Sold #2 - A Desperate Love

Chapter 1

Arriving at the law firm was a little frightening for Darcy. She had explained her thoughts to Michael as to his nature and he loved it and she was glad he had smiled again, admitting that if he had to be one of the two types of men Jonas had explained to her, then he would rather be the predator. And she was happy to know that he wasn't insulted or angry with her for admitting it, but when they reached the office car park and found it was full already, Michael went to park on the street, giving her the first full view of the twenty story building. Both brothers could see that Darcy was physically shaking as she stepped out of the car and onto the pavement, slipping her hand into Michael's silently and neither knew what to do about it. "Is she alright?" Tai whispered to his brother, making him frown as he looked down at his girl.

"Darling, are you alright? You're shaking like a leaf." And he might have been convinced that she was just cold in the mid morning air, it having grown colder on the drive over but when she looked up at him, he could see the fear in her eyes, ready to well with tears at any second. She didn't speak, but nodded silently, glancing up at the building once more as Michael gently took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him and only him. "You have nothing to be scared of. This is nothing compared to what you must have went through coming to see me...you can do this. I'm right here with you." He reasoned calmly, a hesitance in her eyes that he didn't like as she shook her head and gently slipped his hands from her face before taking a careful step back from them both.

"I appreciate that Michael, but this isn't the same." Darcy admitted quietly an uncertainty in Michael's stare that she could understand so well. She knew what he was saying and appreciated that he thought that about her, but he knew very little of the emotional state she had been in before meeting him. "I had three days with a group of girls I've grown up with before coming to see you...I was so focused on protecting them that I wouldn't let myself be scared. This is entirely different." She spoke as though she couldn't bear to be with him anymore just because she was frightened of one aspect of his life, which he couldn't understand and even Tai was a little confused. "This isn't one person judging me to see if I'm attractive enough, this is a good thirty people staring and talking about me. I know what they're going to say and I know I'm not going to like it." She continued quietly, stepping back again as the tears formed in her eyes.

"Baby, please don't cry." Michael pleaded with her, reaching out to touch her face just in time to catch the first tear that fell from her eyes. He knew that he had no idea what she could possibly be thinking. She had been through so much in the past week alone, not to mention the pain she had felt at losing both her parents and being sent to an all girls boarding school. So when she moved into his arms and held on tight, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. He was beginning to get scared himself...scared that she was going to shut him out, that she was going to keep walking backwards until she ended up turning and running away from him...he was scared that she wouldn't be able to face the fears of her past and share them with him. "Darling, I love you...and if you don't want to do this, then you don't have to. I'm here for you either way. I won't leave you." He promised, whispering his words in her ear.

"I love you Michael."

"You do?" He couldn't help but smile as he lifted his head from leaning against hers, only able to see the top of her head. She had said the words so softly, in the sweetest whisper that was somehow more sensual and seductive than any other words he had ever heard in his entire life and yet she wouldn't even look at him as she let out a gentle moan of agreement in answer to his question. Michael didn't understand what had happened in the past few moments, but he knew that as Darcy stood in his arms, resting her head against his chest and running her fingers over the collar of his shirt, no matter how scared she was of being judged, of hearing more people in his life condemning her the way Tai had, it had soothed her fears to hear him admit that he loved her. "Darling, do you really mean it?" He found himself asking again.