THURSDAY | Book 1 (TRILOGY)

3 | THURSDAY

The more she waited, the more restless she became. The emptiness of the apartment began to take its toll on her; it wasn't peaceful and caused a dip in her mood. She reached into her shirt pocket to retrieve the small bag of pills; full and fresh as the day Michael gave them to her; she was too afraid to take them on her own and hoped to ask him about it once he arrived. She left it beside it her, sighed, and stood up, pacing up and down the floor.

The sound of a door closing from downstairs halted her movements.

She swallowed. Then she heard footsteps getting louder, nearer. She observed the doorknob turn and he emerged from behind the door, wearing a red shirt paired with black slacks, his curly hair tied back with a few strands hanging over his face.

~

Standing in the doorway, Michael instantly locked eyes with Valerie, noticing her cheeks redden. She didn't move a muscle and stood with her legs together demurely and her hands clasped in front. He could tell that she had been waiting, anticipating. The air was thick with unspoken sexual tension, so strong that it was almost suffocating, and unbearable for them both. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

He made the first move and stalked towards her. She felt her heart rate quicken with each step he took that brought him closer. The proximity was intoxicating; his scent made her dizzy. His eyes darkened with lust as they gazed into her forest-green pools, occasionally glancing down at her figure. That uniform—sexy. Turned him on. Her lips parted and she unconsciously licked them as she looked at his own. Completely focused, he raised his hand to gently cup her cheek, the curve of her face soft and warm against his palm. His caress moved lower, tenderly, slipping to her mouth as he brushed his thumb across her lower lip. His touch triggered small tremors within her; she closed her eyes and a silent, shaky sigh escaped from her lips as she trembled with desire.

Then he lifted his other hand, holding her face between his palms. Her eyes fluttered open to see him staring back at her with growing intensity. Valerie was so beautiful—he questioned where she had been hiding all this time, like a precious jewel. But he found her, and now she was in his possession, his to value.

Unable to resist any longer, he leaned in for a kiss that she so desperately wanted. During the few seconds in which it lasted, Michael started to harden at the thought of having her, realising how very much he wanted her complete surrender to him. He pulled away to catch his breath, before pressing his lips on hers again urgently as his knee parted her legs, settling his growing erection between her thighs. She felt his arousal, his passion. He needed her, wanted her, so bad that it hurt. One of his hands cradled the nape of her neck while the other wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer until he could feel her breasts against his chest. Their kiss became heated, hungry. His tongue traced across her lower lip, demanding entrance, which she obliged eagerly. She let out a quiet, involuntary whimper as he deepened their kiss; his tongue stroked hers sensually as if he was savouring her taste, causing her to absolutely melt against him. He ran his hands up her back, along her sides, and even through the thin material of her shirt, she could feel his scorching heat burning her. Her own hands ventured up to grasp his shoulders, wanting to touch him in return, but he held them in place and swiftly moved them back down again.

As they continued to kiss, both their breathing quickened, their heart rates increased, and their desire for one another heightened. Michael's lips moved to her cheek, her chin, down to her neck where he pressed heated kisses all over her skin, making her head feel so hazy that she had to grip the wooden bedpost for support, sigh after sigh escaping from Valerie as his lips explored her. He found one of her pressure points when he kissed just behind her ear, since she moaned, and he didn't hesitate to taste her skin, letting his tongue slip out, gently sucking the side of her neck. Remembering how much he liked the scent and softness of her hair, he inhaled deeply and ran his fingers through her locks.