Love Connection

by Crimson Romance

  “What would it take to get you to relax around me?” He’d called her out, but his tone was kind. Gone was the cocky man who’d say or do anything to get under her skin. This was the new Michael, the one who turned her on, treated her with total respect, and made her feel safe. This new development was tricky to navigate.

  Realizing she was sitting ramrod straight on the edge of the sofa, she moved back and forced herself to at least appear more relaxed. “I guess I don’t know how to react to, uh, what’s been going on between us.”

  “I like how you’ve been reacting.” His lips curled into a suggestive smile, and he sipped his wine. “I really have enjoyed it, you know.” The sincerity in his voice sent a shiver of pure feminine pleasure skipping down her spine. How did he manage to be rakish and sweet simultaneously?

  She cast her eyes down at her lap, where her hands were gripping her glass. “I have, too.”

  “Then why are you trying to put as much distance as possible between us?” He scooted closer to her on the couch until their thighs were touching. “You seemed comfortable enough being close to me this morning.” So he had realized that she had spent the night in his arms.

  She sighed and wrestled with how to answer his question. “I don’t know. Maybe I just need time to think about what’s happening. I don’t want to get caught up in something I’m not certain about.”

  “What’s to be certain about? I like you, you like me. We have a good time together. Why not enjoy it while it lasts?”

  “I’m usually not so ... casual.” She was never casual with her relationships, but something about Michael made her want to throw all her rules out the window.

  “This is only as casual as you want it to be. If you’d rather cool things down, I won’t push you. If you want to keep your distance when we’re alone, I’ll respect that. We only have to pretend to be together when we’re with the production staff. But I can’t be the only one who realizes how amazing it would be for us, right? Waking up with you in my arms this morning was damn near perfect.”

  It was too perfect, too real, and she didn’t want to talk about it. Once her feelings got involved, once things moved beyond physical attraction, she’d be sorry. It would get too complicated, and she’d be left with a broken heart. Was it possible to suspend her growing affection for him, to simply enjoy the night? Maybe she could separate her emotions and her physical desires. Play it safe and stay away from relationship territory.

  “One thing I can’t seem to forget is that kiss from the first time we were on the show.” She sipped her wine, worried that she’d revealed too much, let her real feelings show.

  His brow furrowed. “Yeah, what about that?”

  “It’s just been on my mind this whole time, and I don’t like pretending it never happened.”

  “We don’t have to.”

  “Every time I think about it, I remember how bad things got between us.”

  “And you think it was because of the kiss?”

  She shifted, not sure she wanted to get into the discussion. After a deep breath, she blurted out what she’d been hiding: “I hate the way it made me feel. I wanted to kiss you, but it was stupid to want it, and even stupider to do it. I knew the second we went back on set that you just wanted to push me off-balance, and I felt like an idiot for falling for it.”

  Finally. It was out in the open, for better or worse, and they could move on. The softening in Michael’s expression was the last thing she expected. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, his gaze focused on her. “I wasn’t trying to do anything but kiss you, Carly. There was no game. How could you think that?”

  Speechless, she looked away, feeling a blush creep into her cheeks. Finally, she whispered. “I don’t know.”

  “Listen, when we go back, we still have to pretend to be a couple, at least until the wedding’s over. It won’t be so difficult at home, you know, without a camera crew and people asking us about the relationship all the time, but we’ll have to keep it up.” He sipped his own wine, and his eyes danced with mischief. “Once we’re alone again, you can go back to hating me or ignoring me or whatever you want. But just because we’ve had a rough start doesn’t mean it always has to be that way.”

  “Maybe I’m overthinking this.” He was clearly game to explore their compatibility without worrying about emotions getting in the way, and the idea was too tempting to dismiss. “Being together here is like being in a bubble, like who we are at home is irrelevant. I just don’t want to do anything we’ll regret later.”

  “I won’t regret anything we do together.” He leveled her with a serious look, a look that challenged her. A look full of promises she’d like for him to fulfill.

  Whoa. One thing was sure, she’d regret letting this moment go to waste. It had been years since she’d felt connected to a man so completely, on such a primal level. The look in his eyes promised a night she wouldn’t soon forget, and for once she threw caution out the window. She took a deep breath and stepped outside her comfort zone. “Let’s just see what happens, then, and worry about what it all means another time. While we’re here, anything goes.”

  “Come here.” He set down his wineglass and patted his lap.

  There was no turning back now.

  Chapter Eight

  Carly stood on trembling legs before him. Michael’s eyes raked up and down her body, taking her in, clouding with lust. He centered himself on the couch and shot her an expectant look as he patted his leg, and she looked away, embarrassed. She’d always been too self-conscious to enjoy sitting in men’s laps, and he was well-known for the twiggy women he usually dated.

  “I want to see if what’s under that dress is as gorgeous as I imagine.” His voice shot a hot wave of lust through her. “It was so hard to resist finding out this morning.”

