Chapter 6
Michael walked down the stairs, scratching his naked stomach and then rubbing it as it began to rumble. It was late in the morning, and he and Ambra hadn’t eaten yet.
He smiled because she was still passed out from the day they had yesterday and then the sexathon when they got back later that evening.
He’d planned a scenic train ride on the Golden Pass Express that took them from Montreux through Gstaad and Zweisimmen, ending in Interlaken, where he had booked a spa day. The spa had amazing views of the mountains from the pools and hot tubs, where they had relaxed before getting massages and enjoying a light meal.
On their way back to the chalet, they chatted as they marveled at the beautiful scenery visible through the big windows of their first-class seats on the train. They sipped their warm beverages and leaned against each other, enjoying the day. He had never felt so relaxed and aware of a person at the same time. The sexual tension between them and the banked heat was always ready to ignite. He now wanted her all the time and anywhere. But it wasn’t just the chemistry between them. He was now noticing her as a beautiful, desirable woman.
Michael found that he just wanted to spend time watching her laugh. Her laughter had always been infectious to him, but now he was seeing her as a woman and a lover—not his best friend. He had never noticed how plump her lips were and how he had to hold himself back from constantly wanting to kiss them. Or her smile, and how it lit up her whole face. Or those long lashes that swept down to cover her cheeks when she slept or blinked. The way her dark eyes widened when she saw something she liked and turned to look at him with happiness. That twinkle in her eyes when she teased him. The way he was constantly touching her, liking the feel of her skin under his hand. He even held her hand when they left the chalet and felt off when he had to release it to do something, or when she needed it. Then he would grab it again as soon as he could.
The clothes she wore made him want to take them off so he could gaze at the magnificent body underneath. He was semi hard in her presence all the time, wanting to again plunge into her soft, wet cavern. He could tell she was not immune to him either from the way her breath would quicken when he was close and the way she would lower her eyes, her tongue poking out to lick her bottom lip. That move always brought him to full attention. He found her cute and sexy at the same time when she did that.
Her moans and screams he could not get enough of either. It was like music to his ears, and he couldn’t stop himself when he heard her doing that. To his surprise, Ambra also moaned like she was orgasming in her dreams while she was asleep, and he took great pleasure in bringing more out of her.
He smirked. They had almost missed the last train back because hearing Ambra moan as the masseuse worked out her knots had driven him crazy to the point where he told the two women to leave, paying them handsomely to let him finish his date’s massage. They had looked at the amount and shrugged before leaving them in peace. He had to use the pillow to muffle her screams, or they would have gotten kicked out.
When they were done, they were greeted by a very angry manager and were told to not come back. Until Michael also gave him money, which changed his attitude pretty quickly. They didn’t have time for a quick bite but stopped at a small café, where Ambra ordered fries and was happy to see that they also served ice cream. He ordered fries too and then nearly upchucked his when he saw what she was doing. He stared at her as if she had sprouted horns. The woman was dipping her fries into her ice cream and making ecstatic sounds.
“What are you doing?” He made a face.
She grinned. “What, haven’t you tried French fries dipped into ice cream before? It’s delicious. Try one.”
She wiggled the offending piece of food in front of him.
“Nah, I’m good. Going to stick with the traditional way of eating my fries. That is just gross.”
She made an airplane motion with the fry to try and get him to open up, but he pressed his lips together firmly.
“I should leave you stranded here for that awful display—mmhmmph.” He reluctantly chewed on the piece of cold, soggy fry that she had shoved in his mouth. He tried it, he really did, and when it went down, it almost brought some of the other fries back up with it.
Ambra laughed and swatted his arm. “It’s good, stop playing.”
He gulped it back down and then took a sip of the coke he had ordered to drown out the taste of the fry in his mouth.
