Chapter 11

Chapter 11: You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.

― Dr. Seuss

I watch Sophia's golden hair flutter around her as she disappears into the crowd. I know that I should run after her, but I don't know what to say. What I really want to do is go into Darren's building and beat the crap out of him until he's hurting as badly as Sophia. Fortunately for him, Hunter calls me a moment later and distracts me from my homicidal thoughts. Lifting the phone to my ear, I walk back to my car and answer. "What do you need, Hunter?" Hunter answers quickly. "Hey, Savage. Priest wanted to know if you could stop by today. It's about what we talked about yesterday."

I take a deep breath and give the building one last look before I reply. "Yeah, sure. I'm on my way." As I make my way to Priest's garage, I can't get Sophia out of my mind. So I send her a text. I'm worried about you, Sophia. Just tell me that you're okay. To my relief, Sophia replies right away. I'm okay, Micah. I just need some time to think. I'll be at my friend's sweet shop. Placing the phone in the middle consul, I look ahead and try to think about how good it felt to hold her in my arms all night. Or how good it feels to know that she and Darren are not together anymore. I just can't stand the thought that she let that asshole touch her.

The day is a bit dark and dreary due to the rain. Thankfully, it doesn't take me long to get to Priest's garage. Priest is a former Confradia Assassin who suffered an accident during a routine mission a few years ago. Unfortunately, he lost most of his eyesight, and due to his disability, he was forced to semi-retire. It wasn't until a year ago the Confradia offered him the opportunity to regain his eyesight. The Confradia scientists came up with an experimental military procedure that would repair the damage in his eyes. Priest agreed, went under the knife, and the surgery was successful. According to Hunter, he now has cyborg eyes that look like something out of a sci-fi show. The best way to describe his eyes is that they're really clear liquid silver color with dark irises. They're really freaky.

But that's not the only downside of it. Just because he had surgery, it doesn't mean his eyesight is that of a normal person. He describes his vision as something you see in a video game or an animated movie. He says it's like a 3-D game. Don't get me wrong, the guy is and will always be a badass. Before he became a Confradia Assassin, Priest was Navy Seal. He's trained in various forms of combat and speaks several languages. Even when he was blind, he could kick ass. He still walks around with a walking stick and uses the thing as a weapon. He's a serious legend in the Confradia. Not to mention that the man is a serious chick magnet.

It's awe-inspiring. I mean, I'm no lightweight, and women find me quite attractive, but Priest is in a category of his own. Women fall at the man's feet. I've seen it first-hand. Hunter thinks the guy sold his soul or something. The guy is a freaking enigmatic fucker too. Men want to be him, and women just plain want him. I remember Maya making a comment about his wavy brown hair and bright silvery eyes once. The thing that shocks me, though, is that he doesn't take advantage of his looks. It's a rare thing to see him with a woman. He's also pretty nice to the women who approach him. He usually lets them down gently. Hunter thinks he's gay. However, I know for a fact that Priest's story is a lot more intricate than that. One thing that we don't know is Priest's real name. We've tried to wrangle it from him, but he refuses to tell us. Everyone has a running bet on a name. However, no one has been able to find information on it. Not even Hunter, and he's a tech genius. So the mystery remains.

Hunter opens the garage door as soon as I get there. He points to an empty slot near Priest's Tesla and waits for me to park. Gazing towards Priest's Tesla, I shake my head. The man loves that car. It's his pride and joy. And I don't blame him because the car is stunning. It's shiny, silver metallic surface glows under the halogen lights like a beacon. Slamming my car door behind me, I face Hunter and raise a questioning brow. "So, what's this about?" Hunter rolls his eyes and points to Priest's office. "Priest is waiting for you upstairs." I follow behind him until we're standing in front of Priest's office. The man himself is inside the room, going at it on a punching bag hanging from the ceiling. Taking a seat across from him, I lean back on the seat and wait for him to finish. Priest throws a few more punches, then takes a few breathless steps back and nudges his chin in my direction. "Savage." He says in greeting.

