Audrey cut Gertie's engine outside her home. She walked over to Mike's side of the car, gently lowering his seat before returning to the driver side. She locked all the doors, then slipped the keys under her mat in case he woke up and had any bright ideas. She wanted to stay up and watch him, but she was too exhausted. Damn pregnancy hormones.

Audrey lowered her own seat, sitting towards him watching him sleep. He didn't even seem to relax sleeping as though he had something he needed to do even then. Did he ever relax? She frowned, feeling guilty that she only gave him more to do. She leaned over slowly, brushing the short fallen hair off his forehead before pressing her lips against his skin. Audrey laid back down, watching him in anguish. He was just too beautiful to be real. She silently prayed that tomorrow he would be just as soft with her, and maybe just maybe they could find a truce. Her bed was too big without him in it. Finally, after worrying herself sick for hours her eyes finally fluttered closed.

She felt like she was flying, or swimming in the Dead Sea just floating along. She glanced up at the grey sky, the sun not even bothering to get out of bed today. She couldn't blame it; she wanted to do the same. She glanced up to find Michael's blotchy eyes, his mouth drawn firmly. The door swung open and the dog barked in excitement. It felt exactly the same as it did the first night she stayed at his house and he carried her to the guest room. The memory left her with warmth tingling all the way down to her toes.
"Mike, are you alright?" she asked him, suddenly worried about him carrying her if he was still drunk.
Blood shot eyes glanced down at her. "I've got you, Audrey. You need to be in bed, safe."

She felt it, the wall back up. All the vulnerability and uncertainty she saw last night was gone. Michael had pushed it all back down, and now was back to the stoic man he normally was. She had witnessed a rare event last night, like a shooting comet. But, she couldn't help but wonder if whenever they fought and separated was he in that state? Or was last night a special occasion for some reason? She liked seeing his vulnerability; it made it easier for her to soften too.

She heard the door close, the dog bark some more and finally she felt the softness of pillows beneath her.

With the last bouts of her energy, she said, "I'm not convinced that you're sober yet. Take the pillow and extra blanket. Sleep on the couch some more."

He glanced down, hard eyes watching her. "If I'm staying, then I'm sleeping in this bed."

"If you must," she replied, snuggling into his chest, pulling herself closer to him. Another pang of sadness that the wall was back up pierced her heart, so she added, "Please don't leave before I wake up. I don't care if you need to make yourself an omelet, or complain about my ancient electronics. Just please find one reason to stay. This place isn't right without you in it; this bed is too big." He froze, and she counted to ten before he finally breathed. Audrey placed his hand on her belly. "We've missed you," she whispered.

He inhaled sharply, his arms hugging her tightly. "I'm here. I'll find more than one reason to stay."

His mouth sought hers, hungrily taking what he wanted. She had no will left to fight him as she kissed him back, his hand cupping her face. He began moving down her neck, alcohol imbued lips searing their way down her skin. When he reached her collar, Mike yanked her shirt off, continuing down Audrey's breast before maneuvering around to the back. He stopped kissing her, his eyes hungry watching her, with his one hand paused on the clasps of her bra, the other hand threaded through her hair. With one quick tug, the snaps were undone. Mike slid the undergarment off her shoulders, throwing it onto the floor before kissing his way across the newly exposed skin. He had such cool confidence that would unnerve any woman as he made his way down, taking off her pants. As he tossed them to the ground, he undressed at lightning speed, before hooking his finger around her panties to pull down. When she didn't immediately lift her rear, the pants wouldn't come down further. Without even bothering to figure out why, Michael simply ripped the fabric on both sides, satisfied he no longer needed to bother. She gasped in shock as he lifted her thighs, hooking them around his waist, then teasing her folds with his fingers. She was absolutely soaked at this point with his completely domineering personality.

With one swift move, Michael thrusted himself completely inside her. He groaned loudly, a sound she had never heard before, sounding more like a wild animal than her lover. His back was arched, his lips slightly parted, and his eyes were closed. She could see him by the moon's reflection filtering in through the window. "I love being here," he whispered into the room. For a moment, she thought he meant in her house or her bedroom, but then she realized he meant inside her. Audrey couldn't help but watch him in awe; he looked like a statue of a Greek god.

His eyes glanced down to hers, holding her captive beneath him. "He wants to destroy everything you've worked for Audrey. Let me save you."

