CHAPTER ELEVEN
I wait with baited breath for Michael’s challenge.
“If I remember from childhood, you’re quite good at holding your breath underwater,” he says as he looks down the length of the pool.
I’m surprised Michael remembers. When I was younger, I used swim laps across the pool and hold my breath for as long as I could. In retrospect, I think I was trying to disappear from the world. Unfortunately, it never seemed to work.
“I used to be,” I say with an embarrassed shrug.
“Let’s bet on it,” Michael’s smile is playful as he explains the game. “Whoever can hold their breath the longest gets to ask the other person any ten questions they want.”
“Any questions?” I ask uncertainly, my thoughts drifting over all the possibilities.
“Anything goes.” Michael seems amused. “Come on, Abby.”
When I hesitate, Michael persists.
“Come on. What do you have to hide?” His voice is sweet and cajoling.
You have no idea.
“Do you hold a title I should be aware of?” I ask with a great deal of suspicion.
“In holding my breath underwater?” Michael laughs in my face. “I’m flattered you think so highly of me.”
“It’s not flattery,” I tell him pointedly. “It’s distrust.”
Michael barks out in laughter.
“Touché,” he says. “Sadly, no. I don’t hold any records.”
“All right then,” I agree reluctantly. “I’m in.”
“Perfect,” Michael says, sweeping his arm out. “Ladies first.”
I walk to the end of the pool, take a deep breath in and sink down into the water. The first underwater lap is not so hard to do, but when I make the turn to come around, I can feel my lungs start to burn. I swim hard and go as far as I can before I emerge from the water more than halfway back.
I’m pretty pleased with myself.
“Nice.” Michael sounds impressed.
“Your turn,” I call out to him.
Michael dunks his body in the water and begins to swim.
It’s really not fair.
He moves down the first length of the pool with such ease you’d think holding his breath underwater is the most natural thing in the world. He turns and begins to swim back another length.
Sensing impending doom, I do the only thing I can—I start to splash around the pool, hoping to distract him and make him pop out of the water.
But he ignores my efforts and goes another length.
Beating me very easily.
But to prove a point, he swims one more length before finally emerging from the water as the winner. He’s not even gasping for air.
“That’s so not fair!” I yell out and splash water at him for good measure.
Michael seems pretty pleased with himself.
“I win even though you cheated.”
He quickly swims over and faces me with a victorious smile.
“Unless of course, you want a rematch?” His eyes light up at the thought. “Double or nothing?”
I flick a bit of water in his face.
“A rematch?” My tone is accusatory. “So you can just beat me again?”
He gives me a smirk as he shrugs his broad shoulders.
“I thought I’d offer,” he tells me with a wink. “Feels like the gentlemanly thing to do.”
“That’s quite all right,” I eye him cautiously.
Michael’s gaze is hooded as he watches me. His eyes skim over the top of my breasts as the water laps up against my chest. I can feel goose bumps begin to form and I fight the urge to cross my arms.
“So I win,” he says after a long minute.
“Yes, you win,” I confirm.
“First question?” he asks, studying my face.
I nod uncomfortably and hold my breath. There’s no telling where this conversation is about to go.
“I think it’s only fair,” Michael says evenly, “since you now know my favorite place in the world, for me to know yours.”
This is the last question I’m expecting and one I don’t hesitate to answer.
“With my father,” I admit quietly.
Understandably, Michael looks confused.
“I go the cemetery and visit his grave almost every week,” I explain with a sad smile. “When I go there, I feel like I’m with him and it gives me a sense of peace I don’t really find any other place.”
I’m not surprised I share this part of myself so easily with him. I’ve always felt like Michael understands me more than the rest of the Sinclair clan. Like he gets me. And understands how lonely I’ve felt over the years. He’s the only one who ever seemed to notice or care about how I was being treated at home. It’s one of the reasons I’ve always been drawn to him.
“I know it might sound silly to you,” I rush out when he still doesn’t respond.
“Not silly at all,” Michael finally replies, shaking his head. “It’s beautiful. Like you.”
I suck in my breath at the sound of his words. The feeling they give me. He’s said it before. That he thinks I’m beautiful. But it’s not something I’ll ever get tired of hearing.
“I know it was hard for you.” His voice is gentle and full of sympathy. “To have grown up without your real father. And to have had to suffer through an existence with Davis.”
