It started just after midnight, the heavy tropical rain crashed against the glass walls of Michael's penthouse while lightning illuminated the dark ocean beyond. The town glittered below like scattered diamonds beneath the storm.
Rosemarie stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows clutching a glass of aged rum, watching water stream down the glass like silver ribbons.
She should not have been here, that thought repeated itself in her mind constantly since Michael had invited her upstairs after dinner. Yet she hadn't left and he noticed.
He stood barefoot near the kitchen island with his sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms, watching her quietly while soft jazz played through hidden speakers.
"You're thinking too hard again," he murmured.
Rosemarie glanced at him. "Are you always this observant?"
"Only with you."
His voice had lowered slightly into that dangerous tone again.
The one that engulfed her nerves and made rational thinking difficult. Rosemarie turned back toward the rain. "The storm doesn't look like it's stopping anytime soon."
Michael walked towards her, and stopped beside her.
"Stay." he said softly, It was simple, direct and intimate.
Rosemarie's heartbeat betrayed her instantly.
"You make everything sound easy," she said
Michael looked down at her carefully. "Is that such a bad thing?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you tempt people into making reckless decisions."
His mouth curved into a smile. "And are you reckless, Rosemarie?"
She looked up at him, really looked at him. She saw the warmth behind his confidence.
She saw the loneliness he tried hiding beneath the charm and the fame.
The desire he no longer bothered concealing whenever he looked at her.
"Yes," she admitted quietly. "When it comes to you."
The air changed in an instant.
His eyes glistened like diamonds in the night sky. He carefully reached for her glass and set it aside before stepping closer. So close she could feel his breath warming her cheeks. The storm thundered outside while silence stretched dangerously between them.
"You should probably tell me to back away," Michael murmured.
Rosemarie swallowed hard. "Probably."
"But you're not going to."
"No."
His hand slid gently along her waist, the heat exploded through her body.Michael kissed her passionately, savouring every second, her fingers gripped his shirt while the kiss intensified with breathtaking ease. The chemistry between them had become unbearable, every touch felt amplified, every breath intimate.
Michael backed her toward the sofa without breaking the kiss, his hands moving carefully over her body with maddening restraint.
Rosemarie straddled his lap Michael groaned with absolute pleasure, that sound nearly unravelled her.
"You're dangerous," she whispered breathlessly.
Michael brushed his nose lightly against hers. "You keep saying that."
"Because it's true."
He traced his fingers along her thigh beneath the slit of her dress, sending shivers violently through her body.
"And yet, you're still here." he murmured against her lips,
Rosemarie kissed him again without acknowledging his sarcasm.
Michael lost all of his self-control. The storm raged around them while passion consumed the penthouse completely. For the first time in years, Rosemarie stopped guarding herself. Michael stopped pretending this was casual, somewhere between midnight and sunrise, they both realized it had already become far more dangerous than attraction. It was becoming emotional.
—
Rosemarie woke the next morning between his expensive bedsheets, she felt the warmth of the sunlight on her bare skin. For one blissful second, she forgot where she was. Michael's arm tightened gently around her waist from behind. She froze slightly, not because she regretted it, but because it felt unexpectedly intimate.
Michael buried his face lightly against her shoulder, voice rough with sleep.
"Don't overthink it."
She blinked. "Were you reading my mind?"
"You get tense when you're thinking too much."
Rosemarie turned toward him, the morning light softened his features completely. Without stage lights and public charm, Michael looked younger somehow. More real. Extremely handsome.
"Are you always this calm after ruining someone's emotional stability?" she asked dryly.
Michael laughed out loud, then his expression softened.
"Are you okay?"
The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard.
Rosemarie nodded,
"Yes."
And surprisingly— She meant it.
Michael brushed his fingers affectionately along her cheek.
"Good."
For several seconds they simply looked at each other quietly, no games, no seduction, just warmth. It somehow felt even more intimate than the night before. Rosemarie realized then that Michael Vale was becoming a very serious problem, she was starting to care and caring meant vulnerability.
Michael pulled her against him as the soft pitter patter of the rain continued outside, maybe vulnerability wasn't the worst thing in the world at least not with him.