“I won’t lie to you, Elizabeth darling,” Frederick tossed his scarf over his shoulder, shaking his head. “You really surprised me when you texted last night. At first, I thought it was about work, since you know, you’re all about your work. But shopping? You have blown my mind.”
“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time.” Liz didn’t look away from the array of dresses she was perusing. They were in a quaint little clothing store Frederick had recommended after she had texted him in the morning. It was a rash decision, one she’d made after an intense lovemaking session with Michael the previous night, at his hotel, and a relaxing dip in a gorgeous infinity pool. She didn’t have anything to wear, and seeing that it was going to be the last performance of his she was going to watch, she wanted to look nice. She wanted to wow him.
It was a long shot, she knew. Last time she saw Frederick was in Naples, stressing out his assistant and driving his fiancée crazy. It was a desperate attempt, one that paid off though she hadn’t expected it to. Frederick said he had to fly to Venice soon anyway for work, and was more than willing to hop on a sooner flight and carve out his morning for her.
“Thanks for doing this, Fred,” Liz said. “I know I made you change all your plans.”
“Oh, no, no, it’s nothing. You did me a favor, if anything. I was looking for any excuse to quit work and go shopping. Especially seeing that you’re the one who’s asking.” He crooked a curious brow at her. Liz braced herself for the questions. “So, what’s the occasion?”
“Remember that orchestra we attended in Naples?”
“Yes, yes. How could I forget? You were looking like a seductress in that gorgeous red dress of yours, hunting for Alessandro. Have you found him, by the way?”
“He’s here,” Liz said. “In Venice.”
“That’s excellent.” He saddled closer, not bothering to keep the probing from his voice. “So, is that why you’re looking for something to wear? You’re taking Alessandro to an orchestra to seduce him?”
“Not quite. I’m going to see the composer.”
“Michael Davidson?”
“The one and the same. He’s… a friend of mine. He invited me.”
Frederick took a moment to respond to that, raking Liz with a knowing gaze that told her he had read deeper into her words. “Invited you? As a friend?”
“Mhm.” Liz turned her back to his piercing eyes. She pulled out a long black dress that swept the floor.
“You know you’re not fooling me, right?”
“I didn’t expect to but I had to try, didn’t I?”
“A brave effort, but futile.” Moving quicker than she thought possible for him, Frederick stepped into her way, preventing her from walking away. “You guys are tearing up the sheets, aren’t you?”
“That’s an interesting way to put it.”
“Since when? Was it when you disappeared after his first performance in Naples?”
Liz nodded. “I met him when I was in the States, but I didn’t expect to see him here. I went to go say hi.”
“And you two ended up knocking boots. Wow. So… how is he?”
Liz struggled to keep the smile off her face, cocking her head to the side. “Please don’t tell me you’re asking what I think you are.”
“I’m asking if he’s good in bed, clearly.”
“Right. Right.” Liz swallowed the laugh that was bubbling in her throat as she nodded. “He’s the best I’ve ever had.”
Frederick made a low whistle. “Oh, wow. That good, huh? What I wouldn’t give to get a piece of that.”
“I have Heather’s number, you know.”
“Snitch.” He nudged her playfully, finally bringing the smile out of Liz. She still held the black dress in her hands, running her fingers over the fabric. “But I get it, I get it. Every woman likes to look nice for her man. Even a frigid ice queen like you.”
“Michael is not my man.”
“I believe you,” he said with a nod, in a tone that made it obvious he didn’t. Liz decided to let it slide.
She returned her attention to the dress, imagining how she would look in it. There was a deep cut which would expose her entire back, and the front of it fared no better. Even so, it fell all the way to the ground, long enough that she suspected she would have pick it up to walk. She could put her hair up too, something she rarely ever did. She would look spectacular.
Michael was going to die when he saw her in this. The thought of it made her cheeks warm, and she turned slightly away from Frederick out of fear that he would see it. It was irrational how much she was already looking forward to seeing him, to him seeing her in this dress and watching the way his eyes lit up, then darkened with lust. She was already anticipating watching him walk up onto the stage, addressing hundreds of people in the audience, watching the way his eyes would scan over the lot of them, then magically find her. He would hold her gaze for a moment, as if they were the only two people in the world, and nothing else, no one else was important. Then he would begin, casting his spell over the audience.
The pleasure that thought gave her was staggering. She blinked, coming back to her senses. Get a grip, Liz. She was in Venice for one purpose: to get the painting and get home. That’s all she needed to do. Michael was a distraction, something to indulge in while she was here. He wasn’t anything more than that.
