-1Chapter Seven:
"Are you sure your step father isn't home?" Lauren asked Michael for the umpteenth time as the pair approached the door to Michael's apartment.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Michael assured her, putting his key in the lock and opening the door. "He's with Candi on Wednesdays." Lauren followed him into the dark, empty apartment and he quickly closed the door behind them.
"Who's Candi?" She asked.
"One of Tom's girlfriends." Michael replied casually.
"He's cheating on your mother? Does she know?"
"Yeah. He's not exactly discreet about it." He explained, switching on the lamp beside the couch.
"And yet she still stays with him." Lauren said in disbelief.
"That's Gloria for ya," Michael sighed, the disdain he felt for his mother evident in his voice. "Kevin should be home from school any minute now. I'm just gonna go pack. Will you be okay out here on your own?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just hurry up." Lauren assured him, anxious to get going.
"Yes, ma'am." Michael teased before heading down the hallway towards his bedroom. Lauren sat down on the couch and glanced around, looking for something to keep her occupied while they waited for Kevin to get home. She saw a pile of fashion magazines on the coffee table and reached for one, flipping through the pages distractedly. She scowled when she came across an advertisement for Jabot cosmetics that featured a ditzy looking blonde with a bad perm and bug eyes. Lauren knew Christine had been pining away for Danny for months, always worming her way into their recording sessions like some kind of love struck teenager. Well, Lauren smiled to herself satisfactorily as she ripped out the picture of Christine and began tearing it to shreds, she could have him now.
Lauren heard the front door being unlocked and quickly threw the magazine back onto the coffee table. She stood up to greet the little boy who had stolen her heart the day before.
"Hey, buddy! How was…" Lauren stopped in mid sentence when she realized it wasn't Kevin.
"Who the hell are you?" Gloria demanded to know as she entered the apartment carrying a bag of groceries.
"I'm, uh, I'm a friend of Michael's." Lauren stammered out, quickly glancing down the hallway to see Michael coming out of his room. He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard his mother's voice.
"The same friend who was here causing trouble last night?" Gloria inquired, moving past Lauren into the small kitchenette.
"Yes, and I apologize for my behavior Mrs. Fisher. It was inappropriate for me to speak to your husband so disrespectfully in his own home." Lauren said insincerely, trying to stall until she could think of a way to distract Gloria long enough for Michael to finish getting everything ready.
"You're not from around here are you?" Gloria asked suspiciously, staring at Lauren as she placed the bag of groceries down on the counter. "You're too well spoken, and you carry yourself well."
"Thank you." Lauren replied uncomfortably, she didn't like the way Gloria was scrutinizing her.
"Actually, you look very familiar." Gloria surmised, abandoning the groceries as she moved closer to Lauren, coming to stand directly in front her. "What's your name?"
"Lauren," She declared nervously, then she remembered the fashion magazines and got an idea. "Lauren Fenmore." Gloria gasped, her eyes almost popping right out of their sockets.
"Lauren Fenmore! The Lauren Fenmore; heiress to the Fenmore fortune?!" Gloria was practically foaming at the mouth.
"The one and only." Lauren declared proudly, laying it on thick for Gloria's sake.
"I can't believe you're here, in my house!" Gloria shrieked excitedly, then she glanced around the dingy little apartment in embarrassment. "I'm sorry for the mess."
"Yes, it is rather disconcerting for someone of my wealth and stature to be seen in a place like this." Lauren said condescendingly. "Perhaps you and I could go somewhere else to talk? I noticed there was a restaurant across the street…"
"Yes, that would be wonderful!" Gloria agreed, quickly grabbing her purse and leading Lauren towards the front door. "I have some ideas for a new line of clothing that I would love to run past you. I was actually thinking of getting into the fashion industry myself, before I had children."
"Really? That's fascinating." Lauren said, unenthused. As they were leaving she glanced down the hallway at Michael and shot him a 'you owe me big time' look. He just winked at her and ducked into Kevin's room to start packing a bag for him as well.
