CHAPTER 10

Chapter 10

Michael blinked a few times, struggling to shake off the lingering fog of sleep. He looked around drowsily and for a moment, he had no idea where he was or what was going on. Then it hit him — Hideout.

He was sprawled out on his old couch with Lisa nestled in his arms, sound asleep. Her steady, slow breathing reassured him that she was out cold and he let out a sigh of relief because unlike the wide-awake Lisa, the sleeping Lisa seemed perfectly content in the warmth of his arms and he loved having her there.

Michael tightened his hold on her petite frame, as if making sure she wouldn't suddenly wake up, leap off the couch, and bolt for the door as his eyes drifted to the TV screen, where Dirty Dancing was still playing. And judging by the progress of the movie, he hadn’t been out for more than fifteen minutes.

Man, what a day it had been…

Lisa stirred slightly in his arms, and he instinctively brought his hand up to her head, gently massaging her scalp with his fingers.

The way this woman made him feel would forever leave him speechless.

She was the one — no doubt about it. But damn, if he hadn’t been screwing things up left and right and now, after finally getting her back, he was teetering on the edge of losing her all over again.

He heard her let out a soft moan and she shifted some more making Michael wince as he realized the arm she was lying on had fallen asleep and now felt as if a thousand tiny ants were gnawing on it from the inside.

It was late, the couch was a far cry from comfortable and he needed to get her to bed. But should he risk waking her? What if she decided she really did want to go home? Then what?

“Hey, Lise…” He whispered, his hand moving to her cheek, brushing it lightly with the back of his fingers. “Wake up.”

"Mmhm..." She mumbled, clearly still lost in dreamland, and he couldn’t help but grin like a lovesick fool. Every little thing she did had him just wrapped around her finger and loving watching her mumble nonsense while half-asleep was just another reminder of how crazy he was about her, and how he would do anything to keep her safe and sound in his arms forever.

“Let’s get you to bed.” He murmured softly, groaning quietly as he tried to free his arm from underneath her.

Lisa blinked and looked up at him, groggy. “Huh?”

“Bedtime.” He said with a small smile.

For a second, she looked like she was going to argue, but then she pushed herself up and sat there for a minute, clearly trying to fully wake up.

Finally, she stood up and Michael slowly got to his feet too, his arm completely numb, now buzzing with that awful pins-and-needles sensation and he placed his other hand on her back, gently guiding her down the hall.

Once they reached the bedroom, he flicked on the light, before he saw Lisa stumble a bit, and he quickly caught her, holding her steady.

“You okay?”

She nodded, then let out a big yawn. Michael watched as she slowly unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, shimmying out of them before kicking them off. Then she crawled into his bed at a snail’s pace, giving him an unintentional — and very distracting — view of her tiny, creamy-colored thong.

He swallowed hard.

Damn.

Lisa buried herself in the pillows, tugging the blanket up to her chin.

“I’m so tired.” She finally mumbled, her first coherent words since waking up.

“Try getting some sleep.” He said with a soft smile. God, if she wasn’t the cutest thing he had ever seen. “I’ve got some paperwork to go through. I’ll be in the living room, if you need anything, okay?”

She opened her eyes and looked at him, and for a split second, he could have sworn he saw a flicker of disappointment there. Did she want him in bed with her?

Probably not… not after the day they had had.

“Sweet dreams.” He said softly before turning off the light and slowly closing the door behind him.

Back in the hallway, he trudged to the living room and flopped down on the couch, letting out a loud, frustrated sigh.

“Aaaaargh…” He wanted to scream.

Instead, he rubbed his eyes and pulled a face, feeling like he was one teeny tiny misstep away from a major meltdown.

What a mess…

 

He had been on top of the world, grinning like a fool who had just won the jackpot, knowing Lisa was finally with him and not just in his daydreams.

He was buzzing with excitement as they kissed and fumbled their way to the front door of his condo through the darkened hall, wrapped up in laughter and heated kisses, like two lovestruck teenagers who couldn’t get enough of each other.

They were all over each other and the keys kept slipping from his fingers as he tried to unlock the door, but they were too caught up in making out to notice.

