6– Adaline

“Can I get my phone? I’d like to call my father.”

The door slams shut and the lock clicks. A tremble shakes me to the core as I hear Michael’s heavy footsteps approaching from behind. 

“Why?” He asks.

“I…” I swallow loudly. “I want to call my father and let him know I’d like to call off this engagement.”

It feels as though time has come to an abrupt stop. One moment, Michael is standing behind me, the next, he’s in front of me, jaw locked, eyes tight and narrowed on me. 

He suddenly scoffs. “Are you still under the influence?”

“No. I’m completely sober.” Apparently his hand crashing into my ass sobered me up. “I’m simply choosing not to go ahead with this engagement.”

“Why?” He quizzes, his face dropping. 

“Because you don’t take no for an answer and I don’t think I can handle a man who doesn’t take no for an answer.”

Silence.

I feel his gaze burning into me but I don’t have it in me to look up. A moment passes, Michael steps into me, his hands shooting forward and cradling my face, thumbs stroking gently.

A breath tumbles out of me and I lean into his touch before I can stop myself.

“I should work on that, shouldn’t I?” he asks, catching me off guard.

Slowly, I bring my gaze up to meet his. “You should.”

We hold our eyes, tension radiating rapidly. My heart leaps into my throat and beats my mind into dullness.

“Do you want me to kiss you?” Michael asks as he leans down, ghosting his lips over mine.

I shake my head as I inhale loudly. “No.”

“But you’re burning red.” He says.

“And you’re doing it again.” I retort.

“What?” he whispers.

“Refusing to accept no.”

I feel his smile, the warmth of his breath as he trails his nose over my cheek. 

“Then maybe you should stop saying no to me.”

Oh gosh the way he speaks. So… I can barely control myself or the way my heart beats to this man. My head voice is constantly screaming at my heart not to like this man. I shouldn’t like him. 

I wanted to marry him, but not anymore. Right now, what I need to do is get this trip over with, go home and tell dad that me and Michael Black are not compatible.

“You’re not saying anything, baby girl,” Michael’s voice rings through my mind. “Let me kiss you. I’ve been dying to from the moment I saw you.”

“The day you engaged me?”

“That wasn’t the first time I saw you, Ada, and it certainly wasn’t the second.” his nose drags down the curve of my neck and my throat releases an unintelligible sound as I shift my weight, feeling my core tighten with need.

I cannot like this man.

“Stop talking.” The more you talk, the more I desire you.

He scoffs against me. “Then what should I do?”

This is too overwhelming. My eyes slowly flutter and they meet his darkened irises—the ones glistening with need and possessiveness. I roll my bottom lip between my teeth.

“When you bite your lips like that…” A strained grunt erupts in his throat. “What are you so afraid of? Why are you fighting this?”

I shake my head. “Because I know once I let you in, you’ll swallow me whole.”

“And that is a bad thing?”

Is it a bad thing? I ask myself. Maybe it isn’t, he’s my fiance after all. But that would’ve been a different case if I had plans to push through with this engagement. I don’t want to do anything I might regret. 

Taking a step back, I declare. “Yes, it’s a bad thing.”

“We’re getting married soon.” he says assuringly.

“No,” I tell him. “I’m calling off the engagement once we’re back to LA.”

Michael’s feet push him forward on predatory steps until he closes what little distance I created between us. I stumble backwards, intending to create more distance. I’m barely able to get my steps in when his arm snakes around my waist and pulls me into him. 

“What are you—” I begin, wanting to protest his closeness, but a gasp falls from my lips, cutting off my words as his thumb presses into my bottom lip and strokes sensually. 

“The things you say with these beautiful lips, Ada,” Michael whispers, making my brows pull into a furrow. He snickers underneath his breath. “What gave you the idea that you have a choice in this?”

“My father—”

He cut me off. “Your father has nothing to do with this either.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I ask, my heart now hammering with more rage than desire. 

I need to know what it is that makes this man believe he has complete control of my choices. I need to know why he thinks my father has no say in the matter either. 

What does he have against my father?

What does my father owe him?

Michael straightens and his lips twitch with a smile. “It’s nothing.” he says and shrugs. “Stop fighting this, Adaline. I want to get to know you, and I want you to do same with an open mind. You’ll love me, perhaps learn to tolerate me, but I promise that you won’t regret this. Just give it time.” He pauses for a breath as his eyes drag across my features. “Okay?”

Give it time. 

I can do that. I think. 

Nodding, I mutter, “you have one month to get me to at least like you enough to continue this, okay?”

Chuckling, Michael shakes his head, his tongue darting out to lick his lips. “Absolutely, gorgeous.” he says in agreement. “Now, freshen up and get to bed.”

“Okay.” I begin making my way into the bathroom, stumbling on my steps.

I hear him choke out a breath from behind me, then a murmur of, “God help me with this one.”

I snort. 

Dad has always called me stubborn. Maybe I am, or not. But right now, as my lips elicit nine teasing words, I realize that I’m more impulsive than I am stubborn.

“Want to join me in the shower, Mr.  Black?” I look over my shoulder and my lips curl into a sly smirk as color drains from the man’s face and his jaw hangs open. 

He blinks at me slowly, waiting for me to tell him this is a joke, perhaps giving me the last chance to back out of this. When I don’t say a word, he prowls forward. A gasp erupts in my throat.

“Wait, wait, wait…” I put my hands up to stop him. He doesn’t stop. “I was just joking.”

He steps into me before I can even get my words out, lifts me and throws me over his shoulder as he heads straight into the adjoined bathroom. 

“Apparently, Mrs. Black, my brain doesn’t know how to tell a joke from the real thing.”