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"So what are you doing in Detroit? Are you here on business?" Gloria asked Lauren as they sat down at a booth in the crowded restaurant. Thankfully they had managed to get a table near the window so that Lauren could easily see the apartment building from where they sat.
"Actually, I'm here doing an apprenticeship through my school at the GM plant." Lauren replied distractedly, still staring out the window to try and see if Kevin had gotten home yet.
"Really?" Gloria said, taken aback. "I wouldn't have thought someone such as yourself would be into that sort of thing."
"Neither did I."
"So that's how you know Michael." Gloria surmised. "I was wondering why you would be acquainted with someone like my son."
"What do you mean by that?" Lauren asked sharply, turning to look at Gloria for the first time since they'd sat down.
"Well, he isn't exactly prince charming." Gloria explained, laughing nervously. Lauren just glared at her in disbelief.
"Your son is the most sensitive, caring, intelligent man that I have ever met. Despite having someone like you for a mother." Lauren spat out in disgust.
"Excuse me?" Gloria was caught off guard by the venom in Lauren's voice.
"What kind of woman just sits back and watches while their children are being beaten, huh?" Gloria closed her eyes in shame, realizing that Lauren had witnessed one of her husband's outbursts. "God, I used to think my mother was horrible. At least she had the courtesy to leave."
"Please," Gloria pleaded with her. "You have no idea what it's like for me…"
"How about what it's like for those boys having to come home to a monster like that day after day, never knowing what's going to set him off?" Lauren said in exasperation. "They don't deserve to live like that, Gloria."
"They deserve to have a father, don't they?" She reasoned
"Oh, gimmie a break. You're not staying with him for their sake. I'm sure they'd do just fine without a man around who locks them in closets and beats them to a pulp." Lauren said angrily. "You stay with him because you're weak," Gloria vehemently shook her head in denial. "and pathetic. You don't even deserve to call yourself a mother."
"Where the hell do you get off coming here and talking to me like this?" Gloria demanded, obviously no longer star struck by Lauren's stature. "You don't know a goddamn thing about me, or Michael for that matter."
"I know that he's unhappy living here with you," Lauren said confidently. "And I know I'm going to do everything in my power to change that."
"You're in way over your head, princess." Gloria declared knowingly. "You think you can change him, but you can't. He'll only end up hurting you." Lauren glared at her defiantly, not believing a word she said. Just then a car horn blared from across the street and Lauren saw that Michael was finally ready to go.
"We'll see about that." Lauren boldly said as she got up from the table and started heading towards the door.
"Where are you two going?" Gloria called out after her, still seated in the booth.
"Far away from you." Was Lauren's response as she left the restaurant and walked across the street to Michael's car.
"Are you ready to go?" He asked her as she got into the car, slamming the passenger side door behind her.
"More than ready." She smiled at him reassuringly.
"Did you and mommy dearest have a nice little chat?" He teased, putting the car in drive and speeding off down the road.
"I don't know how you put with that woman for 19 years." Lauren sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration. Then she remembered something. "Michael, wait! What about Kevin?"
"Boo!" The little boy jumped out from the back seat, scaring the crap out of Lauren.
"Oh my God, don't do that!" Lauren shrieked, laughing to show the child that she wasn't really upset with him.
"Sorry," Kevin said with a smile. "So where are we going?"
"You didn't tell him?" Lauren asked, looking at Michael questioningly.
"There wasn't time." he mumbled, flipping on the turn signal as they merged onto the freeway and headed for the airport.
"Well, Kevin," Lauren said, turning her attention to the curious little boy. "We're going on an adventure."
"Really?!" He said excitedly. "Like Indiana Jones?"
"Yeah," Lauren chuckled. "Kinda like that."
"Neat! I'm gonna fight off lions and dragons and find tons of buried treasure!" He said confidently and Lauren couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm.
"Okay there, kido. We'll do all that and more." She promised. Michael turned to her and smiled.
"I can't believe we're really doing this." He said in amazement. She reached across the console and placed her hand on his thigh, giving him a reassuring squeeze.
