Winter opened her eyes as she felt him withdraw. Disappointment cut through her. Her body was vibrating, her nerves on edge. She straightened up, trying to regain her composure as she smoothed down her dress. His semen soaked through her thong and was wet on her inner thighs, and she realized then that he had not used a condom. She would have to clean up and change before they could leave.
She felt his hard hands slide under her dress, to grip her on either side of her waist. She scarcely had time to let out a little squeak before he had spun her around and lifted her up onto the granite counter. Her bare bottom felt the shock of the cold vanity top. Her breath hitched. Her dress was almost bunched up to her waist. Michael ripped the thong. Then his hands grasped her legs and pushed them wide apart. His strong fingers banded her thighs above the tops of her black thigh-high stockings. She stared at him, her heart hammering wildly. He smiled down at her, just for an instant, with the bad-ass smile. “Very naughty,” he murmured, his thumbs rubbing the tops of the stockings. Then he knelt, and his hot mouth fastened greedily on her flesh. Electricity sparked through her. She arched her back. “Oh, yes,” she hissed. She pushed her fingers tight into his thick hair. “Michael!”
He bit and sucked at her clit. His tongue flicked and pushed deep into her slit. Intolerable, molten heat began to burn inside her. Her thighs trembled. Under his ministrations, her hips involuntarily bucked, but he held her tight and never let up on his erotic assault.
She threw her head back, and her shoulders banged against the mirror behind her. Her shallow breathing shuddered through her lungs. A firestorm began to gain momentum. She instinctively tried to clench her legs together, but he held her splayed her apart. For several minutes he showed her no mercy while he tongued and sucked. Wave upon wave of delicious heat threatened to burn her alive. “Michael!” Her fingers writhed in his hair. She felt herself splintering, flying apart.
While she was still in the throes of the climax, he stood up and pulled her ankles up over his shirt-clad shoulders. His pulsing erection jutted out of his black pants. He lifted her buttocks in his palms, positioned himself, and penetrated her again.
Michael thrust hard and fast and long, panting with exertion. Avidly, he watched her face as he deliberately drove her up again, and this time, she screamed when she came. Spontaneously, he lost control. Michael grimaced. His eyes rolled back in his head. The pressure in his cock exploded, and he shook uncontrollably. It was exquisite, feeling her squeezing his shaft, feeling her shudder to completion in his locked arms. When she collapsed, limp and spent, he slumped with her, still cradling her silky-soft ass in his hands, still buried in her. His head rested beside hers against the mirror. His ragged breaths fogged the glass. Suddenly, he didn’t give a damn about going out. All he wanted was to be with her. “Come to bed and love me, Winter,” he whispered. “Please.”
She turned her head enough to brush her lips softly against his hot cheekbone. “I will,” she breathed.
* * * *
They made love all night. Winter fell asleep safely wrapped in Michael’s arms. When they wakened in the morning and had showered and breakfasted, he said that he wanted to drive into town to do some shopping. He cocked a brow at her. “Come with me?”
Winter nodded. “All right, Michael.” Truthfully, she didn’t mind spending a little more time with him. All too soon, it would come to an end. She smiled. It was as good a way as any to spend a Saturday morning, and she had time before going to the hospital. At the thought of what was going to happen, she had to fight down her elation. That same afternoon, she was going to be taking her daughter home.
She had assumed that Michael wanted to go to the mall, but he surprised her. He drove downtown instead and parked in front of a discrete jewelry shop. Michael came round the front of the Porsche 911 to open the passenger door and extend a hand to help her out. She glanced at him quickly, but she didn’t dare ask him what they were doing at a jewelry store. She felt an inkling of apprehension.
The understated store front only hinted at what was inside. A bell above the door tinkled as they entered the shop. She saw at once that it was a high-end establishment. Crystal chandeliers, dark wainscoting and plush carpets were the perfect elegant foil for the gleaming showcases.
A well-dressed clerk approached. “May I be of assistance?” he asked quietly.
Her inner agitation increased. Michael can’t be thinking of a ring.