It was pure, chaotic bliss.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of clumsy key-dropping and uncontrollable giggles, they stumbled inside and all he could think about was taking Lisa in his arms and carrying her straight to the bedroom.

But, of course, the universe had other plans for him, making sure his night took a nosedive instead, because God forbid he had something going his way for once… standing in the middle of his living room, looking completely out of sorts, was none other than Avery and to make things even more awkward, she was wearing what could only be called — if you were being generous — the smallest underwear known to man.

How the hell had she even gotten in?

Michael stood there, staring at her in disbelief like a total idiot. His condo was his sanctuary, off-limits to everyone and she definitely had never mentioned anything about being a part-time magician, so how on earth had she pulled off this Houdini act?

He glanced over at Lisa, who looked just as shocked. And knowing his ex-wife’s temper, he had about ten seconds to diffuse this bomb before it blew up in his face. For now, Lisa seemed frozen in place, probably calculating just how much damage she could inflict with the nearest throwable object.

“Avery, how the hell did you get in here?!” He finally managed to let out, his voice a mix of disbelief and anger.

In all fairness, Avery looked just as startled as they were.

“I... I...” She stammered, clearly scrambling for an explanation. Her eyes darted to Lisa and then back to him, and he could practically see the gears turning as she seemed to realize how bad the situation was.

Avery made a beeline for one of the armchairs, where her dress was draped, and started trying to put it on hastily.

It was a train wreck.

She couldn't even find the right holes for her arms, and the whole scene took on this extra layer of surreal, awkward comedy. Only, it wasn’t particularly funny.

“You need to leave... right now!” Michael snapped, his patience evaporating. He was beyond pissed — not necessarily at her, but at whoever the hell had handed her the key.

Heads were definitely going to roll.

Avery finally managed to wriggle into her dress, though she looked more like a tangled mess than a woman who had come in with a certain kind of plan.

She grabbed her shoes but didn’t even bother to put them on, opting instead to tiptoe awkwardly past them with her head down, making a hasty exit and mumbling something he couldn’t really understand.

As she passed by them, Lisa looked like she was ready to commit murder, but to his surprise, she didn’t say a word. She just stood there, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, silently seething.

Oh, fantastic.

This was going to be one of those quiet-but-deadly moments, the kind where she wouldn’t scream at Avery, but would save all the fury for him.

But… you know what? He didn’t mind. If it actually meant she wouldn’t leave, he would take whatever verbal lashing she had in store for him. There was just no losing her again.

As Avery looked up at him one last time, he noticed tears welling up in her eyes.

What on earth was she thinking? Hadn’t he made things crystal clear at Janet’s party? After the stunt Avery had pulled there, he never wanted to see her again and figured she got it.

And now she thought she could waltz into his condo and... what? Fuck him into oblivion and get him back into her life? Did she really think he was that easily led by the wrong head?

Everything after that was a blur. He and Lisa just stood there, shellshocked, listening to the door close behind Avery and then… then the silence really started to feel dangerous.

"Okay, bud… you’ve got about two minutes to explain, then I’m out.” Lisa’s words came slow and sharp, like each one was fighting its way through her gritted teeth.

He turned to her, trying to offer some comfort, but when he reached out to touch her cheek, she jerked away.

Right. Not the time for that. Duly noted.

“Lisa… I’m so sorry. Dammit. I… I have no idea how she even got in here.” His voice was a mix of frustration and embarrassment as he raked a hand through his hair. Michael began pacing the room, his steps restless and uneven, the atmosphere thick with awkward tension.

“You might wanna start with who the hell the floozy was.”

He stopped pacing and  took a deep breath. What was he supposed to say?

‘Well, you see, that was the floozy I’ve been fooling around with since the verdict. And, yeah, I figured she would make you jealous because, well, let’s be real… she’s a real looker. But… but that masterplan backfired when she got it into her head that we were something serious and introduced herself to your daughter as my girlfriend. Naturally, I lost it and got rid of her… then I saw you at the party. Um… So… that’s who she was.’

Yep, that would definitely smooth things over. Lisa would totally laugh it off, maybe even jump into his arms so that they could pick up where they had left off before.

