Page 19 of His Curvy Castaway Obsession - A Man Who Knows What He Wants

“This weather. It’s unseasonal but can happen out here,” he comments, trying the door and giving me a small smile when it opens.

Phew.

Once inside, I close the door by leaning on it, then look up, around and decide to stay put for now. I don’t want to mess the pace up.

“It’s not exactly a beach hut,” Michael says sheepishly, “but it will keep us dry.”

I’m literally speechless, so Michael fills in the gaps, catching my mood.

“Parker Global retirement retreats…” he says. As if he’s reading from one of the brochures I can spot, placed anywhere there’s a flat surface.

“This is one of the demo models… a deluxe by the looks… There’s no electricity to the island yet, but I think there’s a generator someplace. We can camp here for a bit.”

I’m in love with the place already. It’s like a mini two story colonial mansion outside, with a modern and spacious interior. Loads of natural light with the whole place looking bright and cheerful even with a hurricane brewing outside.

I wince at another wave of thunder and lightning, hearing fresh sheets of rain driven against the open shutters of the windows.

“We’ll be safe in here, don’t worry,” Michael reassures me. But I feel a little suspicious suddenly.

“So was it your plan to get me here all along… hiring me I mean…” I ask him, surprised at my own tone as I notice his smile falling.

“Is that a bad thing?” he asks me, coming closer and taking both my hands in his.

“Not really…” I venture, looking at my feet, noticing I’m shivering from cold now.

“I just wish people were more honest I guess. More up front. Is there hot water?” I ask, my teeth starting to chatter.

“You bet,” he says softly, lifting my face to meet his with a curled finger.

“If I’d stopped you in the street, yesterday, and told you I loved you and wanted to take you to a deserted island, would you have believed me?” he asks me, trying not to smile.

“No…” I say, feeling goofy all of a sudden for even thinking Michael could be anything less than straight with me.

“Exactly.”

“Yesterday?” I ask him. Suddenly realizing what day it is, “I only met you today. And it’s not a deserted island, there’s all those investors, remember?”

He smiles and kisses my forehead.

“That’s why I love you, Zoe, you never skip a beat.”

Thunder crashes again, so hard the whole building shakes.

“Those investors…” Michael muses to himself absently, then breathing in as he looks at me dreamily. “…will have to fend for themselves for a while. Shawn’s in charge of them anyway. Let’s get you and me in a shower or something equally hot and wet, then into some dry clothes.”

I freeze when he tries to lead me into the house by the hand, petrified I’ll make the place dirty and muddy.

“This place is immaculate, I don’t want to get in any trouble,” I say cautiously, wondering if security includes breaking into Parker Global property and using it for… well. What I have in mind might happen again, but using it for showers and whatnot? That’s not part of my job description for the day, but then again, neither is Michael.

“It’s fine, Zoe. Trust me alright? Now come on, let’s get you out of those wet clothes, you’re freezing.”

I slip off my shoes and following his lead, we find a small downstairs bathroom that has a shower in it. For all my passion and carefree lovemaking from moments ago, I feel like a deer in the headlights with Michael so close suddenly, in such a small space. Between him and me, we shrink the room a lot.

He’s eyeing me up and down, and I can see his satisfaction starting to show again, but my shyness registers with him, and he’s so sweet, he doesn’t even mention it.

“I’ll go fire up some power. The water’s gas and solar, I think… so you’re good to go. Don’t be too long.” he adds, pecking my check before looking me up and down again with one of his trademark growls, which I almost feel like putting to use again, but he’s right. I’m freezing and I don’t want to catch a cold.

He’s right, the water’s plenty hot and it feels great. I’d love to steam it up some more with Michael in here, but I feel the familiar stab of my own self-conscious shyness as I see myself fully naked for the first time ever, in the wall high mirror directly opposite the shower. It sure adds depth to the small room from a design perspective, but I’ve never felt so unsexy in my life.

Whatever he sees in me isn’t showing in the mirror, that’s for sure and I feel relief when the steam clouds up the bathroom, enveloping me in a warming, soothing mist. The jets of hot water relax me and play in time with the storm raging outside, with the thunder and lightning still going full blast.

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