The Thrill of You

by Celeste O. Norfleet

  “I assure you I can control my feelings. Can you?”

  “Of course I can,” she blurted out too quickly.

  “Good, then there’s no reason why this can’t work my way.”

  “I want the best viable specimen. A sterile lab can do that.”

  “I assure you I can provide that and more.”

  “I want verifiable assurance of insemination.”

  He nodded. “I completely agree. For that I suggest we do it as often and as many times to thoroughly get the job done.”

  She immediately stiffened her upper lip and glared at him. “This isn’t about your sexual pleasure, Mikhail. It’s about making a baby, my baby. I have no intention of being another notch on your headboard or your latest sexual conquest.”

  He smiled and nodded. “Obviously your detective has been busy again, and, for the record, I will not be the only one experiencing pleasure.”

  She chose to ignore his last remark. “I’ve heard about your trail of broken hearts.”

  “And yet you still asked me. Interesting.”

  She looked away. This was getting complicated, and she didn’t want complications. She wanted a baby—Mikhail’s baby. “Is that your only condition?”

  “No.”

  She tapped her foot impatiently. “What?”

  “Our child will have two parents.”

  “No, no, no, absolutely not,” she instantly balked.

  “Sorry, that’s a deal breaker,” he said and headed to the gazebo.

  Good gracious, the man had the most perfect rear end she’d ever seen—tight, firm, touchable. She shook her head to refocus. She followed him to the breakfast table set up in the covered gazebo. He removed a few food covers, and her stomach growled. He picked up a tray of luscious fruit and offered it to her. She shook her head on principle. “You realize, of course, you’re not the only man on this planet. I don’t really need your sperm. I can just go to a bank and purchase what I need. As a matter of fact, I can just hit a local bar and get the same thing for free, no questions asked. I won’t even have to say my name.”

  “Ah, but you’ve already thought about that, haven’t you?” he said softly as he walked around behind her. She looked down but didn’t respond. “Cyanna.” He gently touched her arm as he placed the tray of fruit on the table in front of her. “I’m not doing this to be difficult. Believe me. I would be honored to have you as the mother of my child. But I can’t just walk away from the child. It’s not in my nature. I’m not that man.”

  “Yeah, a lot of men have said that.”

  “Would Derek have walked away?” he asked.

  She turned quickly. “No, never.” He was too close.

  Mikhail nodded. “I agree, he wouldn’t and nor will I. Those are my conditions.”

  “Actually, I already have another candidate in mind.”

  It was his time to squirm. A muscle in his jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed for a brief instant. “Remember, I am your first choice and those are my conditions. You conceive our child the natural way, then stay and deliver here in Key West.”

  “I can’t stay here for nine months. I have a career, a home and responsibilities.”

  He nodded his understanding. “Okay, you come back to me in seven months. But know that you are more than welcome to stay here with me as long as you like, whenever you like.”

  “I get full custody,” she said. “That’s my deal breaker.”

  “Full visitation rights, my deal breaker,” he countered.

  She nodded. “Is that it for your terms and conditions?”

  “No, I have three,” he said.

  “Okay, what’s the third condition?”

  “If you don’t accept the first two conditions, there’s no need for the third.”

  Cyanna wanted a baby, and she wanted Mikhail’s baby. So she chose to play along. She nodded slowly. “Okay, fine, I accept your terms, and I will be leaving after I conceive.”

  “Agreed,” he said as his jaw tightened again.

  “Agreed,” she repeated, then looked around awkwardly. “So—” she shrugged uneasily “—when would you like to begin our little endeavor and seal the deal, so to speak?”

  He smiled. “Why don’t you go get more comfortable?” She nodded. “Oh, and by the way, in case you haven’t noticed, clothing is optional around here.”

  “I noticed. Are you a nudist?” she asked, finding that interesting.

  “No, I just don’t like putting clothes on to get wet. Why don’t you change and join me? Or feel free to go without.” He began walking back toward the pool. “My bedroom’s at the top of the stairs. Your luggage should already be there. If you’d prefer another bedroom, that can be arranged, but it would most certainly defeat the purpose of your being here.”

  “Your bedroom will be fine.” She turned to walk away, then stopped. “Wait, what about the third condition?”

  “Later. Change. Join me.”

  Mikhail walked back over to the chaise. He picked up a towel and draped it on the headrest. He looked down the front of his body. He was getting hard just standing there talking to her. He shook it off. He needed to have more control, and he needed to slow this down. Thank God the pool wasn’t heated. He walked over to the edge and dived in. After three quick laps, he swam to the other side, climbed out and sat down.

  Breathless and soaking wet, Mikhail lay back on the chaise with one arm bent and his hand behind his head. The hot Key West sun beat down on him, already half drying his body. He wore dark sunglasses and a smile. He chuckled to himself and shook his head. He had no idea what he was doing. Making a baby was a very serious matter. But making a baby with Cyanna was going to be a true pleasure. Fatherhood—he liked the idea.

  Chapter 5

  “Do you have any idea what you’re doing? No, allow me to answer that question for you, no, nada, nil, not a clue,” Donna said, asking and answering her own question emphatically.