“Yes, we’d like to look at your necklaces.”
Winter went almost limp with relief, but at the same time, a sharp disappointment cut through her. She was astonished at her incomprehensible reaction.
The clerk inclined his head. “This way.” He ushered them forward with a polite gesture, leading them farther into the interior of the exclusive shop. As the clerk slid behind a locked showcase, Michael stopped to look down at its contents. Within a very few minutes, he had pointed out a selection, which the attentive clerk carefully drew out of the case for inspection.
Michael looked at her with a smile curving his lips. “What do you think, Winter?”
She stared at the fabulous piece that the clerk was holding across his open palms. She was dazzled by it. Shaped like a sickle moon, it was a wide hammered silver band, set with diamonds, edged with gold, and hung from a thick silver chain. It was utterly beautiful. There was, of course, no price tag in evidence. She knew that the piece must be exorbitantly expensive. She puckered her brows in bewilderment. And Michael wanted to spend that kind of money on her! What was he thinking? It was crazy!
“Don’t you like it?”
Winter looked up at him quickly. His expression had faded into a faint frown. He looked as though he was displeased by her lack of response. She hurried to reassure him. “Michael, it’s beautiful, truly beautiful! It’s probably the most beautiful piece I’ve ever seen.”
There was a gleam in his eyes, and a smile slanted over his face. “I hear a ‘but’ in there.”
She shook her head, helplessly. “It-it’s too much. I wouldn’t be comfortable.” As she looked down again at the necklace, Winter suppressed her natural desire and reminded herself how many of the bills the cost of it might cover. It was criminal to think of wearing something like that when she was in such dire need. The price of such a beautiful piece might even stretch to cover the salary of a home nurse for Chloe, she thought wistfully. If she had in cash only a part of what Michael was willing to spend for the necklace…
A wild notion sprang into her mind. She swallowed. If she dared ask, would he go for it? There was only one way to find out. “Michael, would you mind terribly giving me an American Express Gift Card instead?” There, she had done it. She willed herself to hold his astonished gaze. Her pulse beat heavy in her throat while she held her breath.
He regarded her for a long, agonizing moment. There was an unreadable expression in his ice-blue eyes. “Is that really what you would prefer?”
“I think so, yes.” She tried to keep her tone casual, but she couldn’t help nervously fingering the strap of her purse.
His cool gaze never leaving her face, Michael nodded slowly. “All right, Winter. But I’d still like to get you something here. Why don’t you look around, and show me what you like?”
Winter felt the heat of guilt rise to her face. Quickly, she turned her head to hide her expression form his too-penetrating gaze. Her heartbeat was still too fast. While she attempted to get hold of herself, she made a pretense of looking at the contents of all of the showcases. As her nerves steadied, she was able to make a suggestion. “A bracelet would be nice, I think.”
“All right.”
She was grateful that he hadn’t questioned her decision. After some debate with him on the rival merits of several pieces, she settled on a pretty, wide, solid-gold bangle. It wasn’t a particularly showy piece, but it was something that she could pair with her suits or her jeans. She tried it on, admiring it. “It’s lovely, Michael. Thank you.”
He smiled at her, a wicke
d gleam entering his eyes. “It will be my pleasure,” he said in a low intimate voice.
She knew exactly what he was referring to, and it wasn’t the bracelet. Warmth tinged her cheeks. She turned her head, afraid that she would give away her thoughts in front of the clerk.
Michael slipped out a credit card. She almost choked when she heard what the bracelet cost, but he didn’t bat an eye. She couldn’t begin to guess at what the necklace was priced. She wondered, not for the first time, how much he was really worth financially. He had given her a cell phone, bought her clothes and lingerie and small pieces of jewelry, leased a Lexus for her, and now he had plunked down for an expensive piece of jewelry. There was also the small matter of the monthly salary that he was depositing into her bank account. Michael had told her that he was in IT. She had always heard that it was a lucrative field, but he must really hold an influential position in some company. Either that or he was a drug lord, she thought dryly.
