Boycotts and Barflies (47 page)

Grace replied seconds before his lips found hers in the frigid, now January, air.  As they kissed, Grace heard a loud booming noise near them. Her h ead snapped around to see Portland’s annual New Year’s fireworks exploding directly overhead. As the sky lit up all around them, Grace was simply overcome with love for the man holding her in his arms. “You’re amazing.” They spent the next fifteen minutes  watching the fireworks explode overhead, the colors swirling to the ground around them. Even in the freezing temperatures, Grace felt warm and protected in Michael’s strong arms, and she knew that she always would. As the finale began exploding above them, Grace and Michael dipped back into the car, sealing the sunroof shut once more. He

gave a quick tap on the divider and told George to take them to their next  destination, giving Grace no clue as to where they were going. When he didn’t  help her out of her coat this time, though, she assumed the destination was  somewhere nearby.

Michael pulled Grace into his lap, needing to hold her. His hands rubbed up and  down her back vigorously, trying to warm her from the chill in the air.

Grace pressed her cheek to his chest and let out a contented sigh as her fingers  twirled around the buttons on his jacket. His warm lips pressed against her  forehead and whispered, “Just a few more minutes, sweetheart.”

365

A comfortable silence fell over them as they rode through town in the limo.  Michael held her snugly to his chest, the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders, assuring that she was warm enough. They held hands, their fingers tightly interlocked, and occasionally, Michael would pull Grace’s hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss across her knuckles or on the center of her palm.

When the car came to a stop, George lowered the divider for the last time. Michael climbed out of the car, asking Grace to wait inside until he settled things  with George, insisting he didn’t want her to get cold standing outside in the frigid air.

Grace took the brief separation to check her makeup in the small compact Meg shoved into her purse at the last second. She was happy to see most of her makeup was safely in place, except for her lipstick, which Michael’s incredible kisses had easily removed. Grace pulled out a tube of lip gloss and had just finished lightly brushing it against her lips when the door opened and

Michael’s hand reached into the car.

“Ready?” he asked as his head dipped down into the car, his smile making  Grace’s pulse quicken.

“Absolutely,” she said as she grabbed his hand and slid her way across the leather and into his awaiting arms.

George was standing at the door, smiling. He handed Michael Grace’s overnight bag as he passed. “Thank you, George,” she said and gave him a quick hug, her giddiness getting the better of her. “Happy New Year!” Grace waved to the driver as Michael led her up the snowy steps to his apartment.

“Happy New Year to you too, Miss Grace. Enjoy your evening.” George slammed the door shut, headed to the front of the car, and climbed back into the driver’s seat. She heard the engine of the limo start up as Michael opened the door and ushered her inside.

His apartment was dark when they came through the door, but Grace could immediately smell something delicious, the scent of tomatoes and garlic wafting through the air. There was music softly playing in the background as they moved down the hallway. Michael turned on the  light and took Grace’s coat, hanging it in the closet before taking her hand and leading her into the dimly lit kitchen. He carried her bag in and set it on a nearby chair.

“Now what did you do?” Grace asked in astonishment while she watched him peek into  the oven and check on whatever was cooking inside. In the other room, she noticed that the table was beautifully set, with two plates, wine 366

glasses, linen napkins, and a huge bouquet of flowers in the center with two

candlesticks, one on either side of the flowers. A bottle of wine was chilling in  an ice -filled bucket on the corner of the table.

“I thought you might be hungry, so I made you dinner.” He laughed as he saw  her stunned face still staring at the beautiful table in the other room.

“It’s almost ready, but in the meantime, come here. I have something I want to  give you.” He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist,  leading her toward the couch.

As they passed the table, Grace paused to get a closer look at the flowers, and  then froze. “Those flowers …” She gasped. “Those are the same flowers you  sent me that day, after the gym.” Grace went over to the table and ran her  fingers over the soft, satiny petals.

“The day when I first started falling in love with you,” he whispered as he  pulled her into a warm embrace, kissing the top of her head before leading her  to the couch. When Grace sat down, he took a small rectangular box off of the  end table and set it on her knee. “This is for you.”