“Um…” He swallowed hard, looking down, trying to buy himself some time. Janet’s party had been just a few days ago and he hadn’t slept with Avery in almost two months, but he still had brought her along for the ride.

Damn, Riley must have spilled the beans by now, anyway.

“Is that the girlfriend Riley was telling me about?” Lisa’s voice was laced with anger, but it wasn’t quite the full-on rage he was used to. Interesting. “Maybe you could look at me when we’re talking, Michael. Like an adult.”

He looked up.

“She’s not my girlfriend, Lisa.” Michael sighed. “She’s just another nutjob I let too close, and now the universe is slapping me upside the head for it. I swear, I don’t know who gave her my keys, but when I find out, they’ll be out of a job faster than you can say ‘unemployment office.’ As for her, I made it crystal clear I never wanted to see her again. I have no idea what she was thinking.”

He held her gaze, desperately hoping she wouldn’t just shake her head, call him a fucking jerk, and walk out the door.

This night had started with a whole different script in his mind — he had envisioned a smooth, romantic evening filled with candlelight, a glass of wine or two, and some crazy lovemaking Lisa and he used to be so good at.

Instead, it had turned into a circus act, as if the weather forecast for the night had predicted a shitstorm and boy, did he get the full-blown tornado and hailstones…

Silence.

But hey!

Lisa didn’t move. She still stood there, rooted to the spot. That had to be a good sign, right?

“Let me make a phone call, find out who’s behind this. I swear to you, fur will fly when I get to the bottom of it!” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell, scanning the buttons as he mentally ran through his list of suspects.

Dieter! Of course! Dieter had called him earlier while they were driving from the ranch to her place, and kept asking him all those weird things about his plans and whether he was staying at the Hideout.

Stupid jerk!

Michael was already hunting for his number in his contact list when he felt Lisa’s small hand gently grab his, the one clutching the phone.

“Who are you calling?”

“Dieter… my manager. It had to be him!” Michael growled. “I’m surrounded by idiots!”

“Don’t…” Her voice was soft, and he looked at her, confused.

“Why not?”

“Because I’m hungry, Michael. I haven’t eaten all day. And I’m tired. It’s been one fucking drama after another – if it’s not a fucking perv jerking off on my bed, then it’s a half-naked broad ready to jump you and I’m exhausted. Can you please just call the Italian place across the street and get me a large pizza? You know, the one that delivers here… Thin crust, pepperoni, olives, extra cheese.”

She rattled off the order like it was her final request on the death row and it hit him — they really hadn’t eaten all day.

He was used to it, given his more than erratic eating habits since childhood, but Lisa without food? That was a whole ‘nother ballgame.

Her sweet, slightly exasperated request made him smile and he nodded at her with a soft smile.

“Okay, I’ll call the moron later. Pizza first.”

“Nice… I’ll take a shower before the pizza gets here, if that’s cool with you. I need to wash off this entire crazy afternoon.” She said, turning and heading towards the bathroom down the hall.

“Hey, um, is it okay if I have a slice or two of your pizza?” He called after her and Lisa stopped mid-step, glancing back at him with a mix of exasperation and amusement.

“Get your own.” She shot back, her tone tired but with a hint of playful sass. “I don’t share pizza — never have, never will. I’m surprised you forgot that.”

There it was — the glimmer of playfulness he needed. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep him in the game.

About an hour later, Lisa was curled up on the couch, cross-legged with a blanket draped over her lap, utterly engrossed in Dirty Dancing playing on TV.

She slowly nibbled on another slice of pizza, more captivated by the movie than the food and honestly, she looked so damn cute that Michael couldn’t help but smile. He reached out for his glass of whiskey, the amber liquid swirling lazily and the ice clinking softly as he brought it to his lips and took a sip.

The tension between them had mostly simmered down, replaced by a comfortable, albeit slightly strained, silence.

And even though Lisa seemed more like her old self, things still hadn’t fallen back into place like earlier in the day. Unfortunately. 

“Do you want another drink, Lise?” Michael asked, noticing she had already finished her vodka-soda.

She paused, mid-bite, and slowly set the slice of pizza down, turning to look at him with a teasing glint in her eye. “Are you trying to get me drunk?”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Nah, just trying to be a good host.” He said, flashing her a warm smile that he hoped would lighten the mood.

