she felt even more electrified than normal with their lovemaking. His hands were on her body, undressing her. He tossed her dress onto the floor and found her nipples with his mouth. He went back and forth between her breasts before moving slowly down her stomach. He was planning on going down on her, and the thought made him just about crazy. Goosebumps prickled her flesh as he kissed her inner thighs. Her eyes fluttered back into her head, and she felt herself losing control. The closer he got to her pussy, he bit down on her thigh, and she loved the feeling. Caroline cried out in what should have been a moan, but it was almost a growl. He bent down and took her clit in his mouth, nipping gently, and then sucking on it. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she took a moment to enjoy the sensation. Mike was a wonderful lover and always took care of all her needs. She didn’t have to worry about getting an orgasm with him—he made sure she was half out of her mind before he stopped pleasing her in every way possible. Waves of pleasure were consuming her whole body, and she was somewhat relieved that her body was going to just take over. Her body was on fire, and she couldn’t imagine a time when she felt better. She could spend all day in bed with Mike and never get bored of the way he made her feel. Sex was always exciting and tender, exactly what she needed. He licked at the lips of her pussy, teasing her slightly. He dipped his tongue inside her causing her to moan loudly. “God, Mike that feels so good.”

He went back to sucking on her clit while he slipped two fingers inside her pussy and began pumping fast. He was fucking her so good that she could barely think straight. Her breath quickened, and she gasped, relishing the feeling of his fingers inside her.

“Fuck me,” she whispered.

He instantly flipped her on her side and put one of her legs on either side of him before moving closer to her. He entered Caroline from that position, and his cock went in deep. She moaned loudly as his cock stretched inside her. He pumped inside of her fast and hard, and she adored the feeling. Caroline couldn't keep up the moans that were escaping her rampantly. God, the man could just drive her wild when he wanted to, and she loved every minute of it.

He didn't waste any time when he pulled out, and she quickly moved onto her back. She swiftly got up as he laid down. She wanted him more than ever and was going to take what she wanted. He kept his knees up and supported her weight as she got on top of him. Her hands went to his chest, and she slid onto his cock slowly. He groaned with enjoyment, and she rode him hard as she moved up and down on his thighs. She smiled down at him in a sexy manner, and he looked up at her like she ruled the world. It was intoxicating to be adored, and she loved the feeling. Every time she ground into his cock, he thrust his hips towards her meeting each one head on. He was inside her, deep rubbing against her G-spot; she could feel an orgasm building inside her. Caroline cried out as the orgasm crashed through her, and she soaked Mike's cock. He sat up slowly, and knowing that he wanted to try another position, she was all for it. She braced herself on the bed with her arms behind her and between his legs; she didn't get off his cock at any point during their position change. He braced himself up with his hands behind his back while she put one leg on either side of him.

The position was intended to create intimacy between two lovers by positioning one’s self close enough to kiss the other person. It was one of her favorite positions, and she absolutely loved being so close to him in that way. Plus, it gave them both an excellent view of the other, and she could admire Mike’s sculpted body, and it was something to behold. The man was hot as hell, and she couldn’t get enough of looking at his body. She tried as best as she could to keep eye contact with him even though he thrusted inside her deep. He felt so good, and she moaned loudly when he thrust inside her.

Caroline rode onto his cock, having total control of the speed and intensity of their fucking. It felt so good, and having control was an incredible feeling. It wasn’t something that she was used to having in the bedroom. He moved one hand so that he could play with her clit while she fucked him. She couldn't deny he felt incredible, and the connection between them just made it that much better. Their chemistry was off the charts.

She closed her eyes as another orgasm took hold of her, and as she arched her head back, her hair cascading down her back, she felt him spill into her.

They were both breathing heavily, and she whispered, “That was great.”

“Yes sweetheart, it was.”

She curled up against him and laid her head on his chest.