"My father," I said, knowing that what the 'he' that Michael was referring to.

He nodded, his lust filled, determined eyes watching me. "Let me save you like you saved me. There is no life living without you." His voice came out not quite a whisper, but hoarse.

A tear ran down her cheek. His words let her know the battle had already been lost. Her father had something big planned. She'd be damned if she let Max Hoffinger win. "Okay."

Hearing her reply, his eyes sparked in a way she had never seen before, completely unrestrained. He grabbed her sides, her legs still wrapped around him, and thrust himself inside her with complete abandon. Audrey never realized before that night that even their wildest, roughest sex, Michael still restrained himself; he still held back. Likely because of the alcohol, there was no holding back as he took her forcefully. Her blood pooled down between her legs in shocking quickness; she wailed loudly as he gave her his first orgasm nearly minutes in. He slowed down just for a few strokes as Audrey clawed his back, biting down on his shoulder riding the wave of euphoria. He hummed in appreciation. As soon as she rode down her high, he was relentlessly slamming himself inside her again, moving his hips in ways that few men had the stamina to try.

Their bodies were already slick with sweat, and Audrey watched the drops of sweat roll down his forehead and nose, dropping onto her stomach. Mike began swiveling his hips hitting places inside her she didn't even know existed and she keened, begging him to keep going. His face smirked, and he pulled nearly out, only thrusting half of his length back inside. "I'm going to make you beg for it," he told her in his hauntingly delicious voice.

Her eyes rolled back in her head as she fought to keep coherency. She was so close that his tease was causing her acute physical pain.

"Please, please, please," she begged.

"Please what?" he asked in a cocky tone, sliding even less of himself inside her.

"Finish what you started!" Audrey screamed, clawing her nails down his chest in pure frustration.

"That's alright, baby, mark me if you want. I'm already yours, and I don't give a damn who knows," he said.

She groaned loudly at his words, grabbing his sides in hopes of forcing him to thrust harder. "Please, Michael, I'm begging you. I'm aching. Please let me come," her voice was soft as she pleaded from being so out of breath.
He groaned loudly. "That's my girl." He thrust himself inside her, knowing her spots that cause her to lose sanity, touching the deepest parts of her as the world exploded and disappeared temporarily.

He slowed down this time for a much longer length of time as she tried to recuperate, her whole body sensitive. He pressed his lips gently to hers as her hands massaged the back of his scalp. Still inside her, Michael rolled over lying down on the bed. "You look like you need a little break," he breathed, wearing his cocky smile. Her body still flooded with endorphins, Audrey laid next to Michael, their limbs curiously entwined, their foreheads touching, and their hearts beating to the same rhythm. There would never be another for her. She would let him save her just as she apparently saved him.

Her eyes fluttered close.

Audrey awoke awhile later to Michael finishing what he started, his penis throbbing inside her, and she groaned at the feeling. He held her close to him, his lips kissing hers, full of tenderness and devotion as he rocked into her several more times before coming undone in her arms.

Her eyes closed again as she drifted back to sleep.

When Audrey woke up, Mike was sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee in hand, petting Baron. Michael never drank coffee, so she knew he must be in rare form still. She stood in the door way, taking in the scene before her, feeling as though this was the start of something truly new between them. A place of more honesty and less walls. For the first time in her life, that was what she truly wanted; the one thing in her life she had never had before. Audrey walked into the room, and he finally felt her presence, looking up. She offered him a smile.
"Audrey, I…" His brows knitted together as he tried to find the words, "I apologize for last night. It won't happen again."

It seemed the wall had gone up higher in the last few hours. She was starting to wonder if this was what it felt like for him dealing with her. The realization was unpleasant.

She waved him off. "You have nothing to be sorry about. You didn't drive drunk, you didn't get into a fight, you didn't take some girl home and sleep with her," She internally cringed at that one. Maybe she should have left it off the list. Mike's brow raised at that comment, however. "You didn't harm anyone, and you weren't difficult to take care of. So, it's not a big deal." He opened his mouth then closed it. Finally, she blurted out, "I was glad they called me." She swallowed hard. "You're such a sweet drunk."

His eyes narrowed, staring at the coffee table, but drew unfocused. Audrey went to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"You don't seem angry," he commented.

She shook her head. "I'm not."

