Michael

I’d searched everywhere for Eden, who was nowhere to be found. It was late, so it was reasonable to think she’d gone home, but she hadn’t. I wasn’t sure how I knew that, but I did. So I’d set off twenty minutes ago, eager to ask her some question that I’d already forgotten.

When I hadn’t found her immediately, I hadn’t been able to let it go, and now, as I roamed the halls, whatever it was that had made me seek her out was no longer important.

I just needed to see her.

I told myself that it was nothing, simply a manifestation of my hatred of being denied anything, but for the first time, I wasn’t sure that I believed it.

So, instead of thinking about that, about what it might mean, I continued to search for her, becoming increasingly irritated with each moment that passed.

I’d looked on all the floors, in the office area, then the kitchen. I nodded at several hotel employees, but hadn’t asked any of them about her whereabouts. I didn’t want to appear anxious, and asking about her would have felt like a defeat.

I wouldn’t let Eden defeat me. Wouldn’t let anyone defeat me.

Of course, that determination to not give even the hint of an upper hand was working against me now because Eden was still nowhere in sight.

I paused in the hallway, my heart beating far too fast. I could feel the way my features twisted with my angst, felt like the fucking tie Patrick insisted I wear was choking me.

I stomped back to my office and ripped of the tie and jacket and popped the first two buttons on my shirt, thankful to at least not have that constricting me anymore.

Then, I set off in search of Eden again, even angrier now.

What the hell was wrong with her? Didn’t she know she might be needed? Leaving like that with no one knowing where she was, that was fucking stupid and even more frustrating.

I prepared to search the floors again, thinking I’d missed her. When I stopped at the stairs that led to the basement, I came up short.

The basement was off-limits to guests and employees that weren’t specifically authorized to go down there.

Eden was authorized.

I literally saw red as I pushed the heavy door open and ran down the stairs, each step sending my anger past the boiling point.

She’d better not be down there. She had no reason to be and it was far too dangerous for her to be down there alone.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I followed a sound that I instinctively knew was her. The impulse to run was strong, but I forced myself to slow my steps, both to buy me time to calm down and to make sure I didn’t seem too excited.

Because as pissed as I was, and I was fucking pissed, I wanted to see her, but didn’t know if I could handle her knowing that.

After what felt like an eternity, I rounded the corner and stopped when I saw Eden.

Her hair was still pulled back in that prim and proper bun, the little pearl earrings spotting her delicate lobes.

But she’d taken off her ever-present blazer and button-down shirt, and wore only a thin, almost sheer shirt that gave a perfect view of her full breasts lovingly held by her lace bra, along with the sweep of brown skin that was glistening with sweat.

In an instant, I was rock-hard, the instant desire for her, the anger that hadn’t lessened a bit, a dizzying combination.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

Eden let out a little shriek that would have been adorable had I not been so pissed. She dropped her hands and then turned to face me, her tits jiggling enticingly when she did.

“Jesus, Michael. You scared me—”

“I asked you a question, Eden. What are you doing?” I barked.

She stiffened, her eyes widening. Then, she seemed to recover and pointed at a valve attached to the wall.

“I was trying to turn this. A guest on the tenth floor is having an issue, and I wanted to—”

“Are you a fucking plumber?”

She frowned, looked taken aback by my tone, but I didn’t care.

“No, but—”

“I have staff for this, Eden. Do you know how fucking stupid it is for you to be down here by yourself?”

She ignored my question and said, “It’s an easy fix, and the maintenance staff is at dinner. I just thought—”

“You weren’t thinking,” I snapped, pissed that she was so thoughtless, didn’t seem to have a care about her safety.

Eden looked wounded, something that gave me a moment’s pause, but only a moment’s. It wasn’t safe for her to be down here alone, and besides, this wasn’t her job.

Still, the stunned look in her eyes touched me, made me want to soothe it away. I couldn’t do that, wouldn’t let myself, so I did the next best thing.

“What’s the problem?” I asked, walking until I stood in front of the valve.

“This should be a half degree warmer,” she said quietly. “I just need to turn it one notch. That should do it.”

I wasn’t surprised that Eden knew exactly what the problem was, or that she’d felt compelled to try to fix it herself. I might even have been a little impressed, but she’d still been stupid to come down here by herself.

She reached up, but I lifted my hand and shook my head, making sure not to look at her. Then, I turned the valve.

“You happy now?” I asked when I finally looked at her, choosing to focus on my own irritation at her stubborn independence and not the fact that I was again alone with her.

“I…” she trailed off, hesitated. “I…”

She looked up at me with dark eyes, and I did the only thing I could.

In one motion, I locked my hand behind her head and covered her lips with mine.

* * *

Eden

One moment, Michael was staring at me so intently, I thought he might throttle me.

The next, he was kissing me, the kiss as angry as his eyes had been.

That should have been enough to make me push him away.