Before they left the jewelry shop, Michael insisted that he wanted an inscription cut inside the wide bracelet. He did not tell her what he wanted inscribed but wrote it out for the clerk who assured them that it would take only a few moments for the jeweler to do the inscription if they would like to wait. Michael agreed, and the clerk carried the bracelet to the back of the shop.
Michael turned to her and asked what her plans were for the remainder of the weekend. Winter tensed slightly. “I have some family matters to take care of.” She hoped that he would not inquire too closely for details or ask her to change her plans to accommodate him. She couldn’t do that, not with Chloe coming home.
However, Michael only made a casual comment. “I have some paperwork having to do with my trip that I need to wrap up. I was just hoping that we could catch a bite to eat later.”
“I’m sorry, Michael—” she began.
“It’s not a problem.” He shrugged casually. “I’m not sure what my schedule will be like this coming week. I’ll have things to catch up at the office. I’ll call you when I know better.”
Winter interpreted his explanation to mean that it was unlikely he would want to see her over the next few days. She was relieved. It would give her time to settle Chloe in and to make the transition from her office to her home office. “I understand. My own schedule is going to be busy.” That was an understatement if ever there was one, she thought.
The clerk returned with the newly inscribed bracelet. Michael would not let her read it. He took the shimmering gold band from her and slipped it onto her wrist, closing the clasp securely. Before letting go of her hands, he pressed a light kiss into her open palm. Her fingers curled involuntarily, and a sizzle zinged up her arm.
She looked up at him quickly. A surprisingly tender expression warmed his eyes. The corner of his mouth quirked up in the way that was uniquely his own. “Something to remind you of me.”
“You aren’t easy to forget,” she murmured with perfect truth. Michael grinned, looking absurdly pleased. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they left the jewelry shop. He drove back to the house. He waited only until she was in the Lexus before he walked inside.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, Winter unclasped the bracelet and slipped it off. She turned the gold band until the sunlight struck the tiny inscription. She saw two interlocking hearts, the centers crossed by the words, “Just for now.”
She laughed and shook her head. How very typical of Michael’s sardonic humor. He was reminding her how ephemeral their relationship was. At least the bracelet was pretty, she thought.
Winter slipped the gold bangle back onto her wrist and closed the clasp. She started the Lexus. It was almost time to pick up her daughter.
Chapter Seventeen
When it was time to check Chloe out of the hospital and Vicky met Cathy there, she was grateful for her friend’s support. Cathy’s mind was zinging this way and that, what with the paperwork that she had to sign and packing up Chloe’s belongings and talking to her excited daughter. Vicky helped to gather up everything into a soft-sided bag. Then she waited with the orderly and Chloe, who was seated in the mandatory wheelchair, while Cathy went to bring around the Lexus. Vicky put Chloe’s bag into the Lexus, while Cathy made certain that her daughter was securely buckled into the new car seat. There was a lot of cheerful talk and laughter between them all that warmed Cathy’s heart. Vicky had been around all of Chloe’s life, and there was a genuine affection between them. It just seemed right that Vicky should be included on the big day of Chloe’s homecoming. Vicky offered to follow them home, and Cathy agreed.
Vicky unlocked the door of the apartment with Cathy’s key and stood aside to let Cathy carry Chloe inside. “I’ll go get Chloe’s things and lock the Lexus.”
“Thanks, Vicky.” Stuffed toys dangled from her daughter’s hands, and she felt the toys bounce on her back as she carried Chloe to the tiny bedroom. Carefully, she deposited Chloe onto the bed and set about propping the pillows up behind her. “How’s that, baby?”
“It’s good.” Chloe snuggled against the pillows. She settled the stuffed bear and kitten beside her.
Vicky brought in the soft-sided bag and placed it inside the bedroom door. She came over to the bed and bent to kiss the top of Chloe’s head. When she straightened, she said, “I’m going to take off now and let you two be alone. Bye, Chloe.”
“Bye, Aunt Vicky.”
“I’ll be right back, Chloe.” Cathy followed her friend out of the bedroom and walked with her toward the front door. “Thanks so much, Vicky. It really helped to have you there. I could hardly think straight.”
