*Michael*Once I’m in the hall, I open the text message that interrupted my conversations with ShelbyLucille: Do you know someone named Blaine?That simple sentence made my stomach drop. He was now contacting family members.I made my way back to the privacy of my office for the second time in the same night. I closed the door behind me before dialing my cousin Lucille’s number. “Michael, I am so glad you called me. I just had the strangest conversation with someone named Blaine. I was just getting out of the bath when I got a call from an unknown number. Now, usually I don’t answer the phone if I don’t know the number, but I gave my information to this adorable man at the coffee shop earlier today, so I figured it was him.”“Lucille, this is important; I need you to tell me exactly what Blaine said to you.” I had to keep Lucille focused on the topic; she’d always been a talker, but at that moment, I couldn’t politely listen to all of her stories in the
*Shelby*The last thing I wanted to do was run into Todd, especially after his actions the night before; I thought it would be wise to avoid him completely. Book in hand, I headed to the secret deck off of the dining room balcony, where I had shared a few quiet moments with Michael.I figured it would be the best place for me to hide out and also possibly run into Michael again. He had left in such a rush the night before; I was curious to find out what’d happened.I checked down the hallway before speed walking to the dining room. As soon as my hand hit the doorknob, Lauren’s voice sounded behind me.“Shelby, I have been looking for you everywhere!”I turned around quickly, and I was relieved to see that Lauren was alone. She was wearing a one-piece swimming suit in navy blue with the bust line cutting down to her belly button. She had a white sun hat placed on her waves of perfect curls and a pair of Chanel sunglasses to complete her beachwear.“Lauren,”
*Shelby*“I am so sorry; we didn’t realize you were out here. We will give you some privacy,” Reggie said as he kept his head down and shuffled through the sand back to the dock.“We aren’t leaving for a few more hours,” Michael said, holding my gaze as tightly as I was holding the open book to my chest. “Take your time and enjoy yourself. I will make sure no one comes down and bothers you if you would like to resume reading.”Michael winked at me and then followed Reggie back to the dock. I watched him as he walked away, his neatly pressed linen button-up fluttering gently in the breeze. Once he and Reggie were at a safe distance, I grabbed my shirt off of the lounge chair next to me and slipped it over my head.I let myself fall backward on the plush cushions and closed my eyes, imagining Michael undressing me the way he had done with his eyes when he realized I was wearing nothing save for my bralette. A wave of heat rushed through me at the th
*Shelby*I woke in the enormous master suite to the soft glow of morning coming through the windows. What should have been a peaceful morning was punctured by screams of irritation from the floor below.I wrapped the robe Michael had given me around myself and opened the door to my room. I hurried down the stairs to see what was going on. “You have got to be kidding me! This is completely unacceptable!” A woman with blonde hair matching Lauren’s was yelling at Max, the staff member I’d played cards with on the yacht. “Ma’am, I don’t know what to tell you. Mr. Astor has already assigned the rooms; I cannot go against his direct orders. There is already another guest staying in that room, and I am sure Mr. Astor would not approve of me kicking them out of the room.”Max was clearly exasperated from dealing with the woman, and I couldn’t blame him.“We will see about that. You will be lucky if you still have a job by the time I’m through with you.”
*Shelby*The soft fabric of my chiffon cocktail dress swished against my thighs as I made my way downstairs. I picked this particular dress because the stormy grey color complimented my red hair nicely.The music was already thumping through the house from the back patio, making the windows rattle slightly. The infinity pool was illuminated, giving the entire party a slight glow.The first place I headed was to the bartender, I knew it was going to take a lot to get through this night, and I needed all the help I could get. “Would you like a Lauren Lemon Drop or a Todd Tequila Shot?”“Are the only two things on the menu?” I asked. I shouldn’t be surprised that they had signature drinks named after themselves.The bartender gave me a sympathetic smile, “Or we have the Marry Me Margarita.”This was going to be a very long night. “A margarita then…”I walked away with my margarita in hand and joined a small group of people surrounding the lif
*Shelby*Michael held my hand as he led me through a side door of the mansion, avoiding the large crowd of the engagement party. When the door closed behind us, the music and noise of the group were muffled. All that we could hear was the low rumble of the bass as it vibrated through the walls.Michael and I walked in silence, and he never let go of my hand as he led me back to his room. Michael's room was decorated in soft grays and silvers. The massive bed stood alone in the center of the room with a crystal chandelier hanging over the center. My feet were sore, so I slipped my heels off and set them by the double door entrance of the room. Michael clicked the lock on the door, walked across the room, and sat down in an armchair on the other side of the room. I followed, my bare feet cold on the tile floors. The room's soft coldness made me feel like I was surrounded by a cloud, comfortable and warm but still in a storm. I nearly sank into the plush armchair t
*Shelby*Standing in his bedroom, after my confession to him about Todd being my ex, Michael kissed me. He was gentle at first. Then, before we knew it, we were locked together, his tongue gently teasing me to open my mouth until my lips parted, and he pushed between my lips with an urgency that had my skin tingling and my core lighting on fire. His fingers set the skin of cheek ablaze.My heart drummed in my chest at the anticipation in the air at our closeness. We were so close that I could almost feel the sharp edges of his stubble that had dusted his face as the day grew to a close. Releasing my lips, he whispered, “I can’t imagine not knowing you, Shelby.” His breath was warm against my lips. The small vibrations sent waves of energy through my entire body. Goosebumps prickled my arms. The sweet smell of cinnamon on his breath, and his sandalwood cologne, mingled perfectly together. The sensation was too much for me to bear, so I closed my eyes, letting
*Michael*“Bruce. What did you find out?” I asked the head of my security team. “We have reason to believe that Blaine knows your current location in the Bahamas, sir,” Bruce’s voice echoed on the other end of the phone.I looked up when the door clicked; Shelby had left during my eagerness to call Bruce. I felt like a complete ass. I kissed her and then made a phone call seconds after. “Sir?” Bruce’s voice pulled me out of my own thoughts.“I’m sorry, Bruce. What did you say?”“We are worried about your security measures in the Bahamas. You have no one with you from the team. Please tell me you have been activating the security system we had installed.”I’d completely forgotten about the security system in the rush of preparing for Lauren’s engagement party. I’d have to remember to set that after we got off the phone.“How do you know that Blaine knows where we are?” I asked. Seconds later, my phone buzzed against my ear. I put Bruce on