I smile back and lean my arms on the back of the couch with a quirked brow. "Priest." We both chuckle in amusement and give each other a man-shake. It's a thing we do to amuse each other. Priest steps back and gestures to his desk. "Thanks for coming, Savage. I think you're going to be interested in what we've found." Rising to follow him to a nearby monitor, we both stand side by side and gaze at the information that Hunter pulls up. Priest reaches for a towel and dries his naked shoulders as he points out bits of information. "Ok, so these are the names that we've matched up to the Swiss accounts on the files. We've uncovered some pretty high-profile names that have been connected to the underground skin trade. And from what we gather, they're still working. I know that when Reaper found the shipping boat, he disabled most of the flow. Unfortunately, and to our consternation, the rats did not scurry like we expected them too. If anything, they tightened up their ranks and are moving further underground. Two names that I see a lot are of Kazik's generals, Ilya Sardoff and Stojan Malijc." My eyes narrow into slits as I consider the implication of what Priest is saying.

"If these men are still in the money rotation, then Kazik is definitely alive. That's the only thing that would make sense. Otherwise, his men would have broken rank as soon as Kazik was thrown from the ship." Moving closer, I run my index finger over a few dates. "It looks like there's a deposit on specific dates. They would have to be done after the delivery transactions were completed. Kazik has never been one to do things on trust. So he would've definitely paid after the goods were delivered. Where there any other ships he owned, or outbound and inbound deliveries in the docks before those days?" Hunter moves forward and presses a few buttons on his tablet. "There are a few cargo orders that coincide with the dates, but nothing too big. And the manifest doesn't show any ships under any kind of aliases or falsified licenses."

Taking a deep breath, I run my hand around my neck. "Fuck! I can't believe that mother fucker is alive!" Priest pats my back in commiseration and exhales deeply. "We don't know that he's alive yet. So let's not jump to conclusions. It might be that someone else has taken over his operation."

Pushing away from his hand, I turn around, put my hands on my waist, and stare out the window in frustration. "Come on, Priest, you and I know that's not how this shit works. That fucker Kazik is out there hiding somewhere laughing at us for not being able to catch him!"

Hunter and Priest both nod their heads. Both men look on grimly as they consider the implications of what they discovered. There's no doubt that Willem Kazik is alive and still running the show; while we're running around looking for him like chickens with their heads cut off. Hunter hands me a small tablet and places and index finger over it in emphasis. "Well, whether he is alive or not, there is still the matter of stopping the influx of trafficking. Priest and I have taken it upon ourselves to expand our search to places they might be using, like private docks and airstrips. Right now, all we have are codes and possible transaction hotspots. This tablet is for you. It's encoded for privacy and holds all of the information that you'll need to go through. It also shows a map of all the hotspots we've been able to uncover. We figure we'd split this information and do some recon. We gave Outlaw the information pertaining to Sardoff so he can find some Intel on his end. That leaves you to look into Malijc's end of things." Taking the tablet, I listen as Hunter shows me my access codes. Priest moves back towards his desk and slips on a t-shirt with a husky grow. "How about we go and talk over some coffee."

Priest's home is quite unique in the fact that it's actually an industrial warehouse garage for racing streetcars. The whole first floor is set up with the best mechanical instruments. And the second floor is where he lives. The kitchen is large with an industrial-sized refrigerator, stove, and other kitchen accessories. However, I must say that my favorite part of the kitchen is the state of the art coffee maker with its milk steamer. Taking a cup in hand, I wave it in front Priest and me. "How are the eyes working?" Priest chuckles and rubs a finger over his temple. "They're good. I'm still getting accustomed to not having to touch everything or holding my hands in front of me. That's not fun. But the weirdest part is being able to see through my eyes like a screen. I'm still adjusting to seeing color, too, but the doctors said that in time, I will adjust."

I snicker at his statement and nod my head. "Sounds like you're getting there."

Priest chuckles in response. "Yeah, no shit." We both take a drink from our cups when Hunter walks over to us, his mouth full of Cereal. "Dude, his eyes are still freaky." Priest and I give him our most appalling glare and shake our heads as milk and cereal chunks fall out of his mouth. To my consternation, Hunter swallows deeply and gives me a bright, yet sloppy smile before he asks, "So how's Sophia enjoying staying at your place? Has she asked about me?"

Priest quirks a brow and turns to me in question. "Sophia? As in the Sophia?" I nod my head stiffly and tuck my hands into my pockets, feeling embarrassed. Of course, Priest knows about Sophia and me. Just like I know about him and his problems.

It was about five years ago when we were paired up in a mission. Unfortunately, the mission involved children and was especially gruesome. After the mission, we both needed to unwind, so we got blacked-out drunk and ended up sharing our heartaches.