But imagining his arms around her as they had cuddled in the infinity pool, looking out over the breathtaking Adriatic sea—she couldn’t help feeling a little swept away in the romance. Wondering what it would be like if life could always be this good.
She had to keep telling herself that to shake off these fantasies. She cared for him, but there could be nothing more. After she was done here, she would be going back to America, back to her real life. Not this fairytale she had come to rely on.
“Fred.”
“Yes, dear?” Frederick glanced over his shoulder at her, then returned his attention back to the mirror where he was trying on colorful scarfs. With the dress still in hand, Liz made her way closer to him.
“You love Heather, don’t you?”
“Like I love myself,” he said without hesitation. “Maybe even a smidgen more.” He glanced at her with a frown this time. “Why do you ask?”
“How did you know?”
Finally, he stopped posing. He faced her, his eyebrows knitting together in thought. “I don’t know what to tell you, Elizabeth. One day I was just looking at her, and I realized that I didn’t want to be anywhere she wasn’t. That I was just perfectly happy with her in my arms. I needed her in my life forever. I needed to see her all the time, wake up next to her. I couldn’t enjoy life anymore when she wasn’t there. I couldn’t contain my joy when she was. That’s all I can really tell you. I knew, because of all of those reasons, she was the one for me.”
Suddenly, there was a buzzing in her ears. She stared in Frederick’s face, knowing she was being unresponsive, but unable to find the strength to talk. His words struck a chord inside her she hadn’t known existed, and she didn’t know what to do.
Was she… was she in love with Michael?
No, it was impossible. Liz didn’t do love. She was smarter than that. She knew the detriments of such emotion. It only caused weakness and idiotic actions, and Liz couldn’t afford that. She had a career to grow, she had milestones to overcome. She had so much planned for her life and love was only going to make things borderline impossible. She couldn’t be in love. Liz knew better than to let that sort of poison into her life. It might work for others, but it definitely wasn’t going to work for her.
In love with Michael? She couldn’t have picked a worse person. They were complete opposites. Michael was much too laidback and carefree, a wild spirit with a playful heart. Liz was, as Frederick had pointed out, a frigid ice queen. She only cared about achieving her goals in life, working towards them with no care to anything else. They were okay as lovers, but they couldn’t share a life together. It was impossible.
But it didn’t matter, because she didn’t love him. Right? She was hopped up on him maybe, caught up in the fairytale he had managed to spin for her, but once she was done here, she would be away from all that. She would come back to her senses. She would realize that she was, as she always has been, better off on her own.
“Liz?”
“I like this one.” She held up the dress, dragging herself away from her revelations. Her flaccid revelations that didn’t feel as true as they should have been. “I’m going to try it on. You tell me if you like it.”
“Alright,” Frederick said soberly, nodding. He allowed her to pass silently, no doubt realizing something was off, but deciding the wiser option was not to ask about it. Liz let that silence follow her into the changing room.
She didn’t move for a few seconds. She only stared at herself, not sure she recognized the person staring back. That was what she hated the most right now. She wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure if she was becoming a completely different person. She wasn’t sure if what she was telling herself was right, or she was making up excuses. She was too uncertain, and that was driving her more insane than anything else.
Sighing, she quickly changed into the dress. It was exactly as she imagined it, clinging to her like a second skin, and revealing a very low dip in the front and her entire back exposed. Additionally, she didn’t even notice that there was a slit up the side of the dress. When she stepped out, Frederick whistled. “I don’t think you should wear that,” he said.
“What?” She looked down at herself. Had she missed something? “Why?”
“It’s too sexy. You’re going to drive every man in that place insane. It’s going to cause a riot.”
A laugh blurted out. “Has anyone ever told you that you could write a book? You have a way with words.”
“Nah,” he said, waving his hand dismissively, “my hands are too delicate to be used in such a manner. But it’s good to know I can add something else to my long list of talents.”
Liz shook her head at that. She was about to turn back to the changing room when she saw something by the store window. It was only for a few seconds, but it did its job. Hunter stood by the window, staring at her with nothing short of a glare. He shook his head and was walking away a second later.
Liz shivered. Heat spread through her neck, and her hands began to tremble. She turned back to the changing room, trying to keep her shaking to a minimum. She should tell Frederick about him, send someone out there before he got too far away, but acute fear had her hiding away in that tiny room, trying not to think of all the things he could do to hurt her.
Trying not to think of all the people he could hurt to get to her.
