Beautifully Broken (The Broken Series Book 2) (16 page)

Michael
eventually steered me away from the museums, so he could take me to explore the
catacombs and underground tunnels of Paris. He thought I might enjoy them
because they were the very same tunnels that had inspired Phantom of the Opera,
which had long been my favorite musical.

Lexie
had first taken me to see Phantom of the Opera in Seattle. I was instantly
spellbound by the haunting music, and my heart ached for the main character,
Christine Daaé, who was faced with the impossible decision of choosing between
the love of two men… one who was dark and irrevocably broken, the other who
epitomized all things good. In the end, the phantom forced Christine to choose
him by threatening the other man’s life. That’s when he discovered he loved her
enough to let her go. I was so enthralled by the haunting love story that I
insisted on seeing the musical two more times.

Michael
was forced to indulge me in a pair of pants and some boots, so we could explore
the underground tunnels. The tour of the tunnels was not at all what I expected.
I was shocked and more than a little disturbed to find collections of skulls
interspersed among some equally creepy murals. While certainly unique, the
tunnels were dark and unsettling. I vowed I would never return.

We
resumed our exploration of museums over the next few weeks. Then Michael
surprised me with a day trip to the Palace of Versailles. I enjoyed seeing the
Hall of Mirrors and the grand apartments, but it was the palace grounds that
caught and held my interest. The sprawling garden with its flowers and tall
hedges was beautiful in its own right, but the fountains and the sculptures
scattered throughout the grounds made everything inside the palace walls pale
in comparison. Near the end of the day the fountains lit up, and the water moved
in a stunning display that was synchronized to classical music. It was truly breathtaking.

I
was exhausted by the time we arrived back in Paris, but Michael insisted we had
one more stop. I remained in the car while Michael ran into a book store nestled
among the expensive shops on the Champs-Élysées. I was a bit surprised to see Michael
doing his own shopping. I had assumed he had other people shop for him, given
his archaic view on servants. Michael quickly returned to the car with his
shopping bag. He didn’t say a word about what he had purchased. He just linked
his fingers with mine as we drove the few remaining blocks home.

When
we reached the foyer, Michael pulled a wrapped package from the shopping bag
and handed it to me.

I
looked up in surprise. “
Pour moi
?”

Michael
groaned.
I had been teasing him by speaking in French
throughout most of the day. I knew it turned him on, but I couldn’t seem to
resist torturing him. “Who else would I be shopping for? Open it,” he
encouraged excitedly.

I
sat down on the piano bench and opened the package. “A Kindle?” I asked
incredulously.

“
Oui
.
I have so few interesting books written in English in my library. We can
purchase any books you might like to add to the collection, but I thought you
might like to download some books. Maybe this will help you pass the time while
I work.” Michael shifted uncomfortably as he waited for my reaction.

My
eyes softened when I noticed how nervous he was about the gift. “Michael, this
is wonderful. I love it.” I sat the box on the piano bench and stood. I rolled
up to my tiptoes and kissed him softly on each cheek. “
Merci,
mon
chérie.
”

Michael
groaned again. “
Mon Dieu.
You have no idea what it does to me when you
speak French. Keep it up, Kristine, and I will take you right here on this
piano.”

I
raised one eyebrow, doubtful that he would carry out such a threat when any one
of his staff could inadvertently walk by.

Before
I could blink, Michael picked me up, kicked the bench aside, and sat me on top
of the elegant piano.

I
was mortified I might scratch the piano with my heels so I promptly kicked my
shoes off.

Michael
watched them fall. Then he lunged for me.

As
he tugged me toward him, I slid down the piano, landing on the keys. Michael’s
lips crashed against mine in a kiss that was brutal and raw. The sporadic
sounds the piano keys made as Michael hiked my legs up and pressed into me were
the most erotic thing I’d ever heard.