  A flush heated her face as she fingered the hem of her stylish, and figure-flattering, sleeveless A-line dress. What the hell, why not? She wasn’t trying to become his girlfriend, and if he didn’t like what she had to offer, he would simply move on. This was one night, probably the only one she’d ever have with Michael, and then they’d go back to normal. With any luck, once the mystery was gone, she could go back to breathing normally around him again, could look at him without swooning every time their eyes met. Once he saw what was hidden beneath her clothes, he might realize she wasn’t what he was looking for. But he’d obviously enjoyed what he’d been able to feel through her dress. There was magic in the way he kissed her. Undeniable, spellbinding magic. There was something between them, even if she didn’t know what it was.

  “Unzip me.” She turned her back to him and held her breath, hoping he’d stand to unzip her dress and not laugh at her failed attempt to sound sexy. She needn’t have worried. Within moments, her dress was pooled around her ankles. She was more thankful than ever to have put on pretty, matching lingerie.

  “Gladly.” She heard the smile in his voice as he sucked in a breath and ran his fingertips lightly over her body.

  His hands roamed over the fronts of her thighs and skimmed her stomach. Mindlessly, she pushed back against him, feeling very clearly just how interested he was. He fisted one hand in her hair and pulled her head to the side, gently and slowly, so he could drop kisses from her shoulder up to her neck. His lips were soft and warm, sending shots of pleasure to her core every time they made contact. With a groan, he turned her around, and out of habit, her hands flew to cover her stomach as she sucked in her breath. He raised an eyebrow and took her wrists in his hands, gently moving them to her sides.

  “Don’t hide yourself from me. I’ve imagined this so many different times, in so many different ways. Don’t deprive me.” He claimed her lips in a crushing kiss, hot and filled with longing. He urged her lips open and deepened the kiss as his arms encircled her, pulling her close until nothing but scraps of fabric separated them. “I’ve been dying to see what’s under your clothes, and I don’t want to waste a minute.”

  His lips left
a scorching trail of kisses down her neck and across her collarbone. She ran her fingers through his hair, encouraging him. He sank onto the sofa and pulled her with him until she was straddling his lap. With fumbling fingers, she hurriedly unbuttoned his shirt, finally about to touch him without worrying about what it meant. What she found did not disappoint. His skin was smooth, soft and inviting, and she ran her hands over the planes of his stomach to find hard muscle bunched underneath. He was gorgeous, and for once, she’d simply take what was offered to her and forget about the consequences.

  Was this wise? Surely not. Was she going to do it anyway? Michael picked her up and carried her across the suite to the bed, tossed her down, and unbuckled his belt. Yes. She was going to do it, and she’d love every second. His wicked smile told her that he had no reservations about what they were about to do. He pulled his belt through the loops and watched her, his searing eyes never leaving hers, as he unbuckled his pants and pushed them to the floor. She sucked in a breath at the sight of him standing at the foot of the bed, handsome, hard, and obviously ready for her. He snapped his fingers and turned away, finding his bag and rummaging through until he produced a small foil packet. He shook the packet playfully before joining her on the bed, crawling on top of her.

  Heat radiated from his body as he lowered himself onto her, his erection practically pulsing against her. They kissed, deep and searching, as his teasing hands roamed over her body. Her hips swiveled up to meet him, only her panties separating them, and he pushed against her. He trailed kisses all over her body, leaving her wanting more of him, all of him, until he sat up and rocked back on his heels. He hooked his fingers through the sides of her panties and pulled them off in one swift motion before flinging them behind him. His knees pushed her legs apart, and he settled in between them.

  “You’re so beautiful, Carly. I’ve always wanted you, wanted this. I can’t wait another minute.” At his words, she was afraid she would explode before he even touched her. He rolled the condom on and flashed her a look, her crazy lust for him reflected in his own eyes.

  “Me neither.” She managed to say the words, then he was on her, crushing her lips in a searing kiss.

  He ran his hands over her body until they reached the apex of her thighs. Michael slowed down and explored her gently with a soft caress. She pushed her hips up to meet his touch, encouraging him, and he moved to suck her earlobe into his mouth, nipping gently.

  “Last chance. Are you sure you want this?” His voice was husky, his breath hot against her skin. “That you want me?”

  “Oh, yes.” She groaned. She was past wanting him. Now she needed him, and she was so tired of fighting it.

  Needing no further encouragement, he entered her, and she arched her back to meet him. They stayed joined and motionless for the briefest moment. They were perfectly matched, as she knew they would be, fitting together as effortlessly as they had that morning. As he moved within her, she pulled him close to her, her hands splayed across back and shoulders. His enchanting, warm scent drifted over her, their ragged breath intermingling. The haze of lust clouding her mind allowed her to forget that this wasn’t real. Just for the moment, she let herself believe that this was more than physical attraction. He filled her, completely and exquisitely, and everything was perfect.

  “You’re so beautiful. So sexy.” Her eyelids fluttered closed as his words washed over her, pushing her to new heights of pleasure. Never in her wildest fantasies had she imagined that Michael Welch would turn her on so completely, that he’d know just what to do and say. “You feel so good.” Her climax crashed through her as she hooked her ankles behind his back and pulled him closer.