Hunter frowns in question. "You've heard of Sophia?" Priest must see my discomfort because he straightens his spine and gives Hunter a noncommittal shrug. "I've heard her name in passing." Hunter nods his head and chuckles enthusiastically. "Aw man, you should see her. She's freaking gorgeous. Too bad, she has a boyfriend." He says with a pout. Priest looks at me from the corner of his eye. I'm sure he can see the stormy look on my face because he turns to Hunter and points to his chest, "You have milk all over your shirt Hunter."

Hunter looks down at his shirt and groans. "Shit! And I just put this on. Be back, guys." He says, brushing the drops from his shirt as he walks away. Priest turns to me with a penetrating stare. "She's living with you now?"

I shake my head in response. "She's just staying with me until her Spring Break is over." His eyes darkened with concern. "How are you handling living with her?" A sardonic chuckle escapes my lips. "It's horrible and great at the same time. She's so beautiful and sweet that all I can think about is taking her to bed." Priest scoffs with a sympathetic shake of his head. "What are you going to do about it?" I shrug my shoulders. "I don't know." He clucks his tongue and moves back to the kitchen to refill his coffee mug. "I definitely don't envy you."

Just then, a pinging sound warns me that I have a message. Taking my cell phone out, I enter my security code and look over the new Confradia assignment. Priest leans over and gazes at my phone. "New mission?" I nod my head and put the phone back in my pocket. "Yeah?" Hunter walks back into the room with a new shirt on and smiles. "Did I miss anything?" Priest and I shake our heads. "No, man. But I do need a favor from you." Hunter raises a questioning brow. "Sure, man. What do you need?"

Waving my phone in front of his face, I answer quickly. "I have to go. Confradia business. Can you do me a favor and pick up Sophia from her friend's shop. It's called Sweet Perfect, and it's somewhere near Central Park. See if you can map it. Just tell her not to wait up for me because I might not be home until later."

Hunter's eyes widen with pleasure. The little shit is ecstatic at the idea of picking Sophia up. Something tells me that this is a big mistake, but I'm in too much of a time crunch to take it back. "Can you do that?" I ask as I adjust the lapel of my suit and move towards the door. Hunter nods enthusiastically. "Sure, man. Anything else?" I shrug my shoulders. "No. Just don't be a dick. She had a pretty rough morning."

I listen as the Confradia's voice response system downloads the file that transmits my target's location and plans. The target's name is Leung Phao, a Korean diplomat who has been accused of kidnapping, raping, and killing several young school girls. According to the file, one of his vehicles has been spotted by cameras near the area where the girls have gone missing. The man has also been pretty sloppy with discarding evidence. One of the girl's shoes was found inside his vehicle and a headband in his home. Unfortunately, like many powerful men from other countries, he has diplomatic immunity and has been able to get away with killing little girls. That is, until now. There's nothing that pisses the Confradia off more than to see innocent children harmed.

From what the file gathered, the man is your typical self-centered millionaire. He likes to party with movie stars and drink the most expensive wines. He also has several young mistresses whom he openly dates while his wife is feigning oblivion. I continue to read through the file, finding that he likes to play golf in one of the city's most prominent country clubs.

It's funny how a man who hurts children can live a pretty mundane life. I spend most of the day following him and one of his mistresses around. He goes shopping at first, then goes to the club to play racketball and drink with his overly privileged friends. It's not until late in the afternoon that he has his driver take him to a schoolyard a few miles from his club. I tighten my fists over the steering wheel as I watch the bastard take a seat on a nearby bench and observes the kids playing. It's freaky and bold how he sits there and watches attentively. The bastard thinks that he's untouchable, and I can't wait to prove him wrong.

It's late into the night when I find the opportunity to do it. He and his mistress are preparing for some kind of party they are holding for a rich banker. Being the overly indulgent asshole that he is, he had his assistant order a Botox session before the party.

It's surprisingly easy to get into the house due to all the ins and outs of the staff and decorators. The whole place is prepping for the party. It doesn't take me long to find Mr. Phao's room. Standing near the doorway, I listen as he gives orders to a few of his staff members before he rushes into his room. I can hear the shower going and see the steam of the water rising from beneath the door. However, Phao is not taking a shower. No, he's sitting in some kind of surgical chair talking to what I assume is the person who administers his Botox. I watch as the man injects several shots into Phao's face and wipes it down a few times. After a few minutes, the man moves back, removes his latex gloves, and says. "All done, Mr. Phao. I will need you to lay back and close your eyes for the next ten minutes until the Botox settles under your skin." Phao merely keeps his eyes closed and waves his hand at the man in dismissal. With one final look, the man gives Phao a slight bow and steps out of the room.

