Neighbors with Benefits (Anderson Brothers, #2)(55)

She had told herself that she would have been satisfied with this one weekend with him, but she knew that had been a lie. It would never be enough. And he wanted more. He wanted her to live with him. To share his bed every night.

The connection between them was deep and real. She closed her eyes and felt her orgasm build like a spring being wound tight. She shortened and quickened her strokes.

“You never told me the thing about you I don’t know,” he grated out between his teeth.

She opened her eyes and he put his hand where their bodies met and stroked her as she ground down harder.

“I…”

And the spring wound even tighter.

“Love…”

And tighter still.

“I love you, Michael!” She shouted as stars exploded behind her eyelids and wave after wave of ecstasy rolled through her body and he strained silently under her, joining her until they both went limp and lay tangled up together exhausted and utterly sated.

“That didn’t count,” he said as she snuggled in beside him.

“Why not?”

He pulled her even closer and whispered in her ear, “I already knew that.”

…

Michael sat in a white wooden folding chair waiting for the photographer to finish the post-wedding shots. It had been a surprisingly enjoyable and mercifully short ceremony held outdoors behind the bed and breakfast, with heartfelt vows the bride and groom had written themselves. He liked that idea—creating personal vows. Not that he’d ever put any thought into it before. But he was thinking about it now, as he watched the woman who had driven him wild all night, and again this morning, pose for pictures in a dress the color of her eyes, which fit her perfectly and made him glad to be alive. Thank you, Sue, for the first beautiful bridesmaid dress he’d ever seen. Maybe it was just the woman in it. And she’d said she loved him. Amazing.

He thought of Will and how he and Claire would be getting married in the near future. Had his brother felt like this—almost giddy and absolutely ridiculous? Like there was nothing he couldn’t do.

Across the lawn, Mia laughed at something Mark had said, and Michael found himself smiling. He smiled a lot now. She’d changed him. And soon, he’d tell her that—right after he got her alone and removed her lacy purple panties with his teeth.

Grinning, he tipped his head back and enjoyed the sunshine on his face. He needed to get out in the sun more often. He’d actually begun to enjoy his walks with Clancy during work hours. It was good to get away from the office every now and then. Maybe he’d schedule a picnic with Mia that week after they got back. Yes. Definitely. She’d like that.

Gravel crunched, and he opened his eyes as car pulled up on the road. The window cracked open and Michael stiffened. He’d recognize paparazzi anywhere.

Fuck.

Mark and Sue were just normal people having a small, family wedding. No way would they draw the tabloids. He’d told no one except his brothers where he was going. And he certainly wasn’t a big enough fish in their papers’ ratings for them to simply trail him around. Someone gave them some info that interested them.

His gaze flitted to the party posing for yet another wedding photo. As if she could feel his stare, Mia looked over and winked.

Another car, an SUV this time, pulled up behind the first car and a man got out, long range lens in hand.

Goddammit.

“Hey, Mike,” Jason said, slipping into the chair beside him.

The man with the long-range lens lifted his camera and Michael jumped to his feet, immediately striding straight to the back of the house where he was blocked from view by the corner of the porch.

What the f*ck is going on here?

“Are you okay?”

He spun to find Kelli in a chair on the other end of the porch, eyes puffy from a probable tear-filled night.

“Someone called the tabloids.”

She crossed her legs and relaxed back against the wicker. “That would be Jason. I heard him make the call yesterday after you left the pub. Told them you were going to announce a business deal.”

“The deal he tried to pitch me at dinner, I suppose.”

“That would be the one. He has delusions of grandeur. Told me you guys would be partners before the weekend was out.”

“I’m going to f*cking kill him.”

“Take a number.”

Honestly, as drunk as he’d been last night, it was hard to believe the bastard was up and running so early in the day, much less feeling good enough to pose for pictures for the paparazzi. No way in hell would Michael allow himself to be linked to that snake in any way. And he certainly didn’t want Mia involved.

His number one priority was to keep her out of the papers. He and Mia were at a fragile point in their relationship. He was trying to prove how much she meant to him, and being lumped in with the other women the paparazzi had snapped him with, who meant nothing at all, would damage her emotionally, and possibly professionally, depending on the mindset of her employer. Nobody liked to be called the kind of things she’d be called if linked with him. One of his first orders of business when he got back to the city would be to meet with his PR company to begin planning a transition. The playboy was about to become a one-woman man.

When he looked around the corner, a third car had joined the other two and the guy with the long range lens and a woman carrying a camera bag were striding down the fence line behind the house. He had to get inside out of view until he could come up with a strategy, and he needed to get word to Mia to keep her head down and avoid him until he could get them away from here.