Hearing the caring in his voice is nearly my undoing. It was hard. It was more than hard. It was awful.
“Sometimes it did get pretty bad,” I admit softly. “But then I guess I was luckier than most, right?”
“Don’t diminish what you went through.” Michael’s voice is stern. “Just because you had more than most people financially doesn’t mean you didn’t hurt or feel as much. And from what I know and have seen of your mother, I’m pretty sure she never rushed to your rescue.”
I can feel tears begin to form in my eyes and I have to look away from him. The reality of his words hurt. My mother never stood up for me with Davis. Never protected me against his vicious taunts. She was too consumed in her own world to see that her daughter was being tortured every day. It was as if she was blind to the entire situation. Or selfishly didn’t want to be bothered with it. So at night, I used to dream about my dad coming down from heaven and saving me.
I would have done anything for that to happen.
But I never had anyone to rescue me.
The only person who ever did was Michael.
I try to blink back the tears that threaten to spill. Michael doesn’t hesitate. He pulls me into his strong arms and holds me tight against his chest. His face comes down to rest against my neck, like he’s trying to transfer some of his strength over to me. I gladly take what he offers and embrace him, the strong beat of his heart against my ear both calms and reassures me.
“I’m sorry for your pain,” he whispers in my ear. “I wish I could take it all away.”
My heart stops.
It’s everything.
These words of his mean more to me than any gesture or touch. To know he cares. That he would fight for me. Because it’s who he his. A good man. A man I’ve been in love with my whole life.
And this right here…
This.
This is the reason why.
I don’t realize tears are streaming down my face until Michael turns his cheek against mine and begins to kiss them away.
“Don’t cry,” he whispers to me, his lips resting against my skin. “Please, Abby. They are not worth one of your tears. I promise you, I won’t let them ever hurt you again.”
His words wrap around me like a cocoon, making me feel safe and cherished.
Loved, even.
Everything I’ve been denied my whole life.
I pull my face away from him and stare into his cerulean eyes. They blaze down at me. I watch as a myriad of emotions play across his face—anger, sympathy, and what I need to see the most—desire.
For me.
I lift my hands up to cup his handsome face. I fix my gaze on his and allow him to see everything I feel for him. Everything I want from him.
“Abby.” My name sounds like it’s been ripped from his soul.
I respond to his need and pull his face down to mine so that I can capture his lips.
That mouth I crave.
That tongue I want to taste.
This body I want to be entangled with mine. Pushing into me. Feeding the hunger that I know only Michael can satisfy.
For a second I think he might reject my advances, like he’s battling against something in his heart, in his body even—but then something changes and the hunger he’s kept in check, the beast inside that he’s been able to keep at bay—can no longer be tamed.
And he gives it free reign.
His arms crush my body to his as his hands move underwater and cup my ass, pulling me up against his hard shaft. Michael’s tongue sweeps into my mouth, dueling with mine, tasting every crevice as my hands move from his naked shoulders to his rippled back, touching every inch of taut, bare skin I can find.
My legs come up on their own accord and wrap around Michael’s waist as our kiss deepens and his hands skim up the side of my body before brushing over the tips of my nipples. I moan in response as they tighten up against his sweet touch.
He rips his mouth away from mine and traces soft kisses down the expanse of my neck as my head falls back to give him more access. His hands palm my breasts, and I moan with need and push against his hard pulsing cock, begging him for release.
“I want to fuck you,” he says, his mouth roughly capturing mine again. His admission thrills me, turning the fire he’s started in my body into a blazing inferno.
He thrusts his hips up against mine, grinding his hard cock against the thin material of my bathing suit.
Yes.
I let my body speak for me as my hands move over his naked skin, showing him my need—my acquiescence. I reach down and pull his ass toward my hips, rubbing myself against him, answering him the only way I physically can. His hand moves up to tug on my hair, wrapping it in a fist around his fingers as his mouth continues to devour mine. He kisses me so slowly, so deeply—feeding a part of my soul that so desperately needs what he’s offering. He pulls back and stares down at me with those brilliant blue eyes of his.
I want him. So bad. It hurts.
If he stops now, I think I’ll die.
“Michael,” I practically beg, letting him hear my need. To feel the heat. To see the want and desire I have for him. It’s all there for him to see. To hear. To know.
