Beautifully Broken (The Broken Series Book 2) (12 page)

Aside
from his repeated rudeness to the waiters, dinner had been great. I had deflected
most of his questions about my past, because I didn’t want to share any details
about my abusive marriage. Still, Michael seemed captivated by the few stories
I did share about my work, my interests, and my extremely limited travels. Neither
of us wanted the evening to end. So, we went to his apartment after dinner to share
the wine I’d purchased for him. We decided to go to my place when we discovered
his roommate was home. I glanced at Michael questioningly. “Did you really have
a roommate in Montana?”

Michael’s
eyes lit with amusement. “No, that was my bodyguard. I had just moved to
Montana. I was uncertain about the level of protection I would need there, but I
didn’t want him ruining our dates.”

My
eyes widened as we drifted past a beautifully lit building that looked a lot
like a palace.

“That
is the Musée d'Orsay,” Michael explained before leaning across the table. “In
Paris, it is customary to kiss under the bridges.” He nodded over my shoulder.

I
glanced over my shoulder. Sure enough, the yacht was inching toward a stone bridge.
I rolled my eyes and gave him a quick kiss, knowing full well that my refusal
would lead to something far worse.

He
hooked his hand around the back of my neck as he prolonged the kiss. A number
of people standing on top of the bridge cheered when he finally released me.

I
was trying really hard to be annoyed when what I really wanted was another
kiss. I groaned when I realized the full extent to which my body had responded
to the kiss. I tugged the pashmina back over my shoulders. My nipples had
hardened and were now straining against the thin silk dress.

Michael
did not hide the fact that he was staring at my chest. His attention was rapt,
as if trying to solve some puzzle. His eyes locked on mine. “What about after
the second date?” he asked, steering the conversation back to where we’d left
off.

I
suddenly realized I should be very worried about this line of questioning and
the power Michael would hold over me if he knew how deeply I was attracted to
him.

Michael
held my gaze as I took a sip of wine. He was far too observant, far too in tune
with my body for me to get away with lying.

I
drained the entire glass of wine before setting it back on the table. My
thoughts returned to our second date. The first two hours at my apartment had
been innocent enough. We sipped on wine and talked while curled up on my couch.
Eventually, Michael reached for my glass and set it aside. He kissed me so
hungrily, that I lost all ability to think and breathe. Things quickly spiraled
out of control after that. Michael stoked an insatiable need that far surpassed
anything I had ever felt. “I was mindless with desire,” I admitted breathlessly.
Why was it so difficult to breathe?

Michael’s
eyes turned black.

The
waiter quietly approached with the main course, a seared white sturgeon drizzled
with caviar in a creamy white wine sauce. We were passing by the Louvre. Notre
Dame loomed just up ahead.

Michael
waited for the server to leave. He looked thoroughly perplexed when he
responded. “Then what happened? What scared you off?”

I
had no trouble pinpointing that. “You, Michael, and the way you made me feel.”

Michael
scowled. “What’s wrong with feeling passion, with wanting someone?”

I
fought back panic as I tried to explain. “I wasn’t used to feeling those
things, Michael. I wasn’t used to losing control like that.” I had come so
close to having sex with Michael that night, and it had only been our second
date. We ended up completely naked in bed. I had wanted him in the worst possible
way, but he didn’t have protection. So I refused to have sex. We had come damn
close, and he still ended up sleeping in my bed.

I
made another attempt to explain. “I began to freak out the next morning, after
you left. I lost all control when you were kissing me, Michael. Control was the
only thing that had really kept me safe in my marriage.” I looked down at the food
on my plate. “Well, it didn’t always keep me safe.” I forced myself to look at
Michael. “I’m sorry, Michael. I was terrified about how you made me feel, the
intensity of your feelings, my feelings, and my complete inability to maintain a
respectable amount of self-control. I just needed some time and space.”

I
held up my hand as Michael began to interject. “I know you tried to give me
space before our third date, but then you referred to me as your fiancé when
you introduced me to your colleagues. You insisted it was a misunderstanding,
then you turned around and proposed on New Year’s Eve. You were moving way too
fast. I needed time to sort through my feelings, time to get to know you better,
and time to adjust to this idea of you being in my life. I tried to explain all
of this when I declined the ring, but you wouldn’t listen. You kept pushing me
to marry you, and you were so upset when I refused. Then you showed up at my
apartment in the middle of the night. You pounded on the door and demanded I
let you in. I was too terrified to let you in.”

My
breath caught. “
I was too terrified to let you in,
” I repeated brokenly.
“I assumed it would turn violent, like my previous relationship.” My chest
tightened as tears pooled in my eyes.

Michael
stared at me. He looked completely devastated.

Tears
slid silently down my cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Michael. I’m sorry I presumed the
worst… that I didn’t give you a chance to prove you wouldn’t hurt me. But you
were the first person I dated after my divorce. My marriage had been a disaster.
I didn’t know passion, I didn’t know what love was, and I didn’t trust anyone.”

Michael
rose from his chair. He reached for my hand and gently pulled me into his arms.

I
burst into tears as I mourned my marriage, the nine miserable years I’d spent
beaten and abused, and all the ways my ex-husband’s actions were still ruining
my life.

“
Je suis
désolé
,”
Michael murmured soothingly. He dried my tears with his hands as my sobbing subsided
into deep, shuddering breaths. He reached for my hand and held it against his
chest while his other hand softly caressed my back. I closed my eyes as he tucked
my head under his chin. His weight shifted. Then his feet led mine in a slow,
tender dance.

I
took a deep breath and relaxed into the scent of his cedar, citrus, and clove
laced cologne.  I could feel his heart beat under my hand, the warmth of his
body, and his well-muscled thighs as we moved in time to the soft jazz wafting
across the deck.  

