Chapter 11

“The glistening scrolls and spirals, the elaborate setting that looked as if it were cut out of gold paper, so touching in its resemblance to the creches made for children at Christmas, the grandiose and grotesque baroque perspectives affected Mersault as a kind of infantile, feverish, and overblown romanticism by which men protect themselves against their own demons.”
–Albert Camus

Michael bit down on his bottom lip to the point that it hurt, yet he almost didn’t notice. His mind was someplace else and the sharp pain barely registered. He kept staring down, his eyes fixed on Lisa, his hand fisted in her long hair.

Lisa, who was kneeling down in front of him – his cock in her mouth.

“Jesus,” he whispered as her hands grabbed him, held him, kept him exactly where she wanted him to be. As he heard her purr for him. “You’re perfect… So fucking beautiful… did you know that? …Fuck…”

Her reaction was another soft, low moan that seemed to come right from the depth of her soul. Her eyes opened slowly and met his and they stared at each other for a moment. Her motions were slow, languid, but intense nonetheless. He could tell that she enjoyed doing this just as much as he did. As a matter of fact, he knew damn well that she did. Michael’s legs trembled.

So much for wanting to call it a night and give her – and himself – the time to think this thing through, at least for the time being. As if not jumping her in the car hadn’t been difficult enough or in the back of his mind all day. Yet he had tried, he really had. Taking her hand as they got out of the car, walking her back to her suite in a very polite manner, like a true gentleman. He had given her an out. He had also been absolutely sure he would be able to accomplish his task and make her understand that, despite craving her like a man in the desert craved water, lust was definitely not what all this was about.

“Goodnight, baby girl. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

She had looked up at him from below her long eyelashes. Her eyes were clear, open and vulnerable. Breathtakingly beautiful, really.

“Aren’t you coming in at all? Not even for a minute?”

Michael had heard the slight hurt in her voice – as if she thought that he was already done with her, now that he had fucked her. Yeah… fat chance. She had no idea how he truly felt. How confusing and alluring this entire thing was to him. Just like he couldn’t really fathom her thoughts – not completely, not anymore at least. More than anything, however, Michael didn’t want her to think that he didn’t care for her. And this was some fucked-up motherfucking situation, right there. On the one hand, they had agreed that keeping the whole thing strictly on the sexual side of the spectrum was the safest option for them, but on the other hand, he also couldn’t help but indulge in something more profound than that. At least in his own head.

He kept promising himself that he wouldn’t hurt her, and that he wouldn’t let her hurt him again, but maybe there was simply no way out of this thing. No way to fully prevent heartache. Whenever he and Lisa were close, they would either heal each other or bleed out. No middle ground seemed to be possible.

He had tried one last, desperate attempt at fighting off the temptation of just giving in to the sweetest torture possible.

“I thought you were tired? Maybe we should just go to sleep…”

Lisa had reached out, taking his hand. Holding onto his fingers.

“Only for a few minutes…? I just wanna say goodnight properly.”

Man. How could he say no to her? He wanted her. He did.

Michael had swallowed, then had just nodded his head. If only she knew that being close to her was the only thing he wanted… the only thing he so often thought he needed.

Once inside the suite, they hadn’t even been able to leave the foyer. She had been all over him the very moment she had closed the door behind her shoulders. Pushing him back against the wall, pinning him there, she had rubbed her lithe body against his, speaking just an inch away from his lips. That night she wore knee-high boots that looked super-sexy on her, so the height difference wasn’t an issue.

“You really wanna go back to your room?” Her already glazed-over eyes had stared at his lips. “You got no idea what it did to me to see you interact with those people today… You just don’t know how blinding your light can be.”

His eyes had started to burn. Reaching up, he had touched her cheek with the back of his fingers. Just a very light touch. Backed up against that wall, her scent all over him, he had never felt more liberated. If normally he would never let a woman exert even the slightest amount of sexual domination of him, as usual with Lisa everything was different. Theirs was a well-oiled routine… which had always been anything but boring. And the words she had said to him… maybe her mask had slipped a bit, for just a moment, but the result was just the same. Absolute giddiness. Pride. Recognition.

“No… I don’t wanna go back to my room…”

They had kissed hard, her hands sinking in his hair, caressing him.

