Perfecting the Odds (28 page)

“My mom used to say a soon as my father would leave
for deployment, something in the house would break or someone would get sick,” Michael said and she swung around to face him.

“
That is so frickin’ true! It always did. The kids always got colds…the sliding glass door lock broke…the washer…one time even the damn mailbox fell over. Unbelievable! I knew I wasn’t crazy.” Michael stroked his knuckles down her face so gently, she shut her eyes and savored the sweetness of it.

“
Karis, I’d love for you to meet my mom. In fact, I want you, Robby, and Grace to join me at my mother’s house for Thanksgiving.”

She looked at him with complete astonishment and a bit of
anxiety. “Really? I wouldn’t want to intrude.” Her kids meeting Michael? Was it too soon? Would they like him? She smiled. Who wouldn’t.

He sighed
heavily. “You wouldn’t turn me down on Thanksgiving. How thankless is that? I mean, think about how many orgasms I’ve given you.” She saw a mingled glint of mock anguish and lust in his eyes and threw her head back and laughed. Then she gave him a grinned she hoped spoke the joy she felt.

“
Well, I wouldn’t want to be unappreciative. We’d be honored. Thank you, Michael,” she said before frowning. Crap, she always had Thanksgiving with Eve, and she was sure not inviting her would bring out Eve’s worst inner bitch. She screwed up her face at the thought.

“What’s wrong
?”

“Well,
Eve usually joins me for Thanksgiving. I don’t want to hurt her.”

“Then invite her,” he answered quickly and shrugged.

“Yeah? It wouldn’t be an imposition?”

He rolled his eyes. “
Karis, my mother cooks for days, and it’s usually only the four of us, my sisters’ husbands, and my friend Scott. There will be plenty of food, so the more the merrier. In fact, my mother will be ecstatic.”

“Thank you, Michael.” She kissed his cheek.

“Not good enough, sweetheart. I’m gonna need more than a kiss and a thank you to show your appreciation for my generosity.” She laughed as she turned to face him.

“How shall I RSVP to your i
nvitation,” she asked, nibbling on his neck.

“
Mmm, let’s keep the theme of acronyms and go with a BJ.” She buried her head in his neck and laughed as he chuckled.

“
Well, Michael, even though I suck at math, I do appreciate the necessity of numbers. How about sixty--?” He covered her mouth with his hand, looking almost embarrassed by her naughty proposal. She giggled through his hands.

“Fuck, woman, you’re going to kill me,” he growled out before taking her mouth.

This time was different, raunchy and desperate and absolutely what they both needed. Hands, mouths, tongues, teeth going a mile a minute.

Giving.
Thanking. Surrendering.

The early morning sun heated Karis’s face as she rolled over to palm the warm but empty spot to her left. She inhaled the scent of him as a smile slowly formed. She hadn’t felt this satisfied in years. Michael read her sexual needs like a psychic does the mind; he knew exactly where to kiss, stroke, tantalize her at the precise moment she wanted it. The realization brought traces of guilt to her contented mood.  Karis cringed as her mind drew a table, detailing each man’s pros and cons as lovers, and she shook her head to stop the torture.

L
ast night when he asked about Robert, it surprised her how comfortable she was talking about him with Michael. Her guilt was purely self-directed, based on how she dealt with Robert’s illness and death. But Michael still placed her on such a high pedestal, she feared for the moment she lost her balance and plummeted to where she belonged.  Michael was a dream, a fantasy turned reality. He didn’t pressured her to move on; never showed jealousy toward Robert. He merely showed her how much he cared for her. But was it even possible or right for another man to help bring peace to her about Robert’s passing? As much as her head screamed that it was wrong, even immoral, she couldn’t help how right it felt in her heart.

Robert
was a good man and a good lover, but because of their whirlwind beginning, she was a sure thing. So perhaps it wasn’t that Robert didn’t please her; but rather her body attached itself to Michael’s every touch, kiss, declaration of lust because he took her like he had more to lose… or more to prove.

With a deep breath,
Karis glanced at the clock that read 6:30 a.m.. Why does he wake so damn early on a Sunday? She suddenly realized she had little knowledge of daily routine. Ugh, what if he’s Catholic and wants to go to mass on Sunday mornings? She cringed inwardly. How should she tell him she’s Methodist and less, er, dedicated? No, uh-uh, he can’t be Catholic. No Catholic fucks like he does. Wait, maybe they do. She knew a ton of Catholic girls from huge families. Isn’t Eve is Catholic? Nope, definitely not shy about the whole fucking idea.  She giggled to herself.

Fact of the matter:
Mr. Hot and Attentive left me in a cold bed.

Suddenly,
the familiar sound of the shower coerced a roguish grin across her face. She hid it beneath her hand, realizing what she was about to do. Oooh, she was evil. So he wanted to add spiteful to his list of the
Wonderful Traits of Karis Bennett
, did he? Perhaps Michael could see the side she unveiled only on special occasions. It would take only a few minutes to prepare.
Go time, baby.
She jumped out bed, grabbed his black t-shirt from the floor and ran toward the kitchen.

In less than
two minutes, Karis approached the door of his grandiose bathroom, thrilled to hear the shower still on full blast. She peeked into the steamed-filled room and nearly dropped what she held at sight of her beautiful man scrubbing his hair. She gaped as his biceps flexing and his back contracted as the soap dripped down, sluicing over his ridiculously perfect ass. She stifled the heavy exhale that threatened to give her position away.

Creeping
on the heated tile floor, she inched toward the shower. Her hands trembled as she drew a slow, preparatory breath.