She grinned and then squealed when he took her mouth in a kiss as punishment for giving him that foul thing. But the kiss changed quickly as he became more interested in tasting her mouth. His tongue slipped to the slightly parted seam of hers, running it back and forth till she sighed and opened herself to him. Her cold fingers caressed the back of his neck and he growled, loving her touching him. He hadn’t known that he was sensitive there until she started doing it when he was buried deep inside of her and they were moving as one.
He pulled away before he lost control and stared into her darkened eyes, showing her need and desire for him. Michael was glad that Ambra was very responsive to him and let him see how much he affected her. Her face and expressions no longer held nothing back.
Michael took the last step down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen to find some champagne and orange juice to make her a mimosa—one of her favorite drinks—and to see what food was available so he could prepare her breakfast in bed.
He stepped into the kitchen, where sunlight was pouring in through the big windows, and spied that Colin had been by earlier. He walked up to the tray of food already laid out with a note propped on it.
It was a pleasure to work for you and Ambra. Take care of her, she is one of the ones you fight to keep…
How did he know Ambra’s name?
He continued reading.
You had to sleep sometime, and I was here yesterday when she came down looking for a snack to eat and got to know her.
Why did he just imagine Colin grinning when he said that? He scowled, not liking that Colin and Ambra had met up and had a discussion while he had been oblivious.
See you soon. Attached is the bill for my services.
He took the invoice from the back of the letter and then whistled. “You are one expensive bastard.” But it had been worth it.
After the dinner that first night, Colin had made himself invisible to them. He was always there making something for them before they could even think about it, leaving it for them to find. Michael glanced down at the breakfast tray. There were homemade waffles with maple syrup in small shot glasses, fresh fruit in a small bowl on the side, and squeezed orange juice and coffee. A blooming red rose completed the tray next to a mimosa for Ambra. Nice touch.
Everything looked good, and he hoped to fill her belly to her satisfaction. While she was relaxed, he would propose that they continue what they started here when they headed back to New York. He hadn’t thought everything through yet, but he knew he didn’t want things to end between them. He hoped they could continue with this until it was out of their systems, then they could go back to being just friends.
He suddenly wondered why he felt a knot in his stomach at the thought that they could go back to being friends after this. It didn’t sit well with him, but before he could continue to ponder on this feeling, his phone in his pocket rang.
He had turned on his phone today to see what he had missed and had given Ambra her phone back too. It was on her side table, but he had put it on silent so that she could continue to sleep.
He had of course ignored all the calls and text messages from his brothers. He wasn’t ready yet to hear them chew him out over Ambra again. His mom and dad had gone away on a cruise and would not be back until next week, but he had received texts from his mother checking up on him.
They had kept the weekend together from their parents, knowing that Ambra’s parents were away for their annual hike, meaning they’d be off-grid with minimal access to communication for the duration of trip. So, they hadn’t heard about what happened at the auction put on by Diamond.
He gazed down at the number on the ringing phone and was surprised to see who it was. He had thought that he would never hear from her again, especially after the heated conversation they had after the events at the hotel opening.
“Summer,” he said as he tucked the phone against his ear, ready to grab the trays, but then he paused when he heard her sniffling.
“Michael, I am so sorry for what I said. I want to see you. We need to talk. Where are you now?”
He stood stock-still. “Michael are you there?” He heard her sniffle again, her voice sounding husky.
“Yes, I am here. Summer, what is this? What do we have to talk about? You said what you needed to say to me last time and that you were with someone new,” he said harshly.
“I know, and it was a mistake, Michael. I miss you so much. Don’t you miss me?”
He rubbed his fingers through his hair in agitation, his feelings for her resurfacing after hearing her voice on the phone. “Summer, I—” He heard a noise from upstairs where Ambra was sleeping and knew she was getting up. Ambra didn’t wake up like normal people. She usually floundered around first, sleepily bumping into things as she made her way to the bathroom. He figured she must have knocked over something on the way to relieve herself, and he smiled.
“Michael?”
“Yeah, still here. Just going to head to the study to finish our conversation.” He decided to leave the kitchen just in case Ambra came down while he was still on the phone with Summer.