She stared at the tiny white bow on the box for a minute before slowly  unwrapping the paper, wondering what could possibly be inside. She paused  before she removed the lid. “Michael, you didn’t have to get me anythi ng.” “Actually, someone gave this to me a long time ago, and I only bought one tiny  thing for it. So please, just open the box.” No woman could resist his pleading  eyes and dimples, least of all Grace. “Open it,” he urged one final time before  she obeyed.

Her trembling hand clutched the lid, working it back and forth as she lifted it  up. A flash of silver immediately caught Grace’s eye as the dim light hit the  chain. Inside was an exquisite charm bracelet, with five charms already  hanging from the sturdy chain that Michael was wrapping around her wrist.

“My mom started this the day I was born. The sun charm is for my birthday  being in summer, the M is obviously for my name. Those two charms were on  there since the day I was born.” He rotated her wrist to show the tiny black  music note charm hanging from the side of her wrist. “This one she added  when I was sixteen. And this one, she added very recently.” Right next to the  music note was a tiny silver book charm, for Grace’s degree in literature. “And  this one … I added.” Beside the aged “M” was a shiny new silver “G.”

Grace was speechless. With tears threatening to spill out of her eyes at any  second, she looked up to his face to find nothing but pure love looking back at  367

her. Her eyes drawn to the bracelet, Grace began playing with the tiny charms,  still unable to believe that Michael had given her something so precious.

“My grandmother started a bracelet just like this one for my dad when he was  born. She gave it to him on  his eighteenth birthday and asked him to someday  give it to the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. My mother

has worn his bracelet every day for the last thirty years. When I was getting  ready to leave her house, I asked her for my bracelet because I wanted to give  it to you.” He gingerly took her hand and watched the charms reflect the light  as he put it to his chest and smiled. “Of course, imagine my surprise to find out  not only had she already slipped it into my suitcase, but she had also attached a  new charm to it. I hope that you’ll accept it and wear it, always.”

Trying to keep her overwhelming emotions under control, Grace began  stammering and failing miserably. “I don’t know what to say. You’re such an  amazing man and this means so  much to me, I can’t even begin to put it into  words. All I can say is … I truly love you, with every fiber of my being.

I love you, Michael. Forever.” Grace leaned over and pressed her forehead to  his. “Thank you.” As she tenderly raised her hand to the side of his face, the  charms of the bracelet tinkled together, making his smile grow even wider. “That sound reminds me of home. You are my home now, Grace.” As they  kissed, Grace couldn’t contain her tears anymore. They glided down her cheeks  and Michael sweetly kissed each of them away. “I love you,” he whispered as he  wiped the final tear from her face.

From the kitchen, a timer started beeping. “Sounds like dinner’s ready!”

Grace laughed at the distraction, using the time to try and pull herself together. Taking one last glance down at her wrist, she followed Michael into the kitchen  and suspiciously asked, “So, did you really make this or is it something Liz  made and put it in the freezer the last time she was in town?”

Her skepticism only made Michael laugh. “I made it, thank you very much, with my own two hands this afternoon. Just wait until you taste it, you’ll see.  Breakfast isn’t the only thing I can cook.” He laughed as he slid the hot tray from the oven and placed it on the counter top to cool for  a few minutes. “Can you open the wine?” he asked, holding out a corkscrew. “And maybe light the candles?”

“No problem.” Soon the candles began to glow brilliantly, accentuating the  delicate colors in the flower arrangement. In no time at all, Grace had opened  the wine and poured each of them a glass of Merlot. She took a generous sip,  368

hoping to calm the final few butterflies she had. The dry red wine slid smoothly  down her throat, warming a trail deep into her chest. “This is really good,”

she said as she joined Michael in the kitchen and handed him his glass. He

dried his hands on a towel next to the sink and smiled in thanks. “You have

good taste in wine.”

“And other things …” He smirked as he too took a sip of the wine, his eyes fixed  on Grace’s lips. “Would you like to taste the lasagna?” He rummaged through a  nearby drawer for a fork, and then carefully dug into the bubbling tray of  pasta, pulling a small bite onto the fork. He gently blew on it before offering it  to her. “Please?”