“Michael, darling
,” she chimed.

As soon as he turned, soap dripping down his face, she threw the large bowl of ice cold water on him
, or rather,
it
.

His mouth gaped wide, his brow
drew together as the shock of the frigid water stole his breath. “I warned you” was all she could muster before she bolted from the bathroom, hoping he would rinse before running after her. A wave of thrilling terror coursed through her as she bounded up the stairs, skipping steps. She raced into his office and crouched in the corner of the closet, allowing in just a sliver of light. She clutched her hands to her mouth to muffle her evil snicker.

Second
after agonizing second passed. Her heart beat decelerated just enough to remove her hands from her mouth, until musky coconut wafted through the door’s sliver of light. Like a cat in heat, her body responded. In mere seconds, she was primed for her man. Wet pussy and throbbing breasts.
Jesus, what is he doing to me?

She
finally heard his footsteps, too light for such a large man.
Crap
, she thought.
What if he’s really mad
? He didn’t seem like he had anger issues. Admittedly, she he hadn’t fully considered his reaction to the stunt. Then his huge bare feet, which Karis now decided were damn near the sexiest feet she’d ever seen, stood parallel to the closet door.

Holding her breath, she counted to ten before he turned and walked away.

Why didn’t he open the door? 

Waiting another ten seconds, she let her breath go
in a steady, silent stream. Excited anxiety morphed into quaking terror. Sniffing the air for his scent like a damn hound dog, she waited a few more minutes before peeking out.

No Michael.

She started out of the closet, tiptoeing to the hallway. She looked left then right.

Clear.

Stealth-like, her back pressed against the wall, she padded her way in and out of the other two bedrooms, checking behind doors and in closets.

No Michael.

She stole a chance to use the bathroom and swish some mouthwash around for twenty seconds.
Oh, yeah, I’m a crafty bitch. Eve would be so proud
, she mused, smiling to herself.

Once she’d made it
back to the top of the stairs, she took a few cleansing breaths. She descended the staircase, her back shimming against the wall, stopping every step to peek over her shoulder. Droplets of sweat covered her forehead and the well between her breasts. Her heart picked up pace with each step. She leaned and peeked over the open banister into the living room.

Empty.

Would he have left? She tiptoed to the closet front window. She saw his monstrous truck exactly where it was yesterday. Karis whipped around, panic teeming. She left herself exposed to “attack”.
You did this to yourself, you idiot.
The morning sun lighting the room did nothing to assuage her feelings of complete vulnerability. Feeling like a trapped animal, her eyes darted around the empty living room, and her skin prickled. He was watching her. She swore she could feel his surveillance.

Michael, the predator. She, his prey.

“Crap a shit,” she muttered. The expletive sliced the silence causing chill bumps to travel over her clammy skin. Yes, she could
feel
him. She jerked her head toward the window and glanced at her car, but quickly discounted the idea. She was wearing only his tee shirt. With her luck, she’d get approached by a nosey passerby. Awk-ward.

S
he shifted into survivor mode. It was do or…who the hell knows what he’s planned. She scanned the living room again, this time for a weapon, something that would do no serious damage, but may stop him.

You love this,
Karis. Stop kidding yourself,
her conscience echoed, and Karis allowed a cautious smile.

That morning, Michael awoke hard as a rock pressed against Karis’s soft curvaceous ass, his arms snaked around her waist, his hands cupping her full breasts. He released a sigh of satisfaction as he glided his hand down her belly and through her pussy lips. He thumbed over her clit a few times and slid his finger inside to assess his progress. Even asleep, she was primed, soaking wet from his touch. He could have easily sunk right into her right then and there.

Fighting against his base urges, he instead watched as her chest rose and fell, a soft kitten-like snore escaping her parted lips. Every few minutes, her lips would curve, and his heart quickened thinking he may be part of her happy dreams.

Last
night had far exceeded his expectations. He loved touching her and treasuring up all her moans and whimpers. Like he’d expected, the physical closeness brought them to a much-needed summit in their relationship. With every touch, kiss, word, he was falling deeper and deeper in love with Karis. Kissing her was the only way he could smother his uncontrollable need to tell her so. The fact of the matter was he knew the word would send her on a swift path out the door, and maybe farther. Nonetheless, he knew she loved him, saw in her eyes as clearly as he loved her…so it was only a matter of time before he coaxed the word from her heart.

After
whispering kisses over her cheeks and forehead, he slipped out from behind her and decided to shower before she woke.

As the
tepid water washed over him, his mind flashed image after image of Karis beneath him, above him, around him. His cock strained and throbbed to an unbearable hardness as he tried to repel the rapid-fire images filling his mind…until he could return to their bed. She was sweet and sensual and the right amount of kink.
Fuck yeah, she is
. He grinned. He seriously doubted he would ever tire of her luscious body and sassy mouth.

Hindered by his
graphic thoughts, he hadn’t heard her enter the bathroom, so when she called his name, he’d assumed his desires had been answered.

Big Fucking Mistake. And for a Marine? Fucking deplorable.

He saw her wicked grin before
the shock of ice-cold water literally kicked him square in the goods. The last thing he heard was her muttered
warning
. He couldn’t breathe for what felt like minutes, but once the warm shower eased both the shock and the stinging, aching pain, he grinned. She was indeed a woman of her word.

Game on,
sweetheart. Michael had a plan and knew he had her trust. Unfortunately, the secret he kept threatened to demolish any trust he was now building with her. He hoped it was enough. He would have to confess soon. But for now, he was going to play her game.