"You better believe it." She said blissfully. "New Orleans, here we come."
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"I've never been on a plane before." Michael said casually as the three of them made their way down the narrow aisle, looking for their assigned seats.
"You're not scared, are ya Mikey?" Kevin teased from behind him.
"Of course not. Everyone knows that if a plane crashes in the ocean, little boys are the first to get eaten by sharks cuz they're easier to digest." Michael taunted his little brother and Kevin stopped dead in his tracks, causing Lauren to bump into the little boy.
"Michael, don't say that!" Lauren admonished him. "He's only kidding, Kevin. It's actually mean older brothers who get eaten first because they're so full of shit." Lauren winked down at Kevin reassuringly. He grinned up at her and started walking again.
"Looks like these are our seats." Michael declared, stopping to put his carry-on in the overhead compartment and then doing the same with Lauren's.
"Can I have the middle seat?" Kevin asked eagerly. Michael glanced at Lauren, they had been looking forward to sitting next to each other during the flight.
"Uh, what's wrong with the window seat, buddy?" Lauren asked.
"I get car sick when I look out the window, what if I get plane sick too?" Kevin said worriedly.
"Well then, what about the aisle seat?" Michael suggested impatiently.
"It's too out in the open." Kevin pouted, looking down at the floor sadly. Lauren looked at Michael and sighed in resignation.
"Okay then, it's all yours." Lauren declared, taking her seat by the window. Kevin excitedly leapt into his coveted middle seat, putting his seatbelt on right away. Michael sighed in frustration and begrudgingly sat down, reaching into the seat pocket in front of him to check out the in flight magazine.
A few moments later, the doors of the plane were closed, the safety video had aired, and they were cleared for take off. Kevin was already fast asleep. Lauren smiled down at the little boy warmly, envying his ability to sleep anytime, anywhere.
"I guess all the excitement must have worn him out." She said quietly.
"I've never seen him like this before. He's so…happy." Michael concluded wistfully, looking up at her with tears in his eyes. "Thank you." He said softly. Lauren felt tears well up in her own eyes as she carefully reached over the sleeping child to take Michael's hand in her own. She brought it to her lips and placed gentle kisses along his knuckles. She felt him tense up as the plane began its ascent.
"Are you okay?" She asked, an amused smile spread across her face.
"Oh yeah, just peachy." He assured her sarcastically, checking to make sure the barf bag in his seat pocket was within reach.
"Just go to your happy place." Lauren suggested casually, twining her fingers through his.
"My what?" He chuckled quietly.
"Your happy place," She explained. "Conjure up an imagine in your mind of a place where you feel comfortable or at peace and then just imagine that you're there right now." Michael contemplated that for a moment, trying to picture the kind of utopia she was describing.
"I don't think I have a happy place." He admitted softly, offering her a sad smile. Lauren's heart ached for him. She squeezed his hand comfortingly before turning her head to look out the window, watching as they cut through the clouds. Eventually she drifted off to sleep, her hand still clasped tightly in his.
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"So your father's house isn't actually in New Orleans?" Michael inquired as the three of them sat huddled in the back of a sweltering hot taxi cab. After landing at the airport a half hour earlier, they'd managed to work their way through the hustle and bustle of airport patrons fairly quickly, only losing Kevin once in the baggage claim.
"It's actually more of a cottage than a house really, and that's right. It's in Metairie which is a suburb of New Orleans," Lauren explained. "It's actually not even a city, they don't have a mayor or anything like that which is pretty neat because there are no City taxes. Technically, it's part of Jefferson Perish."
"Oh yeah, that's right. Louisiana has parishes rather than counties." Michael said, recalling the information he'd learned in his high school geography class.
"Yeah, because of its French heritage." She added, glancing out the window to try and make out where they were. "We're driving through the French Quarter right now. Maybe if we have time we could come back here tomorrow, do a little sightseeing?"