He looked unsure. "May I ask why?" His mouth was in a hard line.

Audrey leaned against the kitchen counter. "Do you understand why I told you to leave that night?"

"You said a lot of things-"

Audrey cut him off. "The real reason I told you to leave."

He sucked in a deep breath. "I think it has to do with your father."

Audrey nodded in reply. ''I'm not that difficult to figure out what makes me tick," she admitted. She knew that she now had his undivided attention. "I am truly messed up because of what I've watched my father do over the years. He is a backstabbing, ruthless, blackmailing son of a bitch who treated my mother like she was little more than dirt off the floor, and I was a disappointment just for being born a girl. It's why I don't know how to let anyone in, because I have watched my father feign friendships over the years only to then slit someone's throat," She sighed loudly. "Don't betray me, which consists of cheating on me, selling me out to my parents in exchange for something they offer, or any other type of betrayal… in other words, you and I are always a team. If you do that, then I'll never leave again, and I'll never be angry with you for more than a day for the really outrageous stuff you pull." Her eyes remained on him as she whispered, "Please tell me you can do it, because I can't stay away from you, and I'm tired of trying." His eyes widened marginally at her words. "Please tell me you can do it," Her voice unapologetically pleaded.

He glanced away from her. "I should probably get going. I need to shower up and take care of some things before the doctor visit. I'd like to go if you'll still let me."

Fury took over her as she settled her coffee cup down and lunged herself across the room at him. Audrey leapt into his lap, his coffee spilling in the process before he tossed the cup down on the table to steady her. "Don't you dare close yourself off to me now! Not after last night." He stared at her absolutely bewildered as she pounded her fists into his chest. "Don't you dare!"

"Audrey, stop!" He tried restraining her wrists, but she was filled with too much adrenaline, and kept slipping from his grasp, and pounding her fists into his chest. He was so broad that she likely suspected her punches didn't hurt, were just very irritating, even though she unleashed all of her strength on him.

In one swift move, Mike grabbed her wrists, locking them in a vice grip, sat up, and placed Audrey down on the sofa with her wrists held above her head being held with only one of his hands. Mike, catching a quick breath, yanked out his cell phone. "Call John," he commanded.

Audrey sat there furiously struggling against him, but the more she tried, the tighter his grip became. Finally, puffing she decided to lay there momentarily to catch her breath because the position of Mike straddling her was seriously turning her on.
"What the hell is going on? I have Audrey beating on me, shouting that I'm closed off to her. I have a pounding fucking headache, very few memories of last night, and Audrey's suddenly feral. What the fuck, man?"

"You think this is feral?" She screamed. "I'll show you feral!" Audrey thrashed about wildly while he restrained her with such ease that it was embarrassing.

"Ahuh. Ahuh. Yup," Mike replied at appropriate times to whatever John said on the other line. Finally, he pulled down the phone, looking at Audrey. "Did we make love last night?"

She had never felt such pure hatred as she did at that moment. He couldn't even remember the best night of her life. "Why does it matter?" She spat.

"Audrey, did we make love?" he asked, insistently.

"What does it matter?" She shouted, "It's not as if you can make me any more pregnant!"

Mike held the phone back to his ear. "I gotta go."

He dropped the phone onto her coffee table, his eyes not leaving hers. Hot tears flooded her cheeks as she looked away from him, too embarrassed to meet his gaze. Mike released her hands, grabbing her sides and picked her up. Before she even realized what was happening, Mike sat on the couch and she was in his lap. He snuggled his nose into her neck.

She sat up quickly, walking half way across the room. "Just go and get ready, Michael. I leave in three hours. If you're not there, I leave without you."

Audrey walked into the bathroom, locking it behind her, stripping her clothes off. She stepped into the shower and when the shower was scalding hot, she screamed herself hoarse, banging her fist into the tile, her eyes filled with tears late into the morning.

When she cried herself out and the water was freezing cold, she walked out to find Mike still sitting on the couch, unshed tears glistening in his eyes. He had heard everything. Audrey stood there with the towel wrapped around her. "Are you done running, Audrey?"

She didn't answer, so he finally stood up, walking over to her. For the briefest of seconds she felt fear course through her. He grabbed her shoulders. "Are you done shutting me out?"

As their eyes locked, tears fell down both their cheeks at the same time.

"Yes," she whispered, not knowing what else to say.