Life Lesson Twelve

~WARNING:  This installment contains graphic language, please proceed with caution.~

Micah watched as Madison bolted, setting off down the sidewalk in a brisk stride. No woman had ever walked away from him. Damned if he wasn’t intrigued by her gumption. Rejecting him like a chipped piece of china was fucking sexy.

Something had miffed her, but he had no idea what.

He glanced toward his dining partners and grinned at his brother. Elias dismissed the other men without comment and rose from his seat to approach him. Coming to stand beside Micah, his brother asked, “That’s her? My future sister-in-law?”

“Yes. Couldn’t you feel her energy?”

“Great ass.” Elias stared after her, gawking in appreciation. Micah ignored his comment, even though his disrespect rankled. “Has anyone told her you’ve got designs on her future?” A tinge of satire darkened his brother’s voice.

Micah laughed. “Hell, no. She’s too intelligent for me to attempt to micro-manage. Courting her will be required.” And entertaining. Any advancement in their relationship would have to be her idea. Or that’s what she would have to think.

“She’s a little too young.” Elias scrunched his nose. “Young ones complicate everything.”

“Now, yeah, she’s too young, but in a couple of years, she’ll be the perfect age. I’m going after her.”

“You sure that’s wise?”

“My gut says it’d be unwise to allow her anger to fester.” Micah peered at his brother. “Talk to her friend,” he nodded toward the teenager Madison had been with. He’d met with her parents recently and that girl was trouble with a capital T. A perfect accomplice if she could prod Madison into gainsaying her parents and seeing him on the sly. “See if you can discern from her what troubles Madison.”

“My pleasure,” Elias said with a lurid grin and headed toward Jen, as Micah went out the door after Madison.

He retrieved the keys to his black convertible Porsche from his pant pocket and opened the door. Settling into the leather seat, he cranked the vehicle and shifted to reverse. With the wind tugging through his hair, he headed off after her.

Madison hadn’t gotten far when he pulled up beside her and slowed the vehicle to her pace. She glanced at him and quickened her stride. Micah adjusted his speed.

“What’s wrong?” he called from the vehicle when she continued to ignore him.

She stopped walking and he hit the brake. A quick glance back the way she’d come, gave him the impression she might be thinking of bolting. Or either assessing who would come to her aid if he decided to abduct her. Although, the idea of snatching her off the street and running with her was tempting, he tossed it aside. Such an impudent action was an illogical solution to his reaction to her rebuff.

“Mr. Dominus,” she looked him directly in the eye, “considering you’re an attorney and all, I’m sure you’re aware stalking is a crime.”

Spunk had never been as sexy on a woman as it was on Madison Wescott. “I’m aware of the legal ramifications of the crime. However, I’ve not conducted said crime or officially been accused of it in a legal document.”

If she insisted, he’d talk legal circles around her until she saw things his way. She narrowed eyed him and he suddenly doubted he’d be able to talk her into anything against her will.

“I’m not stalking you. I swear. If I park the car and exit the vehicle, are you going to run?” He almost wished she would so he could chase her down, but he sensed such a rash action on his part would be a horrific move.

“Depends.” She glanced around their very public venue and shifted her stance. “What are you planning when you get out of the car?”

“Not kidnap you.” He winked. “I’ll toss you the keys to my car. I can’t exactly kidnap you if you’ve got control of them, now can I?”

Her right foot tapped out an erratic beat against the cracked sidewalk. “You could bash me over the head, toss me in the trunk and get your keys back before burning rubber.”

What a big imagination she had! And quick wit too. He liked that. “You’re a tall girl to be stuffing in my little trunk, don’t you think?”

“I figure you could make it work if you were determined.”

“Okay,” he said, thinking fast. “Why would I want to do that?”

As a response, she shrugged and checked her watch.

“I have no designs to harm you in any manner.” He put the car in park. She didn’t run. That was a good sign. “Consider me your personal defender and know I would be gravely upset if someone attempted to harm you.” If actually harmed, he’d skin that individual with pleasure and relish their screams.

Golden eyebrows flashed upward. “That doesn’t sound unstable at all.”

Micah laughed, loving her dry sarcasm. “I should warn you I know your name.”

She flinched. “How? Who told you? That’s so not good.”

“Your friend Jen back there readily spilled your name.” Taking a chance she wouldn’t bolt, he opened the car door and stepped out. After shutting the door, he shrugged out of his suit jacket and folded it across the passenger seat. “She’s not a girl to be confiding secrets in.”

