Michael's kiss tasted like spice and headiness and life itself. Calliope clung to him and let herself not think about anything other than how she could have had these kind of kisses months ago. His lips felt like they branded her as his property and for tonight, right now, she wanted nothing else.
"This way." He broke their kiss and then guided her to lead her into the pool villa.
Breathless, Calliope followed him and let him take her hand. As he opened the brightly lit house that he rented for them, she realized just how extravagant this place was. The white cushioned sitting room had windows everywhere. She stuck her head into the bathroom and the pure white bathtub overlooked palm trees and a fountain. She could only imagine the bedrooms, but she spied private terraces on the other end of the house. Chris would never have bothered getting this for her and would have said 'run of the mill is fine' if asked if he wanted to upgrade. "Why did you get the villa?"
"You should be in a place worthy of you." He dropped her bag into a bedroom.
This was it. If she wanted Michael, then Calliope had to be bolder and she’d wondered for a year if she should have stayed at dinner and not gone back to Chris. Now she'd find out what she missed. Every night since that night, she had wondered. Years before that, she had held a slight torch for Michael, though he never blinked in her direction, romantically. Instead he slept with everyone older than her in school and his reputation had only grown since.
She followed him into the bedroom where her gaze landed on the canopy bed with white see-through fabric that laced the bed. She'd never even touched a princess bed since she was six and her parents were still alive. None of that. She kicked off her shoes and stared hard at his muscular frame. Her fingers traced her neck and her breastbone as she asked, "What?"
Michael leaned against the frame of the bed and unbuttoned his white shirt. She felt adrenaline grow inside her as she saw every muscle he revealed. His every move hypnotized her, and then he wiggled his finger at her. "Come here, I want to see all of you."
Good. This was what they both wanted. She licked her lips as she went to stand in front of him. With wide eyes, she never blinked. "What should we do?"
"Let's start with that shirt,” he said as his hands landed on her hips. Her heart pounded.
Every inch of skin he revealed as he tugged her shirt over her head felt as if he claimed her, when he had hardly touched her yet. She lowered her lashes and her face felt flushed. Finally, she was his, just as she had dreamed. "Michael, I'm nervous."
"We don't have to." He let her go and her eyes met his. "I'll let you take the master bedroom and lock me out."
No. She wanted him. She reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Wait. I didn't say no. I've never been with anyone but Chris."
He straightened and used his nose to point to the door. Then he walked away and she stared hard as his perfect muscles and backside. "Get going and lock that door so I'm not tempted."
"No." Tonight was happening. Instead of moving, she tugged off her shirt. This was her one chance to taste what she never dreamed she’d have… him. Her heart raced so fast she thought she'd lose the ability to speak.
By the door, his eyes widened when he turned toward her again. "What?" He rubbed his jaw and stared at her bra as he said, "Calliope, you're killing me."
This was the guy who wasn't supposed to care and knew how to please a woman. All her life she'd heard whispered that Michael was the bad boy to avoid, but he knew how to please. High school and college were long gone, but she'd been stupid about loyalty and faithfulness. Now it was time to know how living for herself felt. She unzipped her shorts and let them fall to the floor as she stood in her underwear and leaned on the bedpost because her knees wobbled. "Michael Marshall, you promised to rock my world. So where do you want me?"
He practically flew to her side and tugged on the curve of her hips to let her feel his body on her. "Callie, you don't need to prove anything."
"Michael, it's not a big deal. You push it into the hole and that's that." She tugged his shirt off. Tonight was the night. For years with Chris, she had closed her eyes and wished it was Michael. Now she’d know how she’d feel in his arms. She threw his shirt onto the floor and then reached for his pants.
"I push..." He placed his hands on hers and she melted as he caressed her body. "Chris clearly treated you wrong."
Chris had never massaged her skin as a warm-up. Michael was exactly what she needed. Good. Tomorrow she’d convince herself she could forget her fantasy. She kissed his neck, and the saltiness mixed with cedar and adrenaline was heady. "Yes, you saw what happened today."
He turned her toward the bed. She lowered herself onto the mattress but tugged Michael's blue pants. He dropped them and rest of their clothes on the ground. Then he joined her on the bed as he rolled off her underwear and his fingers massaged her apex.
As he explored, her body became warmer and her head fell backward. To help, she unhooked her bra and flung it over him. Then he found some secret part of her that made her forget, except that he asked, "How does that feel?"
"Mmm..." No talking as it held her onto reality and she was so close to the precipice of desire.
He moved around and she realized he’d taken off his underwear. A second later, he was half lying on her, his weight against her lower half made her ache for more while he pushed a second finger inside her. "Then if I do this?"
"What..." Her fiancé had expected her to give herself to him whenever he was in the mood, but he never took the time to spark this wonder. She blinked and stared at the blond-haired, blue-eyed man that expertly handled her. Michael definitely was living up to his reputation and her imagination. "That's nice."
"I'm never nice." He playfully opened her legs wider and used his thumb on her nether-regions. She gasped. "Here, do you like this better?"
"Mm-hmm..." Her eyelashes drifted closed.
"Open your eyes."
She followed directions.
She couldn't do more than sigh at first as he continued to play her body like a maestro with his violin. "Why?"
A small grin broke out on his face as he winked. "I want you to see me as I enter you."
Then while she held her breath, she felt taken and welcoming to have him inside her. All she could see were stars as he continued to have total control over her. This must be what heaven was like. Michael was everything she ever dreamed about for this moment.
"This is just the beginning." He set the pace.
Tonight, definitely. Tomorrow no longer mattered. This was how it felt to be a woman.