He reaches out and rubs two fingers over my swollen lips before his hand moves down to trace a line down my chin, to my throat to the tops of my breasts, leaving a trail of goose bumps in his wake.
“There’s no turning back.” His jaw is tight as his eyes smolder with desire.
A shiver of excitement runs up my spine.
“I don’t want to turn back.”
He closes his eyes for an earth-shattering second and when he opens them I know, I’ve finally won. We’re not in a club. We’re not in an environment where anything can change. There is no Davis who can show up and ruin everything.
This. Is. It.
Everything I’ve ever wanted, right now, for me to take.
His eyes slide down the length of my body and I shiver in anticipation of what’s to come. I’ve never wanted anything so badly. Never craved anything so much.
Michael stares at me possessively, like he already owns my body just as completely as he does my soul.
My heart pounds when he reaches out for my hand. I take it and let him lead me out of the pool. He grabs a towel and wraps it around my body before gently picking me up in his arms. I wrap my arms around his neck and let him carry me into the house. He makes his way upstairs, past my room, and enters two doors that lead into his private suite. He pushes the door shut behind him before walking over to the large bed and slowly setting me down at the edge.
The room is charged with electricity.
Anticipation of what is to come.
He leans down in front of me and pushes the towel off my body. I can’t help but shiver.
“Are you cold?” he asks, his hot gaze flicking up to mine.
I can only nod my head.
“You won’t be for long,” he promises me as his fingers brush up against my cheek. Heat shoots through my body, right to my core as I stare at him in anticipation.
Michael reaches out to touch the strings on my bikini top. He brushes the lines of my suit, teasing me with such promise.
“Everything is going to change between us,” he whispers to me with warning as his gaze captures mine. “I want you to know that nothing will ever be the same.”
“I want you.” My voice is direct, strong, giving him no doubt that I want this just as bad as he does.
He lowers his head as his body shudders.
I wait for him to say something. But he doesn’t.
When he finally lifts his gaze to mine the desire I see takes my breath away. His hands trail a path up my arms before reaching the straps of my bikini. He slowly pulls my top down, exposing my breasts to his gaze and touch. I remain still, my breath hitched, as his gaze moves over my chest and back up to my eyes.
“God, you’re stunning,” he whispers hoarsely.
I suck in my breath, his admission giving me the courage to reach out my hand and cup his cheek as I stare at him with longing.
“You don’t know how beautiful you are to me,” I whisper to him as I trace a line to his lips. “You’ve been so kind to me. You’ve given me so much. You make me feel—”
I never finish my thought because Michael yanks me from the bed and pulls me into his arms as he captures my mouth for an earth-shattering kiss. His tongue melds with mine, devouring me, unleashing all the pent up passion he’s kept bottled up inside. My legs wrap around his waist, my naked breasts pressed up tightly against his chest as I moan with longing.
His hard body melds into my mine.
Naked skin has never felt so good.
I’m so wet and desperate for release, I can’t even think straight.
His hands squeeze my ass as he thrusts his erection against my groin.
“Please,” I beg him, pulling my lips away from his and running my fingers through his hair.
“Tell me what you want.” His tongue skims over my lower lip.
“You,” I pant out.
His hand tangles around my hair and yanks my head back, forcing me to open my eyes and stare up into his stormy, passionate gaze. The savage need in his face takes my breath away.
“No,” Michael says roughly, his eyes blazing with need. “What. Do. You. Want?”
I stare up at him, my gaze foggy with passion. No man has ever spoken so boldly to me before. No one has ever told me they want to fuck me. Hard. I’m in a whole new territory now, with someone who’s an infamous master in the art of seduction. This is a man whose eyes tell tales of sexual conquest, a man skilled enough to get exactly who and what he wants at any time.
A man who’s completely out of my league.
“I’m going to fuck you, Abby.” Michael’s voice has a hint of warning as he grips my body with a fierceness that makes me forget how to breathe. “And it’s not going to be proper with ribbons and bows and everything nice. It’s going to be hard. And fast. Until you scream out my name and beg me to give you what you need.”
My body trembles with anticipation.
I don’t want proper. I’ve had that my whole life.
I want something new.
Something exciting.
Dangerous.
I want him.
“I don’t want nice,” I whisper to him.