My
body literally crawled with need. I tightened my legs around Michael’s waist
and tangled my hands in his hair as I locked my arms around his neck. I
returned his kiss with reckless abandon. Michael growled somewhere deep inside
his chest. The sound vibrated against my breasts, further stoking my desire.

Michael
abruptly ended the kiss. He loosened his hold, allowing my body to slide down
his until my feet finally touched the floor. “
Viens
,” he insisted, as he
pulled me to the stairs that led to the basement.

I
looked back in shock at the Kindle and the piano bench that was turned over on
the floor. My heart beat anxiously as I questioned where Michael might be
taking me. A seductive energy had been sparking between us for weeks now. I had
dodged his efforts to have sex, but I was holding onto my self-control by a
thread. What I really needed to do was cool off.

Michael
dragged me to the pool. The room was dark, illuminated only by the twinkling
LED lights embedded in the ceiling. “Get undressed,” he demanded gruffly as he
began unbuttoning his shirt.

“But,
I don’t have a swimsuit,” I objected. Being naked seemed like a really,
really
bad idea.

Michael
immediately stopped messing with his shirt. He walked toward me, turned me
around, and quickly unzipped my dress. He slid the sleeves over my shoulders,
and the dress fell to the floor.

I
turned around and stared at him in shock.

Michael
scooped me up and threw me into the pool. Then he stripped down and dove in. He
wasted no time pinning me against the side of the pool. I stood stock still.
The guy was entirely nude; and his caramel colored skin, well-defined muscles,
five o’clock shadow, and the dark curls dripping against his handsome face were
turning me on in the worst possible way.

Michael
cupped my face with both of his hands as he branded me with another scorching kiss.
The water licked at us while Michael lowered his mouth to my neck. I bit my lip
to prevent myself from moaning, but a desperate keening sound escaped from
somewhere deep inside my chest.

Michael
kept me pinned to the side of the pool as he lowered my bra strap. He began circling
my hardened nipples with his tongue. My breath caught as he latched onto my
breast. He slipped his hand inside my panties, then groaned when he discovered
my body was already slick with need. His fingers slowly stroked between the
soft folds as his mouth moved to my other breast and sucked in long greedy
pulls. My eyes flew open as his fingers dipped inside of me. My entire body
clenched, then trembled with need. I pushed Michael away, suddenly alarmed by
how far we’d gone.

Michael
loosened his hold on me. He peered down at me with eyes as black as night. “I
want to make love to you. I can feel how much you want this too. Please,
Kristine, tell me you are ready to give yourself to me.”

I
bit my lip as my brain warred against the white hot desire still pulsing within
me. I wanted desperately to feel him inside of me but not without birth
control. There was too much risk involved.

Michael
groaned at my look of indecision. “
Mon amour
, you have put this off for two
months now. I am done waiting. When I return from my business trip, we
will
consummate this relationship.”

My
lust filled brain focused on the wrong threat. “You’re leaving?”

Michael
caressed my cheek, then kissed me softly on the lips. “Yes,
ma chérie
. I
am afraid it’s unavoidable. Rafael will look after you while I am gone. I
scheduled some time at the spa for you tomorrow. You won’t even miss me.”

I
was suddenly terrified at the thought of Michael leaving. “How will I sleep? What
if someone breaks into the house and hurts me?”

“Rafael
will stand guard at the bedroom door.”

“All
night?” I asked incredulously.

Michael
nodded. “All night. You will be safe. I promise.”

My
eyes pooled with tears. “Please don’t leave me.”

Michael
lifted me out of the water and sat me on the edge of the pool. “Please,
Kristine
,
don’t be scared. It’s only for two days. Surely, you can bear
to be without me for two days…” he responded teasingly.

My
eyebrows knit in confusion. “It’s not that. It’s just…”

Michael
squeezed my thighs and arched a single eyebrow, daring me to deny I’d miss him.

I
rolled my eyes. “Okay. I might miss you a little bit.”