Michael
nuzzled the side of my head. “I wish I had known. If I had known about your
past, I wouldn’t have pushed so hard. I would have taken things slower, and I
would have never pounded on that door. I am so sorry, Kristine.”

I
sighed into his chest. “I know, Michael. I’m sorry too. I should have been more
honest about my past.”

Michael
stepped back so he could look at me. “I would never hit you, Kristine. I swear
it. I will never hurt you. I will make sure no one ever hurts you again.”

Tears
welled in my eyes.

Michael
looked defeated. A long sigh eased through his lips. “I didn’t mean to scare
you,
mon coeur
. I had never proposed before. I hadn’t even considered getting
married until I met you. And I know you think I’m crazy, but I knew. I knew the
second I met you that you were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life
with. I couldn’t bear the thought of being without you, and I could feel you
pulling away after I spent the night. I thought if I proposed you would see my
feelings for you were sincere. I was crazy in love with you, Kristine. It took
me by storm, and it killed me when you said no. I couldn’t believe you had
refused to marry me. And this idea that you needed less from me didn’t make
sense. I was so certain you needed more.”

I
tucked my head back under Michael’s chin. I couldn’t bear to look at his face.
There was too much heartbreak etched in those eyes; and I was feeling too conflicted
and confused to make sense of it all. Michael had thought he was doing the
honorable thing when he proposed. I didn’t trust him enough to reveal my past. I’d
been too scared to give him a chance. So I did the one thing I thought would
keep me safe. I pushed him away.

Michael
refused to let me hide. He stopped dancing and gently lifted my chin. “That’s why
I brought you here, Kristine. I need a second chance.” His eyes captured and
held mine as he lowered his lips to mine. He paused uncertainly. Then he poured
his plea into a kiss.

His
longing spiraled through me and tugged mercilessly at my heart. I clung to his
shirt as I melted into his chest. Michael wrapped me in his arms as he deepened
the kiss. Desire swept through me as his body hardened against mine. I
whimpered softly as my body pleaded for more.

My
head spun with a confusing array of emotions when Michael finally broke the
kiss. His eyes filled with relief as he read my face. He smiled as he stepped
back and slowly twirled me around. He wrapped his arms around my stomach and nuzzled
my neck, his embrace reminiscent of the statue in his garden. “
Cest beau,
non?
”

I
relaxed into Michael’s embrace. The Eiffel Tower was looming in front of us
again, but this time it was glowing brightly against a pitch black sky. “
Oui
,”
I responded breathlessly. “It’s beautiful.”

Michael
led me back to the table when the waiter arrived with coffee and dessert. He
tucked me into my chair while the waiter torched the
crème brûlée
. Both
men murmured “
bonsoir
” as the waiter walked away. Michael sampled the
creamy dessert.

“Michael?”
I asked hesitantly.

“
M
on
amour…
” he murmured silkily. He leaned back in his chair
and gave me his full attention.

I
took a deep breath. “I… I know you want a second chance… and you have gone to
great lengths to get one. But I’m worried about my family and friends. Isn’t
there some way we can let them know I’m okay? I can’t just let them go on
thinking I could be hurt… or dead. They’re going to assume the worst, especially
after everything I went through with Justin. If I promise not to attempt an
escape, can you promise me they won’t be hurt and help me figure out a way to
let them know I’m okay?”

Michael
took a sip of coffee as he considered my request. My nerves scattered as I
waited for his response. Finally, he spoke. “I promise your friends and family will
remain unharmed as long as you don’t attempt an escape. I’ll purchase a burn
phone that cannot be traced, but you only get one call, Kristine. Choose one
person, besides the soldier, who can let the rest of your family and friends
know you are okay. You have to make the call in front of me. You cannot reveal
where you are, and you will have to keep the call short.”

I
was so relieved, tears pricked at my eyes. “Thank you, Michael.”

He
quietly examined me. “
Ma chérie
,
I will not force you to stay forever. Please just give me a few months to prove
how much I love you. Let me show you the kind of life we can have together. If
you still want to leave after six months…” Michael looked away as his voice
broke. He sighed as his eyes met mine. “If you still want to leave after six
months, then I will let you go.” He held up a finger as I began to interrupt. “The
only thing I ask is that you try, I mean
honestly try,
to give me this
second chance.”

I
searched his eyes questioningly. He looked vulnerable… and scared. A lump formed
in my throat.
Michael loved me enough to let me go?
I was relieved to
know he would eventually release me, but his willingness to do so completely shattered
my perception of him.

I
rose shakily from the chair, then eased onto his lap. As I brushed the hair
back from his handsome face, I found myself mesmerized by the single tear that slid
down his cheek. I couldn’t deny that I was attracted to Michael, but I was
already in love with Kadyn. What good could come of allowing Michael to prove I
could love him too?

I
contemplated his request, still cognizant of the power and the threat he held
over me. If the truth be told, did I really have any other choice but to spend
the next six months with Michael? What if I refused? He still maintained the
ability to hurt Kadyn if I didn’t cooperate. Could I really commit myself to
the path of least resistance? Six months was such a long time. My heart pounded
as I gazed into his eyes. In a broken whisper, I promised, “I will try.” His
tears beckoned mine as we poured our remaining words into a kiss.

Kadyn
refused to open his eyes. If he kept them closed, he could still feel her in
this room, lying next to him on the bed. He reached his arm across the bed, willing
her to be there. There was nothing but empty space. His hand clenched around
the empty space. He could feel Kri slipping away. Kadyn whispered in the dark.
“
Please, Kri. Please, find a way back to me.
”