Vicky hugged her. “I wouldn’t have missed it. I am just so happy that Chloe could come home. I’m going to miss seeing you at work, though. Call me, okay?”
Cathy nodded. “I will.”
Vicky gestured in the direction of Chloe’s bedroom. “Will you be all right? I mean, if there is anything else I can do, pick up some groceries or maybe babysit if you and Michael want to go out to dinner sometime…”
“Thanks, Vicky. I might take you up on that.” After Vicky had left, Cathy locked the front door and returned to her daughter. She picked up the bag, set it down on the end of the bed and unzipped it. “I’m going to put all of your hats on these shelves.” Cathy began to artfully arrange the head coverings on two shelves that she had hung low enough on a wall that Chloe could easily reach them for herself.
Chloe lay on the bed, propped up by the pillows behind her, and watched her mother. She grinned, the gap in her teeth showing. “That looks cool!”
Cathy smiled back at her over her shoulder. “I think so, too.”
Chloe looked around. “I miss our old house.”
Cathy looked swiftly at her daughter. “So do I, baby.” It was the first time that Chloe had ever referred to the reversal in their fortunes. It hurt that she couldn’t do better for her daughter. Something must have shown in her expression.
Chloe said hurriedly, “This is a nice place, too.” She played with the stuffed bear’s arms, clapping the paws together. “You made my room look pretty, Mommy.”
Cathy smiled, replying softly, “It looks even prettier now that you’re in it.” She was rewarded with another of Chloe’s wide grins and a giggle. Cathy picked up a couple more hats to place them on the shelf.
“Mommy, do you have a boyfriend?”
“What?” Cathy turned completely around, a skull cap dangling from her fingers.
Her daughter’s innocent brown eyes held a serious expression. “I heard Aunt Vicky.”
Cathy carefully placed the skull cap on the shelf, giving herself a moment to gather herself. She couldn’t possibly explain her relationship to her daughter. Not only wouldn’t Chloe understand, but she never wanted her to know. She finally turned and went over to sit on the bed, folding her legs under her. She looked down into her daughter’s solemn face. “I’ve been seeing someone. Is that okay?”
Chloe shrugged. “It’s okay. Some of the other kids’ parents are
divorced. A lot of them have a boyfriend or girlfriend.”
She anxiously searched her daughter’s face for any sign of upset. “You really don’t mind?”
“I think it’s good you got a boyfriend,” Chloe said solemnly. “Now you won’t be lonely anymore.”
Cathy gave a small, choked laugh. She leaned forward to hug her daughter tightly. “How can I be lonely when I’ve got you?”
“But I’m not here all the time,” Chloe pointed out with irrefutable logic.
Cathy laughed, giving her daughter another squeeze before she straightened. “Well, you’re here now.”
“You can still have a boyfriend. Aunt Vicky can babysit me. I don’t care. It’d be okay.”
“Oh, Chloe.” Cathy shook her head helplessly. Her daughter’s generosity of heart and her oddly adult attitude was doing a number on her own heartstrings.
Chloe bounced a little, grinning widely. “I think it’s cool you have a boyfriend, just like everyone else! You can even marry him! Then I’d have a new daddy.” She seemed pleased with her pronouncement.
Cathy almost flinched. If only it was true. If only she was like everyone else. But she wasn’t. It wouldn’t do to let Chloe see her distress. She forced a smile. “Okay, that’s enough plotting, young lady. It’s about time that you went to sleep. You’ve had an exciting day and need to rest.”
The little girl obediently allowed herself to be put under the covers. She reached out to tug on the wide gold bracelet that circled her mother’s wrist. Cathy was startled. She had forgotten it was there. “Did your boyfriend give it to you?”
Cathy bit her lip. “Yes, yes, he did.”
Chloe twirled the bangle, watching it gleam in the light. “It’s pretty. He must be nice. What’s his name? I didn’t hear Aunt Vicky real good.”
Roberts, Sarah - His Sugar Baby (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 17