Michael
chuckled as he climbed out of the pool. “I might miss you a little bit too.” He
reached for my hand and pulled me to my feet. He pulled two thick white towels
from a cabinet near the pool. He tied one around his waist before wrapping me
in the other towel. “Come, let’s get ready for dinner.”

I
turned to retrieve my dress.

Michael
quickly caught my arm. “
Non
. The maid will take care of our clothes.”

I
scowled at him. “You know, Michael… where I come from, everyone over the age of
three is responsible for picking up his own clothes.”

He
laughed as he tugged me into the hall.

Two
hours later, Michael and I were seated on the patio of a small Italian
restaurant in the Latin Quarter. We were both enjoying a fresh crabmeat and
lobster lasagna. The seafood pasta was one of the most decadent things I’d ever
eaten. Mozzarella and parmesan cheese blanketed sheets of pasta, fresh spinach,
sweet crab meat, and even sweeter lobster. Each layer was laced with butter,
cream, garlic, and nutmeg. I savored every bite, analyzing the ingredients so I
might someday recreate the recipe.

We
whispered intimately over coffee, long after the meal had ended. Our table
offered a perfect view of Notre Dame, which was glowing majestically against
the night sky. As the sky grew darker, hundreds of people on roller blades
skated by. I gasped in delight as their wheels drenched us in colored lights. The
unexpected spectacle was magical, the perfect ending to a beautiful day. But,
by the time our evening drew to a close, it was sadness that washed over me. I didn’t
want Michael to leave.

Kadyn
was surprised to find a missed call from a Montana number on his cell phone when
he stepped outside the Pentagon. He was heading home from work. He leaned
against the side of his Acura TL and listened to the message.

“Call
me as soon as you get this message. If you don’t call me back within
twenty-four hours, then I’m getting on a plane to Virginia so I can kick your
ass.” She hadn’t bothered to leave her name or number, but Kadyn knew there was
only one woman in Montana who knew him well enough to issue that threat and
make good on it. He quickly reviewed his list of missed calls and tapped on the
Montana number sitting near the top of the list.

Lexie
answered on the first ring. “It’s about time, Kadyn. Do you know how pissed I
am?”

Kadyn
raked his hand over his head as an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his
stomach. There’s no way Lexie knew what was going on with Kri. He had kept it
out of the news, and he knew Cenia, Mason, and Phil wouldn’t have breathed a
word about the abduction. Dan was the only person he’d told in Montana, and he knew
Dan wouldn’t tell anyone. So why was Lexie pissed? He knew he was about to find
out, but he still thought it wise to avoid the baited question. “Hi, Lexie. How
did you get my number?”

“You
aren’t the only one with resources, Kadyn. Where the hell is my cousin?”

Kadyn
kicked a rock across the parking lot. “Kri’s been kidnapped again. I’m doing
everything I can to find her. I’ve even pulled the feds in.”

“I
know she’s been kidnapped, Kadyn. I want to know where she is and how this
happened,” Lexie responded irritably.

Kadyn’s
hand tightened around the phone. “Wait. How do you know she’s been kidnapped?
Who told you?”

“Kri
told me,” she snarled.

He
shot to his feet. “Kri told you? You heard from Kri? When?”

Lexie
huffed out a breath. “She called this morning. I only got to talk to her for
two minutes, so I still don’t know what the hell is going on.”

Kadyn
began pacing alongside his car. “What did she say? Is she okay?”

“I’ll
tell you what she said,
after
you tell me what happened,” Lexie
responded stubbornly.

“Fine,”
Kadyn growled. “Michael Garcia kidnapped her the same morning the car bombs were
planted at the Pentagon. The lease officer, who he left duct-taped in Kri’s
apartment, overheard Michael telling Kri he planted the bombs. He threatened to
blow up the Pentagon if she didn’t go with him. The feds recently determined that
he was not involved with the car bombs, so I think he heard the news release
and lied about his involvement so he could force Kri to go with him. Still,
there’s some speculation that he’s involved with a terrorist group. I think she’s
in some serious trouble, Lexie. Now tell me what you know.”