Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
But she was restless and shifted beneath him. “Move, dammit.” She punctuated her order with a squeeze of his butt cheeks.
“Good to know you want me . . . baby.” He forced the word out of his mouth. No way would he allow his father to control any part of his life, especially this.
Her answering kiss indicated she knew how hard it had been for him and melted more of his heart. Oh hell, she already owned it, he thought, raising his hips and sliding his erection along her damp heat. She shuddered beneath him, as if mini climaxes were wracking her body already, and he took advantage, thrusting into her hard and deep.
“Michael,” she said on a groan, the way he’d come to expect.
“I love it when you say my name like that, when I’m deep inside you.”
A sultry smile lifted her lips.
He pulled out slowly, feeling her clutch around him, then drove back in once more. She raised her knees, pulling him farther into her heat, and he picked up the rhythm, in and out, his sole focus on the intensity of the feelings she inspired. Harder, faster, she met him thrust for thrust, her sexy moans increasing every time their bodies joined.
He loved the sound of sex, the grinding of bodies, but this was so much more. He’d never walk away unscathed. Bracing his hands beside her, he lowered his head, taking her lips in a hard, much-needed kiss. Her sex clenched him, milking him tighter. A tingling in his gut signaled the onset of climax. He stiffened and shuddered, imploding inside and out. He came, the release physical as much as it was emotional, the sensations pulling him under as he came harder than ever before.
From a distance, he heard her cries, gasps, the “Oh Gods,” that signaled she’d joined him for the ride. Spent, he sprawled on top of her, certain he’d never breathe well again.
A little while later, he lay with Cara curled in his arms. The longer they rested in silence, the more time he had to dwell on his meeting with Rex.
Leave it alone, son. Those words told Mike that Rex knew more than he’d admitted, but he’d been smart enough to hit Mike where it hurt to get himself off the hook. And Mike had allowed it. Still, even if he’d pushed, Mike was under no illusions he’d have been able to break Rex.
His answers didn’t lie in Vegas any more than they did in Serendipity. They were bottled up, unlikely to be revealed. He ought to call the mayor, tell her they’d hit a dead end and call it a day. But Mike didn’t like unfinished business. He hated it even more when it pertained to his life.
In the midst of the chaos with Rex, a surprising need for home surfaced. Mike wanted to talk to Sam and Erin, to feel a part of the family he’d tried so hard to distance himself from. That need surprised him.
Cara stirred, shifting and rolling to face him. “You okay?” she asked.
“I’m with you, so never better.” He leaned over and kissed her.
She smiled and curled back into his side. “Except I wasn’t talking about us. I can practically hear you thinking.”
He chuckled, not surprised how well she read him. “I have a lot on my mind.”
“Want to talk about it?” she asked, extreme caution in her voice.
No doubt because he’d been such an ass the last time she’d approached him. “I would, if there were something to discuss. Rex is a no-good son of a bitch who’d rather hurt his own son than reveal information. That about sums it up, and there’s nothing I can do to change it.”
Cara exhaled hard. “All true. But you shouldn’t dismiss how he made you feel.”
“I feel like I don’t want to have anything to do with the man, but since his blood runs through my veins, I really can’t control that either.” He wished he could take back the sarcastic bite in his voice, but it was too late.
“Mike—”
“Look, I know you’re here for me, and . . . I appreciate it.” He cut her off before she could poke at the wound his father opened in him. No matter how well-meaning, he wasn’t up to it. “I just need to work through it myself.”
“Mmm,” she said, and the sound vibrated through him. “Been there and thought that many times myself. I get it.”
For the first time, he sensed that she really did. The funny thing was, he hated the thought of her going through any of her personal garbage alone. Still, that was exactly what he needed right now.
“I can’t wait to get home,” he muttered.
“Having that bad a time?” she asked lightly.
“Not when I’m with you.” He squeezed her tighter. “I just need to get away from here.”