LYNX WOKEup groggy and not at home. Her body ached and her throat was drier than sandpaper. Her palm caught along her leg, slightly fresh cuts of her own doing scratching her smooth skin.
Opening her eyes and looking up, she found Michael staring back at her. Quickly taking in her surroundings, she realized she was at the Wave.
His hand found her back. “Morning.”
She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath, unable to make sense of why she was waking up in the Wave, in Mike’s arms no less. Had he slept like that all night? Sitting up?
“This can’t be good,” she murmured.
“It’s better than good. You had a bad night, and you came to me. That’s what you should do.”
She shook her head and tried to squirm out of Mike’s grasp, but he held her tight. Not painfully so, just enough to hold her in place.
“Mike,” she said, the word coming out rough.
“Michael,” he said, correcting her.
“I need to go.”
He shook his head. “Let’s get you cleaned up, and after we get some breakfast in you, then you can roll.”
Lynx tried, but she couldn’t help her hand from moving to his cheek, and ran her knuckles over his scruff. “We can’t.”
His forehead met hers. “We can.”
“Why? I’m a mess.”
“I don’t care. Loved you since we first met and plan to love you forever, messy or not. Since the night on the balcony, Lynx.”
“Mike.”
“Michael.”
“Please ...”
“Not this time. I let you scam me for years. Working the streets, leaving the country. Now you’re back and no more scamming. I want you to do everything you want, be anything you want ...”Except sell your body. “But first I want to feed you.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder and sniffed back tears. His hand moved slowly up and down her back, and a chill ran up her spine when her sheer tank lifted, exposing her tattoo. She reached back to yank her top down, but felt Mike’s finger cresting the wave on her back.
“This is new,” he said softly, his words catching in his throat.
She nodded.
“Is it our waves? The ones we watched while you were tucked tight in my arms?”
Lynx nodded again, but she didn’t tell him about the hidden words. The moment was already too emotional.
Mike patted her back and urged her to sit up, then stood and reached out a hand. “Come on. Let’s get some food in you.”
Seated in Mike’s work SUV a few minutes later as they drove away from the club, Lynx asked, “Can I go home and change?” She pressed the button to lower the window, breathing deeply of the salty air that rushed inside the vehicle.
“You’d have to tell me where that is.”
“You mean you don’t know?” she asked, her voice raspy from the night before.
Mike glanced at her. “I could’ve, but I didn’t ask. I let it be for you.”
She nodded. “The Ocean Towers. Asher set it up. Of course.”