"I'd like that." Michael agreed, smiling at her from other side of the cab. He was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses that hid his eyes, giving him a mysterious look. She didn't think it was possible, but he was even more attractive to her now than he had been back in Detroit. He seemed more relaxed and maybe even a little happy. Perhaps the laid back atmosphere of the south was working its magic on him already.
"Are we there yet?" Kevin asked, squirming in his seat. He had once again requested to sit in between the two of them, despite Michael's protests.
"Almost, just a few more miles." Lauren informed him, playfully ruffling his hair. It was getting late and she knew he must be tired, despite having slept through the entire plane ride there.
"Does your dad's house have a pool? I'd really like to go swimming." Kevin asked her eagerly.
"Sorry, buddy. There's no pool." Lauren told him regretfully.
"But I thought all rich people had pools?"
"Kevin!" Michael admonished his younger brother, giving him a warning glance. Lauren just chuckled.
"The cottage is actually situated along lake Pontchartrain so you can take a dip in there if you'd like," She suggested. "Maybe we can even go sailing one day, I think my father keeps a boat here."
"Yeah, that would be so much fun! I've never been on a boat before." Kevin said enthusiastically.
"Well then, that's what we'll do." Lauren declared resolutely, smiling down at the little boy before turning her attention out the window once more. She had forgotten how beautiful it was here, the scenery was breathtaking. She couldn't wait to show Michael and Kevin around. A little time in The Big Easy was exactly what they needed.
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"It's got to be around here somewhere." Lauren said determinedly, lifting up flower pots and welcome mats in search of the spare key to the house. "Ah ha! Found it." She declared triumphantly, retrieving the shiny metal key from underneath a large stone.
"How ingenious of you. No burglar would ever think to look there." Michael said sarcastically, glancing down at the obnoxious rock.
"Just shut up and bring the bags in before I find another good use for it." Lauren threatened him jokingly as she opened the door to the cottage and walked inside, turning on all the lights as she went.
"Wow! I've never seen a house that looked like this before." Kevin said in awe as he entered the small home.
"Its called a Victorian double shot gun." Lauren informed him pleasantly. "Do you know why?"
"No." Kevin said, shaking his head.
"Well, they say you could stand right here by the front door and shoot a shot gun off straight through to the back of the house without ever hitting a wall." Lauren explained.
"But why would anyone do that?" Kevin asked in confusion. Lauren laughed.
"I have no idea."
"That's the last of them." Michael declared, plopping her suitcase down on the floor before closing the door behind him. "By the way, why are there two doors outside?" He looked around the small house in confusion. "And where are all the walls?" Lauren and Kevin shared a laugh at his expense before Lauren took him by the hand and lead him further into the house.
"Come on, I'll give you the grand tour." She said enthusiastically. "The reason there are two doors to the cottage is because it was originally two separate homes, but my father bought the other one and had it converted into one large house." She explained to Michael as she lead him into the spacious living room. It was sparsely furnished, a large overstuffed couch sat in the center of the room with an antique coffee table situated in front of it. A wicker rocking chair was placed strategically next to a large oak bookshelf near the back of the room.
"Nice fireplace." Michael said, walking towards the ivory painted mantel to take a closer look.
"There are actually four of them in the house," Lauren informed him. "One in the kitchen, one in each bedroom and this one. They're all just for decoration of course. No need to be lighting any fires down here in the Louisiana heat."
"Holy cow, the ceilings are huge!" Kevin exclaimed from behind them. They both turned to see the little boy standing in the middle of the room staring up in amazement at the large brass ceiling fan above.
"Yep, they're twelve feet high." Lauren declared.
"Wow, you could fit an elephant in here!" He said excitedly. Lauren smiled at his enthusiasm. She remembered how enamored she had been with the cottage when she'd stayed here as a little girl. She was happy to see that Kevin was enjoying himself as much as she once had.
"Well, there's really not much else to see." Lauren said, turning her attention back to Michael who was still busy admirering the meticulous carvings on the fireplace mantel. "Just the kitchen, the bathroom and the two bedrooms at the back of the house." Michael's head snapped up at that and he gazed at her questioningly.
