“I…Natalie said something to me before she left.” God, she sounded like a teenager herself asking her crush what he thought about her. “She said that you had a crush on me, and she was looking at me like she knew something.”
Michael sat up.
“What? She said that?”
“She did. She was being really…I don’t know.” Paula couldn’t look at him, tapping her fingers to the edge of the desk. “But she made it sound like she knew something. She’s daft, isn’t she?”
Michael didn’t say anything. Paula didn’t like this pregnant pause. She glanced up, and saw Michael was staring at her. He looked like she had somehow turned him to stone. Paula could feel her pulse racing at the sight. She had never seen him look this intense before.
She could feel the rejection setting in. Natalie had been messing with her. Michael thought she was an idiot, and there was nothing there. Paula could feel the embarrassment building.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make things awkward. She just said something, and I wanted to let you know…”
“She’s not wrong.”
Paula stopped. Her head snapped up.
“Excuse me?”
“Natalie should know when to keep quiet, but she’s not wrong.”
“She…she’s not…” Paula shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
Michael stood up, his huge height seeming to tower over her. Paula was too stunned to move, her head spinning. What was happening?
She barely moved as Michael reached up and cupped the back of her head, his fingers sliding through her hair. The gentle touch on her scalp was really tender as he tilted her head back, his face getting closer to hers.
The first touch on her lips was so soft Paula wasn’t sure she had been kissed. Her eyes closed as Michael pressed a little firmer, slowly exploring her mouth with his. She felt like her body had turned to mush. She couldn’t move.
All she wanted was for Michael to keep kissing her. She wanted him to take her clothes off and ease the throbbing now happening between her legs. She needed him to be inside her.
If he didn’t do anything about it, she certainly would. Now she had a chance, Paula knew she would be stupid to let it go.
Michael broke the kiss slowly, and Paula opened her eyes to see him staring at her, the desire so bright in his expression that she momentarily forgot how to breathe. This was a look she had wanted to see on him for a long time, and never expected it to happen.
And she was standing there like an idiot.
“I think that gives you a general idea of how I feel about you,” Michael said, his voice a slight growl.
“Does it?”
“Are you really going to make me say it? Are you wanting me to say I’ve wanted you for as long as I’ve known you?”
Paula’s mouth feel open.
“What? But you’ve had girlfriends since we met.”
“And they never lasted long. Because the woman I wanted I couldn’t have.”
“You couldn’t have me?”
Michael grunted and started to release her.
“Let’s just say you deserve someone better than me.”
He really thought that? Paula snapped out of her trance. If he was going to say that, she was going to make sure he didn’t believe it later. Now was not the time to lose her confidence.
She grabbed his t-shirt and tugged him close, kissing him fiercely. Michael froze for a second, and then he was kissing her back just as much frenzy. His hands pressed against her back, digging in hard, before he was cupping her backside and squeezing her, lifting her off her toes. Paula squealed and wriggled against him, feeling the hardness of his erection against her stomach.