“Then stay there…” One more drugging kiss. “With me. I want you so much…”

Once again, how could he possibly say no to this? It was simply beyond the realm of possibilities.

Then Lisa had sunk onto her knees and all he had been able to do was help her out as she unzipped and unbuttoned his pants, took his penis out and sent him straight to heaven.

Michael’s mind had begun to short-circuit almost immediately. There was just something in the way she did this that had always been able to make him lose it right away. The obvious passion that pervaded her, the sheer pleasure she clearly derived from loving him that way would always make him feel accepted, loved, cared for. And right now, it wasn’t any different. Still, he wanted more of her. So much more.

“Baby…” His voice came out way huskier than usual.

Lisa’s eyes opened once again, slowly. She backed off, but kept her hand on him. Holding him just the right way.

“What is it, Mike… What do you want…Tell me…” She kissed his pelvis, right under his navel, and the light contact made his abdominal muscles contract all of a sudden. “Tell me what I can do for you…”

Oh, he recognized and adored the switch. That way she always had to hand the power back to him. Or the illusion of it, at least. It thrilled him to no end to know that she trusted him, at least when it came to her body. A body that he had worshiped and adored since the very first time they had made love. A body that he needed to see in all its glory – and possess. If he would never truly have her heart again, then he would make sure that Miss Presley flew back home unable to forget how good he could make her feel. Theirs had at least to be shared damnation when it came to the memory of their encounters.

“Open your blouse… Let me see those gorgeous breasts…”

If she was right and these few days were all they had, then he didn’t want to waste a single minute. Not one. He wanted this to be a no-hold-barred thing.

Lisa smiled up at him, her face relaxing. She immediately complied, her eyes still on him, like the very obedient bad girl she could be when she wanted to. She unbuttoned the black blouse she was wearing, uncovering a dark lace bra. One hand still on his dick, she used the other to unclasp the front closure, finally exposing her beautiful, perfect breasts.

Michael swallowed hard.

“Yeah… That’s it. Show them to me, baby-girl… There you go… Look how beautiful they are…” Blood thundered in his ears and he reached down, fondling her, then grabbing himself. “…Open your mouth.”

Once again, she did what she was told and when she took him again he was forced to close his eyes for a moment. He was getting weak in the knees. How was it even possible that she still had this effect on him? After so many years. After all those nights they had spent together like this, doing all kinds of things. He had had his dick sucked by other women in the past, of course, but nothing would ever compare to this. He guessed it was due to the bittersweet bliss of having a lover that knew him inside and out.

Michael hadn’t even been able to come up with a plan in his mind. In fact, his plan of just calling it a night had been shattered. The moment they had entered Lisa’s suite, she had been the instigator and he was now just going with the flow. For a moment he thought that he didn’t want to climax like this – that what he wanted to do was take her to bed and fuck her until they both lost consciousness, but obviously he was not really in charge of what was happening. Let alone he wanted these ecstatic sensations to stop.

Within minutes, he felt the tide approaching and his whole body tensed.

“Lisa… Lise… I’m gonna…” He tried to pull back. “…Back off, baby… Oh, shit…”

He couldn’t. She just didn’t let him. In fact, she reached around and held onto his ass, her fingers clasping the fabric of his pants, and he just surrendered. His head thrown back, his hand still in her hair, his hips joining the dance. He came so hard that he almost blacked out, that his head began to spin. It also seemed to go on forever and he loved how she never let go of him, instead taking everything he had to give her. This was sexual perfection – this was what making love was supposed to mean.

When he finally came down from his high, he was breathing heavily, as if he had just run for miles. His sensitive skin burned, and Lisa soothed him with gentle kisses and licks on his pelvis, sides, lower abdomen. Her hand was still holding him gently. Once again, Michael felt like choking.

“Damn… Come here… Oh, God…”

He opened his eyes and there she was, slowly kissing up his body as she unbuttoned his shirt, helped him take it off, then removed his t-shirt. Her lips on his chest, his neck, the side of his face, her fingers buried in his hair once again, holding the back of his head in a loving, reassuring gesture. He would never allow anyone to touch him the way she did. And he hadn’t really experienced this kind of tender closeness, this sex-induced bliss, since they had broken up. He had almost forgotten how comforting it felt.

He framed her face with both hands and kissed her, again and again. Her eyes were gentle.