“Is she here yet?”
Marcus groaned loudly, rolling his eyes. “Michael, you’ve asked me that three times for the last two minutes now. And like I said the last two times, I do not know. No one has contacted me about that yet.”
Michael struggled not to fidget. The makeup artist hovered over him, patting his cheek with a fluffy brush. Usually, he chatted it up with her, catching up on her life, on her husband and her babies. But tonight, he hardly realized she was there, rubbing his hands together in a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. Liz had insisted on going to the theater on her own, preventing him from sending someone to pick her up while he got ready for his show. Now, there was no way to know she was here until he saw her for himself.
“Are you sure you’re ready for tonight?”
“We’ve been practicing for the last two days, Marcus. I’m sure I’m going to be fine.” He smiled thankfully at the makeup artist, watching her leave. Suddenly, his tuxedo was too tight, the air too stale. What if she decided not to show? Michael wouldn’t be surprised by that at all. He knew Liz. At any moment, he was waiting for her to drop him and decide she was done with him for good. Tonight couldn’t be that night, could it?
“You’ve been practicing, yes, but you haven’t done it in a long while. Not since,” Marcus hesitated. “Not since Melody.”
“I’m going to be fine, Marcus.” Michael looked over his shoulder at him. “You know, it’s cute how much you care about me.”
“I care about the show,” Marcus said without hesitation.
“Ah, good old denial. You wouldn’t be you without your usual renunciation of your love for me.”
Marcus opened his mouth, no doubt to say something just as snide, but Michael didn’t miss the way the side of his mouth twitched.
“You’re getting on Marcus’ nerves again?”
Michael swiveled in his chair so quickly, he nearly knocked everything off the vanity table before him. He grabbed ahold of the bottles before they could tumble over and righted them quickly, looking over just in time to see Marcus move to the side, allowing Liz to step into the room.
The sight of her punched him straight in the gut. She was smiling, her eyes warm and soft. Michael felt his own smile tug at his lips, but his entire body was frozen at the sight of her in that dress. That gorgeous, figure-hugging dress that managed to show so much skin, yet cloaked her in class.
And her hair… her hair was up, tendrils falling around her face. Teardrop earrings fell from her ears, her lips painted a soft red. She cocked her head at him, raising her brow at his shock.
“Um… um…”
“You have five minutes, Michael.” Marcus nodded at Liz. “Nice to see you, Elizabeth. You look wonderful.”
“Thank you, Marcus.” She didn’t watch him leave, keeping her eyes on Michael who still couldn’t manage to get out of his chair. Marcus closed the door behind him, plunging the room into silence.
“Um…”
“Cat got your tongue, Michael?”
“I, uh…”
“It’s a good thing you don’t need your voice for your performance tonight.” Liz came forward, setting her purse down on the vanity. She perched her bum on the edge of the vanity, still smiling softly. “Are you not going to say anything at all?”
Michael coughed. “I don’t… I don’t know what to say.” Slowly, he rose to his feet, still taking her in. “You look so beautiful, Liz.”
“Thank you, Michael.” She ran a perusing gaze down the length of him. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
Gently, he reached forward and took her hand. “I’m glad you’re here. I wasn’t sure if you were going to show up or not. I’ve been asking Marcus over and over again if you were here yet.”
“I came in through the back. They didn’t give me any problems.”
“Yeah, I made sure security knew your face, just in case you did.”
Liz frowned at him. “You showed them a picture of me.”
“Yes. I snapped one of you while you when you weren’t looking. Nothing you can do or say about it now, so there’s no need getting upset.”
Michael moved in, wanting her scent wrapped around him. He pulled her into him. God, he loved the way she smelled.
“I’m not upset,” she said. “Good luck today.”
“I don’t need luck.” He pulled away, staring into her eyes. Those cool, green eyes that looked more alive than he had ever seen them. “You’re here, so I have all the luck I need.”
“Don’t ever say something that corny to me again.”
“Alright, it’s back to the drawing room, then.” Michael chuckled, smiling even harder when she laughed as well. “I have to go soon.”
“Knock ‘em dead.” She rose up and pecked him on the cheek. It took everything in Michael not to hold her tightly against him and swear to never let go.
“You know,” he suggested, “we could always just skip out on this and go somewhere secluded.”
“And miss all those roses being tossed at your feet? Why would I ever?”
“Yes, I suppose we can’t miss that.” Michael sighed heavily. “I’ll try to give them what they came to see.”