“She’s not my friend,” Madison said and folded her arms beneath her breasts.

“I must confess, I specifically asked her the name of her tutor.” That confession drew a frown from her. He rolled his shirtsleeves to his elbows as he circled the front of his car. He leaned against the hood, crossed an ankle over the other and tossed her the keys. She caught them and he continued. “I already knew your surname. Madison Wescott…a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”

“Oh, Lord,” she rolled her eyes and threw the keys at his head.

Micah barely dodged them. They hit the hood of the car and made a terrible scraping noise as they slid across the metal, before jangling against the pavement. He cringed at the sound, knowing there’d be at least one scratch if not more, but was impressed by her aim and tenacity.

“Can the flirtations, Mr. Dominus.” Her fists balled at her sides. “Jen thinks you’re in love with her, said you thought she was pretty and asked her about her boyfriend. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but leave me out of it.”

Spouting nonsense like that was proof Jen would be no good to his cause. “You just committed two crimes when you threw the keys at my head. Assault and battery and vandalizing personal property.”

“Charge me, Mr. Dominus. But I’m pretty sure accosting a teenage girl will damage your reputation worse than my crime will mine.”

Damn, she is feisty! “For the record, I’m not interested in Jen and I didn’t exactly say she was pretty or ask her about her boyfriend. What she thinks is her business, but I’m innocent of her accusations. I did specifically ask her about you, which she conveniently left out of your conversation.”

Madison stared at him a long, long time and Micah couldn’t begin to guess what she was thinking. He wished he could get inside her mind, and bet it’d be a fantastic and interesting journey.

She swat at something buzzing about her head. “Why am I still standing here listening to your lies?”

“I’ll tell you why.” Resting his elbows on the vehicle, he watched her closely. “Because on the off chance I’m telling the truth, you wonder why I’m interested in you.”

“Mmmhmm.” She tapped the glass on her watch. “I don’t have time to discuss this fascinating topic, Mr. Dominus.”

“Madison, I’m not asking you to marry me.” But he would marry her or die trying to convince her to walk down the aisle with him. “I just want to be your friend.”

“Why? I’m fifteen and you’re…like ancient. What would we have to talk about?”

They had a lot more in common than she knew. “You’ve got an old soul. I can feel it.”

“What does that mean?” She frowned. “You into that voodoo stuff I watched on the History channel the other night?”

Micah ignored her questions and asked his own, “When will you turn sixteen?”

“What differences does that make?”

“Humor me, kitten.”

Madison huffed. “If I tell you, will you please stop calling me kitten?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“I don’t think I like your pushy attitude.”

He grinned. “Sorry, pushy is part of my successful charm as an attorney.”

“Well, it’s not charming outside of the courtroom, Mr. Dominus.”

“Micah,” he automatically corrected.

“I don’t think so, Mr. Dominus,” she said with emphasis on his last name and again dismissed him as she set off down the street.

“Madison?” he called after her, struggling to keep from going after her.

Madison halted her stride, but kept her back to him.

“I don’t give up that easily, kitten.”

She whipped around and her eyes sparkled with honest irritation. “We’re back to our stalking conversation.”

Micah walked straight to her and cupped her face. He tilted her head back to stare into her eyes. Eyes so blue, they reminded him of the heavens. “You’re worth the risk.”

“You don’t know me well enough to spew that romantic crap.”

“Now we’re back to our old soul conversation.” He winked.

“Okay. Fine. Release me.” She grit out between clenched teeth. His hands fell away and she took a step backward. “Old soul, huh?” she asked and he nodded. “If I call you, will you explain that weird ‘old soul’ comment?”

Victory! “Yes.”

“Mmmkay. It’s a bad idea, but I’ll call you soon, just once though.” She fiddled with the ends of her hair and he couldn’t decide if it was a nervous gesture or one of excitement. “I don’t promise to ever be your friend. And when you’re bored to tears talking to me, I’ll so enjoy telling you I told you so.”

“I look forward to what is certain to be a captivating conversation.”

“Oh, lawd,” she rolled her eyes and walked off.

“Don’t make me wait long, kitten.”

She turned and walked backward. A grin curved her lips and he gave a miniature cheer inside. “Or what, Mr. Dominus? You’ll shove me in your trunk?”

Enjoying her humor, he smiled back. “Don’t tempt me,” he teased.

“I think I should warn you, threats, coupled with smiles don’t scare me.”

Micah laughed and she waved goodbye.

Author's Note:  I hope you enjoyed the visit into Micah's point of view.

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