“Crazy girl… You really don’t know what’s good for you…” Another kiss. “Come on… Let’s take a bath…”

The onslaught of pleasure was almost intolerable. Almost. Yet, Lisa would have allowed him to torture her like this until the end of time. And beyond.

Her eyes half-open, she stared at their own reflection in the mirrored closet.

She was fully naked on her hands and knees on the king-size bed. Michael was standing by the bed, right behind her, and was buried inside her body to the hilt. He kept moving and she winced – but not out of pain. She would never describe what they were doing as painful, if not from an inherently emotional point of view, considering how deep making love to him could cut her. From a physical perspective, what he had been bestowing upon her was blissful intensity in its purest form. The perfect concoction of pleasure and slight physical strain that usually accompanied their sexual encounters was there, but there was also so much else she wasn’t sure she should be thinking about. An urgency, a craving desire of making every minute count. That was why she had invited him into her suite.

She had perceived his desire to step back and had realized that she wouldn’t be able to tolerate it. She had wanted to be alone with this man for the entire day, and she wouldn’t let him think otherwise now that finally nobody else was around. Thankfully, Michael had been on board with her plan right away, and since they had stepped into the room, they hadn’t stopped.

Sucking him off in the foyer had been the result of all the pent-up lust that had plagued her for hours. She just had been unable to stop herself. She had wanted him with an intensity that had almost scared her and the most uncomplicated strategy had just been to accept her desire as something she was unable to tame or control. Also, taking him that way was a good reminder of what no other woman could do for him. Yeah… he needed to remember that. He would have to remember how she could make him feel, once this little parenthesis in Prague was over.

Having him lose control had been the biggest pleasure, but also the beginning of a more widespread, shared lunacy.

Michael had picked her up, still kissing her, and had walked over to the bathroom. Utterly exhilarated, they had kept making out as the large bathtub filled with water, and all the while he had slowly undressed her – and himself, until they had been standing face to face, fully naked. Lisa loved how comfortable he was with his own body whenever she was around. She was glad that she hadn’t lost that privilege, that he didn’t feel the need to hide.

They had gotten in the bathtub and he had taken great care in lathering her up, massaging her body, exploring her everywhere. He had washed her hair and kissed her, not saying a word, just being there with her. Once again, she knew that this was dangerous. They both had engaged in mindless fucks in the past, with other people – never with each other – and this was far from it. It didn’t matter how many times they chose to fool themselves and each other by pretending that it was.

She had reciprocated his treatment, touching him, caressing him everywhere. Noticing that he was fully erect once again. Her mouth had watered when she had realized how much she wanted in him in her.

Of course, Michael knew her like the back of his hand. Staring into her eyes, he had pulled her close until she had come to sit astride his legs. His steel rubbing against her center in that hot water had almost made her come instantly. She had clung onto his shoulders, had sighed and moaned as he kissed and sucked on her breasts. When he had guided himself inside of her, she hadn’t stopped him at all and instead had sat on him fully.

God… the size of him never failed to stun her. She knew everything about his body and, from a purely rational perspective, she shouldn’t be surprised – yet she still was. The way that first contact would always tax her body. The way his face flushed and his eyes seemed remote as he too experienced the heat and the friction. Lisa had always thought that there was something so ancient and predestined in the way their bodies fit, and that hadn’t changed through the years. Not even now.

And so they had made love that way, slowly and languidly, for a very long time. It had been sweet and heartbreaking, in a way, to be clinging to him, his gorgeous face just a few inches away, his dark eyes staring at her. It had been impossible for Lisa to pretend that she wasn’t in love with him. She was. It was way easier to think otherwise when he was outside of her field of vision, but when his aura pulled her back in, he was just unstoppable.

They hadn’t spoken at all – not a word. But they had poured everything they felt in their movements, in the way they moved together, in the way they looked at each other. Of course, they had climaxed at the very same time, still losing themselves in each other’s eyes, after building up a tension that was about to turn them to ashes from the inside. Their shared orgasm had been so intense had Lisa’s voice had been missing in action, the oxygen stuck in her lungs, unable to get out.

Afterward, Michael had just held her against him and she had buried her face in the crook of his neck. She had almost felt like crying but she had stubbornly swallowed back her tears. This was not the time – nor the place to show too much vulnerability. Seducing him was more than enough.