“You always do. I’ll be in the audience. Front row. You won’t miss me.” And she kissed him again. Michael had to ball his hand into a fist to keep from kissing her the way he really wanted to. He almost gave in, but she stepped away, shooting him a coy look. “I have a surprise for you for after your show.”
“A surprise?”
“Yes, so you better get out there and wow them all or you won’t be getting your big gift.” Liz leaned forward and kissed his neck.
Michael shuddered. “God, woman, you love driving me crazy, don’t you?”
She switched to the other side, nipping him playfully. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Michael lifted his hands but she pinned them to his side. She caught his gaze, those green eyes smoldering with desire, before she reached up and kissed him softly. Slowly, she ran her tongue over his lips, tugging with her teeth, before stepping away. “That should get rid of your nervousness a bit.”
“I wasn’t…” He swallowed, struggling to get words past his suddenly dry throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure, sure.” Liz grinned at that, winked and walked out the room.
Michael waited until she was truly gone before he sagged against the table. His heart was pounding, his groins throbbing incessantly. Damn her, she knew exactly what she was doing to him. He wouldn’t be able to go out there with such tight pants.
“Michael?” There was a knock on the door. “You’re almost on. You ready?”
“I’ll be out soon. Just… just give me a moment.”
Marcus sighed loudly on the other side of the door. Michael hardly heard it. After reaching for a wipe and removing any traces of lipstick from his neck or lips, he cleared his throat and made his way over to the door. He took a deep breath and opened it to see his manager standing on the other side. “Ready?”
Michael nodded. “Ready.”
The walk to the stage felt shorter than it had ever been. The moment he stepped onstage, the applause grew deafening. Michael instantly searched the front rows for Liz and found her sitting right in the center. She was clapping softly, a beacon surrounded by a sea of unimportant faces.
The sight of her gave him strength. His usual nervousness fled, replaced by a confidence Michael hadn’t felt in a long time. When the first note struck, he was driven by the memory of her kiss, and carried it throughout the entire performance. He was lost in it, lost in the image of her eyes and her smile, the feeling of her body against his. It was over before he knew it and the thunder of the applause brought him down from the high of his performance.
Michael dropped his hands, turning to face his standing ovation. He nodded, stepping forward. The stage curtains drew to a close behind him. Someone ran in from backstage and handed him a microphone.
“Good evening, everyone. I trust you are having a good time.” The audience roared again. Michael made sure to keep his eyes off Liz, who had already reclaimed her seat. “I know this is a little different than my usual shows, but there’s something I’d like to do. It’s for someone I know, someone special. I want her to know how dear she is to me.” Finally, he looked at Liz. She was expressionless. “You know who you are. Thank you for being so good to me.”
The stage curtains reopened behind him just as the same guy reclaimed the mic. The orchestra was gone, leaving only a single grand piano in the center of the stage. The lights dimmed to a single spotlight just as he took the seat before the keys.
Michael took a moment to compose himself. He hadn’t done this before an audience in years. After Melody broke his heart, he lost his love for it. But now, there was nothing he wanted more than to let the woman sitting in the front row know what he was much too coward to say out loud.
The first key rang throughout the grand room like a caressing whisper. Michel let it fill him, closing his eyes. He thought of Liz, watching him, and without hesitation, his fingers ran effortlessly over the keys.
Then, he began to sing.
The words came from his heart, his voice echoing across the stage. It was an old song, one he had written a long time ago. It was a song that spoke of new love, beautiful love, crazy, scary love. A song he had kept under lock and key, a song he had written for Melody. Now that he knew Liz, Michael realized it was stupid to waste such art on a woman like his ex.
Emotions washed him, making his throat become raw and tight. Still, he pushed through, belting out the words he had been holding in, the words he had been much too afraid to say.
Before he knew it, it was over. Michael struck the final key, his voice fading into nothingness. He didn’t move for a few moments, hardly allowed himself to breathe. The audience was silent at first, spellbound. Then the applause that began thundered around him, and could have brought the roof down on top of their heads, but he still stayed seated, afraid to face her. Finally, he knew there was no running from it, and he rose, turning to the audience who was nearly rioting in their beautiful dresses and their perfectly tailored tuxedos. His eyes sought the one person who mattered. And his heart sank.
Unlike everyone else, she was still sitting, her legs crossed. She wasn’t clapping, either. She only stared at him, her face expressionless. Borderline cold. Their eyes met, but Liz didn’t move. She didn’t even give him the courtesy of a smile. She only stared at him, as if she was staring at a single blade of grass.
