The next day began at the crack of dawn. Catherine knew they still had a lot of issues to iron out before the surgery next week and wanted to get to the lab early. Michael had to meet with journalists and other surgeons who had come down to watch the operation. If this surgery went as well as they were hoping, it would be time to open the technology to the public. Over breakfast, the two of them chatted excitedly at what their day would bring, then bid their farewell with a long kiss that left them both wanting more.
The lab bustled with an excited but nervous energy—the feeling was tangible among the whole team. Catherine kept a bright smile all day. She encouraged the members as they worked and made sure to check in with all her leads. The reports looked better every day; the accuracy and abilities were close to where she wanted them to be. After the morning and afternoon of team exercises and training, she sat down at the screen and began to work on removing a seed from the inside of a watermelon. Countless hours passed as she meticulously made her way inside the flesh and pulp.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Michael spent the morning hours in conference rooms with people from all over the world. His marketing team had put together a presentation, and by the early afternoon, he was on a stage in front of over five hundred journalists, doctors, and leading health institution representatives. His brother stood on the stage with him. Michael had left the decision entirely up to him, but as the cofounder and man who might benefit the most from this machine, Lucas had told him he had to be there to support their work.
The crowd watched with rapt attention as the videos of Catherine extracting seeds played. He couldn’t help but smile as she gave the camera a wave and stuck out her tongue jovially. The presentation began to go over the intricate technologies of the robot, and he continued with confidence as he explained their latest work and how it could be used. Lastly, he outlined Lucas’ unique case and how if the procedure works, this would be an absolute game changer for surgeons in every field.
After the presentation he went to more meetings but couldn’t stop thinking about Catherine—her beaming face; those warm, gentle eyes he could get lost in; her round, perfect curves and lush lips. While they had continued to flirt and please one another, he decided that tonight he would make her his. He wanted nothing more than to feel her close around him. His cock twitched at the mere thought.
The last meeting wrapped and the sun began to set over Havana. He knew he would be home soon, eating dinner with Catherine. In the few weeks they’d known each other, she hadn’t brought up the charges that caused his exile, and while it was a relief that she didn’t seem worried about them, he knew he had to tell her the whole story. He let out a long sigh and rubbed his temples as the stress of the situation entered his mind. It was time he told her and let her decide for herself what to believe. He knew the truth, and all he could tell her was what he knew and was legally allowed to say.
He looked to the cityscape outside and watched the tangerine sky burn bright and cast its reflection on the turquoise waves of the port in the distance as he contemplated the impending conversation. What would she say? Would she believe him, or the story the other side told? She seemed genuine and true in her nature, but he couldn’t expect her to just brush off such a serious accusation. At this point, the thought of losing her was absolutely terrifying.
This may have all been new and exciting, but the feeling she brought him was unlike anything else. He had been in loving relationships, but the keen sense of completeness with her was beyond words. It was as if he had been wandering through life with only half of himself, but as soon as his eyes had met hers, there it was, that other half, the part of his heart he never knew was missing.
He stood up and gathered his things. As he had mulled over their situation, he realized he needed to be with her. He needed to tell her and get past this obstacle, to move onto the next step of their relationship. He had to be transparent and honest; otherwise, he wasn’t being fair to her. He knew it would be nerve-wracking, but he had to do it.
***
That night a leg of lamb had been prepared for them, along with more fresh greens from the garden. Alberto had gone home for the night after spending the day running errands with Rascal. The last few days and nights Catherine had allowed him to take Rascal home. She was so busy with the prep work that she didn’t have time to play and cuddle him, and it made her smile to see Alberto and Rascal bringing each other such joy, especially in her time of absence.
It was just Michael and her at the large dining room table. She told him about the progress she had made and that things were coming along just as she wanted with the team. While the surgery date was set, she really wanted to get to that day and get it done.
“This is how I always get before a big surgery, I begin to obsess over it and I can’t stop playing the scenario over and over again in my head. After it’s done, a sense of absolute relief washes over me. Unless…” she trailed off as she thought of the less successful operations she had been involved in. Her eyes fell to her plate, and she paused as the thoughts loomed.
Michael reached across the table and squeezed her hand, “It’s okay, beautiful. We can’t have one hundred percent success every single time, though I realize when it’s someone’s life, we wish it was.”
She nodded. “I know, it’s part of the gig. After those surgeries, I just need to disappear for a while. I face the families first, but after that, I have to go somewhere where I can release all that pain. It’s hard to not let it get to you.”
“Where do you go?” he asked with curiosity.
Her eyes seemed to grow distant as she replied and thought of her sacred place. “There’s a cabin that belongs to my family by the Finger Lakes, it sits on a hill and looks out over the water and rolling woods. I’ve been going there since I was a kid, but now as an adult, it’s the only place I find I can truly let everything go. I’ll wake up before dawn, make a cup of tea, and just cry as the sun rises. I let my thoughts just go over everything from the surgery, the pain I feel for the family, and if I could have done anything different.”
