“I’ve been waiting for the right person.”
“And I’m the right person?” Was that hope in her voice?
“You are.” He cleared his throat, squeezed her hand. “I’m in love with you, Michaela.”
“What?” Her voice was the barest whisper, her hand clutching his, her body leaning toward him.
He knew right then he had her. She was his. And he was hers. Nothing was going to change that.
“I love you,” he murmured, hauling her onto his lap and settling back against the couch. She wrapped herself around him, her arms circling his neck, her legs straddling his thighs. “And I’m hoping like hell you can return the favor.”
She giggled and kissed him, her lips cool and damp. He clutched the back of her head, his fingers threading through her wet and tangled hair, holding her to him. “I can return the favor.”
“You can?” He kissed the tip of her nose, the corner of her mouth. One hand slipped down to the center of her back, where he slowly drew the tie of her bikini top undone with one tug.
“Austin.” She gave a little gasp, feigning shock as his other hand undid the tie at the back of her neck, her top falling into his lap. “What are you doing?”
“Undressing the woman I love.” He cupped her breasts, his thumbs playing with her nipples and she arched into his touch. “Hoping that she’ll eventually say the words I want her to.”
“Maybe I should string it out. It’s kind of fun this way, no?”
“No.” He schooled his expression, going for stern disciplinarian. Just how she liked it. “It’s not fun this way. If you keep this up, I think I’m going to have to punish you.” He pinched her hard, pink nipples for good measure.
“Promise?” Her voice grew husky, her stomach quivering beneath his fingers as one hand slid down to tease inside her bikini bottoms. Her pussy was hot, unbelievably wet, such a contrast to her cool skin and he groaned at the first contact.
“You feel so good, babe.” He searched her folds, flicked her clit and she moaned, her hips thrusting toward him. “But before I take this any further, you’re going to have to say the magic words.”
“Pretty please?” She fluttered her lashes at him.
He withdrew his hand from her, brought his cream-covered fingers to his mouth. Salty sweet, just like the woman. “Not quite.”
Her green eyes flared as she watched him lick her juices from his fingers. “Do it now?”
It was his turn to laugh. “I don’t think so.”
“Well then, how about this.” She pressed her bare breasts against his chest, leveled her mouth close to his. “I love you, too, Austin. How’s that?”
“Perfect,” he said just before he took her lips in a sweet kiss.
Epilogue
Nerves flitted in Michaela’s stomach and she checked herself in the mirror one more time, smoothing a hand over her already neat hair. She didn’t look different from any other day. She wore a simple white sundress printed with delicate yellow and green flowers, the cut and color emphasizing her lightly tanned skin. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail since it was hot and she had kept her makeup simple so she wouldn’t melt outside in her parents’ backyard under the intense afternoon sun.
But her eyes sparkled and her cheeks were flushed, not from cosmetics either. It was happiness, pure and simple. Pure, unadulterated joy at having found a man who understood her needs, her desires, everything about her.
A man who loved her. A man like Austin.
She flicked off the bathroom light and went out into the living room, glancing at the clock that hung on the wall. They had plenty of time to get to her parents when the annual Labor Day gathering started, but she still wanted to leave soon. Wanted to make sure they got there in time.
Then again, she also wanted to stay home, stay away from her family. They’d been asking a lot of questions, her parents, about her new beau. Her father had called him that, embarrassingly enough, and they’d insisted she bring him to the barbecue. They wanted to meet Austin, find out what all the fuss was about, and one part of her wanted to share him with her family, show him off.
> Another part wanted to hide him away and keep him all to herself.
And yet another part of her wanted him to dress in full on crazy Austin attire and scare the shit out of everyone. The uptight banker wish didn’t just extend to her, her entire family was filled with bankers, corporate heads, attorneys.
Her theatre-working, edgy-looking boyfriend would be just the ticket to send them into horror.
“You almost ready?” she called as she sank into the overstuffed couch.