It cut deeper than he’d expected it to. Michael had prepared himself for it, knowing the sort of woman he was dealing with. The type who cringed at the thought of having feelings. He knew that going in. He knew that while practicing. Hell, Marcus had even pointed it out to him, because it was clear that Liz wasn’t the type to accept being serenaded. But he pushed through because he’d wanted to do it. He pushed through because he had been hoping for the best.
But, alas…
Stiffly, Michael bowed to the audience then turned and made his way off stage. Marcus met him as soon as he was out of sight, but he didn’t say anything. He merely walked behind him, barking out orders to get ready for the next performance. Michael was too caught up in his own thoughts to tell him he wanted to be left alone.
He walked in to see a tall, blond woman sitting at his vanity table. It took him a few seconds to realize who it was. “Damn it!” he cursed. “I’m going to have you arrested.”
“It’s the last time, I promise.” She rose to her feet. The high-class superiority was gone and she gently tugged off her wig, revealing the dark hair underneath.
Marcus stepped around Michael, seething. “How the hell did you get back here again?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Michael sneered. “She snuck in with a disguise. Look at her. Have you ever seen the high and mighty Melody wear jeans?”
Melody stepped forward, hesitant. “I took a risk. Truthfully, I didn’t think I was ever going to get this far.”
“Yeah, well, kudos to you. Marcus, get security.”
Marcus didn’t hesitate to throw Melody another hateful look before he rushed out. Michael marched over to the couch, sinking into its softness. The memory of Liz’s unimpressed face still burned him.
“Michael…”
“I don’t want to hear it!”
Melody flinched. Actual fear leaped into her eyes at his tone, but he didn’t care. After putting his heart out there and having it stomped on, he didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings. Least of all, Melody’s.
“I don’t know what to say to you anymore,” she said softly. She stayed by the vanity, clearly not knowing what to do either. Michael had never seen her so uncertain. “I thought I should… give it another go. I thought maybe you would change your mind if I…”
“If you what, Melody?”
She looked away, biting her lip. “If I told you how I really felt. I… I really do love you, Michael. And I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it.”
Michael let out a harsh, bitter laugh. “It’s a little too late for that.”
The words had her shoulders sagging. “I don’t think I can let you go.”
“But you already did. Three years ago, when you left me. And I came to you, wanting us to get past it, and you spat in my face. You think I’m going to forgive you for that?” Michael leaned forward, raking her with the nastiest sneer he could conjure. “I’ll never forgive you, Melody. For as long as I live.”
She flinched visibly at that, tears filling her eyes. Before she could say anything else, another voice broke through. “Am I interrupting something?”
Michael looked over to see Liz standing by the doorway. Like before, the sight of her punched him straight in the gut, but this time, he felt sick. He looked away, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off her long enough and he watched her come forward, eyes running down the length of Melody.
At the sight of her, Melody’s back straightened. “This is a private conversation.”
“Is that why Marcus is getting security?” Liz asked.
“That’s—”
“Leave,” she ordered. “I have to speak to Michael. Alone.”
“Y-you can’t tell me what to do!” Melody sputtered.
Liz merely blinked at her. “It’s either you leave or we sit here together and wait for security to pull you out here. Your choice. Or, would you rather Michael continue to go on and on about how much he doesn’t want you near him. I’m sure he could come up with more creative ways of saying it, if given the chance.”
“You shouldn’t even be around here,” Melody snapped. She looked desperately at Michael. “Michael, tell her to leave.”
“I can be anywhere I please, Melody.”
The easy tone of Liz’s voice angered her even further. She stomped her foot. “Michael!”
“I think it’s best if you leave,” he said. “Save yourself some face. And if you ever come near me again, I’m getting a restraining order.”
Just as he’d spoken, Marcus returned with two security guards. They didn’t hesitate to storm the room and grab Melody by both arms.
“Let go of me!” she screeched. “I can walk myself!”
The guards didn’t pay her any mind. She struggled against them, trying to peel their hands off her but it was to no avail. Melody didn’t even look at Michael as she was forced out. She only had eyes for Liz. Liz, on the other hand, calmly made her way over to the vanity table and sat, facing Michael. She didn’t spare Melody another glance as the woman was escorted out.
Michael stared back at her. Her eyes were still cold, just as it had been when after his serenade. The sight of it broke his heart into a tiny million pieces.
Finally, Melody’s screeches faded into nothing. Marcus cleared his throat awkwardly. “She has a habit of putting up a fight when she’s being escorted out. I didn’t want her escaping.”
