Chapter 19

Michael and Anelise found themselves in a deeper level of intimacy after their heart-to-heart. It was an unspoken agreement, but they continued to grow closer, day by day, enjoying each other’s company.

Anelise had become quite engrossed in the book ~Joy of Sex~, and they had a blast trying out different positions. They had their favorites, of course, but they also enjoyed the thrill of trying something new.

As July rolled on, Michael, Craig, and Ken’s work was progressing well. Their American bosses were just as satisfied as their English counterparts. Ken’s family even came for a visit, and Anelise had a great time getting to know them.

Anelise had finally completed the draft of her paper and was over the moon. It was a whopping ninety-four pages, and she was incredibly proud of her work. It had turned out exactly as she had envisioned.

She had to proofread it first, then send it to her professor for feedback before the final editing and submission. She was on top of the world, and to celebrate, Michael took her and Ollie out for a special dinner.

When August arrived, Michael was content with the progress of his work. However, due to a minor hiccup, they needed a few more days, which meant they would be returning the Saturday before Anelise’s classes started.

This gave Anelise the perfect excuse to avoid seeing her parents. They weren’t thrilled, but they understood, and Anelise was relieved.

As their departure date loomed closer, Anelise felt a growing ache in her heart. The thought of being away from Michael and Ollie was unbearable. She was hopelessly in love with Michael and had come to think of Ollie as her own.

She knew she was setting herself up for heartbreak, but she couldn’t help it. Michael was everything she wanted in a partner and everything she couldn’t have.

Not only did they live in different states, but there was also a nearly 16-year age gap between them, and he lived next door to her parents. She didn’t want to be that close to them, preferring to live her life on her own terms.

One night, Anelise and Michael agreed that their relationship would end when they left. The thought of that day filled them both with dread, but they reassured each other that it was for the best.

Anelise was glad they had made such a mature decision. But if it was such a good and mature decision, why did it leave her feeling so heartbroken?

During their last week, Michael spent every possible moment touching, kissing, and making love to Anelise. He wanted to create as many memories as he could, so he could replay them in his mind.

Their time in bed became more intimate, and a deeper intensity developed between them. They savored each other and every last second they had together.

Anelise bought Ollie several books and recorded herself reading them on his tablet. Michael could play them anytime he needed. She thought it would help ease the transition when they returned to Chicago.

Anelise took many videos of the sweet little boy, and several of them included Michael. She knew watching them later would be like pouring salt into an open wound, but she had to have them.

The night before they left, the five of them went to their favorite restaurant for one last meal.

“Ani, I can honestly say that you made this trip a hell of a lot more fun than it would have been! And you made it a lot better-looking too,” Craig said, raising his glass to her. Ken laughed as Michael scowled.

“Thank you, gentlemen, I really had a great time!” Anelise blushed.

“I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed making someone blush so much.” Craig grinned.

“Anytime you want to stop hitting on her would be great!” Michael said, his teeth gritted.

Ken just kept laughing, hoping his friend wasn’t in too deep.

He and Craig had noticed how Michael and Anelise were always together after their weekend in Paris and how Michael looked at Anelise. They were betting that he was in love with her, but they had no idea what might come of it.

After dessert, they went to the park for a bit, then walked back to the hotel in the perfect London summer night air, laughing and watching Ollie as he ran around them, giggling.

Michael let Ollie run around to burn off his energy, hoping to tire him out for the flight. He had to get him up early, and if he could get him good and tired, he might sleep for a good chunk of the flight.

The adults split up to their separate rooms to finish packing and get ready. Ollie was confused about what was happening, and Anelise kept trying to remind him that he and his daddy were going home and she was going to school.

She showed him pictures of where he lived and where she lived, and even though he didn’t understand the distance, he kept repeating, “my Ani, come home with me.”

Michael was worried about how Ollie would react after Anelise left. He was grateful that she had recorded those stories, so at least Ollie wouldn’t have to go cold turkey.

Not that he would admit it to anyone, but Michael was worried about himself too. He had come to rely on Anelise more than he cared to admit. And it wasn’t just because of Ollie. He enjoyed talking to her when he came home from work.