“Okay, I guess I can handle one more.” She replied with a half-smile. Michael got up, grabbed her empty glass, and made his way over to the bar. As he mixed her drink, he found himself glancing back at her, watching her nibble on her pizza, eyes glued to the TV like it was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen.

Returning to the couch, he placed the glass on the coffee table in front of her, then hesitated for a moment before leaning in to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead, testing the waters.

“There you go.” He said softly.

“Thank you.” She smiled up at him, and he felt a little, insignificant wave of relief wash over him.

Crisis mostly averted.

He settled back into the couch, turning his head to look at her. “Lise?”

“Um hum?” She mumbled around another bite of pizza, not taking her eyes off the screen.

“Thanks for being so cool about… everything. Just so you know, I had a very different scenario in mind for today.” He admitted, his lips pressing together in a small, apologetic smile.

Lisa leaned forward, setting the unfinished slice back in the box before wiping her hands on a napkin. Then she turned slightly to face him, her expression soft but still pretty serious.

“Yeah, me too… An almost naked girl salivating over my man, waiting for him at his place, really wasn’t what I had in mind, either.” She sighed and there was no denying that the ‘my man’ comment sent a little thrill through him, tugging at his heartstrings.

Michael shifted closer to her, taking her small hand in his and brushing his thumb across her knuckles.

“I’m really sorry. What can I do to make it better?”

She shrugged, her eyes drifting away from his for a second. “I don’t know. Every time I let myself believe we’re going to work, reality slaps me right in the face.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re back to where we started. We haven’t seen each other for years, yet nothing has really changed.”

“Everything has changed, Lisa!” He insisted and licked his lips nervously, not liking where the conversation seemed to be headed. “I’m different, and so are you. And we belong together.”

“Michael…” She pulled her hand away, the warmth of her touch slipping through his fingers. “There’s always going to be some girl in teeny tiny underwear screwing things up for us.”

“Lisa! That’s not true! Gosh, she’s nobody, really!” He protested, a little more urgently than he intended and he could see the doubt in her eyes, which made him feel somehow even more panicked.

“I mean it figuratively, Michael. She’s like a symbol of all those people out there — crazy women trying to get to you, offering babies and whatnot, or your agents standing between us. It’s always been us against the world.”

“Lisa, times have changed. I have fired a lot of the people you’re talking about. I’m not scared of anything as long as I’ve got you by my side. And when we’re a team, we can fight the world together.” He replied, trying to infuse his voice with confidence.

“Can we, though?”

“Lise, I’ve been through hell and back. And during the trial, I realized so many things. The important things in life.”

“Like?”

“Like how stupid it is to let your soulmate go and file for divorce just because you’re a stubborn jackass.” He said, his voice cracking slightly with emotion and Lisa raised an eyebrow, half-smiling, half-offended. “Ahem, are you talking about me or you?”

“Me…” Michael answered, then quickly added. “In this particular scenario… but you can be one too, you know.”

She giggled, a sweet, infectious sound that made him feel lighter. It was really nice to see that after all those years, she was finally willing to admit she could be just as stubborn as he was.

“My point is…” He continued. “Life’s short, and I don’t want to spend another minute without you in it. You bring out the best in me and keep me grounded and I need you.”

Lisa smiled at him softly, but then a yawn escaped her, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry, I really didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Yeah, me neither.” He admitted, remembering that awful, sleepless night he had spent tossing and turning while his mind replayed her words from earlier. The way she had told him she couldn’t be with him was as if she had dropped a bombshell on his heart, leaving him shattered and wide awake with nothing but the ceiling to stare at.

But now it seemed like they had a new chance, and there was no way in hell he was going to let it slip away.

Lisa leaned her head back against the couch, closing her eyes and seeing this, Michael moved a bit closer and gently took her in his arms, pulling her down to lie with him.

“C’mere, you…” He said and let her rest her head on his chest. It just felt so right to have her in his arms.