Grace leaned over and slowly wrapped her mouth around the fork, watching  Michael’s eyes twitch when she peeked up seductively at him through her thick eyelashes. She pulled her lips off of the fork and smiled at the effect she had on him. Like a statue, Michael’s hands remained frozen in mid air as his eyes lingered on hers for a second before he cleared his head.

“So, how is it?” he asked smugly, already knowing it was perfection.

Delicious would have been an understatement. It was the best lasagna she had ever tasted. He really was an excellent cook; Grace couldn’t even pretend he wasn’t. It was yet another reason to love the wonderful man standing in front of her. She let a small moan escape her lips as she enjoyed the flavors on her

taste buds. The next thing she knew, there was a loud clink as the fork Michael

had been holding fell sharply onto the counter top.

“Do you like that?” he purred, his voice thick with lust. His darkened eyes

darted from her full lips to her eyes repeatedly. She swallowed the lasagna in

one gulp and took another huge sip of wine as a bit of a distraction. The intense

desire in his eyes sent shivers down her spine.

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“It’s delicious,” Grace mumbled into her wine glass, taking another sip before  Michael stole the stemware from her now-trembling hand and set it down on

the counter.

“Would you like to sit down and eat?” As he posed the innocent question,

Michael took a step closer and wrapped his hand around the back of her neck,

tangling his fingers deep in the hair at the nape of Grace’s neck and bringing

her face within inches of his.

No, dinner can wait. I don’t even need to eat again. Food? What’s that?

At that moment, Grace knew exactly what she wanted. “There is something I would really like to do, but it doesn’t really involve food, at least not right 369

now.” Grace stifled a laugh when she saw his eyes light up, the excitement  plainly written all over his sexy face. “Would you mind terribly if we put dinner  on hold for now?” Not able to keep her hands to herself, Grace started kissing  his chest  and neck allowing her body to seek out his.

Michael’s breathing became more ragged as her trail of kisses crept higher up  his neck. He pulled back just long enough to look over his shoulder and make  sure both the oven and stove were off so the apartment wo uldn’t burn to the  ground. “Screw dinner,” he said as a devilish smile broke across his face.

He turned off the kitchen lights leaving the soft glow of candlelight as the only  source of illumination in the apartment. Michael kissed Grace with increased  vigor in the darkness as her body responded and started to tingle with  excitement. As they stumbled out of the kitchen, their lips still locked together  in a passionate kiss, Grace heard it: Meg’s ring tone.

“Meg …” Grace muttered against Michael’s lips as the music continued to play. “Meg who?” Michael replied as he tugged at the zipper on the back of her dress,  but the damn song kept playing. “We don’t know anyone named Meg. Not right  now.”

“I have to get it or she’ll come barreling through the door next, and that would  be far worse.” Growling, Grace snatched her purse off the counter and flipped  open the phone inside. Michael came up behind her and wrapped his arms  around her stomach, his lips continuing their exploration of her shoulders.

“Do you have a death wish?” Grace snarled into the phone rather than saying  hello, but her anger was immediately diffused when Michael leaned in and  began sucking on the side of her neck. “Wha- what do you want?” She was  paying very little attention to the phone anymore; all of Grace’s focus was on  Michael’s lips feathering up her neck.

“Well, you’ve been on your date for an hour so Bianca and I were making the  customary call to see if you needed to be rescued? How’s it going?” Meg giggled  over the phone.

Bianca was laughing in the background, and had Grace’s brain been functioning  properly, she would have started screaming at them.

Instead, she continued stammering as Michael’s tongue swirled over her skin  “Amazing … good … No rescue needed … but thanks for … oh my God … asking.”  Grace gasped and nearly dropped the phone when Michael’s 370

hands slid from her stomach down the front of her thighs and began hiking up

the hem of her dress.

“What’s going on?” Bianca asked when she heard the breathy response.

“Um, nothing. Well, that’s not true. He’s … wow … his hands are … and he’s

kissing my neck. Now, he’s doing that thing with his tongue … the thing Jack

did, Bianca …” Grace was trying to concentrate on the conversation, but

Michael was doing everything in his power to take her mind to other places.

