22. Vivian #2
“What is Sheila saying?” she asks quickly, but my Nokia starts to ring.
I recognize Michael’s number; this caller ID thing is really cool.
No more having to guess who’s on the line.
Claire sees me break into a smile. “Go, go on and talk to lover boy, Viv.” She waves me off.
“But this conversation isn’t over,” she warns as I take the three short steps to the upper level of the house.
“Holding you to it, babe,” I tell her as I step quietly to my room, trying not to wake Raelynn next door. “Hello?” I say quietly.
“Hello there, beautiful.” Michael’s low voice soothes over the line like honey, and I couldn’t stop the butterflies that erupt in my stomach if I tried.
“Hey, baby,” I whisper back and hear him groan.
“ Fuck , mi amor, you can’t talk to me like that when I’m not there to hold you.” His husky voice tells me he’s not playing.
“Oh, so you’re saying you miss me?” I tease.
“I’m saying that I can’t sleep when you’re not in our bed.” Damn this man and his mouth . In all the ways. My breath hitches as I think of all the amazing things he can do with it.
“Woman, when are you moving in with me? When are we getting your stuff?” His impatient tone makes me laugh, breaking me out of my lustful haze.
He just can’t help himself, can he?
“Not when it comes to you, Vivian,” he says seriously. And there I go again, speaking my thoughts aloud.
“About that,” I begin, and I can hear a sharp intake of breath. “Down, baby.” I chuckle, knowing he loves it when I call him that. “I want to do something for Claire. Something to give her a break, before I leave her high and dry.”
“You know I would never let that happen, mi amor,” he says.
“I know,” I reassure him softly. “But this, you, me… everything is changing so fast. I did talk to Claire tonight, and she is one thousand percent in favor of us not wasting any time. And you know why.” He grunts in admission.
Anyone who values family as much as Michael does gets it.
“Listen, Claire's favorite favorite band is coming into town and I have a hookup with tickets.”
“You have a what ?” His voice comes out with a barely suppressed growl. Uh oh, wrong choice of words. I’m dealing with someone who’s actually protective of me for once.
I can’t hide the smile in my voice as I amend, “I mean that I know someone. A friend at the restaurant who can get me concert tickets. That kind of hookup. Don’t be so grouchy.”
“Is he a male friend?” he asks sharply. Gah, it is too much fun teasing him like this.
“Well, yes, technically,” I say.
“Vivian, I will get the tickets. I’m the only hookup you need.” His patience is wearing thin and I decide not to tease him anymore.
“You don’t need to be like that. It’s Derrick, okay? Remember, you were there?” I hear him let out a frustrated breath and grin to myself. He is so damn cute when he’s possessive.
“Right.” He exhales. “Honestly, mi amor, all I remember was getting to see you again. Pinching myself because I wasn’t sure you were real.” My heart is melting faster than a rocket pop on an August sidewalk.
Focus, Vivian . “Derrick told me he had tickets to the NSYNC concert next week and asked if we could watch Raelynn so he could take Claire.”
“Oh really?” I can hear the interest in his voice.
“Yeah, he’s had a thing for her for a while.”
“I could see that the first day I met you there.”
“Yup. I think everyone can see it except for her.”
“Maybe he’s not making himself clear enough.”
“Not everyone is as forceful as you, baby,” I tease.
“Just wait til I get you back home with me, and I’ll show you just how forceful I can be,” he growls again and no , nope, I won’t be sidetracked again. No matter how much I want to hear his sexy promises, I need to get him to agree to this.
“So how about you babysit with me that night so Derrick can take her out and have a chance to shoot his shot?”
“When is it?”
“Next Wednesday at eight,” I say, biting my lip.
One thing I’ve learned in the short time I’ve known Michael is that he’s an early to bed, early to rise kind of guy.
A nice perk when he makes breakfast for me before I’ve even woken up.
Frankly, I think it’s amazing that we even met that night because it was clearly past his bedtime.
I stifle a laugh. That hasn’t stopped him from taking me out at night however, as clearly proven when I finally got the courage to tell him I loved him the other day.
Memories of that impromptu “proposal”—if you can call it that—sends warmth all through my body; remembering how he “informed” me he was going to marry me.
And how I didn’t mind one single bit.
There is something so incredibly sexy about a man who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to take it.
“Yeah, let’s do it,” he says, and I swear I can hear him running his hand through his hair. Those gorgeous locks are probably tousled and curly after his street hockey practice.
No, Viv, don’t start thinking of him sweaty in shorts. He probably has his shirt off too .
“I do, and you’re about two seconds away from me jumping in the car and coming for you,” he says, deadly serious.
Shit! I did it again. Tiredness is getting the better of me.
But the rasp in Michael’s voice is making me feel anything but tired.
“Can you hear me, mi amor? Do you know what you do to me?” He draws the words out like a caress, and I can imagine him running his tongue over his lips. Lips I desperately want on mine.
I can’t even speak, barely breathing into the phone as he continues, “Do you know what I’m going to do to you the next time I get you alone? Just for torturing me like this? Damn, woman, I’m going to take my sweet time with you until you’re begging for mercy.”
I slide down against the wall until my butt hits the floor, my legs unable to support my weight at his words.
“I’m going to lay you out on our bed, and I’m going to kiss every single inch of you.
Touch you everywhere with my fingers, with my tongue…
tease you exactly the way the thought of you is teasing me right now…
and just when you can’t take it anymore…
” His voice drops even lower. I’m about to combust. “I’m going to take you, drive into you, claim you so fucking hard you’ll never want to leave our bed again.
Your beautiful body is going to submit to me, and I’m gonna mark every bit of you so the word hookup never passes your gorgeous lips again. Do you hear me, woman?”
“Yes, sir,” is all I can breathe out. Holy shit I’m drenched.
“Good,” he murmurs, voice gravelly with promise. “Now go to bed, mi amor. Dream of me. Te amo con todo mi corazón .”
And I crawl into bed and do exactly that.