He was determined to let her nap, to just hold her, savoring the closeness he had been craving for so long…

 

He heard soft footsteps behind him and jerked a little, placing his reading glasses on top of the file of papers he had been going through for the past couple of hours. His heart started racing and then his jaw nearly hit the floor when he turned and saw Lisa making her way over to the couch, moving slowly and deliberately.

It was one thing to catch a glimpse of her thong earlier when she had crawled into his bed, but now she was wrapped in nothing but a white sheet from the bed, holding it just barely over her chest and the sight was enough to make his pulse quicken and his thoughts scramble.

“Everything okay?” He asked, his throat suddenly dry, his voice low and husky and she nodded but didn’t say a word, as her eyes locked on his with an intensity that made the air between them crackle.

Michael had assumed she had been asleep, and his plan was to give her space, to not smother her. He was even ready to spend the night on the couch, letting her have the bedroom to herself.

But now she was here, and with a slow, deliberate movement, she reached out her hand towards him and just like that, her other hand let go of the sheet, letting it slip to the floor like a soft whisper.

Michael’s breath hitched and he gasped, his mind reeling as he took in the sight before him.

There she stood, completely naked, looking like a goddess he would forever worship and all he could think was how in the world he had ever gotten so lucky. Without hesitation, he took her offered hand, and rose to his feet as if drawn by some magnetic force.

Then he took a little step closer and his free hand found its way to the back of her neck, pulling her close, and he kissed her deeply, pouring all his emotions into that kiss — a mixture of longing, relief, and a passion that had been simmering just beneath the surface for way too long.

She melted into his kiss, her naked body now pressed against him, making his head spin.

Then Lisa broke off the kiss slowly, pulled back and gave him a mischievous look he immediately recognized.

Oh, damn.

She turned and started walking slowly towards the bedroom, still holding his hand and gently pulling him along as he couldn’t take his eyes off her perfect body, swaying gently in front of him. When they reached the doorway, she turned to him again letting go of his hand and Michael immediately wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him.

He kissed her deeply, then tenderly cradled her face in his hands.

He was still kissing her deeply, tasting her when his right hand slid from her cheek and made its way down to cup one of her breasts, fingers idly stroking the sensitive skin there, making her moan into his mouth. Her skin was soft and warm under his fingertips, and he could feel the shiver that ran though her, only making him want more.

“God, Lise… you’re perfect.”

He felt her heart flutter at his words underneath his palm and he slowly moved his lips from her face, delicately trailing down her neck, kissing and licking that one sensitive spot there, as he lightly grazed her nipple with his thumb, the action drawing first a gasp and then a soft moan of his name from her lips.

“So perfect...” He whispered. “So fucking beautiful.”

Michael moved his lips lower to kiss her shoulder gently and then he pulled back slightly, his hands trailing back down to settle on her hips, as he tenderly touched his forehead to hers.

Lisa was looking into his eyes and he felt her hands run up and down his back gently, tracing slow, tender patterns there before one of her hands traveled up and her fingers slid through his hair, pulling him closer. Her other hand gently rested on his neck, her thumb brushing his skin, making him shiver.

A part of him still couldn’t believe this was actually happening. After all the chaos that had unfolded between them — not just in the past few days but over the last couple of years — Lisa was finally here, at his place, standing right in front of him, naked …

She let out a soft sigh as they fell into another all-consuming kiss and Michael’s hands slipped down to cup her butt, squeezing gently as he pulled her even tighter against him making sure she could feel his hard warmth against her thigh and she moaned again and melted into his embrace even more.

He squeezed his eyes shut when she pressed her entire naked body against him and her hand traveled down to his chest, then to his stomach and then dropped to his crotch, grabbing him through the fabric of his jeans, making him moan out loud and Michael kissed her hungrily again.

A few moments later, she broke off the heated kiss, took a step back and moved over to the bed, sitting down and giving him one of those sultry looks he knew all too well and loved so much.

Lisa could be so many things in the bedroom… sweet and gentle, playful and adventurous, rough… and he loved every single side of her, always keeping him on his toes and making him feel so alive…

He cocked an eyebrow and smiled, making his way towards her and standing over her with a playful glint in his eye.

“Feeling lonely here, girl?” He teased.