Taking advantage of the moment, I reach into my jacket and pull out a syringe. Unlike the one the man was using to inject Botox into Phao's head, mine has a blend of undetectable toxins that will kill him instantly. He doesn't even see it coming when I plunge the needle into his forehead and inject the liquid into his system. His mouth gapes open, and his eyes roll back as the toxins take effect. He's dead within seconds. Giving him one last look, I close his mouth, adjust his posture, and step out of the room.

It's late by the time I leave the house. My thoughts instantly return to Sophia, and what she might be doing. I call her cell phone but get no response. Then, on impulse, I call Hunter. He answers the phone right away. "What's up, Savage?" I can hear the sound of loud music in the background. "Hunter. Do you know where Sophia is? I've been calling her, but she doesn't answer the phone." My body stiffens like a block of ice when Hunter laughs and whispers something to someone before he drunkenly answers. "Yeah, dude. She and her friend Maleah invited me to this really cool club downtown. They're celebrating Sophia being single. Why didn't you tell me? Anyway, her friend is really hot, so it's cool. I'll send you the info." I look down at my phone when he hangs up. A text with the Club's information shows up a second later. I guess I'm going to a club.

It takes me a half-hour to get to the club. Dropping off the car in front of the Valet station, I step out of the car and adjust my suit jacket. The club is full at this time of night. It takes me a few minutes to spot Hunter. Unfortunately, he's not with Sophia. Instead, he's with sitting in the corner of the club, making out with a gorgeous brunette. Stepping closer to the couple, I tap Hunter on the shoulder and wait for him to turn to me. Hunter gives me a sloppy smile and gestures to the girl next to him. "Hey, Micah. This is Maleah. Maleah, this is Micah." Maleah wipes her lips and runs her eyes over me in speculation. "So, you're Micah?" She asks with a sly smile.

Nodding my head distractedly, I look around them, but I still don't see Sophia. "Where's Sophia?" I ask with a warning glare. Maleah chuckles sloppily and points to an area on the dance floor. Striding purposely to her, I stop in front of her and her dance partner. It takes me a moment to spot Sophia. Rage erupts inside me when I see that she's wrapped in some guy's arms. They're both kissing and grinding passionately on the dance floor. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Sophia?" I grit out angrily as I grip her arm and pull her away from the man's arms.

Sophia's face flushes with mortification as I drag her away from her companion and start walking out of the dance floor. "What are you doing here, Micah?" She cries as she desperately tries to rip her arms from my grip.

Suddenly, the guy she's with steps in front of us and yells out. "Hey, asshole, let her go!" Running short on patience, I slam the guy over the nearest wall and growl out. "You need to stay out of this, kid." The guy hangs there with his feet off the ground, looking back and forth between Sophia and me. "Who the hell are you?" My gaze hones in on his making him flinch back. "I'm someone who owns a large gun. Now, I'm going to let you go. And as soon as I do, I want you to leave this dance floor and never look back."

The guy looks at Sophia for a moment, then back at me and nods his head. "Okay." He says with a meek voice. The thing about some men is that they can tell when someone dangerous is in their midst. It's like an instinctual male thing. They understand who not to fuck with. And I can tell by the sweat gathering in the male's forehead, and the dilation of his eyes, that he understands that I'm someone who he doesn't want to fuck with. Lowering him down to the floor, I back away, wait for him to rub his chest and walks away.

Sophia's face falls as the guy nervously steps around me and disappears out the door. My head snaps back when Sophia steps closer and cries out angrily. "Why can't you just let me be Micah?" Not waiting for a response, she turns around and storms off. I follow behind her, feeling discomfited by her emotional state. Her shoulders slump as she steps out into the rainy night. The cold chilly dampness of the night slides down my neck, making me shiver. "Sophia! Stop!" I call out to no avail as she runs towards the park and disappears into one of the entrances. "Sophia!" I scream out and follow behind her.

Darkness envelopes me as soon as I step into the park. I watch as Sophia's figure stops in front of the Central Park Carousel and slumps forlornly over a nearby bench. Slowing down my steps, I move closer and squat down in front of her. "Soph," I whisper. She doesn't answer at first. Then she pulls her wet hair from her eyes as a soft sob escapes her lips. "This is the last place we visited as a family." She utters dejectedly. I look back at the Carousel then back at her. "Who, Soph?"