  Michael held her hips as he drove into her, deeper and harder, until he stiffened with his own climax. He collapsed on top of her, covering her with his delicious weight, motionless while their breathing slowed. He pulled out of her and fell to her side, encircling her in his arms. She snuggled into his embrace, enjoying the contentment that washed over her. She found the nook between his neck and collarbone and nestled in, finding that it felt more like home than anything ever had before. Her lips brushed the soft skin of his neck, and she settled into his embrace with an arm resting at his hip.

  His fingertips ran over her curves lazily, and they lay together silently in the afterglow. His breath was warm against her as he kissed the top of her head. Tomorrow, she’d deal with the cold hard facts. Tonight, she would sleep in the arms of her perfect man, completely satisfied.

  • • •

  Michael skimmed his hand over Carly’s hips and settled on the peachy curve of her butt, unable to resist giving her a little squeeze. The soft glow of the bedside alarm clock illuminated her with a subtle light. She was just right, the perfect shape and size to fit against him.

  When they’d woken up that morning, tangled up in one another, he’d held his breath, afraid that she would realize she’d worked her way into his arms. He knew the moment she fully awoke, since her body stiffened immediately. She seemed so mortified to be tucked against him that he pretended to be asleep. For the few moments he had her there, secure and content beside him, before she woke and moved away, he could pretend that she returned his growing feelings, that they were as good a pair as he thought.

  After that sweet night, he never thought they’d actually take things as far as they did. As her breathing became more regular, a soft sigh escaped her lips and landed straight in his chest. If only she was always like this, always happy in his arms. Michael’s last real relationship, so long ago, had almost convinced himself he didn’t want another one. He didn’t, not really, until Carly came into his life. But a woman like her wouldn’t want a relationship with him. He was a joke to her, beneath her, and the only way he’d ever worked his way into her good graces was because he’d taken her out of her element. That was all it was.

  Once they returned home, she’d remember she couldn’t stand to be in the same room with him. The glimpses of attraction in her eyes had been just that—attraction, and nothing more. The relationship charade and crazy scrutiny of the show had brought out her insecurities, and she needed him to hold on to. There was nothing more between them, and he had to remember that before he did something stupid. No real feelings were behind her heated gazes. Once they were back home, she’d shut down; he was sure of it.

  Harsh reality could wait, though, and tonight, he’d enjoy the perfect fit of the most amazing woman he’d ever met. He pulled her close, breathing in her intoxicating fragrance, and whispered in her ear, “I wish you could really be mine.”

  She sighed and snuggled closer before mumbling, “Me, too.”

  Chapter Nine

  Something came up and I had to run out, but I’ll be back in time to grab lunch before we have to catch our flight. Thanks for last night, cupcake. It was everything I imagined.—Michael

  Carly held Michael’s note, roughly scrawled on hotel stationary, in trembling fingers. Disappointment sat in her stomach like a rock, weighing down the bubbly happiness that carried her off to sleep the night before. What had she expected would happen? That she’d wake up in his arms and somehow their relationship would be real? That one night together was magical enough to change him? She should’ve known better. If she expected him to respect her feelings, it would have been necessary to actually share them with him. And she wasn’t going there. Her decision to keep work and romance separate was a good one. Nothing had changed, and the sooner she got that through her head, the better.

  She sat up, still tangled in the sheets. His scent lingered in the air, that complex bergamot and leather combination, and longing gripped her. Michael, whose every word and action worked her last nerve, had somehow managed to wind his way under her skin.

  But he apparently had no trouble hopping out of bed and getting on with his day. She would do well to follow his lead. He wouldn’t come back to their room to find her vulnerable and needy, still lying in bed, waiting for him. She’d be showered, dressed, and neatly made up.
/>
  Her phone buzzed on the dresser, pulling her thoughts back to the present. She checked the display, and seeing that her mother was on the line, decided not to answer. It was too soon to hold a normal conversation, and the last thing she needed was a reminder of her horrible taste in men. Her parents encouraged her to find a suitable guy to settle down with, but as usual, she’d gone for the guy who’d leave her feeling needy and used. A pad of hotel stationary caught her eye, and she scanned the notes scratched across the page. Michael had doodled along the edges, but had jotted down information, probably during a phone call. He’d written the name “Kelly,” an address, and something else he’d scratched out. So that explained his “something” that came up.

  Bile rose in her throat as the reality of her situation washed over her. To her, their night together had been a revelation, an awakening. She’d never felt so connected to a man before, and it wasn’t just him; it was the way they were together. Last night wasn’t supposed to mean anything, but it did, and she had no one to blame but herself. To him, it was obviously just a night of sex, nothing more, and he was off to meet another woman before the sheets were cold. She’d learned a little about Michael during their trip, but nothing had changed. Beneath it all, he was the same guy he’d always been, and she was the sucker who’d let her heart get away from her.