He laughed when she became more flustered, barely even able to hold the

phone.

“Ew! We don’t need the play-by- play, Grace,” Bianca whined.

In the background, Jack was laughing. “Yes, we do.”

“Hey, you called me. Oh, man …” Grace moaned again as she felt Michael’s hips

grind against hers, his arousal obvious.

“Are you sure you don’t need any rescuing, Grace?” Meg teased. “Because we’d

be happy to come over there and get you.”

“No … Just stop. No, no, not you, Michael. Meg … Oh, forget it. You talk to her. I

can’t think straight when you do that.” Grace shoved the phone at Michael’s

head as her body collapsed into his.

“Ladies, I promise to make sure she, uh, enjoys herself … all night, to the best of

my abilities.” Giggles poured out of the receiver. “She will be well taken care of.

And just so you know, I’m keeping her for a few days, so I don’t want you to

worry and don’t expect her home anytime soon.” He nuzzled his cheek to hers

so Grace could hear their reaction.

“But, Michael,” Meg started so seriously, “she didn’t pack enough clothes.

I can run a few things over in the morning.”

“I have a feeling she’ll be rather busy in the morning. And actually, Meg, what

I’m planning to do with her for the next  few days really doesn’t require any

clothing, so she’ll be fine. Say bye, Grace.” He held the phone out and Grace

heard Meg and Bianca squealing on the other end.

“Bye, Grace.” She laughed, running her hands down Michael’s chest.

“Good night, ladies,” Michael said sweetly as he turned off the phone and  shoved it deep into a nearby drawer. “Now, where were we?”

Holding his intense gaze, Grace held his hand and led him to the table where he  blew out the candles, complete darkness suddenly surrounding them. A hint of  light from outside streamed into the room through the front 371

windows, allowing the two of them to safely navigate their way down the hall

toward his bedroom.

After a few steps, Michael gave her arm a quick tug, stopping Grace in her tracks and bringing her body to his. When she looked up at him, she felt his lips crush into hers, instantly taking her breath away. Grace felt the smooth coolness of the wall against her back as he pressed himself further into her. Content to be trapped in his arms, Grace smiled against his lips.

Michael wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted Grace off the floor.

With his other hand locked around the back of her neck, he carried her down the hall, his heated kisses making Grace’s head spin. His hand slid from her hair just long enough to push open his bedroom door, then returned to gently stroke her silky curls as they swayed across her back. He kicked the door shut and gently lowered her feet to the floor.

Once inside his room, their bodies brushed together in the dark as Grace nimbly unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and ran her hands over his chest. As the fabric hung open, the moonlight poured in through the window and created subtle shadows that danced across his skin.

Grace’s body ached for him, to feel the warmth of his body surround hers.

She pressed her lips to the center of his chest and tasted the sweetness of his skin on her tongue as she savored the strength and power of his body. Her hands found  their way to his back and lightly stroked the well defined muscles, feeling each ridge and dip of his body. Grace giggled against his skin when she felt him twitch from the contact, a low moan escaping him at her soft caress.

In a powerful rush of emotion, Grace gave his shirt a tug and slid it off his shoulders allowing it to fall onto the floor. Her eyes lingered on his bare chest, taking in the perfect shape of his broad shoulders, and the sexy way his pants hung low on his waist, accentuating the V-shaped muscles of his lower abdomen that dipped down below his belt. When her eyes finally flickered back up to his face, she saw the same desire and hunger she was feeling reflected back in his eyes.

“You are so beautiful.” He sighed as he stood in front of her, his hand slowly  sliding up her back. Eventually his fingers reached for the zipper of her dress.  At a snail’s pace Michael lowered the zipper down her back, which only served  to prolong the ecstasy of him undressing her, until Grace didn’t think she could  stand it another second.

With the back of the dress hanging wide open, Grace realized that all that kept it from falling were the two thin straps of fabric over her shoulders, 372

both of which were dangerously close to falling down. Michael’s fingers lightly  ran up and down the bare skin of her partially exposed back. His touch was so  gentle and smooth, barely a whisper across her skin as he took his time,  investigating every supple curve of her body.