She gestures to the Carousel and gasps out. "My mom used to bring me here. I always picked the white stallion. And when someone would sit on it, I'd wait until they got off to ride it. I remember raising my arms up as the Carousel spins. I felt like I was flying…" Her chin trembles as another tear run down her face. "Then, she left me." She bites her lip and shudders as she wraps her arms around her to stave off the cold. Removing my jacket, I place it on her shoulders and rub her forearms for comfort. "Why are you doing this, Soph? Why were you in there letting that stranger touch you?"

Sophia doesn't respond as rises from the bench, holds the jacket closed, and walks towards the Carousel. I sit up from my squat and follow behind her as she steps inside and runs her hands over a few of the horses until she comes to a stop in front of a white one. Then she turns back to me and gives me a sad shrug.

The wind begins to pick up, turning the light drizzle in the air into large pools of rain. "We should go," I say, gazing out into the now pouring rain. But she's not listening. She simply wraps her arms around the horse and stands there with her eyes closed. She looks sad and peaceful at once, which makes me wonder about how she looked when she sat on this horse as a little girl.

Moving close to her, I place my hands on her waist and lift her onto the horse. Sophia's eyes widened in question. But I don't respond. Instead, I lean my forehead on her shoulder and inhale her sweet scent of vanilla. A gasp escapes her lips as she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me closer. It's as if we're in our own little world. All my doubts disappear at that moment. I just want to be with her and forget about everything else. Needing to get closer, I kiss her shoulder and neck until I reach her mouth. The kiss is slow at first. Our mouths meet tentatively as our tongues shyly touch and caress. Wanting to taste more, I tilt my head and tangle my hands through her wet hair to move her mouth closer to mine. Her lips are soft and sinful as she whimpers and nips at my lips.

Our breaths mingle with every touch of our tongues. It's as if we're breathing for each other. Sophia moves closer and melds her body against mine with an erotic roll of her hips. My cock throbs at the contact of her warm center grinding against my zipper. I move my mouth down her chin and bite it gently, make my way down her neck and suck the skin. Pleasurable sighs escape her lips. Her skin tastes like honey and vanilla. At this point, we're both beyond thinking about anything but our own pleasure. Her legs wrap around my waist as she clings and grinds against my hips and sucks gently on my tongue. I move my hands down her waist to slide underneath the hem of her dress until I'm touching the silky smoothness of her thighs. Then kiss my way down to the curves of her breasts and slide my hand over her covered folds. The heat of her tight entrance scorches my fingers.

Sophia's hand moves down the tail of my dress shirt as her sharp little nails scrape over the taut skin on my back. Taking one hand, I rest it on her shoulder and lower the sleeve down to her elbow. Her soft pink nipple peaks over the swollen mound of her milky white globes like an offering. Wanting to taste it, I glide tongue sensually over the cherry peak and suck it hard into my mouth. Sophia cries out with every suck and swirl of my tongue and tightens her legs around me, trying to find a deeper contact. Unable to bear another moment, I plunge a finger inside her warm center.

"Micah!" Sophia cries out with pleasure as my fingers dart in and out of her tight sheath. I continue to devour the soft bud of her nipple as Sophia squirms over my probing fingers.

Her womb contracts around my fingers, warning me of how close she is to her climax. I lick my lips, imagining the taste of her nectar. Then release her nipple with a pop and kiss my way down her stomach until I reach the juncture of her thighs. Her stomach tightens in anticipation under my mouth as my lips trek down the delta of her thighs. I don't wait or ask permission as I slide her panties down her legs and latch my lips over her weeping cunt. I just lick her sweet bud and nip at it, enjoying her taste. Sophia gasps and cries out, opening her legs wider to my exploring tongue. Plunging my tongue inside her welcoming cavern, I drag my tongue and glide it over her pleasure button, making soft sounds escape from her lips. She undulates her hips sensually and twines her fingers through my hair as I slide inside her womb and skim her lips with my teeth. Then her body stiffens and shudders as her body erupts with the scorching explosion of her climax. Her chest falls and rises with the heaviness of her breathing, and she closes her eyes to ride the last spiraling waves of her peak.

