No question about that. It could take years to find a man of the same caliber, and by then Rori could already have started the family she wanted with a perfectly acceptable man. Anton.
So why did the thought of marrying him hit her like a wave of cold water. Okay, maybe figuring out why wasn’t such the hard thing to figure out as how she could make the feeling go away. A week on a secluded island with Mike might just do the trick. They could just get all the sex out of the way and then she could move on. Her skin tingled at the thought, her breaths grew more shallow. Then she thought of doing the same with Anton and her body went immediately cold.
Yeah, Rori was definitely in trouble.
Chapter 55
All of Mike’s cameras were ready to roll. And if Mike did say so himself, his set-up was rather perfect—both for the exhibit and with Rori. He had planned on taking her to bed after the exhibit, but he was not going to balk at moving things up one day.
The woman had a mouth and body of a goddess, and now that Mike had felt the intensity in their simple foreplay, he wasn’t going to be able to sleep until he had all of her. He needed to look into her eyes as he sheathed himself inside of her, to feel her mouth as it whimpered against his, to feel her hands grip him as she came and screamed his name.
His name. No one else’s. Ever.
Mike had thought he would need to use logic to convince her to give him a shot. He’d memorized a speech and everything. But screw the speech. That level of chemistry spoke for itself. Once they were naked and in each other’s arms Rori would see that they were meant to be. Maybe he wasn’t what she had been planning on, but they belonged together. Of that, Mike had no doubt.
He glanced at his watch, noting that she should be back in the next thirty minutes or so. He needed to go back to their place, get cleaned up, and put out the champagne and strawberries. He should also be able to fit in a trip down the block to the flower vendor for some roses. He could use the petals on the bed to set the mood.
Taking one last look around the gallery to make sure he wasn’t leaving a mess, Mike turned and headed for the lobby only to see another man walking his direction. The guy was older and his dark, product-drenched hair had a very European look to it, as did his thin goatee. Still, he had the strut of a man who knew exactly what he was about and how to get his way. Once he reached Mike, he stopped and held out his hand.
“Mike Cannon, I presume.”
“Yes,” Mike replied, gripping the man’s hand. “And you are?”
“I’m Aurora’s step-father. Feel free to call me Jean.”
Mike gave the man a second look over. If this was what Rori’s step-father looked like then maybe that explained why she didn’t mind Anton’s greasy appearance. “Good to meet you.”
The man chuckled. “You may change your tune by the end of this, but please know that I am coming to you for the sole purpose of making your life easier. Because, from what I understand, you have feelings for my little girl. Is that correct?”
“I—ah,” Mike hadn’t been expecting a question like this. A least not so abruptly.
“You do,” he said with confidence. “She is an easy woman to want, especially when she holds the keys to so many doors that are currently locked to you.”
Mike felt himself bristle. “It’s not that—”
“Of course it is, son,” Jean said with a condescending smile. “But that’s not why I’m here talking to you.” He handed a file folder to Mike—the same folder Mike had seen on Rori’s kitchen table earlier that night. “You see, Rori is about to become engaged. Her fiancé will be arriving tomorrow, and when he appears you will see exactly what role you play in her life—which is, and always will be, to entertain her behind closed doors and away from the sight of the public.”
“That’s not true,” Mike snapped.
“It is,” the man countered. “You may not have accepted this fact yet, but you would do well to read this file, and the marriage contract in particular, and ask yourself how you feel about being a male mistress to a woman