“What do you want?” he demands.
“Give me the storm.”
He pulls back from me, his eyes locking with mine, searching for the truth behind my words.
“I warned you.” His voice is low, hungry.
He cups my naked breast, squeezing it before teasing my nipple until it’s a tight bead against his palm. Excitement runs through me as he walks over to the side of the bed, holding me tight against his body. He runs his hands along my naked legs before grabbing me by the waist and throwing me on top of the bed. He stares down at me, the look in his darkened gaze one I can’t decipher.
He follows me onto the bed and tugs on my bikini bottoms before sliding them off. Michael sits back on his knees so he can stare down at me. I watch as his gaze slowly, but reverently, moves over the length of my body. The ache inside growing with every second that goes by. He’s the most beautiful person I know. The most alluring. The kindest.
And I love him.
I rip my gaze from his face and run my eyes down the length of his muscular body. I want to touch every inch of his skin. I want to taste him. I want to drive him as crazy as he’s driving me.
I want him naked.
But when I reach for him, he pushes my hands away.
“Do you know what you do to me?” Michael’s voice is thick with passion.
I shake my head no, incapable of even saying a word.
He grabs hold of my legs and pulls my body against the edge of the bed as he leans over my body. I suck in my breath as his lips come down to press against my calf. He licks and kisses his way up my leg, his other hand skimming up my body, to cup my breast. My body arches up against his touch.
And then his mouth finds my core, lavishing me with the attention I need more than I need air. Michael’s mouth sucks, licks, and torments me until I’m on the verge of exploding. He slips two fingers inside and my muscles tighten around him, trying to hold him in as he continues his assault on my senses.
“Please,” I whimper with need.
“Please what, Abby?” Michael’s breath is labored as he lifts his body up, robbing me of his touch so that he can look me in the eyes.
His expression is wild, frenzied with need.
“Fuck me,” I whisper to him as our eyes lock.
I want to know him.
I want to feel him inside me.
I want to belong to him.
A slow rumble emerges from something deep inside his soul. Hearing my words makes Michael lose whatever tenuous hold he has on his control. He pulls away from me for a second as he shoves his swim trunks off before melding his hard body into mine. It happens so fast I’m not even given a chance to take in that glorious body of his.
But then, it doesn’t matter because I have what I’ve always wanted.
Skin against naked skin.
“Are you on the pill?” he whispers.
“Yes,” I all but groan.
He grabs my face between his strong hands as his lips come down to capture mine. We taste each other. We drink each other in. Our tongues battle as Michael fucks my mouth as hard as I want him to fuck my body.
He yanks me into him and crushes my mouth. Our hands grab at every inch of exposed skin. I run my hands over his hard, muscled body, skimming over his broad shoulders, his lower back before grabbing hold of his ass. I’ve never needed anything as much as I need this man.
Right now.
Inside me.
His erection settles between my legs as his hand palms my breast. I don’t know how much longer I can last. How much more I can take.
But before I can even beg him for release, he thrusts into me, filling me to my core. His body shudders as he flexes his full length inside, his shaft pulsing with life. My body adjusts to his large size, craving both the pain and pleasure at the same time.
This is everything.
This moment.
Michael inside me. The things we’ve both said. Nothing else matters.
Not tomorrow.
Not what this means for us.
Not anything.
I thrust my hips wantonly toward his as he rocks into me with a hard, frenzied need that has me screaming out his name, hoping he sees and hears how the pleasure he’s giving me feels. My words are becoming more incoherent as he moves in and out, intensifying his pace.
I arch my body into his, delirious with pleasure as his cock skillfully pumps into me. My nails dig into his back as his mouth captures mine.
“Come for me,” Michael commands, easing out of me then plunging back in.
“Michael!” I scream out his name, my pulse racing, his pace pushing me over the edge, giving me exactly what I want.
Need.
His hands grab hold of my hips as he plunges in deeper, stretching my body out until I can’t bear any more of the sweet torture.
I explode around him, white-hot heat flooding my body as the orgasm rocks my body. Tremors crash around me as I shudder in ecstasy. A moment later, Michael groans out my name as he joins me in sweet, sweet oblivion.
The first thought that comes to mind when I can think clearly is one that makes me smile…
I can now officially tick Michael Sinclair off my bucket list.