Bound By Contract

Chapter Nineteen

Christina's P.O.V.

"Can I ask you something?" I ask, curled up in Michael's arms with the hotel's gray satin sheets draped over us.

"Sure."

"Can you tell me what your big plan is now? You keep talking about a plan, what exactly is it?"

Michael sighs heavily. "Well, Christina, in a nutshell it's just a plan I devised to get my life together and back on track." He pauses. "I don't know if you need to know."

"Why not?"

"Everything started as 'fool proof' plan, and someday I'll tell you... soon."

"Am I a part of it? Is marrying me a part of it?"

"Um.." He hesistates. "It was, but things changed. To tell you the truth I don't even know when things started changing."

"Mmm.." I whisper, my head on his chest. I can hear his heartbeat under me.

"Now can I ask you a question?"

"Anything."

"Remember at Neverland, you told me that you hadn't had a boyfriend before?"

"Yeah," I agree.

"So... I guess... I was wondering if..."

I giggle. I realize what he's trying to ask, but his awkwardness of the subject is thoroughly amusing. "If..." I encourage.

He shifts nervously. "If you've ever... God, Christina are you going to make me say it?"

"Yes," I chuckle.

He takes a breath. "Have you ever... ever been... intimate? With anybody else?"

I blush hearing those words, but Michael seems to be blushing even more than I am. "No," I answer simply. I've been attracted to guys before, but it never went to this extreme. And the guys who asked me out I simply wasn't interested in. I know, it's weird, especially for a twenty-five year old. But it's the truth.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, I'm just afraid of getting hurt." I turn on my stomach, my arms on his bare chest. I look into his big brown eyes. "I don't want to get hurt." I pause. "Don't hurt me, Michael."

With one hand he gently caresses my face. "I promise I won't hurt you, Christina."

The sun is trying to peek out from under the horizon, I can tell form a slight opening in the curtains. "We've been awake all night," I declare sleepily. "Maybe we should try and sleep." I turn around facing away from Michael, hugging one of the many fluffy pillows on the bed to my chest.

Michael hugs me tightly from behind. "I can't seem to rest when I'm this close to you."

"Mmm.." I answer feeling myself drift off.

The ring of the hotel phone in Michael's room scares me out of my peaceful slumber. Michael jumps too. "Now who in the world could that be?" he complains as he reaches for his jeans that had been carelessly thrown across the room the night before. "I turned the cell phone off, so if they're calling here this early it'd better be very important." he says while slipping his shirt back on.

"You're so cute when you're angry." He hops on the bed stealing a kiss. I laugh. "The phone is ringing!"

"Let them wait," he whispers so close to me I can feel his breath on my face, his large hands cupping my face so sweetly, my eyes half open dreamily enjoying the feelings of a brand new love I've never felt before. He slides his hand from my cheek to my hip as he reaches for the phone.