He entered the study and closed the door slightly behind him, then walked over to the windows, staring out at the view while Summer continued to pretty cry in his ear.
He sighed. He didn’t feel moved like he used to before, and that was mostly due to Ambra and the fact that Summer had tried to hurt him by throwing a new lover in his face.
If he really thought about it, he thought maybe doing something special for Summer would finally make her notice him and want to be with him. Hell, he had even contemplated settling down with her at one point but had been having doubts. He had hoped that this getaway would cement everything for him, but he now realized it would never have worked with her. It had all been about the chase and her beauty, not the woman inside. With Ambra he got the whole package: beauty, friendship, intelligence, and a lover that fulfilled every need he had.
His attention was caught when he heard Summer say, “Did you go to the chalet? Did you really take her with you and give her the romantic package intended for me?” The last part came out bitter.
“Yes, I came to the chalet with Ambra. I told you I was going to do that. She won the prize.”
“But did you follow through on the plan to get revenge and humiliate her like you told me you were going to do?” she asked.
He sighed. “I told you I was only doing this for revenge and to humiliate her because I—” He turned to look at the door because he thought he had heard something. He strode over to it, opening it quickly, but no one was standing there. He glanced around, and seeing nothing, he shut the door completely.
“Things have changed, and I no longer want to get back at Ambra.”
“You fucked her?” Summer shrieked loudly in his ear, causing it to pop.
He stiffened in anger. “It is none of your business who I take as my partner. We are not together Summer, and I don’t think we will work. We should just be friends.”
“All that chasing me...all the promises you made to me, stringing me along. You selfish bastard!”
He raised his eyebrows. “You mean you kept me spinning, and now that I am no longer interested because of your games, you want to turn this all on me?”
“You won’t get away with this, you owe me!” Summer continued to screech.
“Don’t threaten me; you won’t like the outcome, Summer. You know my family’s reach and what I can do,” Michael said, his voice ice cold.
“I—”
He heard the front door slamming, and dread hit him. He walked out of the study with Summer still talking in his ear, but he couldn’t hear anything but the sound of his pounding heart and then the sound of a car starting up. Ambra was leaving.
He had an overwhelming feeling that he needed to hurry and catch her before she could leave because he knew that she was fleeing because of what she had overheard. She must have made that sound at the study door and heard some of his conversation.
He threw open the door to see her reversing out of the driveway, her eyes focused on the rear-view mirrors before suddenly flashing up to his. She hit the gas pedal to continue going backwards down the driveway until she could find a spot to turn around.
Michael hung up on Summer, not caring that he had cut her off. He didn’t bother to dial Ambra’s phone because he knew she would not pick up. He texted her instead and stared at her when he sent her the message. He saw her pause for a second, the car slowing down, and grab her phone that was next to her on the seat. She glanced at the message and then narrowed her eyes at him before turning the car around and heading down the road.
He grinned and closed the door, sending one more last text before whistling as he went up the stairs to go change.
***
Ambra fumed at the messages Michael had sent her as she drove away from the chalet. She had been hurt, humiliated, and angered when she overheard the conversation between Summer and Michael. This had all been about him getting revenge on her. She couldn’t believe how the amazing couple of days spent with him had turned into ashes. She had left before he could humiliate her even more. It seemed he still wanted another pound of flesh from her.
When she had halted at the first ping of the phone, she knew she should have ignored it and now regretted seeing his messages.
He was pissed, and his threat had been loud and clear. ‘You know I love a good game of hide-and-seek. I so love the chase, especially if it is you. See you soon.’
She narrowed her eyes at him and then turned the car around as he closed the chalet’s door behind him. She heard another ping from her phone and kept driving as she swiped to see what else he had written.
‘ And you will pay for taking what belongs to me away.’
She huffed, her anger rising. How dare he threaten her? She drove for a while to put some space between them, and then when she had gotten far enough, she dialed someone.
“I need your help.”