Liz blinked slowly, looking over at him. “You don’t need to fill the silence with unnecessary explanations, Marcus.” She faced Michael again. “Could you leave us for a few minutes? I need to speak to Michael.”
“Oh, right. Sure.” Clearly uncomfortable, he edged his way to the door. “Don’t take too long. Michael has to be back on stage in a few.”
“This won’t take long, I assure you.”
Michael didn’t like the sound of that. He didn’t break Liz’s gaze as Marcus took his leave. He leaned back, waiting for her to speak, exerting a level of nonchalance he didn’t feel. He had no doubt Liz could tell he was faking it too.
“Was that song meant for me?” she asked softly.
Michael blinked at her tone. How could she ask that? “Of course, it was. You know that.”
“I had to be sure.” She paused for a moment. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you do that?”
Anger and sadness hit him at once. Michael clenched his fist, struggling to rein it in. How could she possibly sit before him so calmly? “I wanted you to know how I felt about you.”
“We haven’t known each other very long.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think my heart cares what my brain is trying to tell him. I know as well as you do.”
Liz only blinked at him. Frustrated, Michael leaned forward. “What are you going to do about it, Liz?” he asked, his voice colder than he wanted it to be. “Are you going to tuck your tail and run?”
“Are you trying to insinuate that I’m a coward?” she questioned, crooking her brow at him. Irritation flashed in her eyes. At least he could get some sort of emotion out of her.
“Admit it, Liz. That’s exactly what you’re planning to do. You came here to tell me that, didn’t you?” He snorted. “You should have just left without saying anything. It seems like a very Elizabeth Harley thing to do.”
“I don’t run from my problems.”
“My bad. I didn’t realize I was one of your problems.”
Liz blew air out of her nose in frustration. “That isn’t what I meant by that.”
“Then why don’t you just cut to the chase and say what you want to say, Liz? That way, this can end a lot faster and I can get back to my tour.”
She straightened at that, cocking her chin a bit higher. Michael didn’t let it faze him, didn’t let it intimidate him. Hurt was fueling him now, making him harsh, making him lash out. A tiny, tiny part of him hoped something he said had hurt her. At least that meant she cared a little about him.
Liz rose. She came to sit beside him, her eyes never leaving his. Slowly, she leaned forward and kissed him. Michael felt all his anger and pain rush out of him with that single touch.
She pulled away, framing his face with her hand. “You know I don’t like having to deal with bothersome things like feelings. But…”
But?
“… I’ve never had someone do anything like that for before. It’s different and… I found that I liked it. Maybe… maybe different isn’t so bad.”
Michael gaped at her. He had never seen her look so unsure before, but even so conviction shone in her eyes. He reached up and clasped her hand in his. “Are you saying what I think you are?”
“I liked it. I loved it, actually. And …”
He tensed at her hesitation. Would she say those three words?
“I’m not running.”
Not the three words he had been expecting to hear but they lit his heart with joy all the same. Michael couldn’t hold back the grin any longer. He grabbed her head and pulled her in for a long, heated kiss. When he pulled away, Liz was breathless. The sight of that made him weak. “I thought I had chased you away.”
“I won’t lie and say I wasn’t shocked. I had half a mind to go up there and pull you away from that piano. I didn’t know you could play. I thought you were going to be terrible.”
“You think a musical genius like me wouldn’t know how to play the piano? Liz, have you no faith in my abilities at all?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “I didn’t know you could sing, either.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a curse to be blessed with such talent. I can tell you envy me.”
“In your dreams,” she scoffed.
“It feels like I’m dreaming right now.” He buried his face into the crook of her neck. A moment later, she reached up to run her fingers through his hair. Nothing comforted him more than that touch. “I’m on cloud nine right now.”
“Yeah? If that makes you happy, you just might die when you see what I have in store for you later.”
Michael pulled away to see the devilish glint in her eye. “I can hardly wait.”
“I can tell.” She looked pointedly at the bulge in his pants. “You’re going to have to put that away or else you might offend a few people out there.”
“Screw them. That way, I can come home to you even sooner.”
He half expected her to tense at the suggestion of them having a ‘home’ but she only gave him a shameless smile. “The longer the wait, Michael, the sweeter it will be.”
She kissed him again, this time leaving him breathless. Still smiling, she rose just as Marcus knocked on the door. “Michael? You’re on in a minute.”
“Break a leg.” Liz winked at him. It took everything in Michael not to follow her.
At this rate, he’d follow her straight to hell if she asked him to. The thought made him smile.