She was so intelligent, and they had many stimulating conversations. He loved her perspective on things. They laughed a lot, and living with an almost three-year-old, he didn’t get to laugh at many adult things.

And their physical connection was beyond anything he could have ever imagined. The intimacy they shared was intense, and nothing he had with Kara had ever been that good.

He watched her pack away the last of her clothes, leaving out only what she needed for the next day. She stopped and looked around, making sure she had everything, and checked her carry-on for her chargers again, making him smile.

“You know they haven’t moved since the last time you checked, right?”

She turned and narrowed her eyes at him. “Hey, no need to get cheeky! I know you checked your bag three times already!”

“Cheeky?! Are you going to start using British phrases now?” He laughed, reaching out and wrapping his arms around her.

“Maybe! I happen to like a few of the terms we’ve heard,” Anelise replied, hugging him back.

“And which ones do you like?” he asked, smirking at her.

“Well, I like ‘snogging,’” she said, and he leaned down and kissed her.

“I agree, that is a good one!”

“‘Bloody hell,’ ‘bollocks,’ and ‘arse’ are my favorites,” she shared, earning a chuckle from him. “But I think ‘shagging’ tops the list.”

Michael drew her in closer, his hand tracing the curve of her denim-clad ass. “~Shagging~…yeah, I’m a fan of that one too.”

Anelise met his gaze, her voice a soft whisper. “Then kiss me and let’s have one last shag, Mr. Whitlock.”

He kissed her deeply, then scooped her up and carried her to the bed. They undressed each other with a slow, tender urgency, their lips and hands exploring each other’s bodies.

She guided him onto the bed, her fingers lightly tracing the tip of his erection, spreading the wetness that had already begun to pool.

“Your hands are magic, Anelise,” Michael managed to say, his breath hitching.

“Is that all you’ll miss?” she teased, her hand moving rhythmically up and down his length.

He positioned himself between her legs, her thighs resting on his shoulders, and kissed her inner thighs. “I’ll miss this sweet, sweet pussy of yours,” he confessed, his tongue and lips working her into a moan-filled frenzy.

After she came, her voice echoing his name, he sat back on his knees. “I’ll miss hearing you scream my name when you cum on my tongue.”

He reached for a condom from the nightstand, rolled it on, and slowly pushed into her, their shared moan filling the room.

“I’ll miss how it feels to slide my cock inside you. I’ll miss how tight you are, how you squeeze me just right.”

He leaned over her, kissing her deeply as he began to move inside her. She loved their intimate moments; each one felt like a journey to another universe. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer.

Her nails dug into his ass as she arched up to lick the sweat from his chest. His moan was her reward, his thrusts quickening at the sound of their skin slapping together and her escalating pants.

He felt the familiar tingle deep in his balls, signaling his impending release. He leaned down to take one of her hardened nipples in his mouth, knowing how much she loved it.

Moments later, she was clutching his back, her voice calling out his name as she came. He followed her over the edge, his grunts punctuating each twitch as he released inside the condom.

Anelise loved watching him climax, feeling his hips grind against hers. The look in his eyes afterward always made her feel cherished.

She reached up to kiss him, their tongues dancing together until they were both breathless.

“And I’ll miss hearing you scream my name when you cum,” he added, finishing his list.

“That’s quite the list!” she teased, raising an eyebrow. “I’ll miss a few things about you too.”

Michael pulled out and cleaned up, discarding the used condom in the trash can by the nightstand before settling next to her.

“I’ll miss the way you kiss my neck when you come home. I’ll miss how you taste when I take you in my mouth and how you moan when my tongue finds just the right spot,” she confessed, her fingers tracing patterns on his chest.

“I’ll miss the way you grab my breasts when I’m riding you, and how you kiss my lower back when you take me from behind.”

“That’s a pretty impressive list too!” he replied, his fingers teasing her nipples. “What do you say we spend the rest of the night making sure we didn’t miss anything?”

“I like the sound of that!” she agreed, leaning in to kiss him again.

Hours later, she lay awake in his arms, listening to his soft snores. She knew she’d be tired tomorrow, but she didn’t care.

She didn’t want to waste their last few hours together sleeping. He was the first man she’d ever loved, and she wished she could freeze time and stay in his arms forever.