"There are only two bedrooms?" He asked, a small smile spread across his face. Lauren smiled back, slowly nodding her head in affirmation.
"Yep. One for Kevin and…" She let her voice trail off seductively.
"Ewww, gross!" Kevin exclaimed, scrunching his face up in disgust.
"Oh, shut up you." Michael admonished his little brother, picking up a pillow from the couch and playfully throwing it at him. "It's past your bed time."
"But I'm hungry!" He whined. Michael was about to protest when his own stomach growled.
"Yeah, I could go for a little late night snack myself." He admitted. "Can we order a pizza or something?"
"I doubt any of the restaurants are still open, they close pretty early down here." Lauren said regretfully. "There's probably some food in the pantry, I could cook up something if you want?" Both Michael and Kevin looked at her in disbelief. "What?! I can cook!" She said defensively.
"Okay, Lauren. That sounds great. I'm sure whatever you make will be delicious." Michael said, feigning sincerity. She glared at him skeptically, trying to decide whether or not he was being sarcastic.
"Alright," She said finally, smiling at him as she turned and headed towards the kitchen. "Why don't you guys settle into your rooms while I try and find something to make." Michael and Kevin glanced at each other nervously, both anticipating the worst.
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After their late night meal of surprisingly delicious canned stew, the three of them were ready for bed. Kevin had fallen asleep at the kitchen table, nearly taking a nose dive into his bowl of food. Michael carried the little boy off to bed while Lauren washed up their dishes. She moved through the house quietly, shutting off all the lights and locking all the doors before making her way into the bedroom she planned on sharing with Michael.
The room was smaller than she had remembered. A king sized bed sat pushed up against the far wall, white silk netting hung down from the canopy above. The bed was framed by two antique end tables that matched the dark oak of the bed's headboard. The temperature in the room was uncomfortably humid, the large brass ceiling fan doing little to combat the heat. Lauren walked further into the bedroom, stepping over their suitcases until she reached the patio doors, opening them to let the warm Louisiana breeze flow into the room. She stepped out onto the large veranda, leaning against the wooden railing as she gazed out over the serene lake. The view was breathtaking.
"Are you aware that the bathroom in this house is completely showerless?" Michael whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist possessively. She leaned back against his chest, sighing in contentment as she remembered the large bear claw bathtub.
"Is that so?" She teased, running her hands up his arms seductively. "I guess you'll just have to take a bubble bath then."
"Only if you promise to scrub my back." Michael said softly, bending to nuzzle his face in her neck. She moaned softly, reaching around to pull him closer. She could feel his arousal pressed up against the small of her back and she shivered slightly in anticipation. "Do you realize that I haven't kissed you in over twelve hours?"
"Well," she purred, slowly turning around to face him. "What's stopping you?" He reached up and cupped her face in his hands. Lauren gasped as he tipped her head back slightly and crushed his lips against hers. His tongue probed at her lips incessantly, demanding entrance. She sighed when she felt him enter her mouth, her own tongue sneaking into his for a taste.
"I think I've found my happy place." Michael said, his hands leaving her face to wrap around her waist as he pulled her closer. She smiled against his lips. Breaking their kiss, she glanced up at him mischievously .
"Wait here," she instructed him, moving out of his embrace reluctantly. "I'll be right back."
"Don't go." Michael pleaded softly, still holding onto her hands as looked at her with his sad puppy dog eyes.
"I'll be right back," Lauren assured him, walking backwards into the bedroom. "I promise." And with that, she was gone.
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Lauren had retreated into the small bathroom to freshen up, not wanting to make love to Michael for the first time while she was all hot and sweaty. After a quick bath, she changed into her silk nightgown and sat down on the edge of the tub to moisturize her legs. Lauren knew she was stalling, she just couldn't figure out why. She wanted Michael, her need for him was like a physical ache. But she was nervous. Despite her previous sexual experience, Lauren realized that it would be different with Michael. It could never be just sex with him.
