[AUTHOR'S NOTE: THANKS TO SUPER BETA READER JDRAGONFIRE29 FOR HELPING ME TACKLE THOSE PESKY GRAMMAR ISSUES.]

Chapter 12 – Day 10 (Rated M for mature)

Nikita ran her fingers along Michael sculpted chest, tracing the defined lines and feeling the smooth skin over hard muscles. His heartbeat was strong and steady under her ear as she lay on him. Nikita has always loved touching Michael. One of the drawbacks of hiding a relationship from Section was that she didn't get to touch him as often as she wanted.

It was always surprising how much Michael seemed to love being touched. Inside Section, his cold façade fairly shout out a warning to prevent people from getting within striking distance of him. Over the years, very few people had voluntarily reached out and physically touched him. About the only ones who seemed to were Madeline, Walter, and Chuck.

She had spent many hours obsessing over whether she had read possessiveness in Madeline's touch. Michael had never volunteered any information behind his relationship with Madeline, and she wasn't going to broach the topic. Besides, she really didn't want to know.

It was enough that Michael not only allows her touch, he seemed to welcome it. She caressed the smooth expanse of his chest and down along his side. He unexpectedly gave the smallest twitch when her fingers ran past his ribs. Experimentally, she stroked his side again and noticed another twitch.

She prop her chin on his chest and looked up at him and asked incredulously: "Michael, are you ticklish right there?"

His eyes were shuttered, revealing nothing as he responded blandly: "No."

"Really?" She looked at him mischievously as she responded: "What happens if I do this?" She proceeded to tickle his side in earnest and was rewarded by seeing him jump and laugh.

She sat up and looked at him in amazement: "Oh my god, you totally ARE ticklish there."

He held his hands up in surrender and replied: "Alright you win. Please don't tell anyone of that particular weakness."

"I won't. Anything else I should know about you?"

"Not particularly."

"Hmm." She looked at him speculatively. "This could be very helpful."

He looked back at her cautiously as he waited.

"I would like some answers, Michael and if you don't tell me the truth, I'll tickle it out of you." She held her fingers threateningly over his ribs.

"Okay?"

Her mind raced through all the questions she had always wanted to ask. Most were too intrusive to his privacy and she wasn't willing to pry. Memories of a long ago night came to the forefront.

"When Petrosian sent you to meet me at that bar, if I had said yes when you asked if you were under orders to please me, what would you have done?"

"Please you anyway I can."

"How would you feel about it?"

"At that time?"

"Yes."

"Conflicted."

"Because of Elena?"

"Partially."

"What else was there?"

Michael was quiet for a long moment as he thought of the answer. He finally responded: "I hesitated for the same reason why it took me so long to decide to pursue a relationship."

"You never did tell me what held you back."

He sighed as he caressed her shoulders before replying: "I've been in Section a long time Nikita. I know what they do if they sense a weakness."

"And I'm your weakness?"

He looked at her as he smoothed a finger along her cheek. "No, you're my strength."

As far as declaration of love goes, that was pretty phenomenal. It made her eyes mist in tears as she smiled radiantly at him. She sighed: "Michael, I love you."

He smiled at her in response and leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back in earnest, desperate to taste him even after spending the day in bed. She plunged her hands in his silky curls and pulled him closer as she straddled him.

She pulled back with a gasp, gulping in air into her oxygen starved lungs. She moaned, as he kissed a path up her neck and nibbled her earlobe. She melted bonelessly against him as he pulled her closer.

She pushed him slightly back and he looked up curiously. She brushed her finger against his lips, which was reddened by their kisses. She felt the abdomen beneath her clinch in reaction to her touch. She was in awe that she had that kind of effect on him, that he could want her again as badly as she needed him.

"I can never get enough of you." She spoke from the depth of her soul, a fact she had long acknowledged to herself since the first time Michael really kissed her on that darkened barge. A truth she tried denying to herself to no avail.

Despite knowing that this has to and will end, and end badly, she was helplessly drawn to him. She had surrendered her heart to him long ago, and he had no interest in letting it go. She wasn't afraid of getting her heart broken since it will break the moment he walked out of her life forever. She was deeply afraid of how her betrayal will injure him instead. Michael did not trust easily, and she will be revealed as the most hurtful betrayer.

She blinked back tears and focused back to the present. To the beautiful man whose heart, for now, was in her safe keeping. Michael looked back at her with an open and honest expression, not hiding himself from her. She moaned in desire and gave in to the driving need for this man, her man.