LYNX WASfired up as she left the party. There was something electric about seeing all of Mike’s hard work come together—it did something to her insides. She was all turned out.
“Good night, you lovebirds,” Lisa had called to them as they passed the reception area. She looked stunning, her blond hair blown straight, wearing simple makeup and a purple dress clinging to her curves. A far cry from when she worked with Lynx—something else she owed to Mike.
“Night,” Mike said back when Lynx stopped to go hug her friend.
It hurt too much to consider how much she’d put Michael or Lisa through, so Lynx tried to make the new memories even more special. “Thank you,” she whispered to Lisa across the marble desk.
“For what, honey?” Lisa’s smile was bright, electric, blinding.
“For everything. Helping Michael, working here, being a good soul. I guess, thanks for being you.”
“Aw, honey, go celebrate your man’s success,” Lisa said with a wink and a small shove to get lost.
Indeed, Michael’s success brought a whole new breed of butterflies to Lynx’s stomach as he drove the two of them back totheirplace. The condo had become somewhat of a refuge for their feelings and them, so they’d happily opted to not stay at the hotel for the night, giving up their weekend to Sammy and Landon.
It was hard for Lynx to wrap her head around, but she could now actually imagine living in a house with Michael. One day. For now, the condo was their place.
They rode up in the elevator, wrapped in each other’s arms, sharing slow kisses. Inside their apartment, it became less gentle. Mike pushed Lynx into the wall, pulling her leg around his waist, leaving her to balance on one stiletto while he pushed his hardness into her soft curves.
With the hand that wasn’t tight on her back, he shoved up her dress and pushed aside her thong—a replay of earlier in the evening. Except this time, his finger slid inside her. Then two. There was no gentle exploration or discovery. He found her spot and went for the kill. Within seconds, Lynx was moaning into his mouth, but he didn’t let her off that easy.
When he drew his fingers out, Mike made sure Lynx was watching as he brought them to his mouth, the fine stubble on his face glistening. He licked both fingers clean, leaving not one drop to chance, all the while his gaze homing in on hers. His eyes were heavy with want, his chest rising and falling at an alarming rate—he was a man in heat.
Letting Lynx’s leg fall, Mike dropped to his knees and slid her panties down, taking each leg out tenderly. Then his mouth was on her—again, another replay, but not tender in the least. He ravaged Lynx, his finger back in place, his tongue alternating between flicking and soothing her most sensitive spot.
This time, Lynx’s head fell back against the wall as she moaned. “Oh God, Michael.”
“Take it, babe, take all the pleasure,” he mumbled against her, making her moan even more.
Only when he squeezed another climax from her did he roam back up her body, taking her dress with him, his tongue tracing its path. When his mouth returned to hers, Lynx tasted herself—a pleasure she’d only engaged in with him. With her sordid past, she took solace in this small fact. Treasured it like an expensive jewel.
She inhaled, breathing in Mike. He was all man and brute muscle, focused on her, content with pleasing only her. The idea was heady. Despite him having pleasured her twice, this knowledge made her hands shaky with need.
Lynx undid his pants and shoved them down. Mike kicked off his shoes and shrugged off the trousers, leaving him commando. She couldn’t stop her hand from exploring his hard length, wrapping around the girth and applying just the right amount of pressure.
“Leave those shoes on,” he grunted. “They’re so fucking hot.”
She wanted to ask if he was ready to take her bare. He hadn’t yet, but they’d visited the doctor, and she received a clean bill of health and a birth control injection.
For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to ask.
“I want you,” he said. “No barriers. You and me. Are you ready?”
And there it was—Mike’s secret ability to read her mind.
She swallowed, nodded, and ran her hand down his cheek.
He didn’t waste any more time with talking. Instead, he drove himself inside her, bringing her leg back around him. He took a few easy trips in and out, picking up speed, diving deeper. They were one, taking each other toward a place Lynx was quite certain they’d only been with each other.
Another jewel.
Totally spent, the pair crumpled to the floor, lying still in each other’s arms.
“Want to take a bath?” Mike asked, running his hand down Lynx’s bare back, stroking his fingers over her tattoo.
She knew he didn’t need to see it to know where it was—he’d spent many Sunday afternoons memorizing its every intricacy. The quiet afternoon she’d pointed out the wordsCASH OUT, he’d made love to her on the spot.
Lynx gave him a small smile. “Yes, I’m all sticky.”
He picked her up and carried her to the master bath. There he filled the tub, tossing in sample bath salts they had from the Firefly, and removed her shoes. When the water was to his liking, they settled in the tub.
Lynx leaned back against Mike’s chest, breathing out a sigh of contentment.
“Perfect,” he muttered, pulling her hair to the side. Whispering into her ear, he asked, “Marry me?”
The water was steaming hot, but Lynx couldn’t help the shiver that ran through her.
