"I think you can make yourself crazy going around in circles like that. Who knows why anyone dies? I've never believed in all that 'it's their time' bullshit. I believe in bad luck and even worse decisions. I've seen enough in my time as a cop to know that things are rarely as random as they appear. There's always a series of events that lead up to that one moment where all is lost."

"You sound so cynical," she said sadly. "I can't say I blame you. I lost a lot of my belief in good when they died. It was such a senseless tragedy. As you said, bad choices. A driver not paying attention and David and Hannah paid the price. We paid the price."

"How about we move on to happier things," Micah said as he touched her nose.

She smiled, though her face still looked sad.

"I wish I could go back and do things different, Angel girl," he said in a low voice. "You have no idea how much I wish it."

She cupped his cheeks in both hands and pulled him down in a kiss.

"You're here now. That's all that counts."

"So let me ask you something."

158 "Shoot," she said as she adjusted herself so she faced the ocean again.

"Do you ever think about trying to find your mom?"

She went still. "No. She left. She made her choice pretty clear. She didn't want me or David. Why would I want her now?"

"Because she's your only family," he said gently.

She glanced sharply at him. "Just like your parents are your only family."

He held up his hands in surrender. "You've made your point. Okay, both our parents are off-limits. I won't talk about yours and you don't remind me of mine."

"Deal," she muttered.

They sat not talking, the sounds of the sea in front of them, the traffic along the seawall boulevard behind them. It surprised him how content he was just to hold her. To feel her, to listen to her soft breathing.

They stayed until the sun slipped below the horizon and the sky was bathed in pink and golden hues. She stirred against him, and it was then he realized she'd fallen asleep.

"You ready to head back home?" he asked softly when she looked up at him with sleepy eyes.

She smiled and nodded. "Thank you for today, Micah. It was nice to get away for a while, to escape reality for a few hours."

Unable to resist the soft, tousled look she presented, he kissed her lips, then the corner of her mouth, then her jaw and down to her neck. He nuzzled her ear and then worked his way back over her cheek and up to her eyes. He pressed the lightest of kisses to each of her closed eyes and then dropped a playful peck on her nose.

"Come on, sunshine. Time to get you home and in bed."

She stretched and stood, taking his hand as he started for the truck.

159

CHAPTER 26

"We have company coming over tonight," Micah said.

Angelina looked up from her perch on the couch. "We do? Who is it?"

Micah smiled. "It's a surprise. But we need to get you ready."

Her eyebrow went up, and her pulse leapt. In the weeks since they'd moved into The House, Micah had kept them secluded. They'd slipped into a comfortable relationship that extended beyond sex and his complete mastery over her body. She'd grown used to being with him, to having him to herself, a barrier to the outside world. Now their sanctuary was being breached, but she found herself excited and intrigued instead of resentful of the intrusion.

He walked over to her and held out his hand to help her up.

"First a shower. I'll wash your hair. Afterward I'll dry and brush it out for you. Have I ever told you how much I love your hair?"

She swallowed, her nervousness--no, anticipation--tightening her throat.

"There's no reason to be afraid," he murmured as he touched the pulse point at her throat.

"I'm not afraid," she said huskily.

"Good."

He pulled her with him up the stairs to the bedroom. As soon as they got past the door, he started undressing her. His movements were slow and measured. The calm and precision in which he touched her excited her.

He was exceedingly gentle, almost as if he were truly afraid of frightening her. This puzzled her because before he'd always been quick to demand, impatient and forceful.

This ... this was a side to him she hadn't seen but had always longed for. She'd seen how render he was with Hannah. She knew he was capable of such caring and love. Could he be softening toward her?

The last of her clothes dropped to the floor, and he cupped her shoulders as he stared 160 down at her.

"Go lie down on the bed. On your stomach. Get comfortable."

She was curious, but she didn't question him.

She settled onto the bed and rubbed her cheek on the soft comforter. A few moments later, the bed dipped and he crawled onto up next to her.

He placed his hand on the back of her knee and ran it up her leg and over the swell of her buttocks. He stopped there and gently kneaded the soft flesh.

His fingers dipped low, and he ran his thumb over the seam of her pussy, down to her clit. He toyed with it for a minute and then rubbed gently over her folds, pushing inward then withdrawing.

"Has anyone ever had your ass, Angel girl?"

She swallowed and shook her head.