They were still laying in bed later that night, but Mike had brought in some delicious chocolate ice cream so that they could watch the nightly news together. It had sort of become a habit of theirs before they retired for the night. To her surprise while watching the news, she saw Joshua on there, and her breath caught. She focused on what they were saying and realized that the news was discussing Joshua’s court case and upcoming trial. In fact, they were discussing the fact that there would not be an upcoming trial because Joshua had been acquitted of his charges, so the court case was closed. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She felt pure joy about the whole thing and knew that it would take a lot of stress off of Joshua’s shoulders, and she was really happy for him. She felt like jumping for joy at the news but held back because Mike had no idea that she knew Joshua at all. Well, at least now Joshua could go back to the company and do what he wanted with it without having the charges hanging over his head.

Mike spoke up to her surprise, “This guy is a real piece of work. The shit he gets away with is unreal. I wonder how much money it took to get him out of those charges.”

Caroline couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She hadn’t realized that Mike even knew of Joshua or the charges laid against him. She didn’t like what she was hearing at all, though. “What are you talking about?”

“This billionaire—he goes out and poisons the ocean, and somehow he manages to get off scot-free. Amazing. Obviously, he knew what was going on—it was his company. I thought for sure they would throw the book at him, but money will buy you out of anything.”

Caroline cleared her throat. “Mike, you don’t know that. You don’t know him at all; how can you be so harsh when you don’t know what really happened?”

He narrowed his eyes at her, confusion clouding them. “Why do you care what I think sweetheart? It’s not the first time I’ve called someone out on the news; what’s so different about this guy?”

She felt suddenly guilty all over again. She shouldn’t have said anything because he was right—it wasn’t the first time he had talked about someone on the news, and now she just looked defensive. She shouldn’t even be arguing the issue; she no longer had ties to Joshua, and he had dropped her without another thought, so why was she defending the guy? She had originally planned on letting go of Mike for Joshua, and look how well that turned out. She probably would have lost everything had she made that choice.

“Caroline? Is everything okay?”

“Sorry. I actually know Joshua. That’s why I spoke up.”

“You’re kidding me. How?”

“Remember how I told you that I went on that AIDS mission a while back?”

He nodded.

“Well, Joshua was there. He was volunteering his time as well. That’s where I met him.”

“Right. I actually heard about that. He did it just to save face after the scandal broke out. It’s funny I never put two and two together before.”

“Well, there’s actually more to the story. I never told you this because I didn’t think it mattered at the time, but while we were there, we sort of had a fling and a little bit after. I ended things with him before you and I got serious together.”

He looked at her shocked. “What are you talking about? I can’t imagine you would be involved with someone like him.”

“Mike, don’t be like that. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you; I just didn’t think it was a big deal. You and I had just met, and I was still involved with him. I just didn’t want to hurt you by telling you about the whole thing. It was really nothing.”

“And you’re telling me this now for what reason?”

“Well, because of the look on your face, mainly. I felt guilty about getting defensive, and well, I guess I should have told you from the get-go. I would rather we be upfront about everything before we get married so there are no secrets.”

It was obvious that he was pissed with her, and he probably was right to be so. She just didn’t want it to affect their relationship. She had just wanted to be honest with him, but maybe that had been a mistake.

“Caroline, I don’t understand why you would do that.” He looked so confused that it broke her heart. He was just so good; maybe she didn’t deserve him, after all.

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to hurt you.” She leaned over and kissed him on the lips. She looked into his eyes and said, “I would never do anything to hurt you. So forgive me please, just don’t be mad at me.”

He sighed. “Caroline, I love you, and I’m going to marry you. Of course, I forgive you. I just didn’t expect anything like this.”

“I know, I’m sorry. You need to know that I only want you.” She nuzzled into his neck and could smell his cologne. Leaning back up, she kissed him again. Mike shut off the TV, and they laid back down together. She knew it wasn’t as simple as that—she had hurt him after all, but at least, she had been honest about the whole thing. They didn’t need those kinds of secrets between them. She worried that he would lay awake that night thinking about her and Joshua, and she didn’t want that. There was nothing that she could do about it, though. It would be up to her to make him forget all that, though. She would just love him as much as possible. She sighed deeply and nuzzled closer to Mike as she started to fall asleep.