It wasn’t.

I didn’t know what to make of Michael’s reaction, had no idea what he was even reacting to, but in that moment, I didn’t care. Couldn’t care, couldn’t do anything but take his kiss, his lips bruising, almost punishing against mine, his hand rough against my breast. And like always, I responded to his wild roughness. Would have reached out to touch him, but couldn’t because he’d trapped both of my hands in one of his. His strength thrilled me, as did the wonder of what he planned to do next.

But, just as suddenly as the kiss had begun, it ended.

Michael broke away and stared down at me, his night-sky eyes as stormy as I’d ever seen them, his chest heaving. It was warm in the basement, but I didn’t think the heat was the reason for the flush that brightened his face.

Maybe it was anger, but as many times as Michael had looked at me in anger, it had never looked like this. His expression now was tumultuous, angry, yet not. Something in me wanted to reach out to him, soothe that tumult, so I tried to pull my hand free, planned to brush the lock of dark hair that lay against his forehead away. Hoped that maybe that touch would be calming to him.

I didn’t have the chance.

When I tried to reach up, he tightened his grip, and then in the next breath, I was facing the wall, Michael’s huge body caging me between it and him.

“Michael—”

My words died in my throat when he jammed his hand between my thighs and cupped my pussy.

I was dripping for him, needy for the feeling that only he could bring. I didn’t understand it, didn’t understand him, really, but this feeling, the one that only he could stir was unmistakable. Even if it was beyond the capacity of my rational mind to understand, my body did.

As if to prove the point, my hips began to roll, moving against his hand, wanting more of the delicious friction. Michael still had his hand wrapped around mine, limiting my movements, but I was too uncoordinated, probably would have been unable to do anything had I been able to move.

“That was stupid, Eden,” Michael growled, his deep, raspy voice filling my ears.

My pussy clenched at the sound, and the last mindful part of me wondered how I could respond when he was taking me to task for no reason, doing something he had no right to do.

“Michael, you’re being ridiculous,” I said, my words breathy, not sounding at all like me.

“I’m being ridiculous?” he said, his breath warm against my ear.

“Yes,” I said, pleased that I was able to speak, “you—”

Whatever I’d intended to say was lost when he twisted my clit, soothed away the sting with his fingers. And when he kissed my neck, his lips so soft, such a great contrast to the roughness of his fingers and his voice, my knees buckled.

I barely moved though, Michael’s strong grip on my wrists holding me in place.

I was flat against the wall, my breasts smashed against the concrete, the press relieving some of the ache that made my nipples throb. I was so distracted by the feeling of his heavy hand against my nipple, it took a moment for me to realize he’d turned me.

“That was idiotic, even,” Michael whispered, his breath warm against my skin as he nuzzled my breasts and kissed down my satin camisole.

“Are you… Are you lecturing me right now?” I asked, my breath coming out on a hitch.

Still, I was surprised I had managed to speak, what with the way he was driving me to distraction.

“Yes, I am. That was stupid. Don’t do anything like that again,” he said.

He sounded easy-breezy, nothing of his voice betraying the fact he had hooked his hands into my waistband and was pulling my panties down my hips as he spoke.

“Michael. You’re being ridic—” I cut off on a nod as he kneeled and pressed his lips between my thighs.

He dove in, kissed my slit, my inner thighs.

“You were saying?” he asked a moment later when he pulled back and looked up at me, his lips glistening from my wetness.

“I…”

I trailed off, swallowed thickly, bit my lip when he smirked.

“As I thought,” he whispered, his breath tickling the hair that covered my sex.

I shivered, a sensation that intensified when he did so again and then pressed his lips against my sex.

Michael kissed me slowly, almost reverently, the gentle caress, smooth glide of his lips against my pussy so different than the insistent tap of his finger against my clit.

I reached out, my hands landing on his shoulders as I looked at him, desperate for something to hold onto.

“Michael…” I said.

He huffed out a chuckle but I didn’t pay attention, couldn’t care, not when he was doing this to me. Michael worked me over slowly, lapped at every inch of my pussy until I was a keening, wailing mess.

When he squeezed my clit between his fingers, I went off like a rocket, exploding in a climax that left me breathless. Michael kissed me, petted me as I rode my climax down.

After one last kiss against my quivering sex, he stood, stared at me for a long moment before he leaned forward and kissed me deeply, possessively. Kissed me until I was breathless, clinging to him, desperate for more.

He broke away, trailing his lips against my ear.

“You want me to fuck you right here don’t you?” he whispered.

“Yes,” I responded without hesitation, my breath coming out heavy.

He met my eyes. “Maybe if you’re not so stupid next time.”

I glared at him, glared harder when he smirked.

“Asshole,” I muttered, my face beginning to flame as Michael looked at me knowingly.

He just smirked harder, then pulled my panties up and slid my skirt down.

“Let’s go,” he said.