Pulling away from her weeping folds, I rise before her and kiss her hard so she can taste her passion on my lips. It's a perfect moment where Sophia and I are just a man and woman who have strong feelings for each other. Sophia deepens the kiss savoring the sweet nectar of her essence on my tongue. Eventually, our lips slow down, and we're merely touching lips and gazing into each other's eyes. She looks completely and utterly ravished with her damp hair falling wildly around her shoulders. His lips are swollen, and her nearly naked rumpled form is lying weakly on the horses' back. Laying another soft kiss on her nose, I gently adjust the sleeves of her dress and lower her skirt over her naked thighs.

"I'll take you home," I whisper, stepping back and holding my hand out to help her down. Sophia takes my hand but doesn't say a word. I can see that she's slightly shocked by what just happened. Walking hand-in-hand, I lead her to my car and take her home. She remains quiet the whole way.

It isn't until we get to the elevator that I pull her close to me with a growl, back her up against the elevator wall, and kiss her again. This is not a soft or gentle lovemaking session, though. This time, we're both tearing at each other's clothing and clinging to each other until we're both breathless and drunk on our passion. Sophia wraps her legs around me as I held her against the wall, our clothing lying abandoned on the floor. The elevator doors open, but neither of us moves from where we are. We simply grind and taste like two desperate lovers. I growl at the feel of her soft hands traveling across my naked shoulders. Taking her bare breast inside the palm of my hand, I suck on her swollen bud until it's painfully stiff. "Micah, please." She mewls softly as she runs her hands down my naked back. It's as if she's memorizing every part of my body.

My shaft hardens into a painful rigidness when she wraps one of her hands around me and massages her hand up and down with firm pressure. She swirls her finger over the sensitive tip and licks my ear. Without another thought, I pull out a condom, put it on, and place my hands on her thighs to plunge my cock inside her warm sheath. "Ah, fuck!" I cry out, feeling the tight grip of her snug entrance enfolding me in its embrace.

Sophia cries out as I thrust deep into her molten center. I can feel her womb contracting around me and groan at the heady sensations her tightness creates inside my body. Heat spirals through me with every plunge of her honeyed walls. With every glide of our sweat glazed skin, we both cling together, feeling consumed by the thrill of the sensations blazing through our bodies. Sophia's lips meet mine with a newfound urgency as her breasts mold sensually against mine. Savoring the moment, I close my eyes, enjoying the way her nails dig pleasurably on my shoulders, and her body undulates over mine to engulf my shaft inside her snug walls. We both cry out as the tip of my shaft knocks against her womb. Unable to bear it anymore, I plunge hard, feeling heat crawl up my spine as I explode inside her molten walls. Sophia shudders and shakes as she falls over the edge of her climax and digs her heels into the firm hardness of my ass. I grit my teeth as scorching waves of ecstasy continue to rip through me. It's a transcendent moment of unadulterated pleasure that we both feel. Holding onto her hips, I shift my throbbing shaft to enjoy the sweet, delicious warmth of her contracting womb one last time.

We both continue to stand there, breathing heavily as we cling to the ruins of our gratification. I close my eyes, enjoying the feel of Sophia's hands as they sweep up and down my neck and back in a gentling caress. I feel like a new man at that moment. Being inside her was beyond anything I've ever had. I look up when the elevator dings again. Wrapping my arms around her legs and neck, I carry out of the elevator until we reach my bed. Sophia giggles enthusiastically when I toss her onto the bed and remove the condom.

I watch as she rolls onto the bed, stretches her arms over her head, and lays there in all her naked glory. I know that we haven't spoken yet, but the moment is too perfect to spoil with words. Covering her body with mine, I placed my elbows on either side of her head and lay a deliciously sensual kiss on her lips. Sophia wraps her arms around me and raises a leg to wrap it around my waist, kissing me back. Her body feels so good clinging to mine. My eyes close ecstatically when her hand slides down my jaw and chin as she pulls me back and gazes into my eyes. "Micah?" She asks with a soft, whispery sigh. Running my hand up her naked thigh, I lay another kiss on her lips and chin to silence her words. "I need you, Soph."

Sophia looks into my eyes for a moment, nods her head as if coming to a decision, then raises her mouth back to mine for a kiss. "I need you too." She says between kisses. We make love a few more times that night until we both fall onto the bed into an exhausted heap. It feels frighteningly good to lie with Sophia tucked under my chin and her leg resting on my waist. Running my hand up and down her naked back, we cuddle together to enjoy the feel of our closeness. Peace settles over me at the feel of the woman I'm obsessed with huddling close to my body.