When they finally had gotten out of that bathtub, they had dried each other as if it was the most normal thing in the world to do for two people who seemed to be hell-bent in pretending that what they were doing had no particular meaning. And of course, she hadn’t asked Michael to go back to his suite – and he hadn’t offered. Instead, they had walked over to Lisa’s bedroom and had begun making love again.

This time had been different – it had been gruff and dirty. And she had loved – she was loving – every minute of it.

“God damn it…”

“Say what…” He sneered the words between gritted teeth and her eyes focused on him in the reflection of the window. His face was flushed and he was sweating. So much for taking a bath.

“I can’t fucking stand it…” She winced as he kept moving inside of her.

“Oh yes, you can… I know you can,” he panted, yet he slowed down a bit. “I know you, Lise…”

His movements getting tamer, slower, he bent over her and held her. His hands fondling her breasts, his hips still gently moving against her, he kissed her naked back, the nape of her neck, then nuzzled the delicate skin of her shoulder with his chin. The feeling of his night stubble, abrasive and yet endearing, made her shiver.

Lisa turned her face and they kissed for a very long time. Then he rested his forehead against hers, his words almost whispered against her lips.

“Am I hurting you? You want me to stop…?”

She focused on the feelings and sensations bubbling inside her own body. Every single thing felt magnified: the blood thundering in her ears, his cock straining within, the warmth of his skin against hers. She felt feverish. And ravenous.

“Oh hell, no… don’t stop… Give it to me, baby…” Turning her head again, she once again found their own reflections in the mirror. “Look at that… you’re so fucking sexy, Mike… And I love it when you do me from behind… I missed it… Fuck me…”

Her words obviously did something to him. His face went up in flames and he straightened his stance, looking beyond gorgeous. He was sweaty, his hair wild, his skin almost translucent in the dim light granted by the sole candle they had lit on the antique dresser near the mirror. There was something magical in what she saw – and in what they were doing. And when he started to move again, she really couldn’t tell if they were even part of this world anymore.

“Lise…”

“Mh…?”

“Why did you pick me as your lover? Again… Like this. Or to begin with, for that matter. After all these years I’m still surprised. I mean… you can have any man you want…”

Michael kind of hoped she hadn’t really heard him, because he had just murmured out the words and only afterward he had realized how vulnerable and insecure they made him sound. Despite him being anything but – or, more precisely, despite him not ever want to look like that. She had loved him in the past, and that was the answer. He knew it. However, in a way the question still lingered in his mind. After all, she was still in his bed, right? Well… technically, it was him who was in her bed, but the fundamentals didn’t change. And certainly they had enjoyed their nights together so far, almost as if they had never broken up at all.

Only, you did. You are no longer together. You never gonna have to forget that.

Despite his highest hopes, Lisa clearly was not asleep. Not yet, at least. She didn’t move, her eyes remained closed for a while. Then a little impish smile stole on her lips.

“’Cause you got the biggest dick, Michael, that’s why… and because you know how to use it.”

He giggled. What other choice did he have? She had decided that this was how the whole thing was going to go down. Fine… For now, at least.

Dang. He was drained. But also so replenished, serene… dared he say, happy, almost? And she still hadn’t asked him to leave the premises – which, according to her, was one of the rules. Instead, she was now draped over his chest, her long hair tickling his shoulder, the warmth of her naked body comforting and familiar, the regular rhythm of her breathing soothing. So steady and slow, in fact, that Michael thought she would indeed be asleep soon. It would have made sense, since they had made love how many times? He had lost count.

Instead, after a bit Lisa raised her head, her eyes half-opened, and stared at him. The palm of her hand rested on his chest, right over his heart. Another familiar gesture that reminded him of times that were long gone. Man, she was still so beautiful.

“You really wanna know why I picked you, of all the men that allegedly I could have had?”

The little smile was still there, but was no longer impish. It had become gentle. Tender, almost.

“Yeah… I would love to. I don’t wanna assume anything.”

Not anymore.

“Because you’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life…” She cocked her head to a side and kept looking at him. “And because I fell head over heels in love with you.”

Michael didn’t really know what to say. He cleared his throat.

“You mean that my dick isn’t that big after all?”

Lisa laughed. It was obvious that he had caught her off-guard. She ran her fingers through her hair.

