[Charlotte] “STOP!” Micah shouts after me as I walk towards the street. I keep on walking with my back straight, my expression blank and my eyes focused on the exit. It has started to rain as if the sky is mirroring my feelings, the light drops of water splattering on my face like gentle kisses. I think of a night not that long ago when Micah made me an offer that would change my life forever. Because even If I cannot live up to his expectations for me, even if this was the last night I see him, I have been changed. I am no longer the same Charlotte Slate who was broken after the betrayal of her husband. I have known real love, and real compassion, and found my strength. Stepping into the thick white wall of San Francisco fog, I can barely see in front of me as I try to find my way. As the wind starts to blow from the bay, the fog grows thicker as it billows in, the exit onto the street disappearing before me. Stopping, I put out my hands before me and I can see them, but no
[Charlotte] "So you WANT us to be seen?" I ask again. "WHY? I mean, as far as Andy knows, I'm stuck in jail just like him. The last thing he saw was me being carted away in the back of a police cruiser." "Oh, I had him released as soon as you stepped onto my boat," Micah waves his hand in the air as if it is nothing, that he can just make people appear or disappear from jail without any real effort. But I guess when you are a billionaire kingpin, almost anything is possible. "He's been home now for over an hour. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to call you yet." I look down at my phone and see that he did indeed call. 12 times. He also texted several messages that get increasingly sour, angry, and agitated as they progress. Old me would have been shaking with fear at how I disappointed my husband, and I've never been more glad to be free of his thrall. Based on the tone, he thinks I'm either dead or ignoring him, which is about the same as being dead in his book. Dear God, he is anno
[Charlotte] Elysium is empty, quiet, and dark except for a few lights that shine on an elaborate makeup table and the beautiful model sitting in a chair across from me. I sit across from her and as I observe her, I watch her observing me. It is creepy, like staring into a mirror. There are elements about her that are not quite right, like the curve of her smile, but most of what might be different is corrected with clever makeup and prosthetics. Violeta, McKaine's makeup artist, smiles when she sees my shocked expression. "How...I..." My mouth flaps up and down as I look from the woman to Violeta and then back at Micah. "I can see that you are pleased with the results," she says with no small measure of pride as she stands next to her creation. "Luckily Juliet was available at short notice." Turning to Micah again I glare at him with narrowed eyes as I inquire, "How long have you been planning this?" He laughs, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "This was Violeta's idea," h
[Charlotte] A proper proposal. That is what I had asked for earlier today when he made his joke proposal. I had only been kidding, at least mostly. But this is no joke. This powerful, proud, incredible man is kneeling before me with his heart on his sleeve and a ring in his hand. This is a serious proposal. "Micah..." I am speechless. My hands are shaking as I bend down to place my hands on either side of his face. Leaning forward, I kiss him sweetly, feeling his lips curl into a smile as I lean my forehead against his and reply, "Yes." He kisses me deeply as he pulls us both to our feet, his arms wrapping around me as the small box presses into my back. He breaks our kiss just long enough to put the ring on my finger before he kisses me again, pulling me up into his arms, my feet dangling above the ground. "You are mine," he laughs as he scoops me up and walks us both to the panic room. "What about dinner," I moan as we walk right past the beautifully arranged meal. "I was loo
[Charlotte]He walks me backward until my legs touch the edge of the bed. Carefully I unbutton his shirt the rest of the way as he removes his cufflinks and sets them aside. His chest is so beautifully masculine, well defined and mostly smooth with only the smallest amount of hair near the center in an auburn chestnut just a bit brighter than the hair on his head. I nuzzle into his warmth, letting my face rub up against his natural fuzz as I breathe in deeply. He smells amazing, maybe even more so because I know I get to keep him, that our love is not a question.I push his shirt down his arms and he kisses his way down my front until he reaches the hem of my slip. Carefully he kisses his way back up my body, taking his time as the slip moves up inch by delightful inch, until his lips meet mine again and I the slip is tossed aside. Standing naked before him, Micah takes a moment to admire me, to praise every part of me with his eyes and his words. “You have the most beautiful breasts
[Micah] Last night, I thought I was going to lose her again and it almost broke me in two. How silly the two of us were, so blinded by our pride that we almost let our love fall apart. Charlotte is my everything. When she walked away from me into that fog I saw my future flash before my eyes and it was a lonely one. Lonely because I want her, only her. Even if we sometimes fight, even if our love story is complicated and imperfect, she is the only one I want for the rest of my life. Before I met her, I hadn’t ever experienced love. There was a couple of times where I though I might have found it, but it has never been like this with anyone else. She doesn’t just accept me or forgive me for who I am, she loves me for who I am. She isn’t with me for money or power. She’s just with me because she loves me. I know that if I were to lose it all tomorrow, she’d still be her by my side.I have seen and done some terrible things in my life. I have a monstrous side, a dangerous part of who I
[Charlotte]Micah spent the rest of the morning acting strangely sneaky and suspicious. He has been giving me strange little sideways glances when he doesn’t think I’m looking. I have also watched him check his phone at least 10 times in the last hour as if he is waiting for a message. “Are you going to tell me, or do you want me to guess?” I finally say as I watch him check his phone for the 11th time.“I’m just taking care of a business thing,” he lies. “It is nothing for you to worry about.” I raise a single eyebrow. “Micah, you promised. No more secrets, no more lies.”“Even if it's a good secret?” he asks bashfully. He is definitely up to something. The beautiful ring he gave me last night catches the sunlight casting the back seat in miniature rainbows. “Is this a good secret, Micah,” I make sure that all of the doubt I am feeling is clear on my face. “Because this feels like you are up to something.”“I promise you that you will appreciate the results,” he dodges the questio
[Charlotte] My mouth drops open. All he had to do was make a phone call and my marriage to Andy was over. “Doesn’t this change our timeline a bit?” I ask, suddenly more than a little nervous. “Part of the plan involves Andy trusting me enough to introduce me to his other boss. I need to get into a position of trust and THEN we discard him when we don’t NEED him anymore.” “I don’t see it as a problem,” he replies smugly. “Of course you don’t!” I shout. “You’re not the one who has to make it work! Agghhhh!!!” He opens the box of pastries in his lap. “Croissant or beignet?” “What?” I shake my head in confusion. “I thought we were having an argument. Why are you offering me food?” “I think you might be hangry.” “Hangry?” I give him a hard side eye. "Hangry?!"“Yes,” he laughs, “As in hungry plus angry," he speaks with his hands, showing how the two words go together, "Hangry." “I know what hangry means, Micah.” I groan. “I'm not a child, you don't have to force me to eat. Also,