Sold #3 - A Haunting Hope

Chapter 17

The instant Michael suggested they turn in for the night, a light went out in Darcy's eyes and she offered him a sweet, understanding smile before gently sliding down the bed into a more comfortable position. She looked resigned to the fact that they were both tired and emotionally drained, but sleeping was about as far from his mind as it could be. He was feeling less tired the more he looked at her and he couldn't help but slip down the bed and urge her to look at him, giving her no choice in the matter as he sat over her on his knees, making her turn onto her back with a confused smile. "Now darling, you're not going to disappoint me, are you? I was very good today, I could so easily have made love to you all day long, but I didn't. So I think it's only fair that you treat me to something special because of it." Michael teased her softly, admitting that it was true, he had very nearly spent the entire day making love to her. And now he had the chance to persuade her, her very smile of relief letting him know how happy she was that he wasn't just going to go to sleep and waste the close connection they had felt and built up within their last hour or so of talking about personal things. He loved her too much to just ignore her now and he couldn't stop himself from lowering his head to hers and kissing her ever so softly as he lay his body over hers, relieved to hear the soft moan of approval that escaped her lips in recognition of his naked body and the sensuality of his kisses.

Barely a moment passed before Michael slid the protective covers away from her, opening his mouth teasingly against hers as he felt the tender touch of her hand on his chest, gently curling her right hand around his neck as she encouraged him to keep going. He pushed his hand up her body from her thigh, slowly slipping her knee-length nightdress up her body to expose her stomach. Darcy was more than happy to find him back to his old self again as he drifted kisses down her neck and down to her exposed stomach.

"Michael..." Darcy breathed softly as her hand went to his hair, the teasing way he kissed her stomach as he slipped off the last barrier of her clothing, forcing her to say the words that she knew she should never have said at any moment, least of all then. But she had to, or else she knew she would regret it. "Promise me...no matter what happens, we'll always be honest with each other...even if it hurts?" She asked suddenly, afraid of some of the things she had seen in his world. She held onto the only last bit of sanity she had left at that moment and the sigh he let out as he hovered over her, only to let his head rest on her shoulder didn't inspire much confidence in her as she wondered what he was going to say.

"Baby, yes...of course we will. Why? Because I didn't want to upset you by mentioning your parents?" He sighed in relief, lifting his head to kiss her tenderly, glad to know that it was something she seemed to need to know before they made love again and he couldn't have been happier, he had been wondering the same thing. Though he wasn't exactly sure why she was asking it, or if she had the same thought he did on the matter.

"No. I've just...I've seen things since meeting you. Like Tai and Natasha...and Mika and I'm scared. Everyone lies to each other so easily. Even when they're not outright lying, they're afraid to say things in case it upsets someone else. I don't understand it and I don't want it happening to us. I...I remember what it did to us before...I don't want that to happen again." She explained softly, afraid he would be angry with her for the reminder, but instead Michael smiled and kissed her tenderly. He had been afraid of the same things. That night when he had accused her of thinking of Marcus, the confusion they had both kept quiet about, their talk about what they both really felt that night...he never wanted to go through that again.

"I feel the same. I don't want us keeping secrets or lying by omission. That's why I had to ask about your parents, even if it hurt you because I knew you couldn't deal with it until it was out in the open. I want to know everything...every inch of your body, every thought in your head...nothing is more important than us being together. And we can't go into our marriage with lies or secrets hanging over our heads. Even if they were innocently meant." He admitted his agreement so perfectly that Darcy couldn't disagree even a little. It was exactly how she felt but he had put it so much better than she had. Somehow he was able to look inside her head and see what she wanted to say and put it into the right words. To say it perfectly. She loved that about him. Her thank you finally came to her in a soft whisper as they parted from the brief kiss he offered her in gratitude for mentioning it and Michael leant his forehead against hers. The relief that came with them flooding her until she felt the first few teardrops spring from her eyes.