“No, it is…” Scooting closer, she kissed him gently on the lips. “…Almost as big as your heart.”

Then she rested her head on his chest once again and let out a sigh. It was pretty clear that whatever she had conceded was enough for her – and possibly it was just that way for him, as well.

He closed his eyes, pulling her close to him, finally relaxing – feeling his body starting to float. This was just so peaceful. So beautiful. So perfect in its absolute imperfection.

He had almost fallen asleep when she spoke again, and her voice was husky and low in volume, as if she was afraid to disturb him. As if this was somehow intimate and confidential.

“Hey, Mike…”

He just kissed her head.

“What?”

“I thought about what you said the other day… You know, about your beef with Sony.”

Michael half-opened his eyes and glanced down at her. Nope. Still immobile.

“You did?”

What a strange moment to talk about that… And yet it did something to him, to know that their little conversation in the park had stayed with her, even if it was about stuff that did not pertain to their relationship – and hence not to her any longer. It reminded him of all those years ago, when she was not only his love, but also his best friend. Someone he knew he could always talk to, someone who knew how to listen. Someone who understood him. When had they stopped being so in sync? When had they decided that they were no longer friends and not even enemies, but something murky and nebulous, stuck in between? And why had it happened?

But most of all, why did he now feel that things were changing once again?

“Yeah, of course I did. I could tell that you’re unhappy with them. It kinda surprised me, but not really. I know you don’t like to feel tied down, limited in the things you wanna do…”

He tried to scan the tone of her voice, looking for some subtle double-entendre, but there wasn’t any. She was just being honest and not talking about anything but his business.

“It’s not just about that…” He sighed. How could he explain this without being too detailed? He really didn’t want to talk about this stuff. Not while he was still all cozy and comfy, having just made love to the only woman who was always in his mind. “…They’re not good people, Lise. They’re not honest.”

“Yeah, I know, babe…” She snuggled more against him and he pretended not to notice the term of endearment, the little slip-up. She was tired, on the verge of falling asleep, she probably would remember half of this tomorrow morning.

“Well, OK… what were you thinking?”

“I know you aren’t as hot-headed as I am. You think about stuff a lot before making up your mind. And think you’re right. About wanting to break free from them, I mean. I think you considered all the factors and covered all the angles and if they somehow limit your creativity, or your drive… well, then they better get lost and fuck off. ‘Cause you gotta feel free to do whatever you want with your art. Or life…”

Once again, Michael just stayed quiet and listened.

“So I thought… Maybe you should take a look at some smaller record companies, you know… Independent ones. Some of them still have clean hands and are just passionate about what they do. Can you imagine how eager they would be to have you working with them? How much your presence would make them thrive? Or maybe… maybe you should have your own record label and disenfranchise yourself from everything and everyone. And just… you know… be you.”

He usually didn’t like to have outsiders meddling in his business. And with Lisa… it was strange. Despite her being one of his strongest allies and the person who knew him best, he had often overlooked her advice, feeling that she couldn’t really know how the industry worked because she wasn’t part of it. Yet she had seen that same industry destroy her father. Maybe, just maybe, what she had always complained about – what she had always warned him about, wasn’t all wrong. The handlers. The lackeys. The yes-men. People who had their own agendas, plans that didn’t necessarily align with his.

Why had he ignored her words, even when they made a lot of sense?

“I think you’re right. Maybe I should do just that.” He chewed on the inside of his cheek. “Would you help me?”

This time, Lisa moved and turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were narrowed. Of course, she was suspicious, given their past.

“Help you? How?”

He let his fingers run along the perfect lines of her back, vertebrae after vertebrae.

“Well, maybe you could help me find a potential new label. Or you could listen to the songs that I’m still keeping for myself… which means pretty much all of them minus the only one that I shared with Sony… and tell me what you think of them.”

“Really?” She almost had to laugh at him. Obviously she didn’t believe him – she didn’t think he really needed her opinion. Well, she was wrong.

He pushed a strand of long hair behind her ear and truly listened to his own heart. His face remained calm and serious.

“Yeah… Really.”

Lisa blinked, several times, as if she had something stuck in her eye. Then reached up, her hand coming to rest on his cheek, sliding behind his neck, pulling his head close to her. They kissed, again and again.

“Well… OK, then… if you want…”

“I do.”

