Marilu Mann - Changing Focus

Olivia felt his hands lightly touching her shoulders, felt the warmth of his body as he pulled her closer, felt the heat in his gaze as he opened his eyes to stare at her. “Liv.” His voice came out sleep-roughened and deep.

No one else had ever shortened her name, but Olivia wanted to hear him say that again. With nothing more being said between them, she leaned forward and kissed him. Micah responded immediately, pulling her even closer, but not taking over.

She’d expected him to take control, the fact that he hadn’t told her she made the right move. His hands felt like fire though, molding her shoulders, smoothing down to her waist then to her hips as he urged her even closer. Olivia leaned back slightly, breaking their kiss and pulling his head toward her neck. She didn’t need to say anything, didn’t need to tell him what she wanted, it felt as though he could read her mind.

His hands molded to her butt, cupping and squeezing as he moved his mouth over her neck and shoulders. Olivia leaned farther away, knowing he wouldn’t let her fall. Micah licked across the top of her breasts, then between them, burying his face in the cleavage provided by her bra.

She’d never been so thankful for her friend’s insistence on that particular purchase. His hands slid up her back to the catch of the bra and Olivia let go of his shoulders long enough to slip her arms out of the straps. Micah groaned deep in this throat, the sound causing her body to tighten then respond wildly. His mouth burned a path to her breast. His hands now held her against his body as he nipped and licked his way around her breast.

“Micah, please.” She guided his head right where she wanted him, lifting her breast to his mouth, showing him where she needed him and he was more than up to the task. Taking her nipple between his teeth, biting gently then sucking her strongly. Olivia barely held in a scream. It felt so good, it felt so right. She needed this, needed him, wanted him more than she’d ever wanted another man.

Micah surged out of the chair, holding her body tightly against his as he took three giant strides to the bed. He lowered them to the soft bed without ever letting go of her, still tugging at her breast. His hair fell around them and Olivia grabbed his head, fingers tunneling through the thick strands and hanging on. Micah released her long enough to yank his shirt off and she had just a moment to see that she’d been right.

His upper body was extremely muscular and there wasn’t any hair to impede her view. She caught a glimpse of some tattoos but couldn’t tell and didn’t really care what they were at this point. He lowered his body back on top of hers, letting her feel his warmth, his strength, but not crushing her into the bed. The tips of her breasts brushed against his chest and they both groaned as he kissed her again.

Time slowed, everything faded around her as Olivia concentrated on this man, this moment. Running her hands over his shoulders and between them to touch his skin, feel his hard nipples under her fingernails, Olivia exulted in just touching him. He liked it too.

Gasping, he lifted away from her to watch her hands moving over his chest. Suddenly he rolled onto his back, pulling her so that she straddled him. Olivia sat up, running her hands from his shoulders to his waist, watching his eyes glow golden in the faint light from the fireplace.

He reached up to pull her back down then froze under her. Olivia sat back, staring at him, wondering why he’d stopped. With a deep sigh, Micah sat up with her, kissed her hard then put his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry, Liv. Someone just drove up.”

“What?”

“A car just drove up, sweetheart. I have to go downstairs.”

The reluctance clear in his eyes, Micah set her gently off to the side as he got out of the bed and grabbed his shirt off the floor. Olivia grabbed her robe off the foot of the bed and thrust into it. She turned her back to him as she tied the robe shut. Micah’s arms came around her and he pulled her back against his body. “You don’t know how much I regret this interruption.”

“Oh, I think I have an idea.” She was annoyed to hear her voice quavering. He heard it too, if the arms tightening around her were any indication.

“Liv, we will finish this. Just give me a few minutes to settle whoever this is and I’ll be back. Or, you could always go upstairs to my apartment and wait for me there?”

“Just do what you need to do, Micah. This is totally out of character for me, anyway. I think it must have been the wine and the emotional baggage I unloaded on you. I’m-”

He spun her around and kissed her. Hard. “Do not say you’re sorry. Don’t you dare, because I’m not. I want you, Olivia Volksson Decatur. I want you in my bed, or yours, it doesn’t matter which. I want to make love to you, with you.”

Micah kissed her again, gently this time. “Just wait for me, sweetheart, I’ll be right back.”

He hit the door with enough force to cause it to bang back into the hallway. The noise didn’t soothe his irritation at the uninvited interruption at all. He truly felt that he had never been this close to murder before in his life. Growling under his breath, he reached the front door to hit the porch light. All rage faded when he saw who stood on his porch.

“Talia?”

“Uncle Micah!” The sobbing girl threw herself at him. He barely had time to catch her. Hugging her close, he breathed in her soft girl child scent. She wouldn’t have a truly identifying scent until puberty if the change occurred. He adjusted her weight as he peered out at the car. A woman stood beside the driver’s side.

“Micah, I’m sorry to arrive unannounced, but today was the last straw. Talia is just so unhappy with us.” The trim brunette shoved her glasses back up her nose. “We’ve tried. God knows we’ve tried, but…she needs you, Micah, and that’s all there is to it. She’s been with us almost a year. And she was with Grey and his sister before that. You remember how that turned out.” Her eyes darkened. “Talia, honey, I’m sorry you weren’t happy with us.”

The child sniffled against his neck. “I’m sorry too, Aunt Jane. Uncle Micah, can I please stay here with you?”

Micah looked down at the miniature version of Shelly. His friend and one-time lover. A woman whose life had been taken in a Pack battle by a vicious, now-dead bitch named Maggie. Talia’s eyes batted in unconscious mimicry of her mother. A woman who had named him godfather to her only child. There was no way he could refuse. Having tried to place Talia with two other shifter families, thinking she needed siblings and two parents, he knew now she wouldn’t really be happy anywhere but with him.

Sighing, he nodded to Jane. “I’ll take her from here. I never should have let her go in the first place. You, young lady, are too much like your mother.” The child’s answering giggle elicited a chuckle from him.

“I’ll leave her things in the living room and head home then.” Jane headed for the back of her car.

“You aren’t staying here tonight?” He wasn’t really surprised. Jane didn’t like being away from home for long periods. It was one reason he’d thought Talia would be happy there. A stay-at-home mom and siblings should have given her the comfort and stability she needed.

“No, I need to get back to the kids. If Talia’s forgotten anything, we’ll get it to you here.”

Micah put Talia down and stepped out into the cold to help Jane carry the child’s meager belongings into the main room of the lodge. Talia amused herself by wandering around the main floor of the lodge while the adults finished their task. Micah followed Jane out to tell her goodbye.