She paused and looked at him. His face wrinkled in concern as she revealed her grieving process to him. She patted his hand. “I hope that doesn’t scare you.”
“That you’re a human being with real, raw emotions? I’d be a lot more scared if you weren’t.”
“Good point. But, I love it up there. Rascal and I will hit the trails, and after a few days, I’m ready to get back at it. I know I can’t let failures slow me down, only learn from them and be better next time.”
He gave her a big smile and squeezed her hand. “We’re similar like that.”
“I think so, too.” She winked at him as she took a sip of her wine.
A moment of silence fell over them as they ate. Michael paused and put down his fork. She sensed the shift of mood and gave him a worried look.
“What is it?”
He paused, his eyes meeting hers with an honest expression. “You haven’t asked me about the exile once. Can I ask why?”
Her brow went up in surprise, and she tilted her head to the side as she chewed her lip and considered her response.
“In one of our early conversations, you said that you wanted me to come here and get to know you and decide for myself. I take people at face value, and that’s just what I did. You haven’t given me any reason to think you’re involved with any shady activities that would make me question your actions. I wanted to give you the space and time to get to know me as well before bringing it up.”
Her eyes met his and locked in a tender gaze, “Plus, I like you.”
He smirked back as he agreed. “I like you too, gorgeous.”
“Glad the feeling is mutual.” She laughed, somewhat relieved.
“I appreciate your honesty, Catherine. Not many people would have given me the chance, they would only take what they hear and make assumptions. So, I wanted to take some time tonight and tell you the whole story, and you can draw your own conclusions.”
She picked up her glass of wine and leaned back in her chair. “I’m all ears.”
Michael took a deep breath, picked up his wine glass, and swirled the liquid as he fell back in his chair as well.
“After our company had become as successful as it is, I decided to start investing in healthcare facilities and hospitals in impoverished areas. We had more than enough money to put back in the company and make progress with our work, and Lucas and I were set for life. I needed to do something to contribute, and I hooked up with a foundation that connected investors with places in need of assistance.”
He took a swig of his velvety, red drink before he continued with his story.
“The charity foundation did all the paperwork, research, and background checks. Obviously, there are a lot of scams in this world, and you want to make sure your money isn’t going to only a few, greedy individuals. This foundation had checked out with every watchdog group, it had a great success score and when I met with their leaders, I felt I could trust them. And truly, this wasn’t their fault, they did everything right.”
He paused as his face twisted in frustration, “But, unfortunately they had a mole working for them. This one lead was on my projects, and without myself or the organization realizing it, he was taking my money and laundering it through a fake hospital. And this operation looked as legit as they came, inspectors would do routine checks, and it passed every time.”
“Did it actually serve patients?” she interjected.
His voice grew low and his eyes narrowed as he looked off and recalled the memory, “It did, but the inspectors only asked them about their treatment. Not about how they received their wounds.”
She nodded in understanding. “I’m guessing they weren’t the good guys?”
He nodded and took another drink. “No, they were terrorists. So here I was, sending money over to a terrorist operation without realizing it.”
“If it was this foundation that made the mistake, then how are you being held responsible?”
He shook his head in frustration. “Because I was stupid enough to hand deliver a check to the man who was the mole.”
Her look of confusion pressed him on. “The foundation contacted me about a donation to a hospital in Turkey. They wanted me to go there so I could make an appearance, get some press, and shine some light on their foundation. I was happy to do so, I enjoy seeing the places I get to help out and meeting members of the group. So away I went, and even though the check delivery was in a press room with a group of journalists who revealed the mole, the US government saw it as me knowingly assisting a terrorist group.”
Silence descended on the room, as they both looked to their drinks and mulled over the information.
Catherine looked at him. “What about the witness who was later murdered? What was his role in all of this?”
An expression of sorrow washed over his face. “That was the man who uncovered the mole. He was the one who told the foundation and contacted every single donor. He was a hero, his work put a stop to the organization and led to the arrest of their leader. But, he was killed by group members only weeks before his appearance in court. So now the entire case is on hold, because they don’t have any other witnesses, only a dead man’s word.” He sighed and shook his head.
Catherine raised her glass, and he gave her a curious look. “To the unsung heroes.”
He smiled softly, and they clinked their glasses and took a sip. He looked at her once again. “So, now you have the whole story. That’s all I know, any other details my lawyer has advised I don’t share until the case is picked up again.”
She nodded. “Well, to me, it sounds like you got caught up in some bad shit without meaning to. You just don’t seem like they type of guy who wants to support people who hurt others.”
