*Michael*Seeing her again, so gorgeous in every way, brought back painful memories that, just hours before, I had said goodbye to. Yet here I was, staring her down with likely an incredibly pleading expression. A pit formed in my stomach as I wondered if this was disrespecting her wishes about space. I did not walk any closer to her, even though I very much wanted to take her into my arms and hold her close. I swallowed and let out a soft sigh, opening my mouth to start. “Shelby, I–”“Michael, what are you doing here? You–”“I know, it–”“Seeing you here again, I–”“I wanted to talk about–”We stopped, getting nowhere given our words were being tangled by talking over one another. I had the delight of seeing an amused glint to her eyes. She brought her hand up to her lips, covering her mouth for a moment in amusement before clearing her throat and letting out a sigh. Her expression hardened as, no doubt, she decided to stand her ground.

*Shelby*“Do you have a plan, Michael?” I asked in a hushed voice, swallowing hard. My heart was pounding in my ears, and I needed to take a few steps back, turning to collapse onto the couch. I was so tired of feeling this way, but I couldn’t help it. My reputation was going to be ruined, that much was clear. The past pictures were not as obvious, but this one? Completely earth shattering. How was I going to get a handle on this? All of my fears were staring me in the face, but after last night, I didn’t want to leave Michael. Honestly, I didn’t think I could at this point. No matter how much I knew I needed to. Michael followed me to the couch, taking me on his lap and wrapping his arms around me. I didn’t realize tears were flowing down my cheeks until he reached over and wiped away some of the warm wetness, as I stared up into his eyes. For a moment, everything was okay. I was drawn into his gaze, starstruck, and completely out of it. My negative emotio

*Shelby*That had worked out so much better than I could have imagined. As we wandered through the rest of the aquarium, I felt elated. My heart pounded, and my cheeks tinged red, no doubt from the excitement that, yes, things were working out. I could actually relax, at least for now. I was free. I stared at some tropical fish displaying a menagerie of colors, going over just how much of a dream my time with Michael had been. Except, now it didn’t have to just be a dream or a few days of luxury. This all could be a reality while I advanced in my career like I was meant to. Well, somewhat. I was jumping to conclusions. I furrowed my brow, refocusing on Michael, who was standing behind me, and focused on the fish. It took him a few seconds to realize I had turned to look at him. “Something the matter?” he asked, his voice dripping with concern. He inspected me, no doubt trying to discern if stress was still weighing on my shoulders. A much less potent version of i

*Shelby*I gladly took the glass of champagne from Michael as he guided me up the steps of his private jet, his hand gently resting on the small of my back.The cabin was decorated in cool tones accented by black leather seats and couches. The shades were halfway drawn on each of the windows, and the lights slightly dimmed, giving a romantic glow to the space. I stood in the center of the cabin, unsure of where to sit or how to behave on a private flight. “Make yourself comfortable, and I will let the pilot know that we are ready to take off,” Micheal said. Before walking away, he slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me in for another slow kiss. The smell of his sandalwood cologne enveloped me, and I instantly felt at ease.I took a seat on one of the couches, embellished with a caramel-colored fur blanket over the armrest. I took a sip of the champagne, and Michael returned, taking the seat next to me. “We are about ready to go. We will b

*Shelby*I woke to a soft breeze dancing across my face, the open windows letting the sunlight stream into the giant space of the bedroom. I lay there awhile, enjoying Michael’s warmth next to me and watching the curtains drift lightly, each gust of wind brought in the clean smell of the ocean air.Michael started to stir next to me, and eventually, he opened his eyes and greeted me with a sleepy smile.“Good morning, beautiful. I could get used to this,” he said.“Get used to what exactly,” I pushed, even though I knew what he was talking about.“Waking up next to you every morning,” he said as he brushed his hand up my exposed thigh.“I could get used to it, too,” I said, leaning down and letting our lips brush lightly together. “What is for breakfast?” I asked, my lips still touching his. “How about you go make yourself comfortable on the back deck, and I will call room service,” Michael said, kissing me again.I wrapped a satin robe ar