"Get a grip, Lauren." She said to herself, standing up and running a hand through her damp hair in frustration. She was acting like this was their wedding night or something. Looking at herself in the mirror, Lauren squeezed her chubby cheeks self consciously, remembering the big bowl of stew she'd wolfed down earlier. Grabbing her toothbrush off of the sink, she crouched down on the floor in front of the toilet. Pulling her hair back with one hand, Lauren hunched over the toilet bowl and stuck the toothbrush down her throat. She started gagging and wheezing, but nothing came up. Tears of frustration were streaming down her face as she continued to shove the toothbrush handle down the back of her throat, searching for the gag reflex that she knew would make her throw up.
"Lauren," Michael called out from behind the bathroom door, pushing it open slightly. "Are you okay…" She quickly stood up from the floor, throwing her toothbrush in the trashcan beside the toilet discreetly.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, offering him a reassuring smile as she wiped away the tears from her eyes. "I just wasn't feeling well all of a sudden. Maybe it was something I ate." She tried to explain, but Michael wasn't buying it. He looked at her sadly.
"Lauren…"
"Don't, Michael." She said dismissively, quickly brushing past him as she stormed out of the washroom and headed back towards their bedroom. He followed her.
"We need to talk about this." He insisted, closing the bedroom door behind him. Lauren stood near the foot of the bed, not looking at him
"It's no big deal." She reasoned.
"You think purging your food is no big deal?" Michael asked her incredulously. "It's not healthy, Lauren."
"Don't lecture me, okay? I know what I'm doing." She said defensively, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He walked across the room, cautiously coming to stand in front of her. She wouldn't look at him, focusing intently on her hands as they lay folded in her lap.
"Why?" Michael asked her softly. "Why do you think you need to do this?" She glanced up at him then, giving him a look that said the answer was obvious. "Oh, come on Lauren. You are not fat!"
"Of course you're going to say that! Nobody would just come out and tell me that I'm fat, but I'm not blind Michael." Lauren declared angrily.
"You must be if you can't see how perfect you really are." Michael insisted, gazing into her eyes so that she could see the sincerity in them. She looked away again. "He did this to you, didn't he? Always putting you down about your weight…"
"This has nothing to do with Danny," Lauren argued. "This is about me eating too much and needing to lose weight. It's as simple as that." She looked up at him pleadingly, trying to get him to see things from her point of view. "Look, you wanna be a lawyer, right? So you're going to go to law school, you're going to study your ass off and do whatever it takes to pass your bar exam. Well, that's exactly what I'm doing, Michael." Lauren reasoned. "If I'm going to represent my father's company, if I'm going to become the fashion mogul that everyone expects me to be, then I can't afford to get fat."
"It's not worth it, Lauren." Michael said softly, reaching out to stroke her hair away from her face. "Nothing is worth putting yourself through this."
"It's no big deal." She said again, less confidently this time. He could see the tears in her eyes and watched as one escaped and spilled down her face. He leaned forward to kiss it away. Her breath hitched in her throat as she tried to stop herself from crying. He pulled back, tenderly stroking her tear stained cheeks with his thumbs.
"Let me help you." Michael whispered pleadingly. "You've done so much for me already, Lauren. Let me do this for you." She closed her eyes as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Let me show you how beautiful you are to me." He pulled back and Lauren slowly opened her eyes, gazing up at him apprehensively. Michael took a step back, offering her his hand. "C'mere." She stood up slowly, placing her hand in his. He lead her over to the full length mirror in the corner of the room, standing behind her in front of it. She reluctantly looked at their reflection, admirering how he seemed to tower over her small frame.
"Do you see how tiny you are," he whispered into her ear, running his hands down the length of her arms until he reached her hands, weaving his fingers through her much smaller ones. "How strong you are," he continued, bending to place a tender kiss on her bare shoulder. "How gorgeous."
"Michael…" She sighed as he began nuzzling her neck, gently nipping at her soft skin before soothing it with his tongue. His hands left hers as he slid them along the front of her nightgown until he reached her breasts, cupping them through the silky material. He began roughly massaging her nipples, watching in fascination as they hardened underneath his touch. She moaned loudly and threw her head back against his shoulder, exposing her neck to his eager mouth.