By the time his hands crept up over her shoulders, Grace was trembling with  anticipation. He slipped a single finger under the straps on either side of her  dress and gave them a gentle tug, allowing the dress to spill downward and  pool at her feet. She felt a rush of cool  air on her legs as the fabric rushed to the  floor.

“Exquisite,” he whispered as he looked down and admired Grace’s body.

He gently ran his fingers down the lace of her bra straps, his fingers lightly  brushing over the swells of her chest as she moved closer, suddenly  overwhelmed by the need to feel his skin on her. “Grace, you’re so beautiful. I  love you.”

Her feet left the floor again as Michael scooped her up into his arms in one fluid  movement. The wicked grin on his face sent Grace’s heart into overdrive.

She lay comfortably in his arms, wearing nothing more than her black lace  panties and bra, plus her new shoes still dangling from her feet. As he closed  the distance to the bed, their eyes locked, the deep love and passion they felt  for one another flowing freely between them.

Being with Michael felt so right, so comfortable to Grace. Even in a moment as  intimate as the one being shared between them now, she felt like they had

been together for years. The familiarity Grace felt around him was staggering. She knew him in ways she didn’t know another soul on Earth, and she could

tell it was the same for him.

He was able to make her feel things she never thought possible, and for the first time, Grace felt truly alive. From the top of her head to the tip of  her toes, every part of her wanted him, needed him, and she knew she was exactly where she belonged. Michael was her home.

A fluffy pillow slipped under her head as Michael eased her down onto his bed.  He leaned over her quivering body and whispered words  of love and adoration in her ear as his hands moved skillfully across her torso igniting a fire in their wake. Grace’s stomach twitched as his lips tickled against the sensitive skin below her belly button, her fingers snaked deeply into the hair at the ba ck of his head. She found herself writhing at his every touch, unable to hold still, constantly wanting and needing to feel closer to him.

Michael showered her body with kisses, trailing down her arms, her legs, over her stomach and across her breasts as he memorized every inch of Grace’s 373

body. The smooth, warm feel of his lips made her wild with desire. He sat up  and took her foot in his hand. With his teeth, Michael tugged on the delicate tie  holding her shoe in place.  The silver bow quickly came undone, the shoe  dangling off the tips of her toes. He cupped the shoe in his hands, and with a  thud, Grace heard it fall onto the floor next to the bed. The other one left her  body in much the same fashion; however, this time,  when she heard the thud,  she sat up, crawled toward Michael, and sat at the foot of the bed, facing him. She wrapped her legs loosely around his calves as she started unbuckling his  belt, wanting to see more of his perfect body. Grace slid the long leather belt  from the loops on his pants and let it fall to the floor into the ever growing pile  of clothes beside the bed.

When her fingers went for the button of his pants, a low growl escaped his chest, which only turned Grace on more, making her work faster. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as her breathing went off the charts, the passion completely overtaking her body, every cell craving Michael’s touch. A hiss escaped his lips as she lowered his zipper, grazing over his obvious arousal. He pushed her back onto the bed, and as he inched his way up her body,  Michael worked himself free from his pants, revealing his long muscular legs. His rock hard body pressed deeply into her, letting his presence be felt by every inch of Grace’s skin. His hands found their way to her chest, slipping between her full breasts. With a gentle tug, she felt her bra clasp open and she gasped as Michael’s masterful hands began to work the scrap of fabric off her body, his mouth eagerly kissing the newly exposed flesh.

Their bodies drew together as they shed the remainder of their clothes and they found themselves naked and entwined in one another’s arms. His skin was warm and smooth as it slid across her, causing her body to respond to the slightest touch. Grace’s back arched as her lips covered his, tasting him again,

unable to get enough of his kisses, each one sending her further over the edge

than the kiss before.

“Michael,” she murmured as he hovered over her, his lips turned up into a

smile at the husky sound of her voice. “Make love to me.” Grace all but begged,

not even trying to hide the need in her voice. “Please …”

Without hesitating, Michael’s eyes darkened, and he answered her request.

She felt a wonderful pressure as he entered her, filling her completely. Their