I place my other hand on his face, turning it to me. “You are an exceptionally good and strong man, Michael Edwards, but even good and strong men have their breaking point. The woman you love getting murdered would probably send most people into a tailspin.”
“I did things I’m not proud of; I went to very dark places.”
“And you came back.” I step closer to him, our bodies a breath apart, and my hand slides to his chest to rest over his heart. “You’re agood person, Mikey.”
His gaze becomes a bit watery, and he tries to blink it away. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Then I do the one thing I can think of to break this unbearable tension, to get the easy-going, slightly wild Mikey back. With a wide grin full of mischief, I pat his chest. “So, you care about me, huh?”
“Seriously?” He raises an eyebrow, and the amusement creeping back into that tawny stare I can’t get enough of has me breathing a sigh of relief. “You’re going there? Now?” And just like that,poof.No more heaviness in the air.
“You’re right. I’ll wait till tomorrow, then rub it in.”
“I bear my soul, and this is how you do me, Lore?” He feigns offense, hand over his heart where mine just was, and I flash him a grin and a wink. “In that case, I’m going to have to tell the fan club how you used me at my weakest moment to cop a feel.”
It’s my turn to act affronted. “You wouldn’t dare! It would ruin my reputation.”
His grin ticks, eyes turning to the ceiling with a long exhale as his foot bounces and his tongue darts out to press against his lip. I know he’s struggling with a few stellar comebacks, wondering how low istoolow. Eventually, it seems he’s unable to resist himself. “I can do a whole lot better than ruinjustyour reputation, Lauren.”
He did not go there. “If you tell anyone we had sex, I’m calling Trista.” And there it is, my trump card. Because even Michael can’t fake not being afraid of his little sister. As amicable as she seems, you donotwant to get that girl mad. Jason overstepped once, and it cost him and his buddies almost four-thousand dollars in custom suits and knockoff Gucci loafers ruined by a seven-hundred-dollar bottle of red wine.
But instead of seeming scared, Michael’s grin just broadens. “I never said I’dtellanyone we had sex.” He takes a step closer, eyes blazing as they zone in on my lips, and a whole different kind of tension fills the air around us. “But if I ever get my hands and mouth on you, Lore, everyone in the city will know, if only from how loud I’ll make you scream my name.”
Red alert, red alert!
I fight through the breathlessness, forcing out whatever words I can think of that will diffuse the rapidly heating situation. “Well, that escalated quickly.”
Not my best, but it’ll get the job done.
Michael blinks once, twice, three times.
Then he turns around and hurries toward the stairs. “Be ready by six for the party tomorrow,” he instructs with his back to me. “Good night, Lore.”
“Night, Mikey.”
I wait until I hear the bed upstairs creak before washing up in the spare bathroom downstairs, figuring I’ll shower in the morning. I drag myself into the study, now my room since we realized it’s the only way I can keep designing while we both live here, and shoot a wary look at my dress for tomorrow’s event.
I flop back with a long exhale on the surprisingly comfortable pullout. I am not going to survive another seven weeks without fucking him. Not a chance.
Chapter Seven
Michael
I amin so much trouble.
“Too much?” Lauren stares down at her dress, wringing her hands together. I want to tell her what she sees on my face is pure awe, but that dress has left me speechless.
It’s a simple, tight, black strapless mini-dress ending at her mid-thighs with a slit up her right thigh. A sexy twist on the classic little black dress that hugs her slim figure just right. The plain bodice is covered in a thick-strand sequined fishnet, with a high neckline and shimmering fringe dangling down to her knees. The long net sleeves stretching to her elbows and the lack of cleavage was a clever move, making the dress elegant and classy.
“You look breathtaking, Lauren.” Her eyes lift to mine, fingers twisting the thick silver bracelet on her right wrist—which brings my attention to the fact that it’s the only jewelry she’s wearing—then moving to brush the golden strands on her forehead.
“I do?” And that look in her eyes almost kills me, so I step toward her, catching her hands in mine and kissing the knuckles on each.
“Don’t tell me Jason never told you you’re beautiful.”
“He used to call me a hot piece of ass a lot.” Lauren scrunches her nose in disgust. “Especially when he was bragging to his friends. He never really paid much attention to me otherwise.”
I’m not a violent man by nature, but every time I learn something new about that prick, it increases my need to find him and drive my fist through his stupid face.