“Michael…”I whined. “Please. I can’t hold back anymore.”

He chuckled. “It’s okay. Let go and come for me, Mia.”

I wasn’t sure what the point of his strange exercise was until I gave in and was hit with an orgasm that was so powerful it was completely overwhelming. Wave after wave of pleasure flooded me. My eyes widened as they seemed to go on forever. It was by far the longest orgasm I’d ever experienced.

Michael watched me with satisfaction even as he continued moving inside me. He picked up speed, and when he came, amazingly, I was still convulsing. That was unlike anything I’dever felt before. It left me breathless and quivering for a while, even when he rolled off me and dropped to the bed.

“Holy fuck,” I whispered. “How did you…” I clamped my mouth shut when I realized the silly question I was about to ask. Of course, he knew I’d have a marathon orgasm if I followed his instructions. He wasn’t the one who was a virgin just months ago. That was me… “Never mind.”

Michael smirked and sat up. “Are you okay?”

I nodded. “I’m perfect.” I loved how he checked on me after those intense moments.

He got up and rolled the condom off. I watched him as he disappeared into the bathroom. Left alone, I finally took a good look around. I couldn’t believe I was in his bedroom. It was a little surreal. When he reappeared, I watched him with uncertainty. Would he tell me to head back to my room? To my surprise, he slid back into bed beside me and gathered me in his arms. We didn’t talk as I expected we would, so I fell asleep in Michael’s arms. Just as the night of what was supposed to be our one-night stand, I felt safe in his hold and fell into a deep sleep.

24

MICHAEL

I jolted awake, instinctively bracing for the sound of my alarm… which didn’t go off because apparently I’d missed it. I realized that was the case when my brain processed that my bedroom was bathed in sunlight. At first, I was confused because I wasn’t used to the light when I woke up. For as long as I could remember, I was up before dawn. My body was so programmed that I usually woke before the alarm blared.

My eyes flew to the clock on the nightstand.

Six-forty-five.

There went my morning workout… I rubbed a hand over my face and then glanced down at Mia, who was still fast asleep. Her soft, warm weight pressed against my side felt good. It had been a while since I had a woman inmybed. I waited for the pang of unease to set in because for a long time, the thought of getting close to another woman didn’t appeal to me. However, the bad feeling didn’t hit. I felt relaxed. Mia seemed to be very comfortable, too.

Her head rested on my chest, and she had one arm draped across my stomach. Her face was turned up so I could admire the beauty she was. That stunning beauty that had left me amazedwhen I got a first look at her on our blind date. Her eyelashes fanned her cheeks, and her full lips formed a sexy pout even in her sleep. She looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to wake her.

A surge of emotions I wasn’t prepared for went through me. Although I wasn’t panicking about her presence in my personal space, the weight of what had happened last night settled in. I couldn’t ignore the apprehension that followed. She wasn’t just any woman. She was Poppy’s nanny.

It wasn’t that I regretted what happened because last night had been inevitable. The tension between us had been building for weeks, hell,months. I felt it in my bones that it was only a matter of time before we ended up here. The problem was that this time we’d crossed a line that we couldn’t uncross the way we had tried to before. I felt a bit guilty for giving in to my desires at the risk of my daughter losing Mia.

Poppy adored her. From the moment she entered our lives, she had this almost magical ability to connect with my daughter in ways I hadn’t seen before. Poppy was happier and more confident. Mia had become a constant for her.

Here’s to hoping I haven’t fucked things up, I thought as I studied at her.

As if she felt me staring at her, her eyes fluttered open. I gazed into a sea of amber and watched as her eyes changed from cloudy with sleep to being clear and alert. Immediately, her cheeks flushed rose pink.

“Hi…” she whispered.

“Hi.”

“You’re staring at me. I was snoring, wasn’t I?”

I laughed. “No, you’re a very quiet sleeper. I was just thinking…”

She went rigid and then shuffled out of my arms. As she sat up and pushed her curtain of hair out of her face, she let out a slow breath. She’d taken the sheet with her when she moved andclutched it to her chest. Her hold was so tight her knuckles were white. “Oh… of course…”

I sat up too. “It’s not what you think, Mia.”

Worried eyes met mine. “How do you know what I’m thinking?”

“The panic is right there in your eyes. I’m not about to fire you.”

Her shoulders relaxed a bit, but there was still a hint of apprehension in her eyes as she watched me.

I sighed heavily. “I hate that you think the worst every time we… cross the line.” Although those lines were completely nonexistent now.