His hand clasped over hers and squeezed gently. “Thank you, I appreciate that.”
They shared a long, warm gaze, then he leaned in and gently kissed her lips. His hands reached up and caressed her face with soft, subtle strokes. Her tongue gently pressed against his as the kiss deepened, and her fingers knit his hair as her actions became more passionate. He was eager to please her. His hands slid down and pulled her out of her chair and onto his lap. She explored his jawline with delicate kisses that lingered on his flesh, her motions slow and intentional as he moaned in desire.
She felt her heartbeat quicken as his actions became more energetic. He gave a grunt, reached down, and pulled off her blouse, then reached around and unhooked her bra. Her breasts bounced in front of his face, and he leaned in to suck on her hard peaks. A moan of excitement escaped her lips, and she reared back in pleasure. She looked at him with lust-filled eyes as his tongue circled her sensitive skin, then reached down and tore his shirt off to reveal his broad, muscular chest and abs. He buried his face once again, her fingers buried in his dark hair as she directed his movements to each sensual spot.
She slid her hands down his chest, and he looked up at her with hungry eyes. She swiftly fell to her knees, reached up and unbuckled his pants, then pulled them down to his knees. His lips pulled back in a sneer as she tugged off his briefs and revealed his hard, aching cock. She glanced up at him with a smirk, her eyes dilated from the sexual ecstasy. Her hand glided over the soft flesh. His member twitched in response to her touch, and he grabbed her hair as she drew closer. With slow, deliberate motions she began to tease him, her lips pressed against his sensitive skin as her tongue explored his head and shaft.
He needed her though, and the teasing was killing him. He gave a growl, and she looked up with a smile. “You want me, don’t you?”
He nodded, eyes glazed and lids half closed. “So bad.”
She leaned down and took him deep in a swift, unexpected motion. He felt the air leave his lungs as her lips reached his base and he felt the deep, wet warmth. She kept the rhythm, and his hips rocked with her, each brush of her tongue putting him that much closer to the edge.
He couldn’t handle it any longer—he needed to be inside of her. He gave a grunt as he leaned down and effortlessly picked her up, brushed the dishes to the side, and set her down on the table. She giggled in delight as he kissed her neck. His beard tickled her, and she gave a playful shove as he leaned his weight into her. He reached down and pulled off her skirt, the curves of her hips accented by a lacy, red thong. He clawed at it and pulled it off her, his hunger apparent as he nibbled and kissed her midriff and worked his way to her inner thighs.
She lay back on the table and let her legs fall to the sides as he dove deeper. He had learned her buttons and favorite spots, and he eagerly sucked on her clit as she squirmed in elation. She felt herself grow wet with excitement; the slick feeling that built matched the growing tension in her middle. She felt the energy build. Small waves of gratification made her smile and gasp. He looked up at her with big, ravenous eyes, and she gave him a nod.
“I need you inside me,” she demanded.
He quickly obliged. In one swift motion, he was over her, and she felt the relief of him sliding inside her. She screamed as he assuaged her deepest need. Her senses came alive, and every thrust built the welling orgasm that brimmed inside her. She looked up at his narrowed, fiery eyes. The skin of his bare chest glistened with sweat, and messy hair fell in his eyes.
His lips were pulled back to reveal an animalistic sneer. Each rock of motion built the growing sensation of absolute bliss. She felt herself on the edge, ready to plunge into the abyss of passion. She looked up at him with desperate eyes and bit her lip as he thrust harder.
The waves gave way to an explosion of perfect gratification. Her eyes rolled back, and she felt her toes curl as her screams echoed down the halls of the estate. He kept pace with her rhythm, and she rode each rush of the seemingly infinite orgasm. She felt the spasms begin to recede like the ocean tides, and the afterglow begin to warm her being like the embers of a late-night campfire. She smiled and gave him a nod. His face relaxed and a smile spread over his lips, then he leaned down and kissed her gently.
“Did you enjoy that?” he whispered in her ear.
“So much,” she replied breathlessly.
Her euphoric gaze met his. “Now it’s your turn.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Yeah?”
She nodded with a coy smile.
“Turn over,” he growled breathlessly.
He released her, and she rolled over in a fluid motion so that her breasts were pressed against the table and her legs dangled over the edge. She felt his throbbing member slide in her once again, and then his own rhythm of pleasure pushed harder and harder. She felt him quiver, and with a gasp of satisfaction, he released himself with a final, powerful thrust. She felt his twitches of enjoyment as he sighed in complete satiation. He leaned over and rested gently on her back as he tickled her skin with kisses.
After a few minutes they stood up, their bodies glistening with sweat in the light of the dining room. They each looked to the messy dishes and then back to one another, then gave a small laugh. He wrapped his arms around her body and kissed her forehead, as they closed their eyes and lingered in the sweet moment.