Page 29 of His Curvy Castaway Obsession - A Man Who Knows What He Wants

I crack a smile and feel like one look from him can make all my problems go away.

He hits a button on the side of his headset, and I can hear his conversation with the pilot.

“How high does this thing go, Scotty… get a mile up?”

“Oh, yes sir! And more, up to twenty five thousand feet.”

“Then take us home on the scenic route, will ya? I’ll let you know when we’re good to come down.”

He takes off his headset and raises his brows, but I don’t get it.

He leans in close, and whispers in my ear, something so filthy and exciting that I feel myself flush, right from my face all the way down to my toes.

Michael checks his watch again, “We’ve got all the time in the world now…how about it?”

And I grin. I grin with the knowledge that this is my new normal, that life can only get better by spending each hour with Michael, just the two of us.

I feel the helicopter climbing as he pulls off my blouse, my hands tugging at his pants, a false sense of urgency now, but something that I know is now a staple in my life. The only thing I need apart from air.

Michael Parker.

Mile high or on the beach, I’ll take him any way I can.

Directly and preferably in a constant supply.

Chapter Twenty

Later That Day

Michael

Zoe’s dad, Colin. He’s not a bad guy, I’m the bad guy. In his eyes I am anyway. And anyone who works for me. All bad.

We’ve gone back to my townhouse, freshened up and each grabbed a change of clothes, Zoe’s from the boutique on the first floor.

I want to meet the man who Parker Global wronged, but more importantly, I want to set things right. Not just for Zoe, or for Colin, but for everyone who lost out in dealing with the one thing I used to be almost proud of, until I heard his story.

Until he helps me uncover a whole bunch like them.

But I’m also meeting him to ask him something. It’s tradition after all, isn’t it?

I feel my heart break, seeing where Zoe was brought up, seeing how her dad lives. I’ve seen Zoe’s place too, from the outside. It’s not much better. But it’s not the building that makes a person, it’s the person inside that counts.

“Jesus Zoe! Why would you bring him here?” He turns to me, menacingly tall for his size, but I’m bigger. And I’m not as upset as he is.

“Colin? Michael Parker.” I introduce myself, ignoring his hostile attitude, determined to set things straight, once and for all.

He only lets us in, to sit down at the tiny kitchen table for Zoe’s sake. She’s red with embarrassment, but I give her the look that everything’s fine. I want to do this, and I know she does too.

Colin starts with his rant, but my huge hand goes up again, having a surprising effect, same as it always does with most people.

“Colin. Now, I’ll stop you just for a moment. I’m here to help you recover what you lost through Parker Global, I really am but I really also need to-”

But he’s off again, the mere mention of it, he’s standing up, pacing and cursing. His color changes and I start to wonder if he isn’t going to make himself sick.

I crack a smile, looking over to Zoe, waiting for my chance to continue, but he just won’t let up.

“It’s criminal! That’s what it is, always the big man who squashes the little guy… sure! You got all that money, but where’d you get it, huh? From schmucks like me… and you didn’t ask either, you just damned well took it!”

That’s enough. I’ve heard enough, my fist pounding down on the tiny table, scattering beer cans and upending the old style phone that hangs on the edge.

My turn.

I stand up, looming over Colin, who starts to shrink back as he registers the look in my eyes.

“Michael! Daddy!” Zoe calls out, standing up too, but I hold her back with my arm out, cricking my neck.

“Now, Colin…” I growl, struggling to keep my cool, “I just told you I’ll square away anything owed to you by my company. I’d also like to offer you a job, heading up a new branch in my corporate structure, to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again. You studied finance, right?” he nods, his face going from mad to scared to confused, all in one instant.

“That’s great, but the real reason, the main reason I came here today…” I tell him, noticing my continued growl as I stand over him, taking Zoe’s hand in mine and bringing her up along my side, putting my arm around her. Showing her old man that she belongs to me now.

“The real reason, the most important reason I came here, is to ask you for your daughter’s hand. Zoe’s going to be my wife, my woman from now on but I want your blessing. I want us all to have a fresh start.”

---