  “I’m making a baby,” Cyanna replied anyway.

  “You’re shacking up with this guy, whom you don’t know and whom you only met twice before, I might add, and you’re trying to have his love child. This is not you, Cyanna. I know you. You’re impatient, impetuous and impulsive, but you’re never reckless. This is reckless. This is definitely not you.”

  “Donna, calm down. You’re gonna give yourself a heart attack.”

  “Of course I am,” she screeched. “What else would you expect? I remember the last time this man breezed through your life. Honey, you were out of sorts for weeks.”

  “Of course I was out of sorts,” she shot back quickly. “I had just memorialized my brother. That wasn’t about Mikhail. He was just a physical release I needed at the time.”

  “Are you sure of that?”

  “Of course I am. Donna, listen to me—”

  “No, you listen to me. I did some research and read a few articles online about grief and the mourning process. This isn’t over for you. There are seven phases. And everything I read explicitly warned against making any major life-changing decisions. Did you hear that? No major life-changing decisions.”

  “Yes, I heard you the first time,” Cyanna said.

  “You, my dear, are hardheaded and stubborn, so it bore repeating. That means don’t decide to have a baby right now.”

  “Donna, you don’t understand. It’s not about mourning. It’s about me and what I need in my life right now.”

  “Look, I know you’re tired. You’ve been performing since you were eight years old. You’re exhausted. You’re depressed. You’re mourning the loss of Derek. But please, please, don’t do anything rash. Take some time. Relax on a beach, take a cruise to Bali or Mali, join a health club or better yet go meet the Dalai Lama or something.”

  “Are you done
?” Cyanna asked, looking out the side window and seeing Mikhail lying naked on the chaise. Her mouth watered.

  “No, I’m not. Who exactly is this man? What does he do? How well do you know him? And for heaven’s sake, I hope you haven’t promised him any money. That’s the last thing we need.”

  “His name is Mikhail Coles, and he runs a marina here in Key West. He was Derek’s friend, and he hasn’t asked for a penny.”

  “That’s because he’s waiting until you actually get pregnant. Oh, this has disaster written all over it. Please, please, don’t sign anything, particularly anything that looks legal. Oh, where, where did I go wrong with you? I failed. You used to be such a levelheaded woman,” Donna commiserated dramatically.

  Cyanna chuckled at her friend’s performance. “I still am.”

  “Just for the record, there’s nothing I can say or do to talk you out of this misery?” she said.

  “No, nothing,” Cyanna affirmed.

  “Okay, okay, you’re officially on leave. I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

  “Thank you,” Cyanna said. “Oh, and I need a favor. I didn’t expect to be here long, but it seems I will. So, I’m gonna need a few things sent down from my apartment. I’ll text you and let you know what to ship.”

  “Sure, no problem. Exactly how long is this going to take—a couple of weeks, a month, six months?”

  Cyanna looked down at Mikhail again. She bit her lower lip. He was lying on the chaise on the other side of the pool. His body was perfect—strong, powerful, hard and muscular in all the right places. She knew exploring it again would be a definite pleasure. “I’m thinking not long at all.”

  “All right, keep in touch and let me know where to send your things and the congratulations present.”

  “I will. Take care. Talk to you soon.”

  As Mikhail had told her, her luggage was in his bedroom, sitting on two luggage stands. She opened them and rummaged through. She knew she hadn’t brought a bathing suit with her. She’d had no intention of this trip being anything other than a quick business deal.

  She pulled out a colorful lace bra and panties set. It would have to do. The en suite bathroom was gorgeous, just like the bedroom and the rest of the house. She slipped her clothes off and quickly changed into her makeshift bathing suit. Looking at herself in the full-length mirror, she shook her head. It was obvious that she was wearing a bra and panties. She sighed heavily, then smiled slowly. If he could do it, she could do it. She unsnapped the bra and slipped out of the panties.

  She boldly walked back into the bedroom, tossed the underwear on top of her luggage and headed back downstairs. She had no qualms about her body. She’d worked hard daily to keep fit and toned. So if he thought he would shock her by going nude, right back at you, buddy.

  She retraced her steps and stood outside in the bright late-morning sun. Mikhail was lying on a chaise across the way, shielded behind his dark sunglasses. She walked over to the pool and dived in.

  * * *

  Mikhail heard a splash. When he removed his sunglasses, he saw Cyanna beneath the water. She was swimming toward him. He tossed his sunglasses somewhere behind him and dived in to meet her.

  She popped up a few yards away and began treading. She couldn’t help but notice him against the wall in front of her.

  He smiled. “I see you took my suggestion.”

  “Had to, I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

  “All the better for me. You are stunning.”

  “How can you tell, I’m underwater.”

  “Good point.” He immediately dived under and swam to her. Without touching he circled her twice, then went back to his original position. “Like I said, you’re stunning.”