They kissed and touched each other and just gave themselves one more chance to get close again. They made love one last time and he allowed her to ride him straight into heaven. When she collapsed on him, after they were finally done, he just held her close. He didn’t even withdraw from her body – something he hadn’t had the luxury of experiencing in quite some time. He just closed his eyes and fell asleep.

A few hours later – not many, in reality – Lisa half-opened her eyes and the first thing she noticed was how well she had slept. She also felt sore all over, but it was a good kind of discomfort, something she knew came from highly pleasurable activities.

At one point during the previous night, she had woken up for a minute, feeling slightly disoriented. For just a split second, she had wondered where she was – fearing that she was back in L.A., and the body she was clinging to was not the one belonging to the man she loved.

Loved…

It had struck her like a train at full speed, the realization of how much love she still felt for Michael. Her muscle memory, her cells had remembered and recognized him almost immediately, and she had felt like dissolving, blending into him again. Propping up on her elbow, she had noticed that the candle they had lit hours earlier had melted almost in its entirety. Its flame was trembling and had become weaker, but was still bright enough to allow her to see what she needed to see.

Michael’s beautiful face as he slept. His body perfectly still, lying on his back. His breathing slow and regular, his chest rising and falling slowly.

How many times in the past she had felt the comfort and reassurance of having him fall asleep next to her. Where she could watch over him and make sure nothing bad at all would happen to him. As long as she was there, they wouldn’t be able to get to him. She wouldn’t allow it. She would rip them to shred with her bare hands if only they tried to hurt him.

She had felt so protective over him, and for quite some time recently she had thought those feelings had finally left her. Well, as it so often happened in her life, she had been wrong. The instinct of sheltering him, shielding him from everything that was bad and ugly in the world was still there somehow. Only, she didn’t occupy that role anymore. Protecting him wasn’t her call, and he was a big guy anyway.

However, she had been unable to stop the tenderness rising deep inside, as she took a moment to just look at him – unguarded, unseen. Truly look at him in a way that she hadn’t done since they had broken up, one year earlier. And maybe even before that. When everything was going straight into the gutter, Lisa doubted neither she nor Michael were still able to see the good in each other. And now it was all there, in plain sight. His relaxed face had done something to her. He looked so perfect, so peaceful, as if he felt safe where he was. In her arms. Reaching out, she had almost touched him, but then she had withdrawn her hand. No, she didn’t have to push this any further. What they had done was already risky as it was.

Straight-out dangerous, in fact, given that she hadn’t even sent him back to his suite after making love…

She had been sure that he was asleep, yet he had moved, turning to his side slowly. His arm reaching up, pulling her close to him again. Yeah, he was out like a light, yet as perceptive as usual. She had just complied because, deep down, she had never been truly able to say no to him. How could she? She was in love with him. Still… And probably, it had never really gone away. For some time, she had considered that feeling that just wouldn’t leave her as some sort of lunacy, almost an illness. Yet, as she snuggled close to him once again, she had wondered if that was even the truth. How could an illness feel so incredibly beautiful, after all? Like a rebirth of some sort?

And now, he was holding her from behind. His warm, solid chest adhering to her back. Their bodies naked, entwined like they had been countless times before. Almost out of her own volition, she kissed his forearm.

Michael shifted, ever so slightly, and then she felt his lips against her neck once again. Oh. He was awake.

“Good morning, princess…”

How long since he had called her that? He didn’t sound sleepy at all, and Lisa noticed that he smelled amazing and that his hair was wet.

“Did you get up to take a shower?”

“I did…”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Because you were sleeping like an angel… and it really looked like you needed it.”

What a smug little bastard!

She smiled, then bit down on his forearm, making him laugh. He pulled her against him, and she noticed something else pushing against her. Yeah… she recognized that too. Maybe it was time to do what she was supposed to do the night before, after they were done. Send him back to his room.

“Mike… maybe we should…”

He moved his hips again, making sure that she knew exactly how he felt about her idea.

“Yes, I think we definitely should…”

She smiled again, her eyes closed, allowing him to slide against her. To strain against her, to caress her in that sexy, intimate way. Damn… the effect this man had on her was insane. It was unhealthy and yet as necessary as oxygen to survive.