Lisa shrugged playfully. “Maybe…”

Michael brought his hand up, his fingertips brushing softly against her cheek before trailing down her jawline and over her neck, finally resting at the curve of her breast. He bent down and touched his lips to hers again, his tongue finding its way into her hot mouth while his fingers continued their gentle exploration of her skin.

He felt her shiver, and her hand came up to cradle his jaw as she leaned into the slow, languid kiss even more, savoring every moment and Michael slowly put one of his knees on the bed and pushed Lisa down, still kissing her deeply, his tongue teasing and tasting her.

Lisa let out another soft whimper as he lay gently on top of her and took his mouth to one of her breasts, licking her nipple and relishing in the way she gasped and moaned whenever he sucked it in his mouth gently.

Michael shifted as he felt his hard-on pressing now painfully against his jeans and groaned... Gosh, he really had to get out of those damn pants but he also wanted to savor every single second, to drag this out and make her feel good…

He moved his mouth to the other nipple, sucking and teasing, while he let his hands roam all over her stunning body, unable to get enough of her.

With his mouth all over her perfect body, feeling her warmth seep into him, he realized Lisa was his own personal high, the kind he couldn’t quit even if he tried.

She was his addiction — straight-up potent, a rush he craved more than anything else in the world. It was insane how one person could make him feel so steady and so wild all at once, like she was his fix, his calm and chaos, wrapped up in this beautiful body he would give anything to hold onto.

He traced his lips down to her belly button, leaving small kisses there before he looked up, and a fresh wave of emotion hit him as he saw her eyes half-closed, her cheeks flushed, and her lips glistening and slightly parted, emitting those sweet sounds of passion he remembered so well.

Lisa opened her eyes, looked back at him and her hands found their way to his pants, working on the button and sliding down the zipper and he let out a groan, impatient to be free of the stupid, confining fabric.

Okay, he really couldn’t take it anymore…

In one swift motion, he sat up, yanked his shirt over his head, and tossed it aside. Then he quickly shed his jeans and boxer briefs while Lisa’s eyes never left him, watching intently his every single move.

Once he got rid of all the damn clothes, he swiftly moved on top of her again, his body pressing against hers, finally with no barriers between them and he pinned her wrists above her head while Lisa’s eyes flashed with desire as he watched her lick her lips.

“God, I want you so much, girl…” He groaned before kissing her deeply once more, and Lisa whimpered underneath him.

“I want you, too.”

She spread her legs and he slowly moved in between them and felt himself tremble when he felt her wet heat pressing against his tip.

If he shifted just a bit …

“Baby… do you… do you want me to get… um…?” He murmured against her lips before moving his face to her neck as he tried to distract himself by nibbling on her sensitive skin there.

“I’m on a pill… we don’t need… unless you…” She panted, clearly fighting to get some control too, wrapping her legs around him and pulling him closer, making him groan loudly.

‘Unless he nothing…’

He couldn’t wait any longer… He slid into her waiting heat and moaned in a mix of bliss and relief, unable to understand how he had managed to live without her for so long.

A connection that he had never felt with anyone else. Only Lisa. She was the one… nothing else mattered but the feel of her, the way her breath caught whenever he touched her, the soft sighs she made that drove him out of his mind, the mixture of raw need and something that twisted deep inside his chest…

He gave her a few seconds to adjust to him and Lisa moaned loudly in response, digging her fingers into his shoulders as her hips rocked gently against his.

“Michael…” She purred and he pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. “Fuck me…”

Another wave of heat rushed through him when he caught the lustful glint in her eyes and she leaned forward slightly, probably with the intent to kiss him, but he beat her to it, touching his lips with hers in a deep and all-consuming kiss.

He started moving slowly in and out of her while his head dropped and he planted soft kisses over her jawline and then down her neck, kissing and nipping his way over her shoulder.

As they made love slowly and gently, their moans filling up the quiet room, Michael put his hand in her hair, tangling his fingers through the strands, then slowly ran his thumb along her cheek to her lips and she sucked it into her hot mouth, flicking her tongue around it, making it so hard not to cum right away.

He had to close his eyes and hold his breath for a second to calm himself down…

Everything just felt right — so perfectly right.

The weight of missed moments and lost time slowly faded from his mind, leaving only the pure, electric bliss of being with her.