  She laughed and splashed him playfully. It was instantly obvious that was a big mistake. The mischievous glint in his eye had her backing up slowly. They eyed each other. Each, like a gunfighter at noon, waiting for that one split second when the other would make a move. She turned and swam a few yards away and stopped to look back. He wasn’t at the wall or on the sides, and he wasn’t swimming around. She turned. He was right behind her.

  She looked down through the water and saw his gift, long and thick, standing straight out to her. She stopped treading and sank beneath the water to get a better look. She came up slowly and smiled. “Yes, you are stunning.”

  “Woman.” He shook his head, grinning. “You’re gonna be the death of me, and I’m gonna enjoy every second of it.”

  She moved closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Uh, maybe also I should tell you, um, I haven’t been physically intimate with a man in a while. Actually since you and I were...” She stopped when she saw Mikhail smiling as if he’d just won the lotto. “You can stop smiling,” she said. “It was my choice. It had nothing to do with you or us or—”

  “Cyanna, trust me, nothing much has changed.” He instantly circled her waist and drew her closer. They kissed as they sank beneath the surface. The kiss was long and hard, exchanging air for air, and it lasted until the need for more pushed them to the surface in an explosive force.

  Both breathless and needful, she swam to the side. He followed. She spread her arms wide and held on to the wall as he went down again and began kissing her all over. He was thorough, but every inch of her body craved more. He came up from the water and kissed her, slowly taking her breath away. He went down beneath the water again, this time he suckled her breasts. She watched until tiny air bubbles obscured her view. She felt him spreading her legs and she saw him there. Her body and legs trembled.

  She had no idea how he held his breath so long or if he could breathe underwater; all she knew was that he was taking her body over the edge each time he went down. She grabbed his arm and pulled him up. He kissed her neck tenderly, then her cheek and finally her lips. Their mouths opened and their tongues intertwined, ravishing all they could consume. She wrapped her legs around his waist and arched her hips. He angled himself and then thrust his hips, slowly entering her.

  She tensed, closed her eyes, moaned and sighed at the same time. She felt him go deeper and deeper. Her stomach quivered and she held her breath as he just kept delving deeper inside. Then he stopped. She opened her eyes. He was staring right at her. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She smiled and nodded. “Yes.”

  “Do you want more?”

  “You got more?” she challenged.

  He smiled, nodded and pushed a few more inches deeper. At long last their bodies were perfectly flush. She could feel every thick, long, luscious inch of him inside of her. She gripped the wall tighter. “You can let go if you’d like. I have you,” he said.

  “No, we’ll sink.”

  “Trust me, I have you. I always will.”

  She didn’t let go. She held tight to the wall as her hips began to gyrate against him. He began to move in a slow, easy, steady rhythm, in and out, alternating up and down. The water around them rippled and undulated as the motion of their bodies increased. Deeper, harder, stronger, he pushed and she met each thrust with her own force.

  She felt the deep swell of passion and rapture coming. There was no holding back; she was about to explode. Coming. Coming. Coming. She exploded. Her body tightened and trembled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held tight. He pressed her back against the wall and thrust into her again and again. She climaxed a second time. Water splashed recklessly around them. She opened her eyes. He was smiling at her.

  “You want more?”

  She considered saying no, but she just had to have him. “You got more?” she challenged him again.

  He gave her more, so much more. She screamed his name, her toes curled, her body quivering and her legs melting into the water. One last thrust and he exploded inside of her, giving her exactly what she’d been waiting for. He poured into her. She sighed
and held on tight. The wall behind her faded, the water around her dried up and the daylight disappeared. All she felt was her body connected to Mikhail and the baby she prayed would come.

  They were in the middle of the pool. Her legs and arms were wrapped around him and he was holding her up. His strong, steady movements beneath the surface kept them afloat.

  “I guess I have to learn to trust you.”

  “You will in time.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, “for doing this.”

  “No, thank you. Can you swim?”

  “Yes.”

  “Come on. Let’s get you something to eat. You’re gonna need your strength.”

  He swam a few strokes over to the wall and got out. He leaned down and extended his hand to her. He pulled her up like she was a doll. His thick, tight muscles were apparently more than just eye candy. He grabbed a towel and handed it to her. She dried her body and then wrapped the towel around her sarong-style, leaving her breasts exposed. He watched.

  “I see we’re gonna have to go shopping. I’m thinking silk, lots of silk.”

  She chuckled and shook her head. “You constantly surprise me. You are so not the man I expected.”

  “What did you expect?”

  “I don’t know really. The night at my apartment, I guess I thought I had imagined you differently.”

  “I don’t understand,” he said.

  “Neither do I. So what’s for breakfast?”

  He looked up at the sun. “It’s closer to one o’clock. Lunch is served.”

  “Wait, you can tell the time by looking up at the sun?”

  He smiled. “One of my many talents. I have many, each well worth trying out, I assure you.”

  She laughed. “Okay, what’s for lunch?”

  He walked over to the same table set up for breakfast and removed the silver domes like before. This time instead of the bacon, toast and hash browns she’d seen earlier, she saw seared salmon with lemons and wild rice. “Okay, who keeps doing all this?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked as he handed her a plate and guided her toward the trays of food.