"Off." Lauren groaned, and for a minute Michael feared she wanted him to stop touching her. But then he realized that she was referring to the scarp of silk that was preventing her from feeling his hands on her bare skin. Michael happily complied, his hands leaving her breasts momentarily to reach down and lift the silken nightgown up. Lauren raised her arms as he lifted the garment up and over her head, tossing it to the floor carelessly.
She stood in front of him, wearing nothing but a pair of pale blue panties. She gazed at their reflection in the mirror and when her eyes met his, she could see the desire in them.
"You are so beautiful, Lauren." He praised, moving to stand in front of her. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly on the lips. Her hands traveled up his back and she ran her fingers through his hair, tugging his head lower as began trailing kisses down her neck, stopping briefly to nip at her collar bone before bending to capture her breast in his mouth.
"Oh, God…" She moaned softly as he began sucking and licking at her breasts in earnest. Lauren's hands clenched in his hair as she was overcome with pleasure. She groaned in protest when his mouth left her breast, glancing down at the top of his head has he began trailing kisses down her stomach. He looked up at her questioningly when his lips reached the edge of her panties.
"I've never done this before," Lauren admitted timidly. "I mean, no one's ever…" Her voice trailed off as she watched him hook his thumbs in the waistband of her panties, slowly dragging them down her legs. She stepped out of them, placing her hands on his shoulders for support. He reached up and took her hands in his, bringing them to his lips and kissing her palms gently.
"Do you want me to stop?" He asked softly, looking up at her as he released her hands and started stroking her thighs gently. Lauren shook her head, parting her legs slightly to show him just how eager she was to feel his mouth on her. He smiled at her as his hands made their way up the back of her thighs. He leaned forward and closed his eyes as he buried his nose in her auburn curls. Lauren could feel her arousal dripping down the inside of her thighs as he parted her lips with his fingers. He leaned back slightly and her eyes met his as he slowly ran his tongue along her slippery folds.
"Oh my God!" Lauren gasped, her eyes closing from the intense pleasure. Her hands snaking into his hair once more as she pulled him closer. He started licking her in earnest from her opening to the tiny bundle of nerves that was screaming for his attention. Lauren whimpered when she felt his finger enter her as he closed his lips around her clit and sucked gently.
"Oh, God! That feels so good." She moaned unabashedly, holding his head to her tightly. "Don't stop." He chuckled against her and the vibrations only added to her pleasure as he started flicking his tongue over her swollen clit, feeling her walls start to clench around his finger rapidly. She was moaning constantly now and Michael could tell she was close. He sped up his movements, adding a second finger into the mix. Capturing the sensitive bundle of nerves between his lips once more, Michael bit down ever so lightly.
"Michael!" She screamed as her entire body shook from the force of her orgasm. Her hips bucked against his face as wave after wave of pleasure flowed through her body. She collapsed into his waiting arms on the floor, trying to get her breathing back under control. Michael held her close, slowly stoking her back as he waited for her to come back to him.
"That was amazing," She said softly, pulling back to look at him. "You're amazing." She declared, wrapping her arms around his neck and snuggling further into his embrace.
"Well, you're pretty amazing yourself." He informed her playfully, reaching out to brush a wayward strand of hair out of her face. She smiled at him, completely sated. Michael gathered her up in his arms and carried her over to the bed, laying her down between the crisp white sheets. She stretched languidly, stifling a yawn.
"Are we going to make love now, Michael?" She asked sleepily, her eyes already starting to droop. Michael chuckled as he took off his t-shirt and crawled into bed beside her.
"Not tonight." He said, wrapping his arm around her waist from behind and pulling her closer to his chest so that they were spooning. He placed a kiss on her shoulder. "Tonight was about you."
"Then tomorrow's all yours, baby." Lauren mumbled, already half asleep; dreaming of mardi gras beads, spicy jambalaya, and naked Michael.
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