Buried deep inside her, he moved slowly, keeping his thrusts long, yet strong, just the way he remembered she liked it and he could hear her whisper his name, soft and urgent, over and over, as if it was the only thing that mattered.

His hips rolled against hers and unable to stop himself, he gripped her leg and hooked it over his arm, pushing deeper into her, making her cry out loud.

“Aaah, damn, that feels so good…” She let out and bit his earlobe gently.

“God, Lisa… you feel so fucking amazing.” He panted desperately into her ear as he felt one of her hands in his hair while the other scratched down his back almost painfully.

In that moment, everything came rushing back — their love, which had been sidelined for years, the passion they had always shared that never truly faded, and the deep connection that had always bound them together.

Despite all his efforts to convince himself he would be better off without her, the truth was undeniable: Lisa was the one and only for him and no amount of time or distance could ever change that.

All the emotions bubbling up within him made him start moving more insistently against her, picking up the pace and she cried out loud with every deep thrust.

He thought for a moment about slowing down, drawing things out to make their pleasure last, but he also wasn’t sure he was able to last much longer. It was all too intense on both physical and emotional level and he felt himself drowning in the moment in her.

Michael shifted and reached down and his fingers found her clit, teasing it gently, while his tongue drew erratic patterns all over her neck.

Luckily, it didn’t take long and Lisa’s breathing became labored and shallow, letting him know that whatever he was doing was working.

“Oh my god, fuck… I’m so close. Don’t stop, don’t.” She panted into his ear and he kissed her deeply right before he felt Lisa start trembling heavily against him, swallowing all her moans and cries as she came hard in his arms.

He felt her muscles flutter around him, tightening and gripping him, and he broke off the kiss squeezing his eyes shut, trying to stop the eruption brewing inside him.

“God, Lisa… aah!” He gasped and growled, burying his face in her neck again while he tried to pull out hoping his whole body would be able to calm down and he could last longer but instead she grabbed his ass with both hands and pulled him back deep inside her, keeping him in place, shaking her head lightly at him as he heard himself let out a deep growl.

“Aaah, fuck, Lisa… Dammit.”

“Don’t hold back, baby. Let… let it feel good.” She let out, her voice still shaky and deep with desire.

Okay, there was no going back now.

Michael gave in, her name tearing free of his lips in a low growl and with one final thrust he was there, shuddering through his own release.

He buried his head in her neck, and he could clearly hear his own moans morph into soft, helpless sobs.

Michael couldn’t remember the last time he came so hard and Lisa held him close, their hearts racing and their breathing a mixture of gasps and whimpers.

After a couple of minutes they had spent catching their breaths, he felt as Lisa’s nails started gently scratching his back, tracing lazy, meandering patterns that sent shivers up his spine and with what little strength he had left, he raised his head and locked eyes with her. She didn’t miss a beat and her lips found his in a kiss that was desperate and hungry, her body still shaking lightly against him.

Lisa wrapped her arms and legs around him like a vine, making it clear she had no intention of letting him go and it made him smile… He couldn’t think of a place he would rather be right now than right there with her.

They lost themselves in each other, kissing until time itself seemed to blur. God only knew how long they stayed like that before he finally, and ever so slowly, shifted his weight and collapsed onto the bed beside her, immediately pulling her into a tight embrace.

“So amazing.” He mumbled into her hair. Her breaths were deep and still a little ragged, like she had just run a marathon, and Michael could relate. Every emotion he had been trying to outrun was now stampeding through him like a herd of wild rhinos, tearing down every wall he had ever built, leaving him raw and exposed to the one thing he had once forbidden himself to feel for her.

He didn’t need those walls. Not anymore.

It was time to tear them down all the way.

“I love you.” He whispered, his voice still shaky. “So fucking much.”

“I love you, Michael.”

He wasn’t done with her — nowhere near it. They still had the whole night ahead of them, and he planned to make every second count.

But for now, his eyes were getting heavy, the kind of heavy that only came after making love to Lisa.

She was his drug, the best damn sleeping pill he had ever taken.

She was it.

The one.

And this time, he was not going to fuck it up. No way was he losing this woman again…