“No, wait… I too gotta take a shower…”

One last attempt, knowing well that it wouldn’t work. Not wanting it to work at all. Hoping with all her heart that he would read right through her bullshit.

“I don’t want you to take a shower… You smell amazing, Lise…The scent of your skin… You don’t know what it does to me…” He leaned up onto his elbow and gently pulled at her, until she came to lie on her back. His eyes found her. “And I also love it when I can smell myself all over you… I love to mark you mine…”

Almost hypnotized, she pulled his head down to her and they kissed, and he immediately moved in between her open legs. Open and welcoming. She knew she was wet and he knew it too.

When he entered her ever so slowly, making her feel every single inch of his desire for her, she couldn’t do anything but arch her back and open up to him more. When he rested on top of her, she welcomed the familiar weight of his body and her hands caressed his back, enjoying the play of his solid muscles as he began to move. After interminable minutes, when he finally hid his face in the crook of her neck, moaned lowly and began to come, she came with him, thrilled by the feeling of him emptying his essence inside of her.

She was absolutely, utterly fucked, and she knew it. And she had to take cover from this as soon as she could.

He entered the bathroom while she was still drying her hair with a towel and smiled over at her through the mirror. She had heard him sing to himself in the other room as he got dressed, and despite wearing crumpled clothing and obviously needing to change, he looked as gorgeous as usual. And in a great mood. Lisa didn’t know how to feel, knowing that she probably was responsible for that.

“Girl! You still naked? Not that I don’t like it but… you gotta get dressed! It’s…” Frowning, he glanced over at his watch. “Almost noon! Aren’t you hungry, by the way?”

She was starving. In more ways than one.

“No. Michael, I think it’s time for you to leave.”

“I know! And you gotta come with me. We’re gonna drive over to the Threshold and find out what the Mazeks have in store for us.”

She shook her head slightly and put the towel down, on the counter near the sink. This was so fucking hard… she was supposed to be strong and indifferent to this, while in fact her heart was pounding in her chest.

“I know what they have in store for me. I mean that you need to leave now. You were supposed to do it last night.”

Michael stopped cold, his eyes narrowed.

“What are you talking about? We slept together. Are you throwing me out, now?”

Soldiering up, she turned and stared at him almost in defiance.

“You already forgot the rules? The fact that you stayed and fucked me as many times you wanted doesn’t authorize you to behave like you own the place… or me, for that matter. Bossing me around… Telling me what I gotta do, or where I gotta go.”

“You done losing your ever-loving mind or what? I ain’t bossing you around…”

“Well, you just tried. And let me be clear: I’m not one of the floozies you fuck on the side, when you’re in the company of your new buddies. The ones that make you feel oh so good and comfortable in your emotional freedom.”

He just stood there, stunned, obviously not expecting the attack in the slightest. Looking irritated, confused, hurt… and lost. Lisa hated herself for making him feel that way, but she had no other weapon to salvage the very little that was left of their safe space.

“What does that have to do with us now?”

His voice was cautious, but she could tell that he was becoming defensive.

“Everything. We agreed on fucking, if we are so inclined, not on being together every single moment of our day. Why are you surprised? You never liked to have me around all the fucking time anyway, so you should be happy…”

His frown deepened.

“Lise… what the hell is wrong with you? Are you mad at me, now? What have I done?”

Nothing. He had done absolutely nothing but have her desperately love him more than she remembered. He was confused, but so was she. Probably, on a much deeper level.

“Nothing. You didn’t do anything. I’m just trying to remind you that we shouldn’t overstep… and to please back off, since this is exactly what’s happening.”

Michael straightened up and set his jaw and Lisa waited. She waited for what she knew would come next – because it had happened countless times before. Michael didn’t like to be scolded. And he didn’t like drama in the slightest. In a matter of seconds, he would be out of the door and probably would sulk and ignore her for the rest of the week because she had acted like a bitch. Good riddance.

Then his shoulders relaxed, and he took a deep breath. His eyes were still studying her and it was pretty obvious that he was no longer in a great mood. Before she could even react, he walked over to her, took her into his arms and kissed her hard. She tried to protest, but it was half-hearted at best. She got lost into the kiss almost immediately. He kept kissing her until her surrender became more than obvious.

Then, he finally pulled back. His voice was low, hoarse.

“Get ready. Wayne is already waiting for us in the car.”