"I don't want your first experience to be with another man. I want to ease you into it. I don't want to hurt you. A lot will happen tonight. I want you to be prepared."

She shivered at the promise in his voice.

He bent and kissed one cheek of her ass, then nibbled playfully at it. His thumb worked up from her pussy, over the tight opening. She flinched and tightened reflexively.

"Relax," he murmured.

She forced herself to go limp under his coaxing hands.

He kissed her other cheek and then slid his mouth up to the small of her back. All the while, his thumb worked back and forth over her anus. It slid easily, dipping into the opening, and then she realized he'd used lubricant on his fingers.

"You have a gorgeous ass. I get hard just watching you walk. You could hypnotize a guy with that sexy swing of yours."

She smiled and remained still, relaxing further under his sweet seduction.

"I'm going to push you tonight, Angel girl. I don't think it's anything you can't handle.

You're a lot like me. More than anyone else I've known. We like the same things. We're into the same kinks. Now I want to see just how far I can push you."

Oh God. Chill bumps raced across her back, and he chuckled softly as he ran his tongue 161 up her spine.

"You'll be powerless tonight. I expect you to obey. I want you to trust me, but at the same time, if it becomes too much, all you have to do is say stop."

"I do trust you, Micah."

"You're beautiful, Angel, and tonight I'm going to share that beauty. I'm going to watch other men possess that beauty. I'm going to offer what is mine because it's mine to give."

She let out a small moan as his thumb pressed deeper, slipping past the natural resistance of the opening.

"I'm too possessive to allow another man to be the first," he admitted. "I don't want to chance another man hurting or frighrening you."

He kissed the area just above where his thumb probed, and then he slid his thumb in to the knuckle. Her fingers curled into the blanket and formed tight fists at her head.

The bed dipped again, and then his body covered hers like a warm, comforting blanket.

His knee went between her thighs and spread them wider.

He kissed one shoulder and then the other. His hands caressed her arms, then slid over her back and down her waist.

"We're going to take this nice and slow, baby. Relax and trust me. It might hurt, but it won't last long. Once I'm in, the worst is over".

His voice soothed and lulled her. His touch incited deep longing.

His hand pressed into her buttocks and then she felt him position the blunt head of his cock at her opening. When the tip touched the sensitive flesh, her pussy tingled in reaction.

Again he kissed her back and then her neck.

"Relax," he whispered. "When I start to push in, I want you to push out against me."

She nodded her understanding and braced herself for what was coming.

"No, baby, don't tense up like that."

He moved his hand up to her hair, smoothing it away from her face. He stroked soothingly and then he kissed her ear.

"Relax. Trust me. I won't hurt you any more than I have to."

162 Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to go limp again.

He pressed inward, and her eyes flew open as she began stretching around the head of his cock.

"Push out. Meet me halfway," he whispered into her ear.

She pushed. He pushed. She stretched, and it felt like fire. She sucked in her breath and then held it, her heart pounding against the mattress.

"Breathe, Angel girl. Breathe and try to relax. I'm almost there. It won't hurt for much longer."

As soon as she expelled her breath, he gave a firm push and her body gave way. He slid into her body, and she cried out at the overwhelming barrage of sensation.

She struggled, unable to process whether it was pain or pleasure or some heady mixture of both.

"Shhh, baby, it's all right."

He kissed her neck and then her shoulder, and he held himself completely still against her as he gave her time to adjust to his size.

"God, you're big," she wailed.

He chuckled as he rested against her.

"It just feels that way because you've never taken anyone this way."

He withdrew a few inches and carefully pushed inward again. There was relief, and it felt good when he eased out, but then the fire was back when he thrust forward again.

The stark differences made her crazy. The sweet tenderness he exhibited warmed her all the way to her heart. The edgy pain woke the dark hunger deep inside her in places that only he'd awakened.

"Am I hurting you, baby?"

"No, yes, God I don't know," she gasped.

His teeth grazed her shoulder, and then he licked the spot before kissing her again. He rose up so his weight was almost completely off her.

He placed his hands on either side of her body and surged forward, deeper than before.

163 The thick base of his cock stretched her impossibly and his balls rested against her pussy.

God, he was completely embedded in her. All the way to the balls. He stayed there, allowing her more time to adjust.

Then he began a slow, easy motion